Americans' 10 Biggest Wastes of Money

[Slickone]

Text

 

[sohcrates]

"impulse internet buys"

that's a good one actually. i'm definitely guilty of that

 

[krunchykrome]

Internet impulse buys and xmas shopping is what I'm guilty of.

 

[jimbob200521]

The pic for the fast food made me laugh!

I'm a big one on fast food, for some reason I feel the need to waste money every day and eat out at lunch.

 

[wyvrn]

I would agree with the list, but it's incomplete. Americans spend more money on recurring monthly subscriptions than anything else. For example, cell phones, television, internet access, etc... You get value but the recurring charge can quickly destroy a budget and any hopes of savings.

 

[yobarman]

Eh, I'm 4/10 so I guess its not too bad

 

[dullard]

Some good stuff there. But they missed what I think is America's #1 waste: prolonging life at all costs. America is one of the only countries that does this. Installing a $5000 feeding tube to let your 97-year old grandpartent live 1 more week isn't a good use of money. $300,000 to let a brain dead person live on life support another few years isn't a good use of money. $5000/month for a prescription drug to extend a life of someone in immense, excruciating suffering and pain isn't a good use of money. When you no longer can enjoy life, and when it is your time to go, let yourself go. Then don't pay $20,000 to put the dead body in the ground. I could do that for the cost of a $10 shovel.

 

[compnovice]

Originally posted by: dullard
Some good stuff there. But they missed what I think is America's #1 waste: prolonging life at all costs. America is one of the few countries that does this. Installing a $5000 feeding tube to let your 97-year old grandpartent live 1 more week isn't a good use of money. $300,000 to let a brain dead person live on life support another few years isn't a good use of money. $5000/month for a prescription drug to extend a life of someone in immense, excruciating suffering and pain isn't a good use of money.

Life > money

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: compnovice
Life > money

Just plain false.

70+ years of the wonderful/happy part of life > money.

The last few weeks of complete suffering << money.

 

[jtusa]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: compnovice
Life > money

Just plain false.

70+ years of the wonderful/happy part of life > money.

The last few weeks of complete suffering << money.

Agreed, if it were me suffering, I'd rather my family let me die, cremate(sp?) me, then take the money and go on a Caribbean vacation and toss my ashes off the side of a yacht while partying it up.

 

[mugs]

Funny how the picture for "inefficient cars" is a Prius. Obviously that was intended to be the opposite of the inefficient cars, but it is a big waste of money itself.

 

[crystal]

Extravagant weddings - don't know about extravagant but it sure cost a bunch.
?Premium? coffee-to-go - Starbuck becomes as big as it is now because of the amount I spend on its coffee while in college. I really cut down on this. I maybe get a grande once a blue moon.
Impulse Internet buys - still try to smack this bug.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: dullard
Some good stuff there. But they missed what I think is America's #1 waste: prolonging life at all costs. America is one of the only countries that does this. Installing a $5000 feeding tube to let your 97-year old grandpartent live 1 more week isn't a good use of money. $300,000 to let a brain dead person live on life support another few years isn't a good use of money. $5000/month for a prescription drug to extend a life of someone in immense, excruciating suffering and pain isn't a good use of money. When you no longer can enjoy life, and when it is your time to go, let yourself go. Then don't pay $20,000 to put the dead body in the ground. I could do that for the cost of a $10 shovel.

and then we wonder why our medical care expenditures top 15% of GDP.

 

[txrandom]

Americans' Biggest Waste of Money: AOL

 

[forfor]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: compnovice
Life > money

Just plain false.

70+ years of the wonderful/happy part of life > money.

The last few weeks of complete suffering << money.

Its not a matter of life vs. money. People have emotions, we love, laugh, cry, etc. with other people. Its not easy. No money can be worth more than my loved ones.

