Well, with bottled water, I'd say you are paying for the convenience and the plastic bottle it comes in, not the water itself. I often buy a bottle of water, then regularly refill it at the tap and use it for awhile until it gets gross.
I spent the first eighteen years of my life thinking water tasted extremely gross. I definitely never bought a bottle of water during that time because why would I pay for something that a) I can get for free and b) tastes nasty?
I finally decided to switch to drinking almost nothing but water for my health. I still couldn't stand tap water taste so I tried bottled water. It took that bottle of water to make me realize that it isn't water itself that tastes disgusting, it's whatever is in the water where I live. It's safe to drink, but it has an awful taste.
I can spend $2 to get enough cheap, off-brand water bottles to last me a week or more. I consider that worth avoiding the taste of the local tap water.
Starbucks. Specifically coffee. I understand if you want a frappe or something else that can be tricky to make at home, but save your money and make your own coffee.
Due to working as a barista I've recently developed a caffeine addiction. I'm allowed to make myself the best damn coffee in the world and sip on it throughout my shifts, no charge. This means that on my days off I feel hungover until I get my precious coffee. And I don't get free coffee when I'm not working. I probably spend over $10 a day on the stuff. God help me.
Have you considered buying a personal espresso machine? Obviously, they're not cheap, but you might end up saving money in the long run. Also, how cool would that be to have one of those in your kitchen to where you could make almost every drink you could at work?
Get a coffee maker that grinds the beans right before making the coffee. Much better than the starbucks shit if you find beans that you like. Personally, I like the Mayorca ones at costco.
Coffee maker = $100
Beans = $10 per 2 weeks if you drink it like water
Starbucks @ 3cups/week ~~ $30 per week
100 + 10(x/2) = 30x
10(x/2) = 30x - 100
x/2 = 3x - 10
x = 6x - 20
-5x = -20
x = 4
If I did that right, then after 4 weeks, you're saving money. This is using very safe estimates.
you know when you say you can't afford something relatively cheap (usually it's the charity muggers) and people go "it's only the price of a cup of coffee!". Well screw those people, i don't drink crazy expensive fancy coffee. I barely drink instant make at home coffee. I hate that phrase.
Here it's some newspaper and the government that does that. Someone even made a website to make the conversion (you have to pick between Tim Hortons and Starbuck prices).
hey, you can take instant coffee, put a little vanilla flavoring in it( or what ever flavor you like) put a little cream in it... i do it all the time. good stuff!
I don't get coffee, it just makes me want to shit. I just stick to caffeine pills that cost less than 10 cents for the same amount that you get in a regular coffee.
And don't forget the culture of coffee drinking. I think mostly about European countries (?) where you get your coffee in "real" cups (not that plastic or paper cup ones).
I hate paper cups, they can instantly destroy the flavour of the best coffee. Even with mediocre coffee like the one at Starbucks you can notice the difference between a proper ceramic cup and the paper cup.
I can't go by without coffee now. I drink it black or with a little bit of milk, depending on how good it is. It's about taste, not energy, as caffeine doesn't do shit to me - I used to (over)drink energy drinks and I could sleep straight after drinking one.
If you want a really good coffee try a cold brew. You basically just pour the grinded coffee in cold water and put it in your fridge for 12 hours. You can then drink it cold or heat it (but cold is cool, it's summer after all).
It tastes sweeter and less bitter the a hot brew and you won't ever have to put milk in it.
Meh, won't be able to find double cream around here! Dairy products are heavily controlled and heavy heat pasteurized around here, seems like the closest thing we have is heavy cream, which looks like isn't even closely the same.
I disagree. If you're there for just a coffee, no latte frappe caramel tazo tea, a grande (which is plenty of coffee) is about $2. That's the same as a can of pop from a vending machine. The quality obviously won't be nearly as good as a privately run roaster, but it's much better than any other large chain I can think of.
It's actually not too bad with free refills. My wife and I will hang out at Starbucks if we're bored. She gets those flavored Iced Teas and I get Iced Coffee with a splash of heavy cream. We usually get three refills and then one for the road. For $7-$8 we have a good 2+ hour date of talking, browsing the web on our laptops, and drinking delicious beverages. That being said, I can't just get a drink and leave, because $7 for two 20oz drinks is just crazy talk.
