Purchases Made as Young Adult That You Regretted Later?

[ZiggyPastorius]

So, today I bought an iPod touch because it is the last thing I wanted before college (which is a year and a half away). It was pretty arbitrary (I mean, I'd been wanting to for a while, but I didn't really have a logical reason for needing it). I already have an iPod classic 5G and my Macbook and stuff, and I feel pretty good, but pretty stupid at the same time.

That said, I'm not sorry I bought it, but I'm just curious...Can anyone remember any purchases you made when they were young adults that you really wanted to make, then really wish you didn't make because it had a big, probably negative, impact on your life?

[Gray-Wolf]

Yeah, my first computer. I wasn't ready for the debt. It was a Radio Shack 1000 HX

[Daveman Deluxe]

I wish that I hadn't bought my 12" PowerBook when I was nineteen. I should have stuck with my 12" iBook G3.

I used to have a bad habit of buying things based on the expectation that I would get some money soon. I've gotten burned on that a couple of times, but only to the tune of a couple of hundred dollars--never nearly $2,000 like with the PowerBook. Now I wait for cash in my bank account before I buy.

[viccles]

The list is endless...I have a bad habit of spending impulsively

[jb60606]

A Paul Reed Smith 513.

[iJohnHenry]

This is a good question, for the now generation.

I came up somewhat hard, so have never really been impulsive.

There are a couple of purchases I could have made, but didn't, which would have me sitting on millions right now.

Oh well, such is life.

:D

[Eraserhead]

iMac G5 7 days before Macs were announced as going Intel, I should have got a Mac Mini.

[big_malk]

With my college bursaries and some savings, I've had a powerbook, two MacBook Pros, and now a Mac Pro (still have the newest MacBook Pro).

I'm glad I have them, but if I'd waited a day or so I would have had a superdrive PB instead of the Combo, I didn't really need to get the MBP instead of the PB, and didn't really need to upgrade the MBP.

I also started a business and bought a £1,800 or so die sublimation printer, which was supposed to be a joint venture but my friend pulled out and I bought it myself, the business didn't exactly take of and I've made about £100 back so far!

[synth3tik]

I have bought a good number of synthesizers and other music equipment that I was not to fond of, but I can't say I have really regretted any of it. I mean, at least I learned what I wanted to get out of this equipment, and can spot a junky interface from miles away, and after all I have always been able to resell it.


I guess if I really had to look for something I regret I would say my old dual PII Micron with Win 98, no SE on that. So the hardware was junk and the OS started erasing itself. Starting with the registry file. After that I had to do a step by step start up that would take 7 minutes, just so I could select "No" for the registry file. After that the OS no longer understood alphanumerics and I would have to enter in IP addresses for any web sites I went to, anything else just didn't work. Soon after that I just watched it roll down a hill. Yes, I did whip the drive many times to no avail. yuk, that thing was stupid.

[RedTomato]

Er, it was black and made of flexible rubber. And it didn't win me many friends. So yeah maybe I shouldn't have bought it as a young adult.

[iJohnHenry]

A truncheon??

http://www.completelybonkers.co.uk/images/smiff%20truncheon.jpg

[LizKat]

Yeah, I regret purchasing a SECOND Compaq luggable.

I bought the second one awhile after I first started commuting to the country on weekends. My original luggable was so heavy to cart around, even just from my apartment to my car or my car to the kitchen door of my house. Even my doorman once said to me as he helped me shove my stuff into the elevator one night, "they call this portable... but that's a lot of bulls45t, no?" Yep. And yet I wanted to be able to use my computer on weekends.

So this friend of mine was selling his Compaq to put money towards a motorcycle. It had a hard drive card in it, and he wanted less than I had shelled out for mine with no card, so I figured ok, that's cool and I'll leave that one in the country and take what I want on floppy discs for the week...

But then along came the Macintosh.

Boom!

I was done forever with PCs, and both Compaqs became doorstops. I think I paid like two grand for one of them, and $1400 for the other. Insanity!

[j26]

My porno collection - I never realised so much could be found on the internet for free :D

[BlakTornado]

Er, it was black and made of flexible rubber. And it didn't win me many friends. So yeah maybe I shouldn't have bought it as a young adult.

What? One of these?

http://www.shinyshiny.tv/bumperboat.jpg







(Ok, I know it's more silver than black but it's got black on it!

