What Do People Spend Money on That You Think Is Stupid and Extravagant?

jellykingdom on 19/12/2018 - 11:27
Last edited 19/12/2018 - 11:41 by 1 other user

Hard one to word correctly in the title…

I have seen a few examples lately of silly and over-the-top things that people pay loads of money for, and it honestly makes me a little angry that people waste money on such nonsense.

My list includes (they're mostly vanity related I notice):
- $1000 sneakers
- $20 pairs of socks
- Butler's pantries - so now you have a 'Good' kitchen, and an 'Actual' kitchen… (mod: language)
- $2000 iphones

I'm certainly guilty of wasting money from time to time, on clothes or booze or furniture etc, and I make a decent living so this isn't a whinge about "Why do people have money and not me??". I am just absolutely gobsmacked sometimes at the stuff people spend their money on….and yes it is their money to waste obviously

What's on your list of "WTF Expenses"?

General Discussion

Comments

  • hawkeye on 19/12/2018 - 13:32
    -2

    Marriage it rarely ends well and each one thinks the others ripping them off.
    Why buy something that will turn into a cow when you can get your gonads milked free until then enjoy the ride.

    • Blitzfx on 19/12/2018 - 14:04
      +4

      It seems you have something to get off your chest. What's the story?
      Ozbargain counselling sessions are always free.

    • DarthAntz on 19/12/2018 - 17:24
      +1

      you dont sound like marriage material at all.
      change your attitude, and learn from people who have successful marriages, not the duds that are influencing getting free milk from cows.

  • AirJordan6s on 19/12/2018 - 13:32
    -1

    Hipster haircuts

    • freakatronic on 19/12/2018 - 13:57
      +3

      I'll go one better - haircuts at all.

    • Cheaplikethebird on 19/12/2018 - 14:02
      +1

      Do you mean barbershop fades? They're usually around the same price as going to any other hairdresser unless you're going to a quick cuts type place that put a bowl on your head. The more expensive places spend more time on your cut, spend $25 and I expect to be in the chair for about half hour spend $50 and I expect to be in the chair for an hour. Any hipsters I know with wild hair usually do it themselves or have their friends do it.

    • macrocephalic on 19/12/2018 - 14:46
      +1

      My hipster haircuts have been free for the last 9 years.

    • jno on 20/12/2018 - 09:15
      +1

      My hipster haircut costs me 40 and it takes an hour, thats pretty good for taking up a barbers time.

      Peoples time and skill cant always be dirt cheap

    • HKS on 20/12/2018 - 09:25

      learn to cut your own hair.

  • Vancomycin 1000mg on 19/12/2018 - 13:43
    +3

    A friend of mine who literally buy clothes and wears it once and continues buying more clothes and shoes. Shoes that costs $250 or more and I see him only wearing it once. But he is spoilt kid and only works three hours a month to keep his job. Other than that pretty spoilt brat.

    • All Blacks NZ on 19/12/2018 - 20:41
      +1

      What? How do I get his job?

  • MeesusEff on 19/12/2018 - 13:50
    +13

    Weddings! Nowadays its more of a 'lets see who can splash more money out' rather than a celebration of love. Know people who spent $100k on their wedding yet struggling with their mortgage and daily life.

    Actually, just remembered this incident. Husband's "friend" decided to throw two weddings, we didnt attend either due to work commitments. When we were having a catchup dinner, they asked us to give them a 'red packet' for their weddings even though we didn't attend and asked for a raise because they're poor (My husband was the wife's manager). We don't speak to them anymore (not because of the money but compilation of everything)

    • Archi on 19/12/2018 - 14:12

      be careful she could be asking for more than just a red packet and a raise

      • MeesusEff on 19/12/2018 - 14:26
        +5

        Haha, we've cut ties with all of them now, nothing but a bunch of toxic people. Rather have no friends than to have friends like them.

        • Scrooge McDuck on 19/12/2018 - 15:29
          +2

          Reciprocity is fundamental to healthy relationships.