You have to get a Starbucks card. Basically, any gift card can be reloaded and added to a your account to become your card. After 5 purchases on the card, you're "green level" and you get free refills on tea or coffee (both either hot or iced) while in-store.
A good café has a good grinder. My home grinder, although expensive, can't touch the grinders they have in cafés. That's the reason I tend to drink V60 in cafés in addition to at home.
I avoided the safety razors because I thought it was just a huge hipster circle-jerk, and I would get the Mach 3s from Costco at a good price. Earlier this week, I got crazy and ordered a safety razor starter kit and shaved yesterday. HOLY FUCK WHAT A DIFFERENCE! It's not even a little or just a preference...it really is that much better.
Edit/addition: and those poor people that use the blue or yellow totally disposable ones. That's like taking a bath with a rock instead of a loofah or wash cloth.
I used to use a straight razor. It was awesome, I stopped breaking out on my face within a week of starting, and I was baby smooth. But I had surgery on my neck two years ago and I haven't had feeling in my neck since, so now I'm too nervous to use it.
Plus, it impresses the hell out of anyone who finds you use a straight. I've gotten some pretty interesting looks when I mention it. Mostly of the 'What, are you fookin' nuts?' variety, followed by respect when they realize I'm not joking.
Anything to recommend on that? I don't know crap about it and recently (!) had to start shaving more often than before. I'm 24 and just started to finally grow more hair than I did - used to take me weeks to get semi-decent facial hair, now takes a couple of days...
Many people think that proper shaving soap is even more important to get a proper shave. I'm not too sure which contibutes most, I switch both at the same time. But the point is that you need to get yourself a proper brush and some shaving soap. For now, you can put the soap in a regular mug but at some point you'll want a dedicated shaving scuttle (because it looks cooler, not because it's any more convenient).
The number one mistake you are going to do with your new razors is put too much pressure. That's the one everyone makes. You won't cut yourself any more than with the toy razors (it's called safety razor for a reason!) but it won't be a great shave. The right amount of pressure you have to apply is zero. The only thing that presses it against your face is the weight of the metal.
You might want to get a straight razor instead because that's more fun. Well... That part is pretty subjective. :)
Point is you need to stop buying crappy disposable toy razors that only exists so that the companies manufacturing them can make buttloads of money.
Disposable razors are the printers of personal care. Make no money on the initial sale, rip off the customers with the refills.
I've got an electric razor I've received as a christmas present that does a decent job, but I always feel like I do the job faster with a regular one. Might look into those safety razors then! Thanks again.
I would recommend a Merkur 23C - long handle or a Merkur 34C - short handle. Probably better with the 23C to begin with. Get wilkinson sword blades. All from Amazon.
I use normal shaving gel. You need to practice a bit but once you have it learned you won't forget.
I'd have to add, get a sampler pack of razor blades. Different blades work better/worse for different faces.
Also, (while I'm not sure this is cool or not...) check out Reddit's wicked edge subreddit. They are incredibly helpful and there is more than enough information to get you started properly.
yep, I haven't used a razor on my face in approx. 6 years now. I still trim my beard every now and then, but never shorter than the beard trimmer without a guard.
Agreed also for those people just starting to grow hair /u/folkrav or who have never had a beard before - it won't itch forever only a week or two until the hair gets long enough
Med schools have Integrative Medicine Clubs where they try to show that homeopathy (and other alternative medicine) used in conjunction with normal treatments can be beneficial to the patient. It's such bullshit
Not just sugar. Sugar and water and alcohol! Actually, not that I think about it, liquid homeopathic solutions are basically really really expensive beer.
in high school there was one guy who had an iphone 4s and an iphone 5 at the same time (5 was the most recent at that time). He used one to listen to music and the other one to text, to have a reason to show off...
I was in the market for a new phone back in 2008. As it happened, the iPhone 3G came out just then and I got it because it seemed like a good phone. You can not believe the amount of jealous stares I would get because I had an iphone. Made sure to keep it in my pocket afterwards. I didn't get it to brag.
Well, I hate the taste of coffee and beer, but I get the appeal, at least. What I really just don't understand that people spend money on are phone games. Specifically, the in-app purchases for swill like Candy Crush, Clash of Clans, and the like. I understand buying games, of course, I buy them myself. I can even get behind DLC if it's good enough. But paying money to get the game to function like any other game on any other system is just patently ridiculous. And yet, I personally know several people who have managed to spend at least $50 each on in-app purchases every couple of months or so. One bloke I know has spent over $100 a month on just Candy Crush and some Star Trek app game.
