Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down What Is The Most Expensive Total Waste Of Money

Money is a tricky topic to discuss.


You (hopefully) work hard for it, so you should be allowed to spend it however you want. This article isn't about dunking on people who want to buy themselves a special treat at the end of an incredibly hard week or people who spend their money on a slightly overpriced hobby to connect with their friends or family.

No, this is about items and lifestyles that absolutely no one should be spending money on. Ever.

Reddit user, Animeking1108, wanted to know what to save our money on when they asked:

"What is the most expensive waste of money?"

Maybe the person spending the money has, in their own mind, a "good reason." Perhaps they think of it as an investment in their future, or they're seeing something that can help guide them to a better life.

Whatever the case, you can talk to them later when they sadly discuss their lost income.

I Foresee A Lack Of Money In Your Wallet...

"My ex-girlfriend had an obsession with phone psychics. Not all at once, but over the course of a single year she spent over $15k getting 'life advice' from multiple psychic lines."

"No one in her circle of family or friends could convince her to stop. I haven't spoken with her in a few years but I wouldn't be surprised if she's still wasting her money on them."

Hollywood899

"Haha my friend used to be a phone psychic and she got paiiiiid. She said the people who typically called would obviously want to hear her say certain things so she would say them and they’d just keep calling."

wasabitamale

Kind Of Tricky To Pack Up The Kids In A Lamborghini

"Buying expensive cars. I mean I get it, they're nice, they're flashy, and really cool to own. But honestly all cars do pretty much the same thing. As long as I have a way to get myself safely from point A to point B I really don't care if my car looks like sh-t"

Useless_Pineapples

Stop Going, Until We Figure It Out

"College textbooks"

Kartoffel_bob

"I’m a professor and I hate the prices of textbooks. It’s so gross. I use Open Education Resources for most of my classes and if I have to assign a textbook that costs money I’m finding the cheapest one (like $20). Cause f-ck the textbook publishing companies."

"We need more professors fighting against this scam. Don’t get me started with online textbooks and quizzes. Those professors are just lazy. I teach 8 classes and I’m able to hand grade everything!"

MelyssaRave

Copy + Paste

"NFTs"

KingJenx

"Best answer. They seem like the lowest possible return on investment, since they're just a digital receipt for a digital image"

CosmicShadowMario

"But NFTs are way more convenient than actual art for laundering money."

TangoDeltaFoxtrot

Gotta Buy Them All

"Toys to life games. Anyone remember skylanders? You’d buy the $40 game then spend hundreds on buying characters, only to realize all of them have basically the same attacks."

Imreadytofight8

Car Go Vroom-Vroom?

"Top end engines. Unless you can use them to their full potential or you are in love with the vehicle and can really appreciate the engineering that goes into it."

"Most of us are driving normally or breaking the speed limit by 20, which the standard engines can do. However with that top end engine, your paying for maintenance on a car that you are not using to it's full potential."

kingofthelostboys

Not all money-sucking ventures are new. In fact, many expensive cash burners have been around longer than some of us have been alive. After all, greed isn't exactly a new thing, but sometimes it takes some modern day thinking to overcome it.

No Content. Only Ads.

"Cable service, especially since half the channels are f-cking ads"

Firebolt164

"Oh man. Took my wife and daughter to Disneyworld last week (don't get me started on the P-I-T-A has become), stayed at Holiday Inn Orlando, just down the street from Disney Springs; their TV first didn't give you any ability to stream from a personal device -which pissed me off (my local Howard J's does that here in NJ)- and so it was all commercial watching"

1-LegInDaGrave

Caught Up In The Cycle

"Payday loans. Is that still a thing?"

kincage

"Oh man I know this one. My dad lost his cushy job and had to take a massive pay cut so with all his expenses he’s on payday loan from A to pay back B to get more cash to pay off C and it goes on and on. My grandma always said my dad borrows from Peter to pay Paul. I’m not quite sure who those people are but it sounds right to me. Poor guy is still on that track almost 20 years later."

PretendThisIsMyName

This Feels Like A Real Missed Opportunity

"The Olympics. More specifically the building in host cities."

TraitorHunter

"Yep. We’re getting ready to host in ‘28 here in LA, and we already have all the existing stadiums etc. Its still looking to be quite expensive, though, especially as we’re trying to upgrade so much of our infrastructure and public transit and whatnot."

"I can’t imagine what it’s like for places who have to build everything."

michiness

Think Before You Drink

"Im going to get sh-t on for this."

"Expensive wine/alcohol. Especially if it's your second or third bottle of the evening ( with friends, Im no monster)"

"My logic on this:"

"There are some amazing "expensive" wines (75-200.00 per bottle, I mean skies the limit but I can't touch the sky at this point in my life). I think its nice to enjoy them every now and then with someone who appreciates them. Then once the buzz hits, it's back to the 15-30.00 bottles for me."

"However going to a restaurant and ordering a 300.00 bottle that is 100.00-125.00 at a liquor store seems dumb to me."