Alternatively, you could have this (http://www.minicruisesorrento.com/images/photo/gommone_noleggio.jpg), or this (http://www.medplususa.com/phpThumb.php?src=images/GRF-1821.jpg&w=100&h=100).)

[Ryan1524]

The case for my iPhone. When I finally realized I like it naked.

[Dagless]

I really regret giving my girlfriend my 3G 15gb iPod and buying a 2G 6gb Mini. She never got the full usage out of the iPod and the Mini didn't really hold that much compared.
I made up for that years later by buying the biggest (at the time) iPod - 80gb!


Not really a regret, and this might sound depressing if you really think about it, but one Christmas my dad bought me some Serif software suite. He thought it was "like that photoshop you wanted", I think I installed it and used it for 15 minutes. Told him for ages I loved it and used it for all my school work (UK school, so we're talking 13, 14 years old). I can't get it across why but it was a really depressing situation.

And a Motorolla Rokr. Nice phone but I swapped mine for a Razr, which barely gets used now (had to go back to a Nokia 3310 since it's the only unlocked phone I have).

Editage: With the money from my 11th birthday I bought some Lego Technics hydraulic truck thing. Set me back £60 and it was really great but I had this one evening where I really regretted buying it. I kept telling myself I could have bought some games I wanted, and I told my mum that it felt as if my dad had pushed me to buy it :o damn I had such a strange mind back then. I even think I cried over it and wanted to swap it.

[Ryan1524]

I know what you mean by having it not being used to its full Potential. I want nothing but the best for my family, but giving my dad an iPhone if he's only gonna use the SMS and Phone feature seems like a silly idea.

[ravenvii]

Two things, but not really...

I regret selling my TiBook 500 MHz for the 17" iMac G4 when it came out. I should've kept that TiBook! But that iMac went on to be a very useful computer for the next four years, so it's not bad at all.

My another regret was selling my iBook G3 900 MHz to get the then-just-released Mac mini G4. But alas, that Mac mini then went on to be very useful for the next 3 years (and counting).

Both times I regretted going desktop from a notebook, but it turned out not all bad.

Right now, I got a MacBook Pro, and it ain't going anywhere! Until I want a new laptop to swap it with that is :D

[Ryan1524]

Yeh. Selling a Mac notebook at really low prices is such a blow. That's why I gave my perfectly working 4 year old Powerbook to my dad. who's putting it to good use. A considerable upgrade from a G4 iBook.

[ZiggyPastorius]

Indeed. THis is the last thing I buy for myself before College that's expensive, but, I sometimes wonder how it will affect my future, even just spending a little like this. :)

[thisonechance]

Well, let's see...

There was the necklace I bought my then girlfriend who proceeded to leave me the next day.
Oh, and then there was the ring I bought my later girlfriend who dumped me a week after.
Oh, and THEN there was the...

You get my point. (That I have bad judgment with women).

Of course, there was the Nissan 350z I got when I was 20. I did not regret that one until I got caught in a blizzard with it. Never will I own a rear-wheel drive vehicle again as long as I live in Chicago.

[Stampyhead]

You get my point. (That I have bad judgment with women).

Or maybe you have bad taste in jewelry.

[thisonechance]

Or maybe you have bad taste in jewelry.

I would agree with you, but she picked out the ring!

[Leareth]

I regret getting a ipod nano, leather skin for it and a matching leather case for a 15"MPB and a griffin elevator, and the itunes gift card for the useless pile of ***** of a (ex)boyfriend for his b-day. who despite having three times my income and the same expenditures got me a card for mine.
oh despite me having already gotten a case for the ipod I was promised for my b-day/graduation. If I knew that he would not have bought it I would have just saved the money and gotten it myself -instead of him getting his and keeping the money.


The other thing I regret getting a custom pair of silver handfasting goblets in anticipation of using them.
yeah - those are no good.

[Gray-Wolf]

I would agree with you, but she picked out the ring!

Sounds more like she was planning the exit strategy and was padding the pocket to take with her.
Sorry Guy.

[Abstract]

My Nikon D300. Not only was it a frackin' expensive toy, but with my thesis, I don't have time to use it! I must say though, that in the past 5 months, I have gotten great photos with it. I'm very happy with it's performance. Too bad I've only used it 3 times.....