It's an addiction. If you play games you know winning feels well, and this games hook you on that, in the first stages it's easy to "win" but later it's almost impossible if you don't pay. The Free to Play model is the exact model drug dealers have been using for decades (centuries?).
With systems like those it boils down to, play the game a lot, and get the rewards. Or pay to get the rewards now. I don't view it as much as a problem anymore, you have people willing to spend money on it since they might not have as much time to enjoy it. But at the same time, someone who really likes the game can just play it a lot and get the same stuff. Unless you are talking about purchase only things, which is dumb.
Idk about Candy Crush, but in COC you could just get by without spending a dime. Which is good in a way I guess, it kind of boils down to your patience I suppose. But there are some game where you can't move forward unless you make purchases once in a while.
I really do miss sports. If I could get all sports streaming to my TV for $10-$15/month, I'd be happy. I still don't have Cable (Netflix+Hulu+Prime), but I do miss my sports. A Total of $40/month for everything I could want on demand would be awesome.
Agreed completely. I've spent some money on drugs and smoking, but that was always as a treat to myself and budgeted for. If I couldn't afford it, I wouldn't get it.
Here's a fun story! I used to have a friend that never went out with us, never wanted to chip in money for anything, if we went on vacation we couldn't even spend one night having a decent dinner, etc. This is all fine in my book. I don't mind living a cheap life. However, she would constantly complain about not having any money at all or complain that we had so much (which we didn't, we were just smarter students). Meanwhile, she's spending at least 50 euros a week on drinking and smoking alone. Alongside that, some drug usage that we don't know if she paid for or mooched off of people. We stopped talking to that person because she could not take any responsibility for her actions or even acknowledge the financial consequences of what she was doing. I suppose her initially lying to us about a lot of this didn't help her case. If you're gonna be wasting a bunch of money like that, don't blame others for your lack of financial stability.
Yeah i mean i have never smoked and the drugs i tried all made me really sick so I've never spent money on those things. I'm also a slow social drinker, i don't drink to get a buzz (though it's happened plenty on it's own xD) so I dunno how these people spend so much money on these things when even I was struggling as a poor student without all my money going there.
Like i paid for my internet and an MMO subscription and that kept me entertained for years for £9 a monthish and people would like take offence that i was spending money on that and maybe grumping when i didn't have money for something but they'd expect me to come out drinking heavily every other day 0.o
Smoking is an addiction. A lot of smokers actually just carry the addiction from high school or college. I was stupid in college.
And drugs well... I don't think stuff like alcohol or weed really is a problem if consumed moderately and in a purely recreative way. When it comes to those who smokes an oz every week, that's where I think it is a problem - shit's expensive dude, and you could/should definitely stop doing that.
Yeah I avoided smoking because both my parents were/are smokers and tokers and I just hit this point earlyish on where just all my clothes stank of smoke when clean and I was starting to get asthmatic and stuff so when my friends started smoking I just never did. I also made a very clear choice not to enable my friends by buying them cigs (being oldest and pretty much never carded for anything) and the later decided I didn't want to date anyone who smoked at all.
All of my friends were like "oglh I only smoke when I'm drunk, its fine!" Now the lot of them are trying to quit and failing hard and vaping like its better or something. I appreciate I a weirdo though, if I want to stop something I just give it up cold turkey and I'm done. Haven't touched a high caffeine "energy" drink in almost two years. Going to give up most sodas too as soon as I get used to water again. Except lemonade. Iemonade is versatile xD.
That is true, and the same applies to junk food. I never had an issue with drugs or smoking though I can see how it works the same. Junk food eats away your money and health like those do. I suppose we all have ways of trying to cope with life and that is what some like to do. I ate ice cream to the point where I ate too much. I put on ridiculous weight, lost a gal bladder, and just overall let it hurt me. It was painful going to the store and knowing ice cream was there. It was in that experience I now empathize with those who are trying to improve their lives by quitting smoking and drugs. I never realized how much better I feel eating better food though it is a test of will at times. You guys who had to overcome this earned my respect. And deserve that money you are saving :)
If you're rich then w/e but I've known people on benefits who have bought these devices mainly to use for texting, music, Facebook, and YouTube; all functions that are available on devices for < £100. My £65 Android I bought about a year ago still functions perfectly well, it even works with GTA.
