Don't Throw It Away!

With the recession in full force – and becoming a force in many families – we have to rethink how we spend money. Part of the problem is that we have been in a “disposable mentality consumer” mode for many years. In fact, it is the only mode our children know.

A Disposable Consumer Mentality

What do I mean by a “disposable consumer mentality?” As consumers, we have been trained to expect to get the newer, better, faster model of whatever; to upgrade; to get more data memory; to have the sleeker model; to have the latest and greatest; the revised; the hottest and “in” model; and more features than ever before. And in the process, we just throw away a perfectly functioning model that we are taught to believe is now obsolete or inadequate. Just take cell phones as one example. How many perfectly functioning cell phones have you, or worse yet, your children, thrown away because you purchased a new one with a cooler design and features? Be honest. You call. You text. You answer calls. You take an occasional picture. You check the time, which, by the way, is the first most frequent reason for cell phone use. Most older phones do all of this as efficiently as new phones. So why do we constantly have the need to upgrade our stuff?

What Caused It?

The average U.S. citizen produced 4.6 pounds of waste per day in 2008 as compared to 2.7 pounds in 1960. It is kind of complicated to examine how we have become so brainwashed into believing we should throw away good stuff to make way for new stuff. It has been a gradual process and hardly noticeable until you step back and examine it. But, to explain it we have to delve into the cultural influences. The cultural influences encompass corporate marketing strategies, technological advances, the competitive society in which we live, and the age of specialization.

Several decades ago, product development strategies targeted the American desire for speed and convenience. Consequently, disposable everything from diapers, to razor blades, to cameras, to thermometers emerged on our retail shelves. This was the beginning of our throw away mentality. The concept of auto leasing instead of purchasing vehicles further contributed to the notion of replacing something that works just fine for something new.

Technology catapulted our disposable mentality due to the rapid improvements and advancements. We throw away that perfectly functioning computer or cell phone to get the sleeker, smaller, more powerful model with a few more features. Electronic gadgets become a social status symbol among both kids and adults. So, we toss our one year old LX 360 and replace it with the Voyager, iPhone, or Storm.

We have evolved into an extremely competitive and complex society. The culture begs us to keep up with one another in terms of possessions. We want the latest and greatest with the most features, whether or not we actually use them. The age of specialization also entices us to replace generic “stuff” with highly specialized merchandise more myopic in function.

What should we do about it?

The recession, in all likelihood, is here to stay for awhile. It would be prudent for us to revamp our consumer thinking and habits and avoid the pitfalls of the psychological consumer disposable mentality. Here are five suggestions to help you redefine your spending if you are considering replacing old items with new ones.

1. Be sure that you are replacing old items for new ones for the right reasons. Reevaluate your needs and wants when it comes to replacement purchases.
2. Carefully scrutinize replacement items in terms of its functionality.
3. Resist pressure to keep up with your friends. Make replacement purchases based on your actual needs, not to maintain social status.
4. Consider a cost benefit analysis, considering time and money issues, in your decision-making process when considering replacement purchases. Will that new item really save you substantial money and/or time?
5. Be happy and satisfied with what you have, especially if it still serves a functional purpose.