Printers, Waterpiks, and Other Products That Frugal Redditors Regret Buying

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

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

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

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

One commenter’s significant other purchased a handheld sewing machine to repair their jeans. While we endorse the idea behind this project, handheld sewing machines just don’t work. As one sewing enthusiast on Reddit put it, “Handheld machines: not even once.”

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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.”

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.

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.

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.”

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.