[ejb190]

I bought a Nikon N50 when I was in grad school. I was taking photos of my research project when I ended up with a complete roll of wasted shots (a combination of no auto focus and I needed glasses). So I bought a new camera more or less out of frustration. A couple of weeks later I was introduced to the department's brand new digital camera... I may have run a dozen or so rolls through that camera since I bought it in '99.

[wongulous]

I don't have any one single purchase, but just the thousands of credit card debt I racked up once I got new credit cards after establishing some credit, as well as using up the thousands of overdraft protection on my checking account because a family member cosigned to establish the necessary credit... I regret getting that into debt, and living outside of my means for such stupid things... paying so much in finance charges, late fees, negative impact on my credit score...

I regret signing a lease at a luxury apartment in the midwest that was $300-400 more per month than a just plain boring apartment that would have been fine. Like I need it at my age.

I regret my partner buying a $35,000 car at 21, because we still have one year left of the ridiculous monthly payment. Like he needed it at his age, either...

[c-Row]

Paying my first PowerBook in installments and then getting fired from my previous job. But it was well worth the struggle. ;)

I still somewhat regret all the money I threw at Wizards Of The Coast when I purchased uncountable amounts of Magic: The Gathering cards and booster packs when I was 17 (and the years to follow).

[BlakTornado]

I still somewhat regret all the money I threw at Wizards Of The Coast when I purchased uncountable amounts of Magic: The Gathering cards and booster packs when I was 17 (and the years to follow).

Oh god... I remember that crap...

Pokémon cards, Yu-Gi-Oh cards... so much money wasted...

[Melrose]

Buying Shania Twain's Come On Over... talk about bad choices. I can't give the CD away now!

[ryannel2003]

Buying Shania Twain's Come On Over... talk about bad choices. I can't give the CD away now!

You can give it to me...

[Plymouthbreezer]

I have about $1,000 worth of high quality 1:18 scale model cars... They looked nice, and were okay fun when I was 11... But now I have about 35 and I wish I could get that money back. Oh well.

[Sideonecincy]

I tend to go through computers on a faster than average basis. I built a computer to use as a server and ended up not finishing it completely so I pieced about half of it out and sold it, the other half is still in my room. I bought a dell that was on sale that I am prolly going to sell also.

Other than computers, I am fine. I prolly don't need as large of a computer setup as I have currently but if it makes me content and happy, then thats the most important thing.

[macwall]

I bought a large home theater sound system, and I have no idea what to do with it after I move out of my apartment. All the stuff I have decreases my mobility; I can't just pick up and move anywhere I want.

[Xfujinon]

Oh crap, where to start...


About 600 dollars worth of Warhammer 40K and Warhammer Fantasy little models. I DID enjoy the hell out of painting them, and got really good at it (won a contest once), but I never played the actual game one single time. I couldn't stand the comic shop guys.

I've purchased about 2000 dollars worth of Magic: The Gathering cards in my lifetime, ending about nine years ago. They are all mostly worthless now, but I keep them in the vain hope someone will make an offer someday.

Spent tons of money on action figures when I was a kid.

Spent thousands of dollars going out to eat with my friends, should have learned to save and cook for myself.

Bought a 1984 Epiphone Les Paul guitar that I never play because I don't have the time, and worse, have discovered that I prefer the Fender I already have over it.

Bought several busted iPods hoping to do some flash conversion and it turned out not to work at all.

Spent thousands on Playstation 2 games.

Bought a 27 inch television when I was 15 and it died in six months. Couldn't get any warranty on it, so I shot it with an AK-47. Turns out a very simple 2 dollar part would have fixed it. Sucks.

I bought 2 G4 cubes for their appeal, but I don't have any real true use for them, just felt the price was right.

I bought a Canon 40D and 24-70 f2.8 for our upcoming cruise and trip to Hawaii, but I doubt I'll get much use out of it in the next years due to medical school coming up.


My new strategy: make myself so busy with school and work that I don't have any time to feel the compulsion to buy things I don't need. My wife lives on about 1200 dollars of personal money a year, I could take a lesson from her.

[nick9191]

Oh God here we go...

