It's wise to be frugal regarding money, and that notion applies more than ever in today's trying economic times. But some insist on spending their hard-earned cash liberally on silly products, services, and investments.
One curious web surfer asked, “What is the dumbest thing you've seen someone spend their money on?” These were some of the best answers provided.
Multi-Level Marketing (MLM)
Someone witnessed another buying into a multi-level marketing (MLM) scheme to be the boss of themselves. MLM involves selling things to the public, usually by word of mouth and direct sales, to promote the maximum number of distributors for the product and exponentially increase the sales force.
Such schemes are generally scams. Nevertheless, it struck a chord with several users, who took turns questioning the sanity of those who buy into such schemes. One user pointed out that, in most cases, it isn't even small amounts of money being invested, and it's often hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)
Quite a few people mentioned seeing others buying non-fungible tokens (NFTs). NFTs are a recent trend that is hard to explain. They're tokens that provide unique digital identifiers that others can't copy, substitute or subdivide. They're recorded in blockchains and are used to verify authenticity and ownership.
An exasperated poster explained how their ex-boyfriend worked incredibly hard to afford an expensive NFT, insisting it would make him a millionaire, but could not sell it. Another described a coworker who refinanced his house and maxed his credit cards before encountering the same problem.
Crystals and Stones
One incensed poster answered that their mother had spent thousands of dollars on crystals and stones, many of which she gives to other people as gifts. They elaborated, saying they have no idea what to do with them, so they place them in plant pots, which inexplicably upsets their mother.
Another user responded, advising the poster to tell their mother they put the stones in plant pots to improve their plant's chi, prompting another to say that would be fighting nonsense with nonsense.
A Twitter Blue Checkmark
Since Elon Musk purchased Twitter, users can verify their accounts and receive a blue checkmark on their profile by paying a monthly fee. There's a widespread view that it's a waste of money, so one dumbfounded user provided it as an answer in this discussion.
One noted that buying a checkmark on Twitter was spending money to pretend you're a brand and increase the company's stock, which is precisely what it is.
Gambling Machines
A bar employee answered that, while they're at work, they regularly see people playing on gambling machines for 12 hours a day without winning, but when they win $700 a day later, they'll think they're on top, which isn't the case.
Another user replied that, while on a recent cruise, they watched people mindlessly hammering the buttons on such machines. It reminded them of an experiment on rats, whereby electrodes were implanted into the pleasure centers of their brains.
Pressing a button in their cages resulted in the pleasure center being stimulated. As a result, the rodents would repeatedly hit the button without even stopping to eat and starve to death with food inches away.
Televangelists
Televangelism is one of the worst scams on the planet. It's fronted by either official or self-proclaimed ministers who devote much of their ministry to television broadcasting. They exploit gullible people and take their money, prompting one user to answer this question by saying, “Televangelists.”
It elicited responses from several enraged users who found the exploitation upsetting, especially regarding exploiting the elderly. One stated they didn't recall any bible verses mentioning getting brownie points with God by giving money to scam artists with private jets.
Funkos
One user described Funkos as “the newest way to throw your money away” and referenced their 20-something nephew who spends all his money on them. If you're not aware, Funkos are licensed figurines and bobbleheads from countless media franchises manufactured by Funko Inc.
Some defended the items, saying they or their loved ones only purchase Funkos from the fandoms they're interested in. There are, however, so many (literally thousands) on sale that it's easy to get suckered into buying too many.
An Unfinished Pilot License
On another note, someone explained knowing someone who spent $15,000 on getting a private pilot license only not to complete the training. As a result, they're now $15,000 out of pocket, don't have a pilot license, and their family is struggling financially.
Being a pilot can be lucrative — starting salaries are often almost $200,000 — but spending the money to get the license and not following through on the training is wasteful to an embarrassing extent.
Dog Waste Removal
A user posted that a friend pays someone to come to their house and remove the dog waste from their yard. They allow their pet dog to do their business in their yard and spend money having someone else remove it. They stated that the friend has kids and that, if anything, they should have their kids do it as one of their chores.
Dog owners responded in disbelief, saying it isn't hard to use a scooping device to remove the nasty stuff yourself. Another responded in frustration at how parents often don't get their children to do chores these days.
Indefinite Storage Units
Storage units are great for temporarily keeping items safe in certain situations, such as during a house move. However, one user said they've seen people permanently storing things they don't need, which is a massive waste of money. As they suggested, you should throw that stuff away.
Finally, one shared they have an aunt who has a nice house full of lovely things but also has eight storage units where they keep their junk. They elaborated that one of them is solely for Christmas decorations and that every time their aunt moves home, she buys all new furniture for the house and stores all the old items.
This thread inspired this post.