People Who Save Thousands Simply Refuse To Spend Money On These 21 Useless Things
Smart savers know it's not what you buy — it's what you skip.
Ahmed | Unsplash Let’s be real: most of us don’t go broke because of one catastrophic purchase. It’s not the yacht. It’s not the mansion. It’s the constant drip-drip-drip of small, stupid spending that bleeds us dry.
But the reality is that a lot of the stuff you’re wasting money on isn’t just unnecessary — it’s actively designed to manipulate you. Companies study your psychology, your weaknesses, your FOMO, and then sell you garbage that feels good in the moment but leaves your bank account gasping for air.
So let’s call it out. Here are 21 things that are draining your wallet — and why cutting them might just save your future.
People who save thousands simply refuse to spend money on these 21 useless things:
1. Brand-name groceries
Buying the “premium” ketchup when the store brand tastes the same? That’s not gourmet taste — that’s brand brainwashing.
Why we fall for it: familiarity bias. You grew up seeing those logos, so your brain links them to trustworthiness. It’s not trust. It’s marketing.
2. Fast fashion
PeopleImages / Shutterstock
That $15 T-shirt that falls apart after three washes isn’t a bargain. It’s a scam. Multiply it by dozens of cheap buys, and you’ve spent more than you would on durable, quality clothes.
Why we fall for it: instant gratification. You feel good buying something new, even though deep down you know it’s disposable.
3. Bottled water
Unless you live somewhere with unsafe tap water, bottled water is liquid money-burning. It’s up to 2,000 times more expensive than what comes out of your faucet.
Why we fall for it: the health halo. Slap a mountain logo on it and suddenly it feels purer, even though a lot of bottled water is just filtered tap anyway.
4. Gym memberships you don’t use
If you’re paying $70 a month for the privilege of walking past the gym on your way to Starbucks, cancel it.
Why we fall for it: optimism bias. You convince yourself future you will totally use it. Spoiler: future you also likes Netflix more than treadmills.
5. Extended warranties
Retailers push them because they’re pure profit. The odds of you ever using that warranty on your toaster or headphones are minuscule.
Why we fall for it: fear. Companies prey on the tiny chance of disaster. You’re not buying protection. You’re buying peace of mind that’s rarely needed.
6. Coffee-to-go addiction
Daily lattes add up faster than you think. “It’s just five bucks” turns into $1,800 a year.
Why we fall for it: habit stacking. You don’t just want caffeine — you want the ritual, the smell, the cup in your hand. That $5 is buying you a feeling, not coffee.
7. Lottery tickets
Odds of winning big? Worse than being struck by lightning while being mauled by a bear.
Why we fall for it: hope is cheap. When life feels stuck, a $2 ticket feels like a buying possibility. The problem is, it’s a possibility that will never arrive. I am, however, guilty of this one. It is what it is. Somebody has to win — why not me?
8. Cable TV packages
Paying $120 a month for 200 channels you don’t watch is peak financial masochism.
Why we fall for it: loss aversion. You don’t want to cancel because “what if I miss something?” But in reality, you’re missing money more than you show.
9. Designer logo overload
That giant logo plastered across your chest? You’re literally paying to advertise for a company.
Why we fall for it: social proof. If everyone around you thinks the logo means success, your brain wants in. You’re not wearing clothes. You’re wearing validation.
10. Trendy tech upgrades
Your old phone still works. But every year, Apple convinces millions to drop $1,000 for a slightly better camera.
Why we fall for it: FOMO. You’re terrified of being behind. Even though your current phone does 99% of what the new one does.
11. Subscription overload
Individually, $9.99 a month doesn’t feel like much. But stacked together, it’s hundreds a year.
Why we fall for it: out of sight, out of mind. Auto-renewal makes sure you never notice. It’s digital pickpocketing.
12. Luxury skincare and cosmetics
The $300 miracle cream is only slightly better than a $20 drugstore version.
Why we fall for it: aspiration marketing. They’re not selling moisturizer — they’re selling youth, beauty, hope. You’re buying a fantasy, not science.
13. Daily food delivery
Ordering lunch every day instead of packing one adds up to thousands a year.