          I would've posted them a free packet of ketchup from Macca's. Two if I was feeling generous.

    • Blitzfx on 19/12/2018 - 14:12

      Red packet? Sounds like asian wedding. There's so many implications if you have a bad asian wedding. Losing face being the biggest one.

      • Caped Baldy on 19/12/2018 - 14:19

        Hmm the parents usually pay for the wedding.

      • MeesusEff on 19/12/2018 - 14:25

        Yup , Asian (so am I, but not my husband). I was just shocked because I have never heard of Asians literally asking to your face to give them a red packet for weddings, especially when we didnt even go. Talk about losing face. Husband thought it was normal behaviour until my parents pointed out how disrespectful that was.

        • Archi on 19/12/2018 - 14:47
          +1

          disrespectful it is… however depending on how close we are to the bride and groom I will still give a red packet as a gift to the newly weds.

          same if I was invited to a western wedding.. I would still give a small gift even if I didn't go.

          especially if they have given me something for my wedding or birthday previously,

          • Scrooge McDuck on 19/12/2018 - 15:50
            +2

            @Archi: So how much could I make for marrying an Asian girl?

            • Archi on 19/12/2018 - 16:03
              +1

              @Scrooge McDuck: depends on how generous the family and friends are.

              people I know have come up on top about 20-30K

        • dcep on 19/12/2018 - 15:05

          i think same goes to the other way round

          got invited but no show yet no gift, not even a $1 red packet as blessings

          yet still nothing prepared for, during a catchup dinner ?

          • MeesusEff on 19/12/2018 - 16:14

            @dcep: Those bunch of people completely took advantage of my husband over the years, which he was happy to do because "friendship" and he didn't know any better. Their wedding was last minute because her visa was running out, on a Wednesday,at a registry. Their overseas wedding was a year later but the red packet incident was in between.

            Now, normally I would give a gift or a packet, but not for those people. She stayed 3 weeks at my husbands place, messed up the house and moved out at Xmas. Gave her then fiance a PS4, not even a cent to my husband, guess those 3 weeks of not paying rent went to that. Also, the day before the dinner, she yelled at me in front of my husband calling me a motherf*cker twice because I cleaned up the rubbish she left in my husbands bedroom when she let herself in that afternoon when no one was home. Those aren't even the worst things that they did to us. So no, they can get f-all.

            • Blitzfx on 19/12/2018 - 20:09
              +1

              @MeesusEff: If she was cultured, she would have waived any obligations by you to her, and also helped with chores and groceries for free accommodation.

  • timmy_tam on 19/12/2018 - 14:21
    +1

    Agreed on weddings. Not so much on the spending, but also because its so commercialised that you are left with little choice
    ie. put 'wedding' in front of anything and it suddenly goes up in price (flowers, clothes, means, bookings, photos, etc etc)

  • askme69 on 19/12/2018 - 14:33
    +3

    Coffee

  • pformag on 19/12/2018 - 14:46
    +4

    $80 plain cotton t-shirts, where Kmart has the same one for $5

    • jellykingdom on 19/12/2018 - 15:16
      +2

      I have some Big W plain tshirts which are 8 years old. They cost me $5 each and still look amazing. For some reason, they USED to make them crazy good quality with really thick cotton. Nowadays they're much thinner but they'll still last for 1yr easily

    • All Blacks NZ on 19/12/2018 - 20:44

      Absolutely. The Kmart t-shirts always fit me so much better and I find their cotton to be superior than most expensive places. Highly recommend.

  • brauhem on 19/12/2018 - 14:52
    +6

    Alcohol at bars.

  • FireRunner on 19/12/2018 - 14:56
    +3

    Virtual currency (not cryptocurrencies), like in free to play games Clash of Clans, Fortnite, CSGO, etc. Never understood why anyone would put hundreds of dollars into this.

  • [Deactivated] on 19/12/2018 - 15:36

    branded clothing
    shoes
    iphones
    lego

    • HeartFeltAxe on 20/12/2018 - 09:39
      +1

      underwear
      insurance
      cars
      homes

      it's all a waste isn't it?

