One that nobody seems to have mentioned: Not being able to buy an individual piece of fruit in many inner-city shops. This isn't about making it cost more, but about reducing waste. When fruit is loose some people will simply grab what's in front of them, but some will be choosy taking the best specimens. The inferior ones get rejected--but they were handled to do so. They get picked up, looked at and put down again…
Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
791–800 of 982 posts
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#792Earlier quoted context omitted.
Well, you don't use it to cut the handle off. You grind the bottom of the pan smooth. Isn't that obvious? I guess not, apparently. But it seems like it should be.
Have you ever in your life tried to use an angle grinder for this sort of thing? It’s one of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle. It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes. If i had a cast iron pan I had to flatten, I’d dog it down on my CNC router, set up a 1/4” endmill, whip up some…
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#793I appreciate the writing style, but this article is shockingly naive to me. Convenient consumer products tend to sell better than less convenient ones, even if the product is worse. That's the entire story. People have finite time, so when they receive more income they will tend to spend it to reduce the time they spend doing things that they don't care about. I for one hate spending time doing all the things that th…
I wonder what you do with all the 20 minutes total you save a year. Still I don’t blame you but I’m a person who enjoys doing things the “hard” way, that lets you enjoy the results and contemplate things in a different way.
However, there were times I had to skip coffee making to start a commute on time. The tipping point was when I was slightly late for a couple of low-stakes meetings because shaving with a safety razor took so long (lather, three passes, rinse), so I had to take an alternative commuting route after missing a train. There were other times when I chose to skip shaving and buy coffee outside to make a meeting on time (taking extra time to walk to the coffee shop, line up, and buy coffee).
I remembered never having these issues of having to skip shaving when using an electric razor. I've now returned to using one for most days, and also usually use a brew machine. It's nicer to have less stress in the morning.
You could say that I could manage my time better in the morning by waking up an extra half hour earlier, but I've found it very nice to make my life a bit easier while other parts of my days are more stressful.
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#794Earlier quoted context omitted.
I wonder if people know that electric razors last like … ten years. I’ve owned, I think, two electric razors in my life, and I’m in my late thirties. I never have to replace any part of it.
My biggest issue with electric razors is that they never gave me as smooth a shave as using a razor-blade (or cartridge). That annoyed me enough to stop using it. But sure, they do last forever.
These were the inexpensive mail-order discount razors and the special shave butter they advertised, I forget the name of the company but it was the first one I was aware of that bypassed the Gilette racket by doing everything via mail. (edit- DollarShaveClub?)
Smooth or not, I'm sticking with my electric razor.
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#795Earlier quoted context omitted.
Also, in what universe are those expensive multi-blade razors faster or more convenient than a safety razor with a Feather blade?
The world where I want my shaving to be brainless.
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#796Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not sure if it's sarcasm? Greta's travels are famous for looking eco friendly while not being so: https://oilprice.com/The-Environment/Global-Warming/Greta-Th...
That is a laughably bad source. Who Visits OilPrice.com? OilPrice.com's rapidly expanding and influential audience consists of investors, fund managers, resource bankers, traders, energy market professionals and high net worth individuals from all around the world but mainly North America, Canada, UK and Australia. Oil and gas industry executives from large multi-nationals to smaller independents Renewable energy com…
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#797Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes, people are being steered towards behaviors that are more profitable for manufacturers and away from behaviors that are better for themselves. And the way to stop it is to stop buying that stuff. Stores get pressured to stock things, and they can only justify it if it gets bought. If a store doesn't stock the things you want, don't buy things from that store except the things it does have that you do want. They w…
You have a choice to the extent that you're willing to be homeless and live without income and act in violation of the law. The rest of us are constrained in our choices by the society we live in and the expectations it places on us. I want a cell phone that respects my privacy, but none exist on the market today so I have no choice. I still need a cell phone though since my work requires one. We also don't all have…
"If I don't participate in this economy I'll be homeless, so I have to by Gillette mach 20 disposable plastic razor cartridges." Do what you can where you can. Can you stop buying disposable razor cartridges made of plastic and still not be homeless? Then do so.
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#798I appreciate the writing style, but this article is shockingly naive to me. Convenient consumer products tend to sell better than less convenient ones, even if the product is worse. That's the entire story. People have finite time, so when they receive more income they will tend to spend it to reduce the time they spend doing things that they don't care about. I for one hate spending time doing all the things that th…
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#799Earlier quoted context omitted.
"I tried the double edge safety razor. Got the brush, shaving cream, big pack of Astra blades. Watched a bunch of YouTube videos on technique. Spent way more time shaving. Nicked myself an ungodly number of times." Maybe it's the blades? I started with Derby Extra blades[1], and without using any special technique I've nicked myself only maybe once a year with them. The weight of the razor might also figure in to it…
I got a vintage Gillette handle off eBay - it definitely has heft. Could be worth trying a different set of blades. The Astra Platinum were the Reddit hive mind recommend at the time, but this was ~8 years ago. I’m also wondering if it might be a hair thing. My facial hair is thick/coarse, particularly on the upper lip, which is where I consistently nicked myself. Short of a several pound handle I can’t imagine cutti…
Also, before starting to shave you should wet your facial hair with hot/warm water for a few minutes to soften it up. I usually wet my face as soon as I get in to my shower and shave inside the shower a few minutes later.
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#800Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Just let it heat up before using it No lol that's the whole point > without the carcinogens. I'll take that trade, I'm not going to spend my 30s sitting around waiting for pans to heat up because there's some very small probability a pan will harm me.
If you really care about your time and have a lot of money, get an induction cooktop. It will heat your cast iron super quickly.