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There are plenty of seemingly innocent products and services out there that are just elaborate ways of getting you to part with your money. They might not try to bamboozle you as obviously as some spammers and con artists, but underneath all the glitz and glamor, they’re still scams.

Redditors have been sharing their opinions about what things they consider to secretly be giant scams after redditor MelteyReddit asked them to share their thoughts on this. In a viral thread, these redditors touched on everything from baby products and printer ink cartridges to a variety of questionable ‘health’ products and multilevel marketing companies. You could argue one way or the other for some of these, but that’s half the fun.

Check out what these people think are total scams, meant to get you to hand over your hard-earned cash, and upvote the opinions that you agree with as well. Disagree with any of these opinions? Know of any other things that you think aren’t much better than actual scams? Share your thoughts in the comment section. Meanwhile, be sure to read Bored Panda’s in-depth interview with the author of the thread, MelteyReddit.

#1

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams This might be unpopular but here goes.... The Catholic church. Currently worth 30 billion, the Vatican has 8 billion in assets . In 2014, it was discovered they were hiding 1.1 billion off the books. Why aren't these funds going to the poor? In 2019 it was discovered the Vatican was heavily invested in unreported luxury apartments.

Then there's the ugly stuff all this money is financing; Until 2014, the age of consent in Vatican city was 12. Yes. Twelve - the lowest age of consent in the world. It was only changed after the pedophilia scandal took hold. Then there's the wide history of evils brought on by the church; the ivory trade, castration of young boys (castrada), the Spanish Inquisition, Holocaust denial, cutting funding for the poor with LGBQ ties and on and on....

The Catholic church provides a thin veneer of "good" for their followers, but for centuries they've been feeding corruption beneath the surface and continue to do so.

decorama , Reinaldo Kevin Report

#2

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Convincing every high school kid they NEED to go to university. In reality skilled Trades or another specialized school would be the best route for a lot of people, and the pay can be very good.

alp1ne , Honey Yanibel Minaya Cruz Report

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Hugh Willie Mungous
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One of the great mistakes of recent Western thinking was the decision to push so many of the young towards higher education (and in to degrees of limited use) and away from apprenticeships. This has resulted in heavily indebted graduates who are of no use to the job market and an extreme skill shortage.

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Redditor MelteyReddit’s question got quite a bit of attention on r/AskReddit. Their thread got 20.2k upvotes and 15.4k comments, while the original poster racked up a whopping 55 awards at the time of writing.

“When I first published my question, I didn't think it would get so much attention. I thought to get a few responses here and there but quickly realized my phone exploded with notifications,” the redditor shared with Bored Panda how they reacted to their post going viral.

“The reason why I think [the question] resonated so well is because it's a very open discussion that can be easily argued about,” they pointed out that there’s quite a bit of nuance in the thread and not everything is as black and white as it seems.

#4

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Any product that's made by Gwyneth Paltrow

lamesas Report

#5

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Anything that says it will detox your body. That's what your kidneys are for.

drromancer , Birgith Roosipuu Report

#6

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams US healthcare system. I went to the ER a few weeks ago for an unknown pain in my chest and overall sh***y feeling. Got slapped with a 1500 bill with what turned out to be viral food poisoning. My brother, who is a doctor, said that was normal. Why the f**k is that normal?!

bluthco , National Cancer Institute Report

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A B C
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because that's what a sad majority of the US-Americans wanted and still want, because the Orange tells them lies about how paying such ludicrous amounts (and $1500 is cheap) is better than having universal healthcare. I'm sorry for you folks.

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MelteyReddit personally believes that it’s vital to know where your money is going. “I always try to stay up to date with where my money is going. If you are unsure if something is a scam, you can try looking it up on the internet to see how other people feel about it,” they urged people to do their own background research before purchasing something. What’s more, if your gut says that something’s off, chances are that something fishy is actually going on.

In MelteyReddit’s opinion, there are a few things that stand out and scream that something’s secretly just one big giant scam.

“I think the best way to recognize one is by a few factors, [for example,] if they are really pushy about a product that they wanna sell or if the website design/product design looks fake/rushed. Or if they ask an unreasonable amount of money for their product,” they shared their take on how to recognize hidden scams. “An answer posted a lot on my post was the lottery or casinos. Of course, we can't forget those.”

The author of the post added that they’re thrilled and thankful to everyone who engaged with their thread on r/AskReddit. “I want to thank everyone for answering my post, it means a lot to me!”

