Money isn't everything, but it's a necessary evil... a necessary evil that we waste a LOT of without realizing it.
One Reddit user asked:
What is something that is a major waste of money?
... so when I said we didn't realize how much we waste, I was not kidding. We're not going to tell you exactly how many of these we're guilty of, but it's definitely the one about ordering take out.
I'm from New York. I don't even LIKE Florida pizza. But it gets ordered at least once a week for some reason. What am I doing with my life?
They're Babies...
Designer baby clothes.
They'll fit into it for a week, maybe two, then it's too small. So stupid.
- livsim95
My wife insisted on several designer outfits when my daughter was born.
She bought them all secondhand, but still paid more than most clothes are new. She swore she'd the be able to sell them all for roughly what she paid - then my daughter had one sh*t explosion that totally wrecked a $70 dress.
That was the end of that.
Smoking
As a reformed then returned smoker, it is a colossal waste of f*cking money ... but here I am.
- Trias84
I quit three years ago and am shocked at how much money I have saved.
I smoked when it was $2.50 Usd for a pack of 20. Had quit before it hit $5. No idea what it is now.
- xSKOOBx
Depends on the state, here in NY it's like $12, and can be over $15 in the city.
In Australia it's $50 for a pack of 30. There's packs of 20, 25, 30 and 50 (!). Not sure how much a carton would be but probably $200+
Here on Vancouver Island, it's 15$ for 20.
Already Well-Off
I completely can't understand the large donations/gift sub bombs to big twitch streamers.
Seeing the top donors lists with people who've donated thousands of dollars to streamers who are already making well over $100k+ per year on subscriptions alone... ?
I understand supporting content creators you enjoy. I've subbed and donated to support content creators as well. But when I see people throwing hundreds to thousands at already well-off streamers, I can't help but think how much help that could do in a charity instead, or maybe invested.
- lrmyers4
The Warranty
Many laptop insurance/warranty policies.
If you actually read the terms and conditions, many of them are very restrictive and filing a claim is a painstaking process. But nobody reads them.
I paid $120 for a four year warranty plan. After accidentally dropping my laptop and breaking the screen, I was told my plan didn't cover accidental damage, intentional damage, misuse damage, etc. Basically the only thing that the plan covered was hardware malfunctions.
And even if there was a hardware malfunction, the company got 3 attempts to repair the laptop before having to buy you another one or reimburse you - and the repairs could take months.
Also they made clear that even if they did get you another laptop it wouldn't necessarily be new and would most likely be a refurbished laptop of "similar quality."
But none of that mattered in my case because the laptop was dropped and I couldn't recover.
... the worst part of all of this was the policy was actually called something along the lines of "Drop protection" - and it specifically did NOT cover drops.
- [reddit]
Skin
My friend plays Fortnite and buys every single skin that comes out. Every. One.
Had a classmate like this. Used to spend about 600 dollars each month. Mind you this was 2 years ago so he's probably spent upwards of 10K.
To be fair, his dad is so rich he has a Ferrari collection.
- xenonyk
I played Fortnite until around the end of Season 4, then the gameplay got sh*t and was so toxic. I think Legendary skins were around £20 each, and Epic ones were £10 to £15 if I recall correctly.
With the amount of sh*t they've been getting I'd guess they rack up several hundred per month.
Take Out
Food Delivery GIF by Uber Eats
Giphy
Delivery or take out.
I know, "you don't feel like cooking" - well, you better start feeling, it saves you lots of money!
"But ingredients cost more than delivery". Yes it does, but if you shop smartly, you can get yourself a few meals for the same money you would pay on one meal delivered.
"But I don't know how to cook". Well, learn. It's 2020, there are tons of sources where you can learn how to cook basic meals to feed yourself without spending hours in the kitchen or endangering your life.
Obviously, it's fine once in a while. Hell, even once a week when you're busy or craving something. Or often if you really can afford it.
But I know people who barely make ends meet ordering in several times a week because they "don't want to cook."
Preying on Kids
Summer educational conferences for high school students.
I went to one as a kid and was a counselor for four summers. At best, it's 7-10 days away from home doing some cool sh!t and meeting people but it'll cost $3000-5000 for the event and you'll have to fly in on your dime. A conference I worked was only 3 days and it was so sad seeing kids come in thinking it would be life-changing, give them a big boost applying to college, and it's all a ruse.
All of that sh*t that is advertised to high school students is really gross looking back on it. I got mailers for those camps, and of course as a kid looking through what is probably the most official-looking thing you've ever been mailed in your life you are super swept up by it.
