Household Expenses You Can Do Without

Conventional wisdom would say that washing dishes is more energy-efficient than using the dishwasher, and that you need air cleaners to help keep your home free of pollutants. But sometimes, conventional wisdom needs to be rethought, and when warranted, debunked.

People will shell out money on household expenses "that they think will save them money," says Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman, deputy home editor of Consumer Reports. "But some of these things you just don't need to buy or do." And they could even wind up costing you more in the end, she says.

Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman spoke to WalletPop about five seeming"essentials" not to waste your money on.