Worst Justifications for Spending You Have Ever Heard

[rob62521]

And I forgot...you are watching an ad on television and they show the product and it's only $19.95...and then they add, "But wait, we'll throw in _________" for a total value of $54.00 or a bigger amount. I guess the justification for that would be, "Can't pass up a deal like that." when it should be "If it's too good to be true, then it really isn't true."

[Tim_1983]

And I forgot...you are watching an ad on television and they show the product and it's only $19.95...and then they add, "But wait, we'll throw in _________" for a total value of $54.00 or a bigger amount. I guess the justification for that would be, "Can't pass up a deal like that." when it should be "If it's too good to be true, then it really isn't true."

It's not throwing it in if you have to pay more! Throwing it in should mean free.

[disneysteve]

It's not throwing it in if you have to pay more! Throwing it in should mean free.

"Free" is also a very misused term. To me, free means I get something for nothing with no out of pocket cost and no strings attached. But that isn't how the word gets used in advertising.

"Order now and we'll also include a free whatchamacallit." Well, that isn't free, it is included in the price. The company priced their product knowing that they would "throw in" that extra item.

Cell phone companies do this all the time. Mine advertises that we get "free" long distance. It isn't free. We pay $130/month for our service that happens to include long distance. I'm quite sure if long distance wasn't included, the service would be cheaper, so we're paying for that "free" long distance.

[stressedmama]

"Everything is soooo expensive. I can barely afford food and gas anymore."

Next day the same person says after attending a Dave Matthews Concert, "Well I had to go. Who knows if they will ever be in town again."

[disneysteve]

"Everything is soooo expensive. I can barely afford food and gas anymore."

Next day the same person says after attending a Dave Matthews Concert, "Well I had to go. Who knows if they will ever be in town again."

This reminds me of folks who refuse to cancel a vacation that they clearly can't afford because, "We'll lose our deposit." So instead of being out a couple hundred dollars, they take the trip that costs a couple thousand dollars that ends up on their credit card at 20% interest.

[poundwise]

And I forgot...you are watching an ad on television and they show the product and it's only $19.95...and then they add, "But wait, we'll throw in _________" for a total value of $54.00 or a bigger amount. I guess the justification for that would be, "Can't pass up a deal like that." when it should be "If it's too good to be true, then it really isn't true."

Also, with these ads, they have started saying things like, "If you call in the next ten minutes..." (a tactic they've borrowed from the shopping networks) as if they have any clue when these ads run or have any other offer for people who call after ten minutes, etc.

It's laughable.

I've thought about calling in before acting like I want something and then saying... "Oh no. I didn't call within 10 minutes. Oh well." They'd probably say, "That's ok, you can still order." And I'd say, "No, fair is fair... I missed out. I'll call again when I see the ad next time."

In a similar fashion, ever notice how they sometimes will say, "If you call now we'll double the bottle, from 12oz to a whopping 24oz size!" (And through the magic of television special effects, the bottle on the screen grows.) It would be fun to call in and say, "I don't want the 24oz size, just give me the 12oz size." Since they probably don't have, and possibly never made the product in, a 12 oz size, it would be fun to hear them explain to you that such wasn't available.

LOL

[DarkMagus8]

man thats bad

[PrincessPerky]

....
It's laughable.

I've thought about calling in before acting like I want something and then saying... "Oh no. I didn't call within 10 minutes. Oh well." They'd probably say, "That's ok, you can still order." And I'd say, "No, fair is fair... I missed out. I'll call again when I see the ad next time."
LOL

ROLF! I love it, and yes I have thought the same thing!

[rob62521]

I like that evil streak, Poundwise! It would be a hoot!

[musicalbabe85]

[QUOTE=sweeps;169497]Playing the lottery: "You gotta play to win!" QUOTE]

Grrr....my husband uses this one everytime I start telling him that the little bit that he does win doesn't even cover what he has spent!!

[brig2221]

Just this past weekend, my sister-in-law, who just got back from a 10-day vacation at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico, said that as soon as they pay off this trip, they'll go into debt again to take another because "if we waited until we could afford it, we'd never get there."

I vacillate back and forth on this type of reasoning. I guess it depends on the overall financial health of the person in question. Generally speaking though, I can actually stomach this. Assuming that you aren't putting your family in a huge financial hole, there is some credence to living for today, and enjoying youself a bit while you are younger and have a family.

