Top 10 Most Annoying Ways to Lose A Little Money

I’m a big fan of major on the major, minor on the minor.  Too many people spend too much of their precious time trying to save money in small ways only to miss the big opportunities.  As a result, they continue to struggle.

That said, I’m human too.  I’ve spent and lost money due to certain situations that I’m not happy about.  I don’t believe most of these were due to my specific decisions to spend money but rather due to the situations I suddenly found myself in. Yet, upon reflection, it was my previous decisions that put me in these annoying situations.

Here are the top 10 most annoying ways I’ve spent and lost money:

1. Expired parking meters: Annoying no matter the cause, but enough to drive a man insane when caused by someone who keeps talking when the meeting is already over.  Cost: $10 (New Hampshire) to $45 (Los Angeles).
2. Change in between the seats of the car: I can see the coins but I can’t get them.  I’ve tried.  More than once. Cost: Unknown, but estimated at between 55 and 97 cents.
3. Blackjack: Do the laws of probability not apply to me?  I know how to play, but I’ve just lost seven straight hands and am now approaching my psychological dollar limit of losing. But I’m so due.  Maybe just two more hands? Cost:  Highly variable and occasionally zero.  But usually more.
4. Sales tax: I have lived in sales-tax-free New Hampshire long enough that paying $1.08 for something that costs $0.99 seems like a total con job.  Cost: Minimal, because I actually think to myself, “I can get that at home and save the sales tax.”
5. Bank fees – Okay, so I don’t really pay these because I choose my banks wisely. Nonetheless, I would get so annoyed if I ever did have to pay them that bank fees make the list as a head’s up to everyone else.  Bank fees are sooooo optional. Don’t pay them.  Cost: $0.00.
6. Library fines – Obviously, these don’t qualify as a big mistake but the only reason you’ll ever pay them is because you’re forgetful, lazy, careless, or all three. I try not to have any of those attributes, so library fines are more of a personal insult than of monetary significance. Cost: About 10 cents, but it stings.
7. Grocery items that appear on sale on the shelf but are not so at the cash register.  Whether because the computer wasn’t updated for the sale, a sign was misplaced, or I accidentally picked up the 150-sheet size ultra light version of discount brand X instead of the 150-sheet size ultra light double version of discount brand X, the price comes up at $0.50 cents more per unit at the cash register.  I’ve bought three because of the sale.  Now comes the most annoying choice of my day. Do I say something or swallow the $1.50? I bet you know the answer.  Now I am annoying!  Cost: $0.00.
8. Getting charged for a free refill that wasn’t: Since my soda consumption is way down from my early twenties and I know there’s no such thing as a free refill on beer, this hasn’t happened in a long time. But I do remember getting charged the extra $1.99 because the free refills promotion had ended but I didn’t get the memo. Cost: $1.99.
9. Ridiculous taxes on rental cars, hotel rooms, and airfare. Not a whole lot you can do here but they sure are annoying.  In case you’re curious as to why rental car and hotel room taxes are so high, it’s because out-of-staters who pay those taxes don’t vote in the state where the taxes are assessed.  Bummer.  My only workaround: rent a car away from the airport, like in the center of the city. You can save some serious dough, especially on long-term rentals.  Cost:  Over $100 a year.
10. Lab fees: How much could an x-ray of a busted ankle cost?  It took less than 3 minutes once I met the tech.  Survey says: north of $100, even with decent insurance.  Thanks, now my wallet and my ankle hurt.

And my bonus annoying way to lose a little bit of money:

11. Coupons refused at the warehouse club: I don’t personally clip coupons, but my wife goes through the Sunday inserts and often grabs coupons for the items we regularly buy (especially eggs).  For some reason, I tend to be the one who does the shopping at the local warehouse club.  The last time I was there, I had a coupon (on eggs) for 50 cents off that my wife cut out of the paper minutes before I left to go to the store.  Yet said coupon is summarily, thoroughly, and publicly rejected because my wife, in her haste, has accidentally snipped off the month’s portion of the expiration date.  How does the jury find?

“Guilty!  We can’t accept a coupon that doesn’t have the expiration date on it, you not so clever thief!”

That it is a manufacturer’s coupon (so the retailer doesn’t actually pay the coupon value) is irrelevant.  That my bill is $250 and the coupon is for $0.50 is not of consideration.   The coupon czar, Ray H., says no.  Annoying.

What annoying ways do you lose money?

Tags: blackjack, expired coupons, expired meter, gambling, grocery items wrong price, lab fees, library fines, sales tax, tax on rental car