Word or phrase to say you're not taking advantage of an opportunity [closed]

Question

I was about to write something along the lines of

the advantage of having a swimming pool nearby wasn't spent on me,

but is that even correct?

What would be a good alternative?

Answer 1

How about wasted? As per Merriam-Webster:

not used, spent, etc., in a good, useful, or effective way

Works well in your example:

The advantage of having a swimming pool nearby was wasted on me

Answer 2

Squander — to lose (as an advantage or opportunity) through negligence or inaction

He vowed not to squander this opportunity. (Merriam-Webster)

Or, with your example:

The advantage of having a swimming pool nearby was squandered on me.

I squandered the advantage of having a swimming pool nearby.

Answer 3

"I missed out on the advantages of having a swimming pool nearby."
"The advantages ... was lost on me." _{^{Thanks to @FumbleFingers}}

Miss out (on something) or lose out (on something) — TFD

To fail to use or enjoy an opportunity.

"Other people my age are married and have families, and I am beginning to feel I am missing out."
"We missed out on a chance to get a cheaper mortgage."

Answer 4

Miss the boat — Cambridge ​

to lose an opportunity to do something by being slow to act.

"There were tickets available last week, but he missed the boat by waiting till today to try to buy some."

Answer 5

The question is unclear. Was there a swimming pool nearby or not?

If not:

I wasn't given the advantage of a nearby swimming pool.

If so:

There was a swimming pool nearby, but I didn't take advantage of it.

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From the question:

... the advantage of having a swimming pool nearby wasn't spent on me ...

You don't spend advantages. You might make use of them, or waste them.

Answer 6

The verb to pass can sometimes be used with this meaning.

I passed on the available pool.

Answer 7

Stupidly I spurned the opportunity to use the nearby swimming pool.

to spurn

: to refuse to accept (someone or something that you do not think deserves your respect, attention, affection, etc.) - MW

Answer 8

forgo/forego

From oxforddictionaries.com:

forgo (also forego) VERB (forgoes, forgoing, forwent; past participle forgone) [WITH OBJECT]

1 Go without (something desirable):

she wanted to forgo the tea and leave while they could

More example sentences:

Whenever possible, forego fashion and stick with ‘sensible’ shoes.

I may be forced to go and purchase a second bag and forgo tea.

If this is not your cup of tea, forgo the invitation and book a nearby hotel room.

I forwent the advantage of having a swimming pool nearby.

Answer 9

One way you could rephrase it is to review the writing before this sentence. If those lines make it clear to a reader that having a swimming pool would have been an advantage for you, then instead of repeating the work you've already done, you could do something like "The worst part of the situation? I had a pool right next door. I never once jumped in."

Answer 10

exploited, as in, "X was not something I "exploited".

A better word: 'avail', (but requires modifying sentence structure)

advantage is the word on which you are operating not pool. specification, say, of the advantage being as such, an advantage, would then include pool-related details in relation to an aspect personal..; ex.gr.: if you are a swimmer now, but did not use an otherwise valuable resource; if you wish you could now jump in a pool but in the past did not avail yourself to the pooliness that had, only in the past, been available.

Perhaps "avail" might be better usage.