We are owners by caring for what we have and fixing things when we can. I also pick up things secondhand when possible through ebay or trade type of groups (this is how I ended up with my beloved standing desk with treadmill attached that I use almost daily)!! When life changes and a "thing" doesn't work for us any more, we give it away to a friend or someone who can use it. I really love thinking of it this way, as ownership. We gave part of our lives through time at work or however we had to acquire things, so we should own them.
That's great, Julie. It's really nice to be in an ecosystem where things can be fixed or passed on to other folks. That was easier for us when we were in Brooklyn since anything you put on your stoop would automatically be taken by someone within a few hours. In the burbs, I have to work harder to find a second home for things.
Love your point about respecting what we have given of ourselves.
I almost never buy shoes under $200, and certainly never shows that are not repairable. This mindset shifted as I looked at a pair of $200 leather boots in a window of a store that I'd been ogling for months, as the Vancouver rain seeped into the holes and tears in the cheap pleather mini boots I'd bought less than 6 months earlier. It is a privilege to be able to do this, but I love the wear and patina, and supporting the local show repair company!
A couple years ago, I bought a pair of Blundstone boots that have become my daily fall/winter boots. They were the most expensive shoes I'd ever bought and made me feel a little guilty. When they started to come apart at the soles, I bought another pair. But not to replace them — so that I had two pairs to rotate between and could take the first pair in to my favorite cobbler for repair.
Cory, Blundstones are shoes that make me think about ownership more than consumerism as well. I recently just replaced the pair that was probably nine years old and I wore relentlessly in and around NYC. The leather is starting to stretch and fit my foot on the new pair I bought, which is a fun process and part of the maturation of this lovely shoe.
I love to read but for the most part, I check books out from the library or places like Hoopla/ Libby app. There are times I purchase a book IF I have a strong connection with it. My parents, grandparents, great grandparents did the same thing. It's evident in the books that they handed down. A side note: My everyday socks are from "Darn Tough Socks... guaranteed for life". Check out their website!
Oh yeah, I also want to be an owner of the books I really connect with. The ones I underline and make notes in and sometimes return back to. Thanks for the sock recommendation, I'm always on the lookout for a pair that will survive my heel-striking stride.
When making my home repairs category for YNAB, I did an intake on how old my kitchen appliances are to get an idea of when I should expect to need to replace them. I moved into this house in 2013, and the microwave from 1999 is still going strong!
I bought a Dualit toaster 10 years ago and it's never so much as hinted at needing replacement. Yeah we spent $100 on a toaster but I can see it lasting another 10 years at least!
That's awesome. Toasters have a lot of gravity and status in the kitchen, IMO. Jesse, who founded YNAB, is on a lifelong search for a toaster that he can bequeath to his children. Really, it's like a passion of his. I love it.
And the casing is installed with four square Phillips, clear on the side, not hidden. I'll be able to take it to the electronics repair place for easy fixes if it does fail.
Oh man, I love a kitchen appliance that sticks around for a long time. (When I moved into my first Brooklyn apartment I took my parents’ old microwave and I swear it felt heavier than the couch.)
I consider myself an owner. my clothes are over 20 years old. I usually replace pj's every few years, but only one a year. I just replaced my winter boots.
We are owners by caring for what we have and fixing things when we can. I also pick up things secondhand when possible through ebay or trade type of groups (this is how I ended up with my beloved standing desk with treadmill attached that I use almost daily)!! When life changes and a "thing" doesn't work for us any more, we give it away to a friend or someone who can use it. I really love thinking of it this way, as ownership. We gave part of our lives through time at work or however we had to acquire things, so we should own them.
That's great, Julie. It's really nice to be in an ecosystem where things can be fixed or passed on to other folks. That was easier for us when we were in Brooklyn since anything you put on your stoop would automatically be taken by someone within a few hours. In the burbs, I have to work harder to find a second home for things.
Love your point about respecting what we have given of ourselves.
I almost never buy shoes under $200, and certainly never shows that are not repairable. This mindset shifted as I looked at a pair of $200 leather boots in a window of a store that I'd been ogling for months, as the Vancouver rain seeped into the holes and tears in the cheap pleather mini boots I'd bought less than 6 months earlier. It is a privilege to be able to do this, but I love the wear and patina, and supporting the local show repair company!
A couple years ago, I bought a pair of Blundstone boots that have become my daily fall/winter boots. They were the most expensive shoes I'd ever bought and made me feel a little guilty. When they started to come apart at the soles, I bought another pair. But not to replace them — so that I had two pairs to rotate between and could take the first pair in to my favorite cobbler for repair.
Cory, Blundstones are shoes that make me think about ownership more than consumerism as well. I recently just replaced the pair that was probably nine years old and I wore relentlessly in and around NYC. The leather is starting to stretch and fit my foot on the new pair I bought, which is a fun process and part of the maturation of this lovely shoe.
I love to read but for the most part, I check books out from the library or places like Hoopla/ Libby app. There are times I purchase a book IF I have a strong connection with it. My parents, grandparents, great grandparents did the same thing. It's evident in the books that they handed down. A side note: My everyday socks are from "Darn Tough Socks... guaranteed for life". Check out their website!
Oh yeah, I also want to be an owner of the books I really connect with. The ones I underline and make notes in and sometimes return back to. Thanks for the sock recommendation, I'm always on the lookout for a pair that will survive my heel-striking stride.
When making my home repairs category for YNAB, I did an intake on how old my kitchen appliances are to get an idea of when I should expect to need to replace them. I moved into this house in 2013, and the microwave from 1999 is still going strong!
I bought a Dualit toaster 10 years ago and it's never so much as hinted at needing replacement. Yeah we spent $100 on a toaster but I can see it lasting another 10 years at least!
That's awesome. Toasters have a lot of gravity and status in the kitchen, IMO. Jesse, who founded YNAB, is on a lifelong search for a toaster that he can bequeath to his children. Really, it's like a passion of his. I love it.
And the casing is installed with four square Phillips, clear on the side, not hidden. I'll be able to take it to the electronics repair place for easy fixes if it does fail.
Oh man, I love a kitchen appliance that sticks around for a long time. (When I moved into my first Brooklyn apartment I took my parents’ old microwave and I swear it felt heavier than the couch.)
I never do anything for lent, but this year I am doing a no spending, only groceries.
Seems like a beautiful way to observe Lent, Karen. Simple but meaningful.
I consider myself an owner. my clothes are over 20 years old. I usually replace pj's every few years, but only one a year. I just replaced my winter boots.