If you want to be rich, stop buying convenience fees, bulk buys you never use, tech upgrades, gadgets, decor, status logos and other impulse purchases that feed a dopamine habit and drain money that could compound. The video opens with a claim from Thomas Corley’s book Rich Habits: after studying more than 170 self-made millionaires, he found they wiped out bad spending habits before they got rich. The argument is that what holds you back is less the amount you spend than the dopamine hit of the purchase and the habit that one mindless tap creates.
Wealth, the script says, rests on two pillars: raising your earning power and using money to create compounding opportunities. These fifteen items are the ones to take off your buy-list for the next few years.
Watch the full video here, or skip to the breakdown below.
The 15 things to stop buying
- Convenience fees that steal your cash (1:10)
- Bulk buys that go to waste (2:33)
- Trendy tech upgrades that add nothing (3:44)
- Getting caught up in the kitchen gadget rage (4:41)
- The ‘New Year, New Me’ subscription frenzy (5:50)
- Holiday decor you don’t have room for (7:58)
- Last-minute and guilty-feeling gifts (9:05)
- Cheap wellness fads that don’t work (10:08)
- Clearance rack clothes you don’t love (11:20)
- New Year’s resolutions that cost money (11:57)
- Designer logos that don’t add value (12:59)
- That souvenir identity crisis (13:46)
- Daily lottery tickets you “might win” (14:51)
- Shiny fitness gear you don’t need (15:50)
- Cheap furniture that costs more long-term (16:49)
1. Convenience fees that steal your cash
Convenience fees bleed money without giving you anything meaningful back. Delivery looks like a small extra charge, but with the service fee, tip and inflated menu prices you pay far more than the meal is worth. ATM withdrawal fees mean paying to reach your own money. Express shipping for something that could arrive a day later is impatience disguised as necessity.
These fees are easy to justify when you are tired, busy or in a rush, but those just-this-once moments turn into a habit that eats into your ability to save and grow wealth. Every dollar spent on convenience is a dollar that could work harder somewhere else.
You grow wealth when you stop paying for shortcuts and use your time and money more deliberately.
2. Bulk buys that go to waste
Most people think buying in bulk saves money, and the script says studies show they are wrong. Humans do not know how little they need and already overbuy with normal purchases. Buying more makes you more likely to force yourself to use something you do not need, or let it spoil.
Unless you have a big family or an event coming up, you do not save by buying more than you need. Grabbing deals on things you do not need turns savings into clutter in closets and cabinets, costing space as well as money. Bulk only wins when you have planned for it, and the difference to track is value versus volume.
3. Trendy tech upgrades that add nothing
Tech companies sell the illusion of progress. They tell you that without the latest model you are falling behind, and that an upgrade is a lifestyle upgrade, which is where they get you.
The newest smartphone does not make you smarter and the latest smartwatch does not make you more productive. Most upgrades bring marginal improvements, and the cost does not match what you get. Wealth is not built by trading perfectly functional things for slightly better ones. It comes from valuing real substance over fleeting trends, and from discipline.
4. Getting caught up in the kitchen gadget rage
Kitchen gadget sales in recent years reached almost $20 billion, which is great for the sellers and less so for buyers. You are buying the promise of convenience and adding clutter and waste.
Avocado slicers and egg peelers are sold as solutions, but to what? Something you can do by hand. You may save ten seconds and lose far more by getting hooked on buying single-purpose tools, which the script calls dancing like a monkey to a marketing trick. Your basic kitchen tools do the job. You can break down your wealth by filling the house with stuff that solves imaginary problems, or build it up by focusing on tools that work hard for you.
5. The ‘New Year, New Me’ subscription frenzy
Every year millions decide the way to reach their goals is to sign an expensive contract that traps them for twelve months. Studies cited in the script say most resolutions are gone by month two, yet people still sign up for an average of four locked-in subscriptions across expensive gyms, meal delivery and online courses.
Motivation does not come from trapping yourself in a payment plan. It comes from making your goals as easy as possible to reach at first. People assume they will do something once they have committed money to it, but in reality they do it when it slots easily into their life.
6. Holiday decor you don’t have room for
It is easy to get caught up in the spirit and want shiny new ornaments, but do you need new ones every year? Even on a clearance sale that feels like a steal, it starts your year with a slow drain on your wallet for things you do not need.
New decorations lose their charm quickly, become outdated or end up in boxes you have no room for, so the cost of overbuying goes beyond the checkout. Focus on a few meaningful pieces you love and reuse each year, and think about what seasonal buying does to your time, money and space.
7. Last-minute and guilty-feeling gifts
Buying a gift out of guilt is one of the easiest ways to overspend, and so is buying at the last minute. Guilt makes you spend more to feel better about yourself, and last-minute shopping makes you stressed and desperate enough to throw money at the problem.
When gifts are meant to prove love, make up for missed time or outdo someone, they come from pressure. That creates a cycle: you overspend for a moment of relief and the financial stress catches up later. Breaking it lets you focus on what matters in the relationship, because thoughtfulness and intention build stronger connections than any gift.
