minimalism
About us
An open, user owned community dedicated to the philosophy of minimalism and the minimalist way of life. All types of posts are allowed, as long as they are relevant to the topic of minimalism.
Rules
1. Be honest with yourself and others.
The goal is to develop yourself personally and as a community. Seriously, if you’re not honest with yourself and pretend to be someone else, you’re not going anywhere. The first step to progression is acceptance, isn’t it?
2. Be polite to others and respects each others opinions.
Your freedom ends where somebody else's begins. Remember that there are people that may see things differently than you.
3. Keep it theme-oriented, up to date and relevant.
In general, all types of contributions are allowed, but the relevance to this community must always be evident and presented openly by the contributor. Posts that do not meet these requirements will be removed after a public warning.
4. Use self-moderation measures first before reporting.
This community is fundamentally built upon freedom of speech. Since everyone understands minimalism differently and we do not want to exclude any kind of content a priori, we appeal to the individual users to block/mute posts or users who do not meet their requirements. Please bear this in mind when filing a report
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I buy quality, but used. The thing about used is that you have to know when to buy used and when to buy new according to your needs/preferences. So consider some of the following categories:
Clothing. Dead easy to buy amazing quality used. There's a super saturated market of virtually unused clothes, often with the tags still on, at less than half of retail price. If you want a $500 dress that will last you 20 years AND maintain its resale value, you can find that for $100.
Furniture. Personally, I used to think that I wanted a "perfect" home with a "perfect" aesthetic, but it turns out I like the idea of that more than actually doing it. Last time I moved I furnished my apartment with almost nothing but furniture off the street, and that created a better aesthetic/vibe than I ever could have purchased. People are dying to have you pick up their old furniture so that they don't have to deal with it.
Appliances. Again used. The discount on a used toaster or blender or whatever is so substantial that you could buy a second one if the first one didn't work out. You do need to inspect it or buy online for buyer protection, but I've never been screwed over and not had recourse. This goes especially for the kinds of appliances that people use a couple of times and then throw into the closet. I also find that I have a far less "personal" connection to these items, so I don't care if they're a bit shabby.
Electronics. These I buy new or refurbished. I buy refurbished phones that I've never had any issues with, usually an older model through a reputable online seller. Something like a laptop I'll buy new - it's just one of those things where it's highly personalized and I want to know the history and the exact specs and such.
A lot of this comes down to a gut feeling imo, and the degree of personal connection to the item. You know in your gut that you'll always be uneasy with a used laptop, or that you don't care whether the desk you're sitting at is a bit scratched up. You know you'll regret spending money on aesthetic "fluff" when you could have gotten a cheap one used, and you know which pieces of clothing are keepers and which you're going to get bored of in a year.