8 Things Wealthy Families Have Quietly Stopped Buying in 2026, According To Anthony O'Neal
Want to know what separates people who actually build wealth from those who just talk about it? Look at what they're not buying.
Anthony O'Neal, bestselling author and host of "The Table With AO" (with over 1.1 million YouTube subscribers), recently posted a video breaking down eight categories of purchases that have quietly disappeared from wealthy households — and the reasoning behind each one is pretty eye-opening.
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Whether you're nowhere near wealthy or already there, these blind spots are probably costing you more than you realize.
1. TikTok Shop Items (and Other Impulse Buys)
O'Neal caught himself red-handed: $100 blown on TikTok Shop in a single session. "And you know what came in the mail?" he asked. "Trash."
The iPhone case he ordered was low-quality, shipped directly from China and typical of the experience. Here's the real cost: influencer marketing and flashy videos are getting the average TikTok Shop user to spend $300–$500 every month on "stuff that can literally break in a couple of weeks." That's not shopping; it's a subscription to buyer's remorse.
2. Gas Station Snacks and Small Fill-Ups
Those $10 fill-ups seem harmless, but they're actually a financial trap.
When you top off with small amounts, you visit the pump more often. And every visit? You're buying energy drinks, lotto tickets and snacks. These small purchases that feel insignificant until you realize they're draining hundreds a year. Beyond that, adding small amounts of gas to a thirsty tank can damage your fuel pump over time, turning a money leak into an expensive repair.
3. Video Games, Consoles and the Latest Releases
Here's where O'Neal got direct: if you're in your 30s or 40s and still "buying the latest and greatest PlayStation," there's a problem — not because gaming is bad, but because the math doesn't work.
Stop buying Xboxes. Stop dropping $70 on video games, then saying you're broke and can't afford to invest. Gaming isn't just expensive. It's a wealth eraser. Between the console, the games, the subscriptions and the hours spent, you're making a real financial sacrifice. Every hour grinding through a game is an hour you're not building a business, learning a skill or investing in your future.
Wealthy people protect their time like they protect their money. They treat it like an asset, because it is.
4. Financing a New Car
Here's the uncomfortable truth: most people are financing depreciating assets for nearly a decade.
The average new car costs around $50,000, with monthly payments hitting $775 over six years. O'Neal didn't mince words: "A nice car doesn't mean you've made it. And a nice car doesn't mean you're successful. A paid-off car means you've somewhat made it."
His own example? A Bentley. Paid in cash. But only after becoming consumer debt-free, after locking in his emergency fund and after investing 25% of his money.
5. Food Delivery Apps
"These apps are robbing us in broad daylight, and we're tipping them while we do it," O'Neal said.
Look at a single order: the app fee, the delivery fee, the driver tip, the inflated menu prices. A $12 meal becomes $25 in seconds. Multiply that by 20 orders a month, and you're hemorrhaging money on convenience while food delivery companies profit off our laziness.
6. Status Purchases
O'Neil said, "Stop buying things to impress people who don't pay your bills."
If you're making financial decisions based on other people's opinions, your wealth-building strategy is already broken. Wealthy people don't buy to broadcast success. They already know who they are.
7. Buy Now, Pay Later
O'Neal called it what it is: "The new payday loan, repackaged and made a little sexy."
BNPL isn't a feature. It's a warning sign. It means your budget is already broken, and you're just spreading the pain across multiple installments. If you need to split a purchase into payments, you can't afford it.
8. Expensive Toys and Designer Gear for Kids
Stop spending $50, $100, $150 on toys, Jordans and designer clothes for your children.
O'Neal put it bluntly when he said, "We're pouring thousands of dollars into toys that our children will play with for two months, maybe even three. Then those toys end up in a closet, end up in a trash bag, end up at your niece's or nephew's house."
Kids don't need more stuff. They need stability and watching their parents make smart financial choices is worth more than any brand name.
The Bottom Line
Here's what all eight of these purchases have in common: they feel small in the moment, necessary in the story you tell yourself, and completely justified by everyone around you who's doing the same thing.
But wealthy families stopped buying them anyway because they know every dollar spent on these purchases is a dollar that isn't working for you. And over a lifetime, that difference isn't just in the car you drive. It's in the life you build.
The question isn't whether you can afford these things. It's whether you can afford not to build wealth instead.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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