What can't you BELIEVE you used to spend money on?

scottishspendaholic · 2 March 2006 at 12:30PM

Hey everyone,

I have really enjoyed reading marieb's thread - what was your worst moneysaving idea?? - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=158839.

I'd like to know...what can't you believe you spent money on, i.e. what did you waste money on.

My old silly self used to waste money on:-

*Organic Earl Grey teabags to take into work (even though the bog standard teabags at work are free and taste okay!)
*Clarins posh moisturiser even though I think its greasy and horrible and I like plain old Nivea much better
*Handmade greetings cards that cost £4+ each, even though I can make my own and I like them much better - just have to be a bit creative
*Celebrity magazines with daft photos of people I don't recognise. Any 'pure' celeb goss, I can get online for free!
*Lattes - see teabags above!
*Overpriced stationery from places like Paperchase - just because they are packaged nicely. Now I buy cheap and customise my own - decorating folders and notebooks with glitter and other funky cool stuff or nick from work!
*Many, many tubs of Ben & Jerry's ice cream.
*Buying people outrageously expensive presents for Christmas/birthdays etc or 'just I saw this and thought of you' - handmade or good quality charity shop presents are just as good

I am also really working on the fact that I am a hoarder by nature - I hate getting rid of stuff. Its so extreme that I even hate using the foods in my cupboards/fridge/freezer - its so stupid - I drive myself mad!

I'll probably think of more as the day goes on and add more! I'd love to hear yours!

scottishspendaholic x

anniestar · 2 March 2006 at 12:43PM

Gtting my ironing done for me-funny thing is that i now do this "wonderful" service for someone now! Loads of mags some that were months out of date by the time i got round to reading them. Chocolate.....the newest "best" facial product- ive only got one face and would have to be slapping the stuff on 24/7 to gt it used! I had to throw a jar of very expensive exfoliater out that had shrivelled into nothing. Chocolate... Going to concerts did i mention chocolate?? Im ok now BUT there is the small matter of the concerts that im going to in Oct!!!!

Cantdance_2 · 2 March 2006 at 12:46PM

Cool thread!

Let's see:

-Buying Organic fruit and veg... in an ideal world I still would but I don't care what Gillian McKeith says, it *is* more expensive to eat healthily. I can get 6 Tesco Value beetroot (perfectly good and not in vinegar) for 49p whereas organic costs at least twice as much for less than half the amount.

-Spending upwards of £600 on my wife for birthday / Xmas presents. :eek:

-Starbuck's Hot Chocolate at £1.00 a cup when I can get 5p hot chocolate from the machines at work (not quite the same I know!)

-Tesco's finest ham, beef, chicken, etc...

-Pizza takeaways at over £21 for 2 people :rolleyes: (several times a week!)

-DVDs of films I hadn't even seen, which mostly got watched once and filed away (until I sold them all for £5 a pop earlier this year...

)

Plenty more I'm sure!

James

ms_london · 2 March 2006 at 12:47PM

I just used to spend loads on Beauty Products/Clothes/CD's/Beauty Treatments/Sunbeds - sound vain dont I? :0)

Cant necessarily think of particular examples, but probably that similiar to you Scottish Spendaholic. Mind you, I still have a passion for Paperchase, but tend to just look rather than buy!!

I still have a slight addiction to magazines, but try to control this with the 3 for £1 offers on this site, or try to read them (look at pictures) in the gym.

I havent bought a CD/DVD in ages (not one i've had to pay for anyway) whereas once upon the time I had ALL of the Friends Videos and every other Video I could imagine!!

I am not as materialistic as I was, in fact, have gone the other way!!

Good Post SS xx

woohoo_postingid · 2 March 2006 at 12:56PM

Magazines - 3 or 4 a month @ £3-4 each

(The same magazines whose websites I can look at for free now)

elvis_bloggs · 2 March 2006 at 1:01PM

......................................................

frugglewump · 2 March 2006 at 1:02PM

Clothes that "i will fit into after the diet works"

kathfisch · 2 March 2006 at 1:03PM

Ty Beanie Babies *hangs head in shame*, had a really nice collection of them but not worth the money I spent (even by buying on ebay!). Have sold most on ebay but for nothing like what I paid for them.

Food that didn't get eaten and went off. Went from doing my mum's shopping (family of four) to living on my own, took a while for my head to get the idea!

Thats all I can think of for now, great thread by the way!!!

Kath

kathfisch · 2 March 2006 at 1:04PM

frugglewump wrote:

Clothes that "i will fit into after the diet works"

Oh, and lots of those for me too!

Fortunately the diet is working so don't need to buy clothes for ages!

dudleyboy · 2 March 2006 at 1:14PM

Newspapers and magazines - all of the information is on the web for free anyway - up to the minute and from multiple sources

DVDs - £14 a time and watched probably a few times in the space of 3 years... by which time it's shown on TV anyway or available to rent for the evening for 99p

Food - that wasn't on 2-4-1, promo or BOGOF. I have to eat and I dont mind what (providing healthy-ish), so don't mind having the same meal twice in one week

Christmas cards/decorations/wrapping/gifts in Nov/Dec - when they're about 25% of the price in Jan/Feb. Not about being tight - instead it allows me to buy people MORE presents for the same amount.

Now that's Comet sense...

forsya · 2 March 2006 at 1:17PM

Spent far to much money on ex-boyfriends Xmas/B'day pressies, pressies in general actually, far too generous I was (not now!! Ha ha make presents now, more personal!)

Money on clothes, love Ted Baker, makeup that celebrities use!!!

Magazines - still like them, but haven't brought one in weeks!

Just general rubbish that I did not need!

Ben & Jerrys - Scottishspendaholic am with you on that one!!

Friends Videos/DVD's - Ms _London I have them all too!!!

Kathfisch - I have a load of Beanie Babies that an ex brought me, one each week, would have preferred choccies or flowers but never mind!!! Was thinking of selling them on e-bay...do they really not sell for much?

What can't you BELIEVE you used to spend money on?

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