How To Be Materialistic
Weird thing to aim for huh?
materialistic | adjective
: overly concerned or preoccupied with material possessions rather than with intellectual or spiritual things
Frivolous purchases, emotional shopping and the worship of items. What if we could help the world increase demand for necessary products that last as long as possible.
Value materials more
To help people see the power of better materials used for better products. To value and appreciate and seek out long-lasting, heirloom-quality "things" that have the longest life-cycle possible. This website lets people see the good stuff, the stuff people actually buy and rate the most.
What does being more materialistic actually look like? It looks like a person protecting their highly valued phone with a case, instead of using it without a case, dropping it and replacing the screen every few months. (there are of course phone nudists who are very careful to protect their devices.)
Fast products
Too often, we choose the cheaper route when purchasing items. Paper plates, plastic cups, cheaper lightning cords. Many times, it is unavoidable and a by-product of a system that has been unable to substitute low-quality for high-quality, short life for long life. When shopping anywhere online, many times, the "Best Seller" we see is a very high-volume, lowcost/quality item.
Cheaper always looks better when money is tight. The challenge for our planet comes in learning the cost of making everything cheaper, weaker.
Two people buying things
John
Buys cheap boots from Walmart and replaces them every two years.
Buys flimsy sunglasses from the gas station every month, loses and breaks them constantly because he doesn't care about them enough.
Buys a non-stick pan and replaces it every 3 years.
Gets and constantly loses the cheap gas station lighting charger cables and reduces the longevity of his phone through inefficient charging.
Buys low-quality jeans that require yearly replacement, he doesn't care though, there is no emotional attachment to this easily replaceable item.
Samantha
Saved and bought a $300 pair of Redwing boots that she has the sole repair for every 2 years.
Finally got the aviator glasses she wanted and keeps them in a protective case until she gifts them to her child decades later.
Was gifted a cast iron pot that she has used for 30 years, it gets better and better with each meal.
Splurges on a high-quality cable for her $500+ phone that she protects and uses delicately. Her phone lasts longer due to efficient charging and her cable never gets lost because she sacrificed too much to lose it.
Buys jeans she absolutely adores and spends more for the higher-grade denim. They age beautifully, she protects and washes them with intention.
Many products, two very different frequencies.
Where to start?
It all starts with intentionally finding things you know you can love for as long as possible. It starts with being willing to sacrifice and endure delayed gratification.
- List 5 things you are grateful for every day
- Save for something you can love for decades
- Wait 5 MORE min. before you click "checkout"
- Imagine how & when the product will break
- Dream of what you want, save for it
