… Is the same as not having it at all. Worse, actually. Because you or I paid the money and expended the time to acquire the item. And now can’t remember where we put it.
I have just now done that with a big Tupperware container. Can’t find it for the life of me, and it’s the perfect thing to store leftover 4th of July cake. Oh well!
One of the permaculture design principles is “Stocking.” It means having the stuff you need on hand in appropriate quantities, neither too much nor too little. And remembering where it is stored.
You might find this hard to believe, but even when I was living in a 19-foot travel trailer (with all my possessions under that one roof; none in storage), I still managed to forget where I kept things. And forget entirely that I owned certain things!
Sometimes I would find an item years later, spoiled by heat or time, never having been used.
One thing I’ve found that helps is to periodically go through each cabinet or closet. Pick a different room or space each week, say, and take a couple of hours. And come to think of it, I haven’t done that lately with the kitchen cabinet where I store plastic containers for reuse. That cabinet is packed to the gills, and could be hiding an entire small family, let alone a tupperware container!
Update: I did end up finding that nice tupperware container, and that yummy leftover cake is now safely stored for maximum shelf-life. (Now to tackle my boxes of sewing supplies to see if I can find a certain piece of fabric I’ve been looking for …)