Stop Saving It For Later: The Joy of Using Things Up

Many of us have a habit of saving our “best” skincare products, that fancy perfume, or even a special bottle of wine, thinking feels too good to use on an ordinary day. We wait for the “perfect” moment to arrive, but in the meantime, those items sit untouched, slowly losing their value and purpose. I know this firsthand, because I have done this my whole life too.

The truth is, that perfect moment is now.

By holding onto things for a future occasion, we’re often creating unnecessary clutter and missing out on the small joys of life. What if using up what we already have could help us save money, reduce waste, and bring a little more happiness into our daily life? Heck yeah, sign me up!

That’s why I decided to challenge myself to a “use it up” challenge. I wanted to stop these special things in my home from collecting dust—and now, I’m challenging you to do the same.

Using up the things we’ve been saving can lead to a simpler, more intentional life—one where every day is a “special day.”

Why We Save Things for a Special Day

So, why do we save things for later in the first place? There’s something about knowing we have something “special” that makes us want to keep it for a future moment—almost like we’re preserving its magic.

Maybe we’re waiting for a special occasion to feel extra fancy, or we think using that skincare mask on a random Tuesday is a waste. It’s a habit most of us fall into, without really thinking about it.

The idea of saving things stems from a belief that we should only indulge when it feels “deserved” or “worthy.”

We’ve been conditioned to think that the rare things we own should be reserved for something important. But here’s the catch: by doing this, we end up hoarding and never truly getting to experience the joy those items can bring.

This is where the scarcity mindset comes into play. We’re often afraid of running out of something good, so we hold on to it for too long, convinced there will be a better time to use it. But waiting for that perfect day just keeps us stuck in a cycle of unused things, missing out on the little pleasures of life.

The Cost of Keeping Things for Later

While saving things for later may seem like a good idea at first, it actually comes with a hidden cost—both financially and mentally. Those items we hold onto with the intention of using them later often lose their value in the meantime.

And let’s face it, how many times have you saved something until later only for it to go bad before you even get a chance. Like that bottle of champagne that has gone flat or that special face mask that dried up inside the tub. Urgh!

And what’s the point of keeping something if it doesn’t work as well as it should when you finally decide to use it?

Beyond the physical deterioration, there’s also an emotional cost. Every time we look at something we’ve been saving, it’s a reminder that we haven’t enjoyed it yet. That sense of “someday” builds up and, over time, can leave us feeling more disconnected from the things we own.

The longer we wait, the more we tend to feel guilty about not using it sooner.

Not to mention, when we hold onto things for too long, we create unnecessary clutter. Our homes get filled with items that we never truly experience, and the space they take up can feel more like a burden than a blessing.

It causes a form of clutter blindness too. We won’t declutter these special things taking up space in our home because we are saving them, so we essentially overlook them and wonder why our space is overwhelming.

In the end, we’re left with more stuff, less enjoyment, and a missed opportunity to make the most of what we already have.

Examples of Items That Are Saved For A “Special Day”

It’s funny how we wait for the right occasion, only to forget or let these things go to waste! Here’s a list of things people often save for a “special day” that never seems to come:

Beauty & Self-Care

• Expensive skincare products
• Fancy perfume or cologne
• Luxury body lotions
• High-end makeup
• Bath bombs and specialty soaps
• Hair masks or deep conditioning treatments
• Manicure and pedicure kits

Clothing & Accessories

• Designer or expensive clothes
• Jewelry that’s “too nice” for everyday wear
• Special lingerie
• Fancy shoes, accessories or handbags

Food & Drinks

• Fancy chocolates or gourmet treats
• Expensive wine, champagne, or liquor
• Premium coffee or tea
• Specialty condiments and oils
• Birthday or holiday treats

Home & Lifestyle

• Fancy candles
• High-end bed linens or towels
• Nice dishware or “good” china
• Luxury hand soap or cleaning supplies
• Unused stationery or notebooks
• Art supplies or craft materials

Experiences & Sentimental Items

• Gift cards that are waiting for the “perfect” use
• Travel-sized toiletries from hotels (perfect for weekends away)
• Sentimental or expensive journals
• Specialty books that sit on the shelf unread

Practical Steps to Use Things Up

Okay, so we’ve talked about why we save things for later and the hidden costs that come with it. But how do we start breaking this cycle and actually use the things we’ve been hoarding?

