45 Dumb Mistakes From Regular Folks That Make Us Feel Good About Our Life Decisions
By Aileen D
Everyone makes mistakes. We are human, and it’s ok from time to time. But, the ones on this list had us bursting into a fit of laughter, making us question what the heck these people were thinking. We’re grateful for the Redditors who shared these photos for us to discover them. It almost makes us feel good about the string of life decisions we have made so far. For example, you will learn that one guy had mistaken his soy sauce for pancake syrup. Another had put Shoji doors (yes, the Japanese doors) as a partition in a home with a pair of cats. You can imagine how that went down. You might have found yourself in situations like most of these folks ended up in, in which case, you should be able to laugh at yourself just like these next folks did. Take a walk down laughter lane with some of the most dumbfounding mistakes you will ever witness.
Like the Good Old Days
There is nothing like rock music to get your head banging and your body moving. So, when this man found out that his favorite band was going to perform at the local music festival, he immediately bought tickets and a cheap tent for the event.
He knew something was wrong as soon as he started unboxing it. The whole length of the tent had been as long as his arm, and when he had finished setting it up, he couldn’t help but run a hand through his hair. Sheesh. Bailing on the music fest wasn’t an option, so he ended up taking this tent to the event.
Word Play
School used to get boring sometimes, but we never ran out of ways to pass the time while sitting in Geometry class, or better yet, detention. We had always thought that teachers loved to make our lives miserable. But as it turns out, even they were bored out of their skulls with their jobs.
Whether or not he had noticed it, this had a lot of students giggling. No one bothered to tell him. Oddly, students were more eager to finish and ace the test. The last student to leave the room thought he saw a glimmer in his teacher’s eye.
Larger Than Life
Every once in a while, this fur mum buys her fur child a treat. It doesn’t matter if it’s a cake, a dog bone, or a new toy. It’s a small price to pay to see her furchild’s tail wagging vigorously. Since Christmas was just around the corner, dog mom BuddyBonButt thought to order a treat online weeks in advance.
This tiny ball of fluff looked quizzically at her. She nervously chuckled and thought to herself, “Yeah, there’s no way of getting that to shrink to your size. But it might help if we slathered some barbecue sauce over it.” She was met with another bark of excitement.
Looks for Product Reviews
One thing we love about buying items online is the ease it brings when purchasing products for loved ones. You don’t have to break the bank or get off the couch. All you need to do is to thumb through your phone, list in hand and good intentions in check. Oh, and don’t forget to check the product dimensions.
Reddit user cewallace9 has had it with his cat making a scratching post out of everything in the house. So, he thought he might buy the furball one of his own. He was surprised to receive the package, fully in his palm, and realized that he had made a mistake purchasing one fit for a mouse.
From Me to You
What are some of the ways you tell your loved ones that you have been thinking about them? Well, for one, this Reddit user thought of sending her friends some customized gifts. To start with, it had been wrapping paper. She completed the order details and sent them.
Reddit cupcake claims that there had been a massive mistake, and instead of having customized wrapping paper to adorn those gifts, she received a massive poster of her face. What did she do with it? Well, she hung it on the wall, as would anyone else.
Try Listening To Your Own Advice
When this teacher asked his students to write an essay about British Socialism, he expected minimal corrections and perfect tenses. He was disappointed. There were red marks on most of his students’ papers. One of his students thought he should walk the talk after noticing this glaring mistake.
Oh, the nerve this guy has. What good is his advice if he couldn’t even “avoid making mistakes” when handing out comments? He must have thought he could cover it up with White Out. But that didn’t work at all. Students are quick to notice.
Human Repellant
If Reddit user brentf2000 were to describe his mom, he would be quick to say devoted. She has never tried to cook breakfast for him, even now that he’s an adult. But, lately, she has tried to make a hobby out of cooking and baking, seeing how she enjoys doing it during her spare time.