The damn things we're like an inch thick, always had letters from some famous science dude telling you how much this would change your life (Buzz Aldrin, Bill Nye), and would hype you up by saying things like "Only 5% of students are invited! You've been recommended to us!."
It's all a moneymaking scheme
Getting those letters was so disappointing.
I got several for medical conferences and was SO excited ... until I researched them a little and saw what scams they were. Preying on kids who just want a leg up in their dream career.
Bottles
Bottled water.
Very few places in the developed world have undrinkable tap water. Please stop buying bottled water. It costs more per gallon than gasoline and all the plastic goes into the oceans.
No, it does not get recycled. Plastic recycling is a lie perpetrated by the oil industry.
- ktappe
The profitability of recycling different materials varies over time. If it's not currently profitable, certain types of recyclable material are stored in bales until it is, incinerated, or dumped.
For some of the last 50 years, recycling "was a lie", depending on timing, material type, local facilities, economic factors, etc.
Private
Private high school, private middle school or private elementary school.
There's the argument that "graduates of private high school go on to make more money and have a higher chance of graduating university than graduates of public high school."
Yeah ... because most private school families were already well-connected and able to pay for college tuition. Getting an 80k per year job at your grandfather's auction house the day you graduate college isn't something you earned through merit or because you went to an expensive school.
For most middle class families, private high school is $40,000 minimum for four years of a mild status boost with no long term benefits.
Wasted Food
Any food you bought and didn't eat.
Do you regularly throw out expired stuff? Wilting vegetables? Leftovers?
Add up how much of your grocery bill represents wasted food each month, and you might rethink your habits.
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But we should also be prepared and ready to ask the right questions to have a leg up on the competition.
"What is THE best question to ask on a job interview?"
A company's history or information about a past employee were suggested subjects appropriate for questioning.
Prior Knowledge
"When you were interviewing here, what would you have liked to know before you joined?"
"This worked for me. I asked my interviewer a question about how she had personally dealt with a company policy she had just explained. She bragged about her stellar adherence to the policy. I nodded my approval. I got the job."
A Previous Employee
"One that has always gone over well for me:"
"What were some qualities that the previous employee in this role brought to the job that you would like to see carried forward?"
"Another good thing to do is research the company you are interviewing with and you can ask things about what they may be involved in or you could drop that while reading about the company, you wondered this."
Hypothetical questions were suggested as helpful examples of inquiry.
Indicators Of How Companies Treat Employees
"A question that landed me a job once was: 'If I asked your direct reports about your management style, what do you think they'd tell me?' Stumped a hiring manager and he emailed me personally to tell me about it, no one ever asked him that question but got the job.
"In my current interviews I'm asking 'what did your company do for its employees during [the virus] to improve their day to day, work life balance, etc.' and I ask 'Is there anything your company adopted during [the virus] that they plan to keep post [the virus]?"
"These questions give a lot of insight into whether a company treated their employees well."
Past Performance & Adjustments
"If we were currently sitting in my 1 year review, what would I have done in this year for you to say I excelled in my role?"
"If I could snap my finger right now and change anything about your job or the company, what would it be and why?"
The following questions about a prospective company may not be answered from initial digging on their website.
Measure Of Success & Career Trajectories
"How is success measured in this role?"
"What are some possible career trajectories within the company that could stem from this position?"
Being A Solution
"Ask them what is the biggest problem you can solve for them in your first six months with the company. Similar to 'don't think of a purple hippo,' this forces them to imagine you succeeding in the position."
Simply The Best
"Who is your best employee and why is he/she the best?"
"You will then face 2 situations mostly:"
"panicking CEO who can't answer you 'Bob who works 17 hours a day for a slice of bread' so the fear in their faces must be a big nono for you"
"entusiast CEO who actually follow their business and can tell you who is an added value for the company and why."
– ThePiz91
My experiences with job interviews are different than others seeking work in office environments.
Having had a years-long career as a dancer, my "interview" was the dance audition, where hopefuls dance in small groups of people at a time after learning a routine and then awaiting their fate after the panel evaluates their performances.
The question I may or may not have asked in such a scenario earlier in my career was: "Did I make the cut?"
I did not make the cut. And I learned never to ask that again.
I remember the worst date I ever had. My biggest regret is that I stayed for the entire thing. I should've left as soon as I realized this was not going well, which was basically at hello. But he was paying so I drank, a lot. I'll keep names and dates to myself to protect the innocent.
