Most things that you can buy used are already so much better than the worst product you can buy new, but at a similar price. If you make the effort to bring something to the thrift store, donate it or put it on ebay, it shows that you believe it to be too good to throw away. This is usually stuff that has already seen some use (e.g. clothing that has been washed a few times) and is still OK, as opposed to shitty stuff you buy that breaks soon.
The Worst
51–60 of 217 posts
Re: The Worst
#52Why do I get the feeling that dcurtis' friends are going to endlessly chide him whenever they go out for dinner?
I wish one of my friends would write an anecdotal story like that.
Re: The Worst
#53These are the ways you guys choose to buy your stuff. Cool. Still, I dislike ideas that you should 'always' do something, always buy best, always buy worst.
I'll take time, care (and my limited funds ;) ) to research and buy what's best if I think research will be fun. Or interesting. Or useful in the future. Or the item is somehow important to me (and the spoon sure as hell is not). Otherwise - first thing that seems to be good enough should do just fine.
Re: The Worst
#54THIS.
SO MUCH THIS. fuck yes.
Re: The Worst
#55Perhaps one ought to compromise on a "minimum viable fork."
Re: The Worst
#56Dustin's "best" philosophy:
* depends upon a search for an expert designer
* follows a "waterfall" process (large up front costs, infexible result)
* trusts that the expert has made good decisions for you
Moxie's is a hackers approach: * A/B testing * learn what matters as you go * customise * exploration and innovation
Both strategies have different costs and benefits.
Re: The Worst
#57"Any reasonable person wouldn’t feel liberated by a $50 fork, but constrained by it. One wouldn’t be able to help but worry: is it being cared for correctly, is my friend going to mess it up when absentmindedly tapping the table with it, is it going to get dropped or stepped on if a dance party erupts in the kitchen? After all, it is the perfect fork, what if something happened to it to make it… not perfect?" This is…
Indeed. I don't intentionally damage new things, but people are often surprised that I don't agonize over keeping my phone, car, or laptop looking brand new. The idea of a scratched Honda sort bothers people, but idea of a scratched Audi makes people crazy. Why waste your energy worrying about this?
A Audi with some scratches is a very nice car, and an iPhone with some scratches is a very nice phone.
Re: The Worst
#58One of my favorite song lyrics of all times:
"I've been losing lots of keys lately, I don't know what that means But maybe I've been better off with things that can't be locked at all"
I'm a happier person when I am using things that I don't worry about breaking or being stolen than I am taking care of nice things.
Re: The Worst
#59As some one who's only "best purchases" have included portable items like a good chef knife, MacBook Airs, iPhones etc over the last 10 years I agree with this whole heartedly. I've been able to live and work in 8 different countries. Experience amazing things and work with fantastic people. It frees you from all kinds of things to not have that $5000 TV, $1000 monitor and $5000 sofa.
It was big step (with a lot of fear) for me recently to buy a $180 24" monitor and a $800 Aeron chair as it implicitly makes my life less portable. I have noticed how these purchases have changed my thought patterns. Now before thinking about the future I'm actually thinking what to do with the Aeron. The funny think is that I'll hardly think twice about spending $800 on a flight.
Re: The Worst
#60I'm surprised nobody here has yet mentioned Fight Club...
"The things you own, end up owning you"