It was only now that he discovered that his mom held deeply-seated resentments. She promised him a batch of cinnamon rolls. But she had sprayed the pan with bug repellent instead of non-stick baking spray and only realized it after baking them.
Sure. Blame Autocorrect.
We have heard that most moms suffer from serious brain farts during pregnancy. Some have worn their clothes backward, forgotten the year and the month, and ordered food from the hardware store. One uncle had taken to the internet after finding out that his pregnant friend ate baby poop!
Sure, yeah. Blame that on auto-correct. He filled the cart with cloth diapers and disposable ones, hauled these on his truck, and then dropped them at his friend’s house. “Remember to dispose of the poop. I can always buy you some pudding when you need some!” he said.
Wasn’t Enough
Nature has a way of ensuring karma. This squirrel frequented this backyard because of the free food dangling from the tree. He didn’t have to scrounge for berries or quarrel for nuts. All he had to do was press on a button and wait for the dispenser to give him a mouthful.
Being the petty squirrel that he was, he wanted more. He snuck himself into the tube and found himself trapped. All the other squirrels didn’t dare rescue him, lest they end up in the same place. But the silver lining to this is he’s got a month’s supply of food in there with him.
The Only One in the World
Since masks are here to stay, this woman thought she could order a custom-made one online. She came across a shop that nearly had a five-star review. While reading what other customers had to say about their orders, she grew antsier to have one drawn over her face.
Sure, it looked like a mask, and she could tell that it was her mouth and chin. But why in the world had she chosen this selfie to base the mask design on? Guess she hadn’t thought this pose would look disastrous on a custom-made mask and has since vowed to change her selfie pose for the camera.
Return to Sender
Reddit user FrrriskyWhiskey has had enough of deliverymen and couriers ringing the doorbell. She can’t get enough sleep with someone knocking on the door every two seconds. Just last week, she had received groceries and wondered who they were from…only to discover that they were dropped off at the wrong house.
This week had been pretty much the same. But instead of receiving canned goods, bread, and some deli meat, she had received boxes of Bubly sparkling water. This time, she left the stack of flavored water out front so the courier wouldn’t have to disturb her during her afternoon nap.
Needs an Uno Reverse
After battling cancer for several months, this Reddit user’s dog passed away in his sleep one morning. Reddit user Reindeer-Bandit found his dog at the foot of the stairs and then brought him to the vet. A couple of hours later, he took him home in this urn. He took to social media for someone to console him. He was sorely disappointed.
He posted the picture online to inform everyone that his dog had passed. Many offered their condolences, except for one. That lone friend had thought that this Reddit user had been holding up a deck of Uno cards, and invited him over for play. Reckon he needed a reverse card to undo the mistake?
Forget Muscle Cramps
We are only getting used to the idea of ordering our weekly groceries online. Sometimes fresh produce comes at expensive costs due to transport fees. But this Reddit user has found a nearby mart that caters to locals. So, he punched in his order details and then waited for his merch to arrive at the front door.
The first thing that shocked him was the purchase bill. It was a good thing he had excess cash in hand. As he reviewed the receipt, he realized that he had ordered thirteen pounds of bananas instead of just five. He placed all of these on the countertop and wondered just what to do with them.
Needs Some Salt
Breakfast is the first meal upon waking up, and it can make or break your general mood for the day. So, Reddit user sirffluffyington headed over to the kitchen and cracked some eggs for his delicious french toast. He blindly reached for the syrup in his cupboard and then poured it over his meal.
Not needing to brew coffee, his bloodshot eyes immediately shot open from his glaring mistake. Sure, you need some salt every day, but he definitely didn’t need this much on his toast. In fact, doesn’t toast taste much better with pancake syrup slathered over it?
Throne of Ice
If you are the type to punch in for work for the money, then you must find it absolutely dreadful to wake up in the morning, especially on Mondays. Most employees mindlessly go through paperwork. And that would have been the routine had someone been more careful while cleaning the men’s room.
