Long time ago, I wrote a post on this topic.
https://earlyretirementsg.weebly.com/blog/zero-value-items
I recently returned back to Singapore mid Dec and have been packing up my place at Queenstown.
After 2+ years living overseas without all my stuff, it becomes very apparent, what I need, and what I don't need.
Also, a lot of the stuff I have at my place have grown old, dusty, a bit moldy, cos they have not been used/touched in 2 years.
There are a lot of items which we/I deemed useful, valuable.
But in the end, it's really considered a zero value item.
What I would call a zero value item is... well, it's just sitting there being a dead weight. It does nothing.
I might have bought it for $200 but now, it's not being used. I might THINK that it's still worth $200 cos of anchoring, but really it's now zero value, cos there's no utility from this item/items.
And after 2 years, I come back and I see some leather items get moldy and hard to clean, and I throw them away, or some leather cracked, etc etc...
I had a leather wallet, received as a gift couple years back, but at that time my existing wallet was still moderately used, so I didn't switch out. Then after 2 year, I come back wanting to change my old wallet to the new one... The new one was now moldy and we couldn't get the mold out, so had to just dispose it.
Luckily I had another new wallet which I could clean up and switch to this new one.
So note to self: If someone gives a new wallet, belt, etc... to use the new wallet, belt, and maybe keep the old one as a spare, or even sell the old one. If the old one becomes moldy and needs to throw after a few years, at least not so heart pain.
So we decided to go on Carousell and drop off stuff for real cheap.
I'm talking 10-15% of retail prices.
The thing is, I want to just dispose the zero value items and get some money back. Better than nothing back.
I'm not even going to use the items anymore. There's even a "cost" to maintain the items, cos it takes up space and needs cleaning after every couple of years.
So we've sold our TV for $40, still in good working condition, no dead pixels, but we haven't used a TV in 2.5 years, and our TV is just taking up space in the living room.
We sold a spare vacuum cleaner for $40, good as new, hardly used.
Sold some perfume which we received as gifts, cos... we don't use it and it's just sitting around.
Sold a Kate Spade bag, bought at $200+, sold at $25.
Other items still listed and waiting to be sold.
It might seem like a waste, cos IF we want to buy these things back, it would cost way way more.
However, for us, as we've been out of the country for so long, we pretty much know that we won't use these stuff. Even if we need them in future, if we don't use them often, these items might be spoilt and we'll need to throw and buy new ones.
But most likely for bags, wallet, a lot of personal accessories, we don't go back and use the old ones.
Like my wife has a couple of bags she likes to use. She had other bags last time, and they are just sitting in the cupboard. Maybe she might change out of her existing bags, then those bags will end up sitting in the cupboard and she will use the new "current" bags. She won't go back to them anymore.
She may think, "Oh, next time still can use." But more often than not, she won't.
And we've come to recognize this.
I've also been disposing old clothes that don't fit...
I have loads of clothes from when I was younger and I was slimmer. Ok I'm hoping to fit into them again... but I think... I'll dispose them first, then next time when... IF I lose weight, then I'll think of what to do when that happens.
Of course I won't be disposing some stuff that I seldom use but are important. Like my tool box, or spare LED panels for my lights.
The thing is, at least for us, we've realized how little we need to feel comfortable due to our 2 years out of the country.
We've pretty much been living out of the stuff which could fit into a couple of boxes... and we're ok with that. There are some comforts being back at my own place. I have more cooking equipment and other clothes which I like to use.
However, the learning lesson is pretty much... there's a good amount of stuff we don't really need or use. And it's really zero value. Cos it's just sitting around. And it's time to let them go, even though we bought them at an expensive price, it's no longer worth that amount and getting a couple of bucks from selling it, well, that's pretty worth it.
Note: I make sure that the sale is at my block lift lobby. It's not worth for me to travel to anywhere to close the deal. So I don't care if they are late or don't turn up. Selling on Carousell also has it's issues cos of no-show, or late folks. But that's a different story.
<<PREVIOUS POST // NEXT POST>>
Did you like this post? If so, could you "belanjah" me 1/4 cup of my morning coffee pls.