#7

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Funeral services, preying on the grief of loved ones.

I understand that its really for the living to celebrate their lost loved ones, but when I'm done I just want my family to bury my dead ass in the backyard and throw a bash at the house in my honor. Doubt I'll mind considering I'm dead.

SingleFunction80 , Rhodi Lopez Report

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Lytha
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And the prices are crazy. You just lost someone you love and you literally have to wonder how you're going to pay for their funeral.

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#8

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams That humans are here to just work and die. No way humans evolved so we can work 5 of 7 days of the week, trying to jam fun in on weekends

Visible-Activity2200 , Alex Kotliarskyi Report

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Emowan
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I can't really afford it, but I now only do 2 hours on Wednesday morning instead of a full day. I use the rest of the day for appointments and relaxation. Been a godsend for my mental health.

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#9

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Emails and messages from corporates and celebrities that "We are in this together" during the pandemic.

northern_light007 , Stephen Phillips Report

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Lytha
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All sent from their villas to several million while we "essential workers" continued to go to work to be paid trifles.

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For an earlier article, I’d spoken with one of the mods helping run the r/Scams subreddit, a community that helps support the victims of scams and help inform them about the various ways criminals might try to bamboozle them.

One of the mods told Bored Panda that rudimentary research, education, and preparation all make a huge difference when trying to recognize scams for what they are. Nobody is ever 100% foolproof, no matter how insightful and perceptive they might be, but it’s always better to educate ourselves. Internet scams, in particular, can be more difficult to recognize in some cases because you’re no longer dealing face-to-face with a real-life person.

“When you have a real person in front of you, a typical person will feel shame or guilt at the thought of taking advantage of a person. With the internet, you aren't dealing with a person, but a username and avatar. It is much easier to act maliciously when you don't have a real victim directly in front of you," they explained.

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#10

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Planned obsolescence.

recaffeinated Report

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Gandalf the Pink
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A bit lacking in elaboration here so: Planned obsolescence is the practice of artificially making a product's lifespan shorter so people will replace it more often. This leads to a massive waste of resources and towering amounts of hardware trash that most often isn't recycled. Poisoning the planet all in the name of profit. If you wonder why phones seem to generally break just in time for a new generation of phones that's why. Nokia bricks was never as profitable as today's iPhones which a lot of people replace semi-anually. Imagine building yourself a house but not making it as sturdy and long lasting as possible. Planned obsolescence is seriously a horrifyingly Earth-destructive strategy. Another good example is light bulbs, which early models could last many years or even decades but today's light bulbs are manufactured to last about a year. Check out "This is why we can't have nice things" by Veritasium on youtube!

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#11

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Organized religion.

thedeadeye , Aaron Burden Report

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Mike Crow
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Organized religion is now big business, especially in the USA.

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#12

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams The whole baby product industry is based on making parents feel worthless and irresponsible if they don’t shill out for things that will be outgrown or unnecessary in six months.

mywifemademegetthis Report

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Lytha
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When my son was born, as soon as I went out with him, even for an hour, I literally took EVERYTHING I could need. My bag weighed tons, but I was like "you never know". A few months later, I took a diaper or two, wipes and something to drink. And I had a lot of stress in less. It's difficult because indeed, as young parents, we take a lot of judgment in our teeth. "Ah, didn't you take (insert here the super crappy trendy thing that everyone considers essential)?" "You only took 12 diapers for an hour's outing ??? how are you going to do it?" "Do you use disposable wipes? I thought you were green?" "Is your stroller a second hand? You should have bought the (insert here a trendy stroller that costs a kidney)" ....

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“Online scams also use a lot of tricks to pressure buyers; low prices, pushes to buy now!, taking advantage of someone's kindness or naivete (re: advance check fraud, money mules, etc), or advertising one product and sending another (or nothing at all, by using a fake tracking number). Getting a person to make a decision via high-pressure tactics and preventing them from reflecting and making a sound decision is key," the mod from r/Scams told Bored Panda earlier.

"If a deal is too good to be true, it is. If you see a pair of brand new Apple AirPods advertised for $50, you are not getting an authentic product. There are many counterfeit items out there on the market, and you need to verify authenticity before hitting buy," they said.

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"Not only to avoid contributing to the counterfeit market, but because these knockoff products do not always go through the same safety standards of the real item; they may not be UL certified, they may use chemicals or ingredients that are not FDA approved and are unsafe for use on or in the human body, or could cause major harm to human life or property."