Everyone wondered where the smoke was coming from. It almost looked like an experiment gone wrong until they followed the trail going to the men’s room. There, they found this stall that had dry ice billowing from the seat. How would you feel taking a dump on this icy throne?
Breaking News
It had been an uneventful morning when locals read the morning paper. Many were sipping coffee, and most had it spewing from their mouths as soon as they had read that a local terrorist had been hanging about in jazz clubs. Many quickly phoned the local police department to relay his whereabouts.
Chris Searle was awakened by a series of loud beatings on his door. “Open up. It’s the police!” Cold sweat covered him as he shuffled towards the door. He told them that he was a modest man making a living off of dollars thrown in his case at the jazz club. The local newspaper quickly cleared the mistake.
Someone’s Buying Beer
Just when this guy thought that Monday couldn’t get any worse, this happened. He had raced to the streets en route to work and nearly spilled his coffee on his shirt. He took his time sorting out paperwork and made it till the end of the shift. He was over it by the time he walked to his bike and found out that someone had locked their bikes together!
His brows met. He yanked at the chain hoping that it would come undone. But try as he might, he wasn’t going anywhere. He stomped his foot and looked for something to write a note with. He might as well enter the pub and bide his time there. Oh, he could wring his hands around that stranger’s neck!
Left to Your Imagination
This manager thought it was best to have his staff wear a uniform. He sought a designer that offered a reasonable price for polo shirts with a logo on them. By the next week, a box of shirts was waiting for him at the office steps, but he hadn’t noticed this innocent mistake until one of his employees pointed it out.
“Is this what I think it means?” The young lad cocked an eyebrow at him and then waited for a reply. It seemed like forever until this manager realized the glaring mistake. “It’s meant to be an A! Look at the guy blowing his sax.” The young lad’s grin spread even further. Yeah, sure.
To Last The Next Millenium
You can never have too much of a good thing, except in this case, where this Reddit user had ordered too much of a certain household product. It hadn’t been his first time purchasing items online. But it had been his first-time neglect to review the order details for the baking soda.
Reddit user GetMoneyMyrick thought he would be able to save himself some time with this hack, but he had, instead, ended up wasting precious money. He sighs deeply and puts his hands in his pockets. “Just what am I going to do with this stuff?” It was more than enough to last until the next millennium.
Holiday Greetings
This guy was in the holiday cheer when he pulled out a roll of Christmas lights from the box. He steadied the ladder and climbed his way to the roof where he strung the lights from one end of the house to another. He couldn’t wait to show everyone what he had done until he found out he had made a big mistake.
That is enough to make anyone a Christmas grinch. But instead of letting it get to him, he asked his younger brother to switch the wirings so his effort wouldn’t go to waste. By nightfall, their house decorations rivaled the community’s Christmas tree.
Parenting Skills 101
Most parents rely on tablets and phones to preoccupy their kids while attending to household chores. But not this one. Reddit user Bing Err Drone Pilot knows it’s better for his child to read paperback books or to play with toys. So while driving, he lets his kid play with a suction cup toy.
It kept falling off the dashboard each time he anchored it. He was late for work, and he needed to distract his kid with something. This genius thought he could stick the suction cup toy to his forehead and buy himself a couple of minutes of uninterrupted peace. The only thing that bought him was public ridicule.
Another Face Palm Situation
These guys thought it was best to install a new rain gutter during the summer. They had enough cash on hand to buy one and more than enough manpower to get the job done within the day. But they realized they had made a glaring mistake.
Now, they had to remove the whole thing and redo the installation. This time, both men were careful to position the ladder beside the gutter to keep the mistake from happening again. Reddit user Bobward, stood at a stone’s throw away, sipping a cold beer, watching his uncles finish the gutter installation. “Attaboys!”
