I have always loved reading perspectives from older adults. Their experiences from different times and wisdom gained over the years are so valuable and interesting, even when I don’t agree with them. So, I was fascinated by this thread where older adults talked about things that they think are a huge waste of money. Here are some of the top comments:
1.
“Big weddings, in my opinion.”
2.
“The first one that came to my mind: HOA fees. Somewhere out of the dark of human history, HOAs have taken over the world or at least America. They add ridiculous amounts of cost to home ownership; it’s just wasted money that goes to someone else’s bottom line because aren’t we capable of mowing our lawns ourselves? I know people don’t, but the one and only HOA I have deeply regretted living in did not do a thing to keep neighbors on track for yard upkeep.”
3.
“Timeshares. I got roped into a TS sales pitch once. They claimed it was $80k, but on sale for $40k, but just this one time $25k! I googled it. There were multiple listings for the exact same thing online for $500. Complete joke.”
4.
“Expensive funerals. Really, you’re going to buy a $5,000 casket to put in the damn ground??? The whole burial thing is anathema to me. Look at all the old cemeteries full of dead people that are long forgotten. What’s the point? Cremate me and pay the fee to have them dispose of the ashes.”
5.
“Being a brand snob can be wasteful, particularly related to food. Does it really matter if you buy store-brand baking soda or Arm & Hammer? Hunt’s tomato sauce or store brand? It all tastes the same!”
6.
“A $100 water bottle.”
7.
“Buying cheap things. Over time, you will pay more for the appliance or piece of furniture, etc, if you start cheap. Look for value, the balance between durability and cost. Research and waiting for sales is a good strategy. I also find that good quality second-hand furniture is a great deal.”
9.
“Going out to eat regularly.”
11.
“Self-storage bins. A lot of the stuff thrown in them eventually gets thrown away or abandoned in the end. After a certain amount of time you’re paying to keep a lot of stuff that could be replaced new for the amount of money you’ve spent. I’m not talking about short-term, where furniture needs to be stored while planning a move. It’s amazing the amount of just worthless rubbish that ends up in them.”
12.
“I will never say that books are a waste of money, but I will say that the library is your friend and completely free! Well, you pay for it with your taxes, but you get the picture. My library tells me how much I save every year by not buying books, and it’s usually in the thousands. I’ve known people who only purchased books to read and then give them away, that’s a total waste of money. I still do buy some books that I want to own and read again, but 99% of my books and a fair amount of my music I get from the library first. These days, libraries also have a ton of online resources you can use where you can even download music for free and get books for free digitally, there are just a ton of resources, all there for the taking.”
13.
“Collections. I used to collect mermaid figurines, Tiki mugs (and figurines), and cat figurines. Collecting can get expensive, and it absolutely becomes clutter and a dust magnet. No one will want that crap when you die. I have a friend whose mother collected delicate teacups and saucers. My friend inherited all of it and hates it but also can’t bring herself to part with her mother’s ‘treasures.’ So they collect dust and take up room in her home. I had a neighbor whose wife collected china dolls. Their house looked like a creepy horror museum. When she died, he couldn’t part with the damn dolls but also stopped caring for them. They grew dusty and even mildewy. When I moved to Spain, I left all my collections behind and swore never again. I have more money and my home is less cluttered and cleaner. Don’t get caught up in collecting. Take pictures instead.”
14.
“Buying coffee at Starbucks or Dunkin instead of making it at home.”
15.
And finally, “Expensive beauty products and treatments. We ladies should treat our appearance the way men treat theirs. Do the minimum, look in the mirror, and say, ‘Good enough.’ Life is too short to worry about how you look. Family and true friends will love you whether or not you spent $300 on Korean skin care products. The only ones benefitting from us paying for this stuff are the owners of companies that spend a lot of time with advertising, trying to convince us that we’re just not good enough without their products and services. We need to get our self-esteem from who we are and what good we do in the world, not from our appearance.”
What’s something you think is a big waste of money? Share your take in the comments!
