I once bought a $60 sandwich press on sheer impulse as I walked past it in a retail store. The problem with impulse buys is once the euphoria of novelty subsides, reality charges in like the Kool-Aid Man through a wall. I will admit, I did use it. It was like a generic version of a fancier panini press. There is something about hot, compressed sandwiches that speaks directly to my inner couch potato. That sandwich press did nothing for my bills or my household budget. I did use it, but after a month, cold sandwiches were just as good again and it went on a shelf. This is an example of items not worth cash worries that they will generate.
This isn’t about the occasional indulgent purchase made every now and then. Buying nonessential items can become an unshakable consumer mindset.
The average American salary is only $48,700 annually. Well over 51 million Americans have filed for unemployment insurance since March 2020.
These are hard times for everyone. You should have better budget intentions for $5,400 than to just impulsively throw it away on fleeting purchase indulgences.
Here are four items not worth cash worries they will cause you in the long term.
Mascara
Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but a sucker and their money are easily parted too.
For example, when it comes to mascara, less can be a whole lot more.
Comparison shop and try a few brands, or get trusted recommendations. You will find the right and affordable mascara brand for you.
The average cost of drugstore variety mascara ranges between $5 to $6.57.
There are some luxury mascara brands that can cost as much a $25 to $70.
The Christian Louboutin Les Yeux Noirs Lash Amplifying Lacquer brand of mascara retails for $110.
The world’s most expensive mascara costs $589.
Most women keep a variety of makeup products and then change up aesthetic styles often.
Paying $25 to $110 for mascara and then tossing it into a drawer or makeup kit is an expensive waste.
Bread Making Machines
Really?
On my list of items not worth cash sacrifices, this product has a high placing.
Listen, I love freshly baked bread as much as the next person. There is nothing as indulgent as freshly baked bread.
And not the flimsy generic bread slice loaves available in the supermarket either. Mass-produced bread is pumped with air pumps to maximize volume and profit to the detriment of aesthetic quality.
Still, unless you have serious culinary skills and plan to use them often, you are wasting money on bread machines.
You can buy a good one for $90. You can find others for as much as $650.
What you need to consider are the numerous ancillary costs involved in owning a bread machine.
I’m sure that you can find many other uses with an extra $100 or $650.
Save the money and begin frequenting a local artisan baker.
Mani-Pedi
I don’t have to tell you that the world is experiencing the worst infectious disease pandemic within a century, if not millennia.
Right now may not be the best time to be patronizing your local salon, nail technician, or manicurist.
But OK. It’s your money. Items not worth cash worries, like this, are not worth it. But do what you like.
The average mani-pedi can cost anywhere between $35 to $70.
You can buy a multitude of nail polish strip products that range in prices from $3 to $15.
Beats By Dre Headphones
You won’t find a bigger rap music fan and hip-hop culture purist than me.
I still have N.W.A. albums on cassette and CD from my childhood.
What Dr. Dre has contributed to rap music, and music culture, in general, can never be understated. He crafted the soundtrack of my youth with many of his songs or songs he produced.
Still, I still have no intention of buying Dre’s $300 headphones. That isn’t going to happen anytime soon within my lifetime.
Of the items not worth cash worries, this purchase will bite you with vengeful regret sooner or later.
You can buy noise-canceling headphones suitable for music or video gameplay for $40 to $100.
Unless you are a DJ, music producer, technician, or engineer, this should be a hard pass for you. You would just be investing in a product lifestyle, not the product.
Budget, Budget, Budget
I don’t mean to sound holier than thou. We all are human. And life is hard. There is nothing wrong with the occasional indulgence.
Mindlessly spending money on spontaneous purchases is a mindset that must be obsoleted in these days and times, however. These costs add up over years and a lifetime.
Make a budget and stick to it. Focus on the need to pay your bills instead of paying for nonessential items you’ll soon become bored of.
Think about your financial future and the things you may want for yourself, or your loved ones, in the future.
Don’t rob yourself of a better future with today’s unnecessary purchases.
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Allen Francis was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years with no money, no financial literacy, and no responsibility when he had money. To him, the phrase “personal finance,” contains the power that anyone has to grow their own wealth. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including focusing on your needs instead of your wants, asking for help when you need it, saving and investing in your own small business.