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Buyer's Remorse

It’s easier than ever to buy and sell useless junk. Without thinking about it, you’ll see an advertisement for some gimicky kitchen gadget, tap “Buy Now,” and have a banana slicer on your doorstep by the end of the day. Of course, one of the central problems with consumer culture is that you regret your purchase half the time — either because you don’t need it, because it’s a piece of crap, or both. 


Frugal Redditors recently shared products that they discovered they didn't need. Let this serve as a reminder to pause and think before you click.

Related:
 7 Things Americans Waste Their Money On, According to Thrifty Redditors

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Premium Measuring Cups and Spoons

A set of metal measuring cups and spoons can be had for a couple of bucks from the thrift store. And yet, one Redditor was bamboozled into buying a “fancy-looking” measuring set in hopes that it would jumpstart their baking hobby. Unsurprisingly, the Redditor isn’t baking more following their purchase, and when they do pull up a recipe, they use the cheap measuring set they were given more than 28 years ago.


Related: Weddings, Casinos, and Other Things Redditors Say Are the Biggest Waste of Money

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PlayStation 5

Video games promise hours of escapist fun. But one Redditor says that after they bought a PlayStation 5 “on a whim” (rarely a good idea) to play “God of War,” they played about 75% of the game and haven’t touched it since. Congratulations, now you have a $500 Blu-Ray player.


Related: The Definitive List of Things You Never Need to Buy

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Printer

Serial hobbyists often think that the best way to get out of a rut is to buy something new: a pair of running shoes, an ultimate frisbee set, or in the case of this Redditor, a printer. While the Redditor had designs to create a “vision board,” their printer is still sitting in its packaging.


Related: 30 Things You Should Never Buy on Amazon

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Waterpik

Like the serial hobbyist’s purchase, this acquisition was aspirational: If I buy a water flosser, then I’ll floss my teeth, the Redditor thought. But you can’t buy discipline, so their Waterpik has “been a waste.”

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Ninja Creami Ice Cream Maker

Add the Ninja Creami ice cream maker to the list of gimmicky, overpriced kitchen gadgets. A Redditor purchased one, only to have it sit on the counter, “mocking” them for wasting money. Our suggestion? Sell it online for cash.

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Squatty-Potty

One Redditor’s well-meaning daughter convinced their parent that they just had to buy a Squatty-Potty, an ugly stool that gets you into position to poop properly. But the Redditor, who has hip problems, said the setup was too painful.

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Lymphatic Brush

The practice of dry brushing (exactly what it sounds like) is hot among alternative medicine folks, who say it can help your body release toxins. Surprise, surprise: Taking a coarse brush to your skin is painful, a Redditor reports. “The bristles were very rough and I developed rashes from just brushing one time. Worst purchase ever.”

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Subscriptions

Everyone has done it. You sign up for a free trial, watch what you want, and then forget about your subscription. A few months later, you realize you’ve been paying $10 a month for some service you forgot you had. But there’s an easy alternative: Churn your subscriptions.