    • bmerigan on 20/12/2018 - 22:44

      Hey! Back off with the Lego! ;)

  • BinnyC on 19/12/2018 - 15:38
    +1

    Smoking Cigarettes.

  • highdealer on 19/12/2018 - 15:53
    +4

    Apple, Beats, Supreme.

    Put the word Supreme on a $20 T-shirt and now it cost hundreds. What?!

  • crashloaded on 19/12/2018 - 15:57
    +2

    Range Rovers

  • idonotknowwhy on 19/12/2018 - 16:07
    +3

    I try to mind my own business but traditional medicines.

  • Plug on 19/12/2018 - 16:42
    +6

    Supercars. What's the point of getting something with next to no ground clearance and driving it in Adelaide where most road surfaces resemble those in sub-Saharan Africa.

    • justcallmeboss on 19/12/2018 - 22:55
      +1

      Some are pretty good investments. Not even referring to the Westpac joke. Some are great investments.

    • andyhui01 on 20/12/2018 - 09:25
      +1

      You do realise most owners make money on rare supercars. They would have blown alot of money to be able to buy one that makes them money but if your local Ferrari dealer allocates a new model V8 Sportscar (ie. 488 when it was released), you would be able to drive it for a few months, put 2-3000km on it and sell for a profit. Same with any Hypercar, limited edition Porsche, Ferrari, McLaren or Lambo. I don't think a single Aventador SVJ owner would ever lose a single dollar on that car regardless on when they choose to sell it.

    • plentifoo on 20/12/2018 - 14:31

      Case in point, the Koenigsegg Agera RS1, went up almost 5 fold in value in 2 years. Money bodes money.

  • RADICALIST on 19/12/2018 - 16:43
    +1

    Wife

  • goegge on 19/12/2018 - 16:52
    +6

    Personalised number plates

    • silverrat23 on 19/12/2018 - 18:16

      THGLFE

      (Yes, it reads “Thug Life” and yes, it’s an actual license plate)

    • kahn on 19/12/2018 - 19:03

      I saw 'A' today on a black C63S. Worth more than the car.

      • berger on 19/12/2018 - 21:20

        I’ve seen G on a black Merc G wagon

      • manshrew on 20/12/2018 - 16:12

        I saw 'U' on a Jag today at the pub.

    • jno on 20/12/2018 - 09:17

      Yes, but usually those redicouously expensive ones hold value and usualy make more money selling

    • plentifoo on 20/12/2018 - 14:33

      depends on the state. i just got a personalised numberplate for xmas. It's a one time only fee including the cost of the plates in WA. it's not an Investment.

    • try2bhelpful on 20/12/2018 - 22:46

      yeah, easy to remember when you call the cops.

  • love2buy on 19/12/2018 - 16:59
    +2

    Using vending machines. Buying dvd movies.

    • inherentchoice on 22/12/2018 - 11:16

      Drink vending machines are the same price as a convenience store. Is that bad?

  • sbot on 19/12/2018 - 17:19

    Someone I know dropped $2000 on a paid of loubotins. My friends said to me well, you spent that much on a computer, but a computer costs a lot to manufacture and is used more frequently than shoes… if your shoes cost that much wouldn't you be too scared to wear them out? I'd keep them on a display shelf.

  • Windows7forever on 19/12/2018 - 17:23
    +4

    Buying coffee every day

  • [Deactivated] on 19/12/2018 - 18:38

    I have a butler's pantry but in my defence, it was like that when I got here.

    I spent 3 months income on my first year in a proper job on a HiFi set.

    Best money spent. I've moved houses 3 times and they've always been the monuments that define my living room.

  • chickemugget on 19/12/2018 - 18:55

    Jewellery, diamonds in particular

    • SimbaGirl on 19/12/2018 - 20:52
      +3

      Especially engagement rings. There are SO any other things I’d rather the money be spent on than forking out $$$$ just for a ring (and yes, I’m female LOL). We moved to a rural property recently and have just bought a ride-on mower - now THAT I can have fun with :).

