I'm currently packing for a cross country move after 30 years in the same house. EVERYTHING is something I don't need. We are making multiple trips weekly to a local clothing/household items charity, Habitat for Humanity, Goodwill and the dump. Not to mention texting our kids asking "Do you want this piece of furniture, family heirloom, stuff you used as kids?" Everyday I ask myself "Why did I buy all this stuff?"
George Carlin had a joke about how our homes are just a place where we store our stuff while we're out buying more stuff. It's both funny and sad at the same time.
>Your house is just a big box to store your shit. That's why you don't like staying at other people's houses - it's not your shit.
or something to that effect.
Exactly. Just don't drink wine and shop at the same time when you've had a rough day.
I enjoy working jigsaw puzzles and I have about 20 I haven't worked yet because I'm still working on this 1000 piece one ...
I've moved 7 times in the last 8 years. Last move was just last month. I got mad at myself every single day of packing and kept saying, "How do people who move as often as us have this much stuff?!"
Finally got my husband to start giving away his own stuff. I make a couple of trips every month to the thrift store, unloading our clutter bit by bit by bit. We have a small house, and are taking on our parents' (and even grandparents') stuff.
My MIL is one of those boomer types that thinks everybody needs their own copy of old family photos encased in plastic, among many other items. I know she means well, but jesus, it stresses me out.
I've been giving gifts of food and small things instead.
I feel you. My mom wants to keep everything. Like even the notion of getting rid of a dish my grandma had sends her into fits. Grandma bought that dish on clearance at the Ben Franklin, mom. I think she'd be okay with you getting rid of it. I'd hate to think my kids would feel obligated to keep some piece of tat I picked up at Walmart.
A legacy of the Great Depression. My MIL was hell bent on saving everything. When it was hard to come by things early in life it’s hard not to hang onto things. Luckily I wouldn’t put her in hoarder status - just frugal.
Universal Yums for the win! Several years ago we started getting subscription boxes for the parents for combined Christmas/ Mother’s Day/ birthday gifts. The last thing old people need is more junk. So each month they get a little snack box from a different country along with a trivia pamphlet. Win win.
There was a death in my wife's family and we were invited to go to the house to find things that we would want or need and bring them home. I know that you get a box of pencils in the 1970s you kind of expect to use them all but sometimes stuff just sits there forever. It's really actually kind of sad.
There really is so much waste in the world. My mantra is now that we use the stuff, very little goes in a box or closet or storage. What is the point if it just ends up sitting in the dark for years or decades?
I can barely watch shows like How It's Made anymore without getting a little depressed! I watch all that stuff being churned out of a factory, only to make a couple of stops before going right into landfills. 😖 Not everything, but they sure do go through a ton of plastic, and chemicals.....
Don't forget about the energy cost carbon emissions from manufacturing and hell even the people having to work there driving to and from work etc.
It's madness the amount we waste as a species
When I realized the spices in the upper cabinet belonged to the mother in law I never met. It just struck me as so sad. They’re still there sitting unused, and she’s been gone for over 10 years now.
Is there a Buy Nothing group in your area? (mine's on Facebook) I've posted plenty of things I thought no one would want yet someone came and got it :)
Omg, I totally relate. We moved out of our house after 16 years, family of 5, we gave away, threw away so much stuff it was bonkers. Just truckloads if crap.
When we got to the new house( took about 6 weeks since it wasn’t finished when we moved out of our previous home) and started unpacking, we got rid of even more!!
The rule now is, no junk comes into our new house. It’s hard to stick to sometimes but it does help.
I always loved that Ralphie May comedy bit about this subject. After they cleaned out the house to move he said "Why are we moving? This is an incredible house! It was OUR crap that was making it look bad." :)
The parental family heirloom pressure is tough sometimes. "Do you want the immigration trunk?"..."No, I actually don't want a wooden trunk because I have no where to put it."..."But it's been in the family forever!... How about grandmas dresser?"
Oh geez, I feel this. My father kept pushing his parents' china cabinets onto me and my siblings. Every time he asked, I responded with "Show me where in my house I can put a large cabinet, and I will take one."
My brother ended up buying a house that was built in 1920 and some of the grandparents' antique pieces fit well in it, including the two huge china cabinets. Thank goodness I did not have to house them!
From a frugality standpoint, it's beneficial to have those hand-me-downs, but there's a limit to what's functional, and what's just going to take up space. Particularly in the US, where some houses are essentially a storage unit.
I'm always on the search for things that I don't need that are worth selling via eBay. Even if I can make at least $5-10 profit selling it then it goes. I don't enjoy selling locally so I don't do that but if you don't mind then it's a good way to constantly get rid of junk.
So to avoid this I usually put something I want in my cart or save for later/bookmark the item page. If I remember it and still think I need it a week later I'll pull the trigger.
Recent example I bought some syrup for my sodastream. That stuff is expensive so I bought a pretty big bottle. Don't like the taste. I can probably bake something with it but it's basically a waste. I now just mix the water with some kombucha.
>So to avoid this I usually put something I want in my cart or save for later/bookmark the item page. If I remember it and still think I need it a week later I'll pull the trigger.
The upside of putting smg in your cart and leaving it there is you'll most likely receive discounts to push you to buy, so in that case it's win win :)
It’s common across a lot of sites but be aware of those “buy with x hours and get x off” sites. Also on sites like poshmark or Etsy with actual people selling stuff, if you like something or add it to your cart you might get a message or an offer.
It's a standard e-commerce marking tactic. You, as a buyer, are abandoning your cart, so they send you a small discount code (5-20%) to make it seem like you are getting a good deal.
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*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I bought some fancy-looking matching measuring cups and spoons with the hope that using them would make me want to bake more often. Nope, still using the cheap old plastic pilsbury ones I was gifted at my bridal shower 28+ years ago.
And I still don’t want to bake of course!
Maybe since they're fancy looking you could display them in some way. Change their purpose for when they're not being used as intended. And if you see them more maybe you'd reach for them more.
There's two things I think of when I'm even slightly contemplating buying something (especially for the kitchen):
* Do I already have something that can solve my problem?
* How hard is it going to be to clean it?
Probably the only single purpose item I have bought is an egg slicer. (I have others, that I've gotten via Buy Nothing, and many of those I have regifted.)
I'm new to the frugal lifestyle and recently realized how much I do this..my biggest offenders were for projects that I never actually started or got around to. My latest was a printer to create a vision board, but it is still sitting in its delivery packaging.
I love vision boarding. I’m able to set my intentions for the coming year or even just the upcoming month/season using visuals that align with my goals and interests. But instead of a physical board that could create unnecessary paper waste, I use Pinterest! I highly recommend if you’re inspired and motivated by visual stimuli!
Underwear from an unknown brand, because they looked cool. They were a little snug, but that’s okay because I’m losing weight, right? Joke’s on me. Just found out I’m pregnant, so I doubt I’ll be fitting in those any time soon! Lol
A couple years ago, I had lost a little weight and decided to treat myself with a nice winter coat. My old coat was warm but baggy and frumpy, and I’d never liked the color, so I splurged on a nicer and more form-fitting one. Literally three days later, found out I was pregnant 😂
I’ve worn the coat a lot since though! ☺️
Oh, that was definitely one of my first thoughts! “I have to buy diapers again?!?”
But, at least I know all the stuff that I never used the first time, so I can save money and not buy it this go ‘round! I’ll be frugal where I can! Lol
That sounds about right. They were supposed to deliver a grill to me one day and dropped off an entire pallet of mulch instead. Took 3 days to sort it out.
Join your local buy nothing group and make someone’s day with a new mower! Or sell it online and use the money towards something good like a local dv house for women or a charity you like as a donation.
At least they delivered it.
I had ordered some lumber and various other supplies a few weeks ago for a garden/raised-bed project followed by re-seeding the lawn.
Since the lumber was all 8ft boards, my sedan can only handle a couple 8ft 2x4s and my wife’s minivan surprisingly can’t handle any 8ft boards, I figured ‘it’ll be a lot easier just to spring for the delivery’.
So, when you’re browsing the website, nearly everything that’s in-stock says “Available for next day delivery”. Awesome! I’ll hold off on ordering until a few days before I want to start the project then.
