Rec | MAKING A GAME OUT OF USING WHAT I ALREADY HAVE

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making a game out of using what i already have

i definitely got into a cycle of the dopamine rush of buying new things, swiftly followed by regret, so i’ve been making a concerted effort to use what i already have. the tricky part is making it feel as exciting as buying something new, so i’ve been trying to frame it as a sleuth situation where i look for the item that most suits what im dreaming of. and inevitably, i usually have it. it’s been helping me out :) fun additions also include borrowing from loved ones, clothing swaps

@bigstrongguy

Feb 7, 2025

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anything i’ve bought new is a weight on my soul

with so much Stuff in the world i find the whole concept of buying something brand new a little absurd when it’s so easy to find pre-loved things that are still functional or easily repurposed. every time i deviate from that belief i end up regretting it. this includes every piece of technology i own, a dress i bought last minute to go to a fancy event i was underdressed for, my blender, my electric razor (not so guilty that i bought this new, but still wish i’d splurged and gotten one that would last longer - i can just tell this one is gonna self destruct as soon as it works out how), my docs, and fabric i’ve bought new rather than thrifted. even with socks and undies i feel like i could be making them with thrifted fabric instead of buying the mass produced versions

@nikau

Oct 23, 2024

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using what i have

i try to resist the temptation to buy new things that fit a very specific need. in all likelihood, i have something that can work. a bag that might be slightly too big, a lens that might have a range slightly too slim, a pair of jeans that don't quite fit perfectly, 1.5 tupperware containers full of leftovers. all of this is fine and i will make it work.

@caroline

Oct 31, 2023

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Make decisions slowly

I'm frustrated with my tendency towards indecision, and I react by overcompensating. But maybe I could let slow choosing protect me instead. Especially financially! I get on a tear for about a month at a time about one thing (interior design currently) and I want to upend my material possessions. I'm obsessively thinking about money and furniture right now and the occasional reward of the great FB marketplace find temporarily justifies the time sink of it all. I feel the pressure of grabbing something before it's gone and to fill the room I'm working on with all the little details that will perfect it and justify the time spent. But at the end of a search, online shopping and even just window shopping makes me feel depressed and like I'm wasting hours of my life on insubstantial nothings. Making one purchase greases the wheels to make another and the desire to consume exponentially increases while the satisfaction dwindles. The rec is to let the dust settle before reacting to change. Even if you have barriers that will physically prevent you from making your next decision, like a budget forcing you to wait on a following purchase, don't invest time researching that next decision until you've figured out how you feel about your last one. Move all the furniture in a room around and leave it for a few days even if it's sort of worse, put all the knick-knacks in a box and then take them out again, write down everything you want to change on a piece of paper and leave it on your desk for a week. Draw a picture of your vision and tape it above your bed. I drew literally 6 different versions of the room I'm sitting in and it's still in a different state than I could have predicted I would have chosen. My favorite thing in here now is a collage I made years ago which I dug out of a moving box in my closet and stuck in a dirty frame my friend thrifted. It's a crappy DIY and I had to use a claw hammer to bend and unbend the nails holding the backing to do it. I hated the result, but left it on my desk anyways and now it makes me happy every day.