People Share The One Thing They Can’t Believe People Waste Their Money On
One man’s trash may be another man’s treasure, but it can also work the other way around. One person’s treasure can sometimes be considered “trash” to someone else. Thousands of dollars for a phone? More than $300 for pre-scuffed shoes? A surge-priced Uber ride when the metro is taking the same route faster? Any of these can be reasonable expenditures for some while completely wasteful ones for others.
What’s worse is that the people who usually make these purchases are consciously living paycheck to paycheck just to flaunt a false life of luxury. The person carrying the Louis Vuitton bag probably pairs it with discount buys from Forever 21 because that’s all she can afford now. The person driving the Mercedes is likely behind on this month’s rent. Everyone’s made a regrettable purchase or two, but some people seem to make a career out of it.
If you think your neighbor, roommate, sister-in-law or spouse is bad, wait till you read about these money wasters. These people didn’t hold back when they shared the one thing they can’t believe their friends and family waste money on.
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#1 King Of The Castle, Pawn Of His Bank Account
I had a coworker who would spend around $300 a week on some castle army game on Facebook. He said he used to spend a lot more and had to cut down. I know for a fact he made around $500 a week at work. Every now and then, he would say he was broke and looking forward to payday because he needed to revive his army. This man was 49-years-old.
#2 A Troubling Amount For A Truffle
I used to work at Godiva and I could not believe how much people would actually spend on one truffle. Sometimes, the truffles went up to $3 a piece. So really, if you’re getting four truffles, it would cost around $12, which is the minimum wage in Massachusetts. The worst part was the strawberries. Five chocolate-covered strawberries went for $15. I don’t get it. You could easily just do it yourself for a lot cheaper.
#3 Crushing Your Budget Instead Of The Candy
Candy Crush was generating a million dollars A DAY at one point because people were paying for $1 extra turns. It was absolutely ridiculous. It’s just a stupid game where you move colored bubbles around to make lines. It’s dumber than Tetris. I play Marvel: Contest of Champions. I’ve played it for about 1.5 years, and have spent $0 on it. It blows my mind to find out people have paid over $1,000 on that game. You could buy an Xbox or a TV or half of a gamer’s computer with that money.
#4 Keeping Kosher Doesn’t Have To Cost So Much
There are some specialty kosher brands for things that are either universally hechsher in the major brands or don’t need to be hechsher at all.
My lady spends about $800 a year on daft looking eyelashes.
#6 Let’s Not Forget Flagship Phones
Nowadays, since easily replaceable batteries aren’t a thing anymore, flagship prices of phones have skyrocketed and really good alternatives can be had for like $300. I see no point in buying a “top of the line” phone anymore. I’m quite happy with my Mate 20 lite. Spending three times the money wouldn’t have gotten me anywhere.
Any sort of designer label, especially Louis Vuitton, is worthless to me. Those bags are ugly! My mom’s friend gave me hers a year ago and I found it quite bizarre how differently people treated me. What I learned was that people don’t buy LV because the bags are beautiful. They buy them as status symbols. They’re buying respect. It’s so stupid because anyone who treats you differently just because you’ve got an overpriced handbag isn’t worth knowing anyway. I ended up selling mine on eBay for a few hundred bucks.
#8 If You Must Do Earbuds, At Least Make Them Ankers
I just bought a pair of Anker brand earbuds, but they function just like AirPods and are about half the price. They’re still expensive at around $70, but nowhere close to $250 like the AirPods. You can talk on the phone while leaving the phone on the complete opposite side of the house. You can listen to music while leaving your phone in your pocket, unencumbered by wires. It cuts out a mild inconvenience, but it was worth the price for me.
#9 I Scoff At These Scuffed Shoes
I went to a high-end shoe store just to have a look at the expensive designer stuff. They had Converse shoes that were pre-scuffed and had dirt marks. A lot of the shoes there were really cool, but I’m not paying $300 for dirty shoes.
Estimate the number of days per week you eat out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Then estimate your average bill for each. Multiply each meal by the price, and add together to get total for the week. Multiply that by 52. That’s how much you blow a year on eating out. I have clients who spend $1,600 a month on take-out.