8. Cheap wellness fads that don’t work
Juice cleanses, accountability clubs and fat-burning teas promise quick results but rest on marketing hype instead of science. They are not sustainable and not cheap. The script says some can even be dangerous because they deprive the body of nutrients.
The shortcut keeps you from what works: sustainable habits like eating whole foods, exercising regularly and resting when needed. These fads prey on impatience and hand over your money without regard for the long-term cost. Wealth is no longer only about financial security, so proven, consistent tools beat expensive trends.
9. Clearance rack clothes you don’t love
Marketing gets everyone eventually. You walk in, spot a SALE sign and buy something you did not want because it is cheap. If it is not something you would pay full price for, you will not like it in the long run, and it will end up at the bottom of the closet.
Discounts do not add value to anything, particularly when you slip into the habit of falling for marketing gimmicks.
10. New Year’s resolutions that cost money
The urge to spend in the name of a fresh start is driven by excitement, not logic. Resolutions tied to purchases are often the first step toward financial regret: the expensive gym membership, the costly course, the new equipment.
Without a plan or consistent commitment, these buys turn into waste. The treadmill gathers dust or the course never starts. Test your resolve and build the routine first, before you throw money at it. Transformation comes from discipline and consistency, and a foundation built without relying on purchases is stronger for the long term.
11. Designer logos that don’t add value
When you pay for an obvious designer name, you pay for the name, not the quality. Luxury brands charge massive markups because their value is tied to perception more than substance.
You can assemble a wardrobe of timeless, well-made pieces without logos, and the habit shows you are investing in your own long-term financial health instead of someone else’s branding. Designer appeal is rooted in status, in being seen and admired. Real wealth does not need to announce itself, and true success should be steady and enduring, not loud.
12. That souvenir identity crisis
If you have collected one type of souvenir for years and enjoy showing it off, go for it. Most of the time that is not what happens. Souvenirs seem like a way to hold onto memories, but they break, pile up and get forgotten, and you develop a habit of buying small cheap things.
Memories are not tied to objects. A photograph, a funny moment or a great conversation on the road holds more value than a mass-produced gift shop item. If souvenirs are a big part of your trip, that is fine, but do not spend on things that gather dust, however small.
13. Daily lottery tickets you “might win”
Some people do win. The script mentions a commenter who won the lottery and now has a great life. But the far greater chance is getting sucked into throwing money into a pit and hoping for a miracle. The odds are low, and this is not a financial strategy.
A small weekly amount looks minor next to the possible prize, but over time it adds up to thousands and most people have nothing to show for it. Once you understand that, you can move the money toward more rational and reliable investments. The lottery sells the fantasy of instant wealth while disguising poor returns.
14. Shiny fitness gear you don’t need
The script says the global athleisure market is projected to be worth more than $700 billion by 2030, so everyone is buying the clothes, but nowhere near as many are using them. Even if you work out daily, your gym wardrobe should not be as big as your regular one.
The more you buy, the more you feel you do not have enough. A closet of workout clothes will not make you stronger, faster or more committed. Good quality should last years, so you can look the part without bad habits or a big bill. You already have what you need to start building strength, endurance or flexibility, so focus on that.
15. Cheap furniture that costs more long-term
A flat-pack haul gets you everything in one place, and it looks fine, cheap and functional. But unless you are willing to spend more, things break quickly. It is mass-produced on a line built for speed, from cheap materials, and nothing about it is made to last. So you keep buying and replacing, and you spend money, time and frustration.
If you can wait and save, buy furniture that will last. A solid wood table or a sturdy chair can outlive countless cheap alternatives and lift your living space. You spend so much time at home that it is not worth buying quick, cheap pieces you will hate in a few months.
Control, alt, delete
None of these items is expensive on its own. The point of the list is the habit underneath: small, automatic purchases that feel good in the moment and add up to a lot over a few years.
Pick two or three that sound like you, take them off your buy-list for a while, and see what that money does when it is pointed at your earning power or at something that compounds.
FAQ
What should you stop buying if you want to get rich?
The video lists convenience fees, bulk buys, tech upgrades, kitchen gadgets, subscriptions, holiday decor, guilty gifts, wellness fads, clearance clothes, designer logos, souvenirs, lottery tickets, fitness gear and cheap furniture.
Does buying in bulk save money?
Not always. The script says studies show people buy more than they need and let it go to waste. Bulk only wins when you have actually planned for it, such as for a big family or an event.
Why are New Year subscriptions a money trap?
Most resolutions fade by month two, but people still sign up for an average of four locked-in subscriptions. The video says motivation comes from making goals easy to reach, not from a payment plan.
Are designer logos worth the money?
The video argues you pay for the name, not the quality, because luxury markups are tied to perception. It suggests timeless, well-made pieces instead.
Why does cheap furniture cost more in the long run?
It is made quickly from cheap materials and not built to last, so you keep replacing it. The script recommends saving for furniture that will last, like a solid wood table.
Keep reading
- 10 Ways Rich People Save Money
- 10 Habits That Help Rich People Make More Money Than You
- 15 Things Poor People Don’t Know About Making Money
