Mistakes are inevitable. No matter how prepared you (think you) are, no matter how lucky you were born, at some point in time, you’re going to get into an accident that might set you back a lot financially. It hurts. It’s embarrassing. It’s devastating. But the silver lining is that you’re far from the only person to be in this predicament—lots of people can empathize with you.
Our team at Bored Panda has collected some of the most expensive fails to ever be shared on the internet, from smashed phones and broken home appliances to damaged cars and wrecked homes. Scroll down to check out the pics below. Remember, no matter how bad you think things can get, they can get a lot worse—and that, ironically, makes you more grateful for what you already have.
We wanted to learn how we can all become more financially and emotionally resilient no matter what may come, as well as how we can resist the temptation to keep upgrading our things to the latest models. Personal finance expert Sam Dogen, the founder of Financial Samurai and the author of Millionaire Milestones: Easy Steps to Seven Figures (out May 2025), was kind enough to share his thoughts on this. You'll find Bored Panda's interview with him below.
#1 Long Story Short, I Saw A Cockroach
Image credits: x313
"Financial shocks are inevitable—it’s not if they’ll happen, but when. The key to resilience is preparation, adaptability, and having the right mindset," Dogen explained to Bored Panda via email.
"The best financial defense is a cash cushion. Having 6–12 months’ worth of living expenses in a liquid account gives you breathing room when the unexpected happens. It’s not exciting, but cash provides options, and options reduce stress. At the same time, diversifying income streams is just as crucial. Relying on a single paycheck is risky, so whether it’s rental income, dividends, or a side hustle, having multiple sources of income makes you far more resilient when financial storms hit," the personal finance expert advised.
It's also essential to distinguish between the things that are within your control and those that you can't affect while also being active rather than passive. "Beyond financial preparation, controlling what you can control is just as important. You can’t prevent market crashes, layoffs, or recessions, but you can manage your spending, continuously build new skills, and make sure your investment portfolio is structured to withstand downturns. If you stay proactive instead of reactive, you’ll always be in a stronger position," Dogen said.
#2 My Mom Accidentally Left Her Mirror In Front Of The Window Over The Day. After Coming Back She Found This
Image credits: Saftgeaicht
#3 Looks Like I Won't Be Listening To My New Vinyl Record. Thanks, USPS
Image credits: 404forlife
"And when setbacks do happen, reframing them as temporary is key. No financial hardship lasts forever, and history has shown that recoveries always follow downturns. Hence, if we're talking about a big stock market sell-off, dollar-cost average in and stay the course. The people who win are those who keep a long-term perspective and use tough times as opportunities to learn, adapt, and even invest when others panic," he said.
"At the end of the day, resilience isn’t about avoiding financial hardship altogether—it’s about being prepared enough to navigate it with confidence and come out stronger on the other side."
Owning the newest models, makes, and gadgets might sound cool, but it can be a (bigger) drain on your finances. And if you feel compelled to keep upgrading everything all the time, you can feel like you're no longer in control. Bored Panda asked personal finance expert Dogen about resisting this temptation to keep buying the newest things.
"Some people are driven to own the newest, most expensive gadgets, cars, and status symbols because of a mix of psychological and social factors—fear of missing out (FOMO), the thrill of novelty, and the belief that these upgrades signal success. Marketers are brilliant at making us feel like what we have is suddenly outdated, nudging us to spend money unnecessarily," the founder of Financial Samurai explained.
#4 Facade Wall Contractors Used A Drill Too Long For The Job
Was showering for 10 mins, when I realized, two rooms were in this state...
Image credits: RealTeslaFan
#5 Put Them In Oven On Purpose To Hide Them From Kids. Forgot About Them
Image credits: _Dahl_
#6 This Is A Prime Example Of Why You Don't Park In Front Of A Hydrant
Image credits: justacarguy
"But if you step back and ask, Is my current phone, car, or gadget still doing its job? The answer is probably 'yes.' The trick to resisting the urge to constantly upgrade is shifting your mindset from chasing to appreciating. If you focus on functionality over hype, you’ll realize that holding onto something longer—especially when it still works just fine—is an underrated wealth-building move," he said.
"One of the most important personal finance ratios I’ve developed is The House-To-Car Ratio. If you want to build more wealth, aim for a ratio of 30 or higher. The reasoning is simple: a house is generally an appreciating asset, while a car is almost always a depreciating one," Dogen told us.
