In this day and age, being careful about money is just downright good advice. Most people fall into the trap of overspending, splurging, and “retail therapy,” with disastrous results for their savings. But some costs are still worth paying, as some folk’s experiences show.
We’ve gathered some of the best examples and fails of frugality gone wrong, from disastrous DIY to buying products so cheap and poorly made that they don’t serve any function. So get comfortable as you scroll through, take some notes, upvote your favorites, and be sure to share your own ideas and experiences in the comments below.
#1 There Was A “Cat Tree” On AliExpress For Super Cheap. I Figured “How Bad Could It Be, Really? I Can’t Stop Laughing
Image source: worrier_sweeper0h
#2 My Frames Broke, So I Forced My Lenses Into Some Cheap Sunglasses Frames. I Look Ridiculous, But I Can See At Work
Image source: macbubs
#3 To Be Fair My Wife Did Think This Paddling Pool Was Suspiciously Cheap
Image source: Mea05cer
#4 Buying Cheap Educational Toys Is A Bad Idea
Image source: nodnodwinkwink
#5 Booked A Cheap Hotel In Lisbon With A Friend. The Pictures On The Booking Website Never Showed The Toilet And The Bed In The Same Picture
I hope my friend doesn’t have any urgent needs tonight.
Image source: Th3_Accountant
#6 I Was Too Cheap To Pay For A Sea View Room At My Hotel In Brighton… Ended Up Getting A Gull View Instead
Image source: robbodagreat
#7 Grow Your Own Vegetables, They Said. Save Money, They Said
Image source: Jonsmile
#8 That’s What I Get For Buying Cheap Knives
Image source: reddit.com
#9 My Wife Suggested Buying A $99 Dresser, But I Said I Could Build One Cheaper. 2 Years And Several Hundred Dollars Later
Image source: shartsngoggles
#10 Sister: “I’ll Save So Much Money If I Cut The Dogs Hair Myself”. She Is No Longer Allowed Near The Dog
Image source: tototl
#11 Bought A $20 Smartwatch From Wish. I Guess, I Deserve This For Being Cheap
Image source: CommanderTazaur
#12 I Thought I Was Being Frugal By Buying A Steak From The Dollar Store
Image source: thenewyorkgod
#13 My Dad Never Wanted To Spend The Money On A New Toy After My Woody Doll Broke As A Young Child. I Present This Cursed Creation That I Spent An Unholy Amount Of Time With
Image source: Newtonhog
#14 I Guess That’s What I Get For Buying Pooreos
Image source: DerangedBeaver
#15 I Installed My Own Microwave Today And Saved $150 In Install Fees
Image source: zingusdingus
#16 Purchased A New Bed With A Free Adjustable Frame. I Didn’t Know It Came With Bed Bugs. Thanks, Mattress Firm
Image source: ZonaBogie
#17 Ever Thought About Hiring A Cheap Barber From Craigslist? Think Again
Image source: Maklo_Never_Forget
#18 I Guess These Are The Cheap Seats
Image source: Scaulbylausis
#19 My (Frugal) Friend’s Old Glasses At The Eye Doctor. Yes, That’s A Twig
Image source: MagicalUnibeefs
#20 Why Spend Money On A Hands-Free Set When You Can Do This
Image source: sunshineandshowers92
#21 Frugal Engineering
Image source: mikeleus
#22 My Boyfriend’s Mom Decided To Save Some Money And Trim The Dog’s Hair Herself… He Is A Pomeranian
Image source: naaron127
#23 Me And My Business Partner Decided To Share A Hotel Room In Order To Save Some Money. We Weren’t Expecting This
Image source: HAZMA7
#24 Bought 10 Mg Gummies Since I Was Taking Two 5 Mg Each Night And Thought I’d Save Some Money. Turns Out The 10 Mg Container Is Still Just 5 Mg Gummies And They Tell You To Take Two
Image source: NellisH13
#25 I Gave My Roommate Money To Get A Very Specific Brand Of Toilet Paper When He Went To The Store (It’s Triple Ply And Durable), And He Brought Back This
When I asked him about it he said that they had the type I asked for in stock, but he got this one because it’s cheaper. He kept the change.
