With the help of colorful advertising, manufacturers manage to sell us absolutely useless things. We diligently search for these items on the supermarket shelves, spend a lot of money on them, recommend them to our friends and family, and then we are disappointed to find out that they are totally useless. Or that they work quite well, but are very overpriced.
Women’s antiperspirants
Ads that claim that the formulas of men’s and women’s antiperspirants are significantly different are, to put it mildly, misleading. In fact, companies use only different aromas in the manufacture of these products, but the chemical compounds that neutralize the smell of sweat in all antiperspirants are almost the same. It makes no sense to buy an antiperspirant that is designed specifically for women.
Dietary supplements
Many people take dietary supplements to boost their immune system and improve their health. But in fact, if a person has a healthy diet, they don’t need any additional supplements.
According to doctors, these supplements are not harmful, but their benefits are also questionable. These supplements can’t replace a healthy diet anyway.
Ionic air purifiers
© Ben Baligad / Flickr, © CC BY 2.0 DEED
Ionic air purifiers that are not equipped with filters are not only ineffective, but can also be dangerous to your health. These devices are supposed to capture tiny particles with negatively charged ions, but in return they release small amounts of ozone that can be harmful to breathe in. It’s best to just buy an air purifier with replaceable filters.
Drain cleaners
Drain cleaners are designed to clear clogs, but they actually do more harm than good. The hydrochloric acid in these products can dissolve not only grease and dirt, but also the pipes themselves. In addition, it can ruin your enamel and other bathroom finishes.
And if a blockage is caused by a dense material that has accidentally fallen into the sewerage system, these cleaners will be totally useless. It’s best to get a plunger and a snake, which are more effective.
Screen cleaners for electronics
These cleaners work well, but they are also quite costly. According to experts, you can also use plain water to clean monitors and screens. A microfiber cloth soaked in it cleans surfaces as effectively as a special product.
Woven hampers and laundry baskets
© Michael Coghlan / Flickr, © CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED, © Emily May / Flickr, © CC BY 2.0 DEED
These items look cute, but they are not very convenient to use. If you put too much laundry into the basket, it can become misshapen. In addition, laundry often clings to protruding branches and twigs, so a basket can also ruin your clothes. It’s more sensible to buy a hamper made of dense fabric that can be collapsed when it’s not in use.
Large containers of spices and condiments
Buying spices in large jars seems like a great idea if you want to save the family budget. But spices have a limited shelf life, and we rarely use them in large quantities. So, it’s likely they’ll degrade before you finish them. So, it’s best to buy spices in small containers.
Veggie puffs, rice crackers and other «healthy» chip substitutes
© Kate Hopkins / Flickr, © CC BY 2.0 DEED
All these snacks seem to be a great alternative to chips because they are supposed to be healthy. In reality, however, these snacks contain various additives and oils. Plus, they’re usually high in calories and lack nutrients. It’s better to make carrot sticks or freeze grapes. Such snacks are cheaper and healthier.
Heat protective shampoos
According to some experts, buying shampoos and conditioners with heat protection is a waste of money. They won’t harm your hair, but there are few benefits either. It’s better to buy a heat protective spray, which really helps to protect your curls from the effects of high temperatures.
Buying a moisturizing shampoo can also be a pointless waste of money. The substances used in these products weigh down the strands, so that the hair becomes greasy faster. So, you end up having to wash your hair more often.
Sheet masks
Sheet masks have gained unprecedented popularity. Some women note that the skin really looks better after using them. But in fact, the effect of using masks is temporary, while they cost a lot. At the same time, masks have the same effect as moisturizers and lotions, so it’s financially unreasonable to spend a lot of money on them.
Moisturizers
Excessive use of them not only doesn’t help, but in some cases can even harm your skin. Dermatologists claim that too frequent use of moisturizers can make it difficult to exfoliate dead skin cells, change your skin’s natural balance of water, and slow down the natural production of lipids and proteins. If your skin seems dry, you need to consume enough fluids.
In addition, there is no point of paying more for moisturizers that contain vitamins. Usually, the amount of these substances is too small to somehow affect the condition of the skin. But even if there are a lot of them in the composition, this is also not a plus — vitamins tend to quickly disintegrate under the influence of sunlight and oxygen.
Feminine hygiene products
The delicate parts of a woman’s body don’t need special cosmetic products. Moreover, gels with aromatic additives can break the natural barrier that protects the body from bacteria and infections, and can also cause irritation.
It’s optimal to use plain water for hygiene procedures. Or you can use soap for sensitive skin without any additives and fragrances.
And here is the list of useful items that can make your everyday life so much easier.
Demanding Parents Expect Nanny to Pay $1000 for Vacation Flights – Their Harsh Reality Check
“Jane, we need to talk about the vacation.”
I nodded, curious.
We had been home for two days now. Back from our trip to the seaside, staying in a luxurious resort. It was almost the break I needed, minus the fact that I had the Smiths’ three children, and their friends, the Johnsons’ two sons to care for as well.
I was just doing my job in a fancier location.
“Of course,” I said. “It was a lovely trip. Thank you again for inviting me.”
“Yes, well,” Mrs. Smith started. “We need to discuss the plane tickets. When will you be able to return the $1000?”
I blinked. I was sure that I had misheard her.
“Sorry, $1000? For the tickets? What?”
“Yes, for the tickets, Jane,” she spoke slowly as if I was stupid. “We spent a lot on them, and we thought you’d be grateful enough to pay us back.”
My heart raced. I didn’t have that kind of money to spare. I was their full-time nanny, with a mother to care for at home.
“But you told me that everything was sorted. You said, ‘Don’t worry about it, Jane. We’ve got it all covered.’”