"To improve your ratio, either buy a less expensive car or hold onto your car longer. As your car’s value declines over time, your House-To-Car Ratio naturally increases—letting depreciation work in your favor instead of against you. The longer you resist the temptation to upgrade, the more your wealth compounds where it truly matters."
#7 Phone Slipped Out Of My Pocket While Go Karting And Became Wedged Under The Kart. This Is What I Found At The End Of The Lap
Image credits: podsyboy121
#8 30 Inch Water Main Break Caused By Contractor Work
Image credits: IronHe
#9 How To Lose Almost Half A Million In 24 Hours. [oc] Porsche 911 Gt3 Rs Put In A River The Day After It Was Purchased
Image credits: Acceptable_Twist_565
According to Dogen, another great exercise is to calculate what you would save by delaying unnecessary upgrades and investing that money instead. "Put $1,000 into the market instead of a new phone, and in 20 years, that could be worth $5,000 or more. Small decisions like this compound over time and can mean the difference between financial independence and being stuck on the hedonic treadmill," he said.
"I used to think I’d upgrade my car after 10 years, but after driving my dad’s 28-year-old beater in Honolulu, my decade-old car suddenly feels brand new. Perspective is everything. The key is learning to enjoy what you have rather than constantly craving something new. That’s how real wealth—and contentment—is built."
#10 Friend Of Mine Posted This Photo Of The Job Site Today
Image credits: rabaful
#11 When You Live In Svalbard, Norway And Forgot To Close The Window To The Home Office
Image credits: Kjakan
#12 Forgot I Was Heating Oil For French Fries
Image credits: fasada68
You cannot allow yourself to live in constant fear and paranoia that something bad will happen, because all that chronic worry will destroy your health. Naturally, many things will inevitably go wrong in your life. Over and over again. Mistakes, accidents, and rejection are a part of life. How you react to situations that you can’t control, despite your best preparation, is what matters.
On the one hand, you can blame yourself and/or the world for your bad luck, and stew in your misery. On the other hand, you can see failure as an opportunity for growth, flexibility, and improvement. (You get bonus points if you can laugh and stay optimistic in the face of adversity.)
Some mistakes are going to cost you more money, time, and energy than others. Spilling your morning coffee on your shirt during rush hour can be embarrassing and yucky, but it’s likely not going to break the bank. Having your car, home, or expensive new gadget wrecked due to a run of bad luck, meanwhile, is going to set you back immensely.
#13 Driving Into Your Garage With Your Bike Still Attached To You Cars Roof
Image credits: Redomdant
#14 Ever Make A $100,000 Mistake?
Recently moved to shipping for a ink making company. While unloading a dark trailer, I punctured a 2000# tote of water based ink. The entire thing emptied in a matter of seconds. The entire trailer, dock door, and outside was turned blue. Even thou its water based it still had water pollutants in it so EPA had to be called in due to it getting into the sewer. The specialty company that was called in to clean up has spent the last 3 weeks digging up the sewer and surrounding ground that had been contaminated. A few days of heavy rain hasnt helped the clean up at all. Needless to say I had a nervous break down and missed 2 days of work. Got a call asking if I quiting, which would possibly lead to criminal charges. Being close to 3 weeks out I can finally think back and sorta laugh at this situation.
Image credits: M0NG00SY
#15 I Accidentally Dropped My Perfume Bottle
Image credits: YRob_Redditor3
Your ability to weather the storm is going to depend on your character (i.e., how you respond to immense stress) and your finances (whether or not you have enough resources to replace the loss).
Broadly speaking, the better off you are financially, the more of a safety net you have when it comes to unforeseen events. If your income is bigger than your expenses, if you’ve got enough savings and investments, then you can quite easily pay to repair the damage done without compromising your lifestyle. Not everyone is as lucky, though.
On the other hand, if you’re living paycheck to paycheck, every additional expense can be a major headache that forces you to sacrifice important aspects of your life, whether that’s paying for food, fuel, bills, clothes education, etc.
Repairing a damaged phone, appliance, or car isn’t just an inconvenience, it’s now a question of survival. That’s why it’s so important to have some sort of emergency budget that you can fall back on when times get tough.
#16 Before You Ask, It's A Jackfruit
Image credits: americanthaiguy
#17 Gonna Be A Long Day
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#18 Flooding Inside Duke Hospital In Durham, North Carolina Due To A Burst Pipe
Image credits: Chimney_Bat
Any emergency fund is better than having nothing, but obviously, the bigger it is, the more flexibility you have when you have to replace an expensive item, transition between jobs, deal with sudden illnesses, etc.