Try Using It
Reddit user thesaucier1 has made a living repairing cars. He has been at it for over a decade now. People have come to him with the craziest engine malfunctions, but he hadn’t come across one as hilarious as this. His customer had complained of hearing scratching sounds while they were on their way to work.
Even before opening the hood, he could hear the sound of nails scratching against metal. But it hadn’t sounded like rats. This was louder. He took a step back, trying to catch his breath. As expected, the critter sneered at him and bared its fangs.
Got an Itch?
It was Reddit user Love2Go’s job to buy the groceries last week. Now, it had been her boyfriend’s. She gave him a dismissive nod as he placed the paper bags on the counter. He put away the groceries in their rightful places. By the end of the week, Love2Go had been wondering why her toothpaste lost its menthol aftertaste.
She looked down at the tube in horror and realized that he had switched the tubes on the countertop. She placed the fluoride toothpaste inside the cup and squeezed a generous amount on her toothbrush. She smiled at herself in the mirror. “Minty fresh, just the way I like it.”
An Ugly Truth
There is a good reason why most students stay clear of the library. Many have complained of returning a book and being met with furrowed brows or being billed a library fee that’s twice the amount. Recently, their librarian put up this poster on the wall. Many hadn’t been amused.
“Mistakes are proof that you are trash.” Of course, those who are high-strung on sarcasm were quick to dismiss the insult. Some laughed. But only Redditors had taken to the joke. What would you do if you had this librarian in your school?
Pays to Show People Respect
After weeks of anticipation, everyone’s phone was buzzing with news about their internship. Some were accepted into ivy league firms, and others, like Naomi, were accepted into NASA. Naomi couldn’t keep a lid on it. She just had to update everyone on all her social media accounts.
Language, Naomi. You can never be too old, or in this case, too smart, to show other people respect. We can just imagine how Naomi felt as she read Hickam’s reply – like a bucket of ice had been poured over her head.
Thanks to the Knew Guy
This store manager put out an ad for someone to help at the bakery. He didn’t need to impose much, just that he could rely on them to show up and ask questions if they didn’t understand anything. He hired a guy and assigned him to take orders and occasionally decorate the cakes. By the end of the week, he was out.
If that cake didn’t bring a smile to your face, then we’re sure the “knew” did. At least, the guy knew when to use “you’re” from “your.” So, how about helping yourself to a slice of this scrumptious cake? Go ahead! Hurriedly slice away at the “knew.” We’re certain that this mistake ate away at the new hire.
Where Your Tithe Goes
As kids, we had always wondered why we had to offer valuable items in mass. “The priest sure must be in a celebratory mood with a chalice of wine,” we thought. Or, “What do they spend this much money on?” as we’re holding the offertory bags and giving them out to churchgoers. Well, we have finally solved one of those mysteries.
You can only imagine how surprised people were when they tuned into this live-streamed mass by this Italian priest. The filters would change every couple of seconds, and he would turn into a mafia lord, an intergalactic pilot, or this gold-ridden rap artist. We didn’t know priests had this much responsibility.
As if The Plot Wasn’t Confusing Enough
One of the things that we love about technology is how it caters to different types of learners. You don’t need to solely rely on text to gorge information. You can listen to podcasts and audiobooks if you’re an auditory learner, or in this case, if you need to pass the time. Just make sure to review the playlist.
As if the plot of the Holmes’ Collection wasn’t confusing enough, this man had listened to it on shuffle. If there is one thing he can blame his age for, it would be for not being techy enough. But apart from that, it had been an honest mistake altogether.
Has Bad Reflexes
How do you choose to reward yourself by the end of the week? Many, like this woman, self-indulge. She had bought herself a gallon of chocolate milk, had subscribed to her favorite streaming service, and prepped herself for bed. Her brain, however, had been too drained to process the R & R.
She stared at the mess for a full two minutes. She couldn’t believe it. She raced for the towel, but by then, it had been too late. Chocolate milk had seeped into her mattress and spread over the bed like a quilt. Behind her, the movie was playing, and guns were ablaze.