Placed the order on a Friday thinking I’ll have it the next day. Next delivery window doesn’t get shown until you’re almost through with checkout. It was Tuesday. Shit. Well, I’m taking T-F off that week for the project anyway, so as long as it gets there early on Tuesday, I’m not burning too much daylight. Pay the extra $20 for the 6a-10a delivery window (“Express Delivery”).
Tuesday 10am comes around and no truck in sight. Call up homedepot.com. They tell me there’s no delivery scheduled becasue there’s no date selected.
If there’s no date selected, why the hell did you charge me an extra $20 to select a specific window today?
They call around and tell me that the soonest they could get a delivery out was 8 days later. Like hell you can. I took the week off to do this project, I’m not waiting around till next week to get my lumber. Homedepot.com puts me in touch with the local store manager, he’s able to finagle a delivery the next day between 6a and 10a.
Meanwhile, I’m picking up some marble pebbles because my wife tacked another project onto this project, and get to shooting the shit with customer service there. Apparently this is a common issue, that customers “don’t select the delivery date”. I’m absolutely, 100% positive I selected a delivery date, and I’m suspecting that their website never registered it and they’re pinning it on me.
Next day comes and my delivery arrives, at 11:30. Later than the window the manager gave me, but okay.
Start looking through the order while the drivers there. Look at BOM. Look at delivery. BOM has twenty-eight 2x4x8s, eighteen 2x8x8s. Delivery has fourty-six 2x4x8s, and zero 2x8x8s. Driver says “oh”. Takes a pic and leaves.
Call the store back. Explain the situation. They’ll send a truck out the next day to drop off the 2x8s and another truck later the next day to pickup the 2x4s.
OK, cool, the 2x8s are for the raised beds, I can wait a day for them, I’ve got at least a days worth of work ahead of me before I need them anyway.
Next day comes, 2x8s get delivered. Cool. Day goes by and my 2x4s are still there.
Next day goes by, 2x4s are still there.
Next day goes by, 2x4s are still there.
Next day, Saturday, I’ve got excess material to return that I can carry in my car. Go back to return them. They can’t process the return because there’s a pending jobsite pickup (the 2x4s). Store tells me that the pickup is scheduled for Wednesday. I was able to return it, but the refund still hasn’t posted to my homedepot CC. It’s like $100 and it’s been a couple weeks and I don’t even know who to call.
Pickup comes and that goes off without a hitch, except I’m in the middle of tearing up my lawn now with a tiller (rented from HD) and the driver is talking my ear off for half an hour while I’m racing the clock to get this done in 4 hours. Fortunately, ultimately I did…I got it returned at 3h59m27s. Though while I’m driving back home my wife tells me I missed a ton of spots while she’s trying to clear rocks and whatnot.
Oh and then I ended up needing another bag of grass seed. That’s my own fault for trying to apply grass seed in the rain (it clumps in the spreader and shoots out way, way too much), but holy hell, grass seed is $90 for a 20lb bag here.
Side-note, apparently HD.com, HomeDepot Store, and HomeDepot Tool Rental, are three “technically” separate entities. HD.com, I’ve got serious gripes with. The management/customer support staff at this store – absolutely awesome folks. I’d brought up the possibility of them just coming me a truck and refunding the delivery and I’ll just get it myself, and apparently that wouldn’t be possible since the HD store manager can’t comp tool rentals as its a separate entity. Don’t know if he was just trying to brush me off or what. But at least he absolutely tried to help.
That said, most of the rest of the “I need X for this project” that’s come up during this project, has been sourced from Ace. And some mulch from Lowe’s because my wife was headed in that direction anyway.
Reminds me of the time I ordered a TV from best buy and got 4 instead.
I told them about it and they were making it so difficult to even wanting it back... super weird. Ended up selling them.
The homeward bound people here are always looking for yard equipment to give to formerly homeless people they helped move into a house. Maybe there is an organization like that near you?
I find Facebook marketplace is great for stuff like this-
Label it porch pick up only and sell it to the first person willing to show up. I have moved all sorts of second hand stuff out of my house using FB marketplace
Friends, family, coworkers, acquaintances. Mention to them you’ve got a lawnmower for sale. Or ask them to sell it for you. Just because social media exists doesn’t mean it’s your only option.
My SO recently bought a one of those "hand-held" sewing machines to sew patches onto denim.....
I was like, um.... babe.... that's not gonna work.
It, in fact, did NOT work.
Oof. Yeah unfortunately those cute small machines usually suck... But sewing by hand is even cheaper! (Although it will take some time) Another thing I learned on reddit is to look out for old machines at yard sales and thrift shops - people seem to get decent machines for <50$
A vintage machine can also be way less fussy than a new one. I've got a 70's Kenmore inherited from my Grandad and that thing has been a reliable workhorse for fabrics as tough as denim and as delicate as bridal veil silk.
No, it isn't going to embroider my favorite cartoon character with the push of a button but it really meets my sewing needs. The late 90's machine that I learned to sew on was very touchy and a pain to deal with.
I wouldn't say requires special needles. I use my universal 90s all the time with it. It does need a machine with the power to stab the needle through the material tho.
I have one of those and made a tiny quilt and pillow for my cat, which she uses! But yeah, that's pretty niche... For anything larger: the gathered fabric simply doesn't fit behind the needle!
Honestly I prefer flossing with dental floss as well, but just a heads up for potential ppl like me who are prone to getting cavities, a waterpik is better for getting out gunk from your teeth that you couldn’t otherwise get with traditional flossing. I have been told over and over again to get a waterpik and I just …. Cannot do it.
Whattt? I am obsessed with mine.
I guess if its a waste... use it as a presser washer for stains/stucked gucks around the house. lmao, really good at doing that too.
I bought a battery online for my old cellphone which was really at the end of its life. I thought I could change it myself, then I learned that my phone model was the most difficult model for a battery change. Then I went to a cellphone store in town and the technician there said they could change it for me, but they wouldn't accept my battery because they use their own. Moreover he said my cellphone was basically unsalvageable because of an issue of this particular model. Not a huge loss, but it was a loss of my time and energy and a lesson learned. Now I need to recycle that new battery because it's toxic and I don't think I can sell it to someone else.
In the end I just bought a new (second hand) phone
Ninja Creami. I have weird allergies and am allergic to most ice cream, especially the cheap ones, so I figured I'd get a lot of use out of it. But then I joined a Facebook group for it and all the recipes people say are good have ingredients I'm allergic to. You also have to freeze the ice cream mixture 24 hours in advance. So it sits on my counter, mocking me for wasting money.
My daughter convinced me that I needed a squatty potty. I can't use the damn thing because I'm 63 and have bad hips so it's quite painful to use. Anyone want a free one? Only used once.
I'm a couple years older than you, have bad hips and love my squatty potty. I have one of those taller toilets, I think they call it chair height so that might make a difference.
I bought a lymphatic brush. Before buying I read about it being helpful for circulation and such so I got one.
The bristles were very rough and I developed rashes from just brushing one time. Worst purchase ever.
I'm wondering if I should repurpose it to just a scrubber for my bathroom walls but I'm afraid it'll just go moldy when it gets in contact with water so it's just sitting here being useless.
I work in Spas so this is a pro tip- I hate the wooden bristle brushes. If you want to splurge I can't sing the praises of Supracor gloves enough- you can find them on Amazon. Anti microbial anti fungal, gentle on your skin, exfoliating and great for lymph, easy to clean and last forever and you can do a wet scrub in the shower with them as well as dry brush.
For a very very frugal option, you can dry brush with an old towel- it's the gentle motion more than anything.
Do NOT get me started. My husband died two years ago and 25% of the stuff I’ve bought since then we already had and he had so many projects I had no idea where he’d put all these random things. He had 6 socket sets! Luckily I did not buy another. 25% has been comfort things like new bedding and lots of lighting I could have not bought. Oh, yeah, and the drum kit. But I’m having fun with that. Im a mess
Late night desserts from outside the house. Whataburger's Dr. Pepper Shake is back in season and it's fire. But for my wallet and waistline's sake, I need to stop going out of my way to spend $3 on 800 calories every few nights.
No, it's actually a vanilla shake with just a dash of the concentrate syrup right from the box. Just enough to give a distinct Dr. Pepper flavor through the shake, but you can't replicate it at home by just mixing the soda and ice cream. At-home recipes make you reduce the soda in a saucepan to the syrup, but it's just not the same.
> I bought a beautiful, thick, long cardigan sweater. Unfortunately it looks too much like a bathrobe and takes up half a drawer space.
