Buyer's Remorse

I've been thinking a lot lately about how to declutter and simplify my life. I mentioned in an earlier post that I've been trying to clear out some space on my bookshelves by selling some of my books and CDs on amazon.com.

Along those same lines, Madame X at My Open Wallet wrote a fascinating post entitled How I Live in 242 sq ft. In it, she says "knowing that I don't have much space for stuff really makes me think about whether I really want or need to buy it, and I think it does have a significant effect on how much money I spend!"

Well, that got me thinking about some of the stuff that I wish I hadn't purchased. I don't really buy things on impulse very often. Even small items tend to be thoroughly researched beforehand. But sometimes, even after I've gathered all the relevant research and data, I still suffer from buyer's remorse. I guess no matter how many product reviews you read, it really just comes down to personal taste.

Here's a partial list of stuff that I own that didn't quite live up to the marketing hype.

Stearns and Foster Pillowtop Mattress - very expensive and way too soft. I wake up with a sore back. So now I just sleep on my side. Sigh.

CD/Radio Alarm Clock - I never use the CD or Radio. I wake up to the normal buzzer. Go figure.

Bimmer - see my post on Keeping Up with the Joneses. Also, since it's rear wheel drive, it's a helluva ride in bad weather. There's a really steep incline into my parking garage. When it's snowing heavily outside, I just put it in second gear, offer up a brief prayer and then floor it.

Leather tote - it's way too heavy, even when there's nothing in it. Add a laptop and a couple of files, and it's impossible for me to carry.

Patio furniture - I don't spend a lot of time on my terrace, other than to water my plants or do some grilling. I live in a high rise condo building. On most days, it's just too windy outside. And with city noise from the el and freight trains, it's not exactly peaceful or conversation friendly.

Bread machine - I used this a lot when I first bought it, but the cost of ingredients starts to add up. And the loaf starts to get stale pretty quickly. I think I'd rather just buy a loaf of bread on sale at the grocery store.

Satellite TV - okay, technically I didn't purchase this. It's part of my monthly condo association fees. But I rarely watch TV. So, this one really bugs me.

Method concentrated laundry detergent - this stuff is marketed as being environmentally friendly. Too bad my fluffy towels come out feeling stiff as a board when I use it. I've tried rinsing my clothes twice and adding more fabric softener. Nothing seems to work.

Middlesex - I know that this novel won the Pulitzer Prize, but I honestly could not get into this story. I made it halfway through the book before I finally gave up and called it a day.

Okay, that's it for now. I may update this list at some later point in time. And tomorrow, I'll try to list some of the things that I'm actually glad that I purchased.