12 Big Purchases That Led to Unexpected Consequences

In this article, you’ll find stories of people who have made bold spending decisions and had their lives changed in unexpected ways. Some people made their dream come true or learned an important lesson, and some became an example for others.

• I’m divorcing my husband because of the dog. We were talking about planning a baby, and he said, “That’s it, you’ve played enough with it, give up your dog, we’ll have a baby.” Played?!
  The puppy cost almost $3.000, it was not a spontaneous decision. I saved up money both for purchase and care, then waited for 2.5 years for a puppy from the kennel I chose. I dreamed of a dog of this breed for my entire life, studied everything I could, communicated with owners, went to exhibitions. And I got my dog long before my husband.
  He couldn’t answer what was wrong about a child growing up with a dog. The only thing he could say was, “What if they have allergies?” On his birthday, my husband blew out the candles on the cake and wished as if jokingly in front of his family that I went for a walk with my dog and lost it, so that he could finally become a father. The next day, I filed for divorce. © Overheard / Ideer
• I recently bought an expensive car. Before buying it, I thought that now all the girls would pay attention to me, that I would join the elite society, I would become a respected man, I would open any door with my foot.
  And it indeed was like that for 3 or 4 days. Until there was 1 gallon of gas left in the tank. Now I count every 100 miles. I think I’ll soon switch to the subway. © Overheard / VK
• I passed this house several times daily as I was a pizza dude in the area. I loved some of the design aspects of said house, like the giant wraparound covered porch. Said to hell with it, buying this house, right smack dab in the middle of the housing market boom when yes, they 100% financed a dude who delivers pizza.
  Took a tour, loved the interior as well. Crunched the numbers, it seemed like I could afford it after escrow and all. What I didn’t do was hire my own home inspector. That is a thing that people should do.
  That house was falling apart, in a very well hidden way. While I could afford the mortgage, I could not also afford all the repairs needed. One additional thing I took away from that was to not buy from a realtor you find extremely attractive. © Firevine / Reddit

• In order to save for a down payment on a flat, I was on a very tight budget for a long time, cut back on food, clothes, everything. I would give my son meat and eat rice myself. I bought a flat and was happy. Then I renovated it, bought appliances.
  4 years have passed, now I can exhale and start buying “extra” — something tasty, clothes. But I can’t! I can not! This economy is ingrained in me so much that when I go to a shopping mall, I go around and buy nothing. And how should I start living a normal life? © Overheard / VK
• I bought a house. I saved for it for a long time, made the renovations myself, but then some crazy things started happening. Creaks, knocks, whispers.
  I freaked out, installed cameras everywhere, called my father for help. He doesn’t believe in mysticism, so we drank tea and went to bed. In the morning he said, “Your house is fine, but it was cold.” We looked at the footage, and the doors were opening and closing, the handles were turning themselves.
  My father laughed, got pale and said he would always take me back. No way. I’ve worked 10 years for this house! I’m not leaving it, don’t even ask. I won’t sell it. © Overheard / Ideer
• I foolishly bought a $46,000, 26 foot long cabin cruiser. I “got a deal” that I apparently couldn’t refuse.
  I have used it 3 times in the past 4 years. It costs me $200 a month to store it. I cry every time I think about it. © iwillhavethat / Reddit

• I bought a flat with furniture and appliances. A week after the purchase, the key turned in the lock, and the former owners came in, “We decided to take the cupboard and microwave.”
  It was good that the realtor had drawn up a normal contract and made an inventory of all the furniture and appliances. I drove them out with the police. People just got many thousands from me and decided to make a profit like that. © Overheard / Ideer
• I left my job with a huge scandal. The bosses blamed me for all mistakes in the failed project, in which I wasn’t even involved, only consulted them a couple of times at the initial stages. Tired and exhausted, I realized that I had to change something, and instead of looking for a new job, I sold my 2-bedroom flat in the city and moved to the wilderness.
  There in the wilderness, I bought a house. Made repairs, improved the territory to my taste. The sum I had left was quite large, so I decided to entrust part of it to an acquaintance who knows how to make money work, and on the rest to lead a quiet life until the income starts coming.
  So it’s been 4 years. I have a completely passive income, have put my mind in order, contact with the outside world only when it’s necessary, mainly when driving for groceries. So, I lead a peaceful and quiet life. Now I breed conifers just for fun. © Overheard / Ideer
• The precursor to the Toyota Corolla was the Toyota Corona, back in the 1970s. I bought one used in 1981 for $500. It had over 100,000 miles. 4 years later, I had enough saved to replace it with a newer version with A/C and auto transmission, so I sold it for that same price.
  5 years after that, I got a call from the state MVD. They said someone had just bought it, and I was still the registered owner (the person I sold it to never finished the title transfer). I asked the about the mileage, and it was well over 350,000. For all I know, that little blue, stick-shift Corona is still zipping around out there. © qsl498 / Reddit

• I did 2 of my worst impulse purchases in one day. I got my first salary at my first work, at the age of 18. I decided to spend it on something cool, so I bought a $300 guitar, needless to say I didn’t know how to play.
  When I got home, my parents started screaming at me about how I am immature and can’t plan my expenses, so I went out and decided to buy something very practical that would definitely prove them wrong. I came home with a $500 frying pan. © Loud-n-creepy / Reddit
• I bought a treadmill, I use it almost every single day... I started running again and this morning I ran 3 miles in my pajamas. I love this stupid, unaesthetic, bulky thing. © downthegrapevine / Reddit
• We bought our first flat. One day I’m sitting in the kitchen in a T-shirt, drinking tea, my husband is at work. The lock turns, the door opens, and the former owner is on the doorstep, “Oh, why are you home? Shouldn’t you be at work?”
  And after saying that, he closed the door. We changed the lock immediately. © Overheard / Ideer

And these people found a surprise in their new house.