QUESTION: What’s something most people waste too much money on?
© Copyright 2007 – 2025 Claycord News & Talk
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QUESTION: What’s something most people waste too much money on?
Subscribe to our newsletter!
© Copyright 2007 – 2025 Claycord News & Talk
Starbucks
Starbuck’s, Peet’s, Dutch Bros. etc. … no question
My girlfriend told me we need to stop spending so much money on fancy artisanal coffee every day, because if we saved that $8 a cup, we could afford a house in 30 years.
​So, I decided to make coffee at home to save money.
​Now, I’m only $1,500 in the hole for a high-end espresso machine, $400 for a conical burr grinder, $80 for a digital scale, and $45 a month for a single-origin subscription bean service.
​But hey, in about 84 years, that house is ours.
KEURIG Coffee maker & Folgers K-Cups still spending about $40 per month on coffee.
Then there is beer…. but that money isn’t wasted “Beer was created because God loves us and wants us to be happy” and I’m not taking any chances on upsetting the Almighty.
Oh my gosh your joke is really funny really had me cracking up there LOL
What joke?
I don’t drink much coffee. Once in a while I get a latte or Frappuccino at Starbucks. I do drink tea in the morning, and very strong, I usually use 2 tea bags, and I like an imported British tea. I agree with you about your second vice, except in my case it is wine.
lmao
Taxes.
Eating out and consuming unhealthy prepared foods
It costs more to rat at home sometimes.
The latest iPhone and other assorted gadgets. Tattoos, cigarettes,
alcohol, illicit drugs, premium coffee, fast food and take out meals.
Food delivery service, extended warranties, and the latest fashion fads.
Brand-new vehicles when a one or two year old vehicle can be had
for 3/4 the price of a new one, and oftentimes it will be a better deal
because if there were any defects, the previous owner probably
had the dealer take care of it.
For those that travel, purchasing travel insurance is another waste
because it should be covered by the credit card that was used.
Making the minimum monthly credit card payment is another way
people waste money.
Laundromats are a huge waste of money, the amount of money it
costs can be used to make monthly payments on a new washing
machine. There are portable washers and dryers made specifically
for small dwellings such as apartments, and small cottages.
If people would learn self-discipline and pay closer attention to the
amount of money they waste every month, they could put that money
aside until it accumulates enough for a down payment on that new or
older home they say is out of their reach.
Coffee out, and meals out. While enjoyable once in awhile. The cost is five times of what it costs to make the coffer or meal it at home.
Watching people fight over a ball trying to move it somewhere. I think it’s called sports? 😎
Caffeinated drinks, and its not close.
Sports, Concerts & Entertainment.
New Cars (a no brainer since they lose 20% once driven off of the lot).
Cable TV – Not needed = Get a firestick.
The latest smart phones.
Having to pay a contractor for EVERYTHING. Learn some skills.
Cars that they cannot afford……so they can “impress” strangers in the community who couldn’t care less.
The Government.
Starbucks, not even great coffee. my opinion
Bottled water and coffee by the cup, whether from a Keurig or a barista.
Door Dash, tattoos and the newest electronics
haircuts and color….. do your own or have family member help you out.
I used to color my own hair. I never cut it, it takes a special talent to do that, and you can’t see the back. I for the past many years have had really short hair, and need it cut a special way. I have at times and still do cut my bangs. My hairdresser showed me how to do it and told what kind of scissor to buy.
All this talk of coffee got me remembering, wrote this a few years ago.
.
Coworker used to show up at morning Safety meetings with a mocha frappa whatever.
Asked him how much one costs and how many times a week to you buy one?
.
He came up with price,
multiply that by number purchased in one week,
multiply that number, by 4,
multiply that number, by 12 and that’s what buying coffee costs you per year.
Color drained from his face and he began speaking in expletives.
.
A Challenge,
I ask people to do is carry a pad and pencil around with you for a week,
write down amount you pay for things rounding up to next dollar. At end of week
look at your purchases, which ones could you have done without and what is that
dollar amount? Then multiply by 52, that amount could go to savings or extra
principle payments.