Various computers
Various upgrading for computers (spent around £100 upgrading a computer from 2001).
Thousands wasted on cigarettes
Hundreds wasted on freaking Pokemon, I remember paying £4.99 for a single card. (luckily I realised it was crap when they introduced all the new ones to boost sales) I finished at Pokemon Yellow.
Recently I wasted £30 on a book I have not read. £10 on 50 blank cd's even though I use maybe 4 a year.
Hundreds on iTunes just because it there, its very quick, and it makes me feel better than illegally downloading.
I bought an iPod Shuffle which I used for maybe a couple of months. An iPod Touch which I do use but not enough to justify £200 I guess.
Plan on getting an iPhone, even though I never use mobile phones, and I already have an iPod Touch with the exact same music playing features.

When I look back, I see that money doesn't really bring you happiness, I'm not to bothered about it.

[Mord]

I regret buying my xbox 360, as an adult I have no time to play with the damn thing.

[Ripcurlsurfin96]

I bought a Vapor XXX hockey stick ($250.00 when i bought it) and i snapped it on my first shift and the bad part was i put it on my credit card and didnt even have it payed off yet.....:(

[tealspeed]

You know it's bad when you have made the purchases, and have nothing to show. I worked my entire high school days, have nothing to show for it.

[nineteentwelve]

Ummm... my tattoo? I got a barcode on my wrist. :rolleyes:

[Decrepit]

I bought a Vapor XXX hockey stick ($250.00 when i bought it) and i snapped it on my first shift and the bad part was i put it on my credit card and didnt even have it payed off yet.....:(


That's why I'm glad that I suck at hockey. I'm not good enough for good equipment to improve my game. :-)

As an aside, I play goalie, so the main equipment I need is gravy. If I put on another couple hundred pounds, I won't even need a stick. The puck will never get by my "sweet hockey body" as Cartman puts it.

[macwall]

Does it scan? If so, does that mean that you can never work as a grocery store clerk because you'll be scanning yourself all the time?

[nineteentwelve]

Does it scan? If so, does that mean that you can never work as a grocery store clerk because you'll be scanning yourself all the time?

It doesn't scan in shops and the like, but weirdly it scans in Delicious Library (http://delicious-monster.com/). Unfortunately, Amazon doesn't recognize it. :(

[hwojtek]

5 PCs. And a Pontiac Fiero.

[corywoolf]

I bought a Vapor XXX hockey stick ($250.00 when i bought it) and i snapped it on my first shift and the bad part was i put it on my credit card and didnt even have it payed off yet.....:(

You should have called the 800 number, they usually take back defective sticks. My brother had to do that a few times when he played hockey.

[Melrose]

Yeah, my first computer. I wasn't ready for the debt. It was a Radio Shack 1000 HX

ouch. I beat myself for even look in their windows.

I'm not a compulsive spender, and not a big spender at any rate, but once in a while I feel bad for buying a CD or something. (does that even count? They're all secondhand anyway...). Once I bought A&F underwear and felt bad - at least until I got home and tried them on - but again, only $20.

So I guess, if you don't count small stuff, then not really. Lucky eh?

[mithrilfox]

Bought a punching bag and one of those dangling fast-moving punching bag thingies. Used it seriously for about one week.

Bought a Compaq computer instead of building my own: had integrated graphics + sound. Then tried to use that motherboard and case as a basis for building my own machine, integrated graphics/sound kept fighting my installed PCI card versions of the same.

Bought a JVC Everio MG-555 video camera: horrible focus, artifacts galore, screwy color. Sold it for half price and then bought slimline PS2 with 10+ games (that wasn't a mistake:))

Bought one of the world's only bluetooth trackball mice, "The Ball." That was dumb, the thing is completely worthless; not good as a trackball at all, very awkward handling, limited buttons, too small for my small hands, incredibly stupid and "slippery" charger dock (try to put it on the thing, you have to get it perfect; if you bump your desk slightly, it falls off the charger). It feels like you're trying to line up the air craft carrier landing on Top Gun for the NES.

Bought a 500GB USB external HDD instead of a FireWire one.

Bought a USB TV signal receiver dongle. Very rarely managed to catch an incredibly stuttery two channels. Sold it for half price (yeah!)

Bought a cheapie wooden desk with one shallow middle draw for ¥10500. Next week saw a much larger, nicer desk with more space for ¥7500.

And, more recently, since I'm still a "young adult," I bought a MacBook. No, don't get me wrong, I love it, but within a couple months I started seriously getting into video editing, and then HD video editing. MacBook just can't handle it well, and the screen is too small. My color correction/grading program refuses to even run. I should have purchased an iMac! :( But, now I have! I'm waiting for it to arrive, and it's one purchase I won't regret. I'm selling my old iBook to help defray the costs, and giving my MacBook to my wife, and then taking her iBook (yeah, it's an interesting trade/sale process). Figure the wife won't get as angry about my purchase if she gets a nicer laptop out of the deal! Plus, she can finally play Halo on Windows!