That being said, you also want to enjoy yourself, eat well, invest in your health and fitness, take care of your family, travel, and spend time on your hobbies.
So you have to find a balance between saving enough money each month to forge a sizeable emergency fund (and, ideally, also setting aside another part of your savings for investing) and actually spending your money to make the most of life.
HSBC notes that your emergency fund is the money you save and put aside to cover a financial shock without going into debt. This fund, hopefully, gives you some peace of mind that you can weather the storm.
According to the bank, you should aim to have between 3 and 6 months’ essential expenses covered. The fund should be enough for you to pay your rent or mortgage, groceries, and utilities.
#19 Played At Topgolf For The First Time Yesterday. This Is What I Found When I Got To My Car
Image credits: Jb9723
#20 Guy Dropped A $40,000 Pallet Of Glass On His First Day
Image credits: MrTenenbaum7
#21 Driving My Wife's New Car (Still On The First Tank Of Gas) When This Happened
Image credits: Jay_from_NuZiland
A large part of figuring out how big your emergency fund should be comes down to being honest with yourself while you look through all of your expenses. It can be uncomfortable, but you have to figure out what you can back on in case of a financial shock.
For instance, getting a cup of coffee in town and going for dinner at a nice restaurant are, obviously, things many people enjoy, but they aren’t essential.
Other areas where you can cut back when things get tough include paying for streaming and other services, expensive food deliveries, vacations, shopping for random things online, etc.
Furthermore, you can always consider replacing your damaged gadgets and appliances with (hopefully) more physically resilient and budget-friendly variants. The freshest upgrade might not always make the most sense economically.
#22 A $5,000,000 Oops
Image credits: sdoodle
#23 Taking A Shower For The First Time In The House I Just Bought 🤡
My first ever house! The tiles hit me on their way down. I got out of the shower and simply walked away to make/have a coffee because I can not mentally handle this yet.
Image credits: Euphoric-Ordinary441
#24 My Kid Poured Candle Wax Down The Drain
Image credits: Texas12thMan
However, not everyone agrees with the idea behind the fund worth 3 to 6 months of expenses. For many families, this is a lofty goal that is very difficult to reach.
Economist Emily Gallagher from the University of Colorado Boulder told CNBC Select that low-income American households should aim to save $2,467. This amounts to roughly a month’s worth of income if you’re earning around $30,000 per year in a family of four. This is a more realistic target, according to Gallagher.
#25 Couple Accidentally Roll Into River While “Getting Busy” Inside Their Car
Image credits: CBS Philadelphia
#26 A Truck Carrying A Tank Of White Paint Dropped It On The Road
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#27 Someone Broke My Friends Bass In Half
Image credits: Weebtrashgirl665
CNN reports that American shoppers may be “starting to tap out” as their spending slows. Retail sales rose just 0.2% in February compared to January 2025, as per the Commerce Department. This was lower than the 0.7% increase that was projected and expected. In other words, Americans are becoming more cautious of their spending as they’re becoming more stretched.
Spending in February declined the most at department stores, restaurants, bars, and gasoline stations. On the flip side, spending rose online and at health stores.
#28 Just Bought This Underwater Protective Case In Thailand And Went Swimming With It
Image credits: OhCrapMyNameIsTooLon
#29 My Wife Said She Had Something Crazy To Show Me After We Ate Lunch
Image credits: bigandy1105
#30 Someone Reversed Their Boat Trailer Into My Rental
Image credits: vikingmushrooms
What is the most expensive thing you’ve ever had to repair or replace in your entire life, dear Pandas? What exactly happened? Did you have an emergency budget to help you back then or did you have to scrimp and save for months to afford the replacement?
How do you typically react when things go very, very wrong? Do you tend to panic or are you always as cool as a cucumber? We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments below.
#31 Yesterday I Forgot To Bring My Arm Down While Driving A Crane Inside
Image credits: iPandaPlayz
#32 Cable Guy Drills A Hole In The Side Of House, Into A Closet, Through A Guitar Case, And Right Through A Martin Hd-28v
Image credits: reddit.com
#33 My Cat Decided To Share Her Lunch With Me Via My Headphones
Image credits: Sloshy42
#34 Lawn Service Used The Wrong Herbicide On My Neighbor’s 1 Acre Yard
Image credits: mlhigg1973
#35 My Friend Arrived At His House And Left His School Backpack In His Car, Moments Later Heard A Breaking Sound And Returns To This With All His School Notes And Books Gone
That is why you never leave something important in your car but the city where we are (Quebec City) this is super rare.
