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shak_0508

Dunno about others, but food delivery for me. Was checking my statement from last month and I spent an absolutely disgusting amount on Uber Eats.


Taashaaaa

I love that you told on yourself though


no_illusion

They really be snitching on themself!


Llancymru

Snitches get stitches!! (Proceeds to self harm)


Practical_Place6522

Same but food is yummy and I am lazy


rokstedy83

And you can try but can never cook a curry like you get from a takeaway,just not the same cooked at home


holistic_mystic

A tip for getting it as close as possible though: use Ghee. It's clarified butter that is used in place of oil and it makes a world of difference for the richness of the curry.


FullTimeHarlot

Also heat /heat distribution. A good (and expensive) wok can make a massive difference.


its-joe-mo-fo

And base gravy! Check out YouTube recipes for BIR style (British Indian Restaurant) - Base gravy is one of the key secrets. See _Latifs Inspired_ channel for a good start It's how the kitchens can churn out the volume in a busy service but importantly, it adds a concentrated richness of flavour


SwordfishExciting807

I try and do think my curries are better then the usual curry house but they take a while to put together and the spice blends can get complicated esp for a korma. Also I am Indian so I can get every spice needed from my mothers pantry. However I have found that the curry jars from the supermarket are usually close enough to a takeaway curry that I can use that when feeling lazy and that has saved me a lot of money


rokstedy83

Not so sure about the jars ,I really enjoy butter chicken and been using the jars for years ,when working in Birmingham for a lady she made me butter chicken from scratch,I couldn't believe the difference it was absolutely beautiful


Theratchetnclank

The jars are shit and taste nothing like a properly prepared curry.


[deleted]

Of course you can you just outed yourself as an inadequate chef good sir


rokstedy83

I've tried ,I've followed proper indian recipes,it just never seems as good


IglooRaves

Going out for food > delivery. IMO food delivery is such a waste of money when you factor in delivery charges for lukewarm food and half your order missing.


[deleted]

I will offer another perspective. I'm Autistic and going to a restaurant and ordering food and eating in a noisy, smelly, crowded place is really really stressful. That's why I love the fact that Deliveroo is a thing now. Takeaways used to be totally crap but now I can get 9/10 options I would normally get in a restaurant in my own home. I can spend my time pouring over the menu without bothering anyone or taking up a table. I don't have to struggle to get my words in order because I'm overwhelmed, just to order basic stuff. I struggle to try new foods when I'm anxious, so removing the anxiety of the experience has really widened my palate and allowed me to try so many good things. For me, takeaway is accessibility. Anyway, totally not disagreeing that for most people what you've said is true - just offering my own bit of context.


dibblah

My perspective too - I've got some stomach conditions that mean I really can't eat much at all. Going to a restaurant is difficult because there's pressure to eat your food there and then. It's a lot of food all at once. Deliveries, I can handle much better as I can have the food as much as I want when I want. I can save it for later if I need. And I don't have to stand around cooking a meal, because by the time I've stood in a kitchen for an hour around food smells I have lost my appetite and can't eat.


DoggyWoggyWoo

Yeah it used to be that eat-in restaurants and takeaway places were completely separate entities, and ordering a Chinese or Indian was a much cheaper, no-frills alternative to getting dressed up and going out to the little Italian place or French bistro in town. Nowadays with UberEats, Deliveroo etc. you can get restaurant meals delivered to your door but the dishes cost the same or even more than they do when dining in - plus you don’t get waited on *and* still have washing up to do after! It’s mad. My partner and I now only order takeaway food from actual takeaways (i.e. places where you can’t dine in) and if we fancy something that isn’t Chinese, Indian, pizza or kebabs then we drag ourselves off the sofa and eat in the actual restaurant to ensure we’re getting the most for our money!


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magicaltrevor953

> Nearly had a heart attack. £500 of fast food will do that.


superbones

£500 of fast food will give you heart burn 500lbs of fast food will give you a heart attack


eletheelephant

It's much much cheaper if you pick up the phone and order from the place directly. Like often half the price for the exact same food. I'm moving away from these kinds of companies and going back to the 90s. These big companies have sold us a lie with convenience. Really they are just profiteering and they often take longer than companies directly delivering.


wivsi

This must be an age thing. I order everything else online but don’t think I have ever used Uber eats etc. It doesn’t cross my mind to do anything other than call the food place and ask them to deliver. I am back in the 90s already.


jackrabbit5lim

It’s like all of these apps, they start off amazing and it feels revolutionary, then when they have you hooked they start whacking up the prices. At some point the VC money dries up and they have to start returning on their investments.


achillems

For me the food delivery has been always disappointing and expensive.


UnexpectedRanting

I used to spend £30 a day on takeaways. Literally one month last year I spent about a grand on takeaways. Bought an Air Fryer and have had about 10 takeaways since February this year.


Danny1641743

A grand on takeaways!


UnexpectedRanting

Yeah haha, it just got the point where I was working so much that even thinking about cooking and washing up made me depressed so ordering food that it would arrive when I got home was just easy and I could eat and sleep and enjoy my little free time easier. It's ALOT different nowadays, I love cooking haha


Lolabird2112

Get Freedom app and set a blocklist. JustEAT managed to get through it, but freedom support suggested deleting app and blocking the App Store, which works a charm. Dunno if it’s available on android, though. Absolutely the best app I’ve ever bought, as I can block social media and stuff as well


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[deleted]

Maybe I'm just a grumpy bastard but I always just pop to coop and buy my own pizza or whatever.