Remember, anything to the extreme is typically bad. I think we all too often see the extreme of overspending here, but I sometimes (not pointing fingers at the OP here) see it on the opposite end as well, and that is oversaving, worrying too much about the future, and not enjoying the present as much as you could while still being very prudent financially, because none of us know if we will still be here tomorrow.

[disneysteve]

I vacillate back and forth on this type of reasoning. I guess it depends on the overall financial health of the person in question. Generally speaking though, I can actually stomach this. Assuming that you aren't putting your family in a huge financial hole, there is some credence to living for today, and enjoying youself a bit while you are younger and have a family.

I understand what you're saying, but I think it makes a whole lot more sense to save for a year and then go, then save for another year and go again, than to go on credit and take a year to repay, then go on credit again and take a year to repay. If you can afford to make the payments, you can afford to save in advance. That way you also don't pay the interest (you collect it instead) and, if something were to happen along the way and you needed the money for a more urgent problem, you'd have it.

The couple in my example are totally "live for today" kinds of people. I'm willing to bet they have little if anything saved for the future.

[brig2221]

I understand what you're saying, but I think it makes a whole lot more sense to save for a year and then go, then save for another year and go again, than to go on credit and take a year to repay, then go on credit again and take a year to repay. If you can afford to make the payments, you can afford to save in advance. That way you also don't pay the interest (you collect it instead) and, if something were to happen along the way and you needed the money for a more urgent problem, you'd have it.

The couple in my example are totally "live for today" kinds of people. I'm willing to bet they have little if anything saved for the future.

I generally agree with what you are saying.

On a side note, I tend to think sometimes that these types of posts are subtle jabs at the masses, and meant to put ourselves (those with money and savings) above the rest of the fray. I am not accusing anyone of doing this on purpose, just that it might be out there. I know I have to check myself sometimes, keeping myself from sitting a top my financial mountain and summarily passing judgement on all the dumb peasants out there frittering all their money away. I am the smart one, they are just stupid, just look at how they spend their money.

I am not saying anyone in this thread has said that or implied it, but I will definitely raise my hand and tell you that those thoughts creep into my head a lot when I run into many of the cases that posters have outlines in this thread. I have to remind myself that my way isn't the absolute right way all of the time and for every person, and that I am not a "better" person just on the grounds that I am financially responsible, whereas they may not be.

I think we too often ignore how people are brought up. Many of you on this thread are die hard savers and proud to be so, also claim that you got many of those traits from how your parents raised you. I think we often tend to ignore that the flip side is probably also true for many of these people. It doesn't necessarily justify their actions or rationale by any means, but it does lend some perspective.

[Caoineag]

...

Remember, anything to the extreme is typically bad. I think we all too often see the extreme of overspending here, but I sometimes (not pointing fingers at the OP here) see it on the opposite end as well, and that is oversaving, worrying too much about the future, and not enjoying the present as much as you could while still being very prudent financially, because none of us know if we will still be here tomorrow.

No worries about you pointing fingers at me. I chose to ask this question as much for amusement as self reflection (can be very guilty of bad justifications, especially in my not too distant past). Its easier for me to see bad justifications if someone points them out. Trust me, I am no paragon of financial virtue let alone a cheapskate. A quick glance at my blog or some of my forum posts would give that away, lol.

[disneysteve]

I think we too often ignore how people are brought up. Many of you on this thread are die hard savers and proud to be so, also claim that you got many of those traits from how your parents raised you.

That's an interesting point. I think upbringing is sometimes a factor and other times not. I believe a lot of this truly is ingrained, hard-wired in our brains somehow.

My example was about my sister-in-law. That is my wife's sister. My wife is a dedicated saver (long before she married me), very careful with her money and a frugal shopper.

Her sister, a couple of years older, is anything but. When she was a teen, she wanted to buy a car. Their father said that if she saved money every month for 6 months, showing that she could consistently make payments, he would match her savings after 6 months and she'd be able to get a much better car. She had a fit and refused to do that and went out and bought some piece of junk on her own. So even at a fairly young age, her mindset was clear. She's had money problems ever since and married a guy who was even worse than her.

There is one other sister who is also very good with money and married a guy who is the same. Same house, same parents, same lessons. Totally different outcomes.