What NOT to buy... save money by not buying useless stuff!

[KingRolo]

Inspired by the fantastic "great big list of products that are cheaper but just as fab versions of their expensive counterparts", here's another money saving thread.

What have you bought that turned out to be absolute bobbins? Come and tell all and help others avoid making the same mistake!

For me:

No7 Protect and Perfect serum - made no discernable difference to my skin.

New Look Hula jeans - just made my muffin top rise several inches.

Birds Eye Seaside Specials frozen fish - boak.

Steam steriliser - waste of money. Bottle of Milton and a bucket do just as well.

Changing bags. Why? We bought a ruck sack, but even that hardly gets used unless it's a very rare proper day out where we might need several nappies, change of clothes, hat, wipes, bottle, toys etc. I have been known to bung a plastic bag, wipes, nappy in a carrier bag and just take that as my change bag

I love my Magimix food processor. It is 14 years old and good as new.
But food processors are only any good if you have space to leave them on the surface so you use them at least every other day!
Too much faff if you have to keep in cupboard.

Bottle warmer - total waste of time and money. Takes ages to heat a bottle, then needs watching like a hawk so it does not boil dry or start boiling the milk.
Kettle and jug much easier and safer.

Juicer
Earlex paint spray system
bottle warmer - although I was given mine
nappy bin - ditto
toys - use the boxes from all the other useless tat items you have bought
nursing chair
large family size paddling pool, although we may be able to recoup some of the cost by charging tourists to look at our crop circle.

Have to agree..

One of those fancy nappy bins - so big, a nuisance to empty etc and I think they smell awful with several days worth of baby poo in them. Yuck

Bottle warmers - room temperature milk is MUCH easier, and if you really need to warm it, use a jug of hot water - IME is actually safer.

Stiff denim anything for young babies, travel systems, baby dungarees without leg poppers. Vertbaudet babyclothes.

Have to defend...

Renault - we loved our clio for 6 years, had to rid it as was far too small and a few glitches at 10years old, but oh we miss it - sigh

baby bath(if only for first 3 weeks was essential as my post-birth back couldn't cope with bathing baby in the big bath), top and tail bowl - used about 8 times a day for nearly 4 years for nappy changes, washable nappies - we still use the prefolds nearly every day around the house.

Definitely the nappy wrapper it was next to the bin ffs.
Rocking moses basket stand, I had to wedge it at the head end because ds's huge head was heavier than his toes and his face kept going bright red.
Bumbo, the good old fashioned flexible bouncy chair(not the stiff padded vibrating type)kept them in place for a fraction of the cost.
The thing that attatched to the car seat with windows for flashcards was pointless and a definate pfb buy, I don't drive so car time is pretty limited.
A steriliser, I never got to grips with it and breastfed.
High chair, those booster seats are much better and smaller.
A specially made liner for trolley seats that always got left at home so they were lucky to have a blanket.
Cloth nappy laundry service, why have a weeks worth of stinking nappies in the house when I could wash them my self daily.
I will defend however,
the chocolate fountain, only used it once but it cost a fiver and dd says it was her best birthday ever.
dualit toaster was given a six slice for a wedding present and it does lovely toast and warms my buns!
Top and tail bowl, I used it daily but only for tails when ds was in cloth nappies.

Oh and the money spent on wedding fripperies especially chair covers and favours including paying for various relations and their obnoctious boyfriends who we never see at the expense of dear friends, when all I can really remember are the vows, speeches and dancing my ass off.

Jamie oliver shaker with ball! my boobs could do the job better.

Next clothes have been fine - only buy in the sale - sizing is weird though.

top and tail bowl - was a pain to use - too big so used two small plastic bowls instead.

Sainsburys clothes good.

baby bath was great used it up to a year as our bath huge.

mommas and pappas pushchair/infant carrier - awful - far too heavy in and out the car.

baby sleeping bags - were a complete waste - dd hated them and wriggled far more than when she just had blankets.

Also defend Dyson - still on my first - 5 years old now, copes with pet hair and all sorts of crumbs and mess.

Tesco value steam iron - waste of money - uses up far too much water f0rever having to fill it up and it creases the clothes as you iron! Recommend Tefal ultra glide - heavy to use but much better results.

Sit in walkers - waste of money as hopeless on carpet. Dd only uses the 'piano' toy that came with it. The walker was used maybe two or three times.

Bumbo - she doesnt like it

baby bath - great still using it

nappy wrapper bin - great especially in the middle of the night and when its raining or snowing

Changing unit - use it but could do without it

activity centre (sit in and swivvle round)- great she loves it

clothes - I keep buying too many only wears few times

Breadmaker! Gathering dust as I type. Also electric steamer, have never been used. Sandwich maker, the kind that toasts them. Blah blah.

Britax verve buggy, awful. Practically gave me RSI because of the stragely high handles and tiny wheel base (it is basically copying the quinny zapp). Never again!

I personally like Next clothes, but I would never buy them new. I get all DS's stuff at bootsales and the Next stuff always holds up well, some of it like new. The george at adsa clothes are always ragged, thin and grey after one child has used them

Love my Maclauren Triumph. £3 at aforementioned bootsale, attractively faded pale green and grey. Briliant.

Dyson... suction is great BUT only if I tilt the handle at THE perfect angle, which is just a bit high for me (and I'm 5'8"!). Seems to be calibrated to work perfect provided the person using it is six foot! Would have been much happier with a vacuum that had slightly less suction but I didn't go over things twice before rolling my eyes and adjusting to the perfect angle and going over again.

Bottled water. Waste of money.

I got a couple of preserving bottles from Lakeland and fill them with tap water when it's really hot and put them in the fridge.

I also rinse out, steralise and reuse a plastic water bottle instead of buying it when out... when I remember any way!