Buyer's Remorse: What Teens Say Is a Waste of Money

“I would NEVER spend money on a $1,000 plain shirt.”

That was one of the many responses we received when we asked teens a simple question:

What would you never spend money on?

Some answers were funny.

Some were brutally honest.

Some revealed expensive lessons learned the hard way.

And a few sounded like advice you’d expect from a financial advisor.

From scams and overpriced products to V-Bucks and delivery fees, the responses all pointed to the same idea:

Most teens aren’t afraid of spending money. These responses are a good example of how buyer’s remorse can happen when a product doesn’t live up to expectations.

About this article: The ideas discussed in this article reflect comments submitted by participants in a Modak community challenge and are intended for educational and informational purposes only. The products, brands, and services mentioned were referenced by participants as examples of purchases they regret or would avoid. These references do not constitute endorsements or factual claims about those products or brands. Responses are shared in participants’ own words and are published with participants’ permission. Some participants described personal experiences where they felt a purchase did not meet their expectations. These experiences reflect individual opinions and should not be interpreted as statements about the quality, safety, or legitimacy of any specific company, product, or service.

What Is Buyer’s Remorse?

That feeling has a name: buyer’s remorse.

It’s the regret people feel after realizing a purchase wasn’t worth it.

Maybe the product didn’t live up to expectations.

Maybe you got caught up in hype.

Maybe it was an impulse purchase.

Or maybe you realized later that you didn’t actually need it.

The good news is that buyer’s remorse can teach valuable money lessons—if you’re willing to pay attention to it.

And the teens in this challenge had plenty of lessons to share.

The Scams Teens Regret Most

One of the biggest surprises from this challenge was how scam-aware many teens already are.

Several responses came from kids who had either experienced scams firsthand or learned from someone else’s mistake.

One participant shared:

“I would NEVER spend money on Temu again, especially since the wallet incident (my mother bought a wallet from Temu and it was terrible).”

That’s a classic example of buyer’s remorse.

The product promised one thing and delivered another.

Another teen had a similar experience:

“I would NEVER spend money on anything from a Snapchat ad because I got scammed from one once.”

The lesson isn’t that every social media ad is a scam. It’s that flashy marketing doesn’t always guarantee a good product or experience.

Some participants focused on scams themselves.

“Someone saying they would send me more money if I sent them 20 bucks.”

This type of scam has existed for many years and relies on encouraging people to send money with the expectation of receiving more in return.

Others were already paying attention to newer online risks.

“NEVER something with AI generated videos advertising it since it’s usually 100% a scam bro.”

And:

“I would NEVER spend my money on stuff like fake websites and viruses that steal my identity!”

What’s interesting isn’t just that these teens know scams exist.

It’s that many have already developed healthy skepticism. The FTC’s own guidance on spotting scams points to that same instinct — recognizing pressure tactics and too-good-to-be-true offers — as the single best defense most people have.

That’s a skill that may help consumers make more informed spending decisions and avoid some common purchasing mistakes.

Overpriced Products and Hype Purchases

Not every bad purchase is a scam.

Sometimes the product is exactly what it claims to be.

The problem is that it’s simply not worth the price.

One participant explained:

“Honestly, I would NEVER spend my money on those super overpriced Stanley cups that everyone is obsessed with right now. Like yeah, they’re cute and all, but I’m not paying that much just to drink water.”

That response captures something many people struggle with:

The difference between popularity and value.

Another participant shared:

“I would NEVER spend my money on a Labubu because it’s just overconsumption.”

That’s a surprisingly thoughtful observation.

Sometimes people buy things because everyone else is buying them.

Not because they actually want them.

The same mindset appeared in other responses.

“I would never buy a Dyson because it’s $600 for a hair blow dryer.”

And:

“I would NEVER spend money on a $1,000 plain shirt.”

None of these teens are saying expensive things are automatically bad.

They’re asking a different question:

Is the value actually worth the price?

One participant applied that logic to food delivery apps:

“The ‘faster’ options on online food delivery services — they always take a long time anyway and the fees are already overpriced.”

That’s not just complaining.

That’s someone evaluating whether they’re getting what they paid for.

