I ask myself if I REALLY need it, or just want it because it's cute/funny/whatever. I also try to imagine where I will put it or if it will just sit in a box for a long time. That usually gets rid of most things.
Personally, my thing is books - I buy books almost constantly. I have raided all the local secondhand bookshops so I'm back to Chapters sales . I'm blacklisted at the libraries but while I deal with that, I still have the strong craving to go and buy a book after a long shift. I have neither the room nor the extra funds for a book addiction, so...
If I really crave it but can't afford it, I usually go next door and look for a set of stickers for, say, 31 cents or a nice pen. They make nice gifts if I don't use them, and they're something tangible that is attractive without breaking my bank account. I can do the actual reading online, or go to bed earlier to think up stories.
I am blacklisted as i forgot several books and now have too much in fines, so i cant rent books or use the internet. I will be allowed back when i pay off the fines.
I think about how many hours it would take me to earn that amount of money.
If it ends up that I wouldn't be willing to work 2 hours for "shiny gizmo that currently has my attention" but that's the proportion of my salary that it will cost me, it makes is much easier to say no to.
Recently I've been trying to consider the environmental impact of buying lots of unecessary stuff, and it's working pretty well. I read this article on giving up buying new clothes over the xmas holiday and it really made me think. I've currently got 3 pairs of old jeans that are falling apart (they always seem to wear through at the crotch for some unknown and slightly embarassing reason) and I was gonna just chuck them in the bin and hit the new year sales, but after reading the Guardian article I decided to spend my xmas money on a second-hand sewing machine and turn them all into skirts and handbags. I can get a sewing machine for under £100 and in the long run it's a great investment and so much better for the environment than constantly buying cheap high street clothes and throwing them away when they fall apart
( ... )
You can usually strip a laptop apart for the pieces and sell them individually on E-Bay, if you can determine what's gone wrong. Similarly,
The largest issue with laptops seems to be (Disclaimer - Idk) a motherboard/power issue. My motherboard was fried in my last laptop (the keys had worn off, the battery was useless) so we took the screen off and sold it, kept the keys for a friend with the same laptop, the hard drive and the RAM, amongst the other fiddly bits (stylus, remote control, etc.) that were a part of the original laptop and used them for the next.
With respect to the hard drive, you can usually buy a special dock that allows you to access the hard drive normally with a new computer, whether it be a laptop or PC.
Recycle the rest, of course, but dismantle and use/sell what you can, too.
Man I need to find some computer techy friends in my current hometown. I've dismantled an old desktop PC and retrieved the hard drive (and my god that was a relief - the damn computer completely stopped working one day and I thought I'd lost 5 years worth of creative writing) but I had a friend with a computer science degree to tell me exactly what to do. I wouldn't trust myself to take a computer apart without expert help.
If I'm shopping in a physical store, I'll only make one circuit of the store. Just before I get in line to check out I reexamine every item in the basket - I ask myself, "Do I really need this?" Most often I return things to the aisle I found them in and proceed to checkout.
If I'm shopping online, I leave items in my "cart" for a BARE MINIMUM of 24 hours. Not only will some retailers give you a discount if you do it, but it gives you a chance to reevaluate the purchase without the rush.
It's not a universal thing (Amazon has never offered said discount), but every once in a while my waiting will pay off. Usually they send a "reminder" email with a coupon code in it.
Comments 61
Reply
Reply
Reply
If I really crave it but can't afford it, I usually go next door and look for a set of stickers for, say, 31 cents or a nice pen. They make nice gifts if I don't use them, and they're something tangible that is attractive without breaking my bank account. I can do the actual reading online, or go to bed earlier to think up stories.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
If it ends up that I wouldn't be willing to work 2 hours for "shiny gizmo that currently has my attention" but that's the proportion of my salary that it will cost me, it makes is much easier to say no to.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
The largest issue with laptops seems to be (Disclaimer - Idk) a motherboard/power issue. My motherboard was fried in my last laptop (the keys had worn off, the battery was useless) so we took the screen off and sold it, kept the keys for a friend with the same laptop, the hard drive and the RAM, amongst the other fiddly bits (stylus, remote control, etc.) that were a part of the original laptop and used them for the next.
With respect to the hard drive, you can usually buy a special dock that allows you to access the hard drive normally with a new computer, whether it be a laptop or PC.
Recycle the rest, of course, but dismantle and use/sell what you can, too.
Reply
Reply
How to Dismantle a Laptop. :D Other brands turned up in a quick google search. The biggest issue is dust so stick everything in Ziploc bags ASAP.
Reply
If I'm shopping online, I leave items in my "cart" for a BARE MINIMUM of 24 hours. Not only will some retailers give you a discount if you do it, but it gives you a chance to reevaluate the purchase without the rush.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment