5 Ways Being Stupid Will Cost You
People are pretty stupid. You have to admit it, the human race as a whole is not something to be proud of. Sure we have the philosophers and greats throughout history but they are few and far between. Here are five ways being stupid can cost you money.
- Speeding. This should be pretty obvious but like I said people are stupid. I’m not saying I never speed. I am human, after all. But the people I am talking about here are the people that are going 95 on the freeway, weaving in and out of lanes. The people passing others on the shoulder going 25 over the posted limit in a construction zone. Speeding tickets are ridiculously expensive so don’t be stupid. Go 5 miles over like the rest of us!
- Bouncing Checks. So you have $20 left in your checking account but you really want to help those Girl Scouts that just came by selling cookies and one box won’t satisfy, so you write a check for twelve boxes. If they deposit that check before you hit the bank, that’s gonna cost ya the sum of $70 for the cookies and overdraft fee. It’s probably best if you just buy yourself a “No Soliciting” sign and never leave the house, because you have no self control.
- Impulse Buying. Retailers know people are stupid. Placing stuff at the cash register, especially small items with a big price tag, plays right into this and says “hey, look how shiny this crap is! You probably just forgot to put this LED flashlight hat, tiny digital camera key-chain or universal remote on your grocery list, so we’ve saved you the trouble and put the crap right here in reach of your small children!”. It would probably be best to make a list and stick to it if you find yourself leaning towards purchasing these things.
- Defaulting on promotions. Bob just got that new credit card he signed up for at 0% interest but didn’t really feel like skimming over the details. Bob is stupid. Not because he didn’t read the promo fine print but because he forgot to pay his new credit card bill and his 0% interest rate just went up…to 35%. Nice going Bob. Defaulting on a promotion is the quickest way to start a financial bleed.
- Smoking. So what if it causes cancer and contains the same chemicals as urine, rat poison, anti-freeze, batteries, rocket fuel, embalming fluid, pesticide, dynamite, and gasoline. It’s way cool! Congratulations..you’re stupid! You’re also costing yourself quite a bit of money in the process just purchasing this stuff, not to mention any medical problems that will invariably arise in the future from it. But not only are you killing yourself in every which way, you choose to roll down your window as you smoke, sharing it with every car behind you. Thanks! As if I don’t have enough problems.
Got any to add to the list? It’s surely not limited to 5 😉
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Tags: bouncing checks, boxes, checking account, construction zone, crap, flashlight, freeway, girl scouts, grocery list, impulse buying, interest rate, key chain, overdraft fee, philosophers, price tag, promotions, self control, speeding tickets, tiny digital camera, ya
12 People have left comments on this post
With impulse buying I always fall victim to getting a candy bar at the last minute before I checkout. Even though $.50 here and there won’t kill me, I would be much better off buying my candy in bulk (or cutting it out all together) and sticking to only what I have on my list.
Yep, those will get ya, not to mention the health factor. As a parent, I make it a point to keep my 2 year old as far away from the candy as possible so she doesnt grab everything and as a result, I’m not tempted to get anything in that area.
Ever notice the brightest, most fun candy is always the closest to kids reach and the most expensive?
Yeah, all those things will definitely cost you. I have to say that smoking is the stupidest one by far, as is drinking alcohol.
Jesse Michelsen
Reply:
September 22nd, 2009 at 11:27 pm
I agree, thats one of the worst decisions a person can make. Smoking with a baby in the car..gah makes me sick
Apart from the above mentioned another really stupid thing is to advise people when they don’t need it
Jesse Michelsen
Reply:
September 23rd, 2009 at 8:45 am
Excellent, I agree, as long as you’re not pointing that finger at me 😉 I’m not an adviser, just the peanut gallery haha
haha, indeed my man, indeed. that speeding one is the worst because it always gets you when you least expect it! haven’t gotten one in years, but that horrid feeling when those lights flash behind you is enough to prevent me from racing all over the place. and yeah, the money part sucks too.
Jesse Michelsen
Reply:
September 23rd, 2009 at 9:24 am
Thats so true man, the gut just drops when you see the lights, I hate that feeling. I got my first two speeding tickets in the same day… 😉 I’m still claiming entrapment on one of them haha but thats a story for another day
GetAlife
Reply:
September 9th, 2013 at 7:18 am
This whole article is just ridiculous. Sure, I agree smoking is not smart, but did you ever take into consideration the amount of pollution you inhale on a daily basis? If you did, smoking or cigarette smoke would be the last of your worries. If you felt that strongly about it, than you would not even drive your own car cause the amount of pollution your car is putting out on a daily basis–your actually worst than a smoker. Plus your gonna talk about how stupid certain things are with finances. I don’t see you running a fortune 500 company now do i? Your a joke.
Following any financial advice that ends with “It’s a really good deal. Like taking candy from a baby”
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