Why Digital Purchases Can Trigger Buyer’s Remorse

Digital purchases can be tricky because they often feel small.

A few dollars here.

A few dollars there.

Not a big deal, right?

Until it adds up.

One participant explained:

“Video game skins. They don’t affect gameplay in any way, so they aren’t worth spending real money on.”

That’s essentially a return-on-investment calculation.

Another teen reached a similar conclusion:

“Worthless in-app games or V-Bucks, cos it’s only gonna get me a little bit. Even if it charged by $2, what be the point?”

What’s interesting is that these responses aren’t anti-gaming.

They’re anti-regret. The FTC’s own consumer guidance on video games points to exactly this challenge — that in-game currency can make it hard to keep track of how much real money is actually being spent.

They’re asking whether the purchase actually adds enough value to justify the cost.

One participant even applied that logic to modern car subscriptions:

“I would never spend money on a subscription to use features in a car I already paid too much for.”

Different product.

Same question:

Is this really worth it?

The Spending Rules Teens Created for Themselves

The most valuable responses weren’t about things teens regretted.

They were about the rules they use before spending money.

One participant shared:

“I would NEVER spend my money on a cheap item that I know I don’t like. Rather, I would spend more money on an item I love, so I would get more use out of it.”

That’s a surprisingly mature spending philosophy.

A higher-quality item that gets years of use can be a much better purchase than something cheaper that sits untouched.

Another teen described a rule for in-game purchases:

“I would never buy a skin for a game, simply because I don’t know when I’ll quit the game. But if I know I’ll play the game longer than a year, then I’ll buy skins.”

That’s not just a spending rule.

It’s a decision-making framework — the same kind of framework the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau encourages teens to build as one of the key money milestones at this age.

Before buying something, they’re asking:

How long will I use it?

Will it still matter to me later?

Is this something I’ll actually enjoy long-term?

Those are the exact questions that can help prevent future regret.

How to Stop Impulse Spending

Many examples of buyer’s remorse start with the same pattern.

You see something.

You want it.

You convince yourself it’s a good idea.

Then reality shows up later.

One participant described that process perfectly:

“I always think I’m just buying one thing, but it never stays that way. One hoodie turns into a few items, and I justify it by saying I need it or it’ll make me happy…”

If you’ve ever added “just one more thing” to an online shopping cart, this probably sounds familiar.

One of the biggest lessons from this challenge is that spending habits aren’t really about money.

They’re often about emotions.

Convenience.

Excitement.

Boredom.

Or the stories we tell ourselves before clicking “Buy Now.”

One of the easiest ways to break bad spending habits is to create a pause between wanting something and buying it. Research out of Kansas State University on post-purchase regret found that the more thought people put into a decision before buying, the less regret they felt afterward.

Sometimes waiting 24 hours is enough to figure out whether you genuinely want it—or whether you were just caught up in the moment.

What Buyer’s Remorse Can Teach You About Money

Reading through these responses felt a little like scrolling through the world’s most opinionated review section.

The ratings were harsh.

Temu? Rejected.

V-Bucks? Not worth it.

A $1,000 plain shirt? Absolutely not.

And apparently paying someone to cry at your funeral is off the table too.

What makes these answers interesting isn’t that the teens all agree with each other.

They don’t.

Some would happily spend money on gaming. Others wouldn’t spend a dollar on a skin. Some love collecting things. Others see collectibles as pure overconsumption.

But almost every response had one thing in common:

There was a reason behind it.

A story. A bad experience. A personal rule. A moment when they realized something wasn’t worth what it cost. That’s the part that matters.

Good money decisions usually don’t come from knowing the perfect budgeting formula. They come from paying attention to what feels worth it—and what doesn’t.

That’s why conversations about money are so important. The more opportunities teens have to think about spending, saving, and making choices with intention, the easier it becomes to build confidence with money over time.

At Modak, that’s exactly what we’re working to help families do. Through hands-on money experiences, savings goals, and challenges like this one, kids can develop skills that may support thoughtful financial decision-making over time.

“Is this actually worth it?”

And the earlier you learn how to answer that question, the fewer regrets you’ll have later.