Just realized my $40 moisture meter was a waste of money | First Time Buyers

Ryan White · 2026-05-07T10:15:04.074034+00:00

I bought this fancy moisture meter from the hardware store thinking I needed it to check if the drywall was dry enough before painting. Spent $40 on it after watching some influencer rave about how essential it is. Turns out my finger or a simple plastic sheet taped to the wall tells me the same thing. Anyone else bought a tool for their first home that ended up being totally useless?

daniel4744mo ago

My neighbor bought one of those, used it once, and now it's collecting dust next to his never-used tile saw. $40 could buy you like 3 gallons of paint or a really nice pizza, but instead you got a plastic stick that tells you "wet" or "dry." I mean, my grandpa painted houses for 30 years and his moisture meter was his finger. The only thing that meter is good for now is making you feel bad about your life choices every time you open that drawer.

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hannahm394mo ago

Daniel's neighbor had a tile saw he never used? That's a whole different level of regret right there. At least a moisture meter is small and easy to forget about, but a tile saw takes up half a garage. My sympathies to that man every time he parks his car.

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faith_carter3mo ago

@daniel474 actually saved me from a bad paint peel. Those meters have their place.

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