It's Your Money, But...
While you're totally free to spend your own hard-earned money however way you want to, you have to admit, there a few things that feel hard to justify paying a lot for. From spending dozens on blind boxes to buying first-class tickets for a 4 hour flight, here are 20 examples of things we don't know are worth it.
1. Fire Pits
Fire pits in the backyard obviously give any space a nice homey feel to it, but they're only worth it if you actually use it. Many people love the idea of cuddling up outside with a fire going, but if you rarely stay in your backyard or live somewhere with incompatible weather, it might not be the best purchase you make. These pricey items are only good if you can put them to use!
2. Clothes
It's hard to accept buying a $50 plain white tee when you know you can get a decently good quality alternative at Old Navy for maybe a fifth of the price. And when it comes to basics, justifying your spending habits can be a hard pill to swallow. Because do you really need those $200 white sneakers you're going to be anxious about wearing anyway?
3. Hot Tubs
Hot tubs always sound amazing in theory, but they're a hassle to maintain and keep clean. You'd be surprised by how much care needs to be put in to upkeep them! As a result, some people easily become lazy, leaving behind a dirty and unusable machine that you just spent thousands on.
4. Potato Chips
When well-known brands like Doritos and Cheetos are running for $5 or more a bag, it's hard to justify buying them when you know there are much cheaper, just as tasty no-name brands to choose from. After all, you're really just buying for the title! Chip prices are seriously getting out of hand these days.
5. Coffee
Do you ever feel guilty spending so much at Starbucks and other coffee chains when you know making your own at home is so much more cost efficient? At the end of the day, it all comes down to convenience; being too tired in the morning makes you lazy! But deep down, you know you're making the wrong decision spending all that extra cash on something you could do yourself.
6. Cable TV
With so many streaming services these days, paying for cable TV can feel like you're spending money on nothing - especially if you're paying for it on top of those other sites! While it might be nostalgic for some, it's unfortunately an outdated system today that will only cost you more money than need be.
7. Phone Plans
Have you ever been tempted to get a 60GB phone plan just because it sounded like a good idea at the time? Phone plans can be really tricky business - they easily capture your attention and get you to pay more than you wanted for a few minor bonuses! Having that much data and features is nice to think about, but when you realize you only really need a little bit to function per month, you're just draining your wallet for no reason.
8. Trendy Stuffed Animals
From Jelly Cats to Squishmallows, social media never seems to have a shortage of ever-changing stuffed animals going viral. The hard truth? These expensive toys only cost that much because people made it that way. The only thing special about them is the brand and the clout that comes with it.
9. Blind Boxes
Blind boxes are all the craze these days with social media fans going crazy over Labubus, Sonny Angel, and so much more. But when you're essentially gambling to get the model you want inside, you could risk hundreds of dollars until you finally obtain your goal. And what are you going to do with all those copies and unwanted ones you've spent dozens of coins on?
10. Fast Food
Sadly, in recent years, fast food prices have gone up like never before. Where you once could treat your family or friends to some affordable junk food, it now costs you a whole lot more. Why go to fast food when you could treat yourself to a restaurant meal for around the same price as a combo?
11. Luxury Makeup
With drugstore brands really stepping up their game, spending close to hundreds on luxury make up just doesn't feel right anymore. Besides, can you really notice a difference once it's all blended on your face? It's hard to justify spending that much on these luxury items knowing you could spend a fraction for a really good product too.
12. Flowers
Though fresh flowers are a romantic and popular gift choice in relationships, they can cost quite a bit if you choose nice looking bouquets. And while the gesture is sweet without a doubt, these flowers will eventually wilt within a matter of days, making it hard to see how spending that much is necessarily worth it. Maybe crochet flowers feel better for the wallet?
13. Luxury Cars
While the everyday person leans towards reliable and affordable car options like those from Toyota and Honda, turning to luxury cars can feel like a steep hill to climb. These cars definitely look and feel premium, but they're definitely going to hurt your wallet. From having to pay expensive fees, upkeep, and premium gas, is it really worth it if you just want a vehicle that gets you from point A to B?
14. First Class Plane Tickets
We all complain about how uncomfortable and cramped economy plane tickets are, but when the other option is spending an extra thousand on first class or business seats, sometimes you just have to deal with it - for a few hours that is. Luxury is nice, but when you're on a short 6 hour trip, do you really need to spend so much more money when you're just going to be sleeping on the flight anyway?
15. Personal Trainers
With YouTube and Internet always just a swipe away, personal trainers are expensive purchases that don't feel worth it when you can just Google one. And when you can just work out in the comfort of your own home with a video playing in the background, it's hard to beat.
16. Multiple Subscriptions
We already talked about cable TV, but we haven't discussed multiple media subscriptions yet. Because while they are convenient, there's dozens of them available these days! Many of them have overlapping shows and movies, and when you have too many, are you really putting them all to good use? Sadly, many price hikes have made these services more and more expensive too.
17. Cookware
Who knew cookware could cost you hundreds? When you buy cooking utensils that are sponsored by celebrities, influencers, or well-known brands, a collection of pots and pans might just cost you $1000. And while it's always important that you buy good quality items, you can definitely find plenty for cheaper that will do the trick.
18. Concert Tickets
Even if it's your favorite artist of all time, are you prepared to pay double, maybe even triple, the cost of your ticket just for a better seat? Or worse, floor tickets might just skyrocket the price through the roof! At the end of the day, you're still getting the same concert experience, so it can feel hard at times justifying spending all that extra money just for a better view.
19. Meet & Greets
Spending hundreds of dollars just to meet another human being for a few minutes? When you really think about what meet & greets are, it's insane how expensive they can be! And given that it's essentially a paid transaction, it's hard to gauge just how authentic that meeting experience truly is. For lifelong fans, it can definitely be a memorable moment in your life, it'll just be unbelievably pricey!
20. Fine Dining
Though we know fine dining restaurants are supposed to be the best of the best when it comes to culinary experiences, from what many see online, the portions just don't feel worth it. A hundred just for two pieces of scallops? If you're someone who's not interested in the art of food and just care about taste, we can easily see fine dining being hard to justify.