Noob Mistake
Almost everyone couldn’t help but snort a laugh at this guy who made the comedic mistake of buying pizza near the airport. It should be elementary that local chain stores price their merchandise higher near airports or terminals. So if your food products aren’t overpriced, they’re going to appear like this.
Guess how much that had cost Reddit user CryptC_Wasp. $22! If he had walked farther, he might have come across the Subway resto by the corner and ordered a deli sandwich for a quarter of the price. This had been a painful mistake, rumbled his stomach.
Need A New Order
Many hunger-driven customers grumbled even further when they came across this particular dispenser. After ordering hotdogs, they filed to the side. This was the holy grail of condiments – ketchup, mustard, pickles, you name it! Whether it had been due to wrong placement, or a lack of attention, these customers got a rich load of disinfectant on their food.
Mistakes were made, and many complained to the store owner. “Where else would you have me put it?” He shrugs his shoulders and points at the label. “It’s not my fault you can’t read.” He turns his back and fumbles for a marker to write a note. Hopefully, that kept the number of grumbling customers to a minimum.
Another Seven Years
It was a giant leap for this Reddit user to buy a firsthand car. He can remember that day when he slid himself into the driver’s seat and revved his baby up to a solid 80. He had also been able to pay off the debt in two years. And today, he was in a celebratory mood for hitting the 111,111 mileage mark.
But instead of pulling over, this Reddit user took a picture of the mileage indicator while driving. He claims he had waited seven years to take this photo, only to screw it up in a couple of seconds. There, there pal. In another seven years, you can take a pic of your mileage at 222,222 miles.
Portable, It Said
Reddit user Journey2TheSky’s dad works from home most of the time. His dad’s essentials include a couple of shirts, underwear, and a laptop. He works ungodly hours and has recently complained of a faulty keyboard. So this Reddit user suggested that his dad buy a replacement. His dad was shocked to receive this.
Portable, it said. For a minute, he thought of hurling it against the wall. He hadn’t noticed the product reviews or the product dimensions. This Reddit user couldn’t help but break into a laugh. Read the reviews and dimensions, people!
A Kid At Heart
This guy had cemented his dream house in his mind even before he laid the first brick. He knew every nook and cranny and the furniture that would suit each room. When the day came, he took his time ordering each fixture, determined to make the dream a reality. The finishing touch was this leather sofa chair.
Oh, it was a squeeze! Each time he stood up, the sofa chair went with him. He hadn’t noticed that he was ordering a leather, kid’s size chair online and only thought he was getting the best bang for the buck. He hadn’t considered having a kid in his dream house.
A Purr-ible Mistake
Having a pet is much like having a kid. You have to give up a couple of things to take care of them, or in this case, maintain your sanity. Reddit user, Pirate_Redbeard, thought of installing a door for a little privacy. A Shoji door was at the top of his list. It felt like a good idea, at least until his kids played with it.
As we said, you would have to give some things up to keep yourself from going insane. He couldn’t yell at his fur kids. He fell on his knees and tugged at his hair. “It felt like a good idea at that time.” We can’t tell whether he was referring to the Shoji doors or taking these stray cats into his home.
Suits My Appetite
Most locals frequent this butcher’s shop because of its fresh meat. Fortunately, there’s always enough stock for the number of customers he receives. You can expect a line of people heading towards the cashier. While waiting for his turn, Reddit user Surfer27 looked at the lone item in his hand and broke into a laugh. “Eggplant meet balls.”
Wouldn’t this spelling error make anyone’s day? Well, we’re confident it would make yours if you had bothered to check the label. Upon reading this, it’s almost as if we had more gusto to dig right in. Just heat it, and take a spoonful of eggplant meet balls into your mouth!
Scare Fest
After discovering a few camera tricks, this Reddit user thought of testing them out on his phone. It had been a cloudy day, yet beautiful to capture a photo. He flicked his thumb to the panorama setting and then took a picture of his backyard as he followed the line. He couldn’t keep a steady hand, and this was the result.
