Lets Become Smarter Consumers

This morning I read an article in the Times about how as consumers we've gotten into a cycle where every two years we dispose of our old gadgets-phones, camera's GPS (often times into the garbage), to purchase something brand new with all its bells and whistles, or maybe just its reduced price. Unsustainable doesn't even say it. This kind of consumption will lead us into materialistic suicide. It's not just with electronics either. With the help of China, a mentality has been developed in this country where cheaper is better, in almost every sense of the word. That means that we're ready to buy an item for half price, even though it would only provide a quarter of the shelf life as the full-priced item...

I have fallen into this pattern throughout my consumeristic existence. Why? Because if I can buy an item that appears to be exactly the same as another, and still walk away with extra loot in my wallet, why shouldn't I? Because of that mentality, our consumeristic ways have demanded cheap, poorly made products with minimal shelf-life. The companies are winning. This way they sell their products at a much faster rate, generating more capital. The producers are winning. Just google how much debt our country owes China. We seem to think we're winning when we leave Target with that brand new digital camera with 12 Megapixels for under $100. But then when it dies on us out of nowhere 15 months later with a year warranty, we tell ourselves- "I'll never buy another Kodak Camera..." But the chances are, the next company isn't all that different.

It's time that we become smarter, more long-term consumers, not just in regards to electronics, but with everything that we purchase. Instead of buying jeans for $20 at The Gap, Ali recently spent $200 on a pair that are so rugged she had to wear them in for a couple months before she could ride her bike wearing them. Supposedly they will last for the rest of her life. My logic tells me that I could buy 10 pairs of brand new jeans at the gap, if I can get for $20 a pop, so why drop a couple of Benjamin's? But that logic doesn't take into account details like our economy- Ali's jeans were made in this country, the environment- 9 extra pairs of jeans stuck in a landfill sounds like a lot. Or inflation. I highly doubt that I'll be able to find a decent pair of jeans at the Gap for $20 in ten years.

I will continue to struggle with this battle, but I've got my brother to provide me with plenty of inspiration. The roof of his house has reached it's shelf life, allowing leaks in his house. So instead of replacing it with the most affordable option- only $5k, he's going to spend twice as much to have metal roofing with an extra foot overhang in order to protect the house. It's not going to be easy for him, since he doesn't even have that kind of cash sitting around (who does?), but with a little time and sacrifice, he'll be making the intelligent, long-term purchase that should provide a shelf-life through 2111. Not bad, ehh?