Wouldn’t it be great if we could always buy exactly what we needed and never waste money? Unfortunately, we don’t always make the best decisions when it comes to making purchases and most of us would be amazed at the amount of stuff we have lying around the house or garage, unused or leftover. Here are some items you might recognise as being commonly over-bought:

Clothes – Most of us can admit to buying clothing that remains hanging in the wardrobe with the tags still attached. Whether we change our minds, our weight fluctuates, or we just never get around to wearing it, most of us could fill several charity bags of clothing we no longer need or want. The new year is a great time to have a clear out and treat yourself to tidier, more organised bedroom space. Find out more by visiting a company that specialises in fitted wardrobes dorset

Food – Never does this become more acute than during Christmas and New Year. It doesn’t seem to matter how much food and drink we buy, we convince ourselves it won’t be enough. Whether we’ve got 4 for dinner or 14, we’ll still cater for about 20! Thankfully, food wastage is high on the social agenda with many families practising smart shopping and supermarkets changing the way they dispose of unsold or spoiled goods.

Toys – Whether it’s Christmas or birthdays, children nowadays have far more possessions than previous generations ever owned. Recent research shows that the average ten-year-old child in the UK owns 238 toys but plays with only 12 on a daily basis.

Shoes – This is most likely to apply to us females who have a certain reputation for owning far too many pairs of shoes! Recent figures in the U.S suggest that Americans spend more on watches, shoes and jewellery annually than they do on higher education, as quoted in the publication Psychology Today.

Fast Food – In our busy fast-paced lives, preparing and cooking a healthy, home-cooked family meal is often the last thing we want to do at 5pm every night. Sometimes it’s easier and quicker to heat up a microwave meal or take a trip to the nearest drive-thru, especially when dad’s working late, and the kids have after school clubs etc. A couple of times a month is not an issue but when it creeps up to 2 or 3 times a week – that’s a lot of money.

Home Fitness Equipment – There are many homes sporting exercise bikes as very expensive clothes dryers! Whether it’s the dumbbells rusting in the garage or the ab-cruncher pushed under the bed – all those new year’s fitness resolutions make us buy fitness equipment that we rarely use longer than a few days!