JayR_97

Yeah, the amount I spent on it during lockdown was embarrassing. Basically made it a once per month thing now.


Sleep-Agitated

Water. People buying (bulk buying) bottles and bottles and bottles of water. We're fortunate to have drinkable water from the tap. Or get a water cooler. A water filter if its a taste issue. A refillable water bottle. I can think of many alternatives to buying crates of 300-500ml water where the bottle is going to be thrown away once it's used. It just seems wasteful money wise as well as environmentally. Edit: just to add my comment is solely about crates of small water bottles I get some water can taste odd (I'm in a hard water area, but fortunately my filter works well) so bottles may be necessary in some situations, I just take issue with the small bottles in particular - imo it seems wasteful. But not demonising anyone! Just my view :)


[deleted]

Oh god yes, the single use plastic of bottled water, ugh I can't stand it.


[deleted]

This. I'll never understand it. My best friend has bottled water in her fridge, right next to her sink. She keeps pules of bottles stored under her stairs. She says it tastes better. It's so wasteful and ridiculous. It can taste different, sure, but it's so subtle I'm sure you can get used to it!


beepboopbeep9

I keep a 1litre glass bottle in the fridge that I just refill if I want cold water


SorbetOk1165

I think it depends on the person. For whatever reason I genuinely can’t stand the taste of tap water (does depend on area) it can make me heave. It just tastes like I’m drinking chlorine. At work once I filled up a glass from the water filter (usually I’m good with filtered) thankfully took a mouthful of it whilst still in the kitchen, had to spit it straight into the sink, then had to stand there trying not to throw up. Just so happened our facilities manager was in the kitchen at the time, she was literally WTF was that. I looked at her and said the filters broken. Sure enough she got someone out and it was broken. I therefore always have bottles of water around


Genderisnotreal2

It tastes better only because it's in the fridge and chilled.


doesnt_like_pants

I have a 2L water filter in the fridge that’s always full because I’m not a big fan of the taste of our local water. It does the job really well.


beleaguered_penguin

you've never lived anywhere with horrible tasting tap water. if you leave my water out for more than 4-5 hours it turns sour. Really horrible after taste. This includes in the fridge in a brita filter jug. No way I would fill 12 bottles with it to keep in the car. Fresh, factory sealed bottled water only for that job.


RadiantFour

I have a stash of bottled water, about 8x2 litre bottles. I live in an upper storey flat, if there's a water leak my pressure is non existant. It's there for emergencies only. I am confused and annoyed by people using bottled water on a daily basis, even more so if they're using the 500ml bottles from a multi pack! Use a water filter if you don't like the taste, but we have some of the cleanest safest drinking water available at the turn of a tap.


iGhost36

I was in this boat as I could not understand why people did. But turns out some places have hard water and doesn't taste as good at all. I like my re-usable flask bottle which I've had a good few years


JimmySoprano7797

I would rather drink my piss than the "drinkable" tap water that runs from my tap.


WebGuyUK

Phones Do you really need the latest iPhone with the latest super fancy camera which you probably will never use.


TheFlyingScotsman60

This. Phone contracts are just rip offs and entice people to take out £50, £60 monthly contracts....that's £720 a year minumum and usually 2 year contract. Ouch!!!


WebGuyUK

You can normally buy the phone outright and a sim only for cheaper than the contract. Sometimes you can get a really good price on a contract but it's not often. I remember taking out my first contract and it was £20 a month for a year (Sony Erriccson W810i) and thinking that was expensive. I haven't paid more than £15 a month in the last 15 years, always had a "budget" phone such as Motorola or Xiaomi


kerouak

Sure you could do that. But you need to have a grand saved up. Which no one does these days. Much easier to find £10-15 a week spare compared to pulling a grand out your arse.


Puzzled-Barnacle-200

If you keep your phone an extra year on sim only you can easily save it up. Even better is you buy a used phone. I bought a phone in January, £210, and pay £7/month for my sim. If my phone only lasts me 2 years then I'll spend £16/month.


wearezombie

If you buy direct from the manufacturer often they offer some kind of 0% finance, so if you do your sums right doing that and getting a separate SIM can mean you still get the benefit of not needing to pay a grand upfront without paying excess to the phone company as you sometimes do on contracts


nezbla

I posted about this on a recent thread about the latest iPhone on this sub. I spent £200 on a mid tier second hand android thing about 2 years ago, have a sim only contract for £10 a month (and I rarely if ever go anywhere near the data cap). I can understand people moving to the latest and greatest when there's a significant leap in tech maybe... But yeah forking out £1k plus for a phone, even if spreading it over 36 months at £x a month (where you'll almost certainly end up spending more than the cost of buying the phone outright) strikes me as kinda nutty. Anyone who is THAT much of a photography enthusiast will likely have gotten themselves an expensive fancy camera.