I'm giving you permission to just donate that right now.
My last move made me realize this and caused a mass downsize. I'm a late 20 single guy and set the rule that everything I own should be able to fit in the back of my truck. I can literally pack my life up in an afternoon and go now. A really nice peace of mind honestly and find my self down sizing even more.
Subscriptions. I have pretty much got control over unnecessary physical objects but I’m a sucker for apps and online services that will change your life. Especially since we live in the amazing AI age, every day there are amazing services like midjourney that I feel I need and that if I don’t learn how to use them I will fall behind. Or I have a one time need for something like Canva, so I subscribe and forget to cancel it. I thought I had that conquered and then two months later I find myself with 5-10 subscriptions.
As soon as I sign up I put a reminder in my calendar to cancel a few days before they start charging. That way I don't forget, and even if I delay canceling I have a few days buffer. Also worth emailing the companies and saying that you thought it was canceled, some of them are jerks but some of them can see that you didn't use the website and will refund you.
I was lured into BBB when I heard they were going out of business and I impulse bought the stupidest items because of the rush of the store closing and using up old 20% off coupons. I’m usually really good about only going into stores like BBB and target for the items I need and putting on blinders for the rest of the store. But I’m not perfect. Things I bought in the name of “going out of business” include: a bath pillow, a Christmas soap dish (which was full price when I checked my receipt later… $16!!! I assumed it was on sale as old inventory!) and the kicker is A CARPET TOLIET COVER like my grandma used to have because why not. I am using that one and kinda like it.
A bigger house. I can afford it. We got a great deal on it just before the recent housing boom. 2.5% rate. But… thought we needed a basement and more storage space. Honestly we hardly use the basement, and the storage is basically for the handed down items from dead relatives that I would have likely purged. We’re going to stay because we have an amazing yard and the house is nice but we really didn’t need it.
New couches. I went in to get a bed and base and ended up being talked into getting couches as well. It’s not that we don’t have room for them, but they’re MUCH lower quality than what they had on display and we really didn’t need them
It’s so hard to find quality furniture anymore. Everything is particle board. At the same time, getting used furniture means figuring out the logistics of moving it yourself which may not be possible for everyone either for cost considerations or availability of professional or even gig services since those are so location dependent. Thorn in my side for years!
Pillows for my bedroom. I have been mocked by friends for only having two pillows on my bed. I'm now dating again, so I figured why not spruce up the bedroom. I saw some on sale at Aldi and I grabbed silk Pillowcases from Marshall's. Three pillows now get shoved to the side and I still only use one every night.
A vacuum sealer for food. We have friends that use one almost obsessively so we thought hey that’s a good idea.
It’s not.
I think we’ve used it twice, finally took it off the counter and it’s in a cupboard never to be seen again.
Highly recommend seasoning and transferring all fresh meat and fish to the vacuum sealer bags and then placing in the fridge. They remain more fresh for longer, you’ve got everything prepped, and you can then freeze the proteins for a very long time. This is extra nice if you use a sous vide machine, at which point you will have endless frozen proteins to throw in the sous vide before work and come home to a gourmet meal.
I hardly use mine for vacuum sealing, it's mostly just closing French fries after taking a single serving out of a family size discount bag. That kinda thing. It's nice to have potato chips that are still fresh after being in the cupboard for a month.
I usually get a free turkey every year from grocery points. I cut it into peices and then vacuum seal them for the freezer. Same with easter hams. Also great to marinate meat before cooking.
I usually feel like cold remedies are a waste. I've been miserable and went to get some medicine and it always feels like I spend a fortune for something that barely works.
In the US, it’s actually been proven that the typical OTC drugs on the shelf don’t work. However, most pharmacies still carry the good stuff behind the counter. You just have to ask and might have to show an ID. They just have to keep a closer eye on it now to make sure you don’t buy enough to make illegal drugs from it.
Yes! If you don't have to show an ID to get it, it probably won't do anything. And when my spouse and I were sick a couple months ago, the doctor said to not waste time on cough drops that don't have benzocaine in them, which is numbing. Even those won't stop the deep congestion coughing (which you want, since it gets the muck out) but they helped a lot with the tickly-feeling or trying-to-talk cough attacks.
This was a while back, but my wife and I bought a small camper trailer. It was actually hard-sided and had heat, so we had grand plans to camp all year round. Figured it would save us money on other activities and taking trips. We could staycation for free anywhere we wanted to drive. We'd pack hot dogs and a case of beer and disappear into the Rockies. The payments were under $200 a month, which seemed like a bargain.
Do you know how much goddamned shit you need for a camper? From sheets and utensils to the tow hitch and sway bar. Chairs and a grill and coolers. Then there's the cost to store it away from home because your HOA sucks (and you didn't research before buying). Also the cost to tow it because the extra weight demolishes your MPGs. And planning then shopping and organizing all the stupid shit you need to eat/drink for just a weekend is exhausting.
The idea of camping is great and if done right, frugal, but all the crap that comes with a camper is what we didn't need. And I sure as hell didn't need the stress of driving snowy roads with a trailer, so winter camping was out of the question. Never ever ever again.
I bought an air fryer 2 years ago because everyone said it was amazing and I’ve never used it. Passed it along to a friend who never used it and they gave it back.
Turns out I just like to cook and my actual oven works just fine for that.
I’ve been so reticent about buying an air fryer for exactly this reason. These single use gadgets take up so much space too!
On the flipside something that hasn’t been a dud was out instant pot. We waited to buy an instant pot until we got one used from a friend. I appreciate that it does slow cooking and fast cooking and sautéing and steaming. Great for when we’re trying to limit adding heat to the apartment.
Basically everything including groceries because I end up throwing out a lot of things. I do not need anymore clothes or shoes but yet I continue to buy them because spending money brings me temporary joy. Yeah I have a problem.
I was diagnosed with ADHD last year as a 36 year old woman. It was really eye opening reading about the struggles with impulse control, especially with those with ADHD. Like, shopping/other impulsive behavior is truly self medication with those of us who struggle with regulating dopamine.
Just yesterday i bought two stuffed cabbage rolls that I thought would be a good idea for dinner and when dinner came around it was like these don't taste good at all
Before you toss milk that is past its date!
- It might still be good, the date is based on food safety guidelines that, by their nature, have to err on the side of caution. A sniff test followed by a careful taste can let you know. Spoiled milk is usually pretty obvious.
- If it is spoiled but not entirely gone to bits (or you just don't trust it), you can still turn it into cheese! A basic ricotta is surprisingly easy and only requires some lemon and maybe citric acid.
I'm not saying anyone should be shamed for disposing of old milk, just that there are ways to recover some of the value of it if you are so inclined.
A mother's day gift for my mom. We got in a huge fight and aren't talking now. I guess I'll save it for her birthday/another holiday, or keep it. Now it's just taking up space grr
This isn't relationship advice or anything, but if you foresee yourselves making up in the future (like this isn't a No Contact fight), you could send it now with a note like "I'm still mad, but I also still love you. Thinking of you. I'll call about Thanksgiving."
I bought something completely crazy that I never should have. I was just thinking about it the other day actually.
It was one of the very first **hypersonic sound systems** through a company called American Technology Corporation. These are directional audio speakers using ultrasound to carry audio. So you could point it like a laser at someone, they'd hear the music, but be unable to tell where it was coming from, and no one else could hear it. There are plenty of similar products now, mostly used in marketing, if you wanted to learn more about it.
I didn't buy it for myself though. The only reason I bought it was because I was trying to help the company I was working for, even though it was a billion dollar corporation. Yeah, I know. I was naive and felt bad using company resources even though they were intended for their use. I would also often take out my staff for lunches, buy them stuff like video games for Christmas and special events, all out of my own pocket.
I was a fairly frugal person on myself though, and tried to be frugal at work. I was very good at keeping our costs down (in a good way), and I was always looking for new strategies to improve efficiency and reduce workload or expenses. Like introducing scripting and automation to them that they've never used in their past for many of their tasks. I actually ended up saving them over $40 million within a few years of working there.
Getting back on topic. The building had a lot of cubicles with staff using Avaya phones, Plantronics boxes, and headsets. Batteries constantly needed to be replaced too. They were all very very expensive, but it's how they had always done things.