0/10
Big Brother Reaction GIF by Big Brother After DarkGiphy"Went to brewery, date said I had hairy arms and that meant I was horny, said "you look really awful in this light" and then tried to dig out of that hole by saying in his native language that was a term of endearment long term couples said to each other. 0/10 did not date again."
Lucky 13?
"My wife wanted to plan our 13th wedding anniversary. I was excited because usually, I plan it. She bought us some new disc golf discs and after a quick supper, we went to play. We hadn't played in forever. We were laughing and I had a great time. She served me with divorce papers and told me that the date was a test to see if she still had feelings for me. I also learned that she was having an affair that started well before our anniversary."
- rmorlock
Two Hours from Home
"Not necessarily a date but a person I was dating invited me to his parent's house for the afternoon. He wanted to introduce me to them and show me the house he grew up in. I thought it was super sweet and had no problems going. He was also in the middle of moving and needed to pick up a few things, so it really didn't seem that unusual."
"Yeah, we got there and it was awful. His entire family was there. They traveled from hours away too. This was not just meeting the parents, it was meeting the ENTIRE family. Even worse? At some point, this idiot told his parents that he had proposed. We had been dating TWO months. I spent the entire afternoon dumbfounded and just playing along."
"We were two hours from home and I had no cell service, no way to leave at all. We ended up spending the afternoon brainstorming wedding ideas and planning an Alaskan honeymoon that his parents planned to gift us. His brother even called to say congratulations! We drove back to his apartment in silence. When we got there, I got in my car and left, didn't even bother grabbing my stuff. Weirdest experience ever. I have no idea how he broke it to his parents that we weren't getting married."
You're Cut Off!
"Got set up on a blind date once between mutual friends. She shows up to the restaurant already a little tipsy, orders multiple appetizers and only takes like one or two bites from each one. Then she proceeds to order 3 or 4 more drinks and is visibly drunk at this point. She gets up and says she's going to the bathroom and staggers off. About 15-20 minutes go by so I try to call her several times but no answer."
"Finally I decide to pay the check and just leave. About 2 hours later I'm sitting at home and I get a call from an unknown number. It's the police department. She was picked up on a DUI on her way home after she ditched me and gave the cops my number to see if I could go bail her out!"
- mox44ah
Sorry?
Bbc Three Idk GIF by BBCGiphy"Well, I gave this answer on a different topic, but it ties in with this. We were out on a date, we had been seeing each other for a while, close to a year maybe. She gets a phone call. Suddenly she looks destroyed. Her fiancé had just died in a motorcycle accident."
What in the world? I mean how can we ever expect to pair off with the dating pool being inundated with liars and nut jobs? I'm going to delete my apps.
Girl, Bye.
Sassy Beyonce GIFGiphy"Had a girl openly flirt with the bartender in front of me. She says she wasn't. But handing him her own phone and asking for his contact info in front of her date seems like it to me."
Crazy!
"Came out from a movie, late at night, and date's Camaro was stolen. Apparently, he called his WIFE (that I did not know he had) and let her know where he was and what happened. She showed up and realized he was on a date! She started chasing ME around the parking lot telling me she was going to kill me. Saved by the cops who showed up just in time to take the auto theft report."
Hey Mom
"Met a girl at a country bar one night in my 20s. We were both pretty drunk but hit it off pretty good. Ended up getting her number and we agreed we'd go on a real date. Fast forward to the date, she gets in my vehicle and... she looks almost identical to my mom. I was mortified. I was polite and we went for lunch where I found out she also had a boyfriend she "wasn't sure if she was into". Never talked to her again."
- SgtGo
Liars...
"When I was in college many years ago, before the advancement of cell phones and social media, I was chatting with a girl I met on a BBS who lived on Long Island, NY. I was 18 at the time, but lied and said I was 22 because she said she was 25. We spent a few weeks emailing each other, as well as calling each other."
"We even exchanged pics. When we finally met up, things blew up. Turns out we both lied about our ages: She was really 33, and lied because she thought she looked younger. She admitted she sent a college photo to me. We still had dinner together, but it was awkward as hell. We never spoke again."
Doubles
Kill Me Now Season 1 GIF by FriendsGiphy"It was a double date. She was more interested talking to the other girl throughout the whole thing. Found out later from the other guy that his girl cheated on him with my date."
Ummm... I think I'm just going to stay single. That is a handful of crazy. Why can't people just be honest? I swear the search for love warps people's brains. Be careful out there people.
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