20 Things People Waste Money On

There are SO MANY things that people waste money on a regular basis. From fancy brand names to unnecessary daily drinks, we might all have a little more cash if we spent less and saved more.

Things People Waste Money On

Don’t get me wrong, there are a ton of things that I love to spend money on that I really don’t need. But these are the things that are truly a waste of money:

Expensive Baby Things: In no world does your little cherub need designer shoes that they’ll be able to wear for two weeks tops. Find yourself a good baby thrift store and pick up your gear there.
Cat Toys: I have literally never seen a cat play with a toy. Never. Get them one of those red dot lasers instead.
Eating Out for Lunch: I love to treat myself just as much as anyone else, but you do not need to eat out for lunch every day. Brown bag it, save some cash.
Timeshares: Who even buys a timeshare? More importantly, who buys it then uses it? Save your money, go to an all-inclusive resort.
Multi-level Marketing Schemes: Keep your day job, save your money. Or better yet, start something online.
Big Weddings: These are so flashy and unnecessary, and people seriously go into debt over their weddings. Why? You don’t want to start your marriage off on that foot.
Gym Memberships: We both know you’re only going to use it twice.
Cigarettes: As a former smoker and someone who at times wishes she still smoked (hello, addiction), cigarettes are one of the dumbest expenses. Not only are they not good for you, but each one only lasts an average of 7 minutes but you just paid a ridiculous amount for 20 of them.
Expensive Cables: There is no difference between cheap and expensive HDMI cable. They either work or they don’t.
Big Birthday Parties for Your Small Child: Your one-year-old won’t remember that you made her a perfectly sculpted princess cake and invited all the cool neighborhood babies.
Single-Use Water Bottles: Just buy a reusable one.
In-App Purchases: No, you don’t need 6,000 diamonds to buy that fancy fake couch, Susan. Just wait for 24-hours and get the free one.
Shopping Around for Gas: You’re not really saving 5 cents if you have to drive 45-minutes to get it.
Pre-Cut Veggies: You really can’t take the 3.4 minutes to cut those 10 carrots?
Getting Your Nails Done: Ladies, this one’s for you. They look fake and they cost like $50 every two weeks. Not to mention getting the fake ones put on means that your real ones will never have a chance to grow to replace your fake ones.
Cable: Just get Netflix.
Your Daily Coffee: Caffeine is not that good for you, and your coffee is not worth $4.
Greeting Cards: Only my 90-year-old grandmother keeps these. And I’m pretty sure she thinks they’re artwork.
Brand Name Stuff: Sometimes this is necessary, most of the time it’s not.
Book: Your library is free, or cheap depending on where you live, and you can borrow books there that you’ll never read.

What are some of the dumb things people waste money on in your eyes? Share them in the comments below!

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Taylor Haahr

Tae started out as a journalist before following the money into the corporate world. But it turns out that the grass isn’t always greener and now you can find her spending most of her time writing about all the things she loves. Namely, money, travel and business with a hefty dose of self-deprecating humor. She is a podcast fanatic, blogging aficionado and loves to find new ways to turn passions into cold hard cash!