Asklemmy

Unless you have something in mind that you want, that you know you can get a good deal on, I think you would be better off saving your money than buying something you don't want/need just for the sake of a black Friday deal.

This whole black Friday thing gets hyped so much that you start to think "I better get in on these bargain prices," but the truth is that some retailers actually raise their prices on some things in October and then lower them back to regular 40% markup and call it a "SIZZILIN SALE PRICE!!!"

So in conclusion, if there's something you want, check different sources and compare prices. Otherwise, don't get scammed into thinking you're missing out, you are not. Source: I am 55 years old, have worked in retail.

Surprised nobody suggested condoms.

Personally when I was younger, I lost many account credentials and important files when my laptop got stolen at school so an external hard drive is worth it or even a subscription to a cloud based storage provider if you prefer that.

Edit: personally I'd go with an external drive (40ish usd for a tb)

A great rule of thumb I have adopted as an adult to save money, is anytime I wanna impulse buy something I write it it down.

Then I come back to it 2 weeks later and if I still really want it then, I buy it.

But so often after 2 weeks the novelty has warn off and I look at the list and go "ehhh, meh, nevermind I dont want it that bad actually"

If you can't answer this question for yourself, then you don't have any burning need to spend the money. Just keep it for when you find you actually have a need.

If you're not willing to invest it, and you don't already have something in mind you want to buy, then I say just save it.

Aside from that it depends on your hobbies. If it were me as a teenager it might be nice to get a decent fishing rod or multitool - something that you will use for a long time into adulthood.

Saving up to travel is also something you probably won't regret, and will create lifetime memories that define you.

Unless you have something specific you want, I'd advise not to spend money just for the sake of it, even for perceived savings from deals. That's part of the trick with Black Friday deals - marking things down to get people to buy things they wouldn't even think to get in the first place.

Avoid Black Friday unless you really do your research on the category of products beforehand. If you want to find great deals on stuff, buying used items is usually a good idea.

The answer might be vastly different depending on where you live, what things interest you, and so on. If you have a hobby already, get something related to your hobby.

Do you like tinkering with tech? Maybe buy a raspberry pi (or clone) to mess with, which can be awesome both for learning and for doing useful things for so many purposes.

Do you want to get in better shape? Maybe a resistance band, running shoes, or some weights.

Do you have an interest in art? Maybe a watercolor kit might be a good idea...

Basically it needs to be related to your goals and interests.

An electric toothbrush.

Don't spend your money because it's a " good deal". In theory your guardian(s) are covering the expenses the rest of as as adults just accept. Therefore take advantage and spend your money on what brings you joy.

Just because it's cheaper doesn't mean that you suddenly need it when you didn't need it before.

And just because they tell you it's cheaper doesn't mean that it is cheaper.

So go price something you want now, so that when the price theoretically falls you know whether it should be bought at all.

If you already have a hobby, invest in that. Otherwise try something new.

Or don’t participate in Black Friday and save it.

Most of the "stuff everyone should buy" is stuff you really don't need as a teenager, like cast-iron cookware or a stand mixer. If you have hobbies you want to pursue, you should find a specific group around that hobby and ask them. A lot of black Friday "deals" aren't really deals, though - some companies will actually produce lower quality product lines specifically for black Friday sales, so if you end up buying something big like a TV or something like that make sure you do a little research.

If you want general financial advice, I wouldn't put it in a retirement account like the other guy said. You have plenty of time for that, and you probably have milestones coming up that you'll want money for - buying a car, graduation celebrations, going to college, getting your own place, whatever. So saving it for that kind of stuff is never a bad idea.

Neither. Save your money.

If you really want to buy something invest in a hobby of yours. Buy an instrument, used camera lens, whatever you need to do something you like. Stuff like this may last you a long time if you stick with the hobby.

Sounds like you need a cheap guitar

My kids say a gaming system or games, computer hardware.

But only ever makes sense to buy something you already want. Price out the things you want today, at today's prices, so you can tell if there even IS a discount on black Friday. Spending on something just because it's cheap makes no sense.

That's a good question. It's hard to go back to my teen years but I'd suggest:

• buy a musical instrument and learn to play it, really doesn't mater which one. Especially during college years everyone who could play anything was suddenly a superstar
• buy some book to learn some skill, again doesn't matter that much what you learn. I don't know, like mixing cocktails? Sounds fun. For example by accident I learned "reading of hands". I quickly learned that it's bullshit but boy, was it an interresting thing to perform during parties in college
• Nothing really comes to my mind regarding of profesional development. Really at your level most of the stuff you can learn is free online and you don't need anything expensive

I wish I was a teen with $200 to burn again.

I have no idea what you should buy in particular but just have fun, you won't be a kid for long.

Probably a book reading device, then you can pirate books and stuff to save money.

Good shoes are priceless as a teenager. As an adult shoes don't seem to be half the problem they were as a teenager.

For example, applying for jobs is insane as a teenager because a lot of people are extremely judgy on mere whiffs of superficial appearances. Not cool enough, or too cool can sway some HR people. Don't expect to be vetted by rocket scientists!