You may also consider subscribing to receive the articles in your email, link in the column on the right.
https://earlyretirementsg.weebly.com/blog/zero-value-items
I recently returned back to Singapore mid Dec and have been packing up my place at Queenstown.
After 2+ years living overseas without all my stuff, it becomes very apparent, what I need, and what I don't need.
Also, a lot of the stuff I have at my place have grown old, dusty, a bit moldy, cos they have not been used/touched in 2 years.
There are a lot of items which we/I deemed useful, valuable.
But in the end, it's really considered a zero value item.
What I would call a zero value item is... well, it's just sitting there being a dead weight. It does nothing.
I might have bought it for $200 but now, it's not being used. I might THINK that it's still worth $200 cos of anchoring, but really it's now zero value, cos there's no utility from this item/items.
And after 2 years, I come back and I see some leather items get moldy and hard to clean, and I throw them away, or some leather cracked, etc etc...
I had a leather wallet, received as a gift couple years back, but at that time my existing wallet was still moderately used, so I didn't switch out. Then after 2 year, I come back wanting to change my old wallet to the new one... The new one was now moldy and we couldn't get the mold out, so had to just dispose it.
Luckily I had another new wallet which I could clean up and switch to this new one.
So note to self: If someone gives a new wallet, belt, etc... to use the new wallet, belt, and maybe keep the old one as a spare, or even sell the old one. If the old one becomes moldy and needs to throw after a few years, at least not so heart pain.
So we decided to go on Carousell and drop off stuff for real cheap.
I'm talking 10-15% of retail prices.
The thing is, I want to just dispose the zero value items and get some money back. Better than nothing back.
I'm not even going to use the items anymore. There's even a "cost" to maintain the items, cos it takes up space and needs cleaning after every couple of years.
So we've sold our TV for $40, still in good working condition, no dead pixels, but we haven't used a TV in 2.5 years, and our TV is just taking up space in the living room.
We sold a spare vacuum cleaner for $40, good as new, hardly used.
Sold some perfume which we received as gifts, cos... we don't use it and it's just sitting around.
Sold a Kate Spade bag, bought at $200+, sold at $25.
Other items still listed and waiting to be sold.
It might seem like a waste, cos IF we want to buy these things back, it would cost way way more.
However, for us, as we've been out of the country for so long, we pretty much know that we won't use these stuff. Even if we need them in future, if we don't use them often, these items might be spoilt and we'll need to throw and buy new ones.
But most likely for bags, wallet, a lot of personal accessories, we don't go back and use the old ones.
Like my wife has a couple of bags she likes to use. She had other bags last time, and they are just sitting in the cupboard. Maybe she might change out of her existing bags, then those bags will end up sitting in the cupboard and she will use the new "current" bags. She won't go back to them anymore.
She may think, "Oh, next time still can use." But more often than not, she won't.
And we've come to recognize this.
I've also been disposing old clothes that don't fit...
I have loads of clothes from when I was younger and I was slimmer. Ok I'm hoping to fit into them again... but I think... I'll dispose them first, then next time when... IF I lose weight, then I'll think of what to do when that happens.
Of course I won't be disposing some stuff that I seldom use but are important. Like my tool box, or spare LED panels for my lights.
The thing is, at least for us, we've realized how little we need to feel comfortable due to our 2 years out of the country.
We've pretty much been living out of the stuff which could fit into a couple of boxes... and we're ok with that. There are some comforts being back at my own place. I have more cooking equipment and other clothes which I like to use.
However, the learning lesson is pretty much... there's a good amount of stuff we don't really need or use. And it's really zero value. Cos it's just sitting around. And it's time to let them go, even though we bought them at an expensive price, it's no longer worth that amount and getting a couple of bucks from selling it, well, that's pretty worth it.
Note: I make sure that the sale is at my block lift lobby. It's not worth for me to travel to anywhere to close the deal. So I don't care if they are late or don't turn up. Selling on Carousell also has it's issues cos of no-show, or late folks. But that's a different story.
<<PREVIOUS POST // NEXT POST>>
Did you like this post? If so, could you "belanjah" me 1/4 cup of my morning coffee pls.
You may also consider subscribing to receive the articles in your email, link in the column on the right.
RSS Feed
