"Buy Nothing" Groups Gain Popularity
wsj.com
wsj.com
The only thing really worth buying as a middle class person is property. But for many it's so out of reach that I suspect they fall into a kind of despair and instead just spend on what brings them momentary happiness, like new gadgets.
We are moving towards a world where everything is just rented. Even the stuff you've bought.
So I'd buy Viking if it lasted longer (because I'm tired of buying disposable appliances, too), but the anecdotal data I've collected says it won't.
Another option would be just forcing long warranties (like 20 years) on most non-consumable products.
It had some weird failures already, but lasted over a year already. Willing to bet it's going to last few years and there's just no way 5x more expensive Bosch is going to outlast it.
Say what you will, but life is much better with comfortable boots, sharp knives, soft bed sheets, a robot vacuum and a big monitor. I take forever to make a purchase decision, but when I do, I rarely regret it.
It's a Tragedy of the Commons world out there and there's no reward or advantage for individual suffering or deprivation.
I'll consider a Model 3 though, but I'm still partial to my vintage ICE camper.
It's the South Park episode all over again, no we're not going to play with squirrels, and no the inflation doesn't just involve Chinese crap. Food and heating prices are inflated as well (banning drilling and pipe lines doesn't help gas prices either)
- edit -
> it would be nice if the US government didn't spend trillions
I agree. Military and otherwise. I'm against endless wars and funneling money through defense contractors as well as universal programs and funneling money through administrators.
People wouldn't have to be living like cavemen to combat inflation if politicians weren't spending trillions.
And no it's not popular, it's a puff piece from the WSJ that tries to put the onus on citizens not the politicians.
Really nice used stuff is so cheap and easy to get ahold of locally thanks to Marketplace or Craigslist. If it's not worth at least $20 it's not something that will last you a while anyway.
And you can spend more while buying less and help the environment.
Examples I could use -
A dog walker for an extra round of exercise to my dog; a personal trainer, physical therapist of some kind or nutricionist, just to keep tabs on my health even if not "necessary" (as in, not in response to a problem or medical request); a tutor for a tour and introduction to a hobby that I always thought was interesting (sculpting plasticine figurines) but really never knew where to start, etc.
I guess it can be argued that a few hours of any of these would do the average person much better than "upgrading" a perfectly functional appliance or dinner table
15 years ago I bought a cheap microwave (not the cheapest, but the second cheapest IIRC). I probably use it about 15 times a week. The plastic film over the buttons is flaking off, but it still works just as well as it ever did.
I have bought "name brand" appliances that have failed in months.
A good example is every last minute purchase I made at decathlon. Every time I buy something there just for this one trip, I end up wearing it every day for years. They're practical clothes that suit every activity.
Same with my Bluetooth speaker and my mini projector. They do a single job well, and interface with other things that do a single job well.
I basically try to buy into the hardware equivalent of the unix philosophy.
A lot of this consumer preference - people just want new things more often than they want things that last. And social media has probably accelerated the half-life decay of trends to chase.