#13

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Any claim that a 'magic' drink will help you burn fat.

No, no drink or no food can burn that -- that is a pure fabrication.

moosejaw110 , Alex Lvrs Report

#14

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Ink cartridges for your printer are super cheap to manufacture but the retail price is really high

holytaco57 Report

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Trillian
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's why they can make printers super cheap. You will pay through the cartridges

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#15

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams The wedding industry in the U.S.

$20,000 - $30,000 for a single day, stressful-as-hell event. When I learned a photographer alone runs $5000 minimum I almost puked. And a lot of venues didn’t give a s**t about covid and hosted packed weddings, resulting in deaths because “wE gOtTa MaKe MoNeY sOmEhOw” Absolute slime balls.

Now before all the vendors dog pile me, let me be clear, I’m fully aware why you guys charge as much as you do. I also hope you understand why an average person like me looks at the price and says hell no.

And for those that want a conventional wedding: If you can swing it, do whatever you want. My wife and I did a Sandals all-inclusive vaca/wedding/honeymoon, which has its own pros and cons but still a no-brainer due to the cost and convenience.

CaptainPlummet , Shardayyy Photography Report

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Lytha
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A closed friend had a "dream" wedding, very expensive, very "conventional", very "not her". And when I found out the amounts allocated for this wedding, it hurt me a bit, because if I had such an amount, I could have finished paying off the house ... (spoiler alert, this was 15 years ago and the house is not yet reimbursed: D)

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#16

Bottled water, looking at you Nestlé

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Hugh Willie Mungous
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've only ever bought bottled water when I was in a jam - whenever I needed water and couldn't get tap water easily. I've never understood why anybody would waste their money on bottled water.

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#17

Instagram fitness model meal plans. I cant believe people still pay them a lot of money for cookie cut meal plans and fitness advice. They are literally just pulling s**t off of google, copy paste your name, and make you think its personalized for you. Taking advantage of dumb people who are desperate to lose weight. Its pitiful on both sides.

thascarecro Report

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Suzanne Haigh
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would not call them dumb or pitifull, I would say "Hopefull" or "Desperate"

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#18

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Any online course promising to teach you how to make money

Sullixio , Samantha Borges Report

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Chloe *Leah* Pheonix
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I basically make 80000-1000000000000 per day>>>>>>>omg so life changing>>>>>>>work online>>>>>>>*insert sketchy link*

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#19

Two-party political systems. They seem to be in opposition to each other but in reality take "donations" from the same entities to further their agendas, so the sense of choice is mostly false in reality.

Mr_Lumbergh Report

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May
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I only know of the US that does this (Though I guess the UK comes close?) and from the outside it seems that that whole system needs to be scrapped and started over. It looks broken beyond repair.

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#20

All multi-level marketing companies.

They tell you that all you have to do Is get 5 people to sign up and they each get 5 people to sign up, etc. Except these are not mathematical geniuses running these companies. By the time you get about 12 levels deep, you’ve surpassed the entire population of the Earth. It’s a good lesson in exponents.

FatherPyrlig Report

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Kathryn Baylis
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just look at who falls for them, in huge numbers, and you’ll see why they don’t want the best and brightest. They don’t intend for anybody to do anything but spend money buying stock to sell.

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#21

Companies saying their employees are valuable to them and they care about their employees.

Uncertn_Laaife Report

#22

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Casinos.

All of the casinos in my state are video poker and video slot machines. There are barely any table games left.

No one is happy, no one is having fun. It's just a room full of zombies feeding the machines and losing money. Every person I talk to is convinced that they know the secret formula to win. You cannot win.

It might sound trivial but the old slots were just a spinning reel. These new machines are extremely addictive. The way the lights flash and the sounds go off like: Bing Bing BING. WINNER of 40 cents. The entire thing is a psychology hack to give people the impression that they're winning when they're not.

MSFNinja , Kvnga Report

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Sam Kunz
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We have a new Casino near where I live. I stopped in because they were offering a free buffet. I walked around and saw one person sit down and start to win hand over fist on a video slot. People crowded around the person. This person made thousands in minutes. Then got up and disappeared into the crowd but I followed and saw this "Winner" sneak into an employee only door. This person was paid to pretend to win.

