It’s that time once again where the internet gets to see my biggest annual financial mistakes and successes. This year I’d say across the board my bad purchases weren’t so frequent or as low as last year’s, which is nice. In each listing I will mention each price to the best of my knowledge, why is was so bad or good, and a little story.
Stay tuned soon for another quick post after this one where my partner Rachel will pick HER top 5 from my purchases of 2019!
And without further ado, first the worst.
THE WORST
5.) All the snacks at my previous job
Cost: $1.44+1.63+2.97+5.92+2.53+1.97+1.98+0.56+4.18+4.45+5.89+4.21+1.06+1.42+4.02+3.53+1.24+1.62+5.61+? = ~$56.23
At the start of 2019 I had to work 2 retail jobs in order to make it out here after I moved. The goal was to make enough money before I could settle more into a full time tech opportunity. At one job in a board game shop the food I bought there I found a lot more nourishing since they actually were legitimate meals. But the OTHER job in a farm store, all the food I bought there was all in the range of little snacks, chips, and sugary beverages to hold me over. Since that job was more emotionally draining I felt the snacks were overall more important, but I would’ve saved more money if I got a pack of snacks at a grocery store and brought them to work. Also this was during a time when as I was eating every cheese cracker I consumed, I was equating them in terms of how many minutes I had to work to get that money. There’s also a question mark because I bought them with other purchases for things like dirt or cat litter and those things are harder to track for me.
4.) Wargroove
Cost: $19.99
Every year I seem to make one video game purchase that was lackluster. Last year’s was Kirby Star Allies and this year I’m making the call, it was Wargroove. I was so hyped for this game. I loved Advance Wars for GBA and the dev notes with their specialized units and cute doggos and juicy graphics got me all salivating waiting for this game. It even came with a build your own maps mode which was fresh for a game and seemed like a game with an interesting premise. And then I played it and forgot how much I hate fog of war. Also, it felt like a grindy slog with a boring story and bad map designs. Thankfully this game was far cheaper than the $60 snoozer that was Star Allies.
Not even a cute doggo can save the frustrations of this game
3.) Humble Bundle November
Cost: $12
Coming in at number 3 is an accidental acquisition of sorts. Humble Bundle is an interesting company that has both wonderful and terrible business practices lumped together. They do incredible bundle deals on games that is great for consumers and also lets you choose how to split up your money in any percentage (to Humble Bundle, to the game devs, or to charities) which is awesome. Unfortunately though their monthly subscription service is a little more devious. I subscribed for one month under the guise that I’d cancel it immediately after but of course I wanted some of their trove library that you can only download if you’re subbed so I didn’t unsub right away. Unlike some other subscription practices, once you cancel your HB subscription, you don’t have access and special discounts til the end of the month. You’re immediately cut off. Therefore the onus is on the consumer to remember to turn it off. So I go to do so and they give me wave after wave of variations of “are you sure tho?” Then there was the statement of discounting the bundle if I stay. After looking at November’s games I thought eh sure it’s not worth 12 bucks to me but for less, heck, sure that’s more like it. So I click yes, the machines think for a while, and I’m shot back out onto a random page. I didn’t get a confirmation of my updated price, but I didn’t get a rejection message either. I do it a second time to make sure. Lo and behold I was charged full price for this. I’m so mad at many parts of this model and for that, it is #3 on this list.
2.) Doubled charged at Wendy’s
Cost: $2.79
If you’ve ever tried to make an online order through a fast food app, you might have experienced that most fast food restaurants (perhaps it’s just a local thing) have no fucking clue how to deal with mobile orders. Of the 8 or so times I’ve used it, I’d say the most common response is “oh! Uhhh mobile orderrrr hmmmm ookkkk that’ll be 2.79” to which I’ll say “uhm no I already paid for it, it’s a mobile order” and then they’ll be like “AH yes but of course here’s your meal.” But this one time I remember clearly. I recognized the cashier because they shopped at the board game shop I worked at earlier in the year and they were rude to me a couple times there. Like usual, the cashier said the typical initial response to a mobile order I’m used to. After I mention I already paid they coldly replied with “no you didn’t. You owe me $2.79.” This made me upset so I coldly replied back, “that’s not how a mobile order works. I put in my card information over the app. You owe me my meal.” Unfortunately my BM didn’t solve things. Two coworkers were brought over and the cashier had a meltdown to them screaming and shouting that the screen says I owe $2.79. Me, expecting someone can figure this mess out expected a glowing revelation and like usual a fix and to be directed to the second window. Instead another guy peeps his head out and says “hey man, you owe $2.79.” I literally pull up my bank transaction to prove that I already paid. So he tells me that they’ll cancel that but they just need me to pay it. Thinking their machine screwed up or something I think ah that must be what’s up so I, very hungry, paid them again. Aaand I got double charged. Granted, it was $2.79, so it could’ve been worse (like last year’s Razer mouse), but it was $2.79 for nothing but a mean conversation. Bad purchase!
