As our economy continues to struggle, it has become increasingly more difficult for many to make the same amount of money as they once did. Over the past couple of years, numerous people have come to regret some of the financial decisions they have made. Only wishing they could have the money back from “lavish” decisions, so that the money could be applied toward survival. Here are 11 things I have learned not to waste money on:

There is something about infatuation that leaves a person willing to do just about anything for his or her significant other. I have seen people go as far as taking out a car or jewelry loan in order to give a gift to a new girlfriend or boyfriend. This gift did not seem quite as special after breaking up and figuring out what to do with the balance that is accruing interest. What is even more common is the person who is completely broke yet continues to fund dinners and movies on credit cards, only to be eventually left paying for the bad relationship for years to come. But the ultimate way you can lose your money on a “relationship” is at the strip club. I know countless men that have dropped hundreds of dollars for a few minutes of interaction with a woman that only teased them. Just imagine if you could get all that money back.

There are many people that are extremely dedicated to working out. But let’s face it; the majority of Americans have a lifespan in the gym of a couple weeks. It is very easy to get busy and lose motivation to drive down to the gym. So you decide that you are going to build a gym in your house. You buy all the machines and free weights one could imagine, spending thousands of dollars. But in the end you are only left with a $150 per month storage bill so that you can store the gym you no longer want in your house.

Now not everyone will fall for this one. But I guess in a moment of glory or extreme intoxication, one may feel inspired. Perhaps it was a new job, a hot woman, or even a great Barry Sanders touchdown run.  But something inside of you decides you love life and you love everyone in that bar. So you decide to get up on the bar stool and shout “Drinks all around.” For the next few minutes you find out what it is like to be popular and you feel great, until you wake up the next morning and see your bar tab.

It is amazing the amount of pure crap that one can buy from an infomercial. You hear the messages of how you can change your life if you just had this $19.95 piece of crap. Well the reality is that you need your life changed. You would like to slice and dice a tomato like never before. You would like to look like Richard Simmons. So you pull out your nearly maxed out credit card and you sign up for the $19.95 special offer that turns out to really be $19.95 a month for the next six months. But you don’t care because you've got love handles, and women do not like love handles.

Most people have wandered out to their car late at night only to wonder how their car has disappeared. Your wife is pissed that you called her at 2 a.m. to pick you up, so you decide to hop into a cab. Heading from downtown to the suburbs you are watching that f-ing meter continue to count until it surpasses the $100 mark.  You realize that the pizza you slammed trying to sober up leaves you just short to pay the fare, so when you arrive home you are forced to wake your wife back up to find her wallet. You later realize that you just spent $150.00 just to get home.

Timeshare salespeople just may be some of the sketchiest people on the planet. At first it really seems like a great idea to get that free hotel stay to look at a timeshare, especially when you cannot afford a hotel stay on your own. But the reality is that you are broke so you should not be attempting to finance a timeshare, especially if you can’t afford a flight to even use it. But after sitting in your hotel room with a salesperson that will not leave, you decide to sign-up anyway.  So it adds to the monthly liabilities of things that you cannot afford and probably will not use.

Good salespeople know how to create urgency and through this urgency you begin to fear what you might lose if you do not buy what they are selling. When the reality is that the only thing you will lose by walking away is more junk sitting in your garage, storage room, or closet. Women are notorious for this very thing. How many outfits or pair of shoes could one possibly own? But somehow the salesperson has you convinced that you just might be missing something vital if you walk out the door without those new Coach shoes.

I understand that there are many people that love the outdoors. But if you are not someone who is an avid camper, hunter, or boater then it might be wise to skip the outdoor equipment section altogether. I personally own enough gear to keep a small military unit housed and well equipped for the outdoors; however, it will never see the light of day. Perhaps, the worst investment I ever made was a boat. We would use it once a year and then have to pay to store it and keep it up. My personal recommendation is that if you do not live very close to a body of water, you are probably better off just renting a boat for your annual family boating trip.