Image credits: QuebecPilotDreams15
#36 This Is At Least $700k Worth Of LED Video Wall, According To People In The Know
Image credits: LasVegasLocally
#37 I Was Tightening The Last Bolt At The Roof Edge Of The Construction When The Spanner Slipped From My Hand And Fell On The Solar Panel On The Adjacent Building
Image credits: Grothorious
#38 Plane Crashed Into Newly Built House
Image credits: ThreeWheelBen
#39 WCGW By Grilling Next To Your Siding?
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#40 I Think I’m Going To Need A Bigger Bucket
Image credits: TheNightMan5000
#41 Was Out Desert Riding And Went To Check The Time Just To Find This
Image credits: LukeTheProto
#42 My Mom Left Her Car For 2 Months, Came Back To It Covered In Mold
Image credits: FeaRoFDerbi
#43 Less Than 10 Minutes Ago, A Delivery Guy Forgot To Use His Handbrake On Our Steep Driveway. His Car Rolled Over The Ledge And Garden And Then Fell In Front Of Our Living Room 3-4 Metres Down
Image credits: jourdeaux
#44 Aluminium Pots And Pans Can Melt On An Electric Stove If All The Water Is Gone And It's Left On For A Long Time
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#45 Tech Repair Client Did This To ‘Combat Overheating’
Image credits: BrysonicLightning
#46 Daughter Left The Garden Hose Running Outside All Night And It Managed To Flood My Basement
Image credits: Elden_Sage
#47 Someone's Insurance Company Isn't Going To Be Happy
Image credits: PlebBot69
#48 Fire Inspector Accidentally Set Off My Ansul System
Image credits: BadFishCM
#49 New Photos Of The $80 Million Mars Ingenuity Helicopter, Showing A Blade Completely Broken Off And Lodged Into A Martian Sand Dune
Image credits: Booty_Bumping
#50 In Ten Seconds I'm Going To Discover The Value Of Lifejackets And Renter's Insurance
Image credits: dbcannon
#51 Candle Was Super Fragrant Last Night... Now I Know Why!
Image credits: TomSF
#52 Recently Tried An Expensive Rental Clothing Subscription. UPS Threw The Package Of Clothes/Bags Into My Backyard. I Have Two Puppies
Image credits: Mckinzel
#53 Had A Leak Develop In Our Laboratory This Morning. Nobody Was On Campus To Catch It So There Was 4 Inches Of Standing Water And Countless Ruined Pieces Of Equipment
Image credits: anothergrad_student
#54 My 5-Year-Old Son Got Upset That It Was His Bedtime And Threw A 50-Cent Yo-Yo At My 77" Sony Oled. The Yo-Yo Won, And The TV's Done
Image credits: inkjilla
#55 Crashed Stealth Bomber
Image credits: Blue_Cheez
#56 GF Accidentally Spilled Hot Wax On Ps5
Image credits: AppleJerk69
#57 New Airpod Fell Into Paint
Image credits: verycoldadventurer
#58 Phone Slipped Out Of My Pocket At About 9 Thousand Feet While Skydiving. Found It Shattered On The Runway, But Somehow It Is Still Semi-Functional
Image credits: palmbeachnole
#59 My Dad Said He Would Make Dinner Today And Grilled The Expensive Bullet Steak I Bought. This Is The Result
Image credits: eternityforum
#60 Apparently There's A Staple Sticking Upon This Bench
Image credits: gilbertsmith
#61 Spent 10 Minutes Looking For The Drip Tray For The Forman Grill, After I Turned It On
Image credits: Kimritto
#62 Slipped In The Shower, Landed On The Toilet
Image credits: Bonsonoptic
#63 Ever Left Your Fuel Door Open And Gas Cap Off, Then Driven Home? Well Then, This Should Make You Feel Better
Image credits: vinchenzo68
#64 My Wife’s iPhone Was Dangling From Her Pocket While Karting
Image credits: KilllerWhale
#65 Diaper Got Mixed With Laundry And Went Into Washing Machine. Everything Is Covered In Absorbent Hydro Gel
Toddler loves hiding things. Put used diaper in laundry basket, we didn’t notice and put clothes in washer. Diaper expanded, exploded and covered everything with hydro gel.
Image credits: SpelunkPlunk
#66 My Kids (Age 3 & 5) Decided To Paint My Switch With Tattoo Ink
I had a home tattoo kit in my closet on the shelf (about 7 feet of the ground) don't know how they got to it. They stole the ink and rubbed it all over the house while my spouse was cooking lunch. (I was at work) But I'm pretty sure my switch is toast.