It’s simple to get started but also takes a little work to break the habit. Here are a few practical steps to help you get you using up those items in your home:

1. Start with Everyday Items

Don’t overwhelm yourself by tackling everything at once. Begin with things you use often, like that half-used bottle of shampoo or a nearly empty jar of face cream. Start by incorporating these items into your daily routine until they’re gone.

This means no buying new items to replace them until they are almost (or entirely) empty. That new shampoo bottle doesn’t come to live in your shower until the day you’re throwing out the old empty bottle.

Yes, I know. The everyday items often aren’t the ones we are saving for a special occasion so this feels somewhat easy. Easy wins, you know! We gotta start with easy wins.

2. Practice Mindful Usage

You’ve worked through your supermarket shampoo and cheap moisturiser, but now all that’s left is your fancy ones! Instead of grabbing new products and saving the good ones for “later,” try to be intentional about using the things you already have.

If you’re still feeling anxious about using the higher priced items, try using your more expensive skincare products for a “self-care” night once or twice a week and making this an EVERY WEEK routine.

This way it’s still a special treat, but it’s not going bad in a drawer waiting for sometime in the future you deem worthy. You don’t need a special event to enjoy a moment of luxury.

Tip: Often if we are gifted something a little more luxurious than what we will buy ourselves, we are more likely to hoard these items than use them. I’m guilty of this! A great mindset shift for this situation is reminding yourself that the person who got this gift for you got it to be used! Make them happy and put it to good use!

3. Consider Your Purchases

One of the other key steps to using up the things you already have is not filling your home with new items before the others are nearly done.

Unless you’ve got the space for Costco bulk buys (which most of us don’t), then you’ve got to be mindful of your space and your spending. Buying items you don’t need means unnecessary spending and potential money wasted (if it goes bad before you get to use it).

So if impulse spending is your big issue, unsubscribe to all those sale emails and only visit a website when you genuinely need to top up your favourites.

4. Celebrate Everyday Moments

Using up a product isn’t just about clearing space—it’s about giving yourself permission to enjoy the things you already have. It can be as simple as using your favorite candle to create a cozy atmosphere during a regular weeknight. Celebrate the fact that you’re making the most of what you own.

You are worthy of using these luxury items, any day of the week. Doing so adds small joy to every day and we can all do with a little more joy in our life, right?

The Use It Up Challenge

If you’re anything like me, you probably have a few things in your home that are sitting there, waiting for the “right” moment to be used. Well, it’s time to stop waiting—and I’m inviting you to join me in a Use It Up Challenge!

The idea behind this challenge is simple: commit to using up items you’ve been saving, whether it’s skincare products, candles, makeup, or even that bottle of wine you’ve been holding onto for a special occasion. The goal is to get rid of that “someday” mentality and start enjoying what you already have today.

How to get started: Go through your home and find all the items you have been saving for a ‘special day’ and make a plan to use them.

You can put them all in a small basket or box for quick access, or if there are a lot, keep most of them where they are but create a list of items to use, so you can cross them off as you use them.

And now – start using them! Depending on what items you’ve got stashed, turn them into everyday items where it makes sense or plan a timeframe to use the others.

Got a bottle of bubbly (that’s still good) on your wine rack? Bring it to your friend’s place for dinner this weekend. Got a deliciously yummy smelling candle getting dusty on the shelf? Light it while you’re soaking in the bath and reading one of those books that you’ve been meaning to read.

Apply the teeth whitening strips. Use those pretty pastel highlighters in your work diary. Leave your partner love notes on those cute sticky notes you got for your birthday 4 years ago. You get the idea!

And before you go use all the things and give yourself a little bit of pampering and luxury on a basic Tuesday night, drop me a comment and tell me what you’re going to be using up first!