Buyer's remorse is a real thing. As far as anyone goes, if you've ever shopped, you've probably made a bad purchase here and there. This Bored Panda thread was dedicated to the most regretful instances of buyer's remorse. Check out what our brilliant community has submitted!

If you want to get the gist of it, here's a summary of the thread. While many described their regretful purchases that were pretty common, like a bad tech item, some had some brilliant insights that many unexpectedly related with. Bought exercise gear that you barely use? Turns out, you're not alone, perhaps even in the majority. Other submissions were a tad bit more strange, but all the more interesting. And, of course, there are many more truly brilliant stories that are best told by the authors themselves.

#1

30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community A few years ago, Cadbury claimed they would stop selling their choco bars in the USA. I bought a gazillion of 'em. They're still available in the USA and they're fresh. Not like the evil choco-things taking up space in my pantry. As a door stop.

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    #2

    30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community My treadmill, elliptical, spin bike… each one with the promise to exercise more. Oh well, there is always tomorrow.

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    Dorothy Parker
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Consider this, if you were to get rid of them, where would you dump your clothes?

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    #3

    30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community A college degree. I haven't been able to use it at all. I got BS's (Law Enforcement and Forensic Anthropology) and a BA (Pre-Law). Couldn't get a job. Then went back to a Community College for an Associates of Applied Science in Accounting. Now working for an international firm making the most money I've ever earned. Wish I'd known before wasting all that money.

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    #4

    30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community An air fryer that I've used once in 6 months.

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    Ashamba
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I encourage you to try it again- my SO makes onion bhaji from scratch in ours - better than our local Indian takeaway, he also does breaded chicken to rival the Colonel... and the chips (fries/potato wedges) are soooo good, and ooooh the breaded garlic mushrooms! All this sounds like awfully naughty food, but done in the air fryer it's not nearly so unhealthy! I consider our air fryer to be one of our best kitchen investments.

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    #5

    30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community I bought a tablet around 5 years ago thinking I will use it for work. I used it a few times out of curiosity but never used it for work as it wasn't efficient at all for me. It's just too small for work and movies, and that's basically all I use my computer for. So it ended up being an expensive useless purchase I still have on my shelf collecting dust. It wasn't touched for a few years. I should have sold it or donated it but here we are.

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    Billy The Kid
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Donate it to a school. With this working.... from home im sure there is someone who cant afford one and could really help them out

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    #6

    A Time Share. Worst idea in the world. Can't use it and can't get rid of it. Costing thousands a year in fees.

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    A.
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    To each their own when it comes to timeshares. I've got good friends who love theirs, other friends who've been trying to unload for years now.

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    #7

    30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community My first tattoo. I walked in and picked a piece of flash off the wall featuring a Chinese word that (you guessed it) was badly translated. Every other tattoo I have has either been designed by me or I worked with the artist to design it. Technically I still have my first tattoo, I just got it covered up.

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    Easily Excitable Panda
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The first time I got a tattoo, I brought in my own design. The artist said, "Good for you for not choosing flash." As a novice, I had no idea what he was talking about, and vaguely wondered if showing my boobs would get me a discount. (The Catholic schoolgirl in me was horrified by the thought!)

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    #8

    30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community In fourth grade, I bought a rabbit pelt on a field trip at Waterloo Village because it was soft. It's definitely in the house somewhere. Yes, I'm an animal lover and it hurts me a bit to see it.

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    Ashamba
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I went on a French Exchange trip to the French Alps when I was 11... All the gift shops had little souvenirs (key fobs, random ornaments) with rabbit or marmot fur... Yes I bought one, and yes, I kept it for years to remind myself how stupidly easily I'm won over by strokable stuff, but to think about what I'm buying into.

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    #9

    30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community When I was in my mid twenties, I was single and had a good paying job. Mind you this was in the 1990s. I went to dillards and bought this genuine leather jacket that cost around $500. I wore it maybe 6 times because I didn’t want to get it wet but it couldn’t keep me warm at all. I still have it in my closet just sitting there, reminding me of how stupid I was to purchase it.