Anything from 7/11. seems it's like a cult for some people. I understand if you're buying something when everything else is closed at night, but paying those prices when 2min walk gets you to any supermarket seems ridiculous to me.
Also smoking. Add up the price for a half or one pack per day, for a year, and you could rather go on some nice vacation.
Smoking really is expensive. I cut down most of it, still have urges, but went from a pack every day or two to one every once in a while, really helped my wallet. Still too expensive, and I'm slowly cutting down completely.
Been a smoker for too many years and have no plans to stop, but I smoke a pipe now for no reason except that it's way cheaper than cigarettes. Also the whole business of cleaning out your pipe, loading it again and lighting up forces you to slow down somewhat.
Thats a tricky question and depends on the person itself. Most of the stuff, you spend your money is not essential for living it's just an improvement for your lifestyle to make your living more comfortable - think about all that TEC gadgets, its cool to have them but you (mostly) don't need them.
Clothes for daily use. Yeah I get the expensive suit for business or a really nice dress for a party, but people will spend 30-50 some dollars on a shirt or belt and it's insane. I went to one of those brand stores at one point with my parents (I think it was Sears? One of those stores) and couldn't believe the prices. People like to argue that you're paying more for durability or quality, but I've got 7 dollar shirts from Walmart that I've had for over 5 years that are fine in every way.
F2P mobile games. Boggles my mind how much some people spend on games like Candy Crush. I could buy all the new games I want for a year with the money my FB friends stick into it.
I live in a small town in Iowa where every macho dumb ass has to have some super sized, super powered, four wheel drive heavy duty pickup that sees no work but to go to the store or take the kids to school. All that gas burned up and polution emitted just so they can feel like a 'man.' Personal peeve of mine.
coffee, iphones. i don't see the point in having to pay such high prices for something you can make at home(coffee) and a piece of plastic that is out of date so quickly. The over use of tablets and iphones seemingly has made people .... stupid. They lack the social etiquette and the ability to have conversations face to face. No they would rather text than talk to a person. Hence, the lack of the ability for abstract thought. I see kids with their phones in particular. They will sit and text eachother rather than talk to eachother. It is sad. very very sad.
I can't believe people spend so much money on Charities for poor countries such as Africa, the USA, India and China when they could be giving to the RSPB, RSPCA, SSPCA and the Battersea dogs home
I'm going to disagree with you on this one; vacations are about experiencing new things or getting away from the norm. What you've described is good and useful.. but not a vacation.
Dude I totally disagree with this. You know how if you eat too much sugar then sweets stop tasting as sweet? That's what happens when you surround yourself with the same environment every day and never experience new things. Seeing new places and environments helps you to appreciate what you have, and what you don't that other places offer
As a guy who lives in Southern California, just let me say the following:
Paradise gets boring sometimes. We all still acknowledge that we live in one the best places on Earth, but shit, it truly is boring sometimes. What's wrong with me wanting to go see the Eiffel Tower? Or the Parthenon? Or Times Square? There are other nice places in the world too, and some of us would like to see the other nice places, not just the one we live in.
Join the Discussion
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Starbucks. Specifically coffee. I understand if you want a frappe or something else that can be tricky to make at home, but save your money and make your own coffee.
Due to working as a barista I've recently developed a caffeine addiction. I'm allowed to make myself the best damn coffee in the world and sip on it throughout my shifts, no charge. This means that on my days off I feel hungover until I get my precious coffee. And I don't get free coffee when I'm not working. I probably spend over $10 a day on the stuff. God help me.
I don't drink that Starbucks crap though.
Have you considered buying a personal espresso machine? Obviously, they're not cheap, but you might end up saving money in the long run. Also, how cool would that be to have one of those in your kitchen to where you could make almost every drink you could at work?
It's very cool indeed.
Get a coffee maker that grinds the beans right before making the coffee. Much better than the starbucks shit if you find beans that you like. Personally, I like the Mayorca ones at costco.
