Spending money on stuff we shouldn’t is a pretty common experience for most people.
Aside from the perfectly valid reason that we should save money rather than spend it on unnecessary stuff, there are all kinds of ethical reasons not to buy certain products .
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A recent r/AskReddit thread asked “What should people seriously stop buying,” and the answers provided some interesting food for thought.
Helium balloons.
“There are so many medical and technical processes which require helium and it can’t be lab-created. It’s mined (extracted, I think might be the right term) and will eventually run out if things don’t change.”
University textbooks.
“Boycott them. [Ridiculous] price for individuals to pay for education, should all be online publicly for free.”
“I recommend LibGen . Just finished an undergrad degree and never once paid for textbooks.”
Clothes.
“I know I don’t need any more, I have way too many as it is and yet I keep buying more and I kinda hate myself for it. New clothes make me feel so good though.”
Tax services.
“Governments and financial institutions (like your bank) provide free software you can use to file your taxes. Remember that it is a tax return that you are getting, not some bonus reward, so if you don’t have to, it does not make sense to pay to get your own money back.”
Plastic bottles.
“Just buy a water filter and fill up the same bottle. Those plastics are so difficult to recycle, if at all. Most just ends up in landfill anyway.”
Wild-caught pets.
“I had to go to the pet store today to buy some supplies, and was utterly horrified.
“Cages of wild-caught lizards, snakes, turtles, frogs and salamanders, many piled on top of each other and writhing around trying to escape. They all looked sick and stressed, and were being sold at ‘impulse buy’ prices.”
Inbred animals.
“Animals that are so inbred to meet a certain ‘breed standard’ that they are a walking vet bill from birth. Brachycephalic dog breeds such as French Bulldogs being an example.”
Plastic bags.
“My father’s village is drowning in plastic bags. They are everywhere! Sometimes they melt in the sun and I don’t even want to know what the consequences are for the environment”
Caskets.
“Especially those sealed tight ones… Our dead need to decompose, and they will, but the casket can just explode.”
Subscription-based home gyms.
“Any home exercise machine or equipment that requires a subscription to use. You paid two grand for a treadmill and then a recurring monthly fee to use it. How is this business model working?”
Microtransactions.
“Cosmetics in a free to play game? I don’t have a problem with that, gotta make money somehow and it doesn’t affect gameplay. Blatant gambling and pay to win functionality in games like NBA 2K and Madden? Those can [expletive] right off.”
Online intelligence tests.
“Online IQ test. If there was a way to fail an IQ test, paying for one online would be it.”
Shark fin soup.
“The fishers only want the fin and throw the shark out to the sea after cutting it since the other body parts have no monetary value, letting the shark to die.”
Products with microbeads.
“Any kind of shower gel or facewash that has those plastic microbeads in them.
“The beads are small enough to get through most filtration systems and are ruinous to marine life.”
– u/graeuk
New holiday decorations every year.
“Are people buying fake trees and tossing them every year and needing a new one? Same with ornaments and whatnot. Obviously people move out of their parents or they need to replace ornaments if they’re broken or something but the amount in stores does not add up to me.”
Glitter.
“You think it’s hard to get that [stuff] out of your house after craft time?
“It’s MICROPLASTIC, and it’s going into our waterways and oceans. Yet the toy stores and clothing stores are adding more sequins and glitter every day. Makes me furious. Just stop buying it!”
Most saltwater fish.
“Certain species that just can’t be kept in captivity even with the effort.
“More than any other pet, when you take home a saltwater fish you have purchased a piece of the environment and you should treat it with every bit of respect it deserves.”
– u/RhynoD
“‘Detox’ products.”
“Detox teas or anything that claims to help rid you of ‘toxins’ in your body. If you can’t do that on your own already then you need a kidney or liver transplant, not a tea that a fit mom is trying to sell you.”
Cheap plastic toys.
“Cheap children’s party favors. We aren’t talking the colorful pencils and paper pads that actually have some use. I’m talking about the nondescript plastic forms with popular media stickers and other garbage. The amount of trash plastic available for this niche is staggering- especially given that most of those toys hold a child’s attention for two hours”
Herbalife.
“My daughter asked me to take her to a new juice place the other day. Not a mom and pop place, but Herbalife all over. The worker said if I want to bring the per drink price down then to talk to him about buying the powders myself. Such a joke. And it was disgusting.”