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#23

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams College tuition. I graduated with a B.S. Information Technology and Computer Science. Working at a job and earning just as much as my coworkers who didn’t go to college and earned certifications. They have zero debt, while I’m $40k in the hole.

Accurate_Interview10 , Vasily Koloda Report

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beastmachine.
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dude I'll be getting into uni next month and my fees are about $300/yr for a STEM/CS deg that includes tuition and lodging along with food coz it's sponsored by government. For places that aren't sponsored you may have to shell out $4000-5000/yr and that's pretty reasonable

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#24

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Trying to look good for men by reading women's magazine articles! Throw those magazines away, take good care of yourself, make the best of what you've got and don't be defined by someone else's expectations of what you should be.

KatPrincess88 , Charisse Kenion Report

#25

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Recycling plastics.

Less than 10% of plastic waste is actually recycled.

vitto2point0 , Julia Joppien Report

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Hugh Willie Mungous
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why not just ban the use of single use plastics? It is easy - and quite a few countries have taken major steps in this direction. We can (and have in the past) relied on glass bottles, paper bags, paper straws, card burger containers, card ear bud shafts etc. etc.. Profits need not be affected (heaven forbid!) and most/many consumers would tolerate the tiny increase in prices.

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#27

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Apple cables

hellofellowhumanss , Mika Baumeister Report

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ben woskje
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The apple eco-system - all of it. Intentionally created to be product specific, always technically behind the current technology standards - creates an obscene amount of waste... all to lock people in.

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#28

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams In the US, doing my own taxes. The government literally has all my info and can do it for me, but their excuse is that "but Americans like doing their own taxes!". No. I especially don't like being forced to pay for a service like TurboTax either.

turnOn , Kelly Sikkema Report

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Gin. No tonic
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In my country taxes are done on a government's website, where most of the info is already inserted and I just have to check it or can add some extra expenses (such as giving back education/housing loan). It takes no more than 15 minutes once a year

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#29

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Essential Oils being marketed as having these major health benefits/as treatment for illnesses. The only exception being clearing your sinuses. Some essential oils actually do pretty good work in that regard (at least for me personally... mileage will vary I'm sure).

tim_to_tourach , Chelsea shapouri Report

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May
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Seems when people don't have access to affordable health care, they'll try any alternative - no matter how far fetched

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#30

The entire working economy is a scam. You bust your ass for half of your waking hours, at least, then get told that your work is worthless and you don't deserve basic needs... even though your rich owners are making millions in profit off of your "worthless" labor?

NoKenjataimu Report

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J. F.
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"I don't pay good wages because I have a lot of money; I have a lot of money because I pay good wages." - Robert Bosch, sadly something that was forgotten over the last 30 years

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#31

The "All natural" market/label. Means nothing.

jackHadIt Report

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troufaki13
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Gluten free. Most people are not gluten intolerant, it's just a fad they need to follow.

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#32

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Adobe’s subscription based monopoly

pregnantbaby , Szabo Viktor Report

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beastmachine.
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dude, just search on Google and you'll find so many alternatives. Maybe try watching Linus Tech Tips video on how they made videos without using any Adobe product

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#34

non-GMO food

GMOs are safe, we have been unknowingly doing this for thousands of years. Now we just have a more reliable,safe and fast way to do it.

Existing_Lynx_337 Report

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A B C
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This. People need to understand that selective farming, e.g. taking only the seeds of the most productive plants for next year, is selection based on genetic mutations and therefore LITERALLY IS genetic modification, just on a slow term and based on observation rather than design.

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#35

Adulthood because kids think it’s great but it’s not

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hyperunknown
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Adulthood rocks. I'm 43, my other half is 42. 13 years going strong. No kids = no stress, no drama, no school/government/etc hassle, a lot more money, travel when we want, sleep when we want etc. Basically 2 peeps in their 40's still living like we're 18. You get the life you make for yourself by good planning, and not letting the energy stealers, Karens and drama-people in. Again, adulthood is awesome :D

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#36

Pretty much anything that says it will enlarge your penis

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#38

Getting a phone call about your cars extended warranty.

TrustedPluto104 Report

#39

And survey says; Diamonds (but also most jewelry)

footinmymouth Report

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Nicky
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Agree! Why is wearing a hard rock mined by exploited people in Africa considered an act of love?

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#40

Eating/drinking raw eggs. The proteins found in eggs only become useful to your body after the structures are changed by applying heat aka cooking them.

There's not only no point choking back a raw egg. You're also absorbing less protein from it than if you were to cook it.