[iphone.luke]

Slim PSP
2x Ipod video 30gb
1 ipod classic
the iphone, it is nice but not practical
2 years of service for iphone :(
Slim ps2
Kicker L7 Sub and Kicker ZX750.1 Amp
Xbox 360, but GTA IV is addicting and fun
Dell vostro 1500
4 gb ram for vostro
cheap ipod cases off of ebay which scratched them up.

[spencers]

a few clothing items

[juanster]

ahhaha yeah,, gold teeth with diamonds in them...i regret having spend so much in them but i won t sell them it's like a memoir kinda thing now...

lol

[h0e0h]

Where to begin:

1st 17" MBP (90 days same as cash turned into 15 months with hella-interest) which I sold because it was too big to carry to class to buy a Black MacBook which I'm much happier with
2007 Avalanche a week after they came out... I love my truck but had to replace the alternator and battery within a month... and could have saved that note because my parents purchased me a perfectly good car in high school that was paid for... DON'T BUY A NEW EXPENSIVE VEHICLE WHILE IN COLLEGE DESPITE HOW GOOD YOUR JOB IS
That first can of snuff 3 years ago
2 Big Screen TVs in 3 years... could have done with just one

now though, i'm relatively debt free and have some really cool stuff tho

[maestro55]

The list is endless...I have a bad habit of spending impulsively

My answer too, I am a shop-a-holic.

[Rodimus Prime]

in the past few months quite a bit of stuff. I got out of school in Dec and got my first job with a healthy pay check I end up with quite a bit of money.

[wvuwhat]

The 3500 or so I've dropped from going out to dinner with friends and then later at night...to the bars over the past 2 months. I was just trying to enjoy the last little bit of my college, but now it's time to take care of it. It's still enjoyable to go through my American Express statement saying, "I kinda remember that night" or "damn, that was so worth it." Bartenders tend to love me, as do my friends, because I buy people lots of shots and tip well.

[wordmunger]

Back in the 1980s, home video games were completely lame. To play a decent video game, you had to pay a quarter. I probably spent $5000 worth of quarters on video games back then. Would definitely be nice to have that money back (or better yet -- to have invested it in Microsoft in 1986. That would be worth $2 million today).

[Rodimus Prime]

The 3500 or so I've dropped from going out to dinner with friends and then later at night...to the bars over the past 2 months. I was just trying to enjoy the last little bit of my college, but now it's time to take care of it. It's still enjoyable to go through my American Express statement saying, "I kinda remember that night" or "damn, that was so worth it." Bartenders tend to love me, as do my friends, because I buy people lots of shots and tip well.

Now please tell me you really mend 350 and not 3500. 350 is much more understandable.

If it is the 3500 You either have to much money or are going to be screwed because you burned though all your money. I personlly think you have to much money if you can afford to drop 3500 in 2 months on blowing it on going out with friends.

Being able to drop that amount of cash to me speaks you do not understand the value of the dollar and will be screwed in the coming years when you go on your own.

Hell I make a little over 50k a year and I could not afford dropping that amount of cash in 2 months.

[BlakTornado]

Now please tell me you really mend 350 and not 3500. 350 is much more understandable.

But both are equally realistic in this credit card world, where people don't own the money they're spending.

[Abstract]

Oh come on, $350 in 2 months wouldn't be worth it. I'm sure it's $3500, which is imaginable if he goes out in a big city. It's crazy, but still doable.

ahhaha yeah,, gold teeth with diamonds in them...i regret having spend so much in them but i won t sell them it's like a memoir kinda thing now...

lol

Picture?

[wvuwhat]

Now please tell me you really mend 350 and not 3500. 350 is much more understandable.

If it is the 3500 You either have to much money or are going to be screwed because you burned though all your money. I personlly think you have to much money if you can afford to drop 3500 in 2 months on blowing it on going out with friends.

Being able to drop that amount of cash to me speaks you do not understand the value of the dollar and will be screwed in the coming years when you go on your own.

Hell I make a little over 50k a year and I could not afford dropping that amount of cash in 2 months.

