Can you name the last thing that you wore out, really wore out?
While using things until you've worn them out is an easy way to save money, it's not always the easiest savings strategy to stick to. New clothes call to us at the store. New "it" colors tempt us to update our furniture and home décor. New car models leave us contemplating a trade-in.
We're constantly bombarded with advertisements and store displays designed to convince us that what they're selling is somehow better than what we already own. Is it? Usually not, but we're so busy buying new things and unloading old things that we hardly have time to realize it.
It's madness! Fortunately, it's a madness that you can control. The next time you find yourself buying a replacement for something that you already own, stop and ask yourself why you are buying it. Is it worn out? Broken beyond repair? Difficult to use? Obsolete?
If the answer is simply that you want it, ask yourself how much that is worth. Is the happiness that will come from owning this item worth the purchase price AND the savings that you will lose by replacing the item before it has met its demise? Is it worth the extra clutter of owning two of the same thing, or the hassle of getting rid of the extra item?
By asking yourself these questions, you're likely to find that the answer is no; it's not worth it.
Challenge yourself to replace the pleasure of shopping with the pleasure of wearing things out. There's something very satisfying about getting your money's worth out of everything that you own.