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    #10

    30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community This one time I brought an iPad case from Amazon as an early birthday present. I really loved it. Then about a week later I had my birthday party. My mum told all her friends about the case I loved, no about a third of them bought it. Since it was $45 I was touched, but now I had four iPad cases and no one I knew had an iPad except me!

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    #11

    30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community My truck. Couldn't drive it within 30 min of purchase. Spent $10,000 on it in 14 months.

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    #12

    Does an unfinished degree count? I'm still paying off the loans so it's still hanging over me..

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    Frances M
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Transfer the credits you did get to a course in a cheaper college and get a cert in something you do like in a faster time then starting from scratch. Also works for online courses and colleges in different countries.

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    #13

    30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community The iPad/iPhone chargers that hardly even function.

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    #14

    30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Workout equipments😅

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    #15

    30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community 50 beanie babies. Still want more.

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    #16

    30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community NVIDIA 3D glasses before VR was still fiction. Used them twice and never again since the glasses were too heavy for my nose. The pain wasn't worth the slight 3D...

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    Francisco Garcia Bustamante
    Community Member
    2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My 3D tv, lasted 10 years before broke down last year, and i only used like twice a year with the 3D on

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    #17

    30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Not me but my mom. Shoutout to metro.

    She needed a new phone and bought a new anderoid. The manager charged her $532 and gave her headphones she didnt even want. Then my mom went home and did the math. It only cost $432. We gave up on trying to sue because unless the cameras caught the scam on tape we would have no evicence

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    #18

    An $88 karaoke machine I bought from Walmart 5 years ago. We never get to use it as we live in an apartment and the times we have tried using it the quality is no better than the kids karaoke toy my daughter had. Plastic mic, music significantly lowers when you add your voice but as soon as you stop it the music goes loud creating a disorienting pitch problem. Apparently you can add lyrics displayed on the TV but I was never able to figure it out. It's been just sitting there for years. It's better worth the money to go out to my favourite karaoke joint.... how I miss going out to karaoke.

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    #19

    30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community I got these hair clips/ties off Amazon and they are to big and we’re made of plastic (the pictures looked like they were metal and the description didn’t say) but yeah I spent 15$ on junk and I see them every day on my shelf :D

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    Easily Excitable Panda
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Maybe you can use them to keep open bagged items fresh? (I'm thinking of things like potato chips.) At least you'd get some use out of them.

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    #20

    Idk if it counts but a crappy tattoo that has not aged well.

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    Channon Doughty
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That definitely counts! I mean that's are literally WITH you forever, not just in a closet, shelf or drawer

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    #21

    30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Happy meal Toys. What do I do with them?
    And the little cheap useless toys at the the cash register.

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    Ashamba
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah, these things should never be produced- it's just plastic waste. Serves no purpose except to make kids want low quality sugary food even more than they already do. Ban plastic cr@p.

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    #22

    A house! The mortgage is killing me! Only 20 years to go before it is mine and will be paying almost double in total than what I 'bought' it for.

    €200k was the price, will have paid 380k when I'm done.... And the house is worth 350 now. (And that'll buy me 75% of the space on the current market)

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    #23

    An Elmo toy— scares the crap out of me

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    #25

    30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community A 350-euro Samsung phone. It cracked its screen on its own after one week when the alarm went off on vibrate mode on an uneven table. I never replaced the screen but I use it for international calls.

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    #26

    30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community About €500 worth of hair weaves. I keep changing my hair color so I can no longer wear them since they don’t match my actual hair color anymore and have to get a new one made. Such a waste…

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    #27

    30 Things That People Regret Buying, As Shared By The Bored Panda Community A $400.00 piece of art that I could have paid maybe $30.00 for the poster print.
    Don't get me wrong; beautiful piece but $400.00!?