Needless to say, everyone was mortified when he showed them the shot he had taken. Now, he was left with two options: Keep at it and pray that he would improve, or give up on taking photographs altogether. He tried showing the picture to his dog, who only huffed at his artistic attempts.
Me-How Did That Get There?
Dad thought of buying a new chandelier for the kitchen. Mom agreed. It could double as a centerpiece of sorts. But what they hadn’t considered was how this cat would take to the new decoration. Needless to say, this cat was hung up on mom and dad’s decision to assemble it away from his litter box.
Dad scratched at his nape. “How in the world did that thing get there?” It was nearly four feet high. “The cat must have jumped and then crawled its way in,” he begrudgingly told mom. Mom sighed at the cat, poured some food in its tray, and then softly tapped the metal against the floor.
Don’t Need to Know How It Went
This beachgoer and his buddy had been able to book a weeklong vacation. Then they called in sick while coursing through the highway. Upon arriving at the beach, they hurriedly felt the sand at their feet and breathed in the sea salt air. This guy attempted to do a backflip to make things memorable.
Thank goodness it’s not a clip. We didn’t need to watch the whole length of it to see how things ended. We only hope that his spine was intact and that he rose to feel his neck where it belonged. Otherwise, that vacation would have lasted a single afternoon, and the rest of it would have been spent in a hospital.
It’s The Effort That Counts
This dad had been teary-eyed that his son was leaving the nest, but he was proud of the man that his son had become. The latter was moving into a new house with his girlfriend, and this dad thought of buying them a couple of gifts for the housewarming party. “What would a couple need to use everyday?”
Unfortunately, this dad thought well ahead and ordered a chopping board fit for a family. The couple had to laugh at this dad’s innocent mistake, especially since the board was bigger than the kitchen top. If there is anything to learn here, it’s to check product dimensions before pressing buy now.
Got A Dollar?
If we can describe our relationship with vending machines, we could summarize it into two words – a love-hate relationship. We love that these house our favorite treats and mints. But we hate that these things can’t dispense them when we need them to.
And as it turns out, this cat feels the same. It stares at you, begging for a dollar. “Spare one for me, and I’ll claw it down if I need to.” This concerted effort could work. You stare around as you pat your pockets for your wallet. You straighten out the bill and then steady your aim as you insert the paper.
Need A New One
This Reddit user saved most of his allowance for a brand new monitor. He had the perfect one in mind, and he had cleared out a desk to set it up. He carefully unboxed the monitor and then hurriedly plugged it in to see if it worked. Then, he proceeded to take off the screen protector, or so he thought.
It was, in fact, the polarizing film that was responsible for displaying a distinctively clear screen. Peel it off, and all the backlight coursed through the film would be invisible to the user. This Reddit user has two options from here on forward. He could either buy himself a new polarizing film or use a pair of polarized lenses to view things onscreen.
Everything Has Got Its Price
We admit it. We’re cheapskates, but only on certain things. You can’t be a cheapskate when it comes to food or personal grooming. This woman regrettably recalled the hours leading to her decision to hire a hairdresser on Craiglist.
By evening, she had canceled her date. No way was she going to appear at that restaurant with this mess on her head. She shyly told her date that she would have to postpone until the next month to go out with him. She mouthed a lame excuse and then put the phone down, regretting her decision.
Needs A Tutor
Parents, just how do you know you’re spending enough time with your kids? This couple recently discovered that they had to take some time off from work. They came home to find this cute decoration plastered on their kid’s door. Mom put a hand to her lips to hide her surprise.
“Well, it’s either we find her a tutor, or tutor her ourselves.” Dad kicked at an imaginary stone by his foot. Just then, their child opened the door and rushed to hug them. “Do you like it?” She innocently asks. Mom looked at her husband for some help.