#11 Boo On Bottled Water
I live in the UK and the tap water (at least in the north) is amazing quality. There are some people who would rather pay £4 for bottled water in a restaurant rather than ask for free tap water.
#12 Affordable Cukes Only Come From A Fence
Don’t buy cucumbers from the store. Get a pack of $1 seeds, throw them against a fence, and you will grow hundreds of cucumbers by doing nothing else. You cannot stop the cucumber.
#13 Advice From Someone Who Thinks Amish Have All The Fun
Maybe I’m a bit too much of a pragmatist but to me, ultra high-end designer clothes and luxury cars are an utter waste of money that could go towards more necessary things or memorable experiences. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t spend extra money for higher quality products. I myself am a firm believer in “buy once, cry once.” Products should be of high quality and stand the test of time.
However, I feel there’s a difference between “high quality” and “luxury.” Shoes for $100 will be better made than $15 shoes, but honestly, how much better will a $300 pair be than the $100 pair? At some point, you’re paying for a name. A G-Shock watch will work just as well as a Rolex; plus, it will cost less and hold up to more abuse. With cars, generally, the luxury ones perform better and drive nicer. If you’re a car person and that’s your hobby, I say knock yourself out. I would indeed pay more for a higher quality car, but there’s a point when I personally can’t justify the price anymore.
That’s the point I’m trying to make; I’ll spend extra when it means better quality, but I personally can’t justify luxury clothes and cars because they’re just not necessary in my mind.
#14 Vehicles In Danger Of Doubling As Homes
When I was a banker, I had a couple come in because their second mortgage was starting to go up as the rates went up. They came to me to try and get the mortgage adjusted since they said that if it went up by even $50 they wouldn’t be able to afford it. Their first and second combined was only about $850, but I saw a couple more loans that totaled $1,200 a month. I asked what those were and they said it was their car payments. I told them they might want to think about selling the cars and the guy actually said, “Well we’re not going to drive ugly cars.” I just looked him right in the eye and said, “Well then you’re going to be living in them.”
If I get a candy bar, a bag of chips, and an energy drink, that’s $7. Garbage food adds up, especially if you’re doing that every day. Stretch that out for three years, add that same level of poor foresight in other financial decisions, and you got yourself a $15,000 debt.
#16 Itching To Scratch All Your Money Away
I worked at a gas station for a few months and we had a regular that came in every few days. She spent around $100 to $200 every single time. She would clean us out of our expensive $20 scratch tickets and just scan them to see if she won. Blew through the $200 of scratch tickets in under five minutes. She also drove an old Honda Civic that was missing the back window because she couldn’t afford to fix it.
#17 The Emperor’s New Clothes Could Have Come From This Store
A friend of mine buys clothes from a brand called Acne Studios. He spent $300 on a sweater that was literally just a plain purple sweater with an emoji face in the corner. A while back, he also spent a ton of money on a shirt with holes in it. I think my biggest problem with spending so much money on these clothes is that I don’t know what makes them worth so much.
I can understand why a Canada goose jacket, for example, would be expensive. It has real feathers and fur, and it’s a well-known brand. While I wouldn’t buy one, I can understand why it’s priced so high and why someone would want one. Meanwhile, most of the brands my friend buys from are really obscure brands that no one’s heard of and there’s nothing really special about a lot of the clothes.
#18 A Toast To Free Spenders Everywhere
Buying frozen toast is stupid. You have to toast it to eat it.
We have friends that bought a house right outside the city. Not only are the costs insane but the process is even worse! It is so crazy competitive. They wrote a letter to the sellers basically with their life story so they could win them over and bought the house without completing an inspection. Once they were inside, they realized they had to completely redo all the electrical. It was a mess and their first year in the house was a struggle.
#20 Proof Cars Can Cost More Than College
I look at credit reports all day for clients trying to get pre-approved for a mortgage. This isn’t regarding someone who makes a sufficient income to support it, but it is EXTREMELY common nowadays to see people who make $30,000 to 40,000 a year with car payments that are $600 to 700 a month. We see it a lot. It is definitely the most egregious debt I tend to see on people’s credit reports nowadays, even over student loans, because the monthly payments are just so outrageous.
