sense most online business are having black friday is it worth buying something or should i pass and try to save my money. im a teen i have around 200$ but i would like to limit myself to 100$ or less. im probably posting this in the wrong place but im not sure, i just want to make a smart choice when it comes to money.

also i will not be investing in stocks or crypto so please dont suggest it.

  • @[email protected]
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    2 years ago
    • Safety razor (e.g Merkur 34c)
    • Wahl haircut clippers
    • Redwings leather boots
    • Top grain leather wallet

    Any of this things cost less than $100 and easily can last a life time.

    • Extras
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      Could also get a fatip for around 20 - 35ish USD depending on comb type. Chrome/nickle plated machined brass will last for years

      • walden
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        22 years ago

        I like Fatip. A Gentile is probably my next razor purchase. The standard ones are a tad more aggressive than what I typically like.

    • BarqsHasBite
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      22 years ago

      Hair clippers and if your hairstyle is one you can cut yourself, you’ll be saving even more!

    • walden
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      42 years ago

      Shameless plug for the wiki associated with my instance (sub.wetshaving.social).

  • PrivateNoob
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    2 years ago

    I was always onto this mindset in all my life. If I crave something for atleast 1-2 week I probably need it. For example playing VR always pops into my mind so I definitely need a VR headset.

    EDIT: There was one cheap thing that was really “useful” for me. My school had a merch shop where they sold pens with rubber onto it. With this I was able to play Hearthstone on my phone while class.

  • walden
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    62 years ago

    Saving is great, but you should definitely reward yourself from time to time. “Retail therapy” as it’s called, which can of course quickly turn into buyer’s remorse.

    I’d recommend a good pair of headphones priced around $50-75.

  • ikiru
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    92 years ago

    I wish I was a teen with $200 to burn again.

    I have no idea what you should buy in particular but just have fun, you won’t be a kid for long.

  • ElGosso [he/him]
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    2 years ago

    Most of the “stuff everyone should buy” is stuff you really don’t need as a teenager, like cast-iron cookware or a stand mixer. If you have hobbies you want to pursue, you should find a specific group around that hobby and ask them. A lot of black Friday “deals” aren’t really deals, though - some companies will actually produce lower quality product lines specifically for black Friday sales, so if you end up buying something big like a TV or something like that make sure you do a little research.

    If you want general financial advice, I wouldn’t put it in a retirement account like the other guy said. You have plenty of time for that, and you probably have milestones coming up that you’ll want money for - buying a car, graduation celebrations, going to college, getting your own place, whatever. So saving it for that kind of stuff is never a bad idea.

  • @[email protected]
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    2 years ago

    If you’re not willing to invest it, and you don’t already have something in mind you want to buy, then I say just save it.

    Aside from that it depends on your hobbies. If it were me as a teenager it might be nice to get a decent fishing rod or multitool - something that you will use for a long time into adulthood.

    Saving up to travel is also something you probably won’t regret, and will create lifetime memories that define you.

    • DrMango
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      72 years ago

      This might not be the most fun advice, but it’s the right advice.

      The earlier you start saving the more money you’ll have when you truly need it.

  • @[email protected]
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    82 years ago

    That’s a good question. It’s hard to go back to my teen years but I’d suggest:

    • buy a musical instrument and learn to play it, really doesn’t mater which one. Especially during college years everyone who could play anything was suddenly a superstar
    • buy some book to learn some skill, again doesn’t matter that much what you learn. I don’t know, like mixing cocktails? Sounds fun. For example by accident I learned “reading of hands”. I quickly learned that it’s bullshit but boy, was it an interresting thing to perform during parties in college
    • Nothing really comes to my mind regarding of profesional development. Really at your level most of the stuff you can learn is free online and you don’t need anything expensive
    • StarDreamer
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      42 years ago

      As a counterargument: spend your money. 200 dollars means a lot more to a teenager than a college student (with an on-campus part time job), then when you find yourself at your first full time job you may sometimes be spending 200 dollars like pocket change.

      As a result, you will most likely cherish what you buy now for 200 USD way more than what you can buy down the line. That console you need to save up 6 months for right now? It becomes a lot less sentimental when you can afford it every other month. So spend your money on something that you’d like right now. 200 dollars won’t change your life in college much, but it can change your life significantly right now.

        • StarDreamer
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          12 years ago

          I’m not advocating that teenagers should save no money. I’m just saying you don’t have to save “all” of it.

          Good financial planning isn’t just not spending every cent when you can, it’s also figuring out how to get the most out of your money. There is plenty of expensive stuff that I’ve spent thousands of hours with, which makes them totally worth the investment. There’s no way a teenager would be able to figure that out without some trial and error.

          I’d say it’s better to get that out of the way now than later. If you make a bad purchase decision as a teenager, at most you’re short 200 dollars. Maybe that startup idea isn’t exactly what you imagined it to be, but at least you figured that out now than after sinking 20k into MLMs.

  • @[email protected]
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    152 years ago

    Unless you have something specific you want, I’d advise not to spend money just for the sake of it, even for perceived savings from deals. That’s part of the trick with Black Friday deals - marking things down to get people to buy things they wouldn’t even think to get in the first place.

    • @[email protected]
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      12 years ago

      Some wisdom I remember reading a while ago: if you’re looking at something that is 75% off, just remember you can save 100% by not buying it.

  • lol3droflxp
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    92 years ago

    If you really want to buy something invest in a hobby of yours. Buy an instrument, used camera lens, whatever you need to do something you like. Stuff like this may last you a long time if you stick with the hobby.

  • @[email protected]
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    72 years ago

    Good shoes are priceless as a teenager. As an adult shoes don’t seem to be half the problem they were as a teenager.

    For example, applying for jobs is insane as a teenager because a lot of people are extremely judgy on mere whiffs of superficial appearances. Not cool enough, or too cool can sway some HR people. Don’t expect to be vetted by rocket scientists!

    Argh! Nightmare memories. I tried to pull off some casual looks that backfired horribly with various employers and interviewers.