Everyone has their guilty pleasure that they spend money on, but sometimes it can go too far. It doesn’t take a financial genius to avoid these money mistakes.
1. Tattoos for Self vs. Christmas and Birthday Gifts for Kids
Someone confessed, “My wife is in many mom groups on Facebook. The number of people begging for help for their poor babies who won’t get any Christmas or birthday gifts and show off brand-new giant tattoos is amazing.”
“She shows me every time she finds one of these people, and it happens all the time. Usually, multiple recent photos of them out drinking and partying as well. So yeah, there’s a lot of people out there who blow big money in tattoos and partying instead of setting aside a little bit of money for their kids.”
2. Forgetting to Cancel Before the Trial Ends
“Accidental subscriptions. Remember, folks, if you sign up for a free trial, be prepared to cancel that thing the second they allow you. Otherwise, the subscription starts charging automatically, and you’ll end up with $60 worth of nonsense delivered to your house each week,” another expressed.
3. A Private Fireworks Show
“My neighbors once spent all their money on a private firework show, then had to hide their cars from the repo man for months. Edit: no longer neighbors. That is a ridiculous thing to blow all your money on. Add to that they were also neglecting their responsibilities,” suggested one.
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4. Overdrafting Their Account for a Candy Bar
“I dated a guy who would continue to use his debit card even when his bank account was over drafted because he didn’t realize he was charged overdraft fees for every transaction,” said one. “So I had to explain that his single Snickers bar or bag of chips from the vending machine was now costing him an extra $35. And he did this multiple times every single shift he worked.”
5. Being Their Own Boss in an MLM
One user noted, “It’s just the saddest thing to watch. Decent people fall into it, become super excited about it, and allow MLMs to take over their lives. Meanwhile, these pyramid schemes bleed them dry. Their support network deteriorated because no one wants to be around someone constantly trying to pitch them on a scam.”
6. Non-Fungible Token (NFT)
Another admitted, “I remember my ex working his bum off as an Uber driver, maxing his cards and commenting on this weird chat thing to be the first to get a ridiculously expensive NFT because, according to him, it was going to make him a millionaire… So he got one and was never able to sell it.”
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7. Crystals and Stones
“My mum has spent $1000s on crystals and stones. Yet, she continues and even gives them as gifts. I have no idea what I should do with them, so I put them in my plants’ pots then she gets upset for some reason. Send help, please,” one user partially joked.
8. Purchasing from Rent-to-Own Places
“I had a coworker back in the mid-2000s rent a PlayStation 2. He was a good guy but always strapped for cash, but he was very proud he finally got a PS2. They were like $200 brand new. And he was paying $40/wk for 12 weeks,” one shared.
“I told him to return it, buy him one, and he could pay me back $40/wk for six weeks. So I got him the PS2, memory card, etc., after tax, I about broke even and saved him $240 and six weeks.”
9. Lottery Tickets and Scratch-Offs
“I knew a girl who would spend all her money gambling on scratchers and lottery tickets. She would constantly go on about how she would move and start over when she finally won big. Her grandmother left her an inheritance of $20-30k inheritance,” one explained.
“Nothing changed except how many scratchers she would buy. I saw her buy out whole rolls occasionally. Then, finally, she wised up with the last few thousand, put some advance rent on an apartment (she was in a motel), and fixed her car. But that money was gone in less than two months.”
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10. You Can’t Buy Unconditional Love
“I spent nearly $400 to get my ex’s car back out of a towing lot after he traded it for a fake check from a scammer, who then got arrested, and the car ended up in a lot,” a final person commented.
What do you think? Did Reddit get this right, or are you guilty of something on the list?