#21 HelloFresh, Drag-On My Budget
Meal kit delivery service is just so expensive. I can shop for an entire week for less than what they charge for three meals. I know it’s cheaper than eating at a restaurant every day, but if you’re going to cook, just go to the grocery store once a week and get it done.
#22 Maybe If The Last Page Was A Diploma
In my freshman year, I bought a Chemistry textbook for about $400. When the end of the semester came, they offered me $5 at the buyback. I think I’m going to save that textbook for graduation. I don’t know what I’ll do with it, but you better believe it’ll cost the school more than $5 to clean up.
#23 Essentially, Oils Just Smell Good
Grandma, for the last time, the chemo got rid of your cancer not the smell of peppermint essential oil on your wrists.
#24 An Expensive Way To Avoid Your Co-Workers
In my office, we have four different types of unlimited free coffee: normal drip coffee, a Keurig machine, a Nespresso machine, and cold brew out of a keg. Despite this, a third of the employees stop somewhere on the way to work and pay $3 or $4 for coffee.
#25 Half My Salary Goes To Shampoos
My cousin goes to the barber every time he needs to wash his hair. I have no idea why he would throw money away like that when he could just take a shower instead. He doesn’t have eczema and a scalp massage is not something barbers or hairdressers usually offer in my area. Going to the barber in the first place is definitely not cheap. He’s not attracted to anybody at the barber’s, he actually hates the one guy who works there.
#20 Expensive Fix
My boyfriend had a fit saying that he would NEVER pay anyone to fix an appliance or household item. He said, “Why would I pay someone to come into MY house and do something I could just do by myself.” So I said, “Cool. Fix the dryer.”
I will admit that I’ve spent money on a video game before, but never more than $10 on Rocket League. I have a friend who is lower income and he has spent nearly $4,000 total on games like Fortnite, Black Ops 3, and Clash Royale, all games which he doesn’t play anymore. I can’t understand how anyone could rationalize spending that much money.
#28 Silly Goose, Buying A Tot A Down Jacket
My cousin bought a Canada Goose jacket for his five-year-old daughter. That jacket cost about $800 and she’s going to outgrow it in three months.
In the Bay Area, I’ve met countless people who will regularly pay surge pricing to get an Uber to go somewhere where BART can easily take them. There’s a station less than a couple of minutes by foot from their origin and taking the train wouldn’t just be a fraction of the price, it would also be faster. Are you that terrified of being on a train with the “poor?”
#30 Give Me The Money And Scratch This Chalkboard Instead
Gambling addicts are the most annoying customers! Those scratch-off junkies keep coming back to the register with a winning ticket just to buy more with the winnings. They keep doing it until they have no more money left. And the stupid stuff they say… “I gotta get money to buy my grandkids new school clothes,” or, “I need to at least break even.” You broke even $100 ago. Go home! I just want to tell these people to just give me their money instead. Seriously, just give it to me. I can totally use the money. If they’re just going to throw it away anyway, might as well throw it to someone who could use it.
When I worked at a discount store that stocked crafts and scrapbooking materials, the ladies who came in were ruthless and often spent $200+ every time we had a large shipment come in. The thing was, most of these ladies collected this stuff and then never used it. I’ve asked them what they’ve made with prior purchases and 90% of the time they said they just tucked it into their craft storage and never touched it. Sure Susan, have fun with your six hundred stamps.
#32 Who Needs A New Car When The Old One’s Only 18?
When I finished college and got a job, I was instantly peppered by the family with, “When are you going to buy a new car!?!?” Mine’s 18-years-old with some bumper damage from an accident several years ago that I decided not to fix. I had the same mindset to upgrade too, but after months of window shopping, I thought why? My current car is perfectly fine. On the flip side, my sibling always buys a new car and switches out for a new model every year, then wonders why she is broke.
#33 Jordans Aren’t For People Who Can’t Jump Or Even Walk Yet
#34 Cinderella Minus The Fairy Godmother
My roommate spent over $400 on an embroidered full-length ballgown, but she has no event to wear it to. At the same time, she wanted to cut our WiFi plan and get me to use the internet less in order to save $6 a month. I will say, the dress is beautiful.
