{"id":116883,"date":"2025-08-28T20:11:32","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T20:11:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/116883\/"},"modified":"2025-08-28T20:11:32","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T20:11:32","slug":"widow-keeps-entire-inheritance-while-stepdaughter-faces-eviction-but-she-gets-ultimate-reality-check","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/116883\/","title":{"rendered":"Widow keeps entire inheritance while stepdaughter faces eviction, but she gets ultimate reality check"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here are 21 products, services, and systems people called out for pretending to be essential\u2014when they might actually be optional, overpriced, or flat-out invented.<\/p>\n

\"consumerism, Woman applies deodorantCanva <\/p>\n

1. Whole body deodorant<\/p>\n

“Take a shower,” said Shannon H.
\u201cHow did we ever manage all those years without it!! \ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude35\ud83d\udcab\u201d added Karen R.
Others noted it may help people with medical conditions\u2014but for the average person, it’s definitely a marketing creation.<\/p>\n

2. Health insurance<\/p>\n

It topped the list. Erica L. explained: \u201cMy doctor prescribes, the pharmacist issues meds, nurses care for people, surgeons do surgery\u2014Health Insurance stands between health care and patients and says no, exclusively on whether they think it\u2019s financially effective to treat you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Important note: Health insurance can provide life-saving access for many\u2014but what people are frustrated by here is the profit-first system, not care itself.<\/p>\n

\"consumerism, Newlywed leaving the receptionCanva <\/p>\n

3. The wedding industry<\/p>\n

Multiple people slammed the high cost of modern weddings.
JoElla B. put it plainly: \u201cWe spend too much time and money planning one day, and not enough thought on how to blend two lives in a mutually beneficial one.\u201d
Others called out expensive dresses, venues, and pressure to perform for social media.<\/p>\n

4. Bottled water<\/p>\n

Carole D. said: \u201cWater in plastic bottles! Get a cup!\u201d
While bottled water has value in emergencies, it\u2019s often just filtered tap water\u2014sold for profit in plastic.<\/p>\n

5. Baby product overload<\/p>\n

\u201cMost baby products,\u201d wrote Kelli O. \u201cThey really aren\u2019t as needy and complicated as companies want us to think.\u201d<\/p>\n

6. Fabric softener<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s bad for clothes, bad for the Earth, bad for the wallet, and totally unnecessary,\u201d said Gail H.
Some experts agree\u2014many softeners contain chemicals that can reduce fabric lifespan and irritate skin.<\/p>\n

\"consumerism, A hand reaches out to touch a smart appliance on the wallCanva<\/p>\n

7. Smart appliances<\/p>\n

\u201cAdding \u2018phone controls\u2019 to every appliance instead of making them last as long as they used to,\u201d wrote Sherry S.
When your fridge needs a software update, something\u2019s gone off the rails.<\/p>\n

8. Makeup and anti-aging products<\/p>\n

\u201cAnything anti-aging,\u201d said Melissa T., \u201cPlease just let me age into the gargoyle I was meant to become.\u201d
Others questioned products designed to \u201cfix\u201d eyelashes, eyebrows, pores, and graying hair.
April S. added, \u201cProducts that women are convinced they MUST have in order to be \u2018beautiful\u2019 and therefore \u2018loved.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

9. Cosmetic surgery<\/p>\n

Ron P. called out the industry as a whole. And while body autonomy matters, many commenters questioned whether insecurities are being commodified and sold back to us.<\/p>\n

10. Ticketmaster and \u201cconvenience fees\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go back to waiting in line at a record store,\u201d wrote Nicole C.
Zaida B. added: \u201cConvenience fee for online purchases\u2014then charging $10 more at the actual event.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"consumerism, A woman shows off her engagement ringCanva <\/p>\n

11. Engagement rings<\/p>\n

James P. didn\u2019t mince words: \u201cEngagement rings.\u201d
The diamond industry has long been criticized for manufactured scarcity and marketing-fueled necessity.<\/p>\n

12. Lawn chemicals and services<\/p>\n

\u201cPlant native grasses and you don\u2019t have the pests or need for constant watering,\u201d wrote Jamie B.
Environmental groups have raised similar concerns over runoff and unnecessary pesticide use.<\/p>\n

13. AI and generative tech<\/p>\n

\u201cThis stuff squeezes the lifeblood and individuality out of the human experience,\u201d said Teresa L.
Saskia D. and others echoed skepticism about its necessity, even as many of us are being pushed to use it.<\/p>\n

\"consumerism, A wreath made of flowers sits on displayCanva<\/p>\n

14. Funeral services<\/p>\n

Amy W. shared: \u201cMy parents both have already paid to have themselves cremated and are very adamant that they do not want anything big done for them. In their words, \u2018I won\u2019t care, I\u2019m dead.\u2019\u201d
Of course, some families find comfort in tradition\u2014but the cost and pressure can feel overwhelming and predatory.<\/p>\n

15. Rinse and repeat<\/p>\n

Amy D. nailed it: \u201cIt\u2019s just to sell more. Not even sure you need it at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

16. Credit Card Surcharges<\/p>\n

Shawn S. took aim at the extra fees popping up at checkout: \u201cThat is the cost of doing business and shouldn\u2019t be the burden of the purchaser.\u201d
Many questioned why customers are increasingly being asked to pay extra simply for the convenience of using a card.<\/p>\n

17. Constant phone upgrades<\/p>\n

\u201cApple are notorious for releasing the same shit every year,\u201d said Steph S.
Diana H. added, \u201cNeeding to upgrade our phones so frequently.\u201d
Built-in obsolescence and marketing cycles drive most of the demand.<\/p>\n

\"consumerism, A collection of supplementsCanva<\/p>\n

18. Vitamins and supplements<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I took every supplement they say I NEED I wouldn\u2019t need food. Nor could I afford it,\u201d said Tausha L.<\/p>\n

19. Fake pockets on women\u2019s pants<\/p>\n

Jessica W. said, \u201cI have to buy men\u2019s pants for work because women\u2019s pants would just get torn up too fast!\u201d
Form over function, and then they charge more for it.<\/p>\n

20. Disposable everything<\/p>\n

\u201cThe \u2018convenience\u2019 of disposable everything,\u201d said Rick R.
It\u2019s killing the planet\u2014and draining wallets.<\/p>\n

21. Tipping<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sick of supplementing for corporations that refuse to pay a living wage,\u201d wrote Susan V.
Tipping culture has evolved into something far removed from its original intent, and for many, it now feels like a burden shifted onto the customer.<\/p>\n

The bigger picture<\/p>\n

People aren\u2019t saying all these things should vanish tomorrow. But when we start seeing convenience sold as necessity, and insecurity turned into billion-dollar markets, it’s worth asking: who benefits from all of this?<\/p>\n

And more importantly\u2014who pays?<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared earlier this year. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Here are 21 products, services, and systems people called out for pretending to be essential\u2014when they might actually…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":116884,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[2063,28,51853,2065,75641,75642,75644,147,530,250,3007,14364,75643],"class_list":{"0":"post-116883","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-personal-finance","8":"tag-aita","9":"tag-business","10":"tag-family-drama","11":"tag-inheritance","12":"tag-legal-advice","13":"tag-moral-dilemma","14":"tag-past-events","15":"tag-personal-finance","16":"tag-personalfinance","17":"tag-reddit","18":"tag-relationships","19":"tag-step-parenting","20":"tag-viral-stories"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116883"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116883\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/116884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}