People Divulge The Absolute Worst Financial Decision They've Ever Made

I love movies.

I spent way too much on videotapes.

I never saw DVDs coming, let alone streaming.

Onward

"Consumed copious amounts of drugs and alcohol for most of my adult life. 11 years sober though."

b_a_b_a_r

"I came here to say something similar to this. Addiction is the most expensive and life-altering thing I've ever encountered - both financially and emotionally. I too have more than a few 24 hours put together now. Life is better. Happy for you!!"

ajmaccc

Decisions. Decisions.

"I've just generally been too reckless with money in my life. I haven't ever really made any single huge financial mistakes, I've just made a large number of smaller impulsive money decisions that have led to me having very little saved. Currently working on it, though, and I am doing better."

slinkocat

My Parent's Did It

"Bought a timeshare. We ended up just not paying the maintenance fees until they repossessed it."

Glittercorn111

"My parents have had theirs for about 30 years. I've gotten bogged down in these timeshare arguments before because Reddit can't believe some people have had good experiences. I think the key is that 30 or 40 years ago they weren't quite as scammy. Certainly never an 'investment,' but you weren't actively getting conned. Plus, it's a lot easier to deal with once it's actually paid off. Most people never get that far."

"My parent's contract locked in all these lower rates and has all the guaranteed perks the new ones haven't offered in years. The company is desperate to get them onto the new contract. They've offered all kinds of extra free weeks and upgrades, but my parents won't do it because that new system is basically worthless."

Madmax2356

Not a Hoarder

"I’m in therapy now and it’s getting better, but I was dealing with my trauma and depression by buying things with money I didn’t have, just to have something to constantly look forward to every day in the mail. You have to order a lot, constantly, to achieve that. And I’m not a hoarder, so I’ll buy something and when I realize it has nowhere to go and I don’t use it for a year, it ends up donated or in the trash."

propernice

I Don't

"Not immediately divorcing my ex-wife when I caught her cheating."

vikrambedi

"Marriage was my greatest mistake. I can't even afford to finalize the divorce."

myheartbeats4hotdogs

Debt

"Student loans for a career path I’m not even doing anymore."

armchairdaisy

"Don’t beat yourself up. 73% of people don’t use the degree they went to school for. Most degrees are just all companies want for you to prove you can take crap and follow directions."

Strong-Solution-7492

At a Loss

"Bought horses. Sold horses at a loss."

Patient5199

"Same, buying horses (am currently on horse #2 and 3) was probably the worst financial decision I ever made. At this point, over the last 12 years, the amount I spent on them is easily the equivalent of a down payment on a pretty decent house or a few years of earlier retirement."

"But it is also one of the most satisfying decisions I made on an emotional level. Could not imagine living without them."

NewWorldCamelid

Really regret that...

"Initially, I was thinking 'Going to college,' but as I reflected a little more I realized going to college wasn't the worst financial decision I've made -- it was all the stupid choices I made in college, instead of studying."

AestheticCopacetic

"I'm right there with you."

"I was never a good student and only went to college because I was 'supposed' to. I wanted to go to a beauty school or design school. Wasted my years barely scraping by, and had a C- average. Now I'm 51 and regret not going for my dreams and since I was in school, why didn't I take my education more seriously? Really regret that."

Overlandtraveler

Hindsight

"Filing bankruptcy when I didn’t owe that much. I was young and overwhelmed and thought I couldn’t pay it off, but in hindsight, I see I could have. Ruined credit for 10 years. Couldn’t even get a phone in my own name. Had to get prepaid, which was expensive as f**k. Couldn’t get an apartment. Couldn’t get a car."

manykeets

"I feel this. It set me back and was a constant issue with everything for a while. It took a few years before I could get back to normalcy."

ticketspleasethanks

Ahoy Not!

"Bought a sailboat. Enough said."

flawedwithvice

"A colleague who sailed told me I could get the same experience, by sitting on my knees in a cold shower, crying and tearing up $100 bills... He did keep his sailboat a couple of more years though."

Norseman84

Boats just never did it for me.

A floating house is an unnecessary extra house, and bill.