15 Everyday Items That Are Complete Wastes of Money

Take a closer look at your spending, and you might be surprised by how much money quietly slips away on things you don't truly need. These small, everyday purchases can add up faster than you think, slowly draining your budget and making it harder to build real, lasting wealth over time. Financial experts consistently advise that cutting back in these areas can have a surprisingly big impact on your finances.

Here are 15 everyday items that are almost never worth the money and that you may want to avoid wasting money on. 

Lottery tickets

When it comes to the lottery, your odds of winning are quite close to zero. According to Powerball itself, the odds of actually winning a jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.

It can be tempting to splurge on a few tickets when the big jackpots climb to jaw-dropping amounts, and perhaps there is no harm in that.

However, lottery tickets are almost always a waste when you're trying to get ahead financially.

Food delivery

Some days, we just want to open up our Grubhub or Uber Eats apps and order a pizza for dinner. But making food delivery into a habit can cost you dearly.

One LendingTree survey found that American consumers spend nearly $2,000 on food delivery and other delivery services per year. That's quite a big chunk of change that could be devoted to financial goals.

A new phone

If your phone is functioning perfectly fine, you probably don't need to splurge on a new iPhone or Android each time a new model comes to market.

Don't be fooled by persuasive language either: "Just $50 a month for a new phone" really adds up, especially when you didn't need it to begin with.

Premium gas

Unless your car manual specifically says premium gas is required, you can get by without it. Most cars will run perfectly fine with regular gas, and there's no need to shell out the extra cash.

Bottled water

It comes as no surprise that cutting out bottled water can save you money, maybe even hundreds of dollars per year.

There are plenty of cheaper solutions to help you stay hydrated, such as purchasing a Brita pitcher to filter your tap water or a reusable water bottle to take when you're on the go.

Dryer sheets

You may think you need dryer sheets to remove static from clothes and keep them fresh, but you can buy a set of wool dryer balls from Amazon for about $13 that do the same job, and they're reusable.

Dryer sheets, which are full of chemicals, are actually bad for your dryer and may cause so much buildup that you have to dry your clothes for longer. This also adds to the electric bill.

Rags

Having rags on hand can save money you otherwise would spend on disposable paper towels.

Fortunately, you don't need to go out and buy rags. Old T-shirts, sweatshirts, and towels make perfectly good rags. Just cut them to the size of your liking and use them for all your cleaning needs.

Name-brand medicines

The secret big drug companies don't want you to know is that many store brands are the same medicine you get with the name-brand version.

Here's a great Costco hack: Buy 1,000 tablets of Kirkland Signature ibuprofen for about $14. Big savings are also possible when you opt for the store brands at drugstores like CVS or Walgreens.

Cardboard boxes

It may seem like a bargain to buy a bunch of boxes in bulk if you're moving or need to pack a bunch of things away. However, you should check if you can get cardboard boxes for free first.

Supermarkets, pharmacies, and liquor stores all get shipments in boxes and will likely hand some over if you simply ask.

Sandwich/lunch bags

Buying Ziploc bags or brown bags to carry your lunch to work every day can really add up. Instead, you can get a pack of reusable food storage containers and an insulated lunch bag on Amazon for a great price.

It will save you money and help keep your lunch fresh and cool.

Disposable hand towels

Disposable hand towels are a big waste of paper and money. Investing in nice, washable hand towels will save you money and get the job done just as well.

Detox teas or cleanses

"Detox" teas and cleanses are popping up all over social media, with ads claiming these products can help eliminate toxins, bloating, excess weight, and more.

However, experts stress that there's little legitimacy to many of these claims. Also, the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate them.

They can be pricey, too. So you're better off cleaning up your diet through traditional methods rather than leaving the work to an expensive tea.

Specialty food-prep tools

If you have a knife in your home, you do not need a special tool to cut an apple or an avocado.

Fancy food tools can be pricey, and few function better than the typical tools and utensils you already have in your kitchen.

Pre-portioned produce

Anytime a grocery store does something special to produce, such as cutting up strawberries or melons and putting them into a plastic container, the store will mark up the price.

Again, if you own a kitchen knife, cutting up the fruit yourself is much cheaper.

Paper plates/cups

Regularly spending money on paper plates and cups is a huge waste of money, even if it saves you cleanup time.

Add up the money you spend on sponges, dish detergent, and anything else you may need to wash reusable dishes, and it's still cheaper than using paper or plastic products regularly.

Bottom line

Many of these products make life more convenient, so they may be worth a splurge every now and again. But regularly purchasing items, like lottery tickets or unnecessary plastic products, will cost you a lot in the long run.

If you are looking to crush your debt, start by cutting out some of these unnecessary purchases. It is a quick and easy way to keep more cash in your wallet while breaking bad habits for good.