Mrs. Smith’s expression hardened. Mr. Smith gazed at me.
“That was before the Johnsons refused to sign a business deal with Craig. That was the entire purpose of the holiday. Mr. Smith and I needed to woo them. So, there’s no need to seem generous now, Jane. You have exactly one week to return the money, or it will be taken from your pay.”
I was stunned. The room felt like it was spinning.
“But… I can’t afford that, Mrs. Smith,” I admitted. “Most of my salary goes to the rent at home and my mother’s medication. I can’t take that away from her. And you didn’t mention anything about paying you back!”
“That’s not our problem, Jane. One week,” Mr. Smith reiterated, reaching for a croissant from the tea tray left for Mrs. Smith. With a wave of his hand, he signaled the end of the discussion.
That night, I sat in my tiny room a few feet away from the Smiths’ house. I was seething. How could they do this? I needed a plan, and I needed it fast.
Then it hit me: the Smiths cared deeply about their social standing and their reputation.
“Of course, that’s all they care about,” I muttered to myself as I brushed my teeth before bed. “But I can use that to my advantage.”
The next day, after I dropped the kids off at school, I created a fake email account. I drafted a polite but detailed message about my experience, making sure to be clear without naming any names.
But there were enough telltale signs pointing to the Smiths, from their cars to the kids, to the gold facial appointments that Mrs. Smith bragged about.
Thereafter, I sent it to the key people in their social circle, including the other influential families that the Smiths wanted to be in league with.
“I just don’t understand what they want from us,” I overheard Mrs. Smith say into the phone later that day. “Eva asked me if everything is true, but I don’t know what she’s talking about.”
A few days later, the gossip started spreading. The Smiths’ dirty little secret on how they treated “their staff” was out, and naturally, their reputation took a hit.
Mrs. Smith called in a masseuse to soothe her muscles.
“Just let them into the spa when they arrive, Jane,” she said. “I need all the help I can get.”
Later that day, when I went to pick the kids up from school, the other nannies were hanging about, waiting for the bell to ring.
“Did you read the email about the Smiths?” one of the nannies said. “Jane, are they really like that?”
I nodded.
“They’re good parents, but they’re horrible people,” I admitted, not wanting to give away that I was the person who sent out the email.
“How long will you work for them?” another asked me. “I couldn’t live or work under those circumstances. Rich people need to learn that respect for them is earned, too.”
I smiled.
The nannies went back and forth as we waited. And through their chatter, I discovered something interesting about Mrs. Smith.
Turns out that my employer had a habit of “borrowing” items from her friends and never returning them.
“An entire Gucci handbag, Jane,” Mina said. “Mrs. Smith asked my ma’am if she could borrow it for a fundraising gala two months ago.”
“That’s ridiculous!” I said, shocked. “I didn’t know that she was capable of that sort of thing. But she doesn’t like me getting too close to her things anyway.”
A few days later, Mrs. Smith held one of her ladies’ luncheons. It was a monthly event that she loved hosting, but this time it was only two weeks into the month.
“I need this to go well, Jane,” she said as I cut fruit up for the kids. “So, you need to attend it. The kids will be at school. Everything will be catered for. Just walk around and talk to the women. Make us seem human.”
I knew that she was puzzling. She must have heard more than enough through the grapevine.
During the event, I walked around as requested of me. But I wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip. And I had nothing to lose. The Smiths were probably going to fire me at the end of the week when I couldn’t make the $1000.
“We’ll deal with it, darling,” my mother coughed into the phone when I told her the truth of the matter.
At the luncheon, I walked around, casually mentioning to the ladies how much I admired Mrs. Smith’s collection, making sure that I spoke to Eva, Mina’s employer.
“Mrs. Smith has a stunning handbag similar to yours,” I said. “Gucci. Did she lend you this one? She’s always telling me that she lends her things out because she has so much.”
Eva looked at me over the top of her champagne glass.
“Is that so, Jane?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.
Whispers started circulating. By the end of the luncheon, Mrs. Smith’s reputation for borrowing without returning was the hot topic.
The next morning, her friends began asking for their things back.
Mrs. Smith was mortified.
During dinner the next night, Mr. Smith called me to the table, asking me to join them.
“Thank you, but I usually wait for Ivy and Melanie to eat,” I said politely, mentioning the chef and her helper.
“No, sit with us,” he insisted.
I obliged.
Despite his tone, I hoped that maybe he was going to tell me that the money could be forgotten. And that everything would return as normal.
“It has come to my attention that an anonymous email has gone out,” he said, cutting into his steak.
“A disgusting email,” Mrs. Smith added, taking a long sip of her wine.
“Did you have anything to do with it?” he asked me, his eyes trying to coax a confession out of me.
I shook my head, looking down at my plate.
“Then that settles it,” he said, knowingly. “You’re dismissed. You can pack up and get out tomorrow.”
I did exactly as I was told and moved back home. A week later, Mrs. Johnson called me.
“Jane, can you come over for tea?” she asked warmly.
“Of course, Mrs. Johnson,” I replied, curious about the nature of the invitation.
As we sat in her luxurious living room, she looked at me with genuine concern.
“I heard about what the Smiths did to you. It’s disgraceful.”
I nodded, trying to keep my composure.
“Well,” she continued. “We’ve decided to cut ties with the Smiths entirely. And we’d like to offer you a job. Better pay, better working conditions. We could use someone like you for our kids.”
I was stunned.
“Of course!” I exclaimed. I needed the job desperately.
“You’ve earned it,” she smiled. “The boys loved having you watch them during the holiday. And somehow, you got Jonathan to eat his peas!”
I don’t know how the Smiths reacted to me working for the Johnsons, but I hoped that they felt betrayed.
What would you have done?
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