The Second 50

Over the past fortnight I have been sifting and sorting items with a view to de-cluttering. I’m employing the tried and tested method of throw it, donate it, or sell it. All with the aim of reducing the quantity of unused things in our house that have been jammed in the back of cupboards for far too long. 

I only tackled a couple of spaces before I started to reflect on how much stuff we own, but how little we actually need. Sometimes being on holidays and living out of a suitcase sparks that kind of thinking too. You know, the travellers mentality.

But more than that. I’m driven a lot by getting the most value out of something I own. It’s as if, as I get older, I have suddenly had an awakening that money is worth the value I place on it and that I can choose and reset its value by maximising the cost per use of each item.

As I have approached ‘The Second 50″ I have formed stronger views about the longevity of items. These days, we live within such a short consumer cycle underpinned by fast fashion and cheap imports, that I want to do everything I can to contribute to a world where ‘stuff’ has an extended life and I get more value for my money. I want to stamp my foot and resist the marketing push to buy new items annually, seasonally, or more frequently.  If I have one that works, why buy another, right?

Today, consumerism is driven by our need for things to be cheap and to arrive tomorrow. We don’t want to wait. We want them now. And we don’t want to pay too much.

While I will let others make their own choices about ethical manufacturing and trade, it is not something I want to actively contribute to. Don’t get me wrong. I am no saint. I still buy things from stores like Amazon as I can get a variety of choices and fast, sometimes free delivery.  But I try to maintain a small consumer footprint and perhaps assauge my guilty online shopper’s conscience.

How?

I donate items that our family no longer has a use for where I know the item still has plenty of life left in it.

I shop in second hand and op / thrift stores as I can often find clothes, books and homewares that meet our needs and are perhaps from another era and hence manufactured to last.

I only buy what we need. This extends to things like groceries, clothes, and cosmetics.

I share items with friends and family to help them limit unnecessary purchases.

I love to read and support local street libraries. I enjoy book swaps.

I don’t upgrade my phone, tech, and white goods when new models come out. I extend usage for 3+ years minimum.

I plan ahead and buy essentials in bulk when items are part of a discount cycle.

I have let go of the ‘keeping up with the others’ mentality and no longer feel the need to buy something because someone else has one.

My impact might be small, but I am working to reduce my consumer footprint where I can.

Shop smart, friends.