Coffee maker = $100 Beans = $10 per 2 weeks if you drink it like water
Starbucks @ 3cups/week ~~ $30 per week
100 + 10(x/2) = 30x
10(x/2) = 30x - 100
x/2 = 3x - 10
x = 6x - 20
-5x = -20
x = 4
If I did that right, then after 4 weeks, you're saving money. This is using very safe estimates.
you know when you say you can't afford something relatively cheap (usually it's the charity muggers) and people go "it's only the price of a cup of coffee!". Well screw those people, i don't drink crazy expensive fancy coffee. I barely drink instant make at home coffee. I hate that phrase.
Here it's some newspaper and the government that does that. Someone even made a website to make the conversion (you have to pick between Tim Hortons and Starbuck prices).
I think you forgot a link.
There you go : http://conversionencafe.com/
hey, you can take instant coffee, put a little vanilla flavoring in it( or what ever flavor you like) put a little cream in it... i do it all the time. good stuff!
Yeah I have a caramel syrup, so awesome.
Either that or I basically just put a spoon of instant into my awesome hot chocolate :)
I don't get coffee, it just makes me want to shit. I just stick to caffeine pills that cost less than 10 cents for the same amount that you get in a regular coffee.
Coffee, at least good one, isn't just about caffeine, it's also about flavour.
And don't forget the culture of coffee drinking. I think mostly about European countries (?) where you get your coffee in "real" cups (not that plastic or paper cup ones).
I hate paper cups, they can instantly destroy the flavour of the best coffee. Even with mediocre coffee like the one at Starbucks you can notice the difference between a proper ceramic cup and the paper cup.
I can't go by without coffee now. I drink it black or with a little bit of milk, depending on how good it is. It's about taste, not energy, as caffeine doesn't do shit to me - I used to (over)drink energy drinks and I could sleep straight after drinking one.
If you want a really good coffee try a cold brew. You basically just pour the grinded coffee in cold water and put it in your fridge for 12 hours. You can then drink it cold or heat it (but cold is cool, it's summer after all).
It tastes sweeter and less bitter the a hot brew and you won't ever have to put milk in it.
Well that bitter side is one thing I actually like. Might try that though, have heard of it several times but never got to it!
It's great on a hot summer day.
Caffeine has no effect on me I can down a can of Nae Danger, Red Bull or even several and i'm asleep pretty soon afterwards. I love the taste.
Try Coffee with double cream for a real delight
Meh, won't be able to find double cream around here! Dairy products are heavily controlled and heavy heat pasteurized around here, seems like the closest thing we have is heavy cream, which looks like isn't even closely the same.
Which Country are you in?>
Quebec, Canada!
Try whipped cream or butterfat whipping cream ;)
I would hesitate in calling what Starbucks sells coffee, it's dirty water at best. The stuff they make without coffee is usually reasonable though.
I disagree. If you're there for just a coffee, no latte frappe caramel tazo tea, a grande (which is plenty of coffee) is about $2. That's the same as a can of pop from a vending machine. The quality obviously won't be nearly as good as a privately run roaster, but it's much better than any other large chain I can think of.
It's actually not too bad with free refills. My wife and I will hang out at Starbucks if we're bored. She gets those flavored Iced Teas and I get Iced Coffee with a splash of heavy cream. We usually get three refills and then one for the road. For $7-$8 we have a good 2+ hour date of talking, browsing the web on our laptops, and drinking delicious beverages. That being said, I can't just get a drink and leave, because $7 for two 20oz drinks is just crazy talk.
Wow wow wow... Free refills? Where are you that you get refills? I've never seen that before.
You have to get a Starbucks card. Basically, any gift card can be reloaded and added to a your account to become your card. After 5 purchases on the card, you're "green level" and you get free refills on tea or coffee (both either hot or iced) while in-store.
I will definitely have to do that then! Thanks!
A good café has a good grinder. My home grinder, although expensive, can't touch the grinders they have in cafés. That's the reason I tend to drink V60 in cafés in addition to at home.
2, 3, 4, 5, 6x Blade Razors
Get yourself a decent double edged safety razor and buy 10x blades at £1 a packet and then pass it on to your kids
PSA: don't pass the blades to your kids before they actually need shaving.
unless you want some more exciting family photographs
I avoided the safety razors because I thought it was just a huge hipster circle-jerk, and I would get the Mach 3s from Costco at a good price. Earlier this week, I got crazy and ordered a safety razor starter kit and shaved yesterday. HOLY FUCK WHAT A DIFFERENCE! It's not even a little or just a preference...it really is that much better.
