Ideas for Using What You Already Own Before Buying New

A great way to save money and become more organized is to make better use of the things you already own.

My big question of the day for you is this: are you taking full advantage of all the features in the things that you already own or subscribe to?

I am willing to bet that you are not – because I know for sure that I don’t.

Yet, when I get frazzled and it feels like everything is out of place or just a hot mess – the first thing that I want to do is go out looking to buy a new solution for the disorganization. Usually this is because the system and tools that I am currently using are clearly not working.

But is that statement really true? Do I need something new to fix a broken organization system or do I just need to learn how to use what I already have?

Use Your Technology To It’s Fullest Potential

Think about it – you have technology at your fingertips by way of a smart phone or computer. It has tons of features to help you stay organized baked right in. Have you taken the time to learn them?

I use Apple computers and devices and they come with apps for Notes, Reminders, Calendar, and more. With every update new features are added – so the apps are very robust and do much more than what I currently use them for.

If you have an Amazon Alexa enabled device or a device that has Siri – there are all kinds of shortcuts you can use to save you time – the key is learning how to make it work.

Make Use of All of Your Subscriptions

Subscriptions are another thing that we often don’t make good use of.

For example, I subscribe to several Apple services including Apple Music and Apple Fitness. Yet, there are days that I don’t exercise, even though I have access to virtual exercise classes right at my fingertips.

The same thing goes for music. With a little planning I could create a few more playlists to listen to more often in different situations.

And don’t even get me started on gym memberships.

If you subscribe, evaluate whether you are using the subscription. If not, save your money, and cancel it.

Read the Books You Already Have Before Buying New Ones

Is there a stack of reading on your nightstand or a collection of unread books on your Kindle?

I tend to be a bit of a book collector, so I am very guilty of this. So, my advice here is to think twice before you buy a new book. Pick something you already own or check it out at the library.

If you must have it, get it on your Kindle to reduce the physical book clutter in your home.

I have a subscription to Kindle Unlimited and I love it. I can borrow a Kindle Unlimited book, keep it for as long as I want, and return it when I am done. Unlike borrowing from a library, I have no pressure to finish the book by a certain deadline. And you can borrow up to a generous 20 titles at a time. Certain magazines and audio books are included as well.

Don’t Buy Storage Containers Right Away

When you take on an organizing project in your home, the temptation is great for running out and buying fancy storage containers to make your newly organized space look Pinterest worthy.

I am telling you to resist that urge.

Chances are that you might already have boxes and bins in your home that can handle the job. They might not all match, but if the area you are organizing is in a drawer, cabinet, or a closet with a door then esthetics won’t be that important.

When I organized my small linen closet, I used a lot of storage organizers that I already owned. This saved me a lot of money and, indirectly, it saved me space. Because, I would have duplicated the number of storage containers in my home.

Do You Really Need Another Black Dress?

I use the term “black dress” here in the most generic of ways. You could easily replace this with “pair of jeans” or ” pair of sneakers” or anything else you already own but are tempted buy one more of.

It is easy to get lured in by a good sale or a good fit.

I like to give it some time and go back to it if I really want it.

Use Existing Household Items Before Buying New

The term “household items” makes up a very big category of things that we need to do better about.

Do you have a bunch of toiletries – things like perfume, travel sized shampoo, soap, and lotion, makeup, etc – cluttering up your cabinets? Instead of running out to buy new bottles, round up what you have and start using them up.

How about dishes, appliances, and other kitchen items? If you never use the “good” dishes maybe pull them out for everyday use or make a point of using them once a week for a sit down family dinner.

If your cabinet is overrun with water bottles or travel mugs, consider using them before buying disposable. Once when I visited a friend on an overnight trip, she gave me a cup of coffee for the road in a reusable travel mug. She knew I wouldn’t see her again for ages, so she told to use it, enjoy it, and pass it on. This was her way of clearing out some of her travel mug clutter.

The features on small kitchen appliances are another thing we don’t take full advantage of. Each one is capable of doing many things but we often use them for singular function. Depending on the model, you can make dough in a food processor but also a mixer.

So, before buying a new appliance, see if one that you already own is capable of doing the job.

Find the Time to Learn How Things Work

One of the biggest obstacles that keeps us from using all the things that we own is a lack of time.

Learning something new takes time and when we need something right now, we usually don’t have time in that exact moment to learn how to do something new.

The key here is planning. With a little planning you can learn to use what you have before you need it.

When you were in school or college, your professor did not give you all of the material you needed to learn 5 minutes before the final exam. Instead, you received a syllabus at the beginning of the semester and learned the information at a steady pace over the span of several weeks or months.

Similarly, when you want to learn a new technology or take full advantage of a service that you subscribe to – you need to pace yourself. You may even create a little syllabus of your own or schedule some weekly time on your calendar for learning that particular skill or device.

What Will You Make Better Use Of?

What do you already own that you want to make better use of?

If you, too, want to make better use of what you have, try this quick exercise that involves using one of my most useful organizing tools – a LIST.

Here is a little exercise:

Exercise: Make a list of all the things that you already own or subscribe to that you want to learn more about. Then schedule time on your calendar – either daily or weekly that you will use to focus on that one area. To break it down further, you can learn one new device or technology per month. By the end of the year – you will have mastered 12 new things!

For more ideas, check out my Beginner’s Guide to Organizing here.