I've seen my friends lay down huge amounts at the casino and lose it all, I've always considered that a waste a money. Usually this happens when they're already in a hole and they try to get themselves out, and the hole just gets deeper. Gambling isn't even enjoyable after that point D:.

So yarr, gambling and losing large amounts is the biggest money waster I've seen.

Wow, I was feeling bad, but this thread took the weight off, I blew $600 on a convertible top for a car that I never rebuilt. Still have the top, but it's been 4 years :P

Leasing or Renting.
Of course it would depend on what it is, Renting a apartment is a waist of moeny, but many people don't have a choice, I have rented a apartment for a few years and now have a house. With a house I pay a little more then I did with rent, and If I want to sell, I get all that money back and use it as a down payment on a different house it I want, I didn't get shit when I left my apartment.

My brother is leasing a truck, I to this day I can't figure out why. For the lease to be valid you are limited to a number of km per month (At least I think is't per month) and he can't sell it so he won't get any money back. He even had the nerve to ask for my car so he can meet someone so that he won't waist the miles on his truck. Flat down said no.

I'm going to go ahead and politely disagree with you on this one. I'm leasing a car and I love it. I don't have any children to pass the car on to, nor do I foresee needing to sell it. I have a brand new car that runs like a dream, and the dealership pays for most of the service. Plus, when the lease is up, I have the option to buy it out (which I might consider). I was thinking of buying a used car, but I'd be paying more monthly for a much older car, whose reliability would be questionable. It depends on your situation, I guess, but for me right now, leasing is a good option.

It's great to hear that Its working well for you, but trust me, if you knew about my brother and his family's lifestyle, you would be wondering why on earth they are leasing.

They use their truck ALL the time and I am willing to bet that they have to pay for the extra miles they have used on it, I was living in their basement apartment when they got the truck, so I am willing to bet that the thought leasing was a safe bet assuming they could use my car, when I refused to let them touch my car their plan back-fired. They should have done their research first and planned around it.

I agree that leasing is a waste, but there are plenty of times when renting makes perfect sense. People who have to move around a lot shouldn't bother with buying - the fees and selling costs'll kick your butt. And when the housing market's poor for buyers, buying's not that smart either. Now's not too bad of a time to buy a house, but there have been plenty of times where it didn't make financial sense.

Mmm, that's valid. Pretty much as long as you are well aware of the risks in leasing, you should be fine. Admittedly, I'm well over where I should be on my mileage since I commute to work, but after I move, the car will be used MUCH less than it is now, so I'm not worried about going over the eventual 36,000 mile limit when my 3 years are up. And even if I do, I will likely buy the car out since I love it so much.

Are insurance rates higher when you lease a car? I've never done it and don't know anyone that has.

Nope, there's no difference in the rates.

I'm also going to weigh in on the leasing car argument. I've got a lease and I love it. Sure, I'll probably trade it in when my three years are up, and have nothing to show for the money I've spent the entire time, but I don't trust my instincts when buying a used car. I'll probably wind up with a beater, it's in my blood. So, this is a good compromise. Plus my car be bitchin' yo.

Not to say that cars are a good investment outside of utility, homes traditionally do not change in value much unless your area experiences blight or gentrification. But you're an idiot, I'm only responding to you because I really like seeing my sig.

I've been working up in Fort McMurray, Alberta over the last 18 months where compulsive shopping is practically a lifestyle all depending on the specified person in this area from my point of view.

A lot of people who work up here are so amazed but how of an increase in terms of a paycheck they get when it comes to finding work up here. They can go from making 10 to 15 dollars an hour to making 35 to 45 dollars an hour with a living allowance of $198 a day to go along with it. Trust you have to be making that much with the cost of living as high as it is up here, but sometimes that can be oblivous to some people. They see anywhere from 3 to 5 grand on a paychceck, and think they have a lot of money to burn. my house back home is worth about 150,000; If I had purchased that same house up here it would cost anywhere between 500,000 to 750,000 up here.

