What do people waste the most money on that’s totally unnecessary?

[Emmytexrex]

Updates

1 mo

I mean what's something people waste too much money on?

[abc3643]

Video game systems
Subscription television / TV streaming services.

I've never bought a video gaming system because I was spoiled; I played in arcades during The Golden Age of Video Games and the home systems were vastly inferior so I never felt compelled to buy one.

And, now, TV is total waste of time with the occasional exception of news and live sports programming. TV's greatest value is during national or local emergencies. So, like, where I live, we have to worry about tornados, so when there's a tornado warning for us, we watch the local weathermen on the local broadcast TV channels. Notice: broadcast - as in free. Seriously, why pay for something you can get for free? I find it abhorrent to spend money on TV. TV should be paying me to watch it. TV is supposed to be free - it was paid for by advertisers; the only thing the person at home did was 1) buy the TV, 2) hook up an antenna, 3) plug it in to the wall, 4) turn it on, and 5) select your favorite channel. Now, we have "smart TVs" which take 5 minutes to turn on and load the hundreds of streamed bullshit channels. And my fucking remote doesn't even have numbers on it so I can't even go to the exact channel that I want! I have to fucking scroll through a veritable wasteland of televised horseshit before I can even find the channel I want! TV is just such a chore now to deal with, costs money so it is no longer worth it, and, worst of all, it's almost all shit since the late 1990s when "reality TV" became a thing. I am so happy that I am liberated from television.

[OneViewpoint]

I'm gonna go with a very general answer of "consumption". Here in the USA we live in an extremist form of Capitalism that is designed to extract every penny of wealth from the average person. Advertising has become a cult. We are bombarded constantly on radio, TV, streaming services, and the internet. The ads exploit people's insecurities and binds them to stupid subscription business models. They buy cars and homes they can't afford along with overpriced clothing to look like internet influencers. They chow down on fast food and Starbuck's Moche Latte's. They drain their bank accounts for vacations that mire them in debt. Women buy fake tits and asses. Guys buy dick pills. They have 5 credit cards to keep the buying addiction going. And they never question the manipulation that keeps them in poverty and miserable.

[Anonymous]

Maybe they have a different opinion than you about what is “necessary.”

[Lynx122]

Gambling. Average sports gambler in the U. S. loses more than 5000 dollars a year. Gambling is a cancer on humanity. I'm glad that we have regulations against promotion of gambling where I live. I don't think I'd be a gambling addict even with the ads but I just think it's gross to see these ads everywhere all the time. It's just repulsive the whole business.

[Just_Ken]

Expensive coffees. The neighbour's girl was complaining she never has no money despite her new job and living at home with no bills. I asked her how many coffees she gets from the coffee shop, something like 4-5 from Starbucks. So $6×4=$24 $24 ×5 days = $120 on coffees alone not including weekends.

A big one is cars. There are so many folks driving around in expensive cars that they dont need or its more car than they need. Like do you need a new Mercedes for your daily commute 5 miles away? When you could have saved yourself $10-20,000 on something smaller or economical.

[loveslongnails]

Paying for brand name products when you the same company makes the same product under a different name. For example, Good Year has been making Kelly Tires for about 90 years. Some tires are identical or so close there's very little difference, but Kelly is priced less. People will pay $150 more for a set of four because they know the Good Year name.

Other examples are:
* Great Value peanut butter by WalMart is the same product as Peter Pan
* Kirkland Signature batteries roll off the same assembly line as Duracell. Identical batteries, different packages
* Milk - you may have local producer, let's say Hood in Maine. They will make milk for the local supermarkets for $1 less per gallon
* The same lettuce wrapped up in your local supermarket for $2.50 a head is at Whole Foods for $3.99 a head, from the same supplier, only in a fancier package.

[NaultD]

I don't think this is a good way to look at it. Live within your means sure but still find creative way to live life. Have a personal hierarchy needs pyramid that you can build out.

So nothing is ever a waste of money so long as your responsibility and needs are covered. Worst case it's a learning opportunity that you can pass along as a cautionary tail.

[Levin]

I always thought the most stupid is the updated iphone. It's like 50£ per month for 48 months or what have you. Don't suppose those people ever thought of adding up that total?

As for money I'm pretty sensible but it all seems to go out of my account, haha.

Sure, I like good quality food and I will have a few treats etc. But hmm, ha.

[strateguy632]

the tasty bad food. fries! cake! doughnuts! could live without. but as they say 'living ten years longer -due to not eating cake is just ten years without enjoying cake'.

[Iron_Man]

Cars 🚘 and gasoline. @DryGermanGuy has a bike and gets plenty of exercise and gets his business done on a bike he doesn’t need a car.

[strateguy632]

if you are single and your job is near home.

[Iron_Man]

@strateguy632 But for me, I love cars. I’m spread out here. It wouldn’t do me much good riding a bike around when I’m miles away from everything Miami is big. It’s like Los Angeles. You have to have a car.

[exitseven]

@Iron_Man how does he get around in the snow? Maybe a dog sled?

[jamesgoldman]

Christmas, the amount of people who buy too much food for status and 'tradition' as well as presents on credit then come January the bill lands and their gold becomes my gold to settle the balance

[jshm2]

Because most people are stupid, and don't know any better.

[canamlusciouslad73]

You'd better not mean cowboy belt buckles !!!

[Anonymous]

OF and pornos. It's waste of money tbh.

[Emmytexrex]

Lmao 😂 yh your right I don't even know why people do that

[Staximus]

Overpriced clothes and fashion accessories

[NathanDavis]

food waste... is unnecessary waste

[DonaldDarko]

Things to show off.

[HighValue]

Smart phones.

[BadInfluence05]

Fast Food that stuff kill your waist line.

[Emmytexrex]

Lmao 😂 ok

[exitseven]

20 dollar coffees and 15 dollar a pack cigarettes.

[RareBreedOfMan]

I waste money on buying watches.

[Fromdusktilldawn]

Subscriptions

[Stormzy001]

illicit drugs and prostitute

[lightbulb27]

Cable tv

[BobbieBoy666]

Cigarettes 🚫

[KostasKouvalis]

Fancy houses

[fishbone77]

Taxes