The money wasted on crap....

[Sniggle]

I have been cleaning my basement, and I am just disgusted with the money spent on stuff that was not needed, was barely used, was bought on an impulse, that I am now throwing away.

I shudder to think how much more money I would have had if I invested that money in an S & P fund instead of spending it on junk over the last many years.

 

[CaptTom]

It's no fun to come face-to-face with a past poor decision. At least you admit it!

You could always try Craig's List or eBay. I've had good luck with both. It's amazing how there's a market for almost anything, as long as you're not looking to make a huge profit. I figure if I can give some piece of junk (to me) a second life, make someone happy and pocket $20, I'ts a win-win-win.

I sold a bunch of old marine electronics components I had lying around. Sometimes you have an old system and one component fails. It's a lot cheaper and easier to buy that one component used off eBay than to buy (and learn to use) a whole new system. These things can get bid up surprisingly high.

 

[Sunset]

So true...
I've made the conscious decision to not buy stuff unless REALLY NEEDED, and I'm going to use it immediately.

This is still hard to do, so I stopped going to garage sales because I know I will buy if I am there.

It's still a battle, but on the bright side, covid-19 stops me from wandering about stores looking for something to buy

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

I've always been good at avoiding buying useless stuff that just takes up space. The obvious key is to make the right choice at the time. My house is pretty empty. Some visitors think I've just moved in.

 

[FIREd]

My house is pretty empty also, except that it's the product of several decluttering cycles. My policy is that regrets are a waste of time and energy. So if something is not used or loved anymore, I just let it go and never think about it again. The money spent on that stuff is long gone and regrets won't change that.

 

[skipro33]

I've been slowly listing and selling some of the crap I've accumulated on craigslist, FB and Nextdoor. Started around summer and been stashing the money behind a mirror on the inside of the closet door. As of yesterday I have over $4,800. Wow! I didn't realize it would accumulate that quickly or worth that much money. Much easier than holding a garage sale and surely more value per item listing them this way.

 

[easysurfer]

You mean to tell me I really didn't need about 6 different flashlight battery testers and vacuum sealers?

 

[aaronc879]

I've been slowly listing and selling some of the crap I've accumulated on craigslist, FB and Nextdoor. Started around summer and been stashing the money behind a mirror on the inside of the closet door. As of yesterday I have over $4,800. Wow! I didn't realize it would accumulate that quickly or worth that much money. Much easier than holding a garage sale and surely more value per item listing them this way.

Wow, all of the stuff in my house combined is worth less than $4800. That is quite a windfall

 

[Amethyst]

Sniggle, can you comment on what caused the buying decisions you now regret? Were they truly mistakes?

We have gotten rid of a lot of stuff we no longer use, but only once with a sense of "sheesh - why did we ever buy that in the first place?" The sole exception was a telescope which Mr. A. bought by mail in the early 90's for about $500.00. Turned out too complex to set up. We should have tried to sell it or even give it away, but procrastination set in. Eventually it broke and was pitched.

Aside from that - I can't think of a thing that didn't provide some use or pleasure during its time with us.

I have been cleaning my basement, and I am just disgusted with the money spent on stuff that was not needed, was barely used, was bought on an impulse, that I am now throwing away.

I shudder to think how much more money I would have had if I invested that money in an S & P fund instead of spending it on junk over the last many years.

 

[skipro33]

Wow, all of the stuff in my house combined is worth less than $4800. That is quite a windfall

I had a 2001 motorcycle that hadn't been ridden since 2010 but stored nicely. Then there was a diamond plate spare gas tank you put in the bed of a pick up truck I removed in 2011 when I bought a camper for my truck. Two riding lawn mowers; one I couldn't get working, one I could. Still to list are an oxy/acetylene torch w/tanks, a sand blaster, 500 cinderblocks (A foundation I planned to build for a shop and never did), A whole lot of back packing and camping gear, 2 kayaks w/trailer, a 2 rail motorcycle trailer, the list goes on and on. All stuff that had use in a younger time, but now just depressing to see it sitting there and likely never to be used by me.
I'm sure my wife and kids will appreciate not having to deal with this stuff if something were to happen to me. Ha!

