What do my old skis in the shed, my mountain bike behind the house, and the grey suit hanging in my wardrobe have in common?

I haven’t used any of them in over a decade. I’ve got a better mountain bike, a newer pair of skis, and it turns out I don’t wear suits that much anymore.

A few weeks ago I wrote about Ami’s ridiculous wardrobe. I shared an idea that struck a chord with a lot of people.

The idea that we pay for things three times.

We pay to buy it. We pay to own it. And we pay to dispose of it.

Obviously, my skis cost money when Trish bought them for me (gracias mi amor).

What’s not so obvious is the cost to own them. Not just the cost to have them waxed and tuned back when I still used them (although there is that).

Also, the cost of the space in my shed. The cost of bringing them with us every time we’ve moved in the last 20 years. And the little bit of headspace they take up whenever I see them.

The (small but non-zero) mental load of thinking “I’ve got to do something about those skis … is it worth keeping them, how will I get rid of them, I’ll worry about it later.”

And there’s a cost to get rid of them. Of putting them online or taking them to an op shop. It takes time and energy and headspace.

A good heuristic is to assume something will cost just as much to own and dispose of as it would to buy it. The real price is double what it says on the price tag.