
It can feel like your constantly looking over your shoulder anytime you want to buy anything today, as if someone is following you around with a pen hoping for you to sign away your wallet on a dotted line.
Scams and schemes are all over the place, and while they may not be some shoddy-looking man in a suit hoping to take you for a ride, they manifest in different ways.
Ever heard of "convenience fees?"
They're everywhere, and we all seem to have to be okay with them.
Reddit user, Horror-Tap2093, wanted to hear how people have the wool pulled over their heads daily when they asked:
"What's the biggest scam in life that no one wants to admit?"
While the internet has certainly made things easier to sign-up for, you ever notice how difficult it is to cancel once you decide you want out? Why is that?
One Website To Join. Nine Phone Calls To Cancel.
"The easy-to-join, difficult-to-cancel subscription model."
[usernamedeleted]
"Pioneered by gyms. I cancelled mine as soon as lockdown started and I put together a home gym. Literally had to print out something from their website and mail it in then call them 3 times."
"That whole business model is based on people signing up, not going, and putting off canceling due to a combination of not wanting to admit failure and the whole process being a pain in the @ss. If everyone with a gym membership went just twice a week they'd have a real problem on their hands."
ac1084
We Make It Easier For You To Give Us More Money
"Online convenience fees"
Vast-Anxiety-4066
"My bank has free bill pay and will mail them a check if they don’t have any other option. So now they get a check from me and the “inconvenience fee” is their own cost to process the thing, get paid slower, etc."
RazorRadick
"I recently paid $10 in convenience fees at AMC to buy tickets online instead of purchasing tickets at the theater. Doesn't purchasing tickets online allow them to save money on having less employees run the ticket booth? I get that it costs them money to run a website but $10 for a convenience fee? It just isn't justified."
TLOC81
Once A Month, Every Month, Regardless Of The Quality
"The subscription based economy"
Shenanigamii
"This makes me so angry. Why does everything have to be a subscription now? I mean, I know why but I still hate it"
big_red_160
"I imagine it’s a ton of easy profit. Instead of having to constantly advertise to keep you hooked and buying each month, they just have to hook you once into a long term commitment."
RickTitus
There are certain things in this country, America, specifically, which should not cost the the amount that it does. Yet, here we are, in 2022, overcharging people for routine medical provisions.
Costs A Lot To Live
"How the f-ck does HEALTH insurance not cover dental and vision? What kind of shenanigans is that?"
OldDust8123
"Didn't you hear? Teeth are your luxury bones."
deepseascale
"And eyes are too complicated for health insurance, but your brain is simple enough."
OldDust8123
"Health insurance is the biggest scam of this century. You pay them every month in hopes they can cover you when you need it and they do everything in their power to not give you your money back. Even if a doctor says you need treatment or medicine your insurance can say f-ck you, and keep your money?"
CAHTA92
A Day Of Bliss And Drained Bank Accounts
"The entire wedding industry."
"To be clear, not marriage but weddings specifically."
"I’m happily married to my wife and we were content to do something special just the two of us, maybe spend a couple of grand and treat ourselves a little bit to something amazing."
"Cue the families getting involved and before you know it we’re spending closer to twenty grand on one day and feeding a bunch of people I’ve not heard of before or since the wedding."
J-ShapedNerd
Being Healthy Costs A Lot
"$18 Salad lol"
Marshmello7
"Water is 3$ while pop is 1$"
kitiikit
"Before telling people to make healthier choices, figure out why a burger is $9 and a salad is $18."
TomoyoHoshijiro
Death and taxes are the inevitables we should expect out of life, sure, but lest we forget the secret third expectation: Hidden fees.
Under 65? Tough.
"We work the majority of our lives, during our fittest years of health, for the promise of a golden retirement, when we will probably too old and ill to enjoy it properly."
Mr_Bob_Ferguson
"First you have strength and time, but no money."
"Then you have strength and money, but no time."
"Finally you have money and time, but no strength."
wordserious
Fees, Fees, Fees
"Ticketmaster"
bigsz
"I used them to go see my first comedian. Got two seats priced at $90 each. My total was $313. I'm not good at math, but I knew something was wrong there. Their fee per ticket is just nuts. I ended up getting seats that were about $45 each and it still cost me almost $200."
User Deleted
Earn That Cheddar
"Hustle culture"
BenjaminoBob
"Bought a "gold" membership in a greeting card mlm so I could send unlimited custom cards. My "coach" thought I was taking it seriously as a money maker (plus he wanted me to recruit more people for his downline). He actually asked, "Are there any friendships you can leverage?""
"Yeah, that made my skin crawl..."
ollieollieoxinfree
"I’m sorry but the “grind” and “hustle” cultures only generate a--holes. They think everyone else’s goal is to be rich as f-ck, working 100 hours a week."
"I just want to be able to pay my bills and feed my family. Anything after that should be time spent with my family."
am0x
Everyone's out to get you, it seems.
