True value of things

Often we think about cutting our expenses by buying fewer things, because we want to be economical and save some money. I totally for.

But there are other reasons to buy less. Many reasons.

The price of a thing is only one reason lying on the surface. When we bought something, we bring it home and take away the life of another item in this world.
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Item life? Leo, are you crazy?

Well, yes, maybe - in the end, I'm talking to myself in this post. But listen to me, O Hypothetical Reader from my head.

The item is not born in the store. It is born in trees (if it is wood), in mines (if it is metal), in the depths of the world (in the case of oily materials, such as plastic, synthetic fabrics, etc.), or perhaps in all three or more places if it is a combination of materials. It is born when all these natural materials are mined and collected (at great expense and harm to the environment), and delivered to the plant, which inevitably pollutes nature. Then he is given the final form (often in several different factories), he is sent to the warehouse, and, in the end, the seller.

In the end, but this is not the end. The life of an object only reads when it enters our life, even though we have already paid for the destruction of the Earth only to possess it.

We need to deliver it home, even more polluting, consuming and paying the price of fuel, maintenance of transport, as well as the price of time, seconds of our life, which cannot be returned.

And after all these expenses, it takes up space in our homes (or offices), the place that we could use for life, or which we could refuse and for which we would not have to pay if we had fewer things. and smaller houses. And the place is, by the way, not cheap, given the space prices for real estate. And also prices for heating / air conditioning, maintenance, time that we spend on cleaning.

And this is still just the beginning. A thing, if it is an electronic device, needs electricity. All the time. It must be contained. Turn on and off, clean, lubricate, take care not to break. This is extra precious seconds, precious money. If it is metal or glass or wood, it must be cleaned. It may break slightly and require repair. We need to store the warranty card somewhere and remember this (a waste of mental energy). We may need special tools for it, cleaning equipment, accessories. All this requires space, care and money. And we haven't even gone through half the problems yet. I put the remaining problems on the list.

This list covers only a fraction of the problems. Here are some of the costs of owning things:

• They occupy space, lead to distraction and stress.
• We have to constantly move them to get to other things, for cleaning, organizing, painting walls, pasting wallpaper or redevelopment.
• We have to take them with us when we move or travel. This is a bunch of problems and costs.
• Often we pay extra money for keeping these things outside our home.
• If they break, we need to carry them to repair.
• If we have children or animals, we have to worry that they are not broken, and swear if they are not treated with enough care.
• If we are accustomed to them, and they break, then we have to replace them, because it seems to us that we need them.
• If they wear out and start to fail, then it is generally a separate headache.
• If we have too many things, it depresses us.
• We get used to things, and it makes us worry when we have to throw them out (it doesn't matter if we throw them out in the end).
• If we have too many things, then we live in a cluttered space in which there is no room for other things.
• More things - more confusion and difficulty in cleaning.
• We can stumble over them and hurt ourselves.
• And if we do not stumble, then we have to worry about how not to stumble next time.
• If we bought a thing in debt, then these are unnecessary problems associated with increased debt.
• Even if we bought a thing that was not in debt, it could still be due to money transfers that need to be checked through Internet banking or by receiving a bank statement. Unless, of course, we check it, because for many it is too much.
• Things give us a false sense of security.
• They reduce the amount of time we spend on useful things, instead of disturbing, cleaning, maintaining, using, and making money on them.
• At some point we have to think about how to get rid of them, and spend time and money on it. This includes time and money spent on ebay, garage sales, sending them to friends or relatives (or a trip, to give them yourself), announcements, communication with customers, etc. That is still a headache.
• If you die and leave things in inheritance, then your relatives will have to deal with them. Another big headache.
• If, God forbid, a natural disaster occurs, or your house burns down, you will have to worry about losing all these things.

As you may have understood, I can go on for a long time. There is no way to calculate the true value of things, because it is too difficult. Just remember this when you are going to buy a thing - even for free. Nothing is free if you take into account all the above. Are you ready to live the life of this thing and give up your own?

UPD Advise the thematic blog, where you can transfer. Thank!

UPD2 Transferred to Strange Ideas.