Argh! Nightmare memories. I tried to pull off some casual looks that backfired horribly with various employers and interviewers.

100 isn't enough to really be worth anything too serious. The smart thing to do is either save it for something bigger or just have fun with it. Best way I spent 100 as a kid was on pizza and shit for me and my friends. A Minecraft server and some pizza is like 30 bucks, provides hours of fun

Concert tickets or a bicycle.

• Safety razor (e.g Merkur 34c)
• Wahl haircut clippers
• Redwings leather boots
• Top grain leather wallet

Any of this things cost less than $100 and easily can last a life time.

If you haven’t already, get a guitar and give it a go.

I’d it sticks (and lights you up), you’ll have a lifetime journey and millions of fellow musicians to share it with.

So here's the deal, you can buy a bunch of little trinkets and cool things that won't affect your quality of life in the long term, or you can save up for a few big life changing things.

My suggestion would be to save up a few paychecks for a four season canvas bell tent as your first big investment. I recently moved into one as part of my offgrid prepping and wished I got one as a teen.

Its essentially your own room outside the house (provided your parents backyard is big enough for a small tent). Why? A reliable long lasting portable shelter that you can live in and or have a place for your friends to hang out/ socialize. If your parents are the loud argumentative never stops fighting kind that get on your nerves, being able to just leave the house and go to your own personal sanctuary is a godsend. If you get comfortable enough with tent living it will open up to you the possibility of saving up money for cheap land and owning your own property somewhere nice and scenic. without ever getting into financial debt.

If you are a smoker particularly of pot invest in a nice dry herb vaporizer from arizer. The smoke is a lot less harsh on the lungs, there's practically no smell (my parents HATED the smell and chewed my ass when they caught a whiff)

A good Victorinox SAK. $50 and stays with you for life.

Also do not waste money on smartwatches. Buy a great analog wrist watch once for ~$200, that lasts a decade or two.

The concept of BIFL is rooted in timeless things, practically for human lifespan, and these items help you learn the skill to take care, nurture and cherish the things you have.

Invest in yourself. You may be able to follow an online course in your interest that your school doesn't offer. Like water color or audio mixing, guitar, video editing, coding etc.

Buy a copy of Minecraft, best purchase I ever made

Do you have any hobbies you like to do? I recommend investing in tools/supplies if that's your jam.

buy stuff in january when regrets kick in.

A lot of people in this thread are giving you weirdly specific advice about precise items to buy…

I noticed you’re considering buying a 3D printer with that budget. I think the answer depends somewhat on how often you come across money and what else you might spend it on. It’s good to be careful with your money, but part of being careful with it is doing some research to figure out when an item is too cheap to be worth it for you. There’s no one answer because it depends on what you value. In terms of the 3D printer, consider how much it will cost to run it, how much you want to use it, and what you might get out of it. I don’t know much about 3D printers, but I suspect if most people are telling you to get a $200 one instead of a $100 one it’s likely that the experience with a higher end one is noticeably better and less frustrating. If the quality of the parts is important to you and you’re not willing to put up with frustration when prints don’t work, or the printer needs maintenance, the extra money is probably well spent if you do want a 3D printer (and cheaping out might get you a 3D printer you won’t be happy with, which could be a bigger waste of money than a safer but more expensive purchase).

There are other options to consider. Libraries near you might have 3D printers you can use, and there are places to buy 3D printed models online (if you just want somebody to print them for you and are more interested in having some mini figures instead of the process of 3D printing). Buying 3D printed models from somebody else may cost less than getting a 3D printer, unless you think you’re going to make heavy use of it. It’s possible that you could also sell 3D printed stuff to recoup some costs if you do get a printer, but when making the decision I think you should assume you’ll make $0 from it and make sure you’re okay with the purchase in that case anyway.

My general rule of thumb is to wait a week or two before buying anything and then I’ll buy it if I still have the itch and am obsessing over it. There are always more sales too (and Black Friday deals will be going on all month). A 3D printer seems like a good purchase for a teen to me. There’s some cool skills you can learn that go alongside it. If you haven’t already look into some of the free software for creating models for printing (tinkercad, blender, etc). That’s a hobby you can get into with no money and might influence whether the printer would be worth it for you (can you make the things you want to make, or do you want to print models that others have made?)

Saving is great, but you should definitely reward yourself from time to time. "Retail therapy" as it's called, which can of course quickly turn into buyer's remorse.

I'd recommend a good pair of headphones priced around $50-75.

If you live somewhere wet, get a good quality waterproof coat. Like actually waterproof, not these fashion coats that really aren't. £100-200/but it'll last you at least 10 years. Assuming you're at the end of teenagerhood where you've finished growing.

Otherwise I'd save to get a hifi system of decent quality. Something like wharfedale diamond 9.1 speakers and a second hand NAD amp, 3.5mm to RCA cable. Would set you up for a long time of musical enjoyment.