"They Are Way Too Expensive For No Reason": People Are Ranting About The Everyday Items They're Sick Of Repurchasing
A lot of finance personalities love to talk about "spending for joy." But in the real world, there are things we need to buy all the time that we get absolutely no joy from purchasing. So when u/legitbk asked people on Reddit to share things they get really annoyed about having to repurchase, there were tons of relatable responses. Here's what people had to say:
1."I really resent having to spend money on boring things like spatulas and shower heads, and when one breaks, it’s like the entire futility of existence comes crashing down on me. Like, I bought a spatula, and now I have to buy another spatula? WHERE DOES IT END?!"
"Don't get me started on the spatulas. I don't remember ever having to replace our family's rubber spatula growing up. But even with gentle use and hand washing, it seems like the silicone kind (the only kind I seem to be able to find these days) cracks at the drop of a hat. I swear I need to buy a new one every couple years or so."
2."Non-stick frying pans. I have a few things that are an absolute nightmare to cook in anything that's not non-stick. But the non-stickiness wears off with time, and I absolutely hate buying a new one. Do I get the same one because I was so satisfied with it in the beginning? Do I try a different brand to see if the non-stick lasts longer?"
3."Filters, for Britas, air purifiers, vacuums, etc."
"Yes! Why does the damn fridge filter cost $50+?"
4."Jeans, mainly 'cause it’s horrible to try and find pairs that fit right. And women's jeans styles change, so it’s not like guys' where you can wear a Levi 505 for decades and always replace them with the exact same thing."
"I was going to answer socks and underwear for a similar reason — you can never find the same ones by the time your current stash wears out."
5."Any electronics or appliances. I feel like they should last a lifetime, or at least 40 years."
"The appliances I bought five to seven years ago are already dead. I’ve stopped listening to Consumer Reports and star ratings and just go for basic appliances. At least I can try to fix basic. All the more advanced models involve too many electrical parts that I can’t figure out.
It grinds my gears that my parents were able to get 20 years out of most of their appliances and mine can’t even last a decade."
6."Sheets and blankets. They always start with a stray thread, a pin-size hole, and now they have holes you can stick your hand through. My $3 T-shirt from Walmart is going on 10 years no hassle, but my expensive bedding doesn’t last a year."
7."Plastic trash bags. I hate spending money on something with the sole purpose of throwing it out. Our trash won't get collected if it's not in plastic bags."
8."Cat litter!!! Why am I buying expensive sand for the guy just to shit in??"
9."Phone cables. No matter the cost, they ALL break. And it is the expensive ones that last the shortest time!"
"I get my wife a three-pack every Christmas. It’s become a running joke."
10."My catalytic converter that got stolen."
11."Can openers. I use them, like, a dozen times, and they always break. Doesn't seem to matter if I paid $1 or $20 for them, they always break. There's actual search history on my phone, asking how to use a can opener just in case I'm that dumb. I just avoid cans that aren't pull top now."
12."Printer cartridges. For fucks sake, a new printer is nearly as expensive. Pisses me off knowing we've collectively enabled this corporate greed."
13."My phone every two years. I just so deeply do not want a new one, but lo and behold, every two years it seems to stop working in one way or another."
14."Kid's jackets and water bottles. I drop off and wife picks him up. Every morning it's, 'Where is his jacket? Did he come home with one?'"
15."Televisions! I remember back in my day they would last for 20+ years, and the only reason you would replace them was because a new shiny model was out. Now, you are lucky to get six years out of it before the LED lights start to go."
16."Light bulbs! They are way too expensive for no reason. I will literally move bulbs around if there are multiple ones in a fixture out of principle."
17."Bras."
"Super expensive, and they get bad very easy even if you try to wash them by hand. I spent $300 last July on bras, and it seems like for December I'll have to spend more."
18."Paper towels and toilet paper. So expensive. I tend to use towels in lieu of paper towels, but other people in my house use tons."
19."Makeup. Some runs out so fast, like lipstick, eyeshadow and concealer, mascara. Quality lasts the best and adds the most joy to my life, but it hurts to replace. I've tried so often to find cheaper dupes but can't."
20."Music. I've had music on vinyl, cassette tape, CD, and now they want me to pay for a subscription."
21."Eyelash curler. Hear me out. You can't buy the replacement rubber piece on its own. Manufacturers don't sell them separately. You have to buy a whole new lash curler setup. It is an absolute waste of $20 and a racket so the consumer spends more. Manufacturers used to sell them separately; now they do not."
22."Ongoing subscription fees. I bought a doorbell camera earlier this year. I really enjoyed it. After the free trial period expired, it really annoys me that I bought the premium doorbell with all the features, but unless I send $50/year extra, I lose all of those extra features."
Is there anything that you despise having to buy and rebuy and rebuy again? Let's talk about it in the comments.
