Everything costs so much more than it used to these days, and it's really making people reconsider what's worth their money and what's not. Recently, u/h3rtaasked people on Reddit to share the everyday items that they think are just a waste of money, and people had a lot to say. Here are some of the top responses:
1."Most, if not all, name-brand consumables. Oreos taste better than Great Value, but not that much better. Walgreens brand toilet paper is way better for the price than basically any name brand TP and store brand peanut butter has way less shit in it than a lot of name brands."
2."Weddings. Every company you contact will see rolling dollar signs when you tell them it's for a wedding event. If you plan a regular party with photographers and caterers, you will see way lower prices compared to telling them it's for a wedding. It's absurd. I can't fathom why anyone is willing to pay $10-50k or more for one single day to entertain their family. It's stupid to me."
3."Fast fashion. I only just threw away an old T-shirt that had worn out after more than a decade of use, yet a pair of cheap shoes a relative bought from Australian Kmart for Christmas came apart after just four months. People who buy fast fashion end up spending more money on clothes in their lifetime than those who buy more expensive items that will last longer."
4."Those people who buy containers to put things in that already come in containers. I’m talking about the people who genuinely think it’s waste-free and do it for the aesthetic."
5."Buying new books that I'll never read whilst having a huge pile of books at home, plus an entire public library nearby."
6."Clubbing. You pay an exorbitant fee after waiting in line for two hours to enter a hot, cramped room with music that’s so loud you lose hearing for a couple of hours. And don’t get me started with the drinks. $25 for a cup of a watered-down cocktail."
7."Most designer stuff. You’re just paying for the branding. Nine times out of ten, it’s made in the same factory that’s making other less costly brands."
8."Dating apps. They profit off you being single. They’re designed to keep you single and paying. Loneliness is lucrative."
10."Name brand clothing for babies. Your kid will shit and piss all over it until they outgrow it in a month."
11."Alcohol. Yes, drinking with friends or getting laid is great! But as you get older, the hangovers get REAL bad, so all you're left with the next morning is a lot of wasted money, you feel like absolute crap, and you're miserable for most of the next day. And that's literally if you don't say or do anything really stupid. Also, there is a VERY weird culture and social pressure to drink, especially at dinner, baseball games, and dates. I wish I could take back all the money I spent on booze over the years and in my 20s most of all. I would have been so much better off in a lot of ways."
12."Monthly software subscriptions for basic stuff. I used my invoicing software for eight years, and then they announced an update that they were switching to all monthly subscriptions starting at $9.99. I'm not running a large company and usually send six to ten invoices a month. These are basic documents that could be easily replicated in a free word processor. I just found an older version of the software and run it on an older computer. I would have paid about $250 so far otherwise."
15."Beverages. I'm talking soda, milkshakes, Starbucks, like, half of those things you could make yourself if you practiced. They are getting crazy expensive, and I really don't need them to survive. And most sodas taste just meh. The best choice is just water."
17."Auto loans, especially if you're young. When we think about taking out a loan, it's usually to start a business or buy a house or something that is going to make money. But, for some reason, nobody bats an eye at throwing away thousands of dollars to take out a loan on an asset that will depreciate to being almost worthless within 10 years."
21."The food at an airport when you're through security. Ten euros for the driest piece of bread with tasteless tomato and chewing-gum quality mozzarella and some grass disguised as basil is such a waste of money. The worst thing is, I cannot get anything else here cause it's 7 in the morning."
22."Buying dozens of reusable water bottles just to collect all the different colors."
23."Any kind of food delivery app like DoorDash or Uber Eats. Also, those prices are just going to keep going up because, despite the ridiculous cost of it right now, those companies still have yet to figure out how to operate profitably. They have never turned a profit."
24."Tissue paper, gift bags, wrapping paper, greeting cards, bows, ribbons. You’re spending money on things that are meant to be discarded, and it’s just silly. Save your money and just give me my gift in the Amazon box it came in, lmao."
25."Couch pillows. Specifically, couch pillows that you don’t want people using. And decorative towels that don’t actually dry anything but are meant to hang off of your oven handlebar because they look nice."
26."Any time food goes bad or is thrown out. Be it by people who made a little too much dinner or restaurants that didn’t get enough customers that day. As someone who is on a bit of a tight budget, it really rubs me the wrong way."