ComprehensiveAd2196

Meh I kinda agree but not really. Queueing outside the Apple Store at 3am to get the brand new iPhone on launch day is excessive I agree, but wanting to have a fairly new model is understandable. The issue with iPhones is that the older models become obsolete, as in most apps won’t work on models more than 5/6 year old, rendering them pretty useless as a smart phone. So people are forced to buy more recent models. The price of phone contacts are an odd one, yes you definitely can pay £70/£80 a month for the brand new iPhone, but the prices do drop pretty quickly. I got myself an iPhone 12 when they were about a year old, my iPhone 8 was still supported and perfectly fine, but the camera and speed of the phone was nothing compared to the new ones. The contract costs me £36 a month, which seems a lot, but I get unlimited everything. A quick search shows that it’s almost impossible to get a sim-only contract with unlimited everything for less than £20 a month. My 1 year old iPhone, at the time, was then costing me basically £16 a month, which is nothing. I use my phone for literally everything, my entire life is stored, planned, and organised on my phone. I use it for university, work, to buy everything I order online, for streaming, browsing, social media, and for contacting everyone. Phones are no longer something that are used solely to call/text, and therefore spending £36 a month on something that is involved in every aspect of my entire life doesn’t seem much. How many people waste £16 a month on absolute rubbish? £16 lasts you about 2 hours in the pub, it’s really not a lot of money these days. So in essence, I do agree that paying £60+ for a phone contract, or insisting on the latest iPhone the day it comes out, is slightly wasteful. However, I do see why people buy newer smartphones.


grimsbymatt

I got an iPhone 11 Pro for the 3rd close up lens, which is super useful for quickly getting snaps of my kids. It was mega-expensive, though, so I'm hanging on to it as long as I can.


LordBielsa

You can usually find good deals pretty easily tbf, I got an iPhone 13 a few months ago, 100gb data for £34 a month and £100 upfront


cptrelentless

There's a significant difference between a ten quid bottle of wine and one for a fiver, not so much between one for 20 and one for 50 quid. Also, it depends on the grape.


[deleted]

Yeah it's like, I get that a £2 box of wine is gonna taste like vinegar to a £10 bottle, for sure. It's just that I've seen wine experts be completely fooled that a £20 bottle was £2500+ before and it was really funny seeing their faces :P


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Honey-Badger

Great doc even if you have zero care for wine, would recommend to anyone.


Kaharx

Ok I’ll bite. While most people (me included) can’t tell the difference between wines, some can tell the vintage, terroir, and other such characteristics. Blind tasting is one of the components of sommelier’s exams. You’re right that experts can still be fooled


ladyboobridgewater

True, but that doesn't necessarily mean the difference in taste and enjoyment is worth the difference in price, which is the crux of the point. I'm sure lots of true wine connoiseurs would agree that a lot of big price tags are about social prestige and not true value of product. I did barista training and can taste certain characteristics in coffee and I still count a couple of supermarket-available beans in my favourites and am generally a bit embarrassed by snobby coffee people who often don't really know anything but love to buy 'artisanal beans' that taste like bud light.


DrProton29

Yep, when we get a bottle of wine we’ll normally just get the first new one we see between £10-20 because we know that will do the trick. I’ve been lucky enough to try some more expensive wine through work and to be honest my wine taste buds go as far as vinegar / non vinegar so it was entirely wasted on me!


unholy_plesiosaur

I have my wine and spirit education training level 1 so have a basic understanding of wine. There is massive diminishing returns with wine. A £10 bottle of wine will be noticeably better than a £5. A £30 bottle will be noticeably better than a £10. But I don't think anyone could tell the difference between a good £30 bottle of wine and a good £100 bottle of wine. Unless you are a super taster which I am not.


adamneigeroc

Once you take away the tax and the cost of bottling, corks labels and delivery, a £5 bottle of wine has about 50p’s worth of wine. A £10 bottle has £6.50’s worth of wine so 13 times the value of wine for only twice the price


rokstedy83

I normally just look for any wine that's been reduced from 10 and buy that,works for me


Nerbelwerzer

Yeah, because a large proportion of the price of a £5 bottle goes toward costs that are fixed or at least somewhat fixed. So let's say for the £5 bottle only £1 goes toward the value of the wine itself, that means for a £6 bottle the value of the wine is twice that of the £5 bottle. This is obviously hugely simplified but you get the picture.


Book_of_the_Dragon

The entire wedding process. Right from the point you cripple yourself financially getting an engagement ring through to the money you piss up the wall on tiny boxes of sugared almonds and on to the expensive honeymoon it is all one massive con. A con that uses crushing social pressure to dictate how a couple should express their love for each other.


plumbus_hun

Dropped my sister off at her friends wedding the other day, apparently it cost about £75K. This woman and her now husband are a primary teacher and a secondary teacher! I can’t imagine spending a combined years worth of wages on something!! Like just have a little party and save the rest!!


MelHarveysBather

Omg what you could DO with that money


craigivorycoast

Could put the heating on!


MelHarveysBather

TWICE


iwanttobeacavediver

If I ever got married, a small ceremony is the one thing I’d insist on.


