10 People Who Wasted Their Money in the Most Unthinkable Ways

Money is a complex subject—some people save it, others spend it wisely, and then there are those who end up wasting it. In this article, we’ve compiled a series of short stories about people who lost their money in unexpected and astonishing ways. From outrageous purchases to falling for wild schemes, these experiences offer valuable lessons that could guide you in your next financial decision.

• A guy I worked with had a long-distance relationship with this girl he’d yet to meet in person. Then, suddenly, she told him she could fly out and meet him in a month. At the time, he lived in the basement of his folks’ place—not something he had disclosed earlier in their chats. In a panic, he got a new apartment.
  Then he went to one of those furniture rental places and rented an entire apartment’s worth of furniture: a couch, tables, a dining set, a bedroom suite, a TV, etc. The whole apartment was filled with rental furniture, which, if you don’t know, gets expensive really quickly. So after all this, the girl finally showed up. They went to his apartment, and that’s when she told him that they should break up.
  She didn’t want to do it over text and without meeting him at least once. She thought it wouldn’t be fair to him. She stayed one night and got on the plane the next day. Apparently, her stop in our city was just an extended layover as she was heading to Europe to tour with friends.
  She slept in the rental bed, and he slept on the rental couch. The next day, he drove her to the airport in his rental car. I don’t know how many thousands he dropped for that one breakup date, but man... what a waste. © aussydog / Reddit

• I decided to fulfill a childhood dream and install a single-lane bowling alley in my basement for $50,000. It sounded like the perfect way to host parties and keep myself entertained. But after the novelty wore off, I realized no one wanted to bowl more than a game or two.
  Now I just have an incredibly noisy, space-hogging reminder of my poor impulse control. I could’ve gone on 20 amazing vacations with that money instead of sitting alone in my basement, throwing gutter balls.

• I wasted my money on a “free trial” of a muscle-building supplement. I was in my first year of college and decided I wanted to get in better shape but didn’t know where to start. I clicked an ad saying it could help build muscle fast, got my free bottle in the mail, and started seeing a bunch of weird charges on my card. They didn’t charge for that first bottle, but they charged a subscription fee.
  I immediately called the bank to have my card blocked, but by that time, I was out something like $100 that I couldn’t afford as a student. I kept getting spam calls too and had to tell the rep very firmly that I wanted to be unsubscribed. © Hoguera / Reddit

• When I was a recent graduate, I was scammed by an insurance company. I was just so happy to be hired by anyone that I was duped into thinking I could make money by selling people insurance they didn’t want or need.
  I paid $350 for a textbook for an exam to become certified. Although I passed the exam, I realized within a week that the company was a scam—complete with a ridiculous script that, if we went off it, we would get in trouble—and cold calling.
  Worst. Mistake. Ever. © Unknown author / Reddit

• I bought a vintage typewriter on eBay that was advertised as having belonged to a 19th-century author. It cost me $1,200, and I thought it would make a quirky, unique conversation piece. The seller even included an elaborate backstory about how the typewriter had once been owned by another famous writer, which made it seem like a special find.
  When it arrived, the typewriter turned out to be broken—not even functional. Worse still, it became obvious it wasn’t as old or valuable as the seller had claimed.
  Now, the only thing haunting me is the realization that I could’ve spent that $1,200 on an actual vacation.

• I once got locked out of my car one night. I called the first name on the Google search. I was given a quote of $60, so I agreed. The “locksmith” only used a slim jim to open my door, and I was charged $130. I had no choice but to pay and walk away very sad. © El_Clinico_Magnifico / Reddit

• In times of need, I had to sell a very expensive camera (around $900) that I’d bought with my very first salary and that was really dear to me. I was young, and some guy responded to my offer via email, telling me he was interested but was on a business trip. He said it would be nice of me to send it to some place in Africa, and assured me he’d pay for any extra costs.
  Not only did he never pay me for anything, but I also ended up paying a hundred dollars for the shipping. Lesson learned, but I’m still sad to this day when I think about it. © SkyhuntL / Reddit

• I once bought what was advertised as “diamond-enriched soil” for $600 to grow “luxurious plants.” The website had glowing reviews and pictures of gardens that looked like something out of a royal palace. When the bags arrived, it was just regular dirt with glitter mixed in. I tried planting in it, but nothing grew except a painful awareness of how gullible I am.
  My neighbors still make jokes about my “fancy mud” whenever they see my sad little garden.

• My boyfriend planned a romantic weekend at a luxury hotel. Everything felt perfect—until checkout. His card got declined, and he turned red with embarrassment. I smiled and paid for our stay.
  As we were leaving, the receptionist discreetly pulled me aside and said, “Be careful, I’ve seen this guy do the same thing with other women. He comes here, his card gets declined, and they end up paying for everything. You’re being scammed!”
  I chose not to believe her. We were still early in our relationship, and I trusted him completely—I had no reason not to. But over time, he started pulling similar tricks more often. I noticed he was making me pay for shopping trips and other expenses. The final straw came when he tried to steal my money by pressuring me to invest in a shady scheme.
  I broke up with him. Yet the memory of that hotel stay still haunts me because it was the beginning of it all, and I wish I had listened to that girl.

• I got sucked into the NFT craze and spent $15,000 on what was marketed as “the Mona Lisa of the Metaverse.” It was literally just a JPEG of a cartoon banana wearing sunglasses. I thought I was investing in the future of art, and the community around it was hyping it up like it was the next big thing.
  A month later, the entire project collapsed, the value tanked to $0, and now I just have a very expensive meme that even my dog wouldn’t care to look at.

Being a nanny is a mix of heartwarming moments, unexpected drama, and jaw-dropping situations. We’ve collected real-life stories from nannies that are almost too wild to believe.