What have you bought that you were sure you would use/wear/eat but then never did?

[Kim N]

 

[Lookinagain]

Oh, yes, those things. Particularly in the exercise area as you posted. But I also have some clothes purchased years ago, with tags still on. They really weren't my style, but I still liked them on the hanger. Kitchen gadgets that really don't do anything more than what I can do with a knife. Believe me, if I could figure out the secret to this, I wouldn't be in the purge and give to charity mode.

 

[LALove]

Oh my gosh, too much to list in one sitting!

A peloton at the start of Covid. I had grand ideas of getting into amazing shape but I’ve yet to sit on it.

$1,500 winter coat to wear during freezing outdoor football games. My son stopped playing and I haven’t worn it since because it’s way too hot unless outside in freezing temps for long periods of time, which I do not enjoy doing.

Gold paperclip necklace. The super popular look is not for me I found out after that non-refundable purchase.

Celery. I buy a bunch of celery every other week at the grocery and throw it away 9 times out of ten.

Nice work suits. I never actually needed to dress up and now they don’t fit.

So many sunglasses. I like the idea of sunglasses but not how they feel on my face.

Skincare. My closet looks like a Sephora.

I’m trying to get better at buying unnecessary things. A friend asked me if I’m buying my joy and it really hit a nerve. I realized that a large % of my spending happens when I’m feeling stressed or unhappy. So now when I get the urge to buy (unnecessary items), I take a mental health assessment first to determine if I need to make changes in my life or actually want the item. I’ve also started evaluating the cost to joy ratio to see if an item is worth purchasing. Is this diamond going to bring me $20,000 worth of joy? Or are these slippers going to bring me $55 worth of joy? Both of these actions have really helped curb my desire to purchase things I end up not caring about/liking/using. Except for the celery.

 

[Lookinagain]

I’ve also started evaluating the cost to joy ratio to see if an item is worth purchasing. Is this diamond going to bring me $20,000 worth of joy? Or are these slippers going to bring me $55 worth of joy? Both of these actions have really helped curb my desire to purchase things I end up not caring about/liking/using. Except for the celery.

This is a good barometer. I think I now do that, but didn't in the past. Also ask myself, "do I really need another one of these....". I did quit buying celery though. I don't eat it raw, and for cooking, instead of adding celery I now save the stalks from the anise/fennel bulb (which I do like) and use the anise/fennel stalks in place of celery!

 

[missy]

Yo-yo nana or something like that. lol. I did use it a few times but then got tired of cleaning it and of freezing bananas

Then you would have thought I learned my lesson. But nope. I bought a vitamix. I was going to make lots of yummy smoothies. And because I loved it so much I bought another for our other home. Bet you can guess what happened next. Yup. Two vitamixes and one used a handful of times. The other never.

Maybe one day I’ll use them

 

[glitterata]

Yo-yo nana or something like that. lol. I did use it a few times but then got tired of cleaning it and of freezing bananas

Then you would have thought I learned my lesson. But nope. I bought a vitamix. I was going to make lots of yummy smoothies. And because I loved it so much I bought another for our other home. Bet you can guess what happened next. Yup. Two vitamixes and one used a handful of times. The other never.

Maybe one day I’ll use them

I love our Vitamix! We use it daily. I used it twice yesterday--once to make waffle batter and once to make a smoothie. It broke after 5 years, but the warranty is for 7 years, so they sent a shipping label, repaired the motor, and replaced the pitcher. They have actual human beings answering their help line, and they don't even try to get out of honoring the warranty! I think I'll go make a smoothie now.

 

[AprilBaby]

A big stand mixer. I never ever use it. Pearls…I’m not a pearl person and they feel like weights on my neck.

 

[missy]

I love our Vitamix! We use it daily. I used it twice yesterday--once to make waffle batter and once to make a smoothie. It broke after 5 years, but the warranty is for 7 years, so they sent a shipping label, repaired the motor, and replaced the pitcher. They have actual human beings answering their help line, and they don't even try to get out of honoring the warranty! I think I'll go make a smoothie now.

It is a great company I agree. That is why I had to have two
Maybe when the weather is warmer I will be more motivated to use it! Glad you are enjoying yummy smoothies etc.

And somehow they taste better (IMO) in a mason jar. That's what I always use(d)



Yummmmm

This was taken a long time ago before we gutted our kitchen but it's the only Vitamix photo I have. I did use it often there for a while...



@Kim N and @glitterata, thank you... I am now excited to use the Vitamix again

 

[737liz]

Sports clothes. I have a week's worth of sports outfits. Ranging in size from small to extra large... because, um, I have never set foot inside of a gym, and only run through airports.