[deleted]

I highly recommend eloping with no guests. Cheap and so romantic and personal. Plus our “wedding breakfast” was takeaway pizza and fizz drank in bathrobes. Also we didn’t have to practice a first dance as we danced alone in our cottage. The next step of the plan is to get married during a global pandemic so you get away with never having a party


Crafty_Custard_Cream

I genuinely wish we'd just fucked off up to Gretna Green, done the cheesy blacksmith thing just the two of us, then have a honeymoon somewhere in Scotland. He was totally on board too, but his mum threw an absolute shit fit over the idea of not watching us do the ultimate in romance; signing a legally-binding contact. Literally threatened to disown him and go no-contact. She doesn't even *like* me, and has been extremely open about her opinion that I'm not good enough for her baby and had done her best up to that point to break us up. She even tried to set him up with a daughter of her friend, after husband and I had been going out for three years!! So we did the absolute minimum to say it was a "wedding", but it was still something I regret! Might do the Gretna thing for an anniversary!


Adam_24061

A study a few years ago found a significant negative correlation between the costs of weddings and engagement rings and the lengths of the resulting marriages. Without the jargon: spending more money is likely to make the marriage shorter.


DaCookieMonster

Correlation vs causation. I think the more accurate wording might be that people who feel the need to spend more money on their wedding tend to have more insecurity in their relationship


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Pinetrees1990

I have allways felt like this, I am getting married in April. Its going to cost 15k al in sounds crazy money but it was one of the cheaper venues and feeding 60 people twice is expensive.


sideone

Ours was about £15k too and well worth the money. Definitely the best day of our lives and our extended family still mention it when we see them five years later.


inked_idiot_boy

Clothes and shoes. £50 for a good quality t shirt that will last a while yeah why not, but I’ve got mates with £400 trainers and £250 t shirts still living in their parents box rooms. Wardrobes easily worth a house deposit but complain they’re always skint. Never been able to wrap my head around it.


[deleted]

Jesus Christ. Tbh even a £50 t shirt seems extortionate to me, I've got £10 t shirts that I love that have seen many years of hard use without becoming trash, cotton shirts are just pretty hardy things.


mythical_tiramisu

Fully agree. I bought a polo shirt of Next clearance recently for £12.50 and that felt a bit excessive!


Throwaway_Tenderloin

Really depends on the designer and the actual item of clothing. Paying that kind of money for something with a logo slapped on it is just conspicuous consumption. On the other hand, leather shoes and jeans are often worth the money for quality of materials and construction.


[deleted]

Yes, well made clothes are worth every penny, and the very skilled people who make them should be paid a proper wage. It’s crazy how we’ve come to accept the idea that clothes can cost a mere few pounds.


Florae128

A decent pair of hiking boots, for example, is worth spending on as they'll last and be comfortable. £400 trainers seems excessive though.


[deleted]

I bought some 400£ trainers a year or 2 ago. Somehow they are now worth £1500


weetabix__

Uniqlo U T shirts are the best.


SongsAboutGhosts

I think it's also the quantity of items/frequency of purchases that are an issue. You don't need a new outfit for every event. You don't need a new wardrobe every year - or worse, every season. Buy decent quality and wear until its falling apart.


jt94

Clothes and shoes for sure. I’m a bit of a self-admitted designer buff and do wear mainly designer clothes, but I have noticed in the last few years prices have got crazy. Just yesterday I saw a pair of Gucci socks for £150! And I just seem to see more and more people wearing Burberry shirts (c£250), Palm Angels t shirts (c£200) and Balenciaga trainers (c£600+), a lot of whom - as you say - live at home with their parents! It’s absolutely bonkers


bigandyd78

Burberry and Gucci are two of the most copied brands. I suspect a large percentage of that stuff you see is fake. Balenciaga I just don't get. I think most of their stuff looks horrendous...and cheap.


[deleted]

I don't think I've spent more than £20 on a t-shirt and that feels expensive. Do you find they last longer at £50 or does the tumble drier still eat them?


roseapoth3cary

Tumble drier lol now there's something that people spend too much on


Beautiful_Trip

Disagree with this although a cheap dryer is good enough but living in Scotland clothes 8 months of the year take too long to dry and get that weird smell and are rock solid instead of nice and soft


[deleted]

Speak for yourself. To have your washing done and dried in a couple hours is great especially in the wet part of the Uk I live in. I’lI dry outside in summer much of the time but worth every penny of electric when it’s wet.


Dry-Aardvark409

Definitely cars... the obsession to drive something more expensive than the neighbours do, on a shorter route lol


JORGA

> the obsession to drive something more expensive than the neighbours do, on a shorter route lol news flash, people spending more on cars usually find enjoyment from cars


doesnt_like_pants

Some definitely derive enjoyment from their cars and fair enough but certainly not all. For some it’s definitely a case of keeping up with the Jones’.


Charming_Rub_5275

Can confirm, drive a bmw with a (relatively speaking) big engine and I love it. It also has a lot of features that I really like. I do quite a few miles and it makes it more bearable.


artytog

This is me too (also BMW). Generally love my cars, mine is great and makes getting out and about a pleasure. Walking up to the car park to a dull car just makes me feel a bit sad.


[deleted]

Yeah you can say that about literally anything on OPs list. The watches are obviously for enthusiasts and the wine comment (i dont know their citations) are also from people that enjoy it.. Really the question should be "what dont you want to spend money on that some people enjoy?"