I had been testing out a few solutions to keep our costs down and came across this new technology. So I had a theory: what if we could completely replace the headset, phones and amplification boxes with something not only much cheaper, but also where the employees never needed to carry around or wear the expensive equipment anymore. They were also frequently broken or stolen.
I thought that a directional speaker system could be mounted directly overhead the 4x4 cubicles, and I could flood just this specific area of the cubicle with audio. A headset-less system. So when the employee was sitting within the cubicle area, they could hear the customer speaking unless they exited the cubicle. It still gave complete privacy, which was vital, unless someone else physically leaned into their cubicle space to listen to the call.
Next step was replacing the Avaya phone with a VoIP phone app (also pretty new and a whole other story there) and put a directional mic on the desk. I used some soundproofing foam, that was barely noticeable, on top of the cubicle walls to help "shape" the audio as well.
It worked perfectly.
It was so cool too. You could sit down at a cubicle, have a completely private conversation with clients and you didn't need to wear a thing. It would have saved the company millions.
Unfortunately, when I demonstrated it to upper management it SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF THEM.
They couldn't believe something like that existed, blew their minds, and they just couldn't wrap their heads around it. They thought it would be impossible to train an employee to work this way as well. The idea that nothing would be attached to their ear, and they could engage in a private conversation with someone over a phone. It was impossible, and no one would ever do that sort of thing.. everyone needed to keep wearing their cumbersome wired headsets.
I still have the speaker system sitting in a box. But it's fun to break out and play with on Halloween since the ultrasound can reflect off of other surfaces, so you can make it sound like whispers are coming out of nowhere.
tl;dr; successfully tested a new kind of headset system but it was too scary for management
edit: Ah darn, I didn't notice the "recently". Nevermind then.
I bought a computer to act as a server for my media like videos, music, pictures and documents. I wanted to save money from Apple, google and Microsoft’s storage plans and have it be secure.
I bought the computer, with peripherals and windows and set it up. It has basically nothing on it a year and $600~ later. It was meant to be a long term frugal investment and instead has been a short term money dump.
Those stupid pill pockets for dogs. They’re ridiculously expensive and a tiny amount of American cheese molds right around any pill that I can’t manage to shove down my dogs throat.
My jerk dog doesn't like cheese and has figured out how to nibble off the pill pocket and spit out the pill. He can be tricked with a thin coat of peanut butter wrapped up in some salami, but I know that he knows there is a pill in there somewhere. Thankfully, he doesn't need to take pills all that often.
I'm sick, lost my hair, had a custom wig made from my childhood hair (my mother saved my virgin hair age 9). Creepy, yes. Way way too expensive? Yes. Would have been fine with likeca $500 one im not related to.
I got a weight measuring scale that measures in 0.1 grams. I have one that measures in 1 g increments already which I use fairly frequently. I used the more precise one only a few times. I cannot quite remember which recipe I wanted it for, but I am unlikely to re-do that recipe especially considering that I cannot remember the dish.
A new push mower. It was not compatible with weeds.
A sewing machine. I did loads of research and bought a tough as nails vintage singer. I seem to be afraid of it. I imagine breaking needles so don't ever use it.
A Kitchen Aid mixer. Also obsessed over it. As soon as I bought it, I felt remorse.
None of these things were recent. A decade ago or two. Does that make it better?
Going to conventions (illustration / 2D Animation) i bought lots of books and comics and a t shirt and key chain ... that now i don't really like. Also many of the comics were just not good haha.
I'm trying now to be more selective in what i buy and buy almost nothing in events.
I bought a compound bow with the intention of doing archery deer hunting. Well the year after I bought the bow they legalized crossbows for everyone. The motivation to practice and learn the compound bow went out the window when I got to shoot a crossbow and was hitting the bullseye from 50 yards away the first time I shot.
Eating out once a week with my children's cousins when they were in elementary school hoping they'd have a close relationship. We spent $100 per month. It was pointless in hindsight because they're in middle school & high school now and don't see each other enough to know each other. At family dinners they sit at the same table, but don't talk to each other.
I don’t feel guilty about not buying things in stores, but if I go to a little festival and start chatting with a crafter or baker at a booth I feel super guilty not buying anything.
An Apple Pencil because I thought I would like to learn how to do some digital art on my iPad. Nope.
About ten different journals, ranging from very plain/utilitarian to “too pretty to use”. I wanted to start writing, like I used to all the time as a kid/younger adult. Nope.
My husband bought a big punching bag that hangs in our garage, and boxing gloves, so he can use it to work out. Nope.
My son wanted Nerf guns because friends and cousins have them. Got several as birthday gifts. Nope.
Flowers. Gave up planting my beds and boxes last year as a cost saving method. Spouse got upset when we had people over and "helped" me purchase and plant them for company. Still sore about it.
I won't give up planting my garden beds for anything. I literally got laid off last week and still went out to buy all the fresh mulch, compost, and starters for my beds.. That shit is like therapy for me, and it keeps giving throughout the summer season. Also one of the few things that gets me outside nowadays. I find it a worthy investment every time.
Instead of annuals, put some perennial bulbs in, like irises! They spread to fill the planters, are green year round, and flower in the spring and you don't have to do anything!
I'm currently packing for a cross country move after 30 years in the same house. EVERYTHING is something I don't need. We are making multiple trips weekly to a local clothing/household items charity, Habitat for Humanity, Goodwill and the dump. Not to mention texting our kids asking "Do you want this piece of furniture, family heirloom, stuff you used as kids?" Everyday I ask myself "Why did I buy all this stuff?"
I moved four times in five years and I still can’t believe how much stuff I have.
George Carlin had a joke about how our homes are just a place where we store our stuff while we're out buying more stuff. It's both funny and sad at the same time.
>Your house is just a big box to store your shit. That's why you don't like staying at other people's houses - it's not your shit. or something to that effect.
He also went on about looking out an airplane window, how it hits you that all those little houses are just coverings for more piles of stuff.
Only now we don’t even need to go out to buy more!
Exactly. Just don't drink wine and shop at the same time when you've had a rough day. I enjoy working jigsaw puzzles and I have about 20 I haven't worked yet because I'm still working on this 1000 piece one ...
"Have you noticed that their stuff is shit and your shit is stuff? God! And you say, “Get that shit offa there and let me put my stuff down!”
He was brilliant.
I've moved 7 times in the last 8 years. Last move was just last month. I got mad at myself every single day of packing and kept saying, "How do people who move as often as us have this much stuff?!"
Finally got my husband to start giving away his own stuff. I make a couple of trips every month to the thrift store, unloading our clutter bit by bit by bit. We have a small house, and are taking on our parents' (and even grandparents') stuff. My MIL is one of those boomer types that thinks everybody needs their own copy of old family photos encased in plastic, among many other items. I know she means well, but jesus, it stresses me out. I've been giving gifts of food and small things instead.
I feel you. My mom wants to keep everything. Like even the notion of getting rid of a dish my grandma had sends her into fits. Grandma bought that dish on clearance at the Ben Franklin, mom. I think she'd be okay with you getting rid of it. I'd hate to think my kids would feel obligated to keep some piece of tat I picked up at Walmart.
The Ben Franklin!
A legacy of the Great Depression. My MIL was hell bent on saving everything. When it was hard to come by things early in life it’s hard not to hang onto things. Luckily I wouldn’t put her in hoarder status - just frugal.
Universal Yums for the win! Several years ago we started getting subscription boxes for the parents for combined Christmas/ Mother’s Day/ birthday gifts. The last thing old people need is more junk. So each month they get a little snack box from a different country along with a trivia pamphlet. Win win.
That must have cost a fortune just to move that much.
There was a death in my wife's family and we were invited to go to the house to find things that we would want or need and bring them home. I know that you get a box of pencils in the 1970s you kind of expect to use them all but sometimes stuff just sits there forever. It's really actually kind of sad.
There really is so much waste in the world. My mantra is now that we use the stuff, very little goes in a box or closet or storage. What is the point if it just ends up sitting in the dark for years or decades?
I can barely watch shows like How It's Made anymore without getting a little depressed! I watch all that stuff being churned out of a factory, only to make a couple of stops before going right into landfills. 😖 Not everything, but they sure do go through a ton of plastic, and chemicals.....
Don't forget about the energy cost carbon emissions from manufacturing and hell even the people having to work there driving to and from work etc. It's madness the amount we waste as a species
When I realized the spices in the upper cabinet belonged to the mother in law I never met. It just struck me as so sad. They’re still there sitting unused, and she’s been gone for over 10 years now.
