I recently came across an article that popped up on my computer home page titled “50 Things You Really Don’t Need to Buy”. I try to stay focused on my task at hand when I’m on the computer otherwise I can easily waste an entire day surfing the internet. However, this particular topic caught my attention. My word for this year is RELEASE. I recently had a garage sale and it was a great eye opener for me. Some things are worth investing in and other things were clearly a waste of money. I believe if something truly brings you joy and is used it’s not necessarily a waste of money, but more often than not I’ve encountered many impulse buys while gutting out closets. I reviewed the list of 50 things and these are few that I definitely agree with and have purchased and discarded in the past.
- Small kitchen appliances that perform only one use like a sandwich or quesadilla maker. In my case it was the perfect pancake maker. Years ago my son saw it advertised on an infomercial and was so excited about it I just had to purchase it. It sat in my kitchen cabinet hidden amongst all my other gadgets and saw the light of day maybe one or two times. My mother is a magnet for As Seen on TV gadgets and I have been the recipient of several purchases.
- DVD ands CD’s. A monthly subscription to unlimited movies on Netflix or Amazon and Spotify or Google Play for music cost just as much as a single DVD or CD. I have many old Disney VHS tapes that I collected when my kids were younger which are almost obsolete. I don’t buy as many movies or CD’s as I used to, but I still sort of like having them.
- Baby Wipe Warmer– I never had one of these and my kids turned out just fine. Manufacturers and marketers love to prey on first time parents. I’m amazed at all of the new and unnecessary gadgets that have come out since my children were babies.
- Extended Warranties– This is a tricky one. I usually turn to my husband on this one. We typically don’t buy them because half the time by the time the product breaks it’s past the extended warranty period or we can’t ever find the paperwork. Consumer Reports advises against extended warranties.
- Musical Instruments- Unless your child is passionate about a certain instrument the advice is to rent instruments. I just sold my daughter’s electric guitar and we have a drum set and marimba taking up space in my basement.
photo via The Kitchn
- Bread Maker– I had a bread maker years ago and I can probably count on two hands how many times I used it. It also takes up precious kitchen cabinet space. You can learn how to make homemade breads here.
As a passionate consumer there were a few items I disagreed with such as books and knickknacks. Both of these things bring me joy so I will continue to purchase them, but be a little more selective. The truth is there are few things I really need to buy, but it sure is fun to shop.
What is one thing you feel people really don’t need to buy or have regretted purchasing? Please share in the comments.
you cant forget about the diaper genie!!!
I thought about that one too Kathy. I actually used mine though 🙂 I guess now you can buy trash bags with febreze in them so it wouldn’t stink as bad.
Your post made me laugh. Oh so many things I have purchased that were used once or twice. Yes we had a pancake maker, different one than what you purchased but still it was only used a couple of times. I had to have the Egg McMuffin toaster/maker in one…ha! The cake pop maker….horrible to use. The list can go on and on…..
I think there are a lot of people who could join our club 🙂
I have resisted most of these things, but this post is a good reminder to think twice before I buy and bring something home!
Good for you Chloe! I need to be a little more discerning 🙂
This is really funny. I’ve bought an equivalent to the “perfect pancake maker”. Mine was the Milkshake maker. The blender I already had could do the job and did it much better. But like you, I did it for the kids.
I am one of the people keeping CD’s on the shelves at Target. I still buy them. Not DVDs, but CD’s, mostly because I don’t know how to make a playlist…..
Once you learn how to make a playlist you will probably give up the CD’s as well. The only ones I seem to buy anymore are Christmas CD’s. The milkshake maker makes me smile! I glad we missed that one.