Lifehacker: 10 things you shouldn't buy

[Insanity]

Pretty obvious for some of it…

http://lifehacker.com/ten-things-you-should-never-pay-for-1529615183

[crumbcatcher]

It's a good list, but it's curious to me that they would single out audiobooks but not paper books. Doesn't the same logic apply?

[warfreak2]

I guess the main difference is psychology - books sit on a shelf, visible to you and others, tempting you to read them again, and friends to ask to borrow them. You're probably not allowed to resell, or even give away, audiobooks.

[Jamesqf]

I suppose it depends on the (perceived) quality of the audiobook, but why wouldn't you listen to a good one multiple times?  I certainly re-read my paper books, and listen to recordings of plays multiple times.  Indeed, would anyone think it was strange to listen to music multiple times, or would the strange thing be to listen once, then discard the recording?

[warfreak2]

I've read a good proportion of the books on my dad's bookshelf. When I was younger I could just grab one on the way to bed, didn't even need to ask. Sometimes I'd finish it that night and then go back out to the shelf to get a different one. I've never been browsing through his hard disk drive, though, so I've listened to none of his audiobooks, if he even has any.

[AlanStache]

#10-Lunch bags?  Really those old school brown bags are not big enough to hold my pre-lunch snacks.  I have a nice insulated 1gal+ proper lunch box.

[jordanread]

#10-Lunch bags?  Really those old school brown bags are not big enough to hold my pre-lunch snacks.  I have a nice insulated 1gal+ proper lunch box.

I think that's what they meant...use a real one,  not a paper bag. :-)
Granted, I've always wanted a brown one, just to keep telling people I brown Bagged it.

[AlanStache]

@jordanread - point was who can even use the brown bags - who eats so little that a days food fits in one?!?  (note am male 6ft runner)  :-P

[jordanread]

@jordanread - point was who can even use the brown bags - who eats so little that a days food fits in one?!?  (note am male 6ft runner)  :-P

Gotcha...my mistake. I certainly couldn't. The only thing brown bags are used for in my house is storing herbs so they dry instead of rot.

[Insanity]

@jordanread - point was who can even use the brown bags - who eats so little that a days food fits in one?!?  (note am male 6ft runner)  :-P

I used to brown bag it to school all the time… 

[Annamal]

I relisten to my audiobooks all the time, I still buy far too many but they make walking and cooking (and even working if there's a methodical job that doesn't require much thought)so much more enjoyable.

My local library is limited to australasian audiobooks....not a huge selection

[soccerluvof4]

When i was reading the list I was right, right , right.....I will admit we use brown lunch bags w/4 kids because they would just foget there lunch box all the time and they do make a large size. The audio books library. Christmas Decorations I have never seen not on sale :-) but overall thought list as op said was pretty obvious.

[foobar]

Rich people buy books and DVDs. Frugal people check them out of the library.

It's a good list, but it's curious to me that they would single out audiobooks but not paper books. Doesn't the same logic apply?

[Jamesqf]

Rich people buy books and DVDs. Frugal people check them out of the library.

Not entirely true.  Libraries only have a limited budget, so can only purchase a limited number of books, which have to be spread across a wide range of tastes.  So those of us who are moderately frugal get what we can from the library, and buy the really good stuff that the library doesn't have.

[Annamal]

Rich people buy books and DVDs. Frugal people check them out of the library.

Not entirely true.  Libraries only have a limited budget, so can only purchase a limited number of books, which have to be spread across a wide range of tastes.  So those of us who are moderately frugal get what we can from the library, and buy the really good stuff that the library doesn't have.

You can only listen to Phryne Fisher books so many times...(geographic restrictions on audiobooks are stupid and lousy business but still very much in force, meaning the audiobooks my library can buy are very very limited).

[CommonCents]

Rich people buy books and DVDs. Frugal people check them out of the library.

Not entirely true.  Libraries only have a limited budget, so can only purchase a limited number of books, which have to be spread across a wide range of tastes.  So those of us who are moderately frugal get what we can from the library, and buy the really good stuff that the library doesn't have.

Frugal people request that the library carry what we'd like to read.  :)  They purchased books upon my request before, it just takes patience.  You can also do interlibrary loan - in my case, even across my state.

[LibrarIan]

Frugal people request that the library carry what we'd like to read.  :)  They purchased books upon my request before, it just takes patience.  You can also do interlibrary loan - in my case, even across my state.

Indeed. Also, most libraries participate in inter-library loan programs, so if you're willing to wait a little longer you can get nearly any item from somewhere.

[the fixer]

Frugal audiobook: have your wife read the book to you :)

(we seriously did this on our cross-country drive last year. Whoever wasn't driving was reading a book out loud)

[Albert]

I've never listened to any audiobooks and I don't intend to. I like my silence too much plus I prefer to absorb books at my own pace… I don't buy many books (ca 10-15 per year), but I think it's ethical to actually pay for someone else's work you enjoy (doesn't apply to classics).

The rest of the list makes sense, but as always there are exceptions. When traveling in certain countries it's bottled water only, no exceptions unless you want to risk spending part of your vacation or business trip being sick.

[GuitarStv]

Gotta say . . . I think audiobooks are much maligned.  As a child living very far up north, our vacations always involved driving down south for 14 - 16 hours.  Audiobooks are the greatest thing ever for long car trips like this.  Keeps the driver entertained/awake, keeps the kids (at least semi-entertained).  Granted it's better if you can rent 'em from the library, but books on tape definitely have their place.  I've listened to most of the Dune series on audiobook, the whole Hitchhiker's Guide series, more recently Superfreakonomics and sequel, etc.

Many people get carsick reading in a moving vehicle even if they would never usually get carsick.

[AlanStache]

yep there definitely is a place for audio books, have saved me many times on long road trips.  Amazon will give you 2 or 3 books free when you sign up for a trial service of there audio book system, download to your smart phone then play into your car stereo-works well.

[SnackDog]

I would add 11. Sex and 12. Parking.

Bottled water is a necessity in many parts of the world.

Audiobooks are no less buy able than paper books. Listen, enjoy, recycle.

[Insanity]

I would add 11. Sex

that is nearly impossible…  You pay for it in one way or another ;-)

[Annamal]

My parents werecopyright pirates, before there was such a thing. They used to get books on tape out from the library and copy them, and play them to us while we were trying to get to sleep.

All of this means that I've been conditioned to fall asleep to the sound of a story.

This is great when I'm staying in a noisy hostel.

[the fixer]

Bottled water is a necessity in many parts of the world.

Steripen.

[mobilisinmobili]

Rich people buy books and DVDs. Frugal people check them out of the library.

It's a good list, but it's curious to me that they would single out audiobooks but not paper books. Doesn't the same logic apply?

Pfffft. Frugal people spend their spare cash on whatever they want to in their optimized spending plan.

For the record I buy a lot of books and supplement with the library. Honestly I believe most people probably should buy more books.

Audio Books makes sense.. buy them if you enjoy them, but the re-sale value is nil.

[Tai]

We use the brown paper bags for popping popcorn in the microwave, something I learned to do by reading Lifehacks.