For whatever reason, I was reading this article about things you shouldn’t buy new. It lists ten of them, and to my horror, I realized that I have habitually bought over half of those things new.
- Books
- DVDs and CDs
- Little kids’ toys
- Jewelry
- Sports equipment
- Timeshares
- Vehicles
- Software and console games
- Office furniture
- Hand tools
I totally buy new books all the time. Because who knows what shape an old book is going to be in? And yes, it’s totally true that I read most of them only once. There are some that I haven’t even read once. I just don’t have the patience to look through a bunch of used book listings for one that’s in decent shape.
I haven’t bought a CD in forever, but whenever there’s a good deal on some DVD I vaguely want, I’ll take it. I just don’t bother scouring other sites for used DVDs.
Now this one I am not guilty of buying new, because I just don’t buy them at all. Unless you count stuffed animals. Which I’m glad I buy new, because how do you know how the previous owner treated some stuffed animal you buy from them? It could be infected with all sorts of germs, for all you know.
OK so I’ve really only bought one thing that could be considered jewelry (a watch), and I’m glad I did buy it new, because if it was fitted for someone else’s wrist, it might have been missing some links. And the black paint wears off quite easily, so it would probably look even more scratched up than mine does now, if I had bought it used.
Well, since I don’t play sports, I have little use for sports equipment, new or used.
I don’t have any interest in buying a timeshare, and I’ve actually never listened to those three-hour presentations in order to get a free something or another.
I have owned exactly one car in my lifetime, and I bought it new. Well, let’s be honest, my parents bought it new for me. Since at the time, I had very little money. But since it wasn’t exactly a high-end luxury car, I don’t think buying used would’ve saved that much money anyway.
I don’t buy that many console games, but when I do, it’s often something I really want to play, like Final Fantasy XIII-2, and I want to play it right when it comes out, so I have no choice but to buy new. And I often buy titles that are kind of old at a steep discount, even when they’re new. Like Final Fantasy XIII-2 now, for example, is 1/3 the price compared to when it first came out. Who wants to buy a used copy of questionable quality for $15 when you can get a new copy for $19?
I bought my chair new because I know how much time I spend in it. How do I know that the previous owner of some office chair hadn’t been sitting in it 12 hours a day with his bare butt, getting his dirty dog to sit in it with him, and occasionally having sex with his wife in it when he’s feeling horny in his office?
I don’t know how to use hand tools, so I certainly haven’t actually bought any. Maybe when I finally find a house…
OK so maybe “habitually” is a bit strong, since the jewelry and vehicle purchases have so far been one-time things. But still, think of all the money I could have saved! Totally could have put it toward a down payment on a house or something.