The chances are high that if you have stuff, you’ve spent money. I know, I know, people also give us gifts, but in general we spend money to get the stuff we have. And most people have too much stuff.
So, when the things you have purchased are heaped in piles and you aren’t using them, are you getting your money’s worth? No, no you aren’t. The true value of our belongings depends on whether we use and enjoy them. If you had a $100 bill, would you just throw it down on the ground and walk away or toss it in the trash or into a fire? Probably not. But if you purchase a $100 pair of shoes that just sits in a box in your closet, that’s almost what you’re doing because if you’re not using the shoes than you spent $100 for nothing.
Stuff also takes up space. The square footage of our homes is equal to dollars and cents. So, if you’re storing piles, stacks and old boxes full of stuff, you are basically taking up prime real estate. If you decide to rent a storage unit to store all of your excess belongings, then you are for sure spending money to store your stuff. A long time ago I worked with a client in his office but we also went to his storage facility so he could show me what he was working on there. He had three storage units and his goal was to get it down to one because he was spending $900 per month on storage. That’s a lot! I don’t know about you but for me that’s equal to car payments for three cars each month. And that’s all just to store stuff. Stuff that was paid for and then stuff that was paid for again to store-month after month after month.
And, finally, if you aren’t organized and you have too much stuff, you probably can’t find things. When we can’t find things, we go out and buy more of the same. So now you’ve spent money you didn’t need to spend because you already have that item and you’ve caused more clutter because now you have duplicates.
So how can you avoid wasting money?
- Really think carefully before you spend. Do you really need it? Do you already have something you can use? Where would you put it?
- Challenge yourself to use what you have or use up what you have before replacing something. If you really need a back-up on hand, try to aim for just one ‘extra’ deodorant, bottle of window cleaner, bottle of shampoo, etc.
- Go through every room of your home to declutter and uncover what you have. Maybe you already have three extra sticks of deodorant and you can go months without purchasing more.
- Get organized so you have systems to store and see what you have. When you can easily see and inventory what you have, it will cut down on unnecessary purchases.
- Have a plan for the money you save. College fund, coffee fund, retirement fund, vacation fund-you choose!
Get control of your surroundings, your spending and your stuff and you will feel great about it! Freedom!