Edit/addition: and those poor people that use the blue or yellow totally disposable ones. That's like taking a bath with a rock instead of a loofah or wash cloth.
Yup. Modern disposal razors are basically a big scam.
Nah, straight razors is where it's at. :)
Watch this video of how it's made and you'll order one too.
But yeah, fuck toy razors with their multibladed shenanigans and that stupid goo to put on your face that's sold with it.
They even have that goo for "sensitive skins". We don't have sensitive skins, crappy razors are irritating our faces!
Aeroplanes are a problem
I used to use a straight razor. It was awesome, I stopped breaking out on my face within a week of starting, and I was baby smooth. But I had surgery on my neck two years ago and I haven't had feeling in my neck since, so now I'm too nervous to use it.
just eyeball it...or be safe and use an electric shaver...but you'll never get anywhere without some cojones
Plus, it impresses the hell out of anyone who finds you use a straight. I've gotten some pretty interesting looks when I mention it. Mostly of the 'What, are you fookin' nuts?' variety, followed by respect when they realize I'm not joking.
m'razor ;)
Anything to recommend on that? I don't know crap about it and recently (!) had to start shaving more often than before. I'm 24 and just started to finally grow more hair than I did - used to take me weeks to get semi-decent facial hair, now takes a couple of days...
Many people think that proper shaving soap is even more important to get a proper shave. I'm not too sure which contibutes most, I switch both at the same time. But the point is that you need to get yourself a proper brush and some shaving soap. For now, you can put the soap in a regular mug but at some point you'll want a dedicated shaving scuttle (because it looks cooler, not because it's any more convenient).
The number one mistake you are going to do with your new razors is put too much pressure. That's the one everyone makes. You won't cut yourself any more than with the toy razors (it's called safety razor for a reason!) but it won't be a great shave. The right amount of pressure you have to apply is zero. The only thing that presses it against your face is the weight of the metal.
You might want to get a straight razor instead because that's more fun. Well... That part is pretty subjective. :)
Point is you need to stop buying crappy disposable toy razors that only exists so that the companies manufacturing them can make buttloads of money.
Disposable razors are the printers of personal care. Make no money on the initial sale, rip off the customers with the refills.
I've got an electric razor I've received as a christmas present that does a decent job, but I always feel like I do the job faster with a regular one. Might look into those safety razors then! Thanks again.
I would recommend a Merkur 23C - long handle or a Merkur 34C - short handle. Probably better with the 23C to begin with. Get wilkinson sword blades. All from Amazon.
I use normal shaving gel. You need to practice a bit but once you have it learned you won't forget.
I'd have to add, get a sampler pack of razor blades. Different blades work better/worse for different faces.
Also, (while I'm not sure this is cool or not...) check out Reddit's wicked edge subreddit. They are incredibly helpful and there is more than enough information to get you started properly.
Alright will look on that. Thanks!
I bought this kit earlier this week as my first one. It was a whole new world. I highly 10/10 recommend it.
Grow a beard. Problem solved.
yep, I haven't used a razor on my face in approx. 6 years now. I still trim my beard every now and then, but never shorter than the beard trimmer without a guard.
Agreed also for those people just starting to grow hair /u/folkrav or who have never had a beard before - it won't itch forever only a week or two until the hair gets long enough
Homeopathy. Did you really just spend 10 bucks for a vial of sugar??
If alternative medicine worked, it would be called medicine.
Med schools have Integrative Medicine Clubs where they try to show that homeopathy (and other alternative medicine) used in conjunction with normal treatments can be beneficial to the patient. It's such bullshit
Not just sugar. Sugar and water and alcohol! Actually, not that I think about it, liquid homeopathic solutions are basically really really expensive beer.
Getting overly redundant technology just to brag.
Why do you have both an iPad and a iPhone 6 AND a iPod Touch?
in high school there was one guy who had an iphone 4s and an iphone 5 at the same time (5 was the most recent at that time). He used one to listen to music and the other one to text, to have a reason to show off...