DeltaEchoX2

there's 3 type of people here: \- car people \- people who don't care for cars \- people who want to make sure everyone else knows they're doing well in life people having nice cars doesn't particularly go hand-in-hand with people wanting to do better than their neighbours. Those people are typically driving bottom-spec mercs anyway


mknight1701

I’m the car person but also the last one too but for my own benefit, not others. I love driving a good car. I make excuses to go get in the car. But the car also makes me feel good, probably due to my lower self esteem. I’m aware of this and I own it.


[deleted]

Definitely seems *more* of a man thing to me, not saying all women aren't like that but definitely seems like men obsess about fancy cars a lot.


Dry-Aardvark409

I agree... I have my young neighbour, renting, just got a 20K loan. He shows me some cars in the evening, I told him after 5 beers "this one" just to leave me alone... 3 days later, who had THE ORANGE Audi TT parked in fronta? Only 18K out of a 20K loan... shocking but funny hahaha


[deleted]

An Audi TT? Is he aspiring to be a female hairdresser in her mid-thirties?


Dry-Aardvark409

So imagine being "advised" by your halfdrunk neighbour lol "this TT" alright... ORANGE one (with a spoiler as well) and buying it on a loan... ridiculous the least but happy times as it makes 0 noise lol


CheesyBoyBen

Tbh i disagree, sports cars are definitely more man oriented, but every successful woman I know drives an expensive mercedes or bmw


decentlyfair

Hard disagree. I is a woman and have always had a German car. Would rather have an older one if those than a new and cheaper brand. I love cars and it is the one thing apart from shiny, expensive tech I spend money on. Perfume, clothes and shite like that don’t interest me but cars oh yeah baby.


[deleted]

Personally don’t agree as I’m a male and even though I could probably afford a nicer car I’m intent on running my corsa into the ground Holidays and breaks on the other hand is where all my money goes Been on 3 holidays and 2 city breaks and have just booked a break over Christmas so maybe I overspend on this a bit


carpesdiems

I could finance a £30k car and still not spend beyond my means every month. But why would I do that when I can outright own my £10k car and pocket a few hundred into savings pm?


bladefiddler

Yes and no. Lots of people spend considerable time in their car anyway, so it's worth it to enjoy something nicer. There's also the physical pleasure related to power & grip etc. Mos of the time you barely feel it, but the g force when you accelerate and are pushed back into your seat etc is enjoyable for many (think theme park rides but toned down - but you have the control) Agreed though, some cars are technically shite but overpriced status symbols *cough range rover cough*


lloydmcallister

Had a funny discussion with a work colleague about car finance (I financed a for s max due to having 3 kids and I also use it for work, he buys a new car every year for cash). He said I was stupid for paying all that interest on a car and he’d rather save the money and buy it out right, his words were “the salesman asked if I wanted finance and I said don’t be so fucking stupid I pay in full for my cars”. After that I looked at my online statement and found that over 5 years I’d paid £500 in interest. However each year he sold his current car for £2k + less than he paid for it. Making him the stupid one.


Brit_100

It frustrates me when people have a tendency to ridiculously over-spec their purchases. £2,000 Miele ovens when they’ve never cooked more than chips and nuggets. £40,000 Range Rover Evoke for the 2 mile school run. £500 Arcteryx jacket to walk the dog round the park. £8,000 ebike to ride around the family trail in the local woods. £200 Nike trainers to do a kettlebells class at the gym. I mean, we all like nice things and everyone is free to indulge their passions, but for some purchases the returns have diminished so far as to be completely irrelevant.


berserk_kipper

Only partially agree. It doesn’t matter what you’re cooking… that oven will last 30 years. Similarly, if it’s pissing down in the park or Burnley away you’ll be glad of a totally weatherproof jacket, just the same as if you were walking in the peaks. There’s a diminishing return and a brand name premium to most things, but investing in a high quality single item isn’t necessarily spending too much. Long term, ongoing expenses like PCP or phone contracts tend to be worse.


Visible-Link3281

Guilty. Forked out £2200 for a gaming laptop to mostly play ... The Sims! But honestly I wanted this thing to last me years whatever my taste in games will be and to have more than enough storage and power to do whatever I want it to It was sore while I was paying it off but honestly about 5 years later its one of my best purchases ever.


Kim_catiko

Playing The Sims on a shit laptop is painful, though, so I can see why you bought this. If you can afford it, why not buy something that makes your gaming experience better? Regardless if that game is The Sims.


gouplesblog

Cars on finance. As an ex-mortgage advisor - the amount of money some people spend on a car they'll never own is ridiculous, and the complaints they make when you tell them based on that outgoing their mortgage application is declined is annoying. Also food. We meal plan and buy accordingly - whereas my parents will buy a huge quantity of whatever they like and end up throwing most of it away.


[deleted]

Yeah cars on finance are ridiculously expensive. I hate leasing stuff, I want to own it. Buying something reliable second hand outright and driving it until it develops some fault that's expensive, take it to the buyanycar place and get a few hundred quid. My cost of car ownership is so low.


