As you look around.

[GROUCHO MARX]

As you look around, how many items do you see that you wished you had never bought. As I watch the media and I am in the stores during this holiday season, I see a lot of semi-useless junk advertised and purchased. It's not my money so I don't really care. I just foresee this keerap in a pile of garbage at the curb.

I see the same activities in the spring and summer as people buy junk for their gardens, lawns, garages, etc. You notice that after the holidays, it's storage items that go on sale for all this junk that will be stowed away and forgotten.

Spend your only really currency, your time, with your family and loved ones. Create wonderful memories and store them safely. It's your best investment.

 

[tenderloin]

Excluding oil stashes of course.

 

[exranger06]

All I'm getting for Christmas is tools. They will get used over and over again for the rest of my life, and will pay for themselves hundreds of times over by not paying someone else to fix stuff for me.

 

[IndyIan]

Hmmm, there aren't too many things I've bought that have been totally under used. But I do sometimes buy supplies for a project too soon, I should limit tools or items to only 2 projects ahead!

I think this year we are going to give mostly gift certificates for restaurants or the persons favorite store.

I was talking to a lady at work whose family isn't doing gifts at all except for the kids. Makes alot of sense really. They are all getting together for Christmas day for dinner and a visit and that's what the season is about anyways.

 

[CivicFan]

The things that don't get used in our household are my wife's shoes and clothes. After being used once, they are promptly ignored.

As for Christmas, I have advocated, so far unsuccessfully, to give US Government bonds to the kids, If for every toy they get a $50 bond, they will have a tiny fortune when they turn 18.

 

[Drew99GT]

Aside from things that are actually needed, and those usually are purchased WHEN they are needed (food, clothing, computer stuff, car stuff/repairs, insurance etc.), I've resorted to taking my family out for dinner on Christmas eve as my present to the family. We've basically stopped giving gifts, ie the useless things like clothes that will be returned, DVDs/CDs that will be watched once.

My parents house has a basement full of a lifetimes worth of "stuff" that never gets used. I think my mom has about 6 humidifiers, probably 5 space heaters, every type of electric cooking appliance you can imagine, and non of it hardly ever gets used. I can't wait to deal with that...

I've become anti "stuff". I don't need a lot of stuff. I don't even own a stereo at the moment!

 

[FXjohn]

a computer is just "stuff" and will get tossed someday.

 

[Mr Nice]

Stuff you don't need just donate it and use it as a tax write off.

Some people feel bad when they spent money to buy _____ and then feel worse if they have to get rid of it (even though its collecting dust).

 

[Drew99GT]

Originally Posted By: FXjohn
a computer is just "stuff" and will get tossed someday.


No it isn't; my computer gets used more than any other item in my house (besides the toilet...). It's the most useful consumer item I own.

 

[andrewg]

In my life I've purchased many things I didn't need. I believe that I did this for several reasons. Sometimes it was to please another. Most of the time though it was to try and please myself or....MAKE me happy. Didn't work really. I've found that I often regret purchases (ATV's, Watercraft, Firearms, Cars, Clothes, Hobby stuff, more computer than I need, TV's). The older I get the more I am realizing that 'stuff' isn't what life is about. The stupid notion of guy 'toys' and living in an age of self indulgence has influenced me heavily in the past. I'm doing the best I can at the moment to let go of all that now. Christmas is NOT one of my favorite times of year as it's turned into a horrid seasonal torture of buy...buy...buy.

 

[Shannow]

Was having similar discussions with my mother the other day.

Bro and his family are spending Christmas at Lake Tahoe, so giving the nephews some US cash was a present, in the strict sense...

But it's getting down to all people want is gift cards, and what's the point of that (other than stuff that you are hanging out to throw out)...I give a gift card, and get one in return...why bother ???

 

[Shannow]

Originally Posted By: GROUCHO MARX
As you look around, how many items do you see that you wished you had never bought.


Just started some renovations...I knew we had lots of junk, just not how much, and how junky.

 

[PandaBear]

There are a lot of things I wish I have bought, but end up not buying because of emotion, and have to buy later at a higher price.

Things like playstation 2, new tires, a newer computer, etc. I also regret selling a lot of stuff that I could still use instead of keeping them around.

I know, I'm the opposite and enjoy throwing things out / selling things more than buying.

 

[javacontour]

The best $300 I ever spent was for a 20 yard roll-off dumpster after my ex-wife left.

All the stuff she didn't want, except for me and the cats, she left at our home.

I filled that dumpster with stuff after the divorce was final and all the stuff in the home was legally mine, er my responsibility.

I taking it a car load at a time to the Goodwill or Salvation Army put a dent in it. But junk no longer needed ended up just going to a landfill somewhere.

Maybe if she had spent more time on our relationship and less time on retail therapy (which ultimately stressed me out since I was working, she was a stay at home mom until the last 6 months) things might have been different.

It was only a 1600-1700 square foot home, so filling a 20 yard dumpster is a lot of junk for such a small space.

 

[01rangerxl]

I don't have too much I regret. A lot of things were a good idea at the time. For example, I rode the [censored] out of my mountain bike in the first couple months I had it...then I got a job that requires me to be on my feet and moving a lot and the bike has pretty much sat in the garage ever since. I've thought about selling it, but I'm still holding on to the hope I may have an interest in sustained physical activity outside of work again.

The last three times I moved, I used nothing but the Ranger (no trailer) and got almost all of it done in a day. It took a couple trips, but if I had to pack up and leave right away, all of my "must have" possessions would easily fit in the truck. I don't like to have a lot of excess stuff unless I'm going to use it.

 

[daves87rs]

Very good point there...

 

[Pop_Rivit]

My wife and I are quite conscientious about how our money is spent, so as I look around I don't see anything that I regret purchasing, and there is nothing that doesn't get used. We don't get drawn into marketing hype and have never been "shopping lemmings", so we simply don't buy things we don't need.

Originally Posted By: FXjohn
a computer is just "stuff" and will get tossed someday.


I earn a good portion of my income with mine. Maybe it's just "stuff" to you, but for me it's a tool used almost daily. Like other tools that are used regularly, there will come a day when it is worn out, broken or simply outdated and at that time it will be disposed of properly (like any other tool I own).

 

[Klutch9]

I personally can't really think of anything I have that I wish I didn't. I typically force myself to get the full use out of anything before I replace it/upgrade it. I also usually don't buy anything unless I'm convinced I need it, or will use it a lot. Maybe I'm cheap... who knows

I also won't buy anything if I know it's overpriced, or if I'm pretty sure I can get it somewhere else cheaper. I'm very concious of the price of every single thing I buy: gas, food, etc. I watch trends in prices too. Doing so lets me know that I'm always getting the most bang for my buck, and that I am also being fiscally responsible.

 

[FXjohn]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit


I earn a good portion of my income with mine. Maybe it's just "stuff" to you, but for me it's a tool used almost daily. Like other tools that are used regularly, there will come a day when it is worn out, broken or simply outdated and at that time it will be disposed of properly (like any other tool I own).


cool, they pay you to post to this forum too?

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan
But I do sometimes buy supplies for a project too soon, I should limit tools or items to only 2 projects ahead!



I sure am guilty of this.

I cant say that I really regret anything that I buy. We buy stuff, and may spend a good deal of money buying "things", but I can't say I regret much/any of it.

The only issue is that we have a few too many things I think. But it all gets used, some underutilized, but used.