I was in the market for a new phone back in 2008. As it happened, the iPhone 3G came out just then and I got it because it seemed like a good phone. You can not believe the amount of jealous stares I would get because I had an iphone. Made sure to keep it in my pocket afterwards. I didn't get it to brag.
Well, I hate the taste of coffee and beer, but I get the appeal, at least. What I really just don't understand that people spend money on are phone games. Specifically, the in-app purchases for swill like Candy Crush, Clash of Clans, and the like. I understand buying games, of course, I buy them myself. I can even get behind DLC if it's good enough. But paying money to get the game to function like any other game on any other system is just patently ridiculous. And yet, I personally know several people who have managed to spend at least $50 each on in-app purchases every couple of months or so. One bloke I know has spent over $100 a month on just Candy Crush and some Star Trek app game.
It's an addiction. If you play games you know winning feels well, and this games hook you on that, in the first stages it's easy to "win" but later it's almost impossible if you don't pay. The Free to Play model is the exact model drug dealers have been using for decades (centuries?).
With systems like those it boils down to, play the game a lot, and get the rewards. Or pay to get the rewards now. I don't view it as much as a problem anymore, you have people willing to spend money on it since they might not have as much time to enjoy it. But at the same time, someone who really likes the game can just play it a lot and get the same stuff. Unless you are talking about purchase only things, which is dumb.
Idk about Candy Crush, but in COC you could just get by without spending a dime. Which is good in a way I guess, it kind of boils down to your patience I suppose. But there are some game where you can't move forward unless you make purchases once in a while.
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Drugs and smoking. I mean I get why you want the items just not why you waste so much money on them
Agreed completely. I've spent some money on drugs and smoking, but that was always as a treat to myself and budgeted for. If I couldn't afford it, I wouldn't get it.
Here's a fun story! I used to have a friend that never went out with us, never wanted to chip in money for anything, if we went on vacation we couldn't even spend one night having a decent dinner, etc. This is all fine in my book. I don't mind living a cheap life. However, she would constantly complain about not having any money at all or complain that we had so much (which we didn't, we were just smarter students). Meanwhile, she's spending at least 50 euros a week on drinking and smoking alone. Alongside that, some drug usage that we don't know if she paid for or mooched off of people. We stopped talking to that person because she could not take any responsibility for her actions or even acknowledge the financial consequences of what she was doing. I suppose her initially lying to us about a lot of this didn't help her case. If you're gonna be wasting a bunch of money like that, don't blame others for your lack of financial stability.
Yeah i mean i have never smoked and the drugs i tried all made me really sick so I've never spent money on those things. I'm also a slow social drinker, i don't drink to get a buzz (though it's happened plenty on it's own xD) so I dunno how these people spend so much money on these things when even I was struggling as a poor student without all my money going there.
Like i paid for my internet and an MMO subscription and that kept me entertained for years for £9 a monthish and people would like take offence that i was spending money on that and maybe grumping when i didn't have money for something but they'd expect me to come out drinking heavily every other day 0.o
People are weird.
Smoking is an addiction. A lot of smokers actually just carry the addiction from high school or college. I was stupid in college.
And drugs well... I don't think stuff like alcohol or weed really is a problem if consumed moderately and in a purely recreative way. When it comes to those who smokes an oz every week, that's where I think it is a problem - shit's expensive dude, and you could/should definitely stop doing that.
Yeah I avoided smoking because both my parents were/are smokers and tokers and I just hit this point earlyish on where just all my clothes stank of smoke when clean and I was starting to get asthmatic and stuff so when my friends started smoking I just never did. I also made a very clear choice not to enable my friends by buying them cigs (being oldest and pretty much never carded for anything) and the later decided I didn't want to date anyone who smoked at all.
All of my friends were like "oglh I only smoke when I'm drunk, its fine!" Now the lot of them are trying to quit and failing hard and vaping like its better or something. I appreciate I a weirdo though, if I want to stop something I just give it up cold turkey and I'm done. Haven't touched a high caffeine "energy" drink in almost two years. Going to give up most sodas too as soon as I get used to water again. Except lemonade. Iemonade is versatile xD.
