We all probably have one of these things in our homes right now…
WARNING: This article contains information about weight loss pills that may be confusing to some readers.
Many people end up buying these nine everyday items, only to realize they’re a waste of time and money.
You’ve probably heard of Tinder scams and credit card scams, but don’t ignore the little scams — the common ones that most social media users call “scams” every day.
College Books
When you start college, you’re given a list of how many years you’ll have to pay off your student loan, including the names of expensive books you’ll only use once. Even if you find a way to buy them, you’ll still pay a pretty penny, so it’s no wonder that many students consider college textbooks to be “rip-offs.”
Do you ever really use them more than once? (Getty Stock Images)
Printer ink
Well, since you’re paying for a printer, it’s only natural that the printer’s ink will cost more than the printer’s, right?
You can fool yourself into buying a printer for a high price—most of us ignore the “too good to be true” warnings—and then you’ll end up buying more ink for your printer, which is a huge expense.
According to photojournalism website Fstoppers, they spend $48 on the printer, then $200 on ink.
Printer ink can end up costing more than the actual printer (Getty Stock Images)
Timeshare
There’s a debate about timeshares – depending on who you share it with, whether it’s through a plan or a company, there are a lot of things to consider. Timeshare is a “form of holiday ownership” where you “secure the right to holiday in a property such as a holiday home or holiday let each year, for a week or more.”
However, Action Fraud warns that timeshare scammers can use “a company pretending to be a buyer who is willing to pay a high price for the timeshare,” and “a seller and company using different contact details, which can be misleading”.
“The sellers are not real and this is just another way to take money from victims,” it adds.
Even if you find a genuine timeshare, it may be overpriced, undervalued, and, despite its name, unlikely to be worth it if you sell it to a hard-core buyer.
Timeshares can sometimes seem too good to be true (Getty Stock Images)
Himalayan Salt Lamps
Ah, yes, Himalayan salt lamps. You think that buying one and placing it in your room will cleanse all the bad things that have happened to your soul through drinking, sleeping late, and other bad habits, improving the air quality in your room, and making you breathe better.
But one day you come home to find your lamp soaked in water—the salt has absorbed the moisture in the air.
Healthline reports: “Some claim that these lamps can purify the air and provide health benefits such as improved mood, better sleep, and improved breathing. They can help balance your emotions.
“While there is evidence that high levels of negative ions can improve some health conditions, researchers say that the concentration of negative ions around salt lamps is not high enough to provide significant health benefits.”
Oh, these lamps are also “electrical hazards” in your home, are dangerous for children and pets, and are prone to decay — so it’s best not to use them. Ear Taping at Sea
Hate to break it to you, but you’re not a ‘health queen’ just by having a salt lamp (Getty Stock Images)
Ear Candling
Medical News Today says: “Ear taping is a harmless and unproven practice that people use to insert candles into their ears to remove wax and other debris.”
Enough talk, but if you don’t know what it is, ear taping, or “taping,” is when someone uses a product, usually made of cloth and beeswax, to insert into the ear and set on fire in an attempt to “pull out the wax.” “And the earwax in the ear.”
However, “the substance has no scientifically proven benefits” and is considered unsafe by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Scary, right? (Getty Stock Images)
“Diet pills”
Diet pills are often promoted as a “quick” way to lose weight, but the claims made for many of these supplements—especially those not prescribed by a doctor—are often untrue.
“For these herbal products and dietary supplements, the number and quality of randomized, double-blind studies that really address the question of effectiveness are very limited,” Steven Heymsfield, M.D., tells WebMD.
“This applies to all categories of weight-loss products.”
Diet pills often don’t do what they say on the tin (Getty Stock Images)
Advertising for women’s and men’s toiletries
Have you ever shopped for a razor and noticed that the regular version in the “men’s section” was half the price of the pink version in the “women’s section”? Yes. In 2015, Vox reported that the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs studied 800 products across 35 categories and found that 42 percent of products marketed to women were priced higher than those marketed to men.
For example, women’s shampoo costs $8.39, while men’s shampoo costs $5.68.
The ‘Pink Tax’ is very much alive and kicking (Getty Stock Images)
Vaginal cleansing products
“I don’t think they have a purpose,” Dr. Martin L. Stone, chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at New York Medical College and chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Metropolitan Hospital, told the New York Times. “The spray is like spraying perfume on the affected area. I’d rather see the patient shower.”
Research on vaginal hygiene products is conflicting, however, with some studies suggesting that – especially if they smell – they may increase the risk of urinary tract infections, yeast infections and other problems.
So, remember that the vagina is capable of cleaning itself and the best way to clean it is with water while bathing.
Just leave it alone (Getty Stock Images)
Wet wipes can
Of course, this is not a false alarm as the wipes are “toilet safe”, but it does not mean that you should wash them, and there are no negative consequences if you do.
When asked if the wipes are “safe for the pipes,” Mr. Rooter Plumbing replied: “The answer is absolutely not.”
He continued: “They have been around for years, but most people do not realize that these wipes are not good for the pipes because they do not break down quickly. These wipes are made from paper pulp made from non-toxic materials such as polyester and polymers. The biodegradable materials are bonded together. The rags that were not broken would break, flow backwards, and burst with a flood.