This morning, I put my toast back down 2-3 times to get it toasted enough to be happy. I think we bought our toaster about two years ago, and it’s already failing to do its job. It drives me crazy!

As I grow older, I become increasingly irritated with products that frequently require upkeep, repair, or replacement. How much money do I have to spend on a toaster to get one that will last for the rest of my life?

I’ve gone to both extremes. We’ve purchased cheaper toasters we assumed we’d have to replace in a couple of years. But, we also purchased a pretty expensive toaster from Williams Sonoma that didn’t fare much better than that.

I swear, my parents had an old, heavy, metal toaster I remember using for decades! Believe it or not, there are people who collect vintage toasters like that. It’s not my imagination. Appliances truly were built better in the old days. Today, toasters tend to last between five to eight years. Gotta love that planned obsolescence. 😡

I’m just about ready to give up on electric toasters and go super old-school. With every passing year, the more I appreciate the simplicity of fewer moving parts and manual operation.

My wife and I downsized our life about six years ago and eliminated about 50% of our possessions. Now that we have an empty nest, we’re downsizing again and eventually plan on moving into yet a smaller house (so much easier to clean, maintain, and repair!).

So, before purchasing a new material possession, I ask myself, “Will this give me more value and pleasure than the pain of…”

• Storage?

• Cleaning?

• Maintenance?

• Repair?

• Replacement?

Very few things pass the test to get added to my life now.

As my father always tells me, the fancier something is, the more trouble it will eventually give you.

Simpler is better. It took me a long time to appreciate his advice and understand that. I’m a gadget geek and love “new toys.” But, they always end up being more trouble than they are worth.

The next time you’re considering a purchase, factor in the total cost of ownership. The more complexity and frustration you keep out of your life, the happier you’ll be later!

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Hi, I’m Larry Cornett, a Personal Coach who can work with you to optimize your career, life, or business. My mission is to help you take complete control of your life so you can become a more “Invincible You.” I currently live in Northern California near Lake Tahoe with my wife and a gigantic Great Dane. Lately, we’ve been trying to enjoy the crazy amounts of snow here and get some skiing in at least once a week.