Every new year, we tell ourselves, "this will be my year!" But when has that ever been true? It's impossible to have a flawless year, and we're bound to have a few screw-ups. But what happens when those screw-ups cost major money? These Redditors will tell you.
u/onlinebeing asked: What was your most expensive f*ck up of 2019?
Starting off strong.
I work at a company that handles PHI (personal health info). I work in the mail room stuffing those packets. I stuffed two peoples PHIs in one packet and the company ended up getting sued for 1.2 million.
Winner winner chicken dinner.
OOF.
Giphy
A few months ago I bought a $190 Visa gift card at Family Dollar, only to drop it into a manhole on my way home.
Please tell me you bought it for a dollar.
That's how it be sometimes.
My boiler wasn't working, so got a plumber.
A line was pinched, or maybe had frozen, it worked fine when the plumber got there, £160 and he didn't do anything.
Our alarm wouldn't stop going off, so we called a security guy. £75 for him to walk in, unplug a battery and hand over an invoice.
"Rerental"?
I was contemplating moving out of my apartment but didn't want to pay the lease break fee of 2600 so my apartment sold me on the idea of a 'rerental'.
Meaning I would pay 500 for my apartment to be listed for rental and if someone moved in, I would be in the clear. 500 and I would be out scot-free. The only caveat was that I had to pay the rent until that happened. If someone moved in mid-month, I get the rest back.
Ok, bet.
Well, I pay rent the 1st month thinking my apartment will go fast since it's the only 1 bedroom floor plan without expensive upgrades but I found out that they don't list it as available on the website. So, It doesn't get rented in month 1.
Boom, 1300$ gone. The apartment is empty and I have paid for the move + move in costs for the new place.
That means I am now paying rent in my empty old apartment and my new place.
At the end of the first month, I decide I cant afford to pay rent in two places again so I tell them that Ill just go ahead and pay the lease break fee thinking I'll just suck it up and be done with it.
They say okay, however caveat #2 is that I now have to give a 30 day notice to vacate (even though I have already vacated) and then pay the fee.
So I had to pay yet another month of rent in this empty apartment AND the lease break fee in the same month + the rent at my new place.
If I had just paid the lease break fee originally, I would have saved so much. And this is why I don't gamble.
That's rough.
Giphy
I was engaged in June. I was no longer engaged in September. Whole lot of money down the drain.
You've saved yourself potentially much more my friend.
Guess not.
So apparently not all brake pads squeak when they need to be replaced. Sometimes you find out when you hear the horrible loud grinding noise of metal on metal and assume you're about to die. New brake pads and rotors all around I suppose.
Bad puppies!
I left a nearly full box of Raisin Bran on the kitchen table, left to hang out with a friend. Came back home to find that between my three dogs, they'd ripped into and eaten all of it.
Just now paid off the $3,000 vet bill, finally. All the dogs survived.
Not a terrible suggestion.
Giphy
I just got my new social security card and driver's license and changed my name legally after getting married last November. Guess who's getting divorced and needs to change their name again? This girl.
Find someone to marry with the same last name.
Never leave your wallet on your seat.
Not mine, but my wife's.
Left her wallet sitting in the passenger seat when she went in to work. Came back to a smashed window and no wallet.
So just over $400 to replace the window (deductible for the insurance was $500), and about $100 in cash that was in said wallet. Plus the headache of replacing all of her IDs, credit cards, etc.
College is such a pain.
Finished school that I paid out of pocket for, went into my internship, and absolutely hated the field. Decided I'm going back to school for something else.
There's been people who graduate with a MASTER's in teaching, teach school for a year and then decide F*CK THIS.
Ordering food or, for the time being, enjoying a socially distanced lunch at an establishment is convenient, but it can take a toll on your wallet.
So what options are there?
Fortunately, there are plenty of them that do not involve nuking a frozen entree.
Strangers on the internet shared their amateur culinary wisdom when Redditor SandandS0n asked:
"What's your go-to under 5 minute meal?"
These dinner selections are super sufficient.
In Case You Didn't Know
"Quesadilla. super quick and easy to make and there's a ton of ingredients that you can add without much effort that will make it even better."
– Arcinbiblo12
Noodling Around
"Ramen and an egg, but not the traditional way."
- "Boil roughly half an inch of water (we want just enough water to boil the noodles, with very little water left over when it's done boiling)."
- "Smash up the ramen noodles, while still in the package (optional but cooks MUCH faster)."
- "Open the package and remove the seasoning."
- "Dump the noodles in."
- "While boiling, crack an egg and whisk in a small bowl."
- "Noodles should be done and almost all the water should be gone, if not strain out some.
- Remove from the heat."
- "Slowly pour in the egg while mixing very quickly, try not to let the egg touch the pan."
- "Mix as much of the seasoning packet as you like (I prefer 1/2 - 3/4 because I usually add a salty component at the end.)"
- "Add to bowl and top with some chives, thinly sliced, ripped up ham/salami and/or parsley. Leftover bacon or pancetta are fantastic crunchy components to dial up the texture."
"Easy, fast and checks so many of the 'munchie' boxes for me."
noodles ramen GIF by HUANG'S WORLDGiphyDon't Underestimate Soups
"Tomato soup and add tortellini. I like the spinach ones from Trader Joe's and Progreso creamy tomato with basil. It's bomb and it really makes a decent meal."
– ambernoodle
For people in a rush, these tasty snacks would suffice.
Goes Well With Veggies And Cheese
"Hummus is such an underrated food. It goes well with a lot of veggies and breads and chips or heck even cheese. All the time I hear hummus being listed as one of those weird, gross foods when its actually an amazing snack, or a meal if done correctly. It's not really unhealthy, either, especially if eaten with veggies (celery and carrots go great with hummus)."
Ready In Seconds
"All I do is get a paper towel, and put 5 Oreos on it."
– KeengPeach
"Then go back and get the whole package."
Peanut Butter Fantasies
"Peanut butter sandwich."
– IgnoreMe733
"If I'm feeling extra froggy I'll add nutella to the peanut butter and honey sandwich and put it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Goes down about as well as a popeye's biscuit though."
– saluki352
Nature's Candy
"Fruit."
"It's like cheating the system. You eat sweets and call it healthy."
Start your day without all the hassle of a fancy breakfast.
Put It In A Bowl
"Oatmeal or cereal."
– essa618
"Cereal is definitely underrated as a meal outside of the breakfast dynamic."
– johndavidcard
Thanks, Nonna!
"A very simple recipe my grandma prepared for me when i was a kid."
"It's basically scrambled eggs...but before adding the egg she would cook sweetcorn (from a can) with a little bit of butter, add the eggs and then when the eggs were almost ready, add small cubes of cheese and cook for a minute or until the cheese start to melt (she was using fontal, but any swiss or white cheddar will do). Just a little black pepper and salt."
"Takes 5 minutes to do but it's absolutely delicious, fill you up, not so unhealthy and I feel my late grandma with me."
'I tried variations with chives or spring onions, paprika or other stuff. Still good but nothing as good as a simple "uova strapazzate con mais e formaggio.'"
"Grazie nonna"
– Xelorath
I consider yogurt a healthy snack/lunch option.
I like having a bowl of non-fat plain Greek yogurt with raspberries, blueberries, sprinkled with granola and drizzled with honey.
It's packed with nutrients and gives me a nice boost of energy.
Yogurt also makes for a perfect chip dip. I sprinkle some onion soup mix and stir in the mixture. Who knew quick and easy food prep could be so delicious?