I can see that. You can spend more on services without buying more.
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
I bought the cheapest microwave i could possibly find on Amazon, and it's lasted way more than a year. I sometimes wonder what people do with their stuff that it lasts so little time.
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.
I accumulate these items because they just won't die. They tend to have one thing in common: they are simple, practical and versatile.
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.
GDP growth doesn't care about whether spending is on durable or consumable goods. If anything, falling aggregate spending on durable goods is probably hampering our GDP overall.
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.
Yeast cells generate alcohol waste until the concentration is so high they stop growing. But an individual microorganism can’t do anything but metabolize as fast as it can.
Putting the onus on the people while the government continues with these ridiculous trillion dollar packages that no one wants...
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.
It pays really well to shift blame, I wonder is someone somewhere has an excel spreadsheet with the ROI for propaganda expenses. Like Greta pointing the finger to western countries while ignoring the biggest polluters and the countries that mostly contribute to plastic in the oceans.
Tangential but I feel pretty depressed about middle class consumerism. People just buy new gadgets such as phones and tablets every year like their money is burning a hole in their pocket. Things that you want to last like fridges, toasters, microwaves barely last, with some people I know buying cheap toasters bi-yearly. I bought an expensive monitor earlier this year and the backlight has already failed. When I send it back for a replacement it will inevitably end up being broken up and landfilled. The manufacturer faces no consequences.
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.
Take the time to buy quality appliances, you get what you pay for. I bought Viking appliances 15 years ago. They've been so durable I've moved them to new houses twice without issue.
Of the four or five people I've know with Viking appliances, every one to a person has had them serviced to fix what broke far more regularly than any kitchen appliance I've ever owned. One person that inherited them in the house they bought flat-out said they were over-priced, finicky junk they'd never directly buy themselves.
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.
Good to know, I'll have to check out other brands before buying again, was just about to outfit another kitchen with them. Possible I was just very lucky with mine. Any recommendations?
I wish I had recommendations. I just know that the folks I've talked to with Viking appliances (and to some extent, SubZero) didn't do much to impress me with tales of reliability. I am far from the first to complain that there's no real middle-ground. It used to be "good, better, and best", and that was exactly the schtick Sears used. Now it's more like "disposable, and over-priced-and-not-much-more-reliable". "Better" (old Kenmore and the like) just up and disappeared, and the high-end (in the case of appliances, anyway) looks to be a pretty face plastered on the same disposable internals, it's just easier to get parts.
I wish there was better data on products. The companies know the quality of the parts and level of returns. Maybe we should have some of thia data. At least give some information on grade of cotton in clothes.
We bought cheapest dishwasher we could find for our rental (as a tenants). Cost $400 (280 USD) to buy and something like $350 to install (1-2 hours of labour to lay new piping).
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.
I think I've always been in this group. As a kid I wanted some toys (Lego), later computer components, but I never felt I had a shortage of them, and nowadays other peoples hand-me-downs serve me perfectly fine. I fix/update much around the house myself and although I occasionally buy something new (height adjustable desk last year), I don't really derive enjoyment out of the consumption process. Rather understanding myself and my environment and adjusting them based on new insights (which I can often do with few and existing materials) is what is fun for me.
My wife is obsessed with these groups. We lived in a nice neighborhood and people would give away nice stuff all of the time. But in most places since then it's either a community of hoarders enabling each other or spaces for grifters to grift.
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.
I'm frankly moving in the other direction. I used to be very minimalist, but as I grow older, I have a good idea of what is worth my money. I also have more money, and I don't move around as much so I don't need to travel light.
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.
Yep. I was a minimalist living in a van for some years trying to live like a church mouse. It was painful and stressful. Ultimately, I gave up and went the opposite way: Japanese bidet, designer shirts, bamboo viscose sheets, bed made from rebar, robot mop, 5 kW subwoofer, and 75" monitor.
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.
33 comments
[ 4.3 ms ] story [ 25.2 ms ] threadAnd 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.