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Original poster

Things you bought in lockdown and wish you hadn't bothered

120 replies

bridgetreilly · 19/02/2021 14:38

Mine is an Instant Pot. I mean, it's okay, I guess, but I find it a big faff to use and things quite often come out with a weird texture. Would not recommend.

What else do you regret buying?

OP posts:
GBand · 19/02/2021 16:49

Clothes purchased in September. Haven't been anywhere in them.

Swingometer · 19/02/2021 16:51

GHD hairbrush - it just gets tangled in my hair so I've reverted to using my old one which was about £4 from Home Bargains and does a much better job!

Sunnydayhere · 19/02/2021 16:57

Concert tickets bought optimistically that it’d be all over by the date of the show.

Vargas · 19/02/2021 16:57

School shoes for dd. She's probably outgrown them now, and even when she was in school she only wore them a few times as the kids were allowed to wear PE kit anytime they had any sport or dance, which for her was 9 days out of 10. Hmm

Saucery · 19/02/2021 16:59

A Lakeland compact bread maker. The smallness of the loaf wouldn’t be a problem but despite many recipe tweaks I’ve yet to make a truly edible bread. It’s sat in the kitchen taking up space now.

judgingcat · 19/02/2021 17:00

School uniform. Didn't have to wear it till October half term... so £100 for all of 6 weeks wear. 🤦🏻‍♀️

PattyPan · 19/02/2021 17:04

I love my instant pot! I use it all the time for cooking rice and dried pulses.

Mine would be jigsaw puzzles. We did them and now they’re just sitting around taking up space. I need to put them back on eBay where they came from!

Chimeraforce · 19/02/2021 17:05

Nothing.

roses2 · 19/02/2021 17:08

@PamelaCake

A rebounder! I could have chosen a cheap one but no... £400 later and I have bounced on it once so far
If it's any consolation I bought a rebounder for £10 on eBay 2 months before lockdown and it's barely been used! I want to sell it but DH insists on it taking up half the kitchen...
Disfordarkchocolate · 19/02/2021 17:11

Clothes - my belly is just too fat now. Nice bags in the sale - every now and then I look at them and try to imagine getting on the train to go to meetings. Then I eat a biscuit and order bigger clothes.

billy1966 · 19/02/2021 17:14

I had to have a fire pit.
Paid 100 for it.
Haven't used it yet.
Then I read on here that they are smoky, clothes end up stinking and they might annoy my neighbours.
We have a large garden but I still would be concerned it might be irritating for those around me, so I have gone off the idea and may just get a gas patio heater.
🙄

Treppydaytion · 19/02/2021 17:27

I paid £250 for an Interior Design consultation which was a big disappointment. I wouldn't normally have paid for anything quite so indulgent, but I was on the rebound from a cancelled holiday and wanted to treat myself - plus I thought I would get some good ideas and advice, rather than someone coming in and just asking me what I liked then all-but turning their nose up at it and saying things like "we've got different taste".

Mumof3girlsandaboy · 19/02/2021 17:32

@bonfireheart

4 pairs of school trousers
Yes school trouser and Clark’s shoes and my son has grown
TheyIsMyFamily · 19/02/2021 17:35

A nice exercise step. Discovered I hate excercising in the house so have used it just a few times in the past 10 months

MutteringDarkly · 19/02/2021 17:41

Can tick off several of the above: extra school cardigan - yep; dusty piece of exercise equipment - yep; kitchen equipment - yep (though the kit for making sourdough loaves was actually fantastic but after I became the exact shape of a cottage loaf I've had to retire it).

Truthlikeness · 19/02/2021 17:48

I'm very meh about the Instant Pot but I adore my air fyer and use it twice a day.

Franacropan1 · 19/02/2021 18:21

A dehydrator in case fruit and veg was in short supply because of Brexit. Never had time to use it, not even had it out of the box.

bloomingroses · 19/02/2021 18:24

One of those small hand sewing machines. Absolutely useless.

BetsyBigNose · 19/02/2021 18:25

An air fryer, which hasn't even made it out of the box. I had a quick look at the instructions, but I got a bit daunted and decided to 'leave it for another day'. That day may never come. Any suggestions or advice gratefully received!

lifeinlimbo2020 · 19/02/2021 18:27

Rushing to renew DH's passport in March last year - that's a waste of a year. A 'twist and shape' for £100 that I haven't even twisted on once and is in the airing cupboard 🙄🤣

Thatwentbadly · 19/02/2021 18:27

A bamboo magnetic tongs for the toaster.

Last March I bought DD1 a few new pairs of trouser for school nursery, the next day we had to isolate for 7 days as DD2 had a temp and when that was up we went into lockdown. They were from a supermarket but a surprise Sunday evening phone call told us DH was classed as ECV.

Timeforatincture · 19/02/2021 18:29

Green hair dye. Didn't have the bottle in the end.

Some weird folding outdoor fire pit thing I bought of Facebook one night when I was pissed. Forgot I'd ordered it until it turned up, then it took me a while to work out what it was. Have hidden it in a wardrobe....

Original poster
bridgetreilly · 19/02/2021 21:47

Green hair dye. Didn't have the bottle in the end.

Hah! I did dye my hair for the first time during lockdown. I do like it, but it's so faffy to keep up with.

OP posts:
WithinAForestDark · 19/02/2021 21:50

For those struggling with the Instant Pot there's an excellent Facebook group where you can ask dumb questions all day long and someone friendly will happily help. There's loads of information there too. Agree that the book that comes with it is as good as useless.

Flygirl94 · 19/02/2021 21:55

New clothes both last summer and this winter (I didn’t learn)
Also swimming kits for my baby and toddler for the baby swimming sessions that never reopened, all too small now