  • Kranbone on 19/12/2018 - 18:58
    +2

    I once bought a super high end PC. Never doing that again.

    Also, I only need 1 phone (once had two).

    Biggest tip, when going to Bunnings, bring a list.

    • Gnosh on 19/12/2018 - 19:55
      +1

      I did the same, spent ~4.5k on my setup and I still play games that could run on a potato <_<

      • johnno07 on 20/12/2018 - 08:10

        Did you buy a proper screen? You generally only need super-high end setups if you're running greater than 1080/60hz.

        But not if you're playing CS:GO.

        • Gnosh on 20/12/2018 - 22:13

          Yeah I’ve got a good screen. Not that it matters, lol.

    • HKS on 20/12/2018 - 09:29
      +1

      i did this too, ended up selling my pc and getting a $150 used dell optiplex and a gtx 1050ti. does the same job for 20x less

      • Kranbone on 20/12/2018 - 19:51

        I bought an ex lease tower for around the same cost and did the same. it's still going strong

  • kahn on 19/12/2018 - 19:13
    +5

    Military spending.

    • silverrat23 on 20/12/2018 - 07:47

      Please explain.

      • idonotknowwhy on 20/12/2018 - 08:42

        We're funding the military with our tax dollars. He/she thinks it's an extravagant expense and that we should have no military and rely on our allies to protect us from invasions (without us helping them with their wars).

      • lostn on 20/12/2018 - 09:42

        Submarines cost billions each.

    • max900 on 20/12/2018 - 14:43

      It will just take no more than 9 days to starve the whole country if any neighboring countries decided to go rogue and cut us off from the rest of the world. We are too dependent on importing our refined liquid energy. Submarines are necessary.

      • Scrooge McDuck on 22/12/2018 - 02:36
        +2

        It will just take no more than 9 days to starve the whole country

        I'm pretty sure most Australians have enough stored body fat to last a few months. Some even a few years!

  • Trying2SaveABuck on 19/12/2018 - 19:16
    +6

    probably the most under criticised waste of money in my generation (im in my 20s) is travel! Dont get me wrong i love travelling but some people they dont have a dime to there name because soon as they save a bit of money they jet set off

    • jellykingdom on 20/12/2018 - 07:50
      +1

      See i don't have a massive problem with that, as long as they don't then complain about having no money (which they do!). Life is all about the experiences, and i am happy to spend a lot on my holidays if it means i have some great memories afterwards

      • Trying2SaveABuck on 20/12/2018 - 15:12
        +4

        Yeah of course but most people in 'my generation' are complaining they cant afford property but cant live without traveling Europe for 2-3 months spending over 40k and missing out on work for that time…

        i've been to Europe i loved it but i brought a house 1st and owned my own car my generation is full of travel then save opposed to establish yourself work hard then travel and if you ask me that is a culture change that needs to happen

        • Cusack on 21/12/2018 - 16:10

          but but …YOLO!! :)

  • drprox on 19/12/2018 - 19:18

    Expensive clothes and makeup are both poor choices imo. Probably also any associated credit card interest too!

  • MessyG on 19/12/2018 - 20:10

    Go onto Instagram. Search for the hashtag #rkoi .

    Next level gross.

  • pennae on 19/12/2018 - 20:21
    +12

    Buying lunch out every work day.

  • Farrba on 19/12/2018 - 20:32
    +1

    check statueforum, and people are crazy about statues. i myself owns few sideshows, hot toys…but nowhere near those collectors.

    i dont think ill be able to buy premium xm statues, prime 1, etc.

    the top items here are way out of reach lol.

    https://www.popcultcha.com.au/statues-and-replicas/statues-a…

    • Dr No on 19/12/2018 - 22:09
      +2

      I clicked the link… I am lost for words. I had no idea they existed and people actually buy them. Crazy

      • silverrat23 on 20/12/2018 - 08:02

        The crazier ones are the… ahem, NSFW ones. It’s a completely different type of beast.