1.) Ratchet Brick Apparatus
Cost: $25.05
Looking back this is one of those memories you can look back and think of with a little more rose and a good laugh and some good ol hah! Wasn’t that bad! I really wanted to plant seeds this year but because of our cat situation, I had to plant them on the refrigerator. Me being a novice with seeds bought a little seed starter kit and realized that the lamp I had needed to be clipped to something in order for the light to hit the seeds. So I went to ACE with a goal and looked for the means to make this happen. Somehow, I needed my clip-on lamp to be angled in a way that hits the seeds. The “solution” I came up with was a PVC pipe duct taped onto a brick. The lamp was then clipped onto the PVC pipe and wrapped with more duct tape. I also bought an extension cord so the cables could reach the top of the fridge. It was hard to adjust it to the right way but it eventually got set up. So I went ahead and tried it! It lasted for a little bit but every so often the duct tape would come undone, the clip would slide down. It went from a daily hassle turned into a daily hazard. The whole apparatus eventually became unstable and tipped over into the soil. After an inconsistent distribution of light and heat including a lamp directly in its face, what little sprouts I got eventually all died and the seed project was a failure.
A depiction of the apparatus, made by Huesteus (huesteus.wordpress.com) using MS Paint
BEST
Honorable mentions: Link’s Awakening, Cambodian Rock Band Tickets, Pokemon Sw/Sh, A cozy green cardigan from Old Navy
5.) Wine Flight at Rellik Winery
Cost: $5.75
Lumbering in at #5 was a wine flight my partner and I shared together at a winery we visited on the spur of the moment, Rellik Winery. First, the wine. Generally in a flight there’s usually one, rarely two out of the flight that I actually really dig. The rest in a flight to me usually range from ok to meh. But the flight we had that day was very tasty across the board. I recall enjoying each round. Disclaimer though, I’ve been called out for not having a “refined taste” especially when it comes to wine so take that as you will. Regardless, I loved each round. Also it was on the cheaper side which is bonus appreciated. But better than the wine was the experience (which was of course impacted by said wine). The location took place on what I’d describe as a farmyard with a modern building with incredibly extra furnishings. The vines on the patio with the barrels everywhere with all the cool interior decor mixed with the lovely nature where you can go out with your wine around the property to.
They had a pond with flourishing greenery full of life that had a hundred or so frogs leap into the water from the nearby pebbles when I walked nearby not noticing them. And better yet, wherever you walked around to you could find a frequent bench and spot to set your wine glass. But that’s not all! There were also adorable alpacas to stare at. And I give their bathroom a 9.25/10.
4.) $5 worth of Raffle Tickets
Cost: $5
In the summer I had the opportunity to support a fundraiser that my partner and her group put on in a local pub that I like for their potatoes, beer, and well sized tables (great for board games). During the event I bought about $5 worth of raffle tickets (each dollar representing one ticket I believe) and to my surprise I not only won once but twice! I thank Rachel for rigging the system for me (just kidding this didn’t happen). My haul includes many gift cards and free vouchers including stuff like a nearby Hawaiian restaurant gift card, a free car wash, Dutch Bros gift card, and a couple other things I can’t even remember. This night would have been enjoyable for me just watching my partner do cool things for the community but yeah this helps.
3.) Oregon Driver’s License and Test
Cost: $65
Since I moved back to Oregon, I was due for a new driver’s license. Being able to drive is really good. I thought the California licenses were the upper echelon of license design. I also thought Oregon licenses were ugly and by sweet lord baby Jesus they were but thankfully they updated them. And they look pretty cool! There’s some secret bits too if you shine the license different angles. Sure, you’ll get some elitist folks for other licenses but I really dig this one. And ooh here’s a story. I needed to pass the knowledge test to get a new license right? So I needed to get something like 35 questions answered and you can only miss 7 questions. Honestly I was pretty glazed about the test going in, I studied a little bit but thought eh I’m a good driver. Got pretty messed up from the first half of the test. I was on the 20th question and already missed my max 7 questions. But you already know yo boy clutched it out. After a grueling 5 minute wait in the DMV (I got it good) and sweating that test out, that HARD earned license was mine (in the mail a week later).
2.) A ring for a special someone for a special day
Cost: Sshhhh (but it really wasn’t that expensive)
In 2020 I will get married to the love of my life, my very best friend. My partner in crime, and oh moy do we do crime. The ring itself is very pretty and I like it a lot. I got the ring my partner was most visibly approving of. My partner sent me links to rings she liked from different consignment/used websites and it was blatantly clear to me that it had to be this ring. Getting married is going to be a very meaningful milestone in both of our lives and if this is the transaction that gets to represent the extent of such love, admiration, and respect I have for Rachel then this sure is a good one. The way I proposed was fun too 🙂
But wait what!? Your partner’s engagement/wedding ring is #2?? Yes! While the ring is very important and Rachel is most undoubtedly the most important human of all time, you already know we were going to get married (or at least have a high enough quality of a relationship) with or without a ring. Also…
1.) Our Cats
Cost: We paid $50 for the first two, an additional $50 for the third
This year Rachel and I adopted three sweet cats into our family. Our home would not be the same without them. Living feels so much more cozy with all of them. Yes they can get stinky sometimes (and I mean literally with poop and also via attacking feet while sleeping, attacking the blinds, laying on the tortoise tank, or knocking shit off counters) but they are all big lovers. I feel so fortunate that they all like each other. Together they like to play, cuddle, and zoom around! Also they are really kind to Helix the tortoise (although they still aren’t allowed to touch him). Overall I am so glad we got them and they are so important to life today. Of course the cost of cats is far exceeded with food and vet visits, but $150 for three affectionate cats that provide daily love is a bargain.
The three cats (in order of left to right: Maisie, Panko, Nori
And that concludes my list of the top 5 worst and best purchases of 2019! Cheers to smarter purchases, more satisfaction with purchases, and more meows! Look forward to Rachel’s list out soon!
huesteus 