Banking and credit

I saved 80,000 loyalty points for one trip. The trip now costs 95,000.

Banking and credit

I split one purchase into 4 payments of $100. Then I did it again. And again.

Banking and credit

I have $5,000 on my credit card. Paying the minimum will keep me in debt for 20 years.

Shopping

I bought a laptop online. Then I paid $180 to protect it from a future that never came.

Shopping

The first price I saw online was $389. By the time I finished checkout I had paid $612.

Shopping

Free shipping saved me $8. The item I added to qualify cost me $20.

Services and subscriptions

I have not been to the gym in 8 months. The $80 charge still hits my card every month.

Insurance

Same coverage. Same street. My neighbour pays $3,000 less every decade. The only difference is 20 minutes a year.

Banking and credit

I spent $45. The bank charged me $105 in fees. The fees cost more than what I bought.

Taxes

A $1,200 tax refund hit my account on Friday. By Sunday it was gone. My salary always lasts the month.

Services and subscriptions

My streaming app went up $3 a month. I clicked accept. Three other apps did the same. I lost $200 that year.

Services and subscriptions

I signed up for a free trial. I forgot to cancel. Six months later I had paid $90 for an app I never opened.

Services and subscriptions

I pay for four streaming services. $60 a month. Last month I only opened two.

Investing

A friend told me he doubled his money in three months. I bought the same coin. Three weeks later it was down 40 percent.

Investing

I started saving at 35 instead of 25. Those 10 missing years cost me more than any market crash will.

Big purchases

The bank approved me for $750,000. I bought a house for $740,000. Every other goal I have now waits in line behind the mortgage.

Big purchases

The dealer asked what monthly payment I could afford. I said $400. The car ended up costing me $8,000 more than the sticker price.

Big purchases

We set a wedding budget of $20,000. The final bill was $42,000. Every once in a lifetime decision added a few thousand.

Investing

The market dropped 15 percent. I pulled my money out to wait for the bottom. It went up 22 percent before I got back in.

Shopping

I bought a jacket I did not need because it was 60 percent off. I told myself I saved $90. I did not save $90. I spent $60.

Banking and credit

I got a 15 percent raise last year. My savings rate stayed exactly the same. The extra money disappeared into bigger expenses.

Banking and credit

I have $15,000 in a savings account earning 0.1 percent. The high-yield account next door pays 4.5 percent. I leave $660 on the table every year.

Banking and credit

My colleague set up automatic savings. I meant to. Two years later, she has $9,600. I have $0.

Banking and credit

I started by sending my parents $1,500. Two years later I send them $400 every month. We have never agreed on anything.

Banking and credit

I moved $5,000 to a zero interest card. I had 15 months to clear it. The promo ended. $3,200 was still there.

Big purchases

I financed my $1,800 couch over 24 months. My friend saved for three months and paid cash. She paid $360 less.

Investing

My employer matches retirement contributions up to 5 percent. I have contributed exactly 5 percent for years. I never asked if it was enough.

Banking and credit

I took $200 cash from my credit card at an ATM. The receipt looked normal. The bank treated it as a 22 percent loan.

Taxes

I set up my tax deductions three years ago. I bought a property since. I started working from home since. The template has not changed.

Insurance

I pay $380 a month for life insurance that is also an investment. The equivalent protection alone would cost me $40.

Banking and credit

I have been splitting every purchase under $200 into four payments for two years. I have never added up the total.

Banking and credit

My savings account advertises 4.5 percent. I met the conditions in 3 months out of 12. I earned $50 instead of $810.

Services and subscriptions

The annual plan said save 30 percent. I clicked annual. I cancelled three months in.

Services and subscriptions

I clicked a $6.99 storage upgrade three years ago. I have paid $252 since. My phone is still full.

Services and subscriptions

I pay $30 a month for a bundle of five services. I only open two of them.

Investing

I check my portfolio every morning. I have made 38 changes in 5 years. My friend who checks once a year has a higher balance.

Investing

I had a $500 monthly investment running automatically. The market dropped. I paused it. By the time I restarted, the price was higher than when I stopped.

Investing

I picked five stocks I believed in. After three years, a basic index fund had outperformed my portfolio.

Investing

A $25,000 inheritance landed in my account. Six months later, I cannot tell you where most of it went.

Investing

I have been in the default fund of my retirement account for 12 years. I never compared it to the alternatives offered by the same provider.

Shopping

I bought a black t-shirt last week. I have five black t-shirts at home. Three of them still have the tag on.