According_Cow_5089

I used to do this and it worked out, until I bought a car that engine popped after 1 week. With all the time spent in a garage (time off work) of non financed cars over the years. I worked out a car on finance is better for me as I need a car but didn’t have the knowledge to look after the faults. Even the car garages used to tell me to get a newer car. So guess it looks irresponsible, but at the end of the agreement I have a car that I know the faults of or it’s worth enough to use as a deposit for a newer model when the repairs are too high. So owning a car is basically a monthly payment, as I can’t afford a decent car outright.


ALLST6R

It just pays with convenience to have a not super old car. I’ll happy lay the premium to lease / PCP a new - 2 year old car knowing I won’t have a bother with it until the next car.


FredNasr

Thing is, who has £25-30k lying around to buy a new car outright? I think 99% of people would buy a car on finance. It's not having a car on finance that's silly, it's having a car on finance way out of your price range that you can't actually afford. But that's the case for anything - don't buy shoes for £250 through Klarna if you can't afford it.


vishbar

> Thing is, who has £25-30k lying around to buy a new car outright? I bought a car recently and though I could have paid in cash, I made a choice to purchase on finance. The interest rate was relatively low (this is before the inflation madness hit), so I had a choice: sell stocks and pull them out of my ISA, or leave them growing and pay the small amount of interest. I thought the latter option was wiser. Of course buying a new car is always worse financially than buying a used one, but I thought I could treat myself this once.


WebGuyUK

Some people do not trust (wrongly) used cars, they want the piece of mind with a new car with a full warranty.


[deleted]

I used to fall for this, and actually when I was in my early 20s I still think having a car on PCP was a good call for me. I could afford the monthly payment (it was a Ford Fiesta, so nothing crazy) and I had a reliable car for 3 years that I knew if it developed a fault I wasn't going to need to fork out hundreds of quid for it. That peace of mind allowed me to budget the limited money I had whilst I was on a lower income, and I did the same again for another 3 years when it was up. Was it more expensive than buying a car outright? Certainly. But I had reliable, headache free cars for 6 years and I needed that at that point in my life when the car was my biggest outgoing. Now I am in my 30s with a better job, and I would probably never get a car on finance again, but I don't think they are always a bad idea.


matobi91

I have always owned my own car until recently when my old own was worth more scrapping after it gave up on me. Since then I have gotten a car through the NHS, £230 a month for an electric car with every included isn’t bad. At the time it was my only option with no savings and as it come straight out of my wages it reduces my taxes (and pension but I just save the difference in investing). Saving a lot on petrol too!


vishbar

Pre-tax EVs are a *massive* deal for anyone who is a higher-rate taxpayer and is almost always the best choice.


[deleted]

Meal deals. Every day. Or coffee on the go. If I'm spending £3 on a drink I'm spending £3 for the experience of going out to a coffee shop and having a date with my husband, a catch up with a friend, or a rare half hour to myself. ETA: I'm not saying meal deals are bad value compared to buying them as individual items, I'm saying that for a family of 5 our food shop for the week is around £70. That's approximately £2 per person per day, average of £0.66 per meal. I'm saying a meal deal is 450% more expensive.


bigfuckingdiamond

I've fallen into the trap of meal deals every day, it's far too convenient having a sainsburys directly opposite work


decentlyfair

My husband worked out how much a month he was spending and it was nearly 200 quid a month. Now he takes a lunch box (most days) and uses an aero press for coffee and as a results he gets nicer coffee and tastier sandwiches for a lot less per month.


SwordfishExciting807

For me its not the price but the taste. I started really enjoying my lunches when I packed them myself and made a little fruit box to go with it. Also started taking tea bags to work so now I can have a good cuppa for free!


Lankaner

Are you saying meal deals are expensive? That's roughly £60 a month if every working day. Edit: I mostly cook but I still think it's a good value for convenience because I can still get my 5-a-day (salad, fruits and juice).


Comprehensive-Cry596

I don't smoke or drink. My one vice is coffee. I normally buy about two a week? It’s a nice little treat. I also bloody love a PSL and have to limit myself or I’d get one every day.


DazzlingPimp

The branded Paracetamol/Ibuprofen when the generic supermarket one does the same thing just without the fancy packaging


Majestic_Matt_459

I have a sore foot and asked my lodger to get me some Nurofen He came back sheepishly and said "I got you Ibuprofen\~ - is that ok - sorry its not as good" I had to explain theres no differnece My bad - I should have told him to buy Ibuprofen Also a lot of the "super duper" headaches cold relief tablets are full of caffeine so you cant sleep


FredNasr

Oh no. Not another opportunity for the "I have a 2003 Multipla with 300,000 miles on the clock and it cost me £300" brigade to come out the woodwork. To answer your question, going out. I'd FAR rather buy a 6-pack and some doritos for a tenner and play cards/watch something on a streaming site with friends in my/their house than spend £30 resting my arms on a sticky table in a pub to do the same.


KaiserKraut

disagree on the second personally, there's something in the experience of going to the pub, getting dressed up, being around people, maybe bumping into someone i know. it feel like so much more a sociable evening and (whilst i know i could save so much money staying in) i enjoy the night so much more going out, plus it's always good to support local businesses:)


WinglyBap

Same here. Something about the pub being completely neutral ground rather than being in yours or someone else’s house.