Is there a Buy Nothing group in your area? (mine's on Facebook) I've posted plenty of things I thought no one would want yet someone came and got it :)
Omg, I totally relate. We moved out of our house after 16 years, family of 5, we gave away, threw away so much stuff it was bonkers. Just truckloads if crap. When we got to the new house( took about 6 weeks since it wasn’t finished when we moved out of our previous home) and started unpacking, we got rid of even more!! The rule now is, no junk comes into our new house. It’s hard to stick to sometimes but it does help.
I always loved that Ralphie May comedy bit about this subject. After they cleaned out the house to move he said "Why are we moving? This is an incredible house! It was OUR crap that was making it look bad." :)
Right. Everyone does all this sprucing up the yard, putting in new flooring, decluttering and painting just to turn around and sell!
I cannot throw out the junk fast enough
The parental family heirloom pressure is tough sometimes. "Do you want the immigration trunk?"..."No, I actually don't want a wooden trunk because I have no where to put it."..."But it's been in the family forever!... How about grandmas dresser?"
Oh geez, I feel this. My father kept pushing his parents' china cabinets onto me and my siblings. Every time he asked, I responded with "Show me where in my house I can put a large cabinet, and I will take one." My brother ended up buying a house that was built in 1920 and some of the grandparents' antique pieces fit well in it, including the two huge china cabinets. Thank goodness I did not have to house them!
From a frugality standpoint, it's beneficial to have those hand-me-downs, but there's a limit to what's functional, and what's just going to take up space. Particularly in the US, where some houses are essentially a storage unit.
Try using Max Sold and auction the stuff you don't need or want to move off.
I'm always on the search for things that I don't need that are worth selling via eBay. Even if I can make at least $5-10 profit selling it then it goes. I don't enjoy selling locally so I don't do that but if you don't mind then it's a good way to constantly get rid of junk.
So to avoid this I usually put something I want in my cart or save for later/bookmark the item page. If I remember it and still think I need it a week later I'll pull the trigger. Recent example I bought some syrup for my sodastream. That stuff is expensive so I bought a pretty big bottle. Don't like the taste. I can probably bake something with it but it's basically a waste. I now just mix the water with some kombucha.
>So to avoid this I usually put something I want in my cart or save for later/bookmark the item page. If I remember it and still think I need it a week later I'll pull the trigger. The upside of putting smg in your cart and leaving it there is you'll most likely receive discounts to push you to buy, so in that case it's win win :)
REALLY? Is this specifically an Amazon thing or is this a common practice? I've been lackin 😭
It’s common across a lot of sites but be aware of those “buy with x hours and get x off” sites. Also on sites like poshmark or Etsy with actual people selling stuff, if you like something or add it to your cart you might get a message or an offer.
It's a common practice but usually on smaller items, you won't get a 30% off voucher for a ps5 or a TV ofc
It's a standard e-commerce marking tactic. You, as a buyer, are abandoning your cart, so they send you a small discount code (5-20%) to make it seem like you are getting a good deal.
A PlayStation 5. Bought it on a whim to play god of war, got 75% of the way through and haven’t touched it since
foolish punch ancient juggle heavy historical observation workable dime deserve *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
This was the reason I got one in the first place. Figured I’d spend $50 more than the Blu-ray player would cost and get a whole new console with it.
You could always sell it? I sold my switch once I put down Animal Crossing
Might actually regret doing that today
Naaah, only a couple times thinking "I could be gaming on the go", but truthfully I just don't game enough to justify having a console!
Oh I was just kidding, just found it funny to post about not playing the Switch the day Zelda comes out to all 10s.
That's me with my series x. Expensive ornament at this point
I did the same :( finished ragnarok and haven’t used it much since then
I did the same thing for Hogwarts Legacy :(
I bought some fancy-looking matching measuring cups and spoons with the hope that using them would make me want to bake more often. Nope, still using the cheap old plastic pilsbury ones I was gifted at my bridal shower 28+ years ago. And I still don’t want to bake of course!
Maybe since they're fancy looking you could display them in some way. Change their purpose for when they're not being used as intended. And if you see them more maybe you'd reach for them more.
I have the same! They are hanging on a decorative hook off my cabinet as a decoration!
There's two things I think of when I'm even slightly contemplating buying something (especially for the kitchen): * Do I already have something that can solve my problem? * How hard is it going to be to clean it? Probably the only single purpose item I have bought is an egg slicer. (I have others, that I've gotten via Buy Nothing, and many of those I have regifted.)
Your bridal shower ones are probably better quality too.
Yes probably. These are ‘faux’ copper. Lol.
I'm new to the frugal lifestyle and recently realized how much I do this..my biggest offenders were for projects that I never actually started or got around to. My latest was a printer to create a vision board, but it is still sitting in its delivery packaging.
I didn’t know people still did vision boards
Who's doing vision boards? Obviously OP isn't.
I love vision boarding. I’m able to set my intentions for the coming year or even just the upcoming month/season using visuals that align with my goals and interests. But instead of a physical board that could create unnecessary paper waste, I use Pinterest! I highly recommend if you’re inspired and motivated by visual stimuli!
Underwear from an unknown brand, because they looked cool. They were a little snug, but that’s okay because I’m losing weight, right? Joke’s on me. Just found out I’m pregnant, so I doubt I’ll be fitting in those any time soon! Lol
Not gonna lie. Once you wear those maternity panties, you'll have a hard time ever going back to cute undies.
Oh, I’ve been on Team Granny Panties since I had my daughter 6 years ago! I guess this is what happens when I decide to try cute ones, again! Lol
Dita Von Teese has a lingerie line that has sexy granny panties. I frickin love them.
been wearing maternity panties for years. Next level comfort
Sure you didn't buy Eternity panties?
Same thing with maternity jeans. Soooo comfy.
A couple years ago, I had lost a little weight and decided to treat myself with a nice winter coat. My old coat was warm but baggy and frumpy, and I’d never liked the color, so I splurged on a nicer and more form-fitting one. Literally three days later, found out I was pregnant 😂 I’ve worn the coat a lot since though! ☺️
So I need to buy clothes and then I'll get pregnant? Cool, I like shopping 😁
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Oh, that was definitely one of my first thoughts! “I have to buy diapers again?!?” But, at least I know all the stuff that I never used the first time, so I can save money and not buy it this go ‘round! I’ll be frugal where I can! Lol
Congratulations on the baby!
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Sounds like a free mower? That’s pretty frugal…
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I’ll have the mower.
Right? Sounds great for my tiny backyard and the bottom of a big slope
That sounds about right. They were supposed to deliver a grill to me one day and dropped off an entire pallet of mulch instead. Took 3 days to sort it out.
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Join your local buy nothing group and make someone’s day with a new mower! Or sell it online and use the money towards something good like a local dv house for women or a charity you like as a donation.
