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Save the planet from waste — buy USED items if you can

Have you ever been to a landfill or “dump” and seen what’s discarded there every day?

It could shock you.   I know someone who lived near a “dump” in a small wealthy town.    He made thousands of dollars a year selling stuff he got for free on Ebay.

In USA, in particular, consumer waste is downright frightening.   Aside from the fact that many metal and plastic items will survive in landfills for hundreds, if not thousands of years, the sheer waste is disgusting and sometimes dangerous.    Buy, buy, buy, bye-bye.    That’s how it works in USA, Europe, and increasingly around the world.    Among the consequences:   wasted energy, materials, oil ( many plastics use oil as one ingredient ), destruction of the environment, smells, dangerous chemicals released into soil and water……and much more.

One way to fight this trend is to buy, whenever possible, used products. Our world economy has created uncounted billions of products that often last a long time, but are quickly discarded into landfills that will last for hundreds, or thousands, of years.    For example, television sets.   A good TV will last a long, long time.   I have  one that is over 20 years old, still works fine.    And, when our large screen TV failed after only 3 years, instead of buying a new one for 800 USD, I bought a smaller, used one for 10 dollars.    I hardly notice the difference.   My quality of life and personal enjoyment has not decreased at all.    I haven’t bought a new car in over 20 years, but I get where I’m going just fine, and comfortably at that.    My current car is a Mercedes Benz, but it’s 8 years old and has over 110,000 miles on it.      I’ve owned it for 2 years and I love it, and I’ll keep it as long as it lasts.

Yet, manufacturers build new models of many products and cars every year in an effort to satisfy the insatiable demand for the latest gadgets.   A well made and maintained automobile can last 20 to 30 years, or even longer in some cases.   Nevertheless, millions and millions of them get discarded and crushed up each year.   Countless other products will also last a long time if taken care of. So, as often as possible, buy USED consumer products.    That frees up your money to pay down debt, buy other things you need, like food, or simply work less hours.   Working less means having more time, and time is priceless.

        used watches can be an excellent value
Some people collect watches

If you’re running a small business and need office furniture or equipment, you can bet your last dollar there are plenty of  used items out there that will save you a ton of money. Things you may need that are available used in huge quantities include;   chairs, desks, shelving, file cabinets, copiers,  tools, fixtures, lamps….. the list is endless.     Now, if you save money on a desk or file cabinets, you can afford to buy new technology to give you an edge in speed and productivity.   I recommend Apple products, like the iPhone, iMac, and so on.   Ever since I switched to Mac computers, I have almost uninterrupted use without any hassles.   Sure, I paid a bit more, but so what.   My productivity increased enormously.  Oh, and my Apple laptop I got refurbished.   It’s still running fine almost 4 years later.   I use it every day.

Watch the video to learn about how a different attitude toward value and “investment”, will put you way ahead. And, learn about saving tons of money on used items like tools.  You can get stuff for pennies on the dollar, even free, and sell them, keep them, or share them.