What is the dumbest purchase that you have ever made?

AppleCori

Well-Known Member
OK, time to lighten things up.

What have you bought that you regret, whether big or small?

Where is it now?

Doesn’t really have to rise to the level of “worst purchase I ever made”, just whatever you can think of right now. Time to laugh at ourselves.
 

Lil

Well-Known Member
Well...not a laugh really because I think a lot of people buy exercise equipment and then regret spending the money. A Bowflex. Paid I think $600 for it to sit unused taking up room. We bought it so many years ago our son was too young to use it unsupervised, I know that. I think it's been used maybe 10 times total.

I'm sure I'll think of more.
 

AppleCori

Well-Known Member
Well...not a laugh really because I think a lot of people buy exercise equipment and then regret spending the money. A Bowflex. Paid I think $600 for it to sit unused taking up room. We bought it so many years ago our son was too young to use it unsupervised, I know that. I think it's been used maybe 10 times total.

I'm sure I'll think of more.

We bought a treadmill a few years ago. Put it in an unused extra bedroom. I used it occasionally. When hubby used it the first time, it broke. Then we discovered that we hadn’t sent in the warranty card, and we were out of luck with sending it back (ordered online).

Ended up in the garbage.
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
We got a treadmill at a garage sale for $10. The trim was broken but it worked nicely. Loud. I actually did use it and then it got REALLY loud and started to not always work. So when our KMart closed I got an elliptical for like $150. I've used it maybe 10x for 5-10 minutes each time... Yep.
 

RN0441

100% better than I was but not at 100% yet
We got a treadmill at a garage sale for $10. The trim was broken but it worked nicely. Loud. I actually did use it and then it got REALLY loud and started to not always work. So when our KMart closed I got an elliptical for like $150. I've used it maybe 10x for 5-10 minutes each time... Yep.

Both are good for throwing clothes over - you know the ones that you wore an hour so they're really not "dirty" but really not clean either....
 

AppleCori

Well-Known Member
Oh, the worst purchase ever for us was a certain bed that resembles an air mattress....

I have friends that love theirs, so not saying the product is defective, but it definitely didn’t work for us.

I always felt like I was sleeping on a sideways slide, as hubby is quite a bit heavier. We had them come out to fix/replace parts twice. It was a disaster. I finally told hubby i was going to be sleeping on the couch if we didn’t get a new mattress, so we returned it and bought a new bedroom set.
 

Crayola13

Well-Known Member
When I was a very young homeowner, I didn't understand the doffdiffer between California king size sheets and king size sheets. We had a California king water bed. Stores don't sell California king sheets, only king sheets. I didn't know. So, I go to the store and buy a really nice sheet set for $50 that didn't fit because it wasn't California king. For hours, I tried my damnedest to put those sheets on the bed and just couldn't. The whole time, my husband knew the reason why but was working so many hours that he didn't think it was important enough to explain this to me. The next day I called my mom, who didn't know what the difference was between a California king and king size bed, either. She said that I just didn't know what I was doing because I was young, and this was my first house. She came over and couldn't make the sheets fit the bed, either. She said the sheets were just made wrong. So, I went back to the store and bought another king size set. Those didn't fit, of course. So, I got pissed off and just threw the sheets in the drawer and left them there for several years. We just used blankets instead of fitted sheets. All that time, my husband knew and didn't bother to explain this to me. About five years into our marriage, I finally figured out we had a California king size bed and not a king size bed. So, I went on the internet and ordered the correct size. All these years later, I still have to order the sheets because stores only carry king size.
 

Lil

Well-Known Member
Oh, the worst purchase ever for us was a certain bed that resembles an air mattress....

Jabber and I considered the sleep number bed, until we saw the weight limit...500 lbs each side of the mattress (which is split down the middle so either person can have their own firmness). Now...we're big people - not 500lbs big - but big! And well, there are times when a married couple might end up on the same side of the bed.
We feared a blow-out. :916blusher:
 

AppleCori

Well-Known Member
:angel::angel::angel::angel:
Jabber and I considered the sleep number bed, until we saw the weight limit...500 lbs each side of the mattress (which is split down the middle so either person can have their own firmness). Now...we're big people - not 500lbs big - but big! And well, there are times when a married couple might end up on the same side of the bed.
We feared a blow-out. :916blusher:

Hmmmmm.....

There were probably a few things we did that didn’t help matters...

Oh, and the ‘money back guarantee’—not as good as it sounds...
 

