13 ways Americans throw away money

[Texashiker]

1. Unused gift cards <- no
2. ATM fees <- no
3. Traffic tickets <- no
4. Candies <- no
5. Lottery tickets <- no
6. Tobacco <- no
7. Alcohol <- yes, I drink too much
8. CC interest <- no, I do not have a credit card
9. Casino <- no
10. Soda <- yes
11. Wasted energy <- no, turn off the lights when not being used
12. Wasted foods <- yes, sometimes my wife and I cook too much food
13. Bad health <- maybe, I take depression meds

 

[waggy]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/13-ways-americans-throw-away-money.html

1. Unused gift cards
2. ATM fees
3. Traffic tickets
4. Candies
5. Lottery tickets
6. Tobacco
7. Alcohol
8. CC interest
9. Casino
10. Soda
11. Wasted energy
12. Wasted foods
13. Bad health

Which one of you guys/gals are guilty of?

Me = soda but I am cutting back, lottery but only when the jackpot was up to $200 million or more and only 1 or 2 tickets.

what a stupid list..

1)not wasted if not used.
2)yes. i hate ATM fees so i don't use them unless its a emergancy.
3)duh. wich is why i don't speed
4)candy? wtf..idiotic.
5)entertainment is throwing money away? why not add any entertainment?
6)agreed
7)disagree. in moderation its great.
8)agreed i pay my CC off monthly.
9)same as 5 and 7. Though with a casino know you are loseing the money and don't lose more then you can afford.
10) same as 4. idiotic
11)wasted energy? great example that can cover hundreds of diffrent things.
12)same as 11..kinda vague.
13) really fucking stupid. You have some control of your health but shit happens.

all in all this list is idiotic. it does have some good points but the majority of it is just fucking idiotic.

 

[shortylickens]

The whole purpose of gift cards is to steal from you. They are assuming (correctly) that you wont use it at all, or wont use all of it up.
Free money.


Soda is hideously expensive. I just paid 2 bucks for a regular bottle.
Now is as good a time as any to try quitting again.

 

[QuantumPion]

Soda could be considered waste if you pay $2 for a single serving at a restaurant or fast food, instead of getting 2 L for $.99 at the grocery store. Same with alcohol, but even more extreme. $8 for a single glass of wine vs a whole bottle at the wine or grocery store.

 

[acheron]

Yeah, this list kind of sucks.

One thing I am probably guilty of is a storage unit. It'd be cheaper to just throw most of the shit out (or sell it on Craigslist or whatever) and re-buy it when I need it rather than renting space to keep it. I guess it's a convenience thing: i.e. it'd be a pain in the ass to do that, but at some point it probably would have been a better idea.

 

[PingSpike]

Bad health is only marginally controllable by the individual, despite all the political rhetoric to the contrary.

The list mostly sucks. I waste a bit more energy, but its not as simply as "I'll use less". I need to drive to work. I could replace my paid off economy box with a honda insight but I'd have to spend money on a new vehicle to realize any of those "savings". Even buying a used prius with comparable mileage may well end up a net loser after all additional costs are considered. My house costs a lot to heat, but I already keep it freezing half the time. I could insulate it better but that isn't free either. I have to invest money to try and save money there.

Our food bill is half luxury. My wife does the shopping and it has become apparent to me that in addition to buying high quality ingredients she could be doing better on saving money there.

Beyond that I drink seltzer water and breath mints because they distract me from loading up on donuts or cookies or whatever crap shows up at work. Yeah, that must be where all my money is going...seltzer water and breath mints.

 

[waggy]

Soda could be considered waste if you pay $2 for a single serving at a restaurant or fast food, instead of getting 2 L for $.99 at the grocery store. Same with alcohol, but even more extreme. $8 for a single glass of wine vs a whole bottle at the wine or grocery store.

yeah soda has gotten expensive. $6.39 for a case of pepsi here. i remember paying $2.50 a case. We are cutting back on soda.

Alcohol is a enjoyment. its like good food. it cost more for the better stuff. is it a waste? to some sure. but so is buying good beef and such.

 

[shortylickens]

Bad health is only marginally controllable by the individual, despite all the political rhetoric to the contrary.

