Buying addictions or necessities?

It came across my Facebook newsfeed, with all