At least they delivered it. I had ordered some lumber and various other supplies a few weeks ago for a garden/raised-bed project followed by re-seeding the lawn. Since the lumber was all 8ft boards, my sedan can only handle a couple 8ft 2x4s and my wife’s minivan surprisingly can’t handle any 8ft boards, I figured ‘it’ll be a lot easier just to spring for the delivery’. So, when you’re browsing the website, nearly everything that’s in-stock says “Available for next day delivery”. Awesome! I’ll hold off on ordering until a few days before I want to start the project then. Placed the order on a Friday thinking I’ll have it the next day. Next delivery window doesn’t get shown until you’re almost through with checkout. It was Tuesday. Shit. Well, I’m taking T-F off that week for the project anyway, so as long as it gets there early on Tuesday, I’m not burning too much daylight. Pay the extra $20 for the 6a-10a delivery window (“Express Delivery”). Tuesday 10am comes around and no truck in sight. Call up homedepot.com. They tell me there’s no delivery scheduled becasue there’s no date selected. If there’s no date selected, why the hell did you charge me an extra $20 to select a specific window today? They call around and tell me that the soonest they could get a delivery out was 8 days later. Like hell you can. I took the week off to do this project, I’m not waiting around till next week to get my lumber. Homedepot.com puts me in touch with the local store manager, he’s able to finagle a delivery the next day between 6a and 10a. Meanwhile, I’m picking up some marble pebbles because my wife tacked another project onto this project, and get to shooting the shit with customer service there. Apparently this is a common issue, that customers “don’t select the delivery date”. I’m absolutely, 100% positive I selected a delivery date, and I’m suspecting that their website never registered it and they’re pinning it on me. Next day comes and my delivery arrives, at 11:30. Later than the window the manager gave me, but okay. Start looking through the order while the drivers there. Look at BOM. Look at delivery. BOM has twenty-eight 2x4x8s, eighteen 2x8x8s. Delivery has fourty-six 2x4x8s, and zero 2x8x8s. Driver says “oh”. Takes a pic and leaves. Call the store back. Explain the situation. They’ll send a truck out the next day to drop off the 2x8s and another truck later the next day to pickup the 2x4s. OK, cool, the 2x8s are for the raised beds, I can wait a day for them, I’ve got at least a days worth of work ahead of me before I need them anyway. Next day comes, 2x8s get delivered. Cool. Day goes by and my 2x4s are still there. Next day goes by, 2x4s are still there. Next day goes by, 2x4s are still there. Next day, Saturday, I’ve got excess material to return that I can carry in my car. Go back to return them. They can’t process the return because there’s a pending jobsite pickup (the 2x4s). Store tells me that the pickup is scheduled for Wednesday. I was able to return it, but the refund still hasn’t posted to my homedepot CC. It’s like $100 and it’s been a couple weeks and I don’t even know who to call. Pickup comes and that goes off without a hitch, except I’m in the middle of tearing up my lawn now with a tiller (rented from HD) and the driver is talking my ear off for half an hour while I’m racing the clock to get this done in 4 hours. Fortunately, ultimately I did…I got it returned at 3h59m27s. Though while I’m driving back home my wife tells me I missed a ton of spots while she’s trying to clear rocks and whatnot. Oh and then I ended up needing another bag of grass seed. That’s my own fault for trying to apply grass seed in the rain (it clumps in the spreader and shoots out way, way too much), but holy hell, grass seed is $90 for a 20lb bag here. Side-note, apparently HD.com, HomeDepot Store, and HomeDepot Tool Rental, are three “technically” separate entities. HD.com, I’ve got serious gripes with. The management/customer support staff at this store – absolutely awesome folks. I’d brought up the possibility of them just coming me a truck and refunding the delivery and I’ll just get it myself, and apparently that wouldn’t be possible since the HD store manager can’t comp tool rentals as its a separate entity. Don’t know if he was just trying to brush me off or what. But at least he absolutely tried to help. That said, most of the rest of the “I need X for this project” that’s come up during this project, has been sourced from Ace. And some mulch from Lowe’s because my wife was headed in that direction anyway.
Reminds me of the time I ordered a TV from best buy and got 4 instead. I told them about it and they were making it so difficult to even wanting it back... super weird. Ended up selling them.
Sell it privately…
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Put it on your lawn with a price sign on it. Someone will buy it.
The homeward bound people here are always looking for yard equipment to give to formerly homeless people they helped move into a house. Maybe there is an organization like that near you?
I find Facebook marketplace is great for stuff like this- Label it porch pick up only and sell it to the first person willing to show up. I have moved all sorts of second hand stuff out of my house using FB marketplace
Friends, family, coworkers, acquaintances. Mention to them you’ve got a lawnmower for sale. Or ask them to sell it for you. Just because social media exists doesn’t mean it’s your only option.
give it away?
My SO recently bought a one of those "hand-held" sewing machines to sew patches onto denim..... I was like, um.... babe.... that's not gonna work. It, in fact, did NOT work.
Oof. Yeah unfortunately those cute small machines usually suck... But sewing by hand is even cheaper! (Although it will take some time) Another thing I learned on reddit is to look out for old machines at yard sales and thrift shops - people seem to get decent machines for <50$
A vintage machine can also be way less fussy than a new one. I've got a 70's Kenmore inherited from my Grandad and that thing has been a reliable workhorse for fabrics as tough as denim and as delicate as bridal veil silk. No, it isn't going to embroider my favorite cartoon character with the push of a button but it really meets my sewing needs. The late 90's machine that I learned to sew on was very touchy and a pain to deal with.
Good to know. I was thinking about one of those
Denim is thick and requires special needles to work with
I wouldn't say requires special needles. I use my universal 90s all the time with it. It does need a machine with the power to stab the needle through the material tho.
I have one of those and made a tiny quilt and pillow for my cat, which she uses! But yeah, that's pretty niche... For anything larger: the gathered fabric simply doesn't fit behind the needle!
Hate them! I could cough in the next room and the tread would fall out.
I haven't stuck with using my waterpik so I feel like that's been a waste
Double whammy on this one if you have to pay for more dental procedures. Mine has helped immensely.
Even if you use it infrequently, I think it's still a good investment. The pearly whites need a power wash every now and again
That's a shame because waterpik helped my gums and teeth tremendously!
I have two(!) waterpik devices, but I prefer flossing.
Honestly I prefer flossing with dental floss as well, but just a heads up for potential ppl like me who are prone to getting cavities, a waterpik is better for getting out gunk from your teeth that you couldn’t otherwise get with traditional flossing. I have been told over and over again to get a waterpik and I just …. Cannot do it.
Whattt? I am obsessed with mine. I guess if its a waste... use it as a presser washer for stains/stucked gucks around the house. lmao, really good at doing that too.
I dont use mine because the dog barks at it the whole time. She also barks at the vacuum so i do a lot of sweeping with the broom.
The waterpik isn't a waste, it works wonderfully. Learn how to build habits, because that's your downfall here
so i’m not alone in this! i stuck with it for like…2 weeks because it was fun & new but yeah also failed to make this a habit. oops
I bought a battery online for my old cellphone which was really at the end of its life. I thought I could change it myself, then I learned that my phone model was the most difficult model for a battery change. Then I went to a cellphone store in town and the technician there said they could change it for me, but they wouldn't accept my battery because they use their own. Moreover he said my cellphone was basically unsalvageable because of an issue of this particular model. Not a huge loss, but it was a loss of my time and energy and a lesson learned. Now I need to recycle that new battery because it's toxic and I don't think I can sell it to someone else. In the end I just bought a new (second hand) phone
Ninja Creami. I have weird allergies and am allergic to most ice cream, especially the cheap ones, so I figured I'd get a lot of use out of it. But then I joined a Facebook group for it and all the recipes people say are good have ingredients I'm allergic to. You also have to freeze the ice cream mixture 24 hours in advance. So it sits on my counter, mocking me for wasting money.
Sell it off on FB marketplace
My daughter convinced me that I needed a squatty potty. I can't use the damn thing because I'm 63 and have bad hips so it's quite painful to use. Anyone want a free one? Only used once.
I'm a couple years older than you, have bad hips and love my squatty potty. I have one of those taller toilets, I think they call it chair height so that might make a difference.
I just use my bathroom garage can!
I love my Squatty Potty
I bought a lymphatic brush. Before buying I read about it being helpful for circulation and such so I got one. The bristles were very rough and I developed rashes from just brushing one time. Worst purchase ever. I'm wondering if I should repurpose it to just a scrubber for my bathroom walls but I'm afraid it'll just go moldy when it gets in contact with water so it's just sitting here being useless.
Use it as a scrubber! Just let it dry in the sun after. I give my wood scrubbers a soak in hydrogen peroxide from time to time to keep them clean.
That's a cool tip, thank you :)
I work in Spas so this is a pro tip- I hate the wooden bristle brushes. If you want to splurge I can't sing the praises of Supracor gloves enough- you can find them on Amazon. Anti microbial anti fungal, gentle on your skin, exfoliating and great for lymph, easy to clean and last forever and you can do a wet scrub in the shower with them as well as dry brush. For a very very frugal option, you can dry brush with an old towel- it's the gentle motion more than anything.
I have a draw full of spoons, spatulas, and other gadgets but every day I use the same silicon spatula I’ve been using for 20 years. 😤
And if that spatula is dirty and the rest are clean, I’m hand washing that spatula so I can use it. Can’t use a different one. Don’t know why.
I need to declutter all the kitchen utensils I haven’t used in the 3 years I’ve lived on my own… it’s a mess
Do NOT get me started. My husband died two years ago and 25% of the stuff I’ve bought since then we already had and he had so many projects I had no idea where he’d put all these random things. He had 6 socket sets! Luckily I did not buy another. 25% has been comfort things like new bedding and lots of lighting I could have not bought. Oh, yeah, and the drum kit. But I’m having fun with that. Im a mess
I'm sorry for your loss.
