Have you ever seen something everyone buys, and you just cannot understand the logic behind the purchase? One Reddit user was also curious to know about what people buy that others think is a waste of money. Members of the Reddit community chimed into this conversation, and we have sampled some of the best responses in this conversation here.
Branded Stuff
Some people are stuck on brand loyalty. One user notes, “I really think brand loyalty can hinder your finances in some cases. I wear clothes and use items and food ingredients from a variety of brands…and I always shop around a little if I can. Sure, some name brands/manufacturers are worth the hype, but not all. What matters to me most is the value I get for my money…I’ll spend where it matters, but I have no interest in buying things “just because” it’s a national/mainstream brand. Sometimes those smaller/cheaper alternatives will surprise you!”
New Phones
If your phone is functional, why do you need one every time your contract expires? Wondered a user, “A new phone every time your 2-year contract ends. If it works, then no need to buy a new one really.”
Bank Accounts That Charge Money
Why pay the bank you are lending money to open an account? Wondered another user, “Any bank account that charges you money. YOU are lending the bank YOUR money; they should be paying YOU, not the other way around.”
Daily Coffee From Starbucks
Some people are obsessed with Starbucks. One user noted something strange “Buying coffee at McDonald’s so you’ll have something to drink while you’re waiting in line at Starbucks to buy coffee.”
Influencer’s Patreons
One member thought influencers were misusing the platform and gave an illustration, “A family on YouTube has a paralyzed little girl, and they advertised their Patreon by offering “member-only pics, videos, and updates about [kid’s name] and her day to day life”. I get that’s pretty much how Patreon works, but it just sounds wrong.”
Bottled Water
Unless you are in a place where it is hard to find dirty water, buying bottled water is wasteful, urges one person, “In my home city Vancouver, waste of money. We have perfect water. Mexico or SE Asia? Bottled water all the way.”
Fine Dining Meals
A chef notes that some fine dining meals are exaggerated for no reason, “As a cook, it is fine dining meals, it’s just a high priced food I tell you what; look at salt bae’s tomahawk golden steak, you can literally get salt, pepper, butter, tomahawk steak, and gold leaves literally much cheaper than you think if you wanna make it yourself, you can get a Tomahawk steak on your local butcher for a cheaper price, go to the store for salt, pepper, and butter, and the gold leaf is just an unnecessary thing to put in your food.”
Highly Marked-up Clothing
Some people spend a fortune on clothing because of the brand name, “Clothes that are 500% the price of a normal item just because it has a brand logo on it. Even if I woke up insanely rich tomorrow, I still wouldn’t buy that {junk},” notes one user.
Vapes
Unless you are addicted to nicotine, vaping is a waste of money, says one user, “It’s only a waste if you’re not addicted to nicotine.” Another user agrees saying, “Vapes and exercise equipment you say you’ll use, but deep down you know you won’t; it being there as decoration is just mocking you.”
Bibles
Why buy a bible when you can get one for free in almost every church? Wonders one user, “They’re literally free in every church. They give them to anyone who asks for one. Any church, any denomination.”
Sandwiches Are So Basic
Sandwiches are not as glorious as people make them seem, says a user, “If u r buying a run-of-the-mill sammy, go to a supermarket instead, emergency situations notwithstanding.”
Delivery Apps
One user does not see the need to use delivery apps, “Uber Eats, Door Dash, etc. (any of those delivery services) Upcharge + delivery + tip… It’s a huge waste, and so many people make it part of their routine.”
Cosmetic Surgery
Another person points out that most of these surgeries do not deliver the intended results “90% of it is completely obvious and has the exact opposite effect intended by making people seem fragile and insecure.”
Any BMW Product
One person speaks from experience when faulting BMW’s engineering, “Overpriced, overengineered and under quality. The amount of money you will spend on maintenance is eye-watering, and you are often stuck with dealer-only maintenance due to manufacturing practices that involve locked-down electronics and ‘boxes and boxes of specialty tools’.”
New Cars From Dealerships
The depreciation on new cars starts as soon as you drive off, says another user, “The depreciation curve is real, and you lose a ton of value the day you start owning it.”
Single-function Kitchen Gadgets
One user feels that gadgets should be multi-functional to save money, “Single-function gadgets for kitchen like rice cooker/egg cooker. I like items to be multi-purpose.”
Phone Data
With phone data being so expensive and wifi available everywhere, one user does not see the need to purchase phone data, “I have made it my entire life without it, I have wifi practically everywhere. It’s only inconvenient when I’m on a road trip or a new acquaintance’s house.”
Eating Out
Eating out is a common way of spending extra money. “Going out to eat. I browse various subreddits and am constantly amazed at people complaining about the cost of, say, a sandwich (“It was $10 last month, and it’s $15 this month! I can’t afford that on my $60K a year salary in Oregon!”) but don’t seem to comprehend that you could purchase the separate materials to make your own sandwiches for probably 1/5 the cost,” says one user.
Tattoos
According to another user, some people would rather stay broke but get tattoos, “I know a girl who is absolutely broke, and any time she scrounges enough money, she immediately blows it on tattoos and fast food.. and then complains about not having any money promptly after. To each their own but I think I would prioritize more pressing issues like paying my bills.”
Car Wash Memberships
According to one user, these memberships can be expensive if you have several cars; “Our family has four vehicles. If a car wash membership allowed multiple vehicles, it would be worth it. But as a single vehicle, it’s definitely not worth it.”
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This article was produced and syndicated by A Dime Saved.
