Use it up, wear it out

Leftover pizza for breakfast is my favorite. That’s the cool thing about food: either you eat it, or it goes bad — so you have to eat it (except for those very processed foods that last forever, meh) but you can’t really save your leftover pizza indefinitely.

So why is it that when we save up and buy that amazing thing that we’ve wanted for ages — we become afraid to use it? We save it for a special day.

My sister had this adorable habit when she was a little girl — if someone gave her a wrapped present, she wouldn’t open it for days because she enjoyed looking at the beautiful wrapping and wanted to save that moment of discovery when she tore the gift open. Nowadays, she tends to wear new clothing almost as soon as she buys it. Even though little-sis was cute, adult-sis has got the right idea: use it up!

Her theory: what if she dies and never gets to wear that beautiful new silk scarf?

I’ve heard countless stories (and some in my family) where someone only used the “good” dinnerware on “special” occasions. How often does a special occasion happen? And who are we saving this stuff for, people we see once a year? What about everyday dinner with our family being a special occasion, and using our best stuff for the people that matter most, the ones we live with.

Without losing our concept of the value of things, I think it is precisely because things are valuable to us that we must use them. What good is a thing if it cannot bring us joy, if it leaves us feeling anxious or nervous that we might break it.

I sometimes do this thing (when I buy a really expensive dress, for example) where I think : okay, if I wear this dress 10 times, that’s about 30 bucks per wear. This process of rationalization also ensures that I get the most use out of my stuff.

I’ve heard of people waiting so long to open a new pretty bottle of perfume that when eventually opened, the scent was completely corrupted. What a waste.

The thing is, if you think using stuff up too quickly is a waste, consider not using it at all — which is an even bigger waste.

So: use it up, wear it out, enjoy it.

A version of this story first appeared at Muslimah with a pencil.