Advertisers spend billions of dollars each year trying to curate and cultivate the perfect ad. Something that will make you think that their new product will solve ALL the problems in your life. And more than once, I’ve fallen for it.
Today I’m gonna talk about some purchases that were not worth the money. My favorite frugal friends Lydia Senn, Marissa Lyda, Freedom in a Budget and Wendy Valencia are doing the same with their regrettable purchases, so check them out through the links above.
1: Fitbit/ Step Tracking Watch
I’ve spent a couple hundred dollars over the past few years on them, but they seem to break constantly, are expensive, weren’t very accurate and were a pain to replace. Customer care is trained to try to not replace them unless you’ve bought them somewhere official, so Amazon or Walmart don’t count.
I also am not super motivated by seeing step numbers, if anything I’ll more likely see I walked 6k steps and then use that to justify not going to the gym. Instead I now look at the steps that record in apple health on my phone. I believe most phones now have that built in. It’s not hugely accurate, but neither was anything else I tried. This wasn’t worth it for me, but if a fitness tracker works for you, you can disagree with me in the comments below.
By the way – buying exercise equipment often feels like great progress toward a health goal, when really all you’ve done is spent money. Buying equipment should make an exercise habit you’ve already established be easier, better or take you to the next level, not replace your efforts. A watch won’t make you exercise. Alas you still have to do that.
2: A Set of Cheap Nonstick Pans
I did this twice, I was that stupid. Each time I spent $60-100 dollars at Walmart for a set of 7-8 pots/ pans.
It seems like a good deal, especially when pots and pans are pretty expensive to buy piecemeal, but these are often such low quality, they start to break immediately. The nonstick coating comes off in your food, the handles jiggle dangerously or come off completely, and you only use 1-2 pieces from the set and end up only touching the rest to clean off the dirt and grime when you move.
I currently use a large skillet that can also go into the oven for about 70% of my cooking, along with a dutch oven and medium-sized pot for pretty much the rest. Honestly, for most things, you need a skillet, pot and a sheet pan and you’ll be just fine.
I buy the nicer brands now when things need to be replaced and am patient to get good deals. My skillet, which gets use literally everyday, was $50 on sale during the holiday’s at Kohls.
The best places to get high quality but inexpensive cookware are Goodwill (which is wonderful for cooking items), or at discount stores like Ross or TJ Maxx. I don’t need five pots with a slightly different quart capacities, or a large flat griddle just for pancakes (I can use my skillet for that). Even for large gatherings, I’ve never needed eight pots/ pans and a stove will only fit four anyway.
3: Ridiculous Aspirational Luggage
I spent $100 on a 3-piece suitcase set as a high school senior from an outlet mall. I thought I needed a real luggage set for life as an adult, and it felt like a smart purchase at the time.
Alas, these literally only got used when I moved for the next 5 years. They were bad quality, a pain to store and slowly fell apart, and disintegrated. Boxes would have been better, or plastic tubs.
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Not having learned my lesson, a couple years after college, I spent about $60 on a leather/ suede duffel bag. I probably saw someone carrying one in a movie and thought it was much cooler than a wheeled suitcase.
Picturing myself with it slung around my shoulder abroad seemed infinitely chic in opposition to drag along suitcases. I even thought, if I’m abroad and there are cobblestone streets, wheels would be a pain.
I’ve still never been anywhere unsuited for a wheeled suitcase — and that included camping in the woods.
I also figured out after that trip, where I stuffed about 45 pounds of clothing and junk into that leather bag that people moved to wheeled bags for a reason! I could barely carry that thing, it was impossible to get up over my head into a bin because it was weirdly shaped and had no structure, and hefting that thing while traveling was the dumbest thing ever. My shoulders may still not have recovered.
I now travel often and have just one carry-on suitcase, which was bought at a dirt cheap for $20. It’s hard sided and has held up for 5 years now under heavy use and many trips, both checked and carried on. When I need to replace it, I’ll definitely get another hard sided, four wheeled case in a non-black color.