AppleCori

Well-Known Member
When I was a very young homeowner, I didn't understand the doffdiffer between California king size sheets and king size sheets. We had a California king water bed. Stores don't sell California king sheets, only king sheets. I didn't know. So, I go to the store and buy a really nice sheet set for $50 that didn't fit because it wasn't California king. For hours, I tried my damnedest to put those sheets on the bed and just couldn't. The whole time, my husband knew the reason why but was working so many hours that he didn't think it was important enough to explain this to me. The next day I called my mom, who didn't know what the difference was between a California king and king size bed, either. She said that I just didn't know what I was doing because I was young, and this was my first house. She came over and couldn't make the sheets fit the bed, either. She said the sheets were just made wrong. So, I went back to the store and bought another king size set. Those didn't fit, of course. So, I got pissed off and just threw the sheets in the drawer and left them there for several years. We just used blankets instead of fitted sheets. All that time, my husband knew and didn't bother to explain this to me. About five years into our marriage, I finally figured out we had a California king size bed and not a king size bed. So, I went on the internet and ordered the correct size. All these years later, I still have to order the sheets because stores only carry king size.

What? Did he finally confess?
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
I really had trouble with this question. My hubby and I are not people who buy lots of things, especially not toys or big items but I did think of one unexpensive purchase that did not end well.

Princess was about eight and begged us to buy her Chinese Mice. I have no memory why she asked but we bought them for her. She was supposed to feed them, which I have learned is a bad mommy mistake...never buy a little kid a pet unless you are going to care for it. The kids are erratic and easily bored and I now feel horrible that I didn't check to make sure she was feeding them. I made a big mommy mistake and the poor Chinese Mice paid the ultimate price and I feel badly about it even all these years later and even though they were not your average pampered and beloved pets, such as dogs and cats.

One day I smelled something bad in her room. It was coming from their tank (do they live in tanks? It was their glass thing.)

They had obviously been underfed as they had eaten each other.

It was gross, but I felt so badly I cried. I felt as if it we're my fault so I told Princess they died without the details or blame as sheswas/is very sensitive and would have been horrified, like me. And I never ever bought any pet, not even a fish, for my kids. Any animals added to our house were MY responsibility after that. Until they moved out, the pets we're my and husband's responsibility. Princess has turned into a really good animal owner with a special obsession with her turtles and fish...the tanks are spotless and she feeds them organically, whatever that means. Granddaughter helps! Anyway....

I would say that the poor Chinese Mice were a bad idea. Possibly our very worst purchase. R.I.P. little Chinese Mice. Sorry!!!! :(
 
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KTMom91

Well-Known Member
A treadmill. Shoved it in my Geo Metro and drove the damn thing home - about 75 miles - and used it until I managed to tear the ligaments in the bottom of my left foot. Apparently I was stomping instead of walking...
 

Lil

Well-Known Member
really had trouble with this question. My hubby and I are not people who buy lots of things, especially not toys or big items but I did think of one unexpensive purchase that did not end well.

Wow! I couldn't rate this post. I certainly couldn't "like" it! Poor little critters.
 

Tanya M

Living with an attitude of gratitude
Staff member
Many years ago when they came out with the ceramic top stoves I did my homework to find out which one would be best for me as there are several different types.

I found the one I wanted, went to purchase it and was able to get one from the scratch and dent area. Brand new with a dent on the side, who cares, it's going between two cabinets so no one will ever see it. That dent saved me $200
I felt so smart that I had done my homework and got such a great deal.

The appliance store delivered my new stove! It was so pretty. I got the manual out to read about how to care for it. As I was reading my husband came home. He greeted me and jokingly asked "When are you going to cook me something on your new fancy stove"?
I replied in a muffled voice "as soon as I buy new pots and pans"

Yup, in all my research on which one would be best for me I never read anything about not using cast iron or Vision Ware (glass ware) on a ceramic stove top. That's all I had was cast iron and Vision Ware.
The $200 I saved by buying a scratch and dent was used to buy a new set of Stainless pots and pans.

I now have a gas stove which I prefer and can use any pot or pan I want.
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
A fun topic, Apple!

We've always been quite poor, so no purchases to mention as we never had the means.

Sure loved reading everyone's posts.
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
OMG Tanya! We have had a ceramic top for 12+ years now. I love it. It actually looks pretty good, considering... But it is SO much easier to clean. And... Uh... We use cast iron on it! I also can on mine. LOL! But I would LOVE to have a gas stove - that is what I learned to cook on when I was a child, up to age 14. 30+ years later and I still miss it.
 

Tanya M

Living with an attitude of gratitude
Staff member
And... Uh... We use cast iron on it!
I wonder if it depends on the type of stove. A couple of years after getting mine, a friend also bought one and used cast iron and the ceramic top cracked! The stove still worked but it had a big crack in it.
I'm just happy to have gas now, I mean a gas stove!
 
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