So, here’s the thing about debt. It sneaks up on you. One minute, you’re just thinking about buying something. Next thing you know, you’re signing up for a credit card with a “limited-time 0% APR” and convincing yourself you’ll pay it off in, what, three months? Six? (Spoiler: it never takes six. It takes forever.)
And most of the time, when people go into debt, it’s for things that, okay, kind of make sense—houses, medical bills, student loans (which, let’s not even start on that one). But sometimes? Sometimes people go into thousands of dollars of debt for stuff that, looking back, makes them question their entire existence. Like, this is what I ruined my credit score for?
The $20,000 Disney Trip That Lasted Five Days, But the Debt Lasted Five Years
Look, I love a good vacation. But here’s a real story: a family of five went on a full VIP Disney trip, and by “full VIP,” I mean they didn’t hold back on a single thing. Private character meet-and-greets? Yup. A luxury resort on the property? Of course. Custom outfits for each park because apparently that’s a thing now? You bet. And they didn’t save up for it. They just put the entire thing on multiple credit cards.
Total cost? $20,000.
For five days.
And sure, I get it—”memories are priceless” and all that. But are they? Because five years later, when they were still making payments on it, I’m willing to bet those “priceless memories” didn’t feel quite as magical. I mean, their kids probably stopped caring about Disney years ago.
And that’s the thing—people always justify these kinds of purchases in the moment. It’s always “We’ll figure it out later.” Except later shows up and suddenly, interest rates exist and paying off the principal feels like trying to shovel snow in a blizzard.
A $15,000 Wedding Dress That Outlasted the Marriage
You ever see those wedding shows where brides go dress shopping and act like money isn’t real? This is basically that, except she financed it.
She had to have this one designer dress. But it was $15,000. A rational person might say, “Hmm, maybe I’ll find a similar style for less,” but nope. She took out a personal loan to pay for it. Because, in her words, “You only get married once.”
Well.
She didn’t.
Marriage lasted two years. The dress, however, stuck around for much longer, sitting in her closet like a very expensive reminder of bad decisions. She tried to resell it, but you know what’s fun about wedding dresses? They lose most of their value immediately. Best offer she got was $3,000.
So now she’s divorced, has a wedding dress she can’t get rid of, and at one point, was literally still making payments on a dress for a wedding that had already ended.
Which, honestly, might be worse than the divorce itself.
An $8,000 Purebred Dog That Ate Their Couch
I don’t know if you’ve ever browsed fancy dog breeders online, but some of them are charging more for a dog than some people spend on a car. And one couple decided they needed this rare, purebred, ultra-fancy dog. They didn’t have the money, but that didn’t stop them. They took out a loan and charged the rest on a credit card.
And then the reality of owning an expensive dog hit. It chewed everything—shoes, furniture, a literal chunk out of the drywall. Then came vet bills, training costs, more vet bills. And within a year, they had spent way more than the original $8,000.
And this is where I remind everyone that shelters exist. And that sometimes, just maybe, you should think about the total cost of a pet before committing to it on a payment plan.
A $7,000 VIP Festival Experience That Was Over Before the Loan Papers Were Even Processed
Festivals are expensive, but this one? This one was painful. Someone took out a personal loan to attend Coachella VIP-style.
Tickets, an Airbnb, designer outfits, travel costs, overpriced food and drinks. By the time it was over, the grand total was more than $7,000. For three days.
And I’m sorry, but if you’re still paying for a concert when next year’s lineup drops, something has gone horribly wrong.
This is classic “YOLO” spending gone wrong. Festivals happen every year. Music isn’t going anywhere. If it’s really a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience, it should at least be paid off before the next one comes around.
A $12,000 Home Gym That Became a Very Expensive Clothing Rack
This one makes me feel personally attacked because I, too, have bought fitness equipment with delusions of discipline.
This guy didn’t just buy a treadmill or a set of weights. He financed an entire home gym. We’re talking a Peloton, weight racks, resistance machines, even a fancy rowing machine.
Two weeks later? He stopped using it.
Eventually, it all just became an expensive storage space. When he tried to sell it, he got back less than half of what he paid.
And I have to say, if you’re going into more than $10,000 of debt to “get in shape,” maybe just… try a regular gym membership first.
Final Thoughts (or, Why We Keep Doing This to Ourselves)
Here’s the thing: no one plans to go into debt for something dumb. It always starts with good intentions, emotional justifications, or the idea that “I’ll pay it off fast.”
And then life happens. Interest rates exist. Budgets get tight. And that thing that felt like a great idea starts looking like a financial mistake you wish you could undo.
So before making any big purchase, especially one that requires borrowing money, just… take a second. Ask yourself:
- Will I still care about this a year from now?
- Is there any way I can afford this without going into debt?
- Do I actually need this, or am I just excited in the moment?
If the answers make you hesitate, maybe don’t buy it. Or at least don’t finance it with the kind of debt that will haunt you longer than the excitement lasts.
Because nothing is fun when you’re still making payments on it years later.
Anyway. What’s the worst thing you’ve ever gone into debt for?