Yeah, umm, thats not political rhetoric. Thats medical science.
MOST health care costs are associated with indulgent lifestyles. Too much unhealthy food, not enough exercise, sitting comatose in front of a TV or computer several hours a day, drinking to excess, smoking, and for some people, engaging in reckless behavior cuz they are so tired of their lives they need something to make them feel again.

 

[HydroSqueegee]

fast food really fucks me over. its just too damned convenient.

 

[Arcadio]

Lists suck. /thread

 

[JoeyP]

The whole purpose of gift cards is to steal from you. They are assuming (correctly) that you wont use it at all, or wont use all of it up.
Free money.

Or that you'll find something you normally wouldn't buy, which is slightly more than the gift card, and you'll pitch in some of your own money to make the purchase.

But you're right: even small balances over hundreds of thousands of people equates to lots of free money. And then account for people who misplace them.

 

[ch33zw1z]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/13-ways-americans-throw-away-money.html

Which one of you guys/gals are guilty of?

Me = soda but I am cutting back, lottery but only when the jackpot was up to $200 million or more and only 1 or 2 tickets.

1. Unused gift cards - no
2. ATM fees - no
3. Traffic tickets - 1 for $100 last year
4. Candies - yes, but not excessive or everyday
5. Lottery tickets - no, idiot tax
6. Tobacco - no
7. Alcohol - no
8. CC interest - no, no cc's
9. Casino - no
10. Soda - yes, same as candies. I usually split a can with my wife on friday pizza night
11. Wasted energy - yes.
12. Wasted foods - yes, sometimes. but we try not to.
13. Bad health - yes. i don't exercise as much as I should.

 

[destrekor]

I don't do much with gift cards - it's another really good marketing campaign, or else something that practically sold itself. It's a way of taking universally-usable money and severely restricting its usage. Awesome. :thumbsup:
ATM fees....ewwwww, cash.
Traffic tickets - never gotten one.
Candy and soda: I will kill you if you keep me from these. I'm not addicted goddammit! :sneaky:
No drugs, no credit card interest.
Wasted energy and food...maybe some. Not much.
Bad health....yeah, I don't exactly exercise much. At all.




Good point. Another universal human addiction thing - second-most traded commodity behind oil.

I prefer caffeine to come in tablet form. It stores easily, is also easy to transport, and doesn't spill. But, I also don't like the severely-bitter taste of coffee unless it is mixed with absurd quantities of milk and sugar. 🙂

Good coffee can be delicious, whereas regular run-of-the-mill variety is as you described.

The good beans can also be expensive though.

They can also be ridiculously priced if they happened to be shat out by certain animals.

But yes, pills are that much better. No guesswork, no effort.

 

[QuantumPion]

Oh yeah one item that is missing from this list that should be on there is extended warantees, lol.

 

[xanis]

This list is kind of dumb because it's all subjective, really.

1. Unused gift cards
Probably the only one I agree with. Don't have any now, though.

2. ATM fees
Switched to a bank that refunds ATM fees. Non-issue.

3. Traffic tickets
Never had one, no waste here.

4. Candies
Pretzel M&Ms are one of my vices. Bought a 40oz bag for cheap though so it's not too bad.

5. Lottery tickets
Don't buy these, so I'm not wasting anything.

6. Tobacco
Don't buy tobacco products, but I do enjoy the occasional hookah session or cigar. Don't mind paying for these when it comes up.

7. Alcohol
I LOVE craft beer, and spend a lot of money on it. 100% worth it to me.

8. CC interest
I pay off my bill every month, so I have no interest.

9. Casino
Don't usually go to casinos, but if I do I don't mind dropping a few dollars for an hour or so of entertainment.

10. Soda
Don't really drink much soda these days. I maybe go through a 12-pack of Coke Zero in a month, but that's it. Definitely worth it when I do buy it though, I love my CZ.

11. Wasted energy
Not sure that I'm really wasting too much. If heating/cooling bills are high, it's because I'm willing to pay to be comfortable.

12. Wasted foods
Might cook too much sometimes, but generally I'll save all leftovers to things. Don't really waste too much these days.

13. Bad health
I pay for healthy foods and a gym membership. It's not cheap, but I don't by ANY means consider it a "waste of money".