Image source: AutisticFloridaMan
#26 My Cheap Tape Measure Is Missing The 40-Inch Marker
Image source: dushisellers
#27 Struggling To Make Ends Meet But Decided A Camping Trip Would Be Cheap Fun. The Oak Tree Had Different Plans
Wife and I decided to take a camping trip in a national forest about three hours south of where we live because it’d be relaxing, cheap, and fun. The first day was great, hiked a couple of miles, set up camp, and explored. The second day it was storming pretty hard but we weathered it. The third day we packed up, hiked out and it started pouring on us as we hiked. After we made it to the service road and were making our way to the truck, someone passed by and said something along the lines of “Haha, hope that wasn’t your truck folks” and kept going. We didn’t know what they were talking about and kept on our way. When we got back, we found that an old oak tree had fallen and crushed the truck, leaving us stranded. We managed to have the truck freed and towed but it’s now two days later and we’re still trying to come to terms with it all. Painfully waiting to see what we get from insurance but as we all know this market is rough and I just know it won’t be enough to cover another car. At least we weren’t in it.
Image source: Kharilan
#28 My Company Found Cheaper Gloves. These Came Out Of The Same Box
Image source: Mr_Blonde15
#29 I Have Officially Learned My Lesson About Buying Cheap Furniture From Amazon. Have Had All Those Plants/Pots For Years
Image source: reddit.com
#30 Rhode Island Is Removing Trash Cans From Public Parks And Beaches To Save Money. No Way This Could Go Wrong
Image source: arch_llama
#31 Why Spend Good Money On A New Bike When You Can Recycle?
Image source: savetheink
#32 Never Broke A Phone In My Life. First Day I Get My New One With No Insurance, I Drop It From A Height Of 4 Feet And This Happens
Image source: AellyA
#33 Fierce Storms In Sydney Today. Countless Brave, But Cheap Little Umbrellas Fought The Wind, And Rain. And Lost
Image source: uninhabited
#34 When The Boss At Your Dive Bar Is Too Cheap To Get The Ceiling Leak Fixed
Image source: Metallicatica
#35 Lesson Of The Day: Don’t Buy Cheap Stuff On eBay From China
Image source: benz-friend
#36 I Bought A Cheap Newton’s Cradle, And This Is What I Got
Image source: robot_imaginar
#37 Good Reminder Not To Buy Things Too Cheap
Image source: Reimad
#38 This $4 Swan Pool Float From The Dollar Store
Image source: salutishi
#39 Bought Some Coasters From Amazon. Before You Make Fun Of Me, I Am Admittedly Young And Naive. This Was Me Trying To Save Money On My First Apartment
Image source: uglylizardboy
#40 I’m Broke, But On A First Date… I Think It Went Okay. She Hasn’t Texted Me Back In A Week, She’s Probably Busy
Image source: little_impyy
#41 Stayed At A Cheap Hotel This Weekend. Wasn’t Quite Prepared For This Level Of Sketch
Image source: JMCSD
#42 Happy Neh Year! From The Discount Store
Image source: alexesparza
#43 At Least He Saved Money, Right?
Image source: DCA4242
#44 My Landlord Cheaped Out And Hired A Friend To Rebuild Our Back Fence. I Don’t Think This Is His Area Of The Expertise
Image source: DontTripas
#45 Spent The Last Of My Money On Some Cheap Eats, And My Hot Pockets Were Empty
Image source: TheVipersMemory
#46 This Is What I Get For Buying Cheap Bacon
Image source: main_motors
#47 Quality Pallet – 1, Cheap Hammer – 0
Image source: A2326P
#48 Got A Puzzle At A Thrift Store
Got this puzzle at a thrift store because I’ve always wanted a puzzle of the earth. Took me six months to finish it because of work and life getting in the way. When I finally finished it I found out that I was missing a piece. Went to the manufacturer’s website and it says they can’t give you replacement pieces.
Image source: blazyin32
#49 I Used Some Cheap Clippers That Gave Out 1/3 Of The Way Through Shaving My Head
Image source: imdepress
#50 He Bought The Wrong Size Because It Was Cheaper
Image source: dangernoodlefloodle
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