427
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[-] Zorque@kbin.social 71 points 1 year ago

"the young people"

So they've stopped calling everyone under the age of 45 millennials?

[-] Agrivar@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Ooof, that stings. I've been thrifty and anti-consumer for years, but I'm also 50. I hate admitting I'm no longer one of "the young people."

[-] fubarx@lemmy.ml 64 points 1 year ago

It warms my heart to hear young folks not buy into the infinite treadmill of consumption.

[-] TubularTittyFrog@lemmy.world 21 points 1 year ago

it comes at a social cost though.

i have lost a lot of friends because I live below my 'means'. whereas most folks I meet are 'struggling' because they are living beyond theirs.

Especially travel and restaurants. consumption is now re-branded as 'experience'.

[-] Leviathan@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

I'm glad my social circle pretty much revolves around people who all hate consumerism equally. We do like to travel though.

[-] JamesStallion@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 year ago

dude, eating good food with others and travelling really are experiences. No branding is necessary.

load more comments (3 replies)
[-] Talaraine@fedia.io 34 points 1 year ago

I'm GenX and my body is still ready for this. Let's fucking gooooo

[-] Hegar@kbin.social 25 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

What's are some of yall's less obvious "always buy second hand" items?

Crockery, cutlery, pressure cookers and computer peripherals are some things I think it makes no sense to buy new. 2nd hand they're usually under a tenth the price and often better quality.

I've heard some arguments that buying 2nd hand cars is usually better for the climate owing to how much of a car's lifetime carbon generation is the manufacturing.

[-] CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 27 points 1 year ago

The better quality is the key here. The shit made today are intentionally made to be replaced.

Pyrex is the best example. The old-school Pyrex logo means it's made from really tough glass whereas the newer logo means it's shit and will shatter when going from hot to cold (oven to countertop).

[-] 9point6@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago

I wondered about this and apparently it's a bit more complicated, funnily enough since 2007 European Pyrex is the older style borosilicate glass again

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrex#Composition

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] JacobCoffinWrites@slrpnk.net 17 points 1 year ago

Tools! With the exception of a few big power tools like a table saw or miter saw, where the new safety features make it worthwhile, I get everything I can used. I prefer stuff passed down from family with sentimental value, but I get a lot of my tools from Everything is Free, junk stores, yard sales, estate clean outs, swap shops etc.

Older tools tend to be simpler, easier to fix, and remarkably sturdy. I've read that the metallurgy wasn't as good sixty+ years ago so they overbuilt them a bit to compensate, and then decades of use weaned out the weaker ones, so anything left still working is basically survivorship-bias guaranteed. I've got a drill press that's been in the family for four generations and will probably outlast my grandkids.

They're cheaper, sturdier, easier to fix, generally well-documented online (sometimes better than the new stuff), and they don't come with sheaves of unnecessary styrofoam and plastic packaging. And they have history and stories in them, even if I don't always know what those stories are.

[-] Tikiporch@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

Adding to this, my local library has a library of things which includes a lot of tools. From niche saws to power drills everyone could use.

[-] lemmyng@lemmy.ca 14 points 1 year ago

Got to be careful with old cutlery and kitchenwares, and test for lead.

applied science actually has a really good video about leaded glass. And it's tendency to cause shenanigans, i don't remember much from it, so you should just go watch it.

[-] dirtySourdough@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

Definitely most furniture (i.e., without cushions so you avoid bed bugs). New furniture is incredibly expensive and (seems to be) lower quality. Second hand furniture can still be expensive but it's usually heavily discounted, especially if someone is trying to get rid of it quickly.

Local thrift shops are a good option of course, but also try garage/yard sales, Craigslist, OfferUp, etc. If your area has estate sales you can find some pretty killer deals on good furniture there too.

[-] dankm@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 year ago

If you actually need one (most don"t), I wouldn't buy a truck sold on the North American market since about 2005.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] nikita@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 year ago

Clothes, furniture, equipment related to hobbies… Most things

Honestly a better question might be what do people prefer buying new?

load more comments (2 replies)
[-] 520@kbin.social 15 points 1 year ago

I feel like I could learn a lot from these people

[-] Sizzler@slrpnk.net 7 points 1 year ago
[-] JacobCoffinWrites@slrpnk.net 5 points 1 year ago

There's also local Buy Nothing/Everything is Free groups which may be more active depending on where you are

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] beSyl@slrpnk.net 14 points 1 year ago

Any book recommendations for Degrowth?

[-] MrMakabar@slrpnk.net 23 points 1 year ago

Less Is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World

[-] Mycatiskai@lemmy.ca 23 points 1 year ago
[-] mojo_raisin@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

Libraries are the greatest degrowth asset. We need everything libraries w/ attached repair shops.

first of all, the irony in this comment is incredible. Second of all, literally just start buying used shit first and foremost (it's already out there, using it is better for the environment) and if you do buy something new, try and buy something that you know you can get a good lifetime out of.

have a proper sit down, and think about what you really need to keep going in life. Focus on that. I'm not saying you should drop every hobby you've ever had, but if you collect newly released shit, maybe pivot into finding older stuff that's interesting to collect. If one of your hobbies has a consumable material/s maybe think about how you can better fill that gap. Perhaps try a different hobby every once in a while.

I've always enjoyed computer hardware, i recently got my hands on a few older thinkpad models. x20 series and an x50 series. Both used, both seen some shit in their day and age. Gave me a handful of usable laptops, most of the parts i bought for them were used. All of them are fantastic machines though.

[-] spicystraw@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago

Rude. My dude was just asking for advice and wanted to learn more.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] MrMakabar@slrpnk.net 9 points 1 year ago

E-Books are a thing, as are libraries, which allow you to borrow a book and return it. You also have the option of buying books second hand and then sell it again or give it away. That is really one of the key parts of degrowth. As soon as you share things, you need less things as a group. Hence the impact is much lower.

Besides a paperback book has a climate impact of 1kg of CO2. The average US American emits 4.6t per year just by driving their car. The impact of reading books is a complete joke against that and again no libraries, no second hand or anything else to reduce the impact.

Also books are really incredibly usefull resources. They are much better at actually explaining more complex ideas, then shorter articles.

So please do not just presume, somebody is going out to buy something. For the most part the big choices an individual can make on personal consumption are housing, transport and diet.

load more comments (8 replies)
[-] JackbyDev@programming.dev 6 points 1 year ago

First of all, libraries exist.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] TubularTittyFrog@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

No.

It's as simple as stop buying shit you don't need, and rather than buy new stuff, replace/fix/renew old stuff.

Like... stop buying a new car on lease every 2/3 years. buy a car and keep it for 10+ years.

Stop vacationing to foreign countries, go on a road trip. etc

[-] PresidentCamacho@lemm.ee 15 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Can anyone provide a resource for how to break this habit and maybe learn new methods of reducing it in my life

No just stop the habit

Wow thanks I'm cured... lol

load more comments (2 replies)

I build or repair for myself where I can.

[-] moonburster@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago

Just bought a secondhand ssd for my secondhand steam deck. I am now the proud owner of a 512 gb steam deck for sub 300. I love buying the shiny things covered in dust by others

[-] hubobes@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 year ago

Used stuff is fine and I have a 200 bucks 3D printer for when stuff breaks.

load more comments
view more: next ›
this post was submitted on 27 Apr 2024
427 points (100.0% liked)

Degrowth

1456 readers
10 users here now

Discussions about degrowth and all sorts of related topics. This includes UBI, economic democracy, the economics of green technologies, enviromental legislation and many more intressting economic topics.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS