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“The Whole Concept Is Idiotic”: 35 Dumb Things People Continue To Waste Their Money On
Interview With Expert
We all make mistakes from time to time when it comes to spending. We might overstep our budgets or give in to impulse purchases. But these are valuable learning opportunities, so long as we actually do better the next time around, not just promise to try our best.
From smoking and subscription services to humongous weddings, the members of the r/AskReddit online community spilled the tea about the worst waste of money they know that some people can’t seem to avoid. Scroll down for their warnings about what you should probably avoid spending your hard-earned cash on.
We reached out to G. Brian Davis, a real estate investor and the co-founder of SparkRental.com, to get his thoughts on how to reduce money-related worries and when emotional spending starts to become a problem. You'll find Bored Panda's full interview with him as you scroll down.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
The cash people donate to celebrity ministers.
KatSaidWhat 1 year ago
I don't understand how people are so blind to the private jets and mansions and cars when the church is supposed to be poor and humble.
If you have a lot of debt, are prone to emotional spending, and spend more than you earn, then you’re not just hurting your and your loved ones’ future. You’re also having a massive negative impact on your physical and mental health. Being exposed to long-term stress is similar to responding to sickness.
UCL researchers recently published a study in the Brain, Behavior, and Immunity journal about how stressful experiences and financial strain were detrimental to the healthy interaction between people’s immune, nervous, and endocrine systems.
When the communication between these systems is disrupted, our health suffers. For example, we become more prone to various illnesses like cardiovascular diseases, depression, and schizophrenia.
RELATED:
#2
Donating Money to influencers/streamers.
JayRam85:
Parasocial relationships are so dumb.
I've seen people regularly pay streamers $50-300, easily.
Stephanie A Mutti 1 year ago
What???? People pay them?? Just to watch them live fake human lives????? I thought they made money from product placement etc.,
#3
Brand name baby clothes. Why in the world are you buying your new born a pair of Jordans that he/she'll outgrow in a few months?
Odessa S. Hamilton, the lead author of the study, said that chronic stress can disrupt the biological exchange between the immune and endocrine systems, leading to disease.
“We found that financial stress was most detrimental to biological health, although more research is needed to establish this for certain. This may be because this form of stress can invade many aspects of our lives, leading to family conflict, social exclusion, and even hunger or homelessness,” Hamilton said.
The people who reported dealing with financial strain, the perception that they might not have enough money for future needs, were 59% more likely to, 4 years later, belong to the high-risk group of people who develop illnesses.
#4
Anything Gwyneth Paltrow sells probably.
Tempest 1 year ago
Anything any celebrity sells! They just attach their name to a product that already exists in plenty in the market and rip off their innocent fans. If it’s a product that doesn’t already exist in the market, I can understand it being justifiable but why would one ever really need some $100 perfume bottle with just two sprays worth of content when you can buy pretty much the same scent elsewhere?!
#5
As a smoker... Cigarettes are by far the most idiotic addiction I have.
NANNYNEGLEY:
Me, as well. The whole concept is idiotic. Buy something to intentionally set it on fire? Who does that? And if that’s not stupid enough, to then inhale the smoke produced? Who does that? I do, and have for over 60 years. How am I still alive? Guess I’m too stupid to die.
Rabbit Of ill Portent(she/her) 1 year ago
I try to rationalize my smoking addiction with thoughts like "everyone has some kind of crutch/baby blanket type thing/relief they do to survive this spinning ball of rock and dirt" or "I've been smoking for about 22 years already, the damage is done, pointless to stop now" and I mean that healthwise, I know that financially it would not be pointless lol but frankly, it all boils down to the fact that I've just lost my give a damn.
#6
Huge weddings.
citizen_et:
I know a guy & his wife who took a loan for their wedding, and he had to sell his wedding ring in order to pay back his loan and she still pays her loan on her side.
Schmebulock 1 year ago
it's like buying a car. Don't buy a Mercedes if you can only afford a Kia.
According to Davis, there are two approaches to reducing any money-related worries that you have. The first is changing how you think about money, focusing on gratitude. The second is how you actually spend your hard-earned cash, starting with more attention on savings. "They both help, especially when you combine them," the co-founder of SparkRental.com told Bored Panda in an email.
"On the mindset side, aim to put your focus and attention on gratitude for what you have rather than fixating on what you don’t have but want. That’s easier said than done—as soon as we get one thing we want, we start thinking about the next thing. Remind yourself that you have everything that you need, and then go through subtraction exercises, imagining your life without some of the things you take for granted. You’ll value them more and boost your gratitude for what you have,” Davis explained.
#8
Sending money to politicians. What the f**k are you doing.
General Anaesthesia 1 year ago
Corporations and billionaires can always afford to buy more politicians than you can.
#9
Twitter blue check.
Meanwhile, when it comes to the spending side of things, Davis said that a higher savings rate leads to lower financial worries. "Bridge the gap between mindset and tangible spending by looking back at how you used to live five or ten years ago, how much less you lived on. You weren’t miserable then, even though you lived on less. How can you live on less once again without it feeling like ‘sacrifice?’”
Lowering your living expenses means that you increase the number of months that your savings could potentially sustain you if you were in an emergency. That, in turn, leads to less overall stress about money.
Furthermore, you have far more flexibility in your career if your expenses are lower. "You can go pursue your dream work, even if it doesn’t pay well, as you live happily on a lower budget."
#10
New phone every year.
Tempest 1 year ago
Given how ridiculously expensive phones are nowadays, doing this would be such a financial disaster to anyone. Most phones work perfectly for at least 2-3 years and if it’s the design, that’s also pretty much the same across most of the new models now. I used my last phone for 6 years, upgraded it to a new one last year, and plan on using that for at least 5 years. My old phone is still in great condition and was passed down to my mom.
#11
Adobe subscription. f**k you adobe.
BeesEelsAndPups 1 year ago
GIMP, it's got a terrible name, and it's admittedly not as good as Photoshop, but it's pretty top notch for a free product. Inkscape is the free vector art program, and I think that's also awesome.
Davis told Bored Panda that another important aspect to consider is comparing yourself to your peers. In short, you shouldn't do this. The reality is that we don't know all the details of a high-earner's life. "They may earn twice as much as you—and hate their jobs. You don’t know how they really feel about their high-octane job or the sacrifices they make for that high paycheck. All you see are the curated social media photos," he shed some light on this.
We were also curious to get Davis' perspective on emotional spending. Specifically, when it starts becoming a real problem. He pointed out that it's an issue when someone starts exceeding their budget for discretionary spending.
"If you budget $300 per month for discretionary spending like lattes and restaurant meals and shoes and clothes, there’s nothing wrong with you spending that money in whatever way brings you the most happiness. That includes emotional spending, such as indulging yourself at the spa or whatever floats your proverbial boat. But when you blow past that $300 because you splurged on emotional spending, you’ve blown your budget. Now you have less to spend on more essential expenses like groceries," the co-founder of SparkRental.com told us.
#13
Designer and luxury anything.
Ambitious_Equal_1603:
Designer clothes.
You're literally paying a company to become a human billboard for them. Just so you can be associated with wealth and status.
No one will care as much as you do about your brands.
The Chronic Insomniac 1 year ago
I saw someone driving one of those hideous Tesla trucks today and some gang member had tagged the back with spray paint like you would see on an inner city wall or something. I'm not condoning defacing someones property but it did make me burst out lauging in my used Chevy Spark.
#14
Getting nails and lashes done. My coworkers spend $150+ on nails monthly and $200+ on lash extensions and always complain about not having money.
Vermonta 1 year ago
One winter I had skin split on my fingertip that was painful whenever it was bunked. As a last resort I bought some $8.00 nails at the drugstore to put some distance between the split and anything it bunked. Totally worked but the nails looked quite natural, short with no polish. I kept it up because I never had great nails to begin with. I occasionally paint them. I was treated to a spa pedicure and the attendant asked me where I got my nails done. "Um, Walgreens"
#15
Reiki, Homeopathy, all the other pseudo-science b******t.
Ian Webling 1 year ago
Please don't elevate them by calling them something as flattering as "pseudo-science".
If you’re feeling a lot of financial pressure, your first step is to create a budget so you can sleep more soundly at night. Slow down. Sit down. And go through your expenses in painstaking detail. To oversimplify a bit, you have two main tools at your disposal to dig your way out of this hole: reducing your expenses and increasing your income.
The latter is fairly straightforward (if not so simple to do in practice): you can look for a higher-paying job, work more hours, pick up a part-time gig, monetize your hobbies, invest, etc.
#16
Subscription services to everything is becoming a massive problem that, despite our protests, are becoming more numerous and people just seem to be coming to accept.
I even fall pray to it for a few things.
#17
There’s a government website that allows anyone to donate to covering the US national debt. People do it.
#18
Vapes.
Started out as a way to help quit smoking. Now most people do it because they think it looks cool.
In the meantime, reducing your expenses inevitably means that you will have to adjust your lifestyle. To be sure, this can be unpleasant. When you’re used to a certain standard of living, it can be painful to imagine making any serious changes. Luckily, human beings are very adaptable.
You can start by eliminating all of the things you spend money on that have literally no benefit. For instance, you might have signed up for some digital subscriptions that you don’t have the time (or desire) to use. You might have a gym subscription, but it’s been months since you went.
#20
Honestly, paying thousands of dollars just to keep their old pet alive. Like, I appreciate that they love their pets, but there's a point where you have to realize they are suffering and you should let go. No point in spending so much money so they can live a few more months.
The Chronic Insomniac 1 year ago
This!!! Ask yourself, are you keeping them live for them or because you are to selfish to let go?
#21
Gambling. Especially lotteries.
It's never "worth" it from a math/odds perspective, but people continue to do it just for that small chance. It's basically just throwing your money in the trash, and 99.9% of people will never win big. It ends up being a huge amount of wasted money for many people over their life time.
Paul Rabit 1 year ago
I look at buying one lottery ticket as it's own form of entertainment. For a couple days, you have real license (albeit terribly small) to dream about all the wonderful things you could do with your winnings. That's better than $40 for two hours at the movies! Plus, a slim-to-none chance of ONE ticket is infinitely better than a none-to-none chance with no ticket!
Paul Brown 1 year ago
All it takes is one ticket to win. The amount of money I spend on lottery tickets is not going to break the bank.
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ThisIsMyDisplayName 1 year ago (edited)
I don't often drink & don't take other d***s these days (nothing against those who do, it's just that my body's not up to the hangover or comedown any more), but I spend a tenner a week on the lottery & Euromillions for escapism - yes it's silly & I could save that money. And others could save a lot more money by not drinking or taking other d***s or buying takeaways or whatever other indulgences they have. But the escapism, the dream just for a few hours is wonderful. I understand that any addiction is bad, but the folk lecturing on not gambling sound very like the same people who insist that if millennials didn't waste their money on avocado toast or Starbucks they could buy mansions.
BK BigFish 1 year ago
Think of it as secular religion, a kind of monetary Pascal's wager. People go to church, but come on, you don't really see much daily evidence of God or the afterlife. But maybe, just maybe, there's a TINY, TINY chance if you go to church and pray and blah, blah, blah, you go to Heaven, and if you don't, you go to Hell. Hope sells.
keyboardtek 1 year ago
Las Vegas is not like you see in the movies where all the women are beautiful, the men handsome, all dressed in evening wear and spending millions. It is mostly filled with retired people in smelly clothing they have been wearing for weeks.
Red Skye 1 year ago
Well, I enter lotteries associated with charities I don't mind supporting, this way I am being charitable, sure I know the odds of winning are damned low, like a snow flakes chance in hell small, but hey, the OPTION that I might win, makes regular 'charitable' tickets worth it.
Limey Cheesehead 1 year ago
I look at it as a charitable contribution. In the UK, it helps to fund good causes. At least that's the BS I keep telling myself (ha ha).
Lyoness 1 year ago
Right now I'm hearing that old recalled Barbie, "Math is hard!" 😂 But I think a lot of people just mean a few bucks is worth the pleasure they get in imagining what they'd do with the money. It's usually cheaper than a choc bar and definitely cheaper than a pint so yeah, guess my math is bad.
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Beth Wheeler 1 year ago
I've bought lottery tickets 2 or 3 times since NC started it. Most people say that it doesn't go to education but my son got college scholarship from the NC Lottery, so part of it does in fact go to education.
nottheactualphoto 1 year ago
The lottery is a tax I don't have to pay. There aren't many of those.