#35 The Delivery Costs More Than The Coffee
As a food courier, I am baffled by high school students who will pay a $3.95 delivery fee to order a coffee from Tim Horton’s.
#36 You Pay Too Much To Play Collectible Card Games
I’m already very hard to convince me to pay $60 for a video game and I’m much more likely to wait for a cheaper version with a DLC included a few months later. Then, there are people who spend much more than $60 not just on a game, but also on a small part of a game or even consumables. I love collectible card games, but their monetization is ridiculous. The only card game I’ve played with good monetization was the adventure expansions for Hearthstone. I paid $20 to $30 and got all the content.
When I worked construction, my boss would eat out three or four times a day, spend all his breaks shopping and buying junk, and go out to ‘party’ every weekend. When he complained about being in debt, I’d laugh inwardly. One time, he told me that he woke up in cold sweats because of his financial situation, but I had no sympathy. In fact, I feel really good about myself. A fun part of this was that every couple of weeks, he’d bring his old junk to the job site and let us pick through it all. It was all so unnecessary but fun! I got a couple of camping air mattresses, a bed-chair, and lots of clothes.
I honestly don’t care what phone people have, but iPhones are significantly more expensive than the equivalent phone brands. You’re signing yourself up for not having a charger cord that can be used for other things like charging wireless headphones, a portable charger, a speaker, or a PlayStation controller, etc. It just seems inefficient.
#39 Maybe Dad’s Third Wife Will Have Better Spending Habits
My ex step-mom is $15,000 in debt and still spends her money on stupid impulse stuff like candy bars and energy drinks. She only works 30 hours a week and always complains that she doesn’t have enough money. I think I’m starting to see why my dad left her.
#40 For Five Figures, You Should Figure On Some Research
I honestly don’t understand why people commit to proven unreliable brands or bad models. There’s no good reason for anyone to buy 50% of the cars on the road. For many makes and models, there are other cars that are consistently proven to perform better, at the same price or lower. And the sticker price is hardly the problem. An unreliable car will eat up money, fast. These are five-figure, multi-year commitments that can ruin your life just about as quickly as anything else can. Money holes, dangerous situations, missed work, you name it. Same goes for any other important purchase.
#41 You Don’t Need A Barista For Basic Drip
I used to work at a Starbucks, and I was boggled at how many people would buy basic drip coffee daily. I’m the first to advocate that people underestimate the value of service in fast food products, but it takes longer to get coffee by going to a shop than making it at home. Also, the mark-up is nowhere near worth the price.
#42 So Many Dollars Just To Say ‘I Do’
Weddings. It just seems like that money could be used somewhere better. I’m talking about the $10,000 weddings with six bridesmaids and groomsmen, a lavish location, an insanely priced dress, and expensive food. It’s like the down payment of a house. Maybe I’m just simple, but a small ceremony in my own backyard in a simple dress and a party sounds plenty good for me. I know a guy whose in-laws gave them $25,000 for their gift. They spent all of it on the wedding. All of it. Three years later, she cheated on him, left him and got remarried.
#43 What’s A Little More Waste? Add An HDMI Cable, Please
Expensive HDMI cables are ridiculous. You have an LTE-connected device in your pocket and every search result will tell you not to buy them. All you have to do is Google it. I don’t know how Best Buy so regularly sends people home with a $1,500 TV and four $70 cables.
#44 The Anti-Scammer Device That’s Sort Of Sketchy
Those card sleeves that are meant to prevent people from scamming your details through contactless pay are a specialty item. I work in financial customer service and the number of people who say they have spent like, $20 on them concerns me. You could just get another holder or slip and it would have the same effect. It’s taking advantage of people who are scared by the crazy made up stories of fraud. Never mind the fact that each financial institution has its own fraud department who will protect them.
#1 Fools For Fireworks
In my country, the use of fireworks on New Year’s Eve is super expensive and it’s pretty common to hear people talk about how they spent thousands of euros, sometimes even tens of thousands, on a bunch of explosives that make pretty colors show up in the sky. And that’s best case scenario—there are also people who spend big on fireworks that don’t do make any fancy lights, they just make a ridiculous amount of noise. And don’t even get me started about the amount of people getting wounded by fireworks on NYE.
