20 Things I will ALWAYS regret buying (and you probably will too!)

[@caroltanzi29]

Several years ago I decided, for a year, I wouldn’t buy anything unless it was necessary. And it really taught me that I really didn’t need a lot. It was an excellent lessen. And I saved money for the special things. Most rewarding for me. Carol from California

[@flowergirl7260]

I have been doing the same thing and it's surprising to realize how much 'stuff' you just don't need.

[@alyssarosengard6674]

I’m on a 2 month No Buy so I can slow down the stuff coming into my house. It’s going well. I’m learning a lot.

[@SimpleHappyZen]

That's awesome, good for you!!! 🥰

[@lindsey361]

Well done 🎉

[@LisaM.601]

That’s really fantastic! Way to go!!! I recently calculated how much I spend at Amazon each month and I was floored, so now I’m only ordering things that are necessary. Like you, by slowing down what is coming into my home, I’m really learning a lot about my spending habits and learning the difference between what is necessary and what is wasteful.

[@christinadonnamaria6200]

Lol. I totally relate to all of these. Especially as you get older you realize all the money you spent on crap over the years and how it was just fast fashion or to try to fit in and look like other people. However, you realize later on how inconvenient and convenience really was lol. The hardest thing for me is going through and throwing things out or giving away getting rid of items that I have purchased in the past that I realized I spent all this money on and now realize what was I thinking LOL.

[@angelagouirand9312]

Your style and personality have made you one of my favorites to watch. Thank you 🙏

[@sl9906]

My buying mistakes revolve around identity/fantasy clothing or expense. I’ve learned that my style/season of life is comfort, cotton based, and 1-3 colors I love. I now have a simple wardrobe I love and wear. I also learned that a cheap “fix” is no fix at all and can be more expensive than buying what you actually need. So I’m in my 2nd low buy year, where it’s only replacements/emergency purchases. 😊❤

[@Arnirien]

Most of these are also no-go's for me! The big exception is number 5! For tee shirts/slightly elevated basic tops, I think I have only 4 styles, with 2-3 colors of each. I find that works for me, simplified shopping, and keeps me consistently comfortable without me looking as though I have a uniform lol. I also have two pairs each of two different styles of trousers I love. But then again, here in the USA I wear size 2X or 3X, so finding quality items that fit me well is a challenge, especially on a budget. Great list, Vera!

[@SimpleHappyZen]

So happy you enjoyed the video! And yes, number 5 sounds like it does indeed work out well for you :)

[@autorinmitkatze]

Hi Vera! The last thing I bought and regretted buying was a turtleneck sweater. It looked so cozy and fluffy in the store, but as soon as I wore it for the first time, I was reminded of the fact that turtlenecks make me look puffy and much shorter and stockier than I really am. I ended up recycling it and swore to myself to never ever buy turtlenecks again.

[@SimpleHappyZen]

Ohh yes good example!!! :)

[@carmenlheureux5435]

Vera, I recognized myself in several of your examples. I’m beginning to understand the mechanism that lead to these purchases (when I’m in a rush🥴) but there is still work to be done.❤

[@SimpleHappyZen]

When I'm in a rush!!! That's such a good one haha. It's better to take some time to think about it if we can :)

[@MoonLight-wy7if]

January was a no buy month for me and i successfully completed it. Love your videos Vera.❤

[@paolaromero2950]

I was thinking in buying products for my hair, then I saw one of your videos and realized I need to wait for my products to be finished, so thanks a lot. NEW SUBSCRIBER

[@dianacolaco21]

I love your videos, Vera. They help me be myself, especially since I am an HSP, just like you. 😊❤

[@SimpleHappyZen]

That's so nice to hear, one of the things I always strive for with my channel! To help people take care of themselves and be themselves :) Thank you!

[@dianacolaco21]

I have a small request to make. In your previous video, you mentioned that you're into starting a "100 Days Happiness Challenge" of sorts. I have a question. What about days when you don't feel happy? Isn't forced happiness a form of toxic positivity? Why not have a 100 Days of Feeling Challenge instead?