 

[Amethyst]

Oh, my, I thought these were just the normal by-products of a DIY life! At one point, we had three gas chain saws that had up and quit. I tried cleaning them, didn't help. Too expensive to get them fixed. Put them all out at the curb, where they vanished overnight; bought an electric saw and never looked back.

Two riding lawn mowers; one I couldn't get working, one I could. Still to list are an oxy/acetylene torch w/tanks, a sand blaster, 500 cinderblocks (A foundation I planned to build for a shop and never did), !

 

[skipro33]

Oh, my, I thought these were just the normal by-products of a DIY life! At one point, we had three gas chain saws that had up and quit. I tried cleaning them, didn't help. Too expensive to get them fixed. Put them all out at the curb, where they vanished overnight; bought an electric saw and never looked back.

There's always a back story;
The riding mowers; I don't have a lawn. The welding torch; I don't know how to weld. I've never used the sand blaster, the plan was to restore a trailer, that I didn't need. The cinder blocks I bought at various times on craigslist over the years. They don't match each other except for the uniform size. I figured as a barn or shop foundation, I could just paint them.
I ended up using a receiver hitch carrier for motorcycles instead of the trailer. Ha! Stuff that I planned to use, but for what ever reason, turned out not to use or not use enough to warrant their initial purchase.

BTW, We have two mountain bikes I bought for us several Christmas ago. We maybe rode them 2 or 3 times. Neither of us appreciate the work involved. Ha! Yesterday I gave one to a grandson as a birithday gift. The other will go to another grandson as a birthday gift. I'd say I would proably have asked $100 each, paid around $300 each. The hang in the garage from the ceiling.

 

[Sniggle]

Sniggle, can you comment on what caused the buying decisions you now regret? Were they truly mistakes?

We have gotten rid of a lot of stuff we no longer use, but only once with a sense of "sheesh - why did we ever buy that in the first place?" The sole exception was a telescope which Mr. A. bought by mail in the early 90's for about $500.00. Turned out too complex to set up. We should have tried to sell it or even give it away, but procrastination set in. Eventually it broke and was pitched.

Aside from that - I can't think of a thing that didn't provide some use or pleasure during its time with us.

I tend to get enthused with an idea, start spending money on it, and then never see it through. Here are a few examples:

- I do some hunting, not a lot, but some, and when I got into it around 10 years ago I bought every hunting gadget imaginable. Most are not needed.
- About 20 years ago I got this idea to improve my car at the time (a Saab 900 2.3, non-turbo), which in hindsight is not really improvable. I still have a few parts I bought for it that I never installed, either because I determine they would not work or I just moved onto the next thing. I still have the car, but should have just left it alone.
- I have been a computer geek of sorts, and have boxes and parts of computers as I upgraded over the years, as well as legion of games that are all trash.


These are the most glaring examples

 

[Dtail]

I've always been good at avoiding buying useless stuff that just takes up space. The obvious key is to make the right choice at the time. My house is pretty empty. Some visitors think I've just moved in.

So your screen name fits.

 

[Gumby]

I have always operated under the theory that I shouldn't buy anything that I don't either know to be useful or think to be beautiful. The young wife fortunately shares that theory. So we have relatively little "junk" in the house. Although not zero, by any means. For some things, our lives have just changed and we don't do the same things we once did. Thus, for example, she has the little shorty trick skis and boots that she once found great joy in, but is no longer physically able to do. I have old squash and racquetball rackets, golf clubs and Navy uniforms in the attic. That sort of thing. I don't regret having bought all that stuff, because it was once used quite regularly, but it would probably be a good idea to freecycle it now.

 

[Amethyst]

Oh, that is hobby stuff, nothing to be remotely ashamed of. And games go out of date, that's what games do.

Anyone with a hobby that involves putting things together to make new things, understands the concept of Stash Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy (SABLE).

People with hobbies are the Best people. In fact, of mischievous, interfering people, my Mother used to say "He/she needs a hobby."

I
- I have been a computer geek of sorts, and have boxes and parts of computers as I upgraded over the years, as well as legion of games that are all trash.