That is true, and the same applies to junk food. I never had an issue with drugs or smoking though I can see how it works the same. Junk food eats away your money and health like those do. I suppose we all have ways of trying to cope with life and that is what some like to do. I ate ice cream to the point where I ate too much. I put on ridiculous weight, lost a gal bladder, and just overall let it hurt me. It was painful going to the store and knowing ice cream was there. It was in that experience I now empathize with those who are trying to improve their lives by quitting smoking and drugs. I never realized how much better I feel eating better food though it is a test of will at times. You guys who had to overcome this earned my respect. And deserve that money you are saving :)
Top of the range Apple and Samsung devices.
If you're rich then w/e but I've known people on benefits who have bought these devices mainly to use for texting, music, Facebook, and YouTube; all functions that are available on devices for < £100. My £65 Android I bought about a year ago still functions perfectly well, it even works with GTA.
Anything from 7/11. seems it's like a cult for some people. I understand if you're buying something when everything else is closed at night, but paying those prices when 2min walk gets you to any supermarket seems ridiculous to me.
Also smoking. Add up the price for a half or one pack per day, for a year, and you could rather go on some nice vacation.
Smoking really is expensive. I cut down most of it, still have urges, but went from a pack every day or two to one every once in a while, really helped my wallet. Still too expensive, and I'm slowly cutting down completely.
Did you try electronic?
I did! Never got a round to saving up enough to buy a good quality one though.
Been a smoker for too many years and have no plans to stop, but I smoke a pipe now for no reason except that it's way cheaper than cigarettes. Also the whole business of cleaning out your pipe, loading it again and lighting up forces you to slow down somewhat.
Thats a tricky question and depends on the person itself. Most of the stuff, you spend your money is not essential for living it's just an improvement for your lifestyle to make your living more comfortable - think about all that TEC gadgets, its cool to have them but you (mostly) don't need them.
Clothes for daily use. Yeah I get the expensive suit for business or a really nice dress for a party, but people will spend 30-50 some dollars on a shirt or belt and it's insane. I went to one of those brand stores at one point with my parents (I think it was Sears? One of those stores) and couldn't believe the prices. People like to argue that you're paying more for durability or quality, but I've got 7 dollar shirts from Walmart that I've had for over 5 years that are fine in every way.
I buy mine used.
F2P mobile games. Boggles my mind how much some people spend on games like Candy Crush. I could buy all the new games I want for a year with the money my FB friends stick into it.
I live in a small town in Iowa where every macho dumb ass has to have some super sized, super powered, four wheel drive heavy duty pickup that sees no work but to go to the store or take the kids to school. All that gas burned up and polution emitted just so they can feel like a 'man.' Personal peeve of mine.
coffee, iphones. i don't see the point in having to pay such high prices for something you can make at home(coffee) and a piece of plastic that is out of date so quickly. The over use of tablets and iphones seemingly has made people .... stupid. They lack the social etiquette and the ability to have conversations face to face. No they would rather text than talk to a person. Hence, the lack of the ability for abstract thought. I see kids with their phones in particular. They will sit and text eachother rather than talk to eachother. It is sad. very very sad.
I can't believe people spend so much money on Charities for poor countries such as Africa, the USA, India and China when they could be giving to the RSPB, RSPCA, SSPCA and the Battersea dogs home
I can't believe people spend £1500 on a puppy when they can adopt one
Yeah, because screw people, right? There's cute animals that need help!
Also, Africa is not a country.
Vacations. You have to pay for transportation to and from the vacation, and pay for the activity itself. You can just as well relax at home for free.
I'm going to disagree with you on this one; vacations are about experiencing new things or getting away from the norm. What you've described is good and useful.. but not a vacation.
Yeah, I go on vacation to get away. It breaks the mundane routine of life.
Dude I totally disagree with this. You know how if you eat too much sugar then sweets stop tasting as sweet? That's what happens when you surround yourself with the same environment every day and never experience new things. Seeing new places and environments helps you to appreciate what you have, and what you don't that other places offer
But what if I want to brag on Facebook?
Seriously though, especially if you live somewhere that tourists visit. There's probably lots of stuff that you can do there.
As a guy who lives in Southern California, just let me say the following:
Paradise gets boring sometimes. We all still acknowledge that we live in one the best places on Earth, but shit, it truly is boring sometimes. What's wrong with me wanting to go see the Eiffel Tower? Or the Parthenon? Or Times Square? There are other nice places in the world too, and some of us would like to see the other nice places, not just the one we live in.
Church. To me, it makes no sense wasting money on tithing when it could be used on other things.