NBC recently released a special called Unaffordable America to show how expensive it is to live, survive and sustain a life in the country right now. Ironically, at the very top of the list was how even death doesn’t spare our pockets. Is it so bad that even the Grim Reaper needs that little bit of extra dough?

Epicurus Thought We Could Chill.

The ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus famously stated, "Death is nothing to us. When we exist, death is not; and when death exists, we are not".

The fear of death is argued to be irrational. Yes, your family and friends are gonna be sad. Yes, you’ll miss out on whatever comes next. But as far as you’re concerned, there’s nothing tangible to really deal with.

Pretty solid argument. Except Epicurus never had to see the bill.

To Staying Alive: Who’s A Waste Of Money Now?

People love to bitch about spending money on staying healthy.

Gym memberships are too expensive. Healthy food is too expensive. Supplements are a scam. Preventative care costs too much. And to be honest… fair. But unfortunately, dying isn’t the budget option either.

Let’s do a loose and questionable estimation (we’re not here for math, okay?):

Gym membership: ~$2/day (Traditional gyms have a 2026 median around $60/month)
Food: ~$9–13/day (USDA's current moderate-cost food plan is ~$337/month for women 20–50 and ~$399/month for men 20–50.)
Preventive checkup: ~$0.35/day (~$126 for an uninsured/self-pay annual checkup, spread across a year.)
Multivitamin: ~$0.10–$0.15/day (Multivitamin costs a median $0.14 per serving)
Dying: ~$7,290 (A traditional funeral with viewing and burial costs a median $8,300, while a funeral with cremation costs about $6,280)

What a fantastic system.

Prediction: Not Dying is the New Saving.

HEALTH & WELLNESS, CONGRATULATIONS. You don’t have to convince us that health is worth investing in anymore.

As horrible as it sounds, fear of dying could become health and wellness’s next great motivator. For years, wellness has sold us looking better, feeling better and living longer. Now it might have an even better pitch: have you seen dying???