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    #28

    Very expensive hiking boots... but I'm going to return them 😉

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    Otter
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I got my hiking boots at a Tractor Supply store! Seriously, they were great boots and lasted about 10 years before developing a tear, I got the new pair at the same place. Companies that build shoes that are mean to be worn on muddy farms don't mess around with comfort, waterproofing, or durability, or their customers would never buy a second pair.

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    #29

    Marriage counseling session. My ex and I walked in to the first on, he said to the counselor “she’ll tell you what she does wrong. She knows, I’ve told her plenty of times! Fix her so everything will be fine.”
    He walked out of the office while mumbling that he’d be back in an hour to pick me up.
    Honest to God truth.

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    #30

    An eyeshadow palette as a birthday gift for myself. But there are few situations where I can or would wear purple or red or hot pink eyeshadow. Plus, it is dusty, the fallout is ridiculous, and since I bought it I found out how awful the creator is. (Take a wild guess who it might be.) Now I have a 60 euro palette that serves as a reminder to think before buying.

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    #31

    My first car. Wanted an Austin Mini too badly. Went to look and realised later the guy scammed me. Even had someone show up partway through my looking it over who feigned interest. "Well if you don't want it this guy will buy it". Young and stupid and paid too much. And then... for every hour driving I bet I spent an hour under the hood.

    Were some positives I guess. I will never buy another English car and I now just walk away if there are any pressure tactics when looking to buy something.

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    #32

    A Yonana machine to make sherbet out of frozen bananas and other frozen fruits. Worked miracles the first few times and then kind of lost its magic since it is such a pain to clean.

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    #33

    i wanted to do a craft with yarn. they only had a huge pack at michael's, so i bought it. i only used a few INCHES of it, and don't have any other use for the huge ball of yarn, and its still laying around.

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    #34

    I bought a $10,000 Piaggio MP3 500 scooter and rode it home.Every time I tried to ride it I had a panic attack due to fear of other drivers. I was afraid to sell it for fear someone would come and try to steal it.
    Now I have a scooter sitting in the back yard that I can't ride or sell.
    Mid life crisis is a real thing, over 55, female

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    #35

    Buffy the Vampire Slayer had it's last season and lots of clothing and props from the show were being auctioned on Ebay. I really wanted Spike's duster but alas way way way out of price range. However, I did bid on a shirt Sarah Michelle Gellar had worn in an episode and was regularly bidding on it. One night I got crazy drunk and came back home to find this one particular bidder out bidding me yet again. So I entered a crazy bid and won. That was A LOT of money and I while I had it, I really didn't if that makes sense. I still have it. It's still in its original box. I haven't even framed it or anything. That was about 18 years ago now

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    #36

    Sometimes when I am at the store I buy materials for a project. Most of those materials stay in the original packaging all the way to the yard sale. I can't throw them away, they are new in box. Still good.

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    #37

    My Ninja Blender, it sits on my refrigerator and I use a $30 one everyday, and replace it when I have to.

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    CD King
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My husband bought one of these and claimed "it was the culinary bomb" and that it would "allow us to do everything". It's job seems to be sitting on top of the areas I need to get to and making me move it around every time I use the kitchen. We don't do smoothies or margaritas (thinking about starting on the margaritas just to recoup some of the money) So, it is a large expensive, multi piece, in the way, paper weight.... not holding down papers.

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    #38

    A bicycle ergometer. I use it every few weeks for 5 minutes. Essentially a 400€ clothes horse..

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    lara
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Most of them are. But think how much space in the bathroom you are saving when you have clothes that need to be hung up to dry.

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    #39

    500 usd shoes, wore them once to a wedding to never wear them again. Was young and stupid.

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    TheReader19
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If they're purpose made to fit your feet then not a waste of money, if they're designer then see if you can sell them

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    #40

    My house. Definitely rushed into the purchase. We have since realized it was way overpriced, terrible quality materials and construction, it doesn't have some features we would really like and it's in a mediocre school district.

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    Dl B
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    First house was just like that. We rushed into it without thinking. We Paid too much and at a time when interest was high. Took us years to get rid of it. After that we have always rented.

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    #41

    the worst thing for me is some stupid car i bought in rocketleague from another dude, i bought it for about 2-3 dollars when in realtiy it's worth like 20 cents.

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    #42

    food ninja. talk about noisy :(

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    TheReader19
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Love my ninja too, just play around with it and you'll find its saves time

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    #43

    the Sims 4 Snowy Escape.

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    #44

    I paid $350 for an acoustic guitar and hard sided case when I was in college. I cant play it.

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    Pantea
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is the story that 80% of guitar owners share :)) Playing guitar looks damn sexy, but learning it hurts (literally), it's frustrating and it needs real dedication. Most people won't keep trying beyond few open chords :)

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    #45

    Really expensive Topaz and Diamond necklace which I only wore for special occasions and not at all anymore. Tried to sell but the resell value was so much lower that it was better to hold and wait....20 years...still way lower than what I paid so still have it!

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    Channon Doughty
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Most corporate jewelry stores are a rip off. Even with the ever-present "Big Sale" of the month, you are almost always paying for far above the actual value.

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    #46

    A massage chair.

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    WordWeaver
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I've always felt weird about an intimately squirmy item of furniture.

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    #47

    A bounce house/ball pit + 500 balls.

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    #48

    Microsoft Surface Pro 3... I have rocked it faithfully for 7 years, but it's the worst form factor laptop I've ever owned. Too heavy to be a tablet, too unstable to be a proper laptop.

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    Solidhog
    Community Member
    3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    As an IT guy I agree. For what most people use laptops for, one costing a third of the price would do exactly the same job just as well. And the dock to connect anything to it is just SO expensive for what it is!

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    #49

    My dresses! They show way too much cleavage and are super tight.
    Can't return them, though.

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    jpaul
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    i never buy my clothes online. bad, bad idea. the quality can go from top notch, to hyper crap. way too risky

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    #50

    my cotton bedding. i discovered linen, and it's like night, and day. so i have something like 5, or 6 full cotton beddings, that will end up at the social antics very soon

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    #51

    Really expensive handmade dining room set that my ex and I compromised on so neither of us LOVED it. I got it in divorce and have moved like 15 times so I've spent hundreds moving and storing this stuff but it is the most valuable stuff I own and I can't make myself just donate it and could not find a buyer. It looks like something that belongs in some Grandma's house, which is not my taste, even though I actually am a grandma!

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    Kahna Wanna
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Watch Katcha on YouTube and paint it! https://www.youtube.com/c/KachaFurniture

    #52

    my pink bag that i saved up for

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    Be Potato
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Reminded me of a Victoria Secret backpack I bought a couple of years ago. I've never used it, not even once :') It's not super expensive though (less than $100), but it's probably the most expensive backpack I have ever bought haha. I'm a very frugal person too!

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    #53

    The sims 4 expansion packs. Those things are a ripoff, but I can’t get rid of them, sooo...

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    #54

    The Divergent trilogy dvd...

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    WordWeaver
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I bought the books and read them but felt they were poorly plotted, weak story basis and not well written. Have since donated them.

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    #55

    I didnt even realise but a 13 dollar outfit for a stupid game I rarely play. Yes its only 13 dollars but dang what a waste!

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    James G. Currie
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I am guessing virtual? I can not think of anywhere you could buy a game uniform for that low.

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    #56

    An insta pot. I still can’t figure out how to use it.

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    T'Mar of Vulcan
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Instant Pot? Put your food into the round cooking pot and put into the housing. Plug in the pot. Put the lid on until it makes a chirp. Hit 'pressure cook' (make sure you've closed the pressure valve) and the time you need (use the + and - buttons). Then just wait and it will beep when it starts cooking and beep when it's done. You can wait for it to depressurize on its own, or open the pressure valve and release the pressure. When all the pressure is released, open the lid. There you go.

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    #57

    My map,it’s not accurate and I don’t ever use it it’s just by my wall for school if I’m desperate lol 👩‍🦳🤏👩‍🦲

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