These Are The Pandemic Purchases Lifehacker Readers Most Regret

Earlier this week I asked Lifehacker readers share buying a pandemic It made sense at the time, but is now filled with buyer regret. from predictable (like too many cloth masks), to slightly devastating ones (like cats and dogs).

all right. We have all tried different coping mechanisms during the pandemic. Roller skates, paint supplies, topAbove Ground Heated Pools…These Acquisitions felt right when we are trapped Deep in 2020, but couldn’t find the location in our post-quarantine lives.

At the same time, many readers shared their pandemic-fueled purchases in the comments. No regret. For many, the pandemic has brought some glimmers of hope in the form of new hobbies, skills, or exercise regimes. I bought it for thing (or animal, gasp) Lifehacker readers regret their purchases during the pandemic.

investment in fitness

probably the most common theme Quarantine life changes that didn’t stick: Enter a new exercise regime. Even if your main goal is to jumpstart a new habit, the extra fitness equipment is often worth it. At the same time, fitness equipment has the unique ability to annoy us when we decide to stop using it (intentionally or not)..

shared by two readers Here’s their take on how much money to spend on a bike ride.

“Hooray I’ll take it bicycle trainer stand My bike during the pandemic when it became clear we were going into colder months without gym access. I can’t say I regret it. I used it fairly reliably, but I was also sick of biking around my apartment. When I returned to work from home for about six weeks after vacation around the time of his Omicron surge this year, I couldn’t really force myself to use it. It wasn’t a big purchase, so I don’t regret it, but it really helped me during the colder months of 2020-21. Little motivation to use again. ”—heath maiden

“Burley Bee Bike Trailer. Bought for family biking. We did this about a dozen times in the first summer of the pandemic. $300 for a one-season trailer, I know resale is good, but I wish I had bought it years ago and used it multiple times over the summer.” —238KEscape

Or change this comment to pretty girl myerswho gets, then Diverted Rowing Machine: “Enter the rowing machine I bought on Amazon. It was literally used twice for its intended purpose and then used as a slide by my niece. I sucked one of my friends off and it fell apart I’m sitting in the living room waiting for him to take it.”

Similarly, the leader Atomic Norman if they “bbroken Wear a few more pairs of running shoes than you normally would. ” Same here, Atomic Norman. same here.

Bulk buying directly linked to a pandemic

please remember. Groceries with LysolA number of commentators noted that panic and uncertainty led to many buyings.? bulk.As we learn more about the virus, certain purchases (e.g. hundreds of cloth mask) or buying behavior (e.g. toilet paper hoarding)…No need to look back.

reader dallas dave “There are 400 masks sitting on the shelf in the corner of the front door… I didn’t expect the situation with masks to be like this for sure, but I regret it a little. I’m glad I wasn’t put in!”

On the topic of cloth masks, shebang Comment “And here I thought I would be responsible and not buy things that would end up in the trash (because they are washable). And I still have 40 virgin masks. increase.”

“There are some canned foods I bought in a hurry in 2020, but I have to eat them before they expire. I wouldn’t normally buy them (like canned vegetables). (I needed some, but I overdid the number I bought a bit).” —she gave way

It doesn’t mean you don’t have to wear a mask, but you don’t need a cloth mask.. Here it is How to get free N95 masks.

Not-so-luxury property and amenities

Too many cloth masks are not enough to make you regret it. Some of his Lifehacker readers got a little big on pandemic purchases. For example, like the stock tank pool:

“We knew public pools would be closed for the summer, so we got a huge 10-foot tank, a glass media filter/high-capacity pump, and built a tech deck platform around it. Nearly 100,000 Yen in all.After a year it started to rust pretty badly…and of course I’ve used it probably a dozen times over the past few years. The is very nice but it attracts wasps and swarms of wasps and my wife is allergic and has been stung twice requiring a trip to the ER.Currently 3 red shouldered hawks I also have young birds and use the pool as a staging area for flight training, the deck is literally covered in hawk junk and carcasses of what they catch and eat.So basically I spend 15 minutes a day , spent raking leaves and branches.I got a float on Saturday and then took a nap in a hammock.So not totally worthless, but definitely not worth the cost.” —Chairman Kaga

“We bought a cute camper van that needed renovation. Our plan was to turn it into a separate office. , it’s just a waste of time, a pitfall of money, and can’t even be resold.”Dextorius

WFH gear

On the flip side, some of us feel it was worth the investment in higher quality amenities. It took me a year.

reader Acemanex shares regrets about choosing “the cheapest hand-cranked standing desk ‘frame’ on Amazon.” They explain: Well, the lowest height was too high for me and very uncomfortable for me, after less than a year the gears wore out and one slipped and I couldn’t go up. That one year warranty? Well, the company ended up flying overnight, so all that was left was scrap metal, the chore of putting the desk back together, and redoing the wiring to the battlestation. I know this is a lesson in that I got what I paid for, but I feel like I didn’t even get that. “

Splurge on technology, music and hobbies

Some readers sympathized with the longevity of the quarantine hobby.

“I bought an Oculus in 2020, used it heavily for 3 months and haven’t touched it since.” —McGribs

“My electric sewing machine. Actually, I’m not good at electric sewing!”Fish Copernicus V2

“I left the guitar staring sadly from the corner, but I’ll start practicing someday.”Kate

“But the piano was a big mistake. It’s basically just another place for cats to sleep.”brimy

dog. Weft.

It’s tough, but it must be said: Lockdown has inspired some person to hire Pets you really shouldn’t have.I guess it’s better than having a pandemic baby you regret?

“Dogs. My wife didn’t handle the turning point in our lives very well. My youngest still claims she didn’t know what to do because she didn’t graduate kindergarten. She wanted a dog.” When I said I was against it. Now we have a Husky and Lab mix that has so much fur that he doesn’t even spend time downstairs or in the yard. All upholstered furniture is covered in dog hair We have an insect problem because of its food.I only have one child to take for walks reluctantly.I use half of my house because she bought that damn dog lost.Canyon Cliff shifts the demand curve to the right

Not all buyer regrets

Conversely, many Lifehacker readers said they had “zero regrets” about their pandemic-fueled purchases.

“When it comes to hobbies and activities to do during the pandemic, what I actually have is no regrets About the adjustable dumbbell set I bought. I’ve been using it sparingly for the last few months, but have been using it regularly for the past 2.5 years. I also stocked up on comfy clothes to wear around the house (basketball shorts, etc.), but the reason I bought it was spring 2020 (he wanted to avoid frequent trips to the laundromat), but I still regularly I’m using. ”—she gave way

“I bought a Honda S2000 in August 2020 and it went up about 45%. I regret nothing.”—paste

“I bought an Ankarsrum mixer. do not regret at least. —Atomic Norman

“A surround sound A/V receiver and speakers, a backpack leaf blower, and other pandemic purchases I love.” —238KEscape

“I have zero regrets. In the year before the pandemic, I started playing guitar after my children’s very demanding babies and early childhood breaks. Working from home has allowed me to immerse myself in more time. In January 2021 I added a guitar to my collection. A barely used Mexican he bought a Telecaster for $550 which I think was $650 for him brand new at the time. A year and a half later, there’s been a lot of inflation, and it’s now $850 new, and I think the used price is also high. ”—panther cougar

And finally, a triumph for all the aero bike-hating punching bags sent in by our readers. pretty girl myers: “I bought a Peloton for my husband’s birthday (still during the pandemic, but I don’t think it’s a real pandemic purchase). He’s obsessed with it.”