Updated 2024.07.19

There is a simple joy in using up the things you already have. You get the fullest satisfaction of getting the most for your money. You get to declutter. You also get a better picture of how much you actually enjoy the items you purchased.

One thing that’s great about using up what you already have is that the practice decreases your repurchase frequency, saving you money. 

Another thing I like about using things up is that you have more time to form opinions about what it is that you bought, which can guide your future purchases.

As you use things up, you may start thinking about other ways you can use an item, how to get the same item but for less and whether or not you need that thing anymore.

When you commit to using up what you already have, you’ll also save yourself some time because you won’t be rushing to the store to try the next new thing - instead, you’ll be savoring what you have on hand.

Here are a few things I’m using up right now:

Nail polish and manicure supplies.

I’ve done the math and have enough nail supplies to provide myself with freshly manicured nails for the next 28 years. I’ll be using the polishes I’ve already worn on my toenails, and using my untried polishes and art supplies on my fingernails.

Skincare items.

I’ve accumulated multiple sunscreens, cleansers, serums, lotions and eye creams, which are overflowing from my medicine cabinet. I’ll be using up the multiples and settling on 1 favorite in each category, with a maximum of just 1 backup on standby, to use from now on.

Pantry foods.

I just got a bunch of new grocery items in the house. I’ll be eating and drinking my way through all these, until I can no longer make a meal, before buying more. 

I play a game to use up the final scraps in the pantry called “last day before payday.” The rules of the game are these: You have to make a meal out of the random things in the back of your pantry - no eating out, no just getting one block of cheese, just use the last 3 tortilla wraps, canned corn, ground turkey pack and your spices to make something. You get to use up what you have and expand your creative cooking skills.

Clothing.

Clothes get worn down, stretched out, and frumpy over time. If you wear them enough, they eventually reach a point where you’ve sewed together the holes more than once and it’s time to admit they have become rags. I have enough clothing in my closet for now. In order to get more, I’ll have to wear some things out first.

Household paper.

I’ve just refilled my paper towels and toilet paper; there’s no storage room for anymore. I’ll have to use up all this kitchen and bath paper before getting more.

Teas.

I was on a journey to decide the best tea for me, and now have a variety of teas that I need to drink. 

Toothpaste.

Between what the dentist has given me for free samples and what I’ve purchased myself, I have plenty of toothpaste for now.

These are a few categories of stuff that I’m currently using up and pausing refills on.

In order to use up your stuff, here are a few tips:

1 - Start in the order in which you received the item

It’s going to be tempting to use up the newest, shiniest item first, but some things you’ll be using up have an expiration date. To prevent the items from going bad before you get to them, start by using up the item you received in your inventory first.

Try the first in, first out method of getting through your inventory.

2 - Think about where you have excess

Are there any areas of your home where you have an abundance or perhaps an overabundance of items? Maybe you have multiples of the same thing. Start using up the items in this category. Choose the item you first purchased and begin. 

3 - See it as a way to reduce clutter

Using up items helps reduce the amount of clutter you have and the storage space needed to contain it. Clutter can be visually distracting and clearing it can be a way to create a more peaceful environment. 

Is there an area of your home where the storage space is bursting from the seams? Start using up the items in this area. You’ll achieve 2 goals for the price of 1 - using up what you have and reducing the cluttered feel of that space.

4 - As you use things up, think about whether you’ll buy more

When using up items, consider if you really even enjoy that thing. Is it the best item for your needs? Is it as beneficial as you expected?

Sometimes, we buy things as an experiment to see if the product is really as useful or happiness-providing as we think. In some cases, we learn it doesn’t serve us the way we hoped, but in other cases, we learn it does provide us with the satisfaction we seek. 

Decide how much usefulness, utility and happiness you get from the product as you use it up. At the end of the experiment, make a choice - buy it again, don’t buy it or get something else in its place. This exercise can ultimately help your life be more efficient in the long run.

When you use things up, you’ll make slow and steady progress every day, but it will be progress. You’ll eventually see the results. You’ll also become a more efficient user of the resources you have, because you are getting the most out of your inventory.

All in all, using things up can create joy and contentment by sending you an internal signal of, “I have enough,” stopping the process of always wanting more in its tracks.

For more tips like these, read on in the articles below:

• How To Stop Wanting To Buy New Things

• How To Want Less Of Anything

• How To Consume Fewer Things

• 18 Summer Frugal Living Tips