Dont you hate it when you try to save money but end up losing money?

[ManBearPig]

Case in point...I built a tv stand and built a subwoofer riser, but the riser turned out too small since I ended up with a different subwoofer since the first company sucks. Anyway, I ended up just buying a real subwoofer riser, and for almost the same total amount spent I could've just bought both the tv riser and the subwoofer riser. Its not even the money that upsets me, it's just the fact it went to waste.

Any similar stories?

 

[lxskllr]

I think that's called "Too clever by half" :^D

Can't think of anything offhand, but yea, it's a pissoff. Works with driving too. You take an elaborate shortcut to avoid minor traffic problems, and end up stopped at a bridge with a jumper. Instead of saving 15 minutes, you end up losing 1.5 hours :^D

 

[TheStu]

I wanted to save money by building my own TV stand because I couldn't quite find anything that fit what I wanted, but plenty that were close. I spent around $200 on the supplies to build it, which was the price of the close enough TV stands. When I was finished, I was not totally satisfied with the end result (the support posts are threaded steel instead of what I was actually looking for) but it is plenty strong and has tons of space, so success there I guess.

 

[LordMorpheus]

Haha - bought ball joints at Autozone and replaced them a year and a half later with Moog parts.

All the stupid shadetree mechanics learn that lesson (don't buy cheap parts) the hard way at least once. Maybe the smart ones don't have to. I certainly wouldn't know.

 

[tynopik]

water leak in old pvc line feeding the house
tried to just repair it instead of replacing it

- hired leak detector guy to pinpoint location of leak ($)
-- injecting the gas damaged the pressure regulator so that had to be replaced ($)
-- off by almost 6 feet
--- plumber wasted time digging a huge ditch ($$$)
--- plumber managed to cut enough roots to kill a tree
---- tree was large and in a difficult location so had to hire a pro to remove it ($)

- the line was repaired but soon developed another leak, so had to put in a new copper line anyways ($$)

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

I bought cheap Mexican food and it cost me a fortune in toilet paper and underwear.

 

[Ronstang]

I don't consider it losing money. When I build something it is not to save money it is because there is nothing out there that is exactly the way I want it. When I am done the cost is irrelevant because I have something tailored exactly to my needs made out of the highest quality materials with top notch craftsmanship. I guess the only way you can look at is as saving money is if I had to pay someone to make what I need, but that is something I just don't do. I do without before I will spend hard earned money on something I could have done better myself.

 

[purbeast0]

i've been doing this the past few months by putting $200/check into my roth ira ... everytime i go to put money in it seems like it's LOWER than it was before i put the previous $200 in

but in the end, I will win!

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

When I am done the cost is irrelevant because I have something tailored exactly to my needs made out of the highest quality materials with top notch craftsmanship

This isn't the result when I try to build something :\

 

[trmiv]

Pretty much what happened to me when I decided I wanted to build the stand for my next reef aquarium instead of buy it. I could have bought two fucking stands for what this project has cost me at this point, and had the new tank setup by now. Hey at least it will be for the most part how I wanted it though....sorta.

 

[Ronstang]

This isn't the result when I try to build something :\

Practice. When I started making stuff all those years ago nice craftsmanship was merely a goal. Takes time, and lots of mistakes. Like my best friend and mentor has taught me, if you aren't breaking shit you aren't learning shit. Get out of your comfort zone!!

 

[Jeff7]

I put money into my 401k account. :\
<rimshot>

Every part of it has lost value ever since I started. Oh well.
...assuming I'm reading any of this stuff correctly.

 

[Engineer]

i put money into my 401k account. :\
<rimshot>

every part of it has lost value ever since i started. Oh well.
...assuming i'm reading any of this stuff correctly.

qfmft!

 

[Sonikku]

I know that feeling. I tried to fix a red ringed 360 for $30 buying the thermal gunk remover to get rid of the puddy Microsoft used, new paste to replace it that didn't suck, hexagonal allen wrench to get the specialty screws out, hook to get the damn Xclamps off and a bunch of specialty washers and screws from lowes. Still couldn't get it to work. ;/ In hindsight even if I had succeeded it would have been a limited time fix. The best home repair in the world can't fix a piece of shit motherboard with a beastly hot GPU placed directly under a disc drive. Price cut the damn Slims already Mc$.

 

[TridenT]

Nope. For me, it is do or do not. There is no try.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Nope. For me, it is do or do not. There is no try.

Didn't you fail Calc I?

 

[ShawnD1]

I saw a microwave on sale for 100 but did not buy because i had to stop buying crap i dont need. Microwave broke and i paid 130 for that same microwave not on sale.

 

[oogabooga]

Yes, the "I'll skip buying something to save money since I don't need it now" then I need it and it's more expensive.

If only I could accurately predict my own life :|

 

[lxskllr]

I thought of one! I was at a flea market once, and some guy was selling German carving knives for about $10. I got pissed cause he wouldn't come down on the price, and walked away. The knives were probably worth $100 :^D

 

[ShawnD1]

I bought cheap Mexican food and it cost me a fortune in toilet paper and underwear.

Serious question: do you understand how a toilet works? You slide your shorts and pants down before you poop.

I thought of one! I was at a flea market once, and some guy was selling German carving knives for about $10. I got pissed cause he wouldn't come down on the price, and walked away. The knives were probably worth $100 :^D

What difference does it make where they came from? I bought a butcher knife at value village for $3, i sharpened it, and now it kills people better than a gun ever could. It also slices chicken nicely.

 

[Via]

Yes, I do this crap all of the time.

Always thinking I'm going to game life, and life always ends up gaming me.

 

[lxskllr]

What difference does it make where they came from? I bought a butcher knife at value village for $3, i sharpened it, and now it kills people better than a gun ever could. It also slices chicken nicely.

German steel is better than most, and these weren't food knives. They were for wood carving.

 

[TridenT]

Didn't you fail Calc I?

Nope? I got a 4.0 last I checked my transcript.

 

[Jeff7]

qfmft!

More fun: I also started looking around at other info on 401k accounts. Motley Fool says <0.25&#37; expense fees is a good 401k plan (can't find the damn page now though, maybe I'm not remembering correctly...). Somewhere else said to look for <1%. The options available to me are at about 1.4% - 1.93%.
Oh well, at least there's the 50% employer matching, which I'll get all of after 7 years with the company. :\

 

[RearAdmiral]

Save a penny or go make a dollar.