What is the biggest way people waste money?

1. Paying only the minimum owed on credit card debts. Carrying a balance on credit cards for way too long.
   — What_I_Do


2. Five+ dollar coffees. When you drop by Starbucks every day for an uber fancy drink, it adds up over time.
   — kc872


3. Buying or building **way too much house**. Sure, it's nice to have a lot of space, but you will spend the rest of your life paying to heat and cool that huge dream home. Maintenance will be more expensve because you have to shingle more roof, paint more walls, clean or replace more siding, pretty much everything you do you will need to do more of. Not to mention the fact, when you retire, you better have some money put away to pay a maid, because you're going to have a hard time cleaning all that square footage when your body doesn't work like it used to.
   — PhilosophicalFarmer






4. People who buy clothes just because they're on sale. I can clothe entire homeless shelters twice over with clothes that have *never been worn* but my mom bought they only because they were on clearance.
   — the_one_true_d


5. I'm amazed no-one has said alcohol yet. I shudder to think of the amount of money I've thrown away on overpriced booze through the years. It goes in and it goes out a few minutes later. Such a waste of money.
   — Socialist7


6. Paying interest.
   — Wickerhero






7. Those in-game purchases in shitty phone app games.
   — QueenofMehhs


8. Not taking your own lunch to work and buying food out every lunchtime. This is an example of "death by a thousand cuts" - large numbers of small expenses that add up over time. At my (overpriced as fuck) office canteen it is absolutely possible to spend nearly £100 on lunch every month. Take your own and you will likely save shedloads of cash, while also losing weight. Lunch doesn't even have to be boring; you can make some really awesome wraps or make something cooked that can be reheated in a microwave. I can bring that £100 down to roughly £20 quite easily. Include something like crisps and a yoghurt, and fresh fruit, and you're golden.
   — Eddie_Hitler


9. BOTTLED WATER! I got a giant 3L water bottle at TJ Maxx and not only is a conversation starter, but I drink more water than ever before and I can refill it when its done. Bottled water is expensive and it kills the environment if you don't recycle
   — lookitsblackman






10. *Keeping up with the Jones's*. A friend's gf would piss away money almost as fast as she'd make it just so she'd *keep up* with other friends. Bought a brand new special edition Xbone with expensive headphones, despite her boyfriend already having one, just because a married couple each owned one. Bought all new bedding because someone else redid their bedroom. Almost bought a pistol because another friend also bought one.
    — the_one_true_d


11. On my wife. She'll do it for free
    — icecreampopncereal


12. Cars and technology. They will not appreciate in value unless you're talking antiques. Do you really need the newest iPhone on the market? Do you really need an Audi or Range Rover when your annual income isn't even half the car's price? Seriously.
    — Dancin9Donuts