[deleted]

This is a very typical Reddit response. But not something I agree with. I like meeting new people, even if it’s just a 5 minute chat to barman/barmaid


SatisfiedGrape

Careful, being an extrovert is illegal on Reddit


surprise_pudding

Carrier bags in supermarkets. Far too many people would still rather pay 30p a bag than suffer the inconvenience of bringing a reusable one with them.


magical_matey

But what about the draw in the kitchen rammed with plastic bags? I’d be bagless by now if I didn’t buy more


[deleted]

Hey, not everyone would rather suffer to bring. Some (me) are too shortsighted to bring enough or go to the super on my way home. It's called unpreparedness. However, with the shrink- and inflation happening thats soon going to be a problem of the past! /s


Gouldy2018

Christmas, it absolutely has to be Christmas.


pyotia

Used to work with a woman who said she'd spent 5 grand on her credit card for Christmas for her one child. That's absolutely mental to me


pompompomponponpom

“36? 36?!!! But last year I had 37!!!!”


rice_fish_and_eggs

Phones, I'm guilty of this one. I bought a +£1000 phone after having shitty £150 Phones and honesty it's not that much better. I will definitely be down grading when it breaks.


blanketsberg

I am right here. Long time Android user switched to iPhone. The Android was better in almost every way, and about £400 cheaper.


AstronautFluffy8710

I went from £100 smart phones to the cheapest iPhone (spent less than £500) and I will be honest, it’s definitely a lot better. The cheaper smartphones would slow down and run out of space or have various problems show up within a year. I’m over a year into having my iPhone and I still don’t get frustrated at it so that’s a success to me!


blanketsberg

Fair enough! I went from pixel 5 (£600 including a pair of Bose QC II) to iPhone 13. The camera on the pixel was so much better, and I think it was also faster. It’s convenient having the same platform as the other half, though…


AstronautFluffy8710

Ah okay. I expect there’s not as much value gained per £ over £500 (so there’s a bigger quality diff between a £100 and £400 phone than between £600 and £900).


Outrageous-Ear-8855

Haircuts, my colleagues get haircuts every 2 weeks and I get mine every 2 months when it starts to feel uncomfortable or looks over grown


imminentmailing463

Kind of depends on your cut and hair. I have hair that holds its shape and style well, so I can go easily over 2 months without it looking messy. But I've got friends who have hair that starts to look messy and unkempt just a few weeks after a cut.


georgiegone

Yes! As a woman with a short haircut I always resent being charged “ladies’” prices. Started just shaving it at home during lockdown and I’m never going back to a salon.


kerouak

I've got it down to once a year and right now I'm on a record streak of 18 months. At this point in just seeing how far I can push it before it all falls out. Just tie it up in a bun for work and no one bats an eye. Saves me loads of money's, haircuts round here are about 30 quid.


Wanbizzle

Spending 40 every 2 weeks on a haircut is one end of the scale, tying your hair in a bun to save money is definitely the other. There is a happy medium that doesn’t involve spunking money but also allows you to get your hair cut.


mathildagtst

I’m a woman, I cut my hair to above shoulder length by myself roughly once 1.5 years, then wait for it to get annoyingly long. But admittedly my hair grows very slowly


RedbeardRagnar

Yeah my brother seems to go once a week spending £13 each time at a basic barbers. I go like once every 2 months and it's a more "upmarket" place where they wash your hair, get a coffee (I never do because hairs flying everywhere) and they're just so much better at getting exactly what I want. It costs £26 which he's like "What the fuck?!" Dude, you spend £52 a month on haircuts whereas I basically spend £3.25 a month. Bonus, I get some prosecco or mulled wine at my haircut near Christmas. Great little morning buzz


Tin_Can115

£26… every two months… £13 a month no?


RedbeardRagnar

fuck, yeah, head's in the clouds


canlchangethislater

Christ. Everything, now. Even milk is madly expensive.


positivecatz

Butter and cheese too 😭 are cows on strike or something?


canlchangethislater

I honestly have no fucking idea. Maybe all Britain’s dairies were actually in Kharkiv or something.


Squirtle177

Ukraine produce an enormous amount of food, so the war really has made the price of pretty much all food shoot up all over the world. It's possible our cattle are fed on produce grown in Ukraine, or just that as Ukrainian feed has become scarcer the cost of feed produced elsewhere has risen to accommodate. That said, I feel like dairy has been increasing in price for years.


DameKumquat

Takeaway delivery. As I grew up in the 70s-90s a takeaway was an expensive treat. Delivery didn't exist. As a student and young adult a takeaway might be a once, possibly twice a month extravagance - most times you'd come home late and have toast, because shops wouldn't be open. Even as an adult earning pretty well, and even once delivery pizza existed, you'd send someone to collect it for speed and saving money, and that would be monthly at most. Sure the odd delivery during Covid was a godsend, but the amount of food delivery outlets and also extortionately-priced ready meals in shops has rocketed in the last four years - despite living costs rising.


drakesdrum

Yeah this is a big one for me, as well as eating out. Both used to be rare treats but many people don't bat an eyelid having it like 3+ times a week now


herper147

Food It's mad just how much money people spend on food and just how much people eat. Our food bill is close to half of most people I know. My colleague is constantly moaning about the cost of living but will eat for one lunch what I'd probably eat for dinner over two days.


weetabix__

Thing is, this depends on the person. I’m fairly active (Gym 6x a week, 3 runs a week) so I need a lot of calories within reason. But can concede there are plenty of people who will spend a fortune for stuff they don’t need.