Image credits: Anthony_Walsh
#67 Just Set Up New Monitor, Chair Slipped Under Me And I Hit The Desk, And Monitor Fell And Broke
Image credits: Shanghai_Pete
#68 Tried To Dry My Running Shoes
So, yesterday I ran in my new-ish running shoes (50 miles) in the pouring rain. Washed out all the mud and left to dry, but today they were still soaked so I put them near the fireplace. Apparently, TOO near.
Image credits: joaoqrafael
#69 Left The Stove On Accidentally For 5 Hours, Noticed When I Came Back Home. There Goes My Gas Bill… At Least I Didn’t Burn My Place Down
Image credits: Chocogalletauwu
#70 My Wedding Ring Slipped Off And Fell Down The Gap Between The Sink And The Wall. The Gap's Very Deep. This Is In A Bnb And Checkout Is In 11 Hours
Only way to get a visual on the ring was to use the selfie camera, hence the second picture is so out of focus
Image credits: neddin
#71 This Is My 2nd Set Of Ipods That I Have Idiotically Left In My Pockets And Washed. Please Mock Me
Image credits: VerboseWraith
#72 Forgot To Let The Faucet Drip
Image credits: sk-3y3_HIGH
#73 It's My First Summer In Arizona. Left My Laptop In My Car. Lesson Learned
Image credits: CarbonWood
#74 Pricey Chew Toy
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#75 Paint Lid Wasn't Closed Properly By The Store
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#76 I Was Mowing The Lawn And Found Some Money :(
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#77 I'm Glad I Paid For The Deluxe Room Upgrade In This 4 Star Hotel. And Yes, My Back Is To The Wall
Image credits: SpaceGirl_902
#78 Overnight Coworker Sent Me This Last Night
Image credits: D0nk3yPunch912
#79 Don’t Buy The Cheapest Carport On Amazon
Image credits: FightingWithSporks
#80 Plumbers Broke Through This Foundation To Add Pipes, Compromising The Structural Support Of The Home
Image credits: DMAS1638
#81 Someone Without Insurance Hit My Neighbors Ferrari
Image credits: Royp212
#82 Next Time I Won't Park Next To A Softball Field
Image credits: itsgoodpain
#83 Witnessed This Crash! Db12
Image credits: manojadithya
#84 Imagine Rear-Ending A Car Worth Over 1 Million Euros
Image credits: Random_Introvert_42
#85 My GF's Mirror Melted My Monitor
Image credits: king_willy_boi
#86 Accidentally Stepped On My Glasses And They Went Half. Don't Have Money For New Ones
Image credits: SoulRikaAR
#87 My Upstairs Neighbor Dropped A Quart Of Milk And It's Dripping Into My Apartment
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#88 New House New Stupid Expenses I Guess
Image credits: warmseizuresalad
#89 Got Up At Night To Get A Glass Of Water, Accidentally Dropped It At The Counter, Didn't Notice It Had Hit The Stove. Woke Up Today To Find Out It Made A Huge Crack On It
Image credits: StonedSumo
#90 It Was A Sad Morning…
Ever accidentally dropped $200 down the sink? This bottle was new. If anyone has recommendations for other serums that aren’t as expensive I will gladly accept them!
Image credits: little_traveler
#91 I Lost My Phone On A Festival, A Few Hours Later I Found It Burning Next To The Campfire
Image credits: lennardfuell
#92 90° And Another 6 Hours Until High Tide
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#93 My Girlfriend’s Perfume Fell From The Medicine Cabinet And Broke Our Sink
Image credits: Sorry-Human
#94 Knocked A Candle Onto My Brand New Boots
Image credits: Witness_Lower
#95 Was On My Way To Work And Accidentally Wrecked My Truck Today. Physically I Got Lucky, But Financially I'm In Trouble
Image credits: AdChemical5203
#96 Family Member Gave Us A Cubby House For Free. This Is How They Dropped It Off
Image credits: Pubcrawlguy
#97 Accidently Dropped An Expensive Bottle Of Cologne That I Used Only Twice
Highly recommend though! I get a lot of compliments from it.
Image credits: Showgoer9
#98 Well, It Happened. I Accidentally Pressed My Joke Amazon Dash Button That Orders A Kia Sorento
Image credits: MULCH_EATER
#99 It's The Only Thing He Hit All Day
Image credits: TimKellySports
