What exactly are we wasting our money on?
As Brits prepare to clear out their cupboards during the big Spring Clean, PriceRunner reveals that we could have wasted up to £920 million buying fad-gadgets, or “fadgets”.
Lots of gadgets are good investments but many of us have at least one that is used once and then left languishing at the back of cupboards, so which are the most costly fadgets?
Shopping comparison website Pricerunner.co.uk looked at the cost of the latest must-have gadgets and how often they are most typically used to reveal the ‘cost per use’ (CPU) to show which gadgets are good investments and which are best left on the supermarket shelf.
Top of the fadget list is the newly revived, 80s sensation the Soda Stream. According to PriceRunner’s CPU, it is the most expensive with the average fizzy drink costing £48.39 per glass. With a multi pack of six cans of branded Cola now only costing on average £2 in the shops, it is no wonder shoppers’ interest in home-made soda has gone flat.
As we approach summer, ice-cream maker sales rise but consumers might want to think again as the CPU shows the average ice cream can cost people up to £26.92 to make just one litre, over £20 more than a standard tub of ice cream in supermarkets.
We’re no better out of the kitchen either, despite keep fit promises the pedometer is one of those investments that rarely reaps benefits costing the majority of Brits £24.98 per fitness excursion.
Best items to invest in
However, the YouGov survey shows that not all fadgets are a waste. With Brits becoming more security conscious, nearly two thirds have a paper shredder and 75 per cent of these use it at least once a month. With a CPU, as calculated by PriceRunner, of only £4.26, shredders are a worthwhile investment helping to prevent ID fraud.
Also, as a nation of coffee lovers, the espresso maker is one of the most frequently used gadgets listed in the YouGov survey, with 51 per cent who have one at home using it at least a few times a week, and has a low CPU (65p per use). Other items that are worth spending money on are iPhone speakers (29p per use) and, somewhat surprisingly, spaghetti measurers (24p per use). Cheaper than a bowl of pasta in a restaurant, a spaghetti measurer saves time, hassle and can prevent food waste.
Brits get fit…or at least try to…
And if you look round our homes, Britain is a nation obsessed with getting fit, with over a third of us having gym equipment at home, with almost two in five using it at least a few times a week – a far better investment than a pedometer with 44 per cent of people with them in the household using them less than once a year or never. And while a quarter of the nation have juicers or smoothie makers, perhaps as an attempt to get their ‘5 a day’, it could be more like ‘5 a month’ with 16 per cent of them using them on a monthly basis.
Alison Guise, MD for PriceRunner.co.uk says: “In the current economy shoppers are on the lookout for ways to save money, such as investing in an espresso machine to make coffee at home rather than buying a take away cup, but our study shows that many of the items we think will save us money turn out to be fads that are rarely used. Before making an investment, think realistically about your lifestyle and if it will make a difference; will it save you time and money? If you think yes – then make sure you look around for the best deals to keep that cost per use low.”
To decide whether an item should stay or go or to help you make informed decisions when buying a product, check out PriceRunner’s ‘cost per use’ calculator: http://www.pricerunner.co.uk/switched-on-tech/article/which-gadgets-give-you-best-value-money