15 Things Broke People Always Seem to Waste Money On
Some broke people stay stuck not because they don’t make enough, but because they keep spending like they’re trying to prove something.
One swipe, one night out, one impulse purchase at a time, you dig the hole deeper and call it normal.
The truth is, being broke has a pattern. It’s not random. The same wasteful habits keep showing up, and most people broke don’t even realize they’re doing it.
This isn’t about shaming. It’s about spotting the everyday money traps that keep you stuck.
Here’s the list of things broke people always have money for, and what to do instead if you want to stop being broke.
Table of Contents
Cigarettes
Lighting one up feels small in the moment, but over time it’s a slow financial bleed with nothing to show for it except a bad cough and a lighter wallet.
Broke people defend cigarettes as their one treat, but that “treat” runs hundreds, sometimes thousands, a year. Imagine what that cash could do in an emergency fund or an index fund.
When you’re broke, the last thing you can afford is literally burning your money.
Alcoholic Drinks
There’s always “just one” drink after work, or “just a few” on the weekend. But those tabs add up faster than the buzz wears off. Broke people often rationalize alcohol as their escape, their reward, their way to stay social.
The irony? It’s also the excuse that keeps you stuck. Money that could pay debt or build savings is getting poured into pint glasses.
Bragging about being broke while ordering another round isn’t funny, it’s denial.
Lottery Tickets
The dream feels cheap, but the habit is expensive. Lottery tickets are marketed as hope, but they function as a tax on the desperate.
Sure, someone wins. But that someone probably won’t be you, and the math is brutal. Broke people cling to scratch-offs, hoping for a miracle.
Instead of gambling on fantasy, you’d be better off learning how to budget when you’re broke and stacking small wins that compound into real progress.
Related: Always Broke? 18 Bad Money Habits You Should (Try To) Break Now
DoorDash and Food Delivery
Ordering in used to be an occasional treat. Now it’s a lifestyle with a side of delivery fees. Broke people treat DoorDash like a necessity, blaming busy schedules or stress while bleeding money on markups and tips they can’t afford.
The truth is, convenience costs. That burger is now a $25 problem disguised as dinner. Cooking at home isn’t glamorous, but neither is being broke with a pile of takeout containers and no savings.
Movie Theaters
A couple of tickets, popcorn, and soda? That’s $50 gone in under two hours. Movies give you an escape, but they also drain your wallet with overpriced snacks.
People justify theaters as cheap entertainment, but when bills are late, surround sound is the last thing you need.
If you’re asking what to do when you’re poor, streaming at home or reading a book is smarter than blowing cash for two hours of distraction.
Streaming Services
Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max subscriptions start as $9.99, but when you add them all up, you’re suddenly paying $100+ every month. It’s death by subscription.
Broke people don’t realize they’re funding five streaming CEOs while complaining about bills. If money is tight, trim it down to one service or cancel them all until you’re back on track.
A budget wrecked by entertainment is a clear sign of how much money is broke.
Related: 25 Hidden Fees You’re Probably Paying Without Realizing It
Expensive Gadgets
Every year there’s a new phone, a new watch, a new gadget that promises to “change everything.” And every year, people broke line up with credit cards they can’t afford to swipe.
That shiny upgrade doesn’t fix financial insecurity, it hides it. Most features go unused anyway. If your rent isn’t paid, a new camera phone won’t save you.
When you’re broke, sticking with the old phone is the smartest tech decision you’ll ever make.
Designer Clothing and Accessories
Style isn’t the problem, but chasing logos is. Broke people drop hundreds just to wear a label they can’t pronounce, thinking it buys respect. It doesn’t.
Designer sneakers and handbags don’t grow your bank account; they just drain it. True confidence comes when your savings grow, not when your outfit screams for attention.
If you want financial swagger, focus on stacking cash, not shopping bags.
Related Video: Stealth Wealth Tips: Become Rich, Without Anyone Knowing
Live Music Events
Concert tickets have become less about music and more about proving you were there. Broke people with overdraft fees still manage to sit front row at sold-out shows.
The experience is fun, but the financial hangover lasts longer than the music. That $200 could wipe out a bill or kill some debt.
Love music, sure, but don’t let one night of entertainment cost you months of financial stress.
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Car Upgrades
Rims, tints, spoilers, sound systems, they don’t get you closer to financial independence. Broke people spend on upgrades while ignoring maintenance, like dressing up a sinking ship with LED lights.
If you’re struggling with car payments, pouring more money into looks is just denial. A quiet car with a paid-off title beats a flashy ride with repossession papers on the way.
Cars are tools, not trophies.
Starbucks and Daily Coffee Runs
Coffee itself isn’t the issue, but $6 lattes every morning are. That habit quickly adds up to hundreds a month.
Broke people defend it as a small luxury, but in reality, it’s a budget killer in a paper cup. Brewing at home costs pennies and saves hours of wasted spending.
If you’re serious about financial freedom, start with cutting what drains you daily.
Cosmetic Procedures and Beauty Products
Looking good shouldn’t mean being broke. Spending hundreds on creams, injectables, and trendy products doesn’t solve money stress, it just hides it.
Broke people confuse self-care with self-deception, wrapping a maxed-out credit card in flawless skin. A true glow-up isn’t found in a bottle, it’s found in stability.
Skip the serum if it means peace of mind.
Vacations
Social media pushes the idea that “you deserve a break,” even if you can’t afford it. Vacations on borrowed money aren’t relaxation, they’re stress with a view.
Broke people book trips while drowning in debt, convincing themselves it’s normal. The sunsets are nice, but not as nice as sleeping without financial panic.
The real luxury is taking that trip later, paid in full.
Nights Out
Bars, clubs, Ubers home, they feel small in the moment but turn into a black hole on your bank statement. Broke people can drop $100 in one night and complain about gas prices the next day.
Fun isn’t the enemy, but self-sabotage is.
Real friends won’t care if you skip the club. They’ll still be there when you’re stacking cash instead of splitting shots.
Related: Are You Upper Middle Class? 20 Signs You’ve Made It (Even If It Doesn’t Feel Rich)
Gym Memberships
Fitness is important, but paying for a gym you never use isn’t. Those monthly charges sneak by while the sneakers gather dust.
Broke people love the idea of self-improvement but forget the cost. Push-ups and running outside are free. If that membership card isn’t swiping, it’s not a lifestyle investment, it’s financial deadweight.
Get healthy, but don’t confuse it with throwing money away.
Stop Buying Your Own Brokenness
Staying broke isn’t always about income, it’s about the choices made when nobody’s watching. These daily expenses might feel small, but they’re stacking up against your future fast.
It’s not about guilt. It’s about calling out the habits that quietly wreck progress. Want to stop being broke? Then stop doing the things broke people keep doing.
Break the cycle, or stay in it.
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