"The same goes for high end liquor. I can get just as greased off a 50.00 bottle of scotch as I can off of a 200.00 bottle of scotch. And after one or two they taste pretty similar to me."

"I realize eventually you are paying for the "story" of the vineyard or distillery. But sh-t. It's not thaaaat good of a story."

kingofthelostboys

If you're spending more than a few bucks on a bottle of water, maybe consider finding a good charity to give all of your extra income to because, wow.

For Those In The Back: It's. Water.

"Designer water"

invalidpassword

"Dafuq is 'designer water'?"

bussy-enjoyer

"Excuse me, that's DaFuq™ Designer Water."

bundleofschtick

"I love seeing a friend drinking a Voss Water. "Hey take that cap off the water I'll show you a neat trick." " Hold the cap up to your ear, do you hear that?" " That's the sound of their director of marketing laughing at you."

unitednihilists

Smart Fridge. Dumb Purchase.

"Those fancy smart fridges. Smartphones and tablets already exist, I don't need all that shizz in my fridge. Along with the ice and water dispensers. My grandparents have one of those fridges and they have to pay money every 6 months to change the filters for those, and it's hella expensive each time. If you break the touchscreen, you have to pay all 4 of your limbs to repair it. Yes, this is based on experience."

Due-Championship-841

Be A Better Influence

"Clothing hauls from fast fashion brands like shein"

"If you’re an influencer, and you have money, you shouldn’t spend so much on such a harmful industry"

Bobbo_Blobbo

But You're Paying For "The Experience"

"Bottle service. $40 Grey Goose becomes $600+"

whodey2016

Wait, This Was A Thing??

"The I’m rich app. When launched, the screen only contains a glowing red gem and an icon"

"It cost $999.99. You can’t buy it anymore but it was an expensive waste of money."

GonnaGoFat

Paying To Burn The World

"A gender reveal party that burns down half of the state?"

wickedblight

"It really sucks that half of California is on fire but hey it's a boy!"

DogsAreCool69420

Boom. Topical.

"War. Having a sworn enemy is expensive."

theProfileGuy

"Did you know the war in afghanistan cost the USA $300 million per day for two decades?"

"Insanity."

PM_ME_AYY_LMAOS

"Another great way to visualize it is $75 million per enemy combatant killed"

hoCyb3ron

Be wise with your money. Get the things that make you happy, as this is the only life we have to live after all.

But, really, water? You want to buy overpriced water?

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Pam Bondi
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Photo Of Epstein Victims Standing Behind Pam Bondi As She Ignores Them Goes Viral—And It's One For The History Books

Attorney General Pam Bondi's appearance before the House Judiciary Committee will now forever be associated with a viral photo captured by Getty Images photographer Roberto Schmidt showing several victims of the late financier, sex trafficker, and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein raising their hands to signal that Bondi and the Justice Department had ignored their accounts.

Democrats repeatedly pressed Bondi over what they described as her dismissive posture toward the crimes of Epstein and the influential figures named in recently released files.

Keep ReadingShow less
Margot Robbie attends the "Wuthering Heights" Australian Premiere at State Theatre in Sydney, Australia.
Don Arnold/WireImage via Getty Images

Fans Horrified After Margot Robbie Reveals Weight-Shaming 'Gift' She Once Got From Male Costar

Margot Robbie is reflecting on a moment from early in her career that still stings.

The Australian actor and producer appeared on Complex’s GOAT Talk series on February 9, where she sat down with Charli XCX to discuss her career, romance films, and the worst gift she has ever received. What followed was a candid story about a male costar who handed her something that felt less like a present and more like a pointed message.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot from Redditor Bulgingpants' Reddit post
u/Bulgingpants/Reddit

Restaurant Sparks Heated Debate After Adding Mandatory 20% No-Tipping Fee To Diners' Checks

Tipping culture is an incredibly divisive topic, leading people to question if customers and restaurant guests should be made responsible for the livelihood of those who serve them their meals at these establishments.

Redditor Bulgingpants added fuel to the fire when they shared a receipt in the "End Tipping" subReddit from a restaurant called Burdell in Oakland, California, remarking:

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @hackedliving's TikTok video
@hackedliving/TikTok

Viral Video Of Delivery Robot Maneuvering Around Unhoused Man In Miami Is Honestly So Dystopian

Technology is here to make our lives more convenient and successful, but it has a chilling way of calling out problems that we're experiencing.

In a TikTok video recorded by TikToker @hackedliving, an delivery robot named "Akira" was seen rolling down a sidewalk in Miami, eyes blinking as it approached its destination.

Keep ReadingShow less
'Dawson's Creek' cast
Warner Bros./Getty Images

'Dawson's Creek' Stars Lead Poignant Tributes To James Van Der Beek After His Tragic Death At 48

After revealing to the public in November 2025 that he was battling colorectal cancer, James Van Der Beek passed away on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, at the age of 48.

Fans became concerned last December about the severity of his condition when Van Der Beek was unable to appear at the Dawson's Creek reunion at New York's Richard Rodgers Theatre, due to having multiple illnesses at once because of his weakened immune system.

Keep ReadingShow less