 

[Cattlegod]

Originally posted by: sohcrates
"impulse internet buys"

that's a good one actually. i'm definitely guilty of that

bahah, i just spent 18 bucks last night buying a cheap usb hub and usb battery charger and 3 keychain LED lights.

i've survived 25 years without that stuff, i'm sure i could have survived another 25 without it

 

[forfor]

Originally posted by: jtusa

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: compnovice
Life > money

Just plain false.

70+ years of the wonderful/happy part of life > money.

The last few weeks of complete suffering << money.

Agreed, if it were me suffering, I'd rather my family let me die, cremate(sp?) me, then take the money and go on a Caribbean vacation and toss my ashes off the side of a yacht while partying it up.

Would you really go to the Caribbean and party after pulling the plug on your mom/dad/sibling? If yes, I am sorry for you and your family, obviously you had a very inaffactionate relationship.

 

[z0mb13]

my problems: starbucks (once a week), gambling (dang you texas holdem!)

 

[Pocatello]

Originally posted by: sohcrates
"impulse internet buys"

that's a good one actually. i'm definitely guilty of that

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: dullard
Some good stuff there. But they missed what I think is America's #1 waste: prolonging life at all costs. America is one of the only countries that does this. Installing a $5000 feeding tube to let your 97-year old grandpartent live 1 more week isn't a good use of money. $300,000 to let a brain dead person live on life support another few years isn't a good use of money. $5000/month for a prescription drug to extend a life of someone in immense, excruciating suffering and pain isn't a good use of money. When you no longer can enjoy life, and when it is your time to go, let yourself go. Then don't pay $20,000 to put the dead body in the ground. I could do that for the cost of a $10 shovel.

and then we wonder why our medical care expenditures top 15% of GDP.

Word.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: forfor
Its not a matter of life vs. money. People have emotions, we love, laugh, cry, etc. with other people. Its not easy. No money can be worth more than my loved ones.

I never said money is worth more than your loved ones. I stated that forcing your loved ones to suffer in immense pain just so that they live a week or a month longer is not love. No, that is in fact cruel and unusual torture of your "loved" ones and a waste of money. Think about it, how evil are you to force your loved ones to suffer just so that you can be selfish enough to see them wince in pain for one more night?

Your loved ones will always be around, before or after their death. You'll always have the ability to love, laugh, cry, etc. Needlessly prolonging death doesn't help any of these.

Money cannot buy happiness. Especially in the last throws of a sick and dying person's life.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: forfor

Originally posted by: jtusa
Agreed, if it were me suffering, I'd rather my family let me die, cremate(sp?) me, then take the money and go on a Caribbean vacation and toss my ashes off the side of a yacht while partying it up.

Would you really go to the Caribbean and party after pulling the plug on your mom/dad/sibling? If yes, I am sorry for you and your family, obviously you had a very inaffactionate relationship.

You can mourn their death or celebrate their life. When my uncle died the funeral was a solemn event, but when we got back to the house we all had a great time sharing memories of him.

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: wyvrn
I would agree with the list, but it's incomplete. Americans spend more money on recurring monthly subscriptions than anything else. For example, cell phones, television, internet access, etc... You get value but the recurring charge can quickly destroy a budget and any hopes of savings.

Yep - I was expecting to see cable TV and cell phone plans on that list. I know some people that spend > $100/month on each of those.

 

[jmcoreymv]

I'm 0/10 suckers!

 

[dainthomas]

Originally posted by: forfor

Originally posted by: jtusa

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: compnovice
Life > money

Just plain false.

70+ years of the wonderful/happy part of life > money.

The last few weeks of complete suffering << money.

Agreed, if it were me suffering, I'd rather my family let me die, cremate(sp?) me, then take the money and go on a Caribbean vacation and toss my ashes off the side of a yacht while partying it up.

Would you really go to the Caribbean and party after pulling the plug on your mom/dad/sibling? If yes, I am sorry for you and your family, obviously you had a very inaffactionate relationship.

It's called celebrating someone's life. I sure wouldn't want my family sulking around for months all mopey and depressed. How is that honoring you?