Showerthought: My filing cabinet was a $200 paperweight for 2 years

Last month, I cleaned out my home office in Austin. Found a filing cabinet I bought when I started freelancing 3 years ago. Paid $200 for it at Office Depot. Big metal thing, four drawers. I opened it up and it was almost empty. Just some old receipts and a single sticky note from 2021. Turns out, I scan everything with my phone now. Receipts, contracts, notes. All digital. The cabinet was just taking up space and making me feel 'professional.' I finally donated it to a thrift shop. Has anyone else realized they bought a tool they barely used?

3 comments

3 Comments

rowanr8813d ago

@perry.jesse wouldn't it have been cheaper to just use a cardboard box from day one?

perry.jesse13d ago

Dude, that hits way too close to home. I had a desk organizer I bought for like $80 thinking it would change my whole workflow, and it just sat there collecting dust for two years until I finally tossed it. It's funny how we convince ourselves that buying the stuff is the same as actually being productive.

mitchell.avery13d ago

$80 desk organizer isn't bad if you think of it as a permanent piece of real estate on your desk - like a good monitor arm or lamp that stays put for years. lol I've had the same one for like 5 years and it keeps papers from becoming a chaotic tower on my desk. Maybe the issue wasn't the product but just needing a better spot for it from the start.