[@SimpleHappyZen]

Sure, you can definitely change it into that! With challenges like this, it's great if you can take the main premise, but then make it your own. I like the focus on happiness or gratitude, because it teaches me to find the positives even on days when I'm not feeling great. So for me, it's not about ignoring how I'm really feeling, but finding silver linings and things to be grateful for. But if you'd like to practice tuning into your feelings every day by taking a picture of what represents that, I think that would be great too :)

[@yingzhang5597]

I couldn't agree more with all the items you talked about! For pants, I started to realize certain types work for me through online shopping. I live in a rural area in the US that Walmart is the only place for purchasing clothes in town. I learned that the legging jeans from uniqlo work so well for me and they keep these lines years after years only changing colors. I know my side and colors from that store and mostly can keep them.😊

[@carbenyos]

I usually go by the one in , one out rule. I was looking to replace my rain coat two seasons ago- I needed a water proof one with a hood. I ended up buying a jean jacket- not waterproof or with a hood because I liked it and it brought back nostalgia from my teen years. I've only worn it a few times because where I live is such that by the time the season (fall or spring) comes around to wear it ,it is already to cold ( or too hot) for the weather and I end up wearing a zippered sweatshirt. Over the years I have learned not to take these mistakes too seriously and just donate- even if it is almost new.

[@HappyMom2Girls]

This is a great video! Lots of points to consider. Very helpful, thank you! Recent buyer’s remorse experience… I bought a 5 cup water tumbler from Walmart one week ago. I chose it because it had a “spout” to drink from. I don’t want to drink from a straw. It costs only $12 and I liked the color. When I have 1-1.5 cups of water remaining, water pours out of the small hole in the lid that’s for controlling water pressure. The water dribbles down my chin and neck. I’ll pay more next time and invest in a quality water tumbler.

[@laurenmiller149]

I agree with all but the stationery one hehe. I discovered last year that bullet and gratitude journaling are a good outlet for me! so far my only regret is not buying multiples of a few items (like washi tapes) b/c the dog chewed them to shreds 😭😭

[@tennilledebysingh5819]

I did a low buy Jan and am doing a No buy Feb.. This is something I might alternate monthly. I did a no-buy first quarter of 2024 and learned so many lessons! Minimalism does allow you to tune out the external voices! The last thing I got that I regretted was a perfume at a discount store (for the bottle) to refill a perfume I already have. The spray nozzle ended up being dysfunctional. I found a beautiful bottle at Anthropologie that works perfectly. I paid more for it, but it's usable. Lesson learned.

[@whfh178]

That last rant about smoothie bowls 😂😂😂 I drink a shake daily for dinner, and I have to blend the cacao nibs reeeeally well with the milk before adding the other ingredients or else I get these crunchy bitter bits in my shake . Nibs are really good for the body, but anyone who leaves big pieces of them to be eaten is a psychopath 😂

[@LisaM.601]

I relate to everything you mentioned, Vera! I’ve learned from my mistakes, although I still have one I struggle with: I dislike grocery shopping and meal planning so eating out and using Instacart grocery delivery are still my biggest budget downfalls. I’m open to any and all tips from anyone reading this. Thank you!

[@michaelbates7292]

I love your videos. It’s always very pleasant listening to you and you are full of common sense. I’m retired. I don’t buy much . I think I only regret buying two types of things. I bought an expensive fedora about 7 years ago. I’ve only worn it twice. I love it and actually I think I have a good plan to wear it regularly. The other things are that I bought several sports jackets too close to retirement and 90% of the time they just hang in my closet . Yet, I don’t want to get rid of them.Sending good wishes to you from Canada 🇨🇦

[@poodle9557]

thank you for this video. So I noticed that I am having an issue - I still love plushies. Right now I am decluttering and I found my poor Rathian from Monster Hunter who fell from her perch and I forgot about her 🫣 and it was month or longer. Now I have several plushies sitting on my couch which I felt I needed to have as I enjoyed the Franchise - I have also two Oris... but then I regret getting them but I still think they are cute and I can't let them go :/ also a Ty Puppy from my friends and ugh stresses me but I know I will fall into that trap again. I am now really wanting Jellycats. I am horrible with plushies. I feel it's like making my life like I wish it would be, like you know, being in 20ies, being a gamer girl with that cool setup and cutesy stuff and these japanese things and all of that, but I am really not.