4: Regular nail polish
I’ve never been able to go more than 2 days without chipping my nail polish. This is regardless of if I did it or I had them done with a professional manicure. Once they’re chipped, I no longer feel fancy or polished. It’s just a countdown until they’re so damaged they look awful and have to be removed. That point often does not align with spare time needed to remove the polish, so I walk around feeling crappy about my hands.
I’ve gotten gel mani’s twice this year – once for a cruise to Mexico and again for Fincon and both of those were great times to treat myself. But at $25-$35 for a gel manicure, it’s a rare time that I’m able to justify that cost because I have other plans for $50+ a month. Mainly this:
When I want to do my nails, I use a home Gel kit and polishes instead now, it cost less than $30 and after some practice, I can do a nice looking home manicure that lasts at least a week.
I’m not the biggest fan of the damage it does to my nails, so I leave them bare more often than not. but the mental peace of knowing the work put in will last at least until the next weekend is wonderful. Also a bonus, when you use gel, there’s no dry time so you can get back to your life ASAP and not wait an hour for the polish to fully dry and harden.
![](https://budgetgirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Screen-Shot-2019-11-03-at-10.31.57-PM-80x50.png)
My at home nail gear linked in my Amazon store here: (Afflinks)
- Starter kit with lamp: https://amzn.to/2pbCBCz
- Top/bottom coat: https://amzn.to/2BQNP1P
- Polishes: https://amzn.to/2BSaRFK
5: Any Shoes with Heels or Without Support
I’ve wasted thousands of dollars on shoes at this point in my life and I hate it.
Starting from my teens and early 20s, I would stock my closet with a bunch of the flimsiest Payless flats in all the adorable colors. These $15 shoes were literally made of cardboard on the sides and would fall apart the moment they got wet. There was no support at all, and no padding. The sole was about 1/8 inch all the way across.
Of course these hurt like hell after walking for more than 1,000 steps and only lasted about a month, but as I had about 7 pairs, it didn’t feel like they died so quickly. I even wore them as a newbie reporter, trekking miles in any weather, possibly doing horrible damage to my feet in the name of looking like a professional in an affordable way.
Eventually I learned to buy shoes with support, but I didn’t learn to avoid heels. I was buying nicer Clarks and similar brand shoes which supported my body at work and lasted a long time, but then I’d try to increase my shoe options by buying shoes or boots that had a slight heel.
Every single time, I would only last a couple hours in them and then they would go to my closet forever, until I threw them out or donated them.
I’m not sure why I tried to convince myself that a small heel was fine, but I was somehow convinced that by spending $60-70 on shoes, they wouldn’t hurt. I was wrong. These purchases were a far larger waste of money than the cheap flats because not only was it more money lost, but because I wasn’t getting any use out of them at all. At least with the flats, they got used and used up.
I’m just not a heel person. I’m a heavier woman and shifting all of my weight forward onto the balls of my feet creates an uncomfortable and unsustainable walk for me. wearing heels, even wedges or low heels for a couple hours for a special event makes it hard to concentrate on having fun because all I can think of is the foot pain.
It’s not worth it and throwing more money at something that has been unsuccessful for me 100% of the time is just idiocy.
6: A $300 pair of glasses from Lenscrafters
I don’t have a specialty prescription. They were normal glasses. I did not realize that different glasses stores charge vastly different prices.
I now only buy glasses online and save so much.
This post is NOT sponsored, but I’ve worn specs from GlassesUSA and partnered with them on videos for years. This affiliate link will get you a discount.
7: A refurbished Macbook without a warrantee
I spent $1,000 on a Macbook on Amazon and after just one year, the logic board broke and it would have cost $900 to fix it. I bought it’s replacement through a legit Apple retailer and sprung for the 3 year guarantee.
