Do You Have Any Money Regrets?

Discussion in Off Topic Discussion & General Questions started by ACSAPA • May 16, 2013.

  1. ACSAPA

    ACSAPAWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 10, 2012
    Threads:
    52
    Messages:
    3,093
    Likes Received:
    240
    Hi guys,

    A lot of people become frugal for different reasons. Some people are students just starting out, some people are newly married and paying off a wedding, some people have old debts.

    In my case, I have old student loans to pay off and old bad spending habits to rectify.
    Today I was thinking about how much I detest my current apartment and how I've been saving and making sacrifices so I afford a deposit on a better place.

    I calculated that if I had saved just $30 a week for the last 10 years, I would have $15,600 right now, which would have allowed me to make a deposit on pretty much any apartment of my choice, within reason,
    and still have money left over. That thought is humbling and kind of devastating.

    10 years ago, I wasn't even thinking about moving, but I should have been saving anyway for a rainy day or emergencies.

    So do you any of you guys have financial regrets and are you making any progress on setting things right?
     
  2. Ryder13

    Ryder13Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2012
    Threads:
    3
    Messages:
    153
    Likes Received:
    0
    Yeah, unlike Frank Sinatra, who had "a few but then again too few to mention."
    Well I can claim plenty of regrets and money regrets. Including
    bad career moves, lending money to a supposed friend who ended up
    being a con and a liar and a cheat and two-faced.
    Yeah but unfortunately not much I can do about them. I wish
    that I could change the past but I can't. I also wish I could just walk away
    from those regrets and not feel bitter and angry.
    Ryder13
     
  3. BlackSolaris

    BlackSolarisActive Member

    Joined:
    Apr 1, 2013
    Threads:
    8
    Messages:
    579
    Likes Received:
    1
    Yeah, i used to be like that, lending money to friends. But after the second time that they didn't pay me, i stopped being such a nice guy and told them to go ask someone else.
     
  4. brittanyt28

    brittanyt28Member

    Joined:
    May 15, 2013
    Threads:
    7
    Messages:
    58
    Likes Received:
    1
    I have a lot of money regrets. When I was younger, I could blow a paycheck in a day. I wish I had started a savings account for emergency money back then. I didn't and we can't change the past. I am very frugal now, and I coupon a lot. I really try to get the best deals when I buy things. I love couponing!
     
  5. JessiFox

    JessiFoxActive Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2012
    Threads:
    26
    Messages:
    939
    Likes Received:
    24
    I have soo many money regrets. I didn't really think enough about saving or anything like that for a while- now we're starting out in our first apartment, I'm getting ready for med. school and he has schooling too and it makes me so angry at myself to think of all the money that I could have saved up by now. I'm definitely improving my spending habits now!
     
  6. MakingCents

    MakingCentsActive Member

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2012
    Threads:
    3
    Messages:
    344
    Likes Received:
    1
    I think most people would be lying if they said they had no money regrets. I wish I had started my IRA earlier. Even if it had been 100 dollars a year, had I started 5 years earlier that would have been an extra 500 dollars come retirement, not counting the interest.
     
  7. sking61

    sking61Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 2013
    Threads:
    0
    Messages:
    40
    Likes Received:
    0
    I have invested in businesses, I've sign up for programs and didn't know money was being taking out of pocket and I have debt from school loans. If I could turn back the hands of time I would have done things a lot more with thought and go with my first instinct. I have to get into habit of saving more money for emergencies.
     
  8. Teddysean

    TeddyseanNew Member

    Joined:
    May 17, 2013
    Threads:
    1
    Messages:
    19
    Likes Received:
    0
    I'm not going to lie, I have A LOT of financial regrets. Always buying the newest iPhone whenever a new one came out, for instance. Never starting a savings account when I was younger, for another one. And though I borrowed a lot of money from friends, I couldn't always pay all of it back, and I wish i would have, because i regret it now. Man, if I could turn back time, I'd have a few more bucks laying around now haha.
     
  9. Keely222

    Keely222New Member

    Joined:
    May 19, 2013
    Threads:
    3
    Messages:
    9
    Likes Received:
    0
    I married into debt. I had a small credit card before I met my husband, It was completely manageable, I did carry a balance but the balance was only worth 2 or 3 months salary. So it was absolutely manageable and I was making use of interest free balance transfers. I didn't realize how bad it was for my husband at first. I gradually found out, guided him through a few refinances and now his earnings cover the bills/debt/mortgage. Being frugal and earning online is what is keeping our head above water.
     
