I’ve been decluttering for years, since long before Marie Kondo, the maven of tidy homes, was a household name. One approach I use is to try buying only things I’ll use regularly.
I tested that strategy a few years ago. My husband and I were debating whether to buy a folding table for hosting large groups. It was only $ 40. But would we use it enough to make it worthwhile? We decided we would, and we tested that assumption: Each time we used the table, I recorded the event and date on the table’s underside.
We used the table recently and, when I tipped it on its side to add the new date I counted the uses: 14 — a whopping $ 2.85 per use. This was indeed a worthwhile purchase.
But not every purchase makes such solid economic sense — or is as easy to test. Following is a look at things that we commonly buy but that few of us really use much. Think twice before making money mistakes like these.