 

[Kim N]

+1 to so many things you all have listed.

Exercise equipment. I'm debating buying an elliptical, but will I ever actually use it? I have other exercise paraphernalia that I've never used.

Kitchen gadgets. Like this one.

Work suits and some formal dresses. Most still have the tags.

Many necklaces before I discovered I just don't like wearing things around my neck.

 

[Kim N]

I’ve also started evaluating the cost to joy ratio to see if an item is worth purchasing. Is this diamond going to bring me $20,000 worth of joy? Or are these slippers going to bring me $55 worth of joy? Both of these actions have really helped curb my desire to purchase things I end up not caring about/liking/using. Except for the celery.

That is a great way to think about it. I am really not good at purging, but hopefully I can get better at the buying stage. Thank you for this idea.

 

[Kim N]

It is a great company I agree. That is why I had to have two
Maybe when the weather is warmer I will be more motivated to use it! Glad you are enjoying yummy smoothies etc.

And somehow they taste better (IMO) in a mason jar. That's what I always use(d)



Yummmmm

This was taken a long time ago before we gutted our kitchen but it's the only Vitamix photo I have. I did use it often there for a while...



@Kim N and @glitterata, thank you... I am now excited to use the Vitamix again

That looks yummy, missy. I also want to get back into using the Vitamix more. Mango is my favorite when the temperatures get warmer.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Ninja 5-in-1. Soda streamer. Kitchen aid mixer (but it is beautiful!) Breville juicer.

cheers--Sharon

 

[SparklieBug]

Had a KitchenAid with many attachments but stopped eating wheat. Finally gave it to my sister-in-law last summer. They love it, and use it almost daily! Win-win!

We use our Vitamix almost daily. I adore that thing!

I’m trying to get better at buying unnecessary things. A friend asked me if I’m buying my joy and it really hit a nerve. I realized that a large % of my spending happens when I’m feeling stressed or unhappy. So now when I get the urge to buy (unnecessary items), I take a mental health assessment first to determine if I need to make changes in my life or actually want the item. I’ve also started evaluating the cost to joy ratio to see if an item is worth purchasing. Is this diamond going to bring me $20,000 worth of joy? Or are these slippers going to bring me $55 worth of joy? Both of these actions have really helped curb my desire to purchase things I end up not caring about/liking/using. Except for the celery.

The bolded statements above lit up for me, particularly evaluating the cost-to-joy ratio. I also ask myself, "Will _____ change my life for the better, more than 80%?" Heh. I like to put a bit of a percentage value because it helps me to compare.

My goal is to catch myself/my behaviour before I make the purchase. Goals...

 

[pearlsngems]

I rarely use the mandoline I bought for slicing vegetables. It's so easy to do it with a chef's knife.
Time to donate the mandoline, I think.

It's also time for me to donate my hand-cranked Atlas pasta machine. I used to use it to make not pasta but fiocchi-- Italian fried pastry in the shape of bow-ties-- but it's been many years since I made those and I have no desire to do it again. Nor any desire to make pasta.

 

[Kim N]

I rarely use the mandoline I bought for slicing vegetables. It's so easy to do it with a chef's knife.
Time to donate the mandoline, I think.

It's also time for me to donate my hand-cranked Atlas pasta machine. I used to use it to make not pasta but fiocchi-- Italian fried pastry in the shape of bow-ties-- but it's been many years since I made those and I have no desire to do it again. Nor any desire to make pasta.

I totally agree about the mandoline. Tried it once and thought, Nope, bad idea for a klutz like me.

 

[pearlsngems]

I totally agree about the mandoline. Tried it once and thought, Nope, bad idea for a klutz like me.

No kidding! One could do terrible damage to one's hand with that thing. And the protective guard that holds the vegetable is a nuisance!

 

[MissGotRocks]

HI:

Ninja 5-in-1. Soda streamer. Kitchen aid mixer (but it is beautiful!) Breville juicer.

cheers--Sharon

My KitchenAid stand mixer is chrome. I call it my Cadillac - lol! I do use it but certainly not daily or even weekly. I keep it dusted and shiny though!

 

[qubitasaurus]

Lol winter coats. I live on the equator but have a closet half full of them -- including some more expensive ones (~2 k and absolutely useless). Boots -- also too hot and not good in tropical thunderstorms. I blame the fact that I used to live somewhere more temperate and it took me a few years to adjust my thinking.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Pearls. I fell in love with them, but I am fickle and they don't get worn. I have given a lot of them to my friends and they wear them pretty often.

