What’s the True Cost of Buying Something You Never Needed?

Some Things Just Aren’t Worth Owning — Even at 99.99% Off

There’s a hidden wisdom in knowing when not to say yes — even when the price tag begs you to. We live in a culture obsessed with discounts, deals, and “once-in-a-lifetime” offers, but very few stop to ask: Why would I want this in the first place?

No matter the markdown, there are things that simply hold no value. Not because they’re expensive — but because they’re intrinsically empty, deceptive, or even harmful.

Take a get-rich-quick course from a TikTok guru in a rented Lamborghini. Even at 99.99% off, you’re still overpaying. It’s not just the waste of money — it’s the cost of believing in shortcuts. That purchase doesn’t just drain your wallet; it drains your discernment. You trade curiosity for illusion, hope for hype.

Or a timeshare, which, in theory, promises luxury and escape. In reality? It binds you to obligations disguised as vacations, cloaked in contractual fine print and ballooning maintenance fees. Even free, it’s not a gift — it’s a future invoice with your name already printed.

And what about the things that pretend to be intimate, like celebrity bath water or “influencer-scented” candles? They don’t sell products. They sell fantasy — the illusion of closeness in a hyper-distant world. But that jar of water doesn’t hold magic. It holds misplaced longing.

Then there’s the quietly grotesque: fuzzy toilet seat covers. A relic of comfort gone wrong — where hygiene takes a backseat to aesthetic confusion. You don’t need a good deal on bacteria. You need boundaries.

These things all have something in common: they exploit loneliness, fear of missing out, or insecurity. They ask us to purchase something we don’t want, to impress people we don’t know, for reasons we can’t remember.

Discounts mean nothing if the item has no value in your life, no place in your joy, and no alignment with your principles.

Because in the end, the best things you’ll ever own — your peace of mind, your self-respect, your time — aren’t discounted. They’re defended. They’re protected. And they’re never for sale.

Kai Alderfield