.
You build savings first, then retirement contributions then extra on house payment.
At my age was easier than it is today. Bought first house 1980 payment was
$756.00 per month, which back then was a chunk out of monthly pay check.
.
Managed to gain a portable skill set that to this day is in demand, industrial electrician.
.
Coworker brought in a DOS program and I started playing around with it. Made up
fantasy extra principle payments. The 360 monthly payments on a 30 year mortgage
melted away, then looked over at total loan cost and subtracted that from the no
extra payment total cost, talkin’ many, many, many thousands.
.
Here’s a fairly simple mortgage calculator to play around with.
But for homes to be affordable once again in CA, democrats have to be voted out
of office and their control over state legislature has to end.
Home Shopping Network, QVC, and all the other parasitic channels that suck the money away from compulsive shoppers and hoarders.
Considered putting in conveyor belt from curb to front door
We all have certain things we like and will pay extra for. This question is very subjective. I agree with Dave Ramsey’s advise don’t buy a new car unless you are a millionaire and can pay cash. I have had 3 reliable Toyota Camry’s all bought used, but in good shape.
Since I have worked retail there’s certain brands I feel is over priced, Nike is one of them, even on sale they tend to be pricey. Their shoes are not even that great, I had a pair when I use to jog, they hurt my feet, and I switch Asics, and increased the distance I could jog within a week. Very expensive makeup brands, Lancome, Clinic, Estee Lauder, they brand you find at CVS is just as good, Revlon, Maybelline, Loreal.
Jimmy Dean, Adolf Coors, Frito Lay….
I echo some items listed by others:
taxes- we do not have a choice but seeing what 40% of my hard-earned money goes to is maddening. Talk about waste.
I’d say tatts, pay good money for something that will look like melted wax when you age (or perhaps those balloon lips)
How did the human race ever manage to survive the past days of no cell phones? No $10.00 coffee 1000 calorie milkshake drinks? No mega corporate industrial fast (so called)food joint on almost every commercial area street corner? No idiotic look-at-me everyone time wasters like Face Boat?
New trucks, huge, loaded with plastic everywhere, and full of gizmos but not practical for real work.
inmotion,
.
New trucks aren’t being made for work.
They aren’t trucks anymore. They are huge oversized vastly overpriced plastic loud shiny macho-machine rolling computers.
Luxury items like Gucci wallets, purses, belts, etc.
I love nice purses, but then I worked in Macy’s handbag department for 5 years. I have 4 Coach purses and 2 Michael Kors, and a few some not so well known brands. Because I worked at Macy’s I got them all on sale, plus my employee discount. One Coach purse that retailed for close to $400.00 I got for $140.00 then my 20 percent employee discount on top of that. This might sound like a lot but I bought them over about 8-9 year time frame. I still use the first Coach purse I bought. I was on sale and I had Macy’s money I think I got it down to about $65.00 originally about $250.00.
Fear of flying. I didn’t start out being scared of flying. In fact I remember one time after visiting Denmark for Christmas, I flew Loftleider (Icelandic airline) they were the cheapest, and I could stop off in Reykjavik for a few days and visit my girlfriend, on this particular flight, from Reykjavik to New York (where I lived at the time) there were so much turbulence almost everyone was sick, didn’t bother me one bit. Not sure when I became scared of flying, it might have been when I was dating a German guy in New York, and he was going back to Germany, he told me he was terrified of flying, he was my age, until that time the only person I knew who was scared of flying was my mother, and she had never even been on a plane. Then I met my ex husband and he was nervous about flying, I guess that spilled over, because ever since I have had reservations. I still fly, but am not comfortable, although I wouldn’t say I’m terrified. Ironi is I had a cousin who was a pilot for SAS for 18 years, he died at age 38 age by falling down 3 flights of stairs. I guess when your time is up it is up. However, I prefer to die peacefully in bed in my own home, not in violent plane or car crash.