Keep your eyes and your ears open then, just to be extra safe, keep your hands on your wallet.
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Fast fashion is terrible for the environment, one of the largest polluters of clean water globally because of its all too common use of cheap, toxic textile dyes.
It also places producers under more and more pressure to manufacture more and more clothes on masse–the people working in the factories that make this stuff are being paid a pittance, contributing to much of the wealth inequality in less developed nations.
Additionally, it's estimated that the textiles industry produces 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 per year and that just two percent of all fast fashion emissions can be reduced through recycling. Ouch. Time to change habits, right?
People shared their thoughts on this and other topics after Redditor urmomsucked asked the online community,
"What should people seriously stop buying?"
"Pets..."
"Pets they can’t take care of."
WonderfulShop888
I have known several people who got puppies, decided they couldn't handle them, and dumped them. It's rage-inducing.
"Nestle products."
"Nestle products. Literally the most evil company currently in business. Unfortunately it's really hard to tell what brands they own."
I_used_to_be_hip
Nestle is responsible for the deaths of babies in undeveloped nations. It's sick.
"Designer clothes..."
"Designer clothes and accessories with logos slapped all over them. It wastes your money and makes you look idiotic."
Botryoild2000
The funny thing is, the designer clothes/accessories with logos slapped all over them are typically the cheapest options from said designer.
"Simple syrup."
"Simple syrup. It’s sugar water with an $8 price tag."
providentialchief
It's easy enough to make your own. Your iced tea will never be the same again.
"Cheap belts."
"Cheap belts. A quality leather belt will last you decades."
[deleted]
I have a few (quality leather belts, that is) and they've lasted for years and years. Can confirm.
"Cigarettes."
"Cigarettes. To anyone reading this, please just don't start even if it's out of curiosity. I'm 20 years deep into this and it's hell."
SeaSwimmer5386
Smoking is a brutal addiction to break. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently proposed rules prohibiting menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars to stop young people from picking up the habit.
"Garment workers..."
"Fast fashion. Garment workers get paid s*it, the environment suffers and you look like everybody else on the street with no personality or sense of individualism."
SenoritaBrownRecluse
This should be up at the top. The environmental impact is terrible.
"Unnecessarily large vehicles..."
"Unnecessarily large vehicles, which they'll then inevitably complain cost too much to fill the gas tank."
[deleted]
Gas guzzlers need to go. It's far past time that they be phased out.
"Anything advertised..."
"Anything advertised on Instagram. It’s a scam and those influencers are just making it look cheap AF."
megapintt
Or just avoid Instagram in general. That would solve a lot.
"New phones..."
"New phones when their current is just as good."
[deleted]
You've got that right. People buy a new one for the hell of it without even thinking about it.
It's pretty clear that many of us need to change our habits now. Our wallets will thank us later.
Have some suggestions of your own? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!
If you make too many funny faces, your face will stay that way permanently.
Watch too much tv and your eyes will fall out.
Break a mirror and it's seven years of bad luck.
These are among the many myths and superstitions we heard as children, more often than not from our parents and teachers as a way of scaring us into behaving.
But while there is not one ounce of truth to any of these tall tales, there are many who still believe them, and many more.
Redditor RedditPersonIf was curious to learn what superstitions people continue to believe are true, leading them to ask:
"What myths are obviously false, yet most people still believe they are true?"
When they fly the coop...
"If you take care of a baby bird, the mother won’t want it anymore because it’ll smell like a human."- GreatXs
No amount of fiber can help you
"If you swallow gum, it'll stay in your digestive tract for 7 years."- stinky_cheese33
It was every other subjects he had trouble with
"Albert Einstein failed math in school."- Nothingreallyend
Though it does make shampooing easier
"Shaving your hair will make the hair grow back thicker.'- RunWithScissorsss
Sleep with your mouth closed
"The amount of spiders you eat while being asleep."- pantsofafatman
Just... No...
"That you are supposed to pee on a jellyfish sting to ease the pain."- Actuaryba
Olé
"Bulls not liking the color red."
"Bulls are partially color blind and can only see yellow, green, blue, and violet."- Rogurzz
Call a Lyft instead
"Coffee, speed, and uppers sober you up."
"Nope!"
"Too drunk to drive?"
"Now you're drunk AND on drugs, you just don't feel the effects of the booze but your motor skills, reaction time and decision making are all still drunk AF."- kirkrjordan
Best let nature run its course
"The damn alpha wolf."
"It was one study under captivity, the poor researcher made it his life's work to try and set it right."
"If you want a brutal hierarchy where everyone pecks down, what you're looking for is chickens."- raxeira-etterath
Give this one some thought
"We can only use 10% of our brain."- UnbearableHuman
A little bit of research will clear up any doubt you have on these old superstitions and beliefs.