I'm not proud of it. But... a little back story ... I'm on a full scholarship, which means I'm not like my friends with 80K in student loan debt right now. I knew when this started a few months ago I was taking a job this summer making 20K in 3 months. Car is paid for, apartment is paid for through next year, and I have plenty of money in investments right now. No different than me buying a Mac Pro (which I have no use for). I just chose to not go out and lease a new car and/or buy electronics.

In my mind it was totally worth it. In 6 months, I'm in the real world and not going to be able to afford the time to spend with my friends like this (not to mention, I'm relocating). I guarantee you, when I look back on these months I will not regret it 10, 20, 30, 40+ years down the road. Plus all of the nice ladies I met was definitely worth it.

[shu82]

To answer the original question:

Pounds and Pounds of Cheap Mexican Brick Weed

Seriously though, it would probably be all the baseball cards, and sega/nintendo games

[EvanLugh]

My Macs because I should be working when instead I'm following this dump. :p

[Eric Lewis]

Nintendo DS

Last June

Havent played since December

that was a waiste


Also my Powerbook G5 was a waste? (ah)

[Hawkeye411]

Bad acid at the Who concert in the early 80's :o

[yg17]

My PSP....I played it for a few months, the novelty wore off, and I haven't played it since.

[63dot]

buying too much music gear and spending time looking for it as opposed to spending time writing songs and getting to be a better player

the two best young players in our county, and the only ones ever to get signed to my knowledge, played cheap guitars

there were tons of young players who were either just ok or really sucked but had tons of gear

[Melrose]

Ummm... my tattoo? I got a barcode on my wrist. :rolleyes:

Barcode of what?

[juanster]

Oh come on, $350 in 2 months wouldn't be worth it. I'm sure it's $3500, which is imaginable if he goes out in a big city. It's crazy, but still doable.



Picture?

I can't find them anywhere right now, but I'll find them eventually and promise to post them,, I'll go look in my comp upstairs im sure to have at leats oen pic with them on....

[63dot]

I'm not proud of it. But... a little back story ... I'm on a full scholarship, which means I'm not like my friends with 80K in student loan debt right now. I knew when this started a few months ago I was taking a job this summer making 20K in 3 months. Car is paid for, apartment is paid for through next year, and I have plenty of money in investments right now. No different than me buying a Mac Pro (which I have no use for). I just chose to not go out and lease a new car and/or buy electronics.

In my mind it was totally worth it. In 6 months, I'm in the real world and not going to be able to afford the time to spend with my friends like this (not to mention, I'm relocating). I guarantee you, when I look back on these months I will not regret it 10, 20, 30, 40+ years down the road. Plus all of the nice ladies I met was definitely worth it.

i worked in marin county, known to be above the middle class, and in sausalito, the richer of most of the cities there, and there were plenty of rich kids that worked at a small company there

my boss, who had a boring job there, basically had no college, mortgage, or medical bills and he was young, so everything he didn't spend on for absolute necessities went to his hobby...4 star restaurants in the city (SF)

he spent many thousands a couple of times a year when his credit card would max out and then pay it off...his dinners were always over 100 bucks with tip, tax, and wine (and this was in the 80s)

to each his own...he had a good time

i knew plenty of bay area people who played it smarter, supposedly, and worked for the dot.com revolution and relied on both their companies and stock options...in most cases, and all i know of personally from friends, they all crashed and burned

people were buying yahoo and several hundred a share and other companies like that, they worked for the man.com, webvan, juniper networks, and speculated on cisco, hp, sun, and ibm all surpassing microsoft in an office suite or operating system...or the possibility of taking on bill gates

what a stupid group of people those yuppies in the mid to late 90s were, hindsight

[Dustman]

I regret ever getting a G4 cube. Second week I had it (Rev. A) it got it's first crack. Also, I wasnt thinking one day and for some reason put a mouse pad on top of it and left it there for a while. You'd think it would have shut off, but it didnt and was told I needed a new logic board. I stupidly told them how it happened and AppleCare didnt cover it. That was money well spent.

[ThirteenXIII]

Purchased a bunch of music equipment, a really nice synth and some midi controllers to expand with the DAW, at the tim ei had a very practical use for them and used them quite frequently due my newbness at the time, but after awhile i found a much easier and better way to do what i wanted to do and got over the whole "more equipment is better" and the whole analog vs digital and said F'it i just want to do what i want and make what i want to hear.
Sold all that stuff maybe most of my money back even though ive had the items for 2 or so years. (kept them in great condition)

I had gotten a Powermac G5 ... not sure why...other that a MediaCentre based system...im tempted to sell it towards a new Mini or something.

