What Resources now sit in your Pantry?

Items stored for later are also resources used

Many of us were brought up, subconsciously taught, to buy on sale, store for just in case. Every flyer encourages it, buy 2 get a discount and BOGO days.

It has done us such a disservice. We have poured out our financial resources into these items that sit unused for weeks or years. Imagine if we had put that money in physical form in jars in the pantry, medicine cabinet, linen closet, and clothes closet instead. How much better off would we be?

Clutter and waste come by our own hand, because we purchased it.

• Do you need the extra pair of shoes right now?

• That extra shirt?

• The extra body wash?

We think we are saving money, but are we really? Imagine how small of a house you would need if you only purchased based on need for the week? How little storage space you would require? Never mind, all the items bought to organize and store the items that we are not using on a regular basis.

My grandparents raised 4 kids in a two-bedroom home in England, none of them lacked creativity or hobbies, all were successful adults.

Slowly over the past few years, I have been doing away with “the big” grocery shop each week. It has been a mind-shift for me! I have fewer expired items in the fridge and pantry and less waste overall. We shop more, yet buy less. We also live close to the store so it works for us.

Bit by bit I have learned to control our resources better and reduce clutter and ultimately waste. But it has been a battle to slay the voices, “oh that’s a good deal/savings”, “what if I run out?”, “we should get it, it’s on sale!”.

(I’ll let you in on a little secret, there is ALWAYS going to be a sale! )

How can you better allocate your resources?

I always felt I never had enough money, yet my pantry and closets were full.

My thoughts and life cycle went like this:

• “I don’t have enough money”

• “Oh, That’s a good deal I better get it in case I don’t have the money when I REALLY may need it later”

• Here it could have gone 2 ways - I spent current cash or bought on credit and further reduced current and future resources.

• “I really don’t have enough money” I stored it in the form of physical items (ever depreciating) for the future

• Let’s spend again but now I need to feel better about myself so I am going to “treat myself, I deserve it” this was usually a useless item that I consumed or added no real value to my actual well-being. (Like movement toward a goal or dream pursuit)

And so, the whole sorry cycle went on repeat.

Sound familiar? I have GOOD NEWS though….

Start INTERRUPTING the Cycle

• Walk out of the store empty-handed.

• Use up what you have to the LAST drop before you buy a replacement

• Buy one item not two

• Dream, think LONG term so you live less in the impulse emotions of here and now. How would you really like to spend Resources if you had them? Chances are you have more than you realize.

You can do it, I am living proof it can be done, :)

~Diane