Two new snow shovels that are like mini snow blowers. Maybe next year?

Stand mixer, ice cream maker. The ice cream maker is still in the box and I bought it 2 years ago.

 

[Lookinagain]

Two new snow shovels that are like mini snow blowers. Maybe next year?

Oh, I have one of those too. It's never been used.

And I have a fondue set still in the box. Think about how old that must be. I don't think they even sell them around here anymore....

 

[pearlsngems]

I also bought a package of tempeh on at least 3 occasions, but ended up throwing them all out before ever tasting them due to their sitting in my fridge well past their use-by date. I'm normally very adventurous with food-- I will try anything, and I like almost everything-- but somehow the appearance of the tempeh put me off. So I procrastinated tasting it until it had to be thrown out.

If anyone has a suggestion of how to prepare tempeh that might be appetizing, I'm willing to try again!

 

[LilAlex]

^ I think you did the right thing

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Pretty underwear, you know I had the best of intentions when I bought them but then I just end up wearing the old faithfuls. You know the kind, broken in, a little stretched out, full coverage so you don’t have to worry about a cheek slipping out

Also it’s underwear, not panties, that word is like nails on a chalkboard for me.

 

[lavenderdragonfly23]

Vintage Anthropologie

Early Anthropologie… 2000-2005. Covid hit and well, that was the obsession I chose, lol. Granted, I LOVE everything I found over the past three years, but seriously I don’t wear any of it…

My jewelry fund could be so much bigger

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

A big stand mixer. I never ever use it. Pearls…I’m not a pearl person and they feel like weights on my neck.

oh this post is too sad April
we need to do a Mary Berry and bake cakes in our pearls


also i will take all unwanted celerly,as in our town it seems impossible to buy half a bunch of celerly, most times you cant even buy a whole bunch.instead they chop up a few stalks, wrap it up in a ton of packaging and put $5 on it, i have to ration the stuff and plan meals to use every last stalk when i do buy it

used to have that frozen banana problem too but now i make banana pancakes once a week - sometimes i have to even buy soft bananas especially

otherwise too much stuff to mention
we still arnt trully unpacked from 6 years ago and dont really seem to miss a ton of stuff

also have a lot of clothes with tags on, maybe need to buy more of that celerly and maybe make less banana pancakes (we have them with lots of bacon)

winter coats . a whole wardrobe full -what was i thinking, i like coats on the royal family, not on me ! lovely soft cashmair ones, in a variety of colours...tan, black. winter white, dark navy, orange

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Pearls. I fell in love with them, but I am fickle and they don't get worn. I have given a lot of them to my friends and they wear them pretty often.

Two new snow shovels that are like mini snow blowers. Maybe next year?

Stand mixer, ice cream maker. The ice cream maker is still in the box and I bought it 2 years ago.

i wear mine very often and think of you

i almost brought a slushy maker last week , its been so hot the last two months and the one at the shop next to work has been broken and MacDonalds only make coke ones (and i hate coke), but the shop got their new machine yesterday and i was the 2nd customer, i ate about 1/4 and the rest is in the freezer at work
my kitchen cupbaords heaved a sigh of releaf

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

That looks yummy, missy. I also want to get back into using the Vitamix more. Mango is my favorite when the temperatures get warmer.

yum
we got a magic bullet one for xmas from my last employer, we use it very rearly, xmas , birthdays, made alchoholic smoothies for the King's corrination, makes ice cold pinnacalads if one is organized
we did go through a faze of milk and frozen raspberries very often but then inflation hit after covid and frozen berries doubled in price over night and there was a big recall of frozen berries that had been imported so i think that's why it moved to the back of the pot cupbaord

 

[Kim N]

Pretty underwear, you know I had the best of intentions when I bought them but then I just end up wearing the old faithfuls. You know the kind, broken in, a little stretched out, full coverage so you don’t have to worry about a cheek slipping out

Also it’s underwear, not panties, that word is like nails on a chalkboard for me.

I'm guilty of this one too. Many of mine still have the tags. Beautiful to look at but far less comfortable than the old faithfuls.

 

[Kim N]

i wear mine very often and think of you

i almost brought a slushy maker last week , its been so hot the last two months and the one at the shop next to work has been broken and MacDonalds only make coke ones (and i hate coke), but the shop got their new machine yesterday and i was the 2nd customer, i ate about 1/4 and the rest is in the freezer at work
my kitchen cupbaords heaved a sigh of releaf

Ooh, definitely buy that slushy maker. This is almost the same, but we have a snow cone machine that we use several times a week in the summer. It's so refreshing on a hot day.