Some of the best purchases I’ve ever made were my air fryer, blender and handheld vacuum. I use them all multiple times a week (sometimes multiple times a day!), and I’ve certainly gotten my money’s worth from them. But there’s no point in owning any of these items if they’ll simply sit in a cabinet collecting dust.
If you’re a big impulse buyer, you likely know the shame of purchasing the latest workout gear, piece of technology or cooking gadget then realizing a few months later that it hasn’t seen any action. But if you’re guilty of this, you’re not alone. Redditors have recently been sharing the big purchases they’ve made that certainly weren’t worth it, so we’ve gathered some of their regrets below. Enjoy scrolling through these reminders not to buy a smart watch just because your colleague did, and keep reading to find a conversation with Laura Turner, aka Thrifty Londoner!
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#1
Drone. Turns out it’s hard to find legal areas to fly it and everyone hates you.
A telescope in a country that’s cloudy all the damn time.
#3
A fitness bike. the plan was to watch tv and ride my bike and get fit.. now I just hang clothes on it :(.
To gain more insight on this topic from a personal finance expert, we reached out to Laura Turner, also known as Thrifty Londoner. Laura was kind enough to have a chat with We and discuss some of the most commonly purchased and later regretted items.
“Trending items endorsed by celebrities or influencers can often be bought in a rush, especially if there is a limited-time-only discount code or promotion on the item,” the expert says. “My biggest vice in the past has been expensive skincare. I’ve bought items that have promised clear skin or anti-aging benefits, only for them to not suit my skin type, and sit virtually unused in thecupboard. I hate to think how much money I have wasted over the years! When I started a very simple routine with minimal products, my skin improved massively.”
#4
Eight cemetery plots. I knew the price was going to double and thought it’d be a good investment. But cemetery plots do not sell like hotcakes.
#5
I own a set of crystal wine glasses for special occasions that never seem to happen.
#6
Bought an expensive watch to celebrate a milestone, but it feels too fancy to wear regularly.
On the other hand, we were curious which big purchases Laura believes are actually worth the investment. “One of the most expensive items that I’ve bought is a second hand car,” she shared. “I’ve certainly got my money’s worth from the car over the last 18 months, and it has saved me so much time overall. It was so worth the investment.”
#7
I once got a professional, tournament style pool table. Real slate top, ball return, the works. Cost $6000 in 2000 because my wife was considering playing professionally. Then a year later, she broke both her ankles falling down a flight of stairs. It sat as a heavy, unusable table for the next 16 years. The problem with selling a professional pool table is that nobody who isn’t a pool table expert understands that a slate top can’t just be “moved.” It weighs the same as a small car. This is nothing something you and your two buddies can put on the back of a pickup truck in an hour. It had to be de-felted, the plaster cracked, and then the three pieces of slate have to be moved independently. The base is built like something meant to carry 1300lbs and stay perfectly level, so it was heavy, solid and lag bolted wood.
After 2008, a lot of pool table places went out of business. Nobody would buy it, and I considered paying some person $1000 just to break it up and junk it (he took one look at it, and declined). Then, thankfully, I had a personal assistant spend the better part of a week trying to help me out with this, and she found a collector who DID know how to disassemble one, sent some of his guys to look at it, and he offered me $800 “shocked what good condition it was.” I didn’t even haggle. I was about to pay somebody $1000 to remove it, so $800 was a blessing. So he sent his men down, and in 3 hours, I had 50% of my rec room back and while “I lost” $5200 plus appreciation (if any), I was so grateful.
#8
The RV, used it once 12 years ago.
#9
College degree.
As far as how we can avoid purchasing big ticket items that we don’t need, Laura says there are several ways we can prevent having regrets. “The first is to think about longevity- is the item going to serve a purpose for a long time? One of the ways that you can determine this, is by considering the item in terms of ‘cost per use.’ If the cost per use is low, and you’re likely to use the item frequently and for a long time, it may well be worth the investment,” she explained.
#10
Purchased a fancy painting set to explore my artistic side, but it turns out I’m not much of a painter.
#11
A boat.
Husband has always wanted a boat. I always said no, you won’t use it. Then he got really sick. The doctor thought it was cancer. He started looking at boats again. I didn’t want him to die and the last item on him bucket list was unfulfilled because of his b***h wife. So he bought the boat. He did not have cancer.
#12
I have a robotic vacuum that sounded convenient, but it doesn’t work well on my carpets.
Laura also recommends doing thorough research before making big purchases. “To use the skincare example again, research the ingredients to see whether they are compatible with your skin type before purchasing,” she noted.
And if you’re looking for more personal finance tips, be sure to check out Thrifty Londoner!
#13
In 2020, I convinced my husband to buy me a sewing machine during lockdowns. It’s been in his closet ever since.
#14
I got a kayak thinking I’d spend my weekends on the water, but it’s been used maybe twice.
#15
A high-tech blender that now serves as a fancy paperweight in my kitchen.
#16
I tend to get into things and then I obsess over the new “thing”. In the past I’ve spend a lot of money on yarn, for when I learned to crochet. I have spent money on art supplies, for water colour painting. I then bought a very expensive iPad so I could learn to do digital art. Then the last few months it was really expensive products for my hair, including a Dyson hairdryer and curling iron. This past weekend I bought a turntable and some vinyl records because it seems that now I’m fixated on this. I really hate that I am this way, but I can’t seem to make myself stop once I’m obsessed with the newest thing. I wouldn’t say I never use these things, but they aren’t used as much as I imagined.
#17
Oculus 2 VR. Seems to be the same with most people I talk to that you’re into it for two months, show it to everyone, then stick it in a drawer and never touch it again. Also I got really bad motion sickness in any of the games you move around in. Which are the most fun games.
#18
A $1k camera. I only used it for one trip.
#19
Heart defibrillator, but I’ll be happy if I never have to use it.
#20
Health insurance. F*****g insanely expensive.
#21
My truck. Shortly after buying it my job gave me a work truck to drive to and from work. Now my personal truck rarely gets used, which makes me sad.
#22
Paid $1000 for a domain name – never used it.
#23
I spent a lot of money on a high-end basketball hoop cause my wife was thinking about getting back into coaching. We were outside shooting around and hit this nasty crossover, and I broke both her ankles. We haven’t used it since.
#24
Mouth guard, the fancy one your dentist fits you for and insurance didn’t cover.
I lost it 2 months after I got it when I moved and when I found it again, my teeth had shifted and it didn’t fit.
#25
Power washer. I haven’t opened the box yet. I bought it three years ago.
#26
Generator.
We were out of power for 10 days after the October storm in 2011. Bought the generator as soon as they were back in stock. Thankfully, haven’t needed it since.
#27
3 mountain bikes.
One for my partner, which he never uses.
One for myself, which ended up being too big and I couldn’t return it.
A second one for myself that was a much better fit, which I never use.
Plus accessories and upgrades for all three. I probably spent nearly $5k.
#28
A one year subscription to eharmony for $500. There’s a lower double digits pool of women on the platform in my 100 mile radius and none of them are right for me.
#29
A DJI Mini 2 drone… it was fun for the first 5-6 times and after that, it’s just been sitting there.
#30
An upright piano. Have owned it for about 30 years. Haven’t really used it since about 2011.