Use It Up

I know someone who puts on perfume just before she goes to bed each night. Her evening routine includes showering, brushing her teeth, moisturizing and dabbing a little perfume before crawling under the sheets. She sleeps alone. No one else is there to smell her, but she loves the scent and uses the perfume daily for her own pleasure.


When I first heard of this, I thought it was ridiculous and a terrible waste of expensive cologne. It didn’t make any sense to me. It didn’t seem very sensible and was an unnecessary expense. And then, one day, I grabbed a bottle of perfume from the back of the cabinet and sprayed a little on myself just before going out for the evening. There was no scent. The cologne was so old, it had gone bad and lost its value, sitting there unused. I tossed the bottle in the garbage while lamenting the price of a new one. Now, that is a terrible waste.

Don’t save things for special occasions. If you are fortunate enough to acquire nice things, use them, even if it means using them up. I don’t care if you bought them or if they were a special gift from someone you love. The items have no meaning or significance until they are used for their intended purpose. No one (including you) appreciates that beautiful cashmere sweater while it is folded in the drawer. No one (including you) can appreciate the smell of that body wash you received for Christmas while it’s sitting in the cabinet. No one (including you) will feel special, using the fine china for their cup of coffee in the morning.

Your home and your life are not storage units. Useful things are only useful when they are used. And beautiful things are only beautiful when they can be appreciated. Enjoy the gift while it is available to you. You never know when you’ll get another chance.