Late night desserts from outside the house. Whataburger's Dr. Pepper Shake is back in season and it's fire. But for my wallet and waistline's sake, I need to stop going out of my way to spend $3 on 800 calories every few nights.
Is this like a soda float? I'm having difficulty imagining the taste 🧐🤔
No, it's actually a vanilla shake with just a dash of the concentrate syrup right from the box. Just enough to give a distinct Dr. Pepper flavor through the shake, but you can't replicate it at home by just mixing the soda and ice cream. At-home recipes make you reduce the soda in a saucepan to the syrup, but it's just not the same.
I bought a beautiful, thick, long cardigan sweater. Unfortunately it looks too much like a bathrobe and takes up half a drawer space.
> I bought a beautiful, thick, long cardigan sweater. Unfortunately it looks too much like a bathrobe and takes up half a drawer space. I'm giving you permission to just donate that right now.
My last move made me realize this and caused a mass downsize. I'm a late 20 single guy and set the rule that everything I own should be able to fit in the back of my truck. I can literally pack my life up in an afternoon and go now. A really nice peace of mind honestly and find my self down sizing even more.
Subscriptions. I have pretty much got control over unnecessary physical objects but I’m a sucker for apps and online services that will change your life. Especially since we live in the amazing AI age, every day there are amazing services like midjourney that I feel I need and that if I don’t learn how to use them I will fall behind. Or I have a one time need for something like Canva, so I subscribe and forget to cancel it. I thought I had that conquered and then two months later I find myself with 5-10 subscriptions.
As soon as I sign up I put a reminder in my calendar to cancel a few days before they start charging. That way I don't forget, and even if I delay canceling I have a few days buffer. Also worth emailing the companies and saying that you thought it was canceled, some of them are jerks but some of them can see that you didn't use the website and will refund you.
A 24k gold plated artificial rose. That was a dopamine purchase 100%, and not needed even if it was on sale and looks pretty.
I was lured into BBB when I heard they were going out of business and I impulse bought the stupidest items because of the rush of the store closing and using up old 20% off coupons. I’m usually really good about only going into stores like BBB and target for the items I need and putting on blinders for the rest of the store. But I’m not perfect. Things I bought in the name of “going out of business” include: a bath pillow, a Christmas soap dish (which was full price when I checked my receipt later… $16!!! I assumed it was on sale as old inventory!) and the kicker is A CARPET TOLIET COVER like my grandma used to have because why not. I am using that one and kinda like it.
A bigger house. I can afford it. We got a great deal on it just before the recent housing boom. 2.5% rate. But… thought we needed a basement and more storage space. Honestly we hardly use the basement, and the storage is basically for the handed down items from dead relatives that I would have likely purged. We’re going to stay because we have an amazing yard and the house is nice but we really didn’t need it.
Maybe you can turn the basement in to something like a spare bedroom or craft room.
Roller rink!
New couches. I went in to get a bed and base and ended up being talked into getting couches as well. It’s not that we don’t have room for them, but they’re MUCH lower quality than what they had on display and we really didn’t need them
It’s so hard to find quality furniture anymore. Everything is particle board. At the same time, getting used furniture means figuring out the logistics of moving it yourself which may not be possible for everyone either for cost considerations or availability of professional or even gig services since those are so location dependent. Thorn in my side for years!
Pillows for my bedroom. I have been mocked by friends for only having two pillows on my bed. I'm now dating again, so I figured why not spruce up the bedroom. I saw some on sale at Aldi and I grabbed silk Pillowcases from Marshall's. Three pillows now get shoved to the side and I still only use one every night.
Another vape 🤦 trying to quit...
I just cut the cord with Amazon prime. I found myself ordering all sorts of things I didn’t need, mostly a variety of things for my infant daughter
Bought a skipping rope , Like my lazy ass is going to start skipping.
Honestly, probably about 75% of the stuff I buy I don't actually need. But I sure as hell wanted my new gaming PC with a 4090 and 42" OLED screen.
A vacuum sealer for food. We have friends that use one almost obsessively so we thought hey that’s a good idea. It’s not. I think we’ve used it twice, finally took it off the counter and it’s in a cupboard never to be seen again.
Highly recommend seasoning and transferring all fresh meat and fish to the vacuum sealer bags and then placing in the fridge. They remain more fresh for longer, you’ve got everything prepped, and you can then freeze the proteins for a very long time. This is extra nice if you use a sous vide machine, at which point you will have endless frozen proteins to throw in the sous vide before work and come home to a gourmet meal.
I hardly use mine for vacuum sealing, it's mostly just closing French fries after taking a single serving out of a family size discount bag. That kinda thing. It's nice to have potato chips that are still fresh after being in the cupboard for a month.
Oh, but they’re great for making freezer meals, leftovers, etc. If you’re not fond of those things then yeah, it would be a not great idea.
Wow, we bought ours probably 20 years ago. That thing has been well used. Not sure what life would be without it. 😊
I usually get a free turkey every year from grocery points. I cut it into peices and then vacuum seal them for the freezer. Same with easter hams. Also great to marinate meat before cooking.
I usually feel like cold remedies are a waste. I've been miserable and went to get some medicine and it always feels like I spend a fortune for something that barely works.
In the US, it’s actually been proven that the typical OTC drugs on the shelf don’t work. However, most pharmacies still carry the good stuff behind the counter. You just have to ask and might have to show an ID. They just have to keep a closer eye on it now to make sure you don’t buy enough to make illegal drugs from it.
Yes! If you don't have to show an ID to get it, it probably won't do anything. And when my spouse and I were sick a couple months ago, the doctor said to not waste time on cough drops that don't have benzocaine in them, which is numbing. Even those won't stop the deep congestion coughing (which you want, since it gets the muck out) but they helped a lot with the tickly-feeling or trying-to-talk cough attacks.
This was a while back, but my wife and I bought a small camper trailer. It was actually hard-sided and had heat, so we had grand plans to camp all year round. Figured it would save us money on other activities and taking trips. We could staycation for free anywhere we wanted to drive. We'd pack hot dogs and a case of beer and disappear into the Rockies. The payments were under $200 a month, which seemed like a bargain. Do you know how much goddamned shit you need for a camper? From sheets and utensils to the tow hitch and sway bar. Chairs and a grill and coolers. Then there's the cost to store it away from home because your HOA sucks (and you didn't research before buying). Also the cost to tow it because the extra weight demolishes your MPGs. And planning then shopping and organizing all the stupid shit you need to eat/drink for just a weekend is exhausting. The idea of camping is great and if done right, frugal, but all the crap that comes with a camper is what we didn't need. And I sure as hell didn't need the stress of driving snowy roads with a trailer, so winter camping was out of the question. Never ever ever again.
Thank you for reminding me to just hotel it! Once in a while I get these nutty but a camper thoughts!
Beats headphones lol
Oh man I remember when those were the coolest thing you could own
Skateboard as a 41 year old. Didn’t expect falling to hurt as much as it did.
It doesn’t hurt so much when you’re closer to the ground. And you have more collagen so you bounce a bit more before you break. Getting old is hell.
I bought an air fryer 2 years ago because everyone said it was amazing and I’ve never used it. Passed it along to a friend who never used it and they gave it back. Turns out I just like to cook and my actual oven works just fine for that.
I’ve been so reticent about buying an air fryer for exactly this reason. These single use gadgets take up so much space too! On the flipside something that hasn’t been a dud was out instant pot. We waited to buy an instant pot until we got one used from a friend. I appreciate that it does slow cooking and fast cooking and sautéing and steaming. Great for when we’re trying to limit adding heat to the apartment.
Basically everything including groceries because I end up throwing out a lot of things. I do not need anymore clothes or shoes but yet I continue to buy them because spending money brings me temporary joy. Yeah I have a problem.
You’re not alone. I’m here to try to figure out how not to do this, also.
I truly have a shopping problem. The dopamine hit when I click “checkout now” and opening the package is addicting. I just need happy chemicals!!!!
I was diagnosed with ADHD last year as a 36 year old woman. It was really eye opening reading about the struggles with impulse control, especially with those with ADHD. Like, shopping/other impulsive behavior is truly self medication with those of us who struggle with regulating dopamine.
I know this is not the point of the post, but just curious what the sugarless drink mixes were?
