$500 each?!?!?!? Are they laced in drugs or give you a hummer while going down the road???? What they hell kind of car do you own that the shocks are $500 to install, I could see maybe the struts depending on the car for there would be an alignment involved but shocks WTMF are they MF'N smoking and putting up your ass for $500???????
Were talking one top ****** nut and 2 lower bolts, and $30 pair of shocks, one top nut back on, 2 bottom bolts back on done, no alignment needed, no lube, no pole smoking, WTF WTF WTF WTF WTMF $500, drive down to my house, we will go buy you your shocks, HELL we will even spend big bucks and go all out on the good sh!t and spend $80 on the pair, I will let you use my garage, my tool, I will show you want to do, and between the gas you used to drive here, and the shocks you bought, will save you $300.
And now on the struts, Maybe, maybe $75 a pop or even a pair if your no picky, if your lucky you have a car that all they have to do it take them out of the housing and put them back in, put them back on your car, a $79 alignment, and your done, labor about 2 hours max at $75 so around $375-$450~.
All I have to really say is shop around, who every you went to is blowing smoke straight up your ass if they want to charge you $500 to put some rear shocks on, and if money is tight, get the second, or third opinion, and get the rears first because they are the esiest, and cheapest ones to do, except where you took your car and got a estimate of $500 per side, ****** insane.