  • Baghern on 19/12/2018 - 21:27

    meh, really buy what ever you want… just avoid retail price…

    If I had a higher disposable income, I'd buy an Official Storm Trooper suit (10k)…

    and a warehouse of Daleks, in 50 years I'll be on that Pickers show… where they come and try to buy stuff off me… I'll go nah, nah, nah thats not for sale…

  • endolphin on 19/12/2018 - 21:37
    +9

    Phones. And specifically, those who think they get a "free" phone because they are on contract and paying $100 per month. Prepaid is so cheap these days. No need to be spending more than $25 per month, and that $75 per month saving leaves a hell of a lot of room to buy a decent phone outright.

  • Wiz3000 on 19/12/2018 - 22:01

    Many people spend crazy amounts on push bikes

    • inherentchoice on 22/12/2018 - 11:20

      My motorbike is $1400 and can do 110 km/h. I parked it next to a guy parking his e-bike and asked him what he spent on it. $3000!

  • JIMB0 on 19/12/2018 - 22:04
    +4

    Overpriced houses, in particular new ones way out on the fringes of the city with poor infrastructure.

    • Duram on 20/12/2018 - 08:55
      +4

      VS a 1 bedroom 'villa' for 3.2 million, built in 1836.

  • che_97 on 19/12/2018 - 22:23
    +3

    $20 socks may seem ridiculous until you find an amazing pair of socks. I have several pairs of good socks that can be worn for multiple days without sweating. Merino wool doesn't smell, it breathes well. Perfect for travel and work. Its less "crap" in my house.

    I know they cost more but I use them every day and I really get good milage out of them. Same thing with iPhones. You might not like them but phones in general get heaps of use so the cost per use isn't much.

    Buying a $2000 iPhone every year on the other hand…

    • lainey13 on 19/12/2018 - 23:27
      +3

      Yeah it's not that easy getting a good pair of hiking socks for under $12. Guess OP never has anything more than a thin piece of cotton around their feet before ;)

      • jellykingdom on 20/12/2018 - 07:49

        Tbh all the good quality socks i've ever had have been supplied by my work (engineer in heavy industry, so they provide you with the full high vis, boots etc….not underwear though haha)

        Also i was meaning the thin cotton business socks that just have a pattern or text on them

    • footyboy on 22/12/2018 - 08:39

      Can you recommend a brand?

      • che_97 on 23/12/2018 - 15:11
        +1

        My favourite at the moment is Montbell. They have thick hiking socks for $28 or so. The grey colour is very neutral so I wear them in the office.

        They can be had in Japan for about $18 each. Amazing socks

  • AlanHB on 19/12/2018 - 22:26
    +3

    Number 1 for me is wedding/engagement rings.

    A couple of times I've mentioned in the workplace that I wouldn't want to spend more than $400-$500 on a ring. The scorn I've gotten from the comment is ridiculous, like I've killed a kitten or something.

    Yeah it's just a thing on your finger, do not get why it needs to be super expensive.

    That said, I'm more than happy to spend a couple of grand on a wedding guitar, if that's an option.

    • doheedo on 19/12/2018 - 22:35
      +3

      When the time comes buy a diamond simulant and say it cost $5000. No one would know.

      • jellykingdom on 20/12/2018 - 07:51

        You're right yknow? I mean my wedding ring was reasonably expensive, but the simulants actually look better and cost less. Didn't really know about them until afterwards, i figured they'd be total crap until I saw them

        • altomic on 20/12/2018 - 16:30

          when my wife and I travelled together after getting married we were worried about losing our wedding bands (~$300 each) and her engagement ring (value @ ~$14,000 - stones from estate jewellery).

          we bought decoy/fake rings from aliexpress. wedding bands were $1 each. engagement ring (a 1.8ct diamond simulant) was $3.

          her fake engagement ring got more compliments from her friends than the genuine ring.

          the real and the fake wedding bands I can only tell apart because the "expensive" ones have a stamp on the inside.

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