 

[SP33Demon]

Cable TV w/ movie channels should be on this list.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Cable TV w/ movie channels should be on this list.

yea, good one. I know people that spend $200+ for their cable tv/internet/phone bundles.

maybe smart phones/data plans should be on there as well.

 

[nickbits]

1. Unused gift cards
Guilty, but only once. The opportunity to use it has never come up. It would almost cost more in gas and tolls to use it than the value of the gift card.
2. ATM fees
Not guilty
3. Traffic tickets
Not guilty minus once 8 years ago but I generally don't speed much.
4. Candies
This is not a waste of money but I really don't buy much candy.
5. Lottery tickets
Bought some when the jackpot was 640M but other than that, no I don't buy them.
6. Tobacco
Not guilty
7. Alcohol
Generally not guilty
8. CC interest
Not guilty
9. Casino
I do gamble from time to time but it is cheap entertainment
10. Soda
Rarely guilty
11. Wasted energy
Guilty big time
12. Wasted foods
Not guilty... I make sure all the leftovers in the house are eaten.
13. Bad health
I exercise everyday and eat pretty well but I do "waste" a lot of money here but there isn't much I can do about it. Find me health and drug plan with $0 copays and deductibles.

 

[poopaskoopa]

#12, #4, #10, in that order. Although my #4 is not candies and they're yuppy/artisan baked goods but I'm slowly converting to cheaper junk foods.

 

[Red Storm]

The ATM fees depends. If it saves me a heck of a lot of time and convenience to use the ATM right next to me (with fees) rather than one more than a short walk away, that's time wasted going back and forth, and time is the most valuable thing in the world.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Ehh ... it's not "throwing away" if you enjoy what you spend it on, and if it's worth the opportunity cost.

 

[IGemini]

1. Unused gift cards
- Sacrilege.
2. ATM fees
- USAA refunds my ATM fees.
3. Traffic tickets
- Never got one.
4. Candies
- I imagine baked goods fall under this as well, I enjoy a Tastykake every now and then.
5. Lottery tickets
- I might buy one on the large jackpots, maybe once a year. I usually get in the ballpark by looking at past draws but haven't won anything big yet.
6. Tobacco
- I don't smoke.
7. Alcohol
- Last case of cider I bought lasted me a couple months. If I actually get drunk, it's usually on another's dime, at least somewhat.
8. CC interest
- Don't have a CC so, no.
9. Casino
- Only time I went to one was almost a decade ago, lost interest $40 out.
10. Soda
- I work for a Sodastream distributor, I have access to plenty. I usually only get soda when ordering out.
11. Wasted energy
- My worst culprit is probably BTC mining, but that actually has a return.
12. Wasted foods
- Very little gets thrown out, can't afford wasted food right now.
13. Bad health
- If I have bad health now it's because I'm overworked. Only two days off in the past month that wasn't part of a holiday. I'm pretty sure I've lost 20 lbs over the past few months.

 

[JoeyP]

#12, #4, #10, in that order. Although my #4 is not candies and they're yuppy/artisan baked goods but I'm slowly converting to cheaper junk foods.

Remember when "gourmet" was the big thing in the 80s? That word permits bakers to charge between 50% and 100% more for a freakin cookie just because it has bigger chocolate chips.

Now the big thing is charging more by putting "artisan" in front of foods: bread, soup, cupcakes, muffins, pizza, chili...

 

[trmiv]

The only ones on there I do that I consider a waste are credit card interested and wasted foods.

Credit card interest, yea it sucks, made some bad choices. Been transferring them to zero interest though and paying them off.

Wasted foods. Super guilty of this. My wife and I buy stuff from the store for the week, and then something happens one night and we don't make it, and it goes bad. Or we buy 6 apples, eat 4, and then 2 get soft and get thrown out. etc.

Some of this can't be helped though because you can't buy stuff in smaller packages if you're just buying for two. If I want to make hamburgers for my wife and I, we have to buy 8 damn buns. I end up wasting 5-6 of them. Or an entire pack of cheese that gets partly eaten, frozen for a bit then tossed.

 

[BudAshes]

Non of the other ones really matter much compared to bad health. Though for most people with bad health someone else pays for it.