I've seen my share of seeing people spend countless amounts of money from anywhere to over the top expensive vehicles, lavish trips to just about any kind of electronics. I remember going to the source and seeing someone spend almost $10,000 on a variety of electronics during the holidays. There have been times that I've stayed up in work camps and I've actually seen people play paycheck poker.

For me personally even though I make $25 an hour as an environmental field inspector the majority of my money goes back home. My money can do a lot more back home then what it can do here.

The way I look at it, its their money they more than welcome to spend it how they see fit, even if I see it as a waste.

EVERY SINGLE FUCKING PERSON WHO BUYS BOTTLED WATER
It is, no shit, like one thousand times more expensive than the water form the tap. People come up to the cafe I work at, in a mall, and fork out $3 for a bottle of mount franklin. RIGHT NEXT TO THE COUNTER WE HAVE THIS WHOLE STATION OF JUGS OF ICE COLD WATER AND GLASSES. IT'S FUCKING FREE WE GIVE IT TO YOU AND WE'LL EVEN WASHT HE GLASS. WE DON'T CARE. But no, these fucking morons continue to buy Mount Franklin bullshit.

It's fucking tap water run throuhg a filter. BIG FUCKING DEAL.

My parents blew around 1,000-3,000 (can't remember how much) on trimming, plus the cost of getting it painted and installed.

My dad also drives an electric wheelchair 80% of the time because walking is too hard (in his defense, he's had like 8 heart attacks in his life).

It's been about 2 and a half years, and in that he's managed to knock the trimming off of a wall entirely, and gouge it almost all the way through in another part. There isn't a time I can remember where I've swept and hadn't swept up splinters and whittlings from his ventures into the kitchen.

And that's not counting the door that he's all but wrecked, and the bathroom cupboard doors he's ripped off, and the front door he's scratched. I don't think I need to go on anymore.

We now call him the human wrecking ball.

Some things come to mind:

The old 'I'll watch it later' for DVD's or 'I'll get around to playing it later' for games. The idea basically of storing up games/ DVD's when one knows that he/she will never play them all.

i tug off dudes

EDIT: I think I might just leave this here as an example of the type of dipshits I have the pleasure of living with. They also waste money.

Leasing is for suckers - by the time the lease is up, the car is used and then you're either buying a used car or you're going to go out and lease something else.

Champs go to repossession auctions and get cars on the cheap.

It's used, yeah, but it's been used by me, so I am at least aware of any risks involved in the car. I wouldn't be buying it blindly like I would any other used car.

But they don't know that. They probably buy the bottled stuff just to be on the safe side.

There's a acquaintance of mine who've wasted thousands on guitars, amps and so on, but he can't really play the guitar that very well. He's thinking that the more expensive equipment he's got will make everything sound much better, but he's sooooo wrong. I've gotten a friend who's really friggin good at the guitar, and he's poor and can't afford a new guitar even if he needs one. I think he should have the stuff instead.

I swear, you're talking about my younger brother. He's bought four or five guitars in the past two years or so, and he only really plays one of them. Why would you need more than one anyway? Also on the list is four amps, each new one bigger than the last. And the clincher here--he thinks he's king shit on the guitar, and he SUCKS. I can't stand it when he plays; it's like he's just cranking out noise.

That, and we live in an apartment building. He plays it so loud sometimes... He even got us an eviction warning one time.

Buying audio cables for $3000 per meter. I've seen it happen.

I hear you there, people tend to to that with sports too.

Stupidity is no excuse!

Paying near 200$ bills per month for a cellular phone is something I'd call, one of the biggest waste of money. I work for Bell Mobility and I do customer service. I see cases of people paying for shitty little services like bikinis/hot male models or mobile poke and stuff like that which is money thrown in the lake.

Also, Mortis, I'm guilty of the thing you mentionned. I bought some video games that I knew I wasn't going to play.

I have to agree with the bottled water issue, people who buy it are indeed morons, just get a filter jug for your fridge, if you want to take some with you, use a sipper bottle. So much cheaper.

A friend of mine purchased a Blu-ray dvd player, and he wishes to buy a playstation 3 this year too...