 

[Amethyst]

Hmmm. At least we needed, and used the three chain saws (sequentially), until they quit. I justified the cost in terms of how much we saved (a lot) by not hiring someone else to clean up fallen trees and limbs. The only chagrin involved not having maintained the saws well enough to start with, but that's water over the dam.

And at least these are reasonable items...in our previous home, we had a nearby neighbor (had to look at their yard every time we went out) who collected military surplus cr@p. In itself, this is not a bad hobby; but by the time we left, he had two rusting, broken-down Vietnam-era APCs that had been cluttering the yard for nearly 20 years, along with rusty antique machinery that I could not identify, and an ever-increasing collection of aging cars (there were just the two of them and an adult son). They were both software engineers, so it's not like they were poor people who collected junk and old cars for scrap. Possibly he did use the wrecks for parts.

There's always a back story;
The riding mowers; I don't have a lawn. .

 

[Sunset]

My most glaring item is the canoe I bought, drove back home 50 miles nervously watching it wiggle on the roof.
Only to have it sit in the backyard for the past ~12 yrs unused

 

[Bamaman]

I've been an incessant tool buyer in years past as I've got a full cabinet shop and little now is needed. I can usually get out of Harbor Freight spending just $10 or so.

My problem is my wife buying "stuff" on Facebook Marketplace. Our cabinets are full of Fiestaware, and she keeps buying more. She's had me running to 3 states picking up very high line furniture--dinettes and bedroom furniture--bought for very little. I have a double car garage full of unused furniture, as we just swap out the nicer furniture. I don't have room for my workshop either.

Our Lake House is incredibly well furnished. The wife came up with a $7,000 Hancock & Moore leather hide-a-bed with goose down cushions for $200. Heirloom quality bedroom furniture just doesn't fit in Fishtrap Holler.

At our age, we really are not doing our kids any favors having too much stuff. But my wife sure recognizes a bargain--even though it's not needed.

 

[Walt34]

My weakness is radio control model airplanes. The hobby slowed to a crawl shortly before retirement and stopped entirely for about ten years afterward. I did a purge and sold/gave away/threw out everything but the tools which are occasionally a lifesaver around the house.

Then electric airplanes improved to the point that they are now a viable alternative to glow fueled engines, and they could be made small enough to fly in the back yard. And there's no cleanup required after use (glow fuel engines spit out a LOT of oil). So now I've accumulated a number of very small airplanes and a few larger ones and recently joined a club for access to the flying site. But they're a lot of fun.

Although I'm probably not as well stocked as Bamaman, like many I have accumulated a fair collection of tools, some of which are actually occasionally used. Many were bought for a specific job because it was cheaper to buy the tools and DIY than hire someone, and when the job was done I still had the tools.

A couple of times DW has plaintively asked "If something happens to you what am I going to do with all this stuff?" I told her it's very simple. Go around the house and decide what you want to keep. Then call an auctioneer and tell him "Make the rest go away." It's what they do, they're very good and efficient at it, they make their living at it.

 

[Offgrid Organic Farmer]

The money wasted on crap....

This thread reminds me of a quote:
"For all my life I have spent half of my earnings on gambling, women and drink, the other half I completely wasted."

 

[Koolau]

For some reason (years ago, now) DW and I found ourselves "collecting" things. We had some folks over for dinner and someone commented on our collection of candle holders. I said, "Oh, we don't collect candle holders." I counted up later and found over 30 pairs!

For the most part, we've gotten rid of everything that I would consider a collection (okay, books for her and DVDs for me, but that's different). Right now, I just can't think of too many things I own which I regret buying, but I'm sure I'd think of a couple if I thought about it longer. YMMV

 

[Souschef]

I used to shoot pistols competitively and reloaded my ammunition. Well that time has passed, so I gave all the equipment,plus brass primers,powder and bullets - enough to start a small war to my son.
The fun came when we loaded 50 cal ammo boxes and a box for howitzer shells into a plane and flew it down to him.

 

[Nemo2]

Picked up two used hardcovers from the library bookstore...two for $1.

Got home, realized I'd already read one of them....50¢ (Canadian) pissed away.

 

[Time2]

We had a garage sale a little over a month ago, sold $1600 of junque!
And, all you people that throw out perfectly good items, stop it! My wife is the one picking it up and selling it at our yard sale.