Apple has us over a barrel. But if you’re going to use them, it’s worth the cost of inevitable repairs that would be too pricy without. (I hate this, but have learned an expensive lesson.)
Watch the video version of this post here:
What have you bought that you regret?
![](https://budgetgirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/7-buys-i-regret-80x120.png)
10 comments
What do you recommend for someone who regrets her automobile purchase and wants to get out of it? It’s in my top 5 purchases I regret. Bought a new car 2.5 years ago, the payment is more than I want and really can afford and the car is smaller than I need (have a 2 year old) and I also live in a state where 4 wheel drive would make more sense.
Gel polish will not damage your nails if you properly remove it. Buff of the top layer so all the shine is gone, soak in acetone (use pieces of a cotton ball and wrap foil around each finger to keep the cotton on your nail) for 15-20 minutes or longer (mine take closer to 30 minutes) and the polish should remove easily with no damage to your natural nail. Don’t forget to moisturize afterwards, acetone is super drying to the nails and skin!
Fitbit: I don’t use it for counting steps. Just waking your hands adds 60 steps lol. But I do like it for monitoring heart rate during & after exercise. I like the reminder feature so it’s buzzing on you and you don’t miss it. I also use the smaller charge 2, so it’s less bulky and annoying. I got mine for under 100 and maybe I don’t wear it all day every day, but I find it useful. And that’s the thing, some people will, others won’t. It’s ok.
You won’t find me buying cookware at a thrift store unless I know it’s a high quality brand. Most of what you see there isn’t. Lids are a different story. I also have a lot of multi purpose kitchen gadgets and very little use for the stove.
I would also rather save up and buy a high quality item for more than something at a reduced price that had no guarantees of lasting. Show me a suit case that can be ruin over by a car and not have a crack in it, I’ll buy that thing. But I’ll save for it. Like I saved for my Dyson. No debt to buy her. But I did get to pay in installments which I love.
I also can’t wear anything with a heel. So I don’t bother.
Computer, 1, never buy apple LOL. 2, save up and/or slowly buy excellent parts and build your b.a. System! ❤
I’m a major tech girl, so a massive system is a must. But as with all things, save up first.
I would see how much you could sell it for and if you’re upside down on it. It may be worth it to sell it at a slight loss and to buy a cheaper used car for cash or for a much smaller loan. My car is reliable, has fewer than 60k miles and is a 2014, and was $5k. Don’t be afraid of salvage vehicles either. Just get a full mechanical inspection. Run the numbers, but it will likely save you money in interest long term to get rid of the car now and to take the debt.
Your system sounds awesome!
Thanks for the tips!
Hair tools – I’ve bought more than one useless hair tool. A few years back I cut my hair short, before shoulder surgery, now all I use is a comb & some gel. It’s awesome!
Shoes – I cannot wear heels and my favorite pair of sling back mules finally gave up the ghost. I made the misogyny ordering a pair of shoes off Amazon. They didn’t fit right and the seller wouldn’t refund shipping when I sent them back. I finally found two pairs of leather mules, in brown and black, at a Thrift store. They fit perfect and I paid less than $5 for each pair.
An expensive camping backpack – I bought it for a trip to Alaska. I thought we going to have to pack our tents into the campsite. The site ended up being a short walk up the trail. LOL!
BTW – that should be mistake not misogyny!
Autocorrect can be so annoying. 🙁
I regret my Fitbit too…mostly because I have no idea where the charging cable is and now the Fitbit is just gathering dust! I like to save up for more quality kitchen appliances and especially pots – I’ve also wasted too much money on stupid non stick stuff.
I have too much makeup I never use. Also tend to overbuy clothes. Ti bought an electric toothbrush that I never use. Those are my big regrets along with way too many bottles of nail polish, but I do at least use these for pedicures.
I also paid for a graduate diploma in advertising which I’ve never used for my career but that was years ago so I’m nearly over it..