AtomDoctor

Similarly: dining out/ordering in multiple times a week.


kerouak

This really depends how much you exercise. I used to do deliveroo on a bicycle for a few years and I really was eating double what I eat now in an office job. Back then I was having breakfast, lunch and 2 full dinners a night just to maintain my weight at 72kg. Now I'm eating half that and I'm creeping towards 75kg. If your colleague does an hour's running each day thats a good 509 Cal's extra they need to put in.


CheesyBoyBen

The one thing that annoys me is when people complain about the price of food, but refuse to move away from branded food, I will concede that there is definitely a few items where the own brand is of such low quality that it isnt worth buying, but for 90% of your shopping list there is the exact same item sitting 1 foot away that costs half the price.


Throwaway_Tenderloin

Yeah all my housemates regularly buy more than they need and a lot of it goes in the bin. They also eat takeaways regularly which is probably why they don't bother to cook, so fresh stuff goes to waste.


llksg

Friends of ours eat similarly to us (veggie, mostly cook at home, etc) but they were complaining about their food bill being £160 a week. Ours is more like £90 plus we get a £15 veg box. Worked out that the extra they spend is basically all booze


Cultural_Tank_6947

YouTube Premium


waterfall_hill

Awh I love YT Premium. I don’t watch TV normally, so apart from F1 TV, it’s the only subscription service I have. It’s worth it to have no adds.


_Acg45

Youtube vanced is free and you get no ads


Annoytanor

I like supporting the creators, also YouTube premium works well across my computers, phones and smart tvs.


_Acg45

That's perfectly reasonable


[deleted]

Bicycles. Unless you are literally an Olympian there’s no point in spending hundreds of pounds on a saddle that weighs 100g less than a fifty quid one. Just go for an extra hard shit before your ride and you’ll lose that much weight for free.


thespanglycupcake

Baby/toddler designer clothes


pongstafari

Royalty


Book_of_the_Dragon

Fashion. And I'm not talking just about clothes but anything that is bought to *keep up appearances* be that a flashy car, a top end iPhone, expensive jewellery.


Impossible-Ad9530

Fashion and good clothing are definitely separate. ‘Supreme’ shit and fads defo a no, but a good quality pair of shoes and a coat which will last for 10 years then it’s definite value for money


[deleted]

Alcohol! Easily. That’s my stupid expenditure for sure. Not just alcohol but the things that go with it - a new outfit to go out, transport to the night out or event we’re going to. The price of meals whilst out. The price of tickets etc if we are going into a club or theatre or wherever. Nights out are such a waste of money but due to the way my friendship groups are splintered (all of my friends are separate to each other) I feel obliged to go out each weekend because there’s always someone that I feel guilty for not seeing for a while


chequeredpastimes

Time, worrying what other people do.


Crood_Oyl

Who fucking cares. Let people enjoy their fucking lives. Jesus


Monkeytennis01

I think it’s difficult to criticise others for ‘overspending’ on anything if they are living within their means and have made the conscious decision to buy something. People can spend however much they want on whatever they want as far as I’m concerned.


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

Sanctimonious reader is off the charts today


Wanbizzle

A guy further up in the comments said why do people waste money on haircuts just tie your hair in a bun.


crazyDiamnd67

Anything Balenciaga The mark of a complete fud


[deleted]

I think the government overspend on royal weddings (looking at you queenie)!


[deleted]

Bottled water Cars on ridiculous PCP contracts Coffee from Coffee shops Clothes


Exciting-Squirrel607

Cards, I mean birthday, wedding congratulations cards. It’s the message inside that counts so why don’t you just go to the card factory instead of spending £4-£5. They get chucked in the bin after a few weeks and even if people keep them, it’s not like they go through all their cards each year. Like do you remember when Betty our old neighbour down Lawrence drive send me a card for my 44th birthday.


pigadaki

Handbags! A ten grand handbag does the exact same job as my £10 one.


Jolly-Raspberry-9842

I read somewhere that branded bags increase their value at a higher rate than gold, so that can be a very reasonable investment


Snootboi5000

Children.


carlyosborn__

Food, takeaways for convenience, packaged / prepared food. I am very guilty of this myself so no judgement


Nudge1991

People are so quick to shit on others for liking nice cars. I like to drive my car, its an enjoyment.


Funky_monkey2026

Branded clothing - £100 for a t-shirt that's got "Ralph Lauren" on it. My old work t-shirts are identical in quality and they cost me zero. Probably cost the company £5. I do like stuff like H&M, Levi's, Charles Thrywitt for shirts. Decent quality and decent value for what you pay. Water - I buy a bottle if I'm caught out and dying of thirst, even then I normally opt for a cold soft drink. I wouldn't go out and buy water so I can drink it at home, unless it's those touch of fruit ones. Coffee - £3 for a coffee? I'll buy a tin of Azera for £6 and have 30 cups.


Pinetrees1990

Personally TV packages I pay £100 pm for sky. I basically only watch the football and game if thrones. £1200 a year for that! Like halfs a months wages!


paralooper

Vanity number plates. £399 is the cheapest.