Your umbrella
People tend not to use their umbrellas all that often. Realistically, the good ones stay at home and when it rains, you buy the cheapest one available at the shop you’re walking past. If it lasts you through the day, be careful of that umbrella next time you use it. If there’s the usual heavy wind accompanying the rain, that umbrella is already a goner.
Your printer
Printers are one of those things that always seem to be in top notch condition. That is… until you actually need to use one. Click the wrong button? Get a different ink cartridge than usual? Want to print in colour? Or more than three pages? Broken. Somehow. Every single time. If you haven’t checked up on your printer in a while, it’s probably going to need some maintenance before you next use it.
Your earphones
Those big headphones are often pretty hardy, but earphones? Like airpods or the ones with the thin wires? A lot less so. Drop them, twist the wire, or let any part of it touch water, and you will never be able to use those earphones again. Considering they’re the kind of thing you carry everywhere and use daily, it’s pretty inconvenient that they could give out at any second.
Your lightbulbs
It would be lovely if lightbulbs were for life, not just for Christmas, but unfortunately when a lightbulb goes, you’ll regret taking it for granted. We tend to use the lights in our houses on a daily basis which we forget does end up wearing on the bulbs in some way. Things today are made to be replaceable, and lightbulbs are no exception.
Your shoe soles
You might not think of the fact that your shoes actually wear out very often, but there’s nothing worse than the moment that a hole actually forms in the sole of your favourite shoes. Keep an eye on those shoes that you wear all the time, day in and day out, because they could be the next thing to go.
Your favourite socks
The story always goes the same way. You get a beautiful new pair of socks that look and feel high-quality. They’re soft and fit perfectly so you wear them every single day that you can. Wearing them so often, though, is just going to wear those lovely socks out quicker and before you know it, the toes or the heels have holes through them.
Your TV remote
Your remote controller has probably been working on playing your favourite films and shows for years now without complaint. That probably means those old battery are close to being on their last legs. You might not even have rechargeable batteries or spares in the house, because what even uses batteries anymore? Don’t get caught out by your remote batteries dying on you.
Your houseplants
Break might be the wrong word for this one, but your houseplant could be the next thing to die on you. Houseplants can be pretty temperamental, and a lot of us buy them without researching the needs of that specific plant. A change in the amount of water, soil pH, or even where in the room the pot is placed can cause your houseplant to completely give up in the space of a few days.
Your undergarments
Unlike socks, people don’t expect to get holes in their undergarments, but that is not to say that they last forever. Because you wear them everyday, you also wash them frequently. This means the fabric wears thin over time and is likely to lose its shape and elasticity, or it can even develop holes. Do an underwear audit when you get the chance to stop yourself being caught in that situation.
Your car key fob
You know how your car key has a remote locking system so you can lock and unlock it from a distance? Well that’s actually battery powered, and that battery can run out. Imagine needing to go to work in the morning and not being able to get into your car because your key battery has stopped working. If you know it’s been years since you got your car and are yet to run into this problem, replace the key battery before you have the stress of it firsthand.