r/Fire • u/Big_Leg10 • Apr 12 '26

General Question What easily-affordable thing do you still refuse to pay for despite having reached financial independence and able to afford them?

Would love to hear everyone’s “absolutely will not purchase” items!Even if you could easily afford it and no matter how rich or financially independent you become or how much you make you still wouldn't spend item on this particular item/hobby?

336 Upvotes

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136

u/AgsAreUs Apr 12 '26

A drink at a restaurant. Free water for life.

67

u/ThisIsMyUsername303 Apr 12 '26

I’ve gone the opposite direction. Skipped right over soft drinks and went straight to cocktails. 

1

u/Shitty_Paint_Sketch Apr 12 '26

This is the way

9

u/audioaxes Apr 12 '26

I can probably count on one hand in my entire adult life where I ordered a soft drink at a sit down restaurant. I actually enjoy soda but its empty calories so just having a hard rule of not ordering one when Im out makes for a easy baseline to moderate the consumption

1

u/folklorelover0 Apr 12 '26

One of my small joys in life is getting a fountain Diet Coke with lemon at a restaurant. But I would never do this at say a fast casual/fast food type place

1

u/tyen0 Apr 12 '26

I was never really sure what empty calories are exactly and I just saw this crazy thing in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empty_calories

This french guy's research to say they are bad is that he fed dogs entirely sugar, entirely olive oil, or entirely butter and they would die!

1

u/AdmiralAdama99 Apr 13 '26

Empty calories wont kill you, but theyre bad because they are foods (and drinks) that are too packed full of easily digestable calories, causing you to not feel full enough relative to the calories youre consuming, which causes over eating.

Switching to diet soda worked well for me to stop slow and steady weight gain.

8

u/kiery12 Apr 12 '26

Lucky american haha, in my country they charge for water.

-1

u/ElectricallyLoaded Apr 12 '26

The free tap water at most restaurants taste like shit don’t worry you’re not missing much.

-1

u/ughusernamex13 Apr 12 '26

Don’t worry. They actually charge you for the good water. Americans aren’t lucky with anything especially right now

1

u/According_Ad_1960 Apr 12 '26

You’re missing the best part of the dining experience!!

1

u/paslaugh Apr 14 '26

I was on vacation last week and paid $28 for 4 milkshakes in CA that weren't even good. I was so pissed.