Jess Smith 1 year ago
It is worth it from a math/odds perspective, in very limited circumstances *if* you buy a lot of tickets. Look up the Cash WinFall lottery in Massachusetts. There were three different groups raking in profits.
Wolf princess quinn 1 year ago
Vegas last week. All the retirees jumping on busses to sit at a casino and gamble all day and then cry about having to live on a " limited budget"
Or you might feel so overwhelmed in life that you try to make yourself feel better and feel like you’re in control by impulsively buying things. This can look different for everyone. Some people buy lots of shoes, bags, or clothes they don’t even have a chance to enjoy. Others might buy video games or books at a discount even though they’re too exhausted to get to them. Still, others splurge on dining out and takeaway (cough avocado toast and lattes cough)—the costs of which quickly add up.
Whatever your weakness might be, it’s important to identify it and be honest about what this is: emotional spending. It makes you feel good for a moment, but it leaves you feeling hollow later on. This does not mean that you shouldn’t enjoy the finer things in life. However, you should be realistic about how much of that enjoyment your budget allows for. Treat yourself… once in a while, not every day, unless you've budgeted for it.
#22
Tipping the cashier when I’m standing in line to place and receive my order. The way they swing that credit card thing around, either you tip or you wonder what they did to your food.
Mc Hobbit 1 year ago
Sometimes I am amazed by how out of control US tipping culture is. Y'all used to tip your hairdresser, nail tech, waiter, etc...now someone at Starbucks hands you a doughnut and then wants a tip. I'm honestly waiting for the day the US asks for a tip to cross the street. I'd be terrified to even go anywhere in the US. I'd literally just go to the grocery store and through self-checkout.
#23
In app purchases in games.
Lavena William 1 year ago
I play MOBA games, it's completely free to play. It helps me cope throughout dark times in my early adulthood. And I buy two skins that I really like, that's it. Paying for two cheap skins is my way of thanking the dev.
#24
The green powders people buy and mix into their drinks.
Almost anything the Kardashian family sells (especially Kourtney’s snake oil brand, Lemme).
PeepPeep the duck 1 year ago (edited)
I just googled them 😂 133$au for a jar of stress relief gummies 😂 Jesus just roll a joint (jokes) - $180 for weight loss ones but $67 for vâginal freshness (PH fresh ones) or the Brian booster one 😂
#25
Is Door Dash / Uber Eats / Grub Hub not on this list yet? I can't believe people are wasting money on this s**t. If you're disabled or sick or something I get it, but that's not who is using these services 95% of the time, and people are always complaining about surcharges! No s**t! Go pick up your own damn food!
#26
Going out to eat every day.
Some people I work with bring in Noah's bagels, or donuts or something nearly every day, then they go out and eat somewhere for lunch every day. Same group talks about the latest cool restaurant they blew $500 on.
Crazy.
#27
Tithing.
Wolf princess quinn 1 year ago
This is what confirmed my suspicion of religion. My parents got a bill from thier church at the end of each month. Greed. Fear. Control. That's religion. I'm an atheist now
#28
More more more shoes, clothes, and stuff.
Basically we’re over consuming everything we don’t need and yes I just bought another pair of shoes I don’t need a month ago but wanted 🫣.
#29
I would say many baby toys. You spend a lot of money on flashy, expensive gifts that end up sitting unused, while the child plays all the time with a cheap toy from the dollar store.
It's a bit of a cliché, but from my experience, kids often prefer the simple things, like a cardboard box. You don't need to spend a lot of money on toys and games for a 1-3 year old.
#31
Bottled water.
Kirjavs:
I lived in a city where the tap water was so healthy that they could legally bottled it. And the city was so bored of people still buying bottled water, that they did bottled the tap water to make them how stupid they acted.
But people kept buying bottled water...
#33
Ultra cheap anything. It's so far and beyond better to try your best and save up for something of middling quality or higher.
Wether is be work boots, electronics, car parts, never go cheapest. It's just no worth having to replace them, and it will cost more in the long run.
#34
Premium gas unless your car has a high-compression engine.
Arcady Royzen 1 year ago
if you read automotive news, you will find out that more and more new cars require premium gas. just for the sake of the experiment, i switched my premium for midgrade and fuel economy dropped about 15%. which means i have to fill up more often... guess what ... it actually cost more money in the long term
#35
Chiropractors.