"Cooked eggs have a bioavailability of around 91% for protein, while protein from raw eggs only is 50% bioavailable (Evenepoel et al., 1998)."

https://www.reddit.com/user/BloodintothewildRed/ Report

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May
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Do people actually do this? I've only seen it in like movies from the 80s - but love the citation

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#41

Insurance, health insurance in particular. The whole concept is pay into a pool on the off chance that something happens you can get some kind of reimbursement which sounds fair on the whole, but is so often bogged down with unfair terms and conditions that many get screwed over. This on top of predatory policies and greedy salespeople means a whole lot of people get [screwed] over.

nineball22 Report

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Kari Panda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That depends heavily on the country and honestly, I think it‘s a major reason why universal health care has such a bad reputation in the USA. I was in a bad car accident two years back and had no trouble at all with neither car nor health insurance, which I am very grateful for because I had enough to worry about at that time.

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#42

Tiktok. They now have an event where they pay you $40 if you refer a friend. It’s clearly selling your private information, but people ask their friends to be referred like crazy.

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A B C
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I still don't get why we don't finally start boycotting this chinese surveillance bullshit, but apparently people just don't care.

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#43

Realtors, probably the most overpaid, under qualified profession. The commission based comp is crippling for some sellers, and if you try to sell on your own (FSBO), they will steer all their buyers away from you.

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Shelly M
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because FSBOs don't know what they are doing and dont get smoke inspections or final readings.

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#44

Having a royal family. It’s bonkers in this day and age that a country as grown up as Britain has a monarch that costs us all money, just for privilege of having her. A literal Queen, wearing a crown, who believes that she was sent by God to sit on a gold throne. And we have to sing a song asking for her longevity at football games. The royal family are a scam, cost us too much money and are currently harbouring a nonce to boot.

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Gin. No tonic
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's image also brings in a lot of tourists, helps sell loads of souvenirs, and overall adds to the economy. It would be interesting to know not just the cost, but also the value of having a royal family. Also it seems that countries with royal families tend to be more stable during crises.

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I I
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

not sure they come to see the queen herself or any royal as thats just bonkers , they come to see the palace and grounds , dont need a sitting queen for that

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maylin_martinsen avatar
May
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's different in Norway, I know - our royal family is a lot less ostentatious and much more likeable, but I like being a monarchy. I like the tradition of it, and having a head of state that doesn't have some political opinion that I very much disagree with. Even if my country went insane and elected someone like Trump (or Boris) we'd still have our king to uphold some sort of dignity for the country.

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Pawlise Glemtepassord
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually, norwegian royalty has a very important function. Not only are they the failsafe in case the elected government gets taken out somehow (unlikely for a neutral country, but crazies exist), they also have a veto right on new laws so that stupid stuff will need to be voted on twice by different years' elected government. On top of this, they are educated as diplomats from a young age. Consider this; other countries sending some diplomat or other to a dangerous area gets very little attention and might change nothing. Norway sending its king and queen is guaranteed to cause a ruckus, which is why they always get to speak with the relevant parties. TL;DR: Diplomats with titles cannot be ignored so easily.

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WilvanderHeijden
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually it has been proven that having to pay for a royal family is less expensive than having a president. Every president that retires costs the states a lot of money in pensions and all former U.S. presidents and first ladies will receive lifetime Secret Service protection.

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BluEyedSeoulite
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The UK still had a prime minister, which is basically a president. The Queen cannot interfere in politics, it is a law. She is a figurehead and has ceremonial duties.

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Ozacoter
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Definitely. It is unconstitutional to have a family that has privileges that other citizens dont have only by birth. A family that makes millions only for being born there.

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Kari Panda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

While I understand what you mean, this is a problem not only with monarchy. Babies born to millionaires have tons of privileges and oppurtunities that babies born in poor families will never have. And it seems to me as if the British royal family has less scandals than many of those "I’m better than you because my daddy is a rich business man" kids. I don‘t follow the rainbow press though, so sorry if that is a misjudgement on my part.

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Judes
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At least if you're British your monarch lives in the same country. My monarch lives on the other side of the world. So weird.

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Sasy
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Where in the world does it say that Elizabeth believes she was sent by God, what a load of rubbish that is. As an Aussie I am glad we have the Royal Family as part of our country, because I would hate for us to be a republic and have Presidents, the idea that a country has to keep calling one Mr President and pay for everything for the rest of their lives is a horrible thing when they do as much damage as has been done recently. Some of them deserve the respect and some definitely do not.