Why we fall for it: convenience bias. Your brain overvalues easy now and undervalues money later. Of course, if it saves you time that makes you money later, go for it. If you’re just going to use that time to binge on even more Netflix, just put together a salad for tomorrow.
14. Credit card interest
fizkes / Shutterstock
This isn’t a thing you buy, but it’s one of the biggest money wasters. Carrying a balance means you’re paying banks for the privilege of being broke.
Why we fall for it: present bias. Swiping feels painless now. The pain comes later, and humans are terrible at thinking long-term.
15. Holiday consumer madness
Christmas, Valentine’s, Halloween — every holiday is hijacked into a spending orgy.
Why we fall for it: tradition pressure. Nobody wants to be the bad friend, spouse, or parent. So we buy to prove love. Companies profit.
16. Big weddings
Dropping $30,000 to feed distant relatives you don’t even like is insanity.
Why we fall for it: cultural signaling. Weddings aren’t just about love — they’re about showing status, tradition, and family pride. That’s why couples bankrupt themselves for one day.
17. Overpriced coffee machines and gadgets
That $300 kitchen gadget you swore you’d use daily is a dust collector, just like the treadmill you bought two years ago, isn’t it?
Why we fall for it: identity bias. You’re not buying a gadget. You’re buying the fantasy version of yourself — the master chef, the fit god, the artisan barista.
18. Luxury cars on lease
Leasing a luxury car is just renting a status at a premium.
Why we fall for it: status addiction. Cars aren’t transportation anymore. They’re rolling billboards for how successful you want strangers to think you are.
19. Fast furniture
That $50 desk looks great in the showroom, but it collapses in a year.
Why we fall for it: instant reward. Quality takes planning and upfront cost. Cheap scratches the itch today, while your future self inherits the wobbling mess.
20. Smoking and vaping
Nothing says burning money like literally burning money.
Why we fall for it: chemical hooks + social cues. Cigarettes and vapes are addictive by design, wrapped in culture and cool-factor. You think you’re choosing. You’re not.
21. Cheap flights with hidden costs
That $29 flight turns into $200 after baggage fees, seat fees, and breathing fees.
Why we fall for it: anchoring effect. The low starting price locks your brain into deal mode, and you ignore the pile of fees tacked on after.
Why do we keep buying garbage we don’t need?
It’s not stupidity. It’s psychology. Companies weaponize your impulses: fear of missing out, social comparison, and instant gratification. You’re not weak — you’re targeted.
Advertising isn’t just about selling a product. It’s about selling identity. When you buy the garbage on this list, you’re not buying things. You’re buying feelings: belonging, status, security.
And feelings fade. But the bill doesn’t.
The Future Warning: from tiny wastes to lifelong debt
Here’s the part nobody likes to think about. All those little money leaks don’t just disappear. They snowball.
A $5 latte habit can turn into tens of thousands lost over decades when you factor in compound interest you never earned. Subscription creep quietly steals what could’ve been a retirement fund. Weddings, cars, gadgets — every “just this once” splurge becomes another brick in the wall of lifelong debt.
Individually, these wastes seem harmless. Collectively, they’re financial slavery dressed up as normal life. And the corporations know it. They don’t need to trap you with one giant expense. They just need you to bleed out slowly, smiling as you swipe.
The real danger isn’t the stuff you buy. It’s the life you never get to build because you were too busy funding everyone else’s profits.
Reclaiming your money (and your sanity)
Here’s the brutal truth: nobody is broke because of one bad splurge. We’re broke because of death by a thousand swipes.
But every little cut can be stopped. Every pointless latte, pointless subscription, pointless logo: start cutting, and you start clawing back freedom.
Because every dollar you don’t waste is a dollar you can put toward something that actually matters: freedom, security, dignity. So stop buying this garbage. Stop letting companies weaponize your brain against your future.
Because in the end, real wealth isn’t about the things you own. It’s about the things you don’t waste it on.
Mona Lazar is a writer and unconventional relationship coach with words published in Better Humans, Medium, Illumination, The Soulciety, Newsbreak, The Startup, Hello, Love, The Good Men Project, Curious, and others.