Lyone Fein 1 year ago
Sorry your experience has been negative. Chiropractors have been a godsend for me. I have known three excellent ones who helped relieve me of great pain.
#36
Cat toys. My cats seem to prefer empty boxes and the rings off of milk jugs to any expensive toys I bought.
#37
Any product with excessive vitamin C for health or immunity.
Vitamin C is *barely* involved in those processes, and is stupid easy to get your daily needs met with normal food intake. Those products do absolutely nothing.
Lyone Fein 1 year ago
I think this one is highly personal. I know I'm not getting enough vit C whenever my nose starts bleeding, which happens several times a month. Vitamins B reduces my anger reflex. Taking magnesium oxide reduces my pain.. . . . As you age, you may find that you need the extra help.
#39
Home warranty companies.
Complete scam. You pay $75-$100 just to get someone to come out for what most likely would cost you $50 to do yourself. Even if you do have a major appliance or HVAC system repair or replacement, you're getting the cheapest s**t installed by the lowest bidder.
And for that privilege, you pay them a monthly fee.
Put that monthly fee into a savings account for home maintenance and repairs, and you'll be far better off.
#41
Snapchat + (yes I actually know people that pay for it).
PeepPeep the duck 1 year ago
Paying for what? The app or to view certain peoples stories? I haven’t snap chat app’d since 2012
#42
Based around last year’s audit, the pentagon.
Lyone Fein 1 year ago
Every year it's the same story. We've been hearing about $300 hammers for thirty years now.
#43
Fabric softener. It ruins clothes, towels, and linen and is more expensive than old school nanna hacks.
Fabric softener is a con perpetrated by Big Wash!
#44
Premade burger paddies.
Just get ground meat, season ir to your liking and literally press it with your palms. You'll be paying half for 5x the quality.
E Henry Todd 1 year ago
Ground meat - just buy pre ground meat and grind it yourself. Pre-ground meat - just get a cow
#45
Soft drinks are a big sinkhole. In the grocery store near me they rotate between the 24-pack and 30-pack on special, if it's not on special it'll be something stupid like $50 for a 30-pack or $40 for a 24-pack and when they're on special they cost about $10-15 less. Since I live with my mother and her and my brother love coke I just decided I'm not drinking this s**t anymore and voila the groceries are quite a bit more manageable and now I can buy treats that I usually wouldn't like brioche buns for burger night :).
Sky Render 1 year ago
Here in the US they're worse than most places because they're basically just flavored high fructose corn syrup and water. HFCS is basically poison to your digestive system as the body doesn't process it the same way it processes sugar and you end up not having your sugar craving sated by it.
#50
Anything labeled Organic.
Marianne K. 1 year ago
Organic is a waste of money. In a perfect world I’d agree and say organic is great. Pesticides drift on the wind and contaminate other crops. Plus, come on, you know people, do you really trust the product that’s labeled organic to be really organic? People cheat.
#52
Some of these might be hot takes.
- Reddit premium
- most VPN's
- YouTube Red / whatever they're calling it now (just use reVanced)
- full coverage car insurance (most situations)
- Grammar correcting services
- meal prep programs
- Amazon Prime (a lot of people don't order enough to make it worth it on a non-family account)
- self help gurus
- any p*rn (OF)
- "fat burner" pills
- pretty much anything made by Chrysler
- every single vehicle oem replacement part manufacturered by Doorman
- most sportsbikes
What do you think ?
Myoviridae 1 year ago
Some of these post are referencing things that have no tangible benefits for anyone by paying for them. But some posts reference things that some people need or benefit from (just not all people).
Steve Hall 1 year ago
These things make me wonder about the vocal people who claim they can't afford rent or groceries.
Sam Kenway 1 year ago
Why? You assume they're wasting huge chunks of money on fast food and manicures? The vast majority are not. This economy is brutal, and that's an absolute fact.
Load More Replies... Myoviridae 1 year ago
Some of these post are referencing things that have no tangible benefits for anyone by paying for them. But some posts reference things that some people need or benefit from (just not all people).
Steve Hall 1 year ago
These things make me wonder about the vocal people who claim they can't afford rent or groceries.
Sam Kenway 1 year ago
Why? You assume they're wasting huge chunks of money on fast food and manicures? The vast majority are not. This economy is brutal, and that's an absolute fact.
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