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Luna Lovebug
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Agree, but at the same time I rather have our Dutch royal family sticking to cutting ribbons and doing curtesy visits to companies and other countries. Than actually have them ruling the country like in America. With every 4 years the possibility of a new president. Where any old fart, or baboon can run for president. Our gourmet isn't great either. But having a guy like Trump run or ruin a country in a few short years. I don't know. I rather live in a monarchy. Let the royals keeps their money and stay away from anything important. But still the biggest scandal the Dutch royals got up to this year was going on holiday to Greece when we were in lockdown. Oh and our king got a expensive boat everyone seems obsessed about. So nothing compared to that royal soap opera in the uk.

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Donkey boi
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The royal family brings in more money to the UK than any other business, they more than pay for themselves. They have also set-up a large number of other companies that provide a lot of service and income to local areas (not to forget jobs as well), which they do not receive and return on. Without the royal family, the UK market would take a massive nose-dive! And All this coming from an Irishman!

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Curry on...
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I got over the idea of kings and queens when I was six years old and it dawned on me that they had to use the toilet just like the rest of us.

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GFSTaylor
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, the royals have a lot of money and privilege. They also pay taxes. They support 100's of charities, bringing publicity, raising morale and inspiring donations. They wield a lot of 'soft power' - a lot of foreign leaders feel it a mark of respect to be invited to meet the Queen. It's a way of softening up allies and accomplishing behind the scenes diplomacy. The royal family is also a sign of stability and a non-political voice to speak to and for the nation at important times, such as during the covid crisis.

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Judes
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Royals do not have to pay tax. It is completely legal for a member of the British royal family to avoid income tax altogether (several laws do not apply to the royals). The current lot choose to pay income tax (because it would be hugely unpopular if they did not), but there is some question as to whether they pay a fair share of tax.

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HellVetios
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The royal family of Britain makes more money than it costs. And no, not by all the indirect benefits like tourism etc. They own land, vineyards for example, that make money. This was said over and over again, but the ridiculous "nO mOnArcHy iN tHe 21sT cEntUry" is so much easier than using your brain.

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Judes
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If they make so much money, why do they also need to get paid by the government?

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Alexandru Bucur
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You know, constitutional monarchy is actually a pretty good idea, because if you have a head of state that's constant and they've been educated for the position from childhood, you won't end up with who knows what clown who managed to win an election but is otherwise completely unsuited for the job... Yes, you will end up with a poor monarch once in a while, but it's waaay easier to replace one of those than it is to keep a good president that used their two mandates. Besides, if you worry about money spent for the head of state, that varies from country to country - there are monarchs which live frugally in places like Scandinavia and presidents which live in opulence elsewhere. Besides, you have to factor in the money spent on elections every four years as well, so in the end I say it's swings and roundabouts. Also, I bet that every Briton that's ever complained about the Royal Family would also complain about the Presidency if they'd switched systems...

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Tiny Dynamine
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To the people who think they're good for tourism: France is the most visited country in the world.

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Michelle Belle
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ok.. but France has Paris going for it so.... (and yes, I used to live there, I know how much they benefit from tourism)

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Janet L
Community Member
1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When the alternative is a president like Trump the royals seem clean cut

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Paul Z.
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No, a President is cheap... pfssh...you pay for them till they die as well...

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Chesty Gardner
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I cannot believe that "People" still believe that the UK Royal Family are Tax Funded. They are not they don't cost you a Penny..! the Crown Estate funds the Royal Family.. and contributes TAX too..!

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Lindsay Morrison
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

nonce in British English (nɒns ) noun. derogatory, prison slang. a rapist or child molester; a sexual offender.

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J
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They make enough money from the property and land they own to be self funding. The monarchy should be slimmed down drastically and only the reigning monarch should get a token sum from the tax payers. All the others should work, even if it's just charity work and should be paid by that charity.

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Cass Lavallee
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How does a monarch cost you anything? Great Britain is not the only country with a monarch.

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Thomas Turnbull
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The royal family cost us nothing tourism and other items more that cover the cost. We even make a profit from them so please check your facts before complaining and it also stops us having a dictator as she can overrule parliment.

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Lisa Chambers
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dig deeper into those that call themselves "royal" and ask just what god has selected them to rule. The answer is not what you think.

