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When you shop in exclusive boutiques, you know you're going to pay a high price for what you hope is high quality.

But there are some situations where you're just getting gouged. Here in no particular order are some of the most overpriced purchases in America, and what you can do about it.

The first will come as no surprise: Water - here's a product that can cost less than a cent, and be sold for more than a buck: Quite a markup. Workaround? A refillable bottle with your own water.

Next? Eyeglass frames. Markup on these can be as high as 1000 percent. Focus on warehouse stores and the Internet for the biggest discounts.

Drinks in restaurants can be marked up 300 to 600 percent. This soda could have cost the restaurant two cents, and cost you 2 bucks. Hard to swallow? Drink water.

Then there's text messages. Depending on the provider, you'll pay 100,000 times more for sending a text than other types of data. Solution? If you text a lot, you've got to have an unlimited text plan.

Finally, prescription drugs. Markups can be enough to make you ill: 200 to more than 3000 percent! Ask your doctor for generic alternatives.

Bottom line? There's no shortage of overpriced products - or ways to get around them. Want to see more or add to the list? Go to MoneyTalksNews.com and do a search for "overpriced."

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