Otherwise all my impulse buys have turned into profit, re-sold everything I bought and dont use. ive become pretty "ocd" about being minimalistic as possible.

and anything I buy now i sell stuff i dont need to cover the costs *cough*30" acd*cough*

[1Life]

Xbox. I only bought it because everyone I knew was getting one and I thought it would be fun to do some multi-player gaming. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into the games they're putting out nowadays. I realized I'm an old school Atari and Nintendo guy.

[Plymouthbreezer]

I guess also the thousands I've spent on food over the past few years... But at the same time, with two solid jobs and plenty of side commissions, I don't hurt for money anymore... What I need to focus on now is investing some of my "extra" cash for down the road.

[SDLSteve]

The thousands of dollars I spent on collecting star wars figures that are now in boxed in the garage. I'd been able to pay for a house had I invested the same amount of money in apple stock.

[Roger1]

Back in the 1980s, home video games were completely lame. To play a decent video game, you had to pay a quarter. I probably spent $5000 worth of quarters on video games back then. Would definitely be nice to have that money back (or better yet -- to have invested it in Microsoft in 1986. That would be worth $2 million today).


Oh, yes video games. Starting around 1978 or so, I can't even put a number on all the quarters I dumped into those things. Sigh. Space Invaders, Asteroids, Gauntlet, Skate Park, etc. Those were the days.

[rpaloalto]

Girls gone wild video. They keep sending me advertisements for more videos in the series. This has been going on for 5 years. Not good if your married, and they just keep showing up in the mail box :o

[Cassie]

I don't think I'm considered an adult yet, but I've made some bad purchases:

-My "fat" PS2. Saved up for a year, bought it, played it for maybe a week. It wasn't that bad of a purchase I suppose, since now I use it for Guitar Hero, but I didn't touch it for a good three and a half years.

-White iBook G3. This thing cost me $400, and it worked for two months. Now it has so many problems, I probably couldn't give it away if I tried. That was a LOT of money wasted...

- It wasn't my money, but I feel bad for making my parents spend their cash on little playsets I didn't really use.:o

[fatcat23]

Slim PSP
2x Ipod video 30gb
1 ipod classic
the iphone, it is nice but not practical
2 years of service for iphone :(
Slim ps2
Kicker L7 Sub and Kicker ZX750.1 Amp
Xbox 360, but GTA IV is addicting and fun
Dell vostro 1500
4 gb ram for vostro
cheap ipod cases off of ebay which scratched them up.

Why did you regret your Kicker Sub and amp? Kicker is the best!
Unless you had it stolen, i had my deck stolen last summer. It feels really bad, like wasted money and is my only regret.

Oh and that i didnt get a macbook pro instead of a macbook. obvisouly.:rolleyes:

[Love]

I'm not an adult yet, so I'll go through my list so far:

1. Wii. The novelty wore off and I started missing what i traded it for, which was a PowerBook G4 12 inch. (I bought a new 15 inch, should be here friday :p)

2. Titanium PowerBook. Parted it out, going to soon sell on eBay. Logic board melted, had a bunch of issues, in poor condition, didn't use it a lot. It was very slow. Had an IBM travelstar. You know, i still loved it.

umm... think of anything else? I can't. I use most everything I purchase. When I was a kid, that yu-gi-oh crap just seemed useless to me

[EricHitchmo]

As a general rule, I think that it's good to make an effort to buy less stuff, and avoid all the marketing pressure for new and unnecessary stuff.

I think that people who buy tonnes of DVDs are mad. Buying the stuff that you really love is ok, as I have done with a few sitcoms and other comedy, but I think that postal renting is generally much better unless you watch each film about 4 times. All in all, you should rarely watch films that many times because there are always loads of old flicks you've never seen and should watch and would get more from. These people will probably be updating stuff with Blue Ray now, and then with whatever replaces Blue-Ray.

My most frivolous purchases were a portable Minidisc player and a player for my Hi-fi stack. They were never really that good, and should have just stuck with CD until MP3 etc had developed more. It was about as sensible as it would have been to buy an HD-DVD player.