  10. ACSAPA

    ACSAPAWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 10, 2012
    Threads:
    52
    Messages:
    3,093
    Likes Received:
    240
    I love couponing too and I've been frugal for the past few years so hopefully at least my future finances won't suffer from mistakes I made in the past.
    I've also been selling some of the stuff I bought when I used to be financially stupid, so at least I'm getting some of my money back out of it.

    At least we're all frugal and financially smart and humble as a result of our past mistakes. Some people never learn and they die in debt.
     
  11. vpresson

    vpressonWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2012
    Threads:
    38
    Messages:
    1,153
    Likes Received:
    13


    Yes I do I started saving money putting 5 or 10 bucks into savings when ever I had extra i'd put 20 or 30 back and I had up to over 100 bucks in savings after just one month and I made a horrible mistake taking it out and wasting it I was very disappointed in myself for doing so. But I am getting a check soon from my refund so i'm planning to put that money back and starting my savings I already start putting some back so far I got 26 bucks.
     
  12. ozadin

    ozadinActive Member

    Joined:
    Apr 30, 2013
    Threads:
    11
    Messages:
    205
    Likes Received:
    1
    I certainly have had money regrets. It ranges from handing out free money, to buying useless products I rarely use anymore. Sometimes I buy broken things, and too lazy to reship them back for a refund. It usually costs about $10 which is not a lot, but I have bought many broken and useless things in the past.
     
  13. BrianWolfe

    BrianWolfeMember

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2013
    Threads:
    9
    Messages:
    45
    Likes Received:
    0
    One of my worst regrets was lending quite a lot of money to a good friend who just could't make ends meet. He couldn't pay me back and now 2 years later, he only started returning my money on a monthly basis, like a hundred dollars at a time. I was really angry at first, but seeing the circumstances how, could I have done it any differently? With the amount of money that I had lent to him, I could have done lots a things; travel, rent a new house, buy a new car (yes, it was that much!) but now, I've made peace with him.
     
  14. ACSAPA

    ACSAPAWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 10, 2012
    Threads:
    52
    Messages:
    3,093
    Likes Received:
    240
    If the useless products that you rarely use anymore still work, you can sell them on eBay, Listia or Craigslist. I have been ruthlessly letting go of things I bought in the past and selling them because I'm trying to get money back out of them to put back into savings. It's my way of reversing my past stupidity.
     
  15. Nick2011

    Nick2011Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2012
    Threads:
    53
    Messages:
    555
    Likes Received:
    1
    Yeah. I regret getting credit cards period. When you don't use them they threaten to shut them off and have telemarketers constantly calling your house. When you do use them, you never get anything worthwhile unless you spend over $500.
     
  16. deansaliba

    deansalibaActive Member

    Joined:
    Nov 7, 2012
    Threads:
    5
    Messages:
    816
    Likes Received:
    29
    It sounds horrible but I have money regrets every time my girlfriends comes to stay with me, or when I go up and stay with her, because she costs me an absolute fortune and doesn't understand that I work very hard only for her to spend all my money. She does not work and claims benefit.
     
  17. BrianWolfe

    BrianWolfeMember

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2013
    Threads:
    9
    Messages:
    45
    Likes Received:
    0
    I totally understand and sympathize with you! These things do happen, and I learned the hard way years ago to pick myself up and avoid making the same mistakes again. Some people don't understand that we work hard for our money and they think just because we turn a sympathetic ear it means they can take advantage of us. Some people seem to confuse kindness and friendship with charity!

    I really think we need to learn to say no. If this involves ruffling your friends' feathers a bit, so be it. Better to be financially secure than to be too kind to friends, only to regret it later.
     
  18. Parker

    ParkerWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2012
    Threads:
    38
    Messages:
    2,118
    Likes Received:
    59
    I have several financial regrets. Too many. I used to blow my paycheck. I would save a percentage of it, but I still blew a lot of it on crazy stuff. I received an insurance payout and I really regret not using the money to further my education or putting a down payment on a condo. Condos were cheap during that time. Sign!
     
  19. daniel.d

    daniel.dBanned

    Joined:
    May 7, 2013
    Threads:
    3
    Messages:
    91
    Likes Received:
    0
    No matter how much you have in your savings but you should always shop wisely... and the best way to save are deals and coupons ;)
     
  20. Nick2011

    Nick2011Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2012
    Threads:
    53
    Messages:
    555
    Likes Received:
    1
    Well then just dump her. I think you should make better partner choices in the future also. Any woman without a job is a bad investment.