And for anyone who helped out a friend who got stung by a jellyfish, no need to be embarrassed.
Who hasn't looked at a scarf someone knitted for a loved one, a flawless homemade birthday cake, or an immaculately planted garden and thought, "I wish I could do that"?
But you'd never dare try to attempt it yourself, knowing that it's well beyond your personal skill set.
But is it?
Intimidating as they may seem, some skills might be deceptively easier than they appear to be, or might come more naturally to you than to many others.
Redditor halfmoon599 was curious to hear what skills people believed to be much easier than they seem, leading them to ask:
"What skill is actually easier to learn than what other people think?"
Everyone can be ambidextrous!
"I'm left handed and and I wanted to learn to write with my right hand."
"it was much easier than I thought and now I can write with it making it look somewhat decent."- JE3V4N_
"Using your off hand skillfully."
"I worked on this when I owned a woodworking business and it has helped so many times over the years."- karg_the_fergus
Should you ever forget your keys...
"Picking a lock."
"It only takes about 1 or 2 hours to learn, contrary to popular belief." - DifficultAd5113
Can't get to the genius stand? No problem!
"Fixing computers."
"It's just a lot of googling and YouTubing."- theassassintherapist
"Basic IT troubleshooting."- usmarine7041
You'll have a blanket done in no time!
"Crocheting!"
"It looked really difficult to me but I was really pleased how easy it was to pick up."
"Especially with YouTube tutorials."- geeltulpen
But do get a license first...
"Flying a small airplane is actually very simple."
"It's everything else like weather and flight planning, emergency mindfulness, airspace and traffic, and confidence in yourself that gets tricky, but any person with eyeballs and a pulse could fly a plane."- Clyde-MacTavish
With practice, of course
"Parallel parking."- Feels2old
Give your arms a rest!
"Unicycling."
"It takes just 10-20 minutes a day for 3-10 days.'
"Find a railing you can lean on to start."
"At some point, you'll be able to let go and ride!'- Vegan_BTW_VR
... Is it though?...
"Driving a stick shift."- fantazja1
Next time you think, "aw, I wish I could do that," rather than keep wishing, why not just give it a try?
Very often, a movie can be defined by one unforgettable scene.
These include the heartbreaking image of the girl in the red coat in Schindler's List, or Meg Ryan faking an orgasm in When Harry Met Sally, leading to the iconic line "I'll have what she's having".
And then there are the scenes that scared us silly!
Many people might actually not have seen these scenes, as they were burying their heads in their popcorn, or under the sofa cushions out of fear.
While those who were brave enough to watch them might still sleep with the lights on, if they can get any sleep at all.
Redditor MindlessMemory2294 was curious to learn which scenes still send shivers down people's spines even when thinking of them, leading them to ask:
"What is the most terrifying movie scene that still haunts you to this day?"
Stay out of the basement.
"The 'not a lot of people have basements in California' scene in Zodiac."- haloarh
An image no one needs to see
"A movie called ‘Threads’ about nuclear war in Britain, where there’s a scene when the nukes first hit Sheffield."
"Genuinely one of the scariest scenes I’ve ever seen."
"You can see a f*cking cat literally melting in it."- Manchman67
Why I'm terrified of clowns
"The very beginning of the original IT."
"The clown is hiding behind the clothes flapping in the wind on the clothesline."
"The clothes are blown apart and you see the evil f*cking clown."
"And then the little girl on her trike is gone."- Fit_Tumbleweed_5904
Never underestimate the unpopular kids...
"The end of Carrie (1976) where Sue is laying the flowers on Carrie's grave and the hand grabs her wrist."
"A friend of mine was an usher at the theater and at just that moment the rat bastard grabbed my neck."
"He had snuck up behind me and waited for just the right moment."-
It's not healthy to hold a "Grudge".
"The Grudge (2004)-Most scenes but the one that always scares me is the scene where an office woman is heading home and the vengeful spirit of Kayako begins following her."
"The woman manages to escape her office and get home but is shaken by her encounter with Kayako and hides in her bed."
"The sheets begin to rise up and down and when the woman peaks under, Kayako greets her with that scary death rattle noise she makes and pulls the woman under the covers where the woman disappears."- Soggy_Willingness_65
I'll never go on the highway again.
"The log truck scene from Final Destination."- smokyporkbelly
Doesn't need to be a horror movie to be terrifying...
"Large Marge from Pee-Wee's Big Adventure."- SimonFerocious76
Bunny carnage!
"That scene in Watership Down."- ciderlout
No one can stop my dancing... except that.
"Basically the start of Ghost Ship where the wire cuts everyone dancing in half."
There is life out there.
"Signs."
"The scene where the kid hears the aliens chittering over the walkie talkie."
"Don't know why, but as a child I was horrified."- BillF*kngMurray
It's truly amazing how one scene can so define a movie.
And has the power to keep us up all night for the rest of our lives.