[@pippaplace]

I could really identify with this in so many ways, although I will limit my comment to just one. As an older person who does her own cleaning, I am always looking for tools or products to make the job easier. Many times I do find something that will be a better system, but when a purchase turns out to be an epic fail, the regret over money wasted is huge.

[@orvetakecskes9778]

I relate to buying clothes online and they never fit. I am trying to break myself of buying these even if they look great. A side note I have panic attacks as well. I believe I too may be a highly sensitive person. Trying to learn more about this. Thanks for your sharing and wonderful videos.

[@michelemink6418]

Love you and your ideas, Vera. Thank you for doing Happy Zen. I have listened and learned from your experiences ❤😊

[@Louhlouu-h3s]

Yay new Vera 🎉

[@SimpleHappyZen]

Hahaha yay! 🤗♥️

[@simoneclarke5104]

I have a love for frills on clothing, so my last purchase I regret was buying 2 tulle frilly dresses, one in black and one in pink. I live in a tiny cottage in rural Canada with no place I would go to wear these. I don’t know what I was thinking! Maybe I thought I could wear them for a fancy dinner out, but I never go to restaurants that fancy lol! Shopping for my fantasy self is my downfall.

[@gwenj5419]

In my area, many thrift stores stopped having fitting rooms during covid and never reopened them. I just won't buy clothes in those shops anymore. Too many purchases ended up not fitting right.

[@KaratekaLG.]

The last purchase I regretted were pants. They look super nice, but when I sit down in them for a longer period they start itching because they are 50% polyester, which is bad, because I'm a student and I'm sitting a lot. Normally I check labels and buy pants that are cotton or linen, but for whatever reason I didn't with those... But stuff like this happens. I'm trying not to beat myself up for it and I can still wear them to work where I stand at.

[@gojiberry7201]

Ugh, I just got rid of my skinny jeans that I never wear. I am planning an "intentional wardrobe" where every piece is loose, neutral, durable, easy to care for, and comfortable. All of my current clothes I bought on impulse :(

[@lindsey361]

My 🤖 hover really helps in our home, but we have a family of 6 with lots of friends n neighbours that pop in. I still vacuum traditionally but not every day. ❤ur videos

[@flowergirl7260]

Thanks for all your great videoa. This year I've been practicing "make do and mend," instead of even goingt to thriftshops. p.s. I did drop off my heavy earrings to the thriftshop, though!

[@clb9201]

Unrelated, but you are prettier and prettier every video😌 (Edit: it's indeed very interesting to identify specific categories we tend to regret buying later, I had only thought about single "regretful" purchases until today but this is super useful!)

[@NintenJon64]

Really liked this video so much! Something I experienced buyer’s remorse from was my MacBook Pro. Though it is now my only computer as my gaming PC stopped working, it collected dust for years prior. If I had waited, I could have gotten a similarly-priced gaming PC today. College does these things, haha. Makes me wonder how many people bought something for college, just to not use it much afterwards. lol xD

[@rockyj885]

So true for the "high maintenance clothing", a few months ago I ruined a haori I had brought back from Japan because I just threw it in the wash without thinking. I now feel I would likely avoid wearing clothes that require special cleaning just because I want to avoid getting them dirty in the first place. (oh and I hardly ever use my robot vaccum, because I have to pick up all my cat's toys first lol)

[@andreao8535]

Hey Vera, which cordless vacuum do you use at home? And are you satisfied with it? Thank you in advance ❤️

[@caroc8290]

I get you about clothing when I like a blouse I don’t get different colors I buy same color I like twice or 3. That way I wear it all sometimes maybe look like you not changing clothes but don’t care.❤😂

[@nataliaborisova3250]

Cute stationery is definitely a guilty pleasure of many people. The last thing I regretted buying was a cute little thermal printer. I expected the printed pictures to be of at least a decent quality (I know thermal print doesn't last long) but OMG, the pictures look so faded and bleak at the moment they get out of the printer that they are just sad to look at! Lesson learned though, cute thermal printers are definitely not a good option.

[@francineh.7825]

I've actually never even heard of smoothie bowls lol. The last thing I regretted buying was a book online, which is a good book, but the paper they used was cheap so the printing looks a bit blurry so it gives me a headache. I couldn't return at the time as we had a postal strike so I gave it to my son to return for me as I don't live in the city and...of course he forgot so it's too late now lol. I'll try to read maybe a couple of pages a day so as not to get a headache.

[@SimpleHappyZen]

Ohhh yes that's a good point!! One of the reasons I love my ereader, because I'm also sensitive to details like that, and with my kobo, I can set the font, font size, margins etc in a way I like and doens't give me a headache. So sad that a good book was printed poorly :)

[@ivanpadilla4479]

I work on my feet and my toes get very sweaty, which I hate. My solution has been toes socks. Even when they do get sweaty , the toes are not skin on skin so it doesn’t bother me. Everytime I use regular socks because they were gifted or the only pair available, I regret it.

[@princessdumbarton9877]

If you add oatmeal to the smoothie it's more filling.

[@antiquesrestoration3874]

Now I wish I had a ripe avocado for on top of my bagel!

[@leggermentesara]

11:40 pants for me too, and bras

[@SimpleHappyZen]

Bras 😭😭😭😭 Yes!

[@eduardor0605]

This is so true, my Dear Vera. It happens to me often but I'll try to avoid it 😅

[@SimpleHappyZen]

Yes! We don't have to be perfect, but we can try to learn from our experiences and make better choices next time if we can :)

[@kimfilby-sj5jc]

Your clock experience resonates. I bought some body weight scales - salter ultimate accuracy - lol - they're anything but & unfortunately recycled box so can't return them. Buyer beware (and keep the box!)

[@SimpleHappyZen]

Definitely important to inspect the item before we purchase it, and if that's not possible, keep the receipt and the box for a little while (until the return term is expired) in case we want to return it :)

[@leilarhymeswithsheila1344]

….a massive, humongous great big mirrored IKEA wardrobe, when I knew darn well that 18 months later, I’d be MOVING!

[@SimpleHappyZen]

Oooooooooh yes!!! Really good example hahaha. Those furniture pieces are not really made to be disassembled and put back together, and they're also not made to move and not break apart 😅 To be honest, I also have mixed feelings about my IKEA pax wardrobe. Not what I expected in a few ways.

[@magdaleenmalan6780]

Thank you for your common sense!

[@michelemink6418]

Flats. I am always looking for navy flats. I NEVER by a pair that fits properly 😮 . My feet hurt blister etc.. And I end up giving them away. Waste of money and time shopping . I find it hard to find well fitted shoes flats 😫

[@nicoleisstillhere]

The last night I purchased that I ended up regretting was Starbucks! I received a giftcard for my birthday and what I got was just not good.

[@SimpleHappyZen]

Ooof yes same here. The cafe I usually go to was closed one time, so I decided to try Starbucks for my 'special coffee moment' instead. Huge disappointment :)

[@Robert-qm1ld]

I've bought regular coffee at Starbucks in airports twice, once in a shopping center. I can't even describe how bad their coffee is, no matter where, as a regular cup of coffee. Almost like it's burned maybe?

[@JR-sd7ls]

I love your eyebrows Vera 🥹 thank you for the tipsss

[@sl9906]

My buying mistakes revolve around identity/fantasy clothing or expense. I’ve learned that my style/season of life is comfort, cotton based, and 1-3 colors I love. I now have a simple wardrobe I love and wear. I also learned that a cheap “fix” is no fix at all and can be more expensive than buying what you actually need. So I’m in my 2nd low buy year, where it’s only replacements/emergency purchases. 😊❤