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EJN
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As an American, we end up paying for old farts that cheat and lie, so you are lucky! Not only is the Queen better looking even at 95 but she has style, which believe me, American politicians do not have!

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Kelly Hartle
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Or worse, a first family that does nothing but still makes money off of it.

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Euni Hinojosa
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They're on the way out. I give it about 20 more years and it's done. Maybe less.

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Lara Harris
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The Royal family do not cost the British public money. The monarchy are funded from the Crown Estate. They pay taxes on the estate and are given a portion of that tax back. The figures you hear about cost are the money given back. Not money that comes from the peoples taxes. But it sounds better to say they cost us money.

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Roxy Eastland
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

While I am not a royalist and have less than zero interest in all their goings on and dramas, and resent that our national anthem is about the monarch and not about our country, there is no doubt that the Queen herself is a very experienced statesman. It genuinely makes a difference when she represents the UK by visiting other countries, helping diplomacy, business, trade, intelligence etc. Other heads of state and influential people do respect her and and want to be in favour so they can have her visit. Look how desperate Trump was to have visit to her, despite being - supposedly - anti establishment and 'drain the swamp' for his image.

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Robert Bailey
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The agreement made 250 years ago, was that Parliment would recognize and pay the Royal family a salary. The trade off was the government kept rental revenue from the Family's real estate. EThis account for 1/2 the British budget. Queen Elizabeth is the single most taxed person in the country. I suppose the option of killing the whole family and seizing the property is possible.

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Henry Hagens
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ya! They are treated as way too important. I live in Canada, and when Prince Philip died, all the flags were at half mast for like a week! That should only happen if there is like a huge massacre, not when an old aristocrat dies.

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cybermerlin2000
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The royal family work. The queen was a truck mechanic during World War 2! Prince Phillip was in the royal navy and fought during world war 2. Prince william is currently a captain in the British Army, lieutenant in the Navy and flight lieutenant in the RAF. Prince Henry is serving in the British Army. Prince Charles is an RAF pilot (retired) the same as Prince Andrew. Both were also in the Royal Navy. Prince Edward was in the Royal Marines. I could go on but it is safe to say that the British Royal Family has served in the military. America had a president that had bone spurs.

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jamie1707
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In her defense, Elizabeth I didn't ask to be Queen. She got there because of her rotten uncle.

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Hugh Willie Mungous
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And yet . . . . . . the "constitution" of the UK (in quote marks because there actually isn't one) depends on H.M. the Queen being the head of state. Without her (and past/future monarchs) everything would have to be re-written. For all it's faults . . . . . it's probably as good a system as many others.

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Mark Melton
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As an American, I would rather a caravan of Traveling Irish live next to me than a member of the British Royal.

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Devil's Advocate
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Harry, is that you? The monarchy pay taxes, maintain their many houses that are open to the public and bring in millions of tourists along with their money, protect land, do a LOT for charities, and most importantly, can if they choose, stop the government being ridiculous.

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Tiny Dynamine
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well they've got you reeled in. What a bunch of clueless claims you make. Protect land? They own such a huge amount without ever having bought it. FFS.

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#46

Corporate owned apartment complexes tacking on hundreds of extra dollars in monthly fees on top of rent. Mandatory cable TV packages, parking fees (on a flat surface lot, with no assigned parking), valet trash. All a scam and just a way for them to pocket incremental sales on top of rent.

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Jjiinnee
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Isn't this only a high-end complex thing, ..for Luxury Apartments and Condos for people who make the top 1% of income? It is in Boston...I know many complexes on the waterfront do, but...who else but a top earner can afford 7k in rent a month, and why would they complain if they could? LOL.

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#48

NFTs.

There will be a market for these in some form, but we are hip-deep in the rowdy, scam-filled early days.

echo6golf Report

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May
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I will never understand NFTs, no matter how many ways it's explained to me. They make no sense.

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#49

People Are Revealing 50 Things That Are Scams Chiropractors. "The only way I can help is if you come see me 3 times a week for as long as you live."

zopea , Toa Heftiba Report

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Valisbourne Spiritforge
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel so much better after a visit to the chiropractor (once or twice a year) that I fail to understand the scam. I wanted my back to feel better and it does after I leave, service given, service paid for. Where was the scam?

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#50

Fifa games

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SykesDaMan
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know this post was meant for the video games (I've checked the reddit post) but it could also apply to actual real football (or soccer for US) games.

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