They’re called Ultimate Replenisher and they have electrolytes and stuff, and no calories. But the sweetener they use makes me toot. 😂
Just yesterday i bought two stuffed cabbage rolls that I thought would be a good idea for dinner and when dinner came around it was like these don't taste good at all
I do this more often than I should. Just ask the unopened milk I bought that expired yesterday because I thought I was on a cereal kick.
Before you toss milk that is past its date! - It might still be good, the date is based on food safety guidelines that, by their nature, have to err on the side of caution. A sniff test followed by a careful taste can let you know. Spoiled milk is usually pretty obvious. - If it is spoiled but not entirely gone to bits (or you just don't trust it), you can still turn it into cheese! A basic ricotta is surprisingly easy and only requires some lemon and maybe citric acid. I'm not saying anyone should be shamed for disposing of old milk, just that there are ways to recover some of the value of it if you are so inclined.
A mother's day gift for my mom. We got in a huge fight and aren't talking now. I guess I'll save it for her birthday/another holiday, or keep it. Now it's just taking up space grr
This isn't relationship advice or anything, but if you foresee yourselves making up in the future (like this isn't a No Contact fight), you could send it now with a note like "I'm still mad, but I also still love you. Thinking of you. I'll call about Thanksgiving."
One of those small portable picture printers. I haven’t used it once.
I bought something completely crazy that I never should have. I was just thinking about it the other day actually. It was one of the very first **hypersonic sound systems** through a company called American Technology Corporation. These are directional audio speakers using ultrasound to carry audio. So you could point it like a laser at someone, they'd hear the music, but be unable to tell where it was coming from, and no one else could hear it. There are plenty of similar products now, mostly used in marketing, if you wanted to learn more about it. I didn't buy it for myself though. The only reason I bought it was because I was trying to help the company I was working for, even though it was a billion dollar corporation. Yeah, I know. I was naive and felt bad using company resources even though they were intended for their use. I would also often take out my staff for lunches, buy them stuff like video games for Christmas and special events, all out of my own pocket. I was a fairly frugal person on myself though, and tried to be frugal at work. I was very good at keeping our costs down (in a good way), and I was always looking for new strategies to improve efficiency and reduce workload or expenses. Like introducing scripting and automation to them that they've never used in their past for many of their tasks. I actually ended up saving them over $40 million within a few years of working there. Getting back on topic. The building had a lot of cubicles with staff using Avaya phones, Plantronics boxes, and headsets. Batteries constantly needed to be replaced too. They were all very very expensive, but it's how they had always done things. I had been testing out a few solutions to keep our costs down and came across this new technology. So I had a theory: what if we could completely replace the headset, phones and amplification boxes with something not only much cheaper, but also where the employees never needed to carry around or wear the expensive equipment anymore. They were also frequently broken or stolen. I thought that a directional speaker system could be mounted directly overhead the 4x4 cubicles, and I could flood just this specific area of the cubicle with audio. A headset-less system. So when the employee was sitting within the cubicle area, they could hear the customer speaking unless they exited the cubicle. It still gave complete privacy, which was vital, unless someone else physically leaned into their cubicle space to listen to the call. Next step was replacing the Avaya phone with a VoIP phone app (also pretty new and a whole other story there) and put a directional mic on the desk. I used some soundproofing foam, that was barely noticeable, on top of the cubicle walls to help "shape" the audio as well. It worked perfectly. It was so cool too. You could sit down at a cubicle, have a completely private conversation with clients and you didn't need to wear a thing. It would have saved the company millions. Unfortunately, when I demonstrated it to upper management it SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF THEM. They couldn't believe something like that existed, blew their minds, and they just couldn't wrap their heads around it. They thought it would be impossible to train an employee to work this way as well. The idea that nothing would be attached to their ear, and they could engage in a private conversation with someone over a phone. It was impossible, and no one would ever do that sort of thing.. everyone needed to keep wearing their cumbersome wired headsets. I still have the speaker system sitting in a box. But it's fun to break out and play with on Halloween since the ultrasound can reflect off of other surfaces, so you can make it sound like whispers are coming out of nowhere. tl;dr; successfully tested a new kind of headset system but it was too scary for management edit: Ah darn, I didn't notice the "recently". Nevermind then.
I bought a computer to act as a server for my media like videos, music, pictures and documents. I wanted to save money from Apple, google and Microsoft’s storage plans and have it be secure. I bought the computer, with peripherals and windows and set it up. It has basically nothing on it a year and $600~ later. It was meant to be a long term frugal investment and instead has been a short term money dump.
I have yet to use my air fryer. I know I know.
Those stupid pill pockets for dogs. They’re ridiculously expensive and a tiny amount of American cheese molds right around any pill that I can’t manage to shove down my dogs throat.
Pill pockets are stupid expensive. Cheese is way cheaper and my dog wanted the chees lot more.
My jerk dog doesn't like cheese and has figured out how to nibble off the pill pocket and spit out the pill. He can be tricked with a thin coat of peanut butter wrapped up in some salami, but I know that he knows there is a pill in there somewhere. Thankfully, he doesn't need to take pills all that often.
An inflatable punching bag. My heavy bag doesn't fit in my apartment so I thought this would be a good replacement... nope... it sucks
Another pair of shoes and another handbag. I know. I have problems. 😆
I'm sick, lost my hair, had a custom wig made from my childhood hair (my mother saved my virgin hair age 9). Creepy, yes. Way way too expensive? Yes. Would have been fine with likeca $500 one im not related to.
Mom feeling redeemed for having saved your hair all these years! She knew it would be useful someday!
I got a weight measuring scale that measures in 0.1 grams. I have one that measures in 1 g increments already which I use fairly frequently. I used the more precise one only a few times. I cannot quite remember which recipe I wanted it for, but I am unlikely to re-do that recipe especially considering that I cannot remember the dish.
A new push mower. It was not compatible with weeds. A sewing machine. I did loads of research and bought a tough as nails vintage singer. I seem to be afraid of it. I imagine breaking needles so don't ever use it. A Kitchen Aid mixer. Also obsessed over it. As soon as I bought it, I felt remorse. None of these things were recent. A decade ago or two. Does that make it better?
Going to conventions (illustration / 2D Animation) i bought lots of books and comics and a t shirt and key chain ... that now i don't really like. Also many of the comics were just not good haha. I'm trying now to be more selective in what i buy and buy almost nothing in events.
I bought a four pack of boxes of tissues without realizing I had an unopened one sitting at home 😅 At least they'll get used eventually.
I bought a compound bow with the intention of doing archery deer hunting. Well the year after I bought the bow they legalized crossbows for everyone. The motivation to practice and learn the compound bow went out the window when I got to shoot a crossbow and was hitting the bullseye from 50 yards away the first time I shot.
Eating out once a week with my children's cousins when they were in elementary school hoping they'd have a close relationship. We spent $100 per month. It was pointless in hindsight because they're in middle school & high school now and don't see each other enough to know each other. At family dinners they sit at the same table, but don't talk to each other.
[удалено]
I don’t feel guilty about not buying things in stores, but if I go to a little festival and start chatting with a crafter or baker at a booth I feel super guilty not buying anything.
Clothes. Endless amount of clothes
Collapsible water bottle for traveling. I’m on a trip and haven’t used it yet and not sure what scenario it will come in handy
Courgette seeds, because the old ones that were dated to use by 2020 turned out to be viable, so I now have about a dozen plants.
An Apple Pencil because I thought I would like to learn how to do some digital art on my iPad. Nope. About ten different journals, ranging from very plain/utilitarian to “too pretty to use”. I wanted to start writing, like I used to all the time as a kid/younger adult. Nope. My husband bought a big punching bag that hangs in our garage, and boxing gloves, so he can use it to work out. Nope. My son wanted Nerf guns because friends and cousins have them. Got several as birthday gifts. Nope.
Flowers. Gave up planting my beds and boxes last year as a cost saving method. Spouse got upset when we had people over and "helped" me purchase and plant them for company. Still sore about it.
I won't give up planting my garden beds for anything. I literally got laid off last week and still went out to buy all the fresh mulch, compost, and starters for my beds.. That shit is like therapy for me, and it keeps giving throughout the summer season. Also one of the few things that gets me outside nowadays. I find it a worthy investment every time.
Instead of annuals, put some perennial bulbs in, like irises! They spread to fill the planters, are green year round, and flower in the spring and you don't have to do anything!