Do you buy cheap, replaceable things to not feel bad about throwing stuff away if you don't end up using it much, or do you pay for quality goods?
Do you buy cheap, replaceable things to not feel bad about throwing stuff away if you don't end up using it much, or do you pay for quality goods?
I was thinking about this today. I try to research products and save up before buying something, so I invest in quality (also trying to buy responsibly due to environment), but sometimes I buy something expensive and then half a year later realize I didn't use it as much as I had hoped to... but feel bad about donating / recycling the thing so soon since I paid a lot of money for it.
Another example is shaving razors. I'd like to buy a proper, metal one with a replaceable blade, but then I'm thinking how much nicer it is to just dispose of it once I am done (no need to clean it or sharpen it).
Any thoughts, experiences, comments are appreciate it. Really interested about what people think about this topic!
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- It's OK to buy some things cheap and other things for life. Figuring out which things should be which will be a process.
- You should feel great about donating expensive things. You're not just getting rid of stuff, you are giving to a cause.
- Regarding a traditional razor, specifically: Ooh boy, that could go either way. The wetshaving community references various "Acquisition Disorders." Razor AD, Soap AD, and the list goes on. Not getting sucked in takes discipline, and you could easily end up spending more money and taking up more space. However, you are likely to have achieve a greater value experience that brings enjoyment to your life regardless.
Thanks for your thoughts! And I have to admit, I **love ** the process itself. It's the reason I kept opening r/minimalism, because I wanted to see how others are doing with their minimalism journey and occasionally grab a new way of doing things.
And yess! Giving makes me happy and I try to think of it as giving a new, better home to a thing I no longer use.
Sadly the deep rabbit hole of shaving on reddit was what kept me from actually getting into it. I felt intimidated by all the info there is. This short youtube video is a perfect depiction of getting into a new thing lol.
LOL. That is not too far off.
You're not "giving to a cause" though. I worked at donation centres for quite a while, and there's a good chance that your stuff got tossed, and if not then it was picked up by a flipper. If you want it to be put into the hands of someone who needs it, you need to do it yourself.
I agree that it is a good idea to consider who in your community accepts donations, and try to make a mindful decision. As a matter of fact, I donate to a VERY small operation that I trust to be good stewards of what they receive.
I wish more people had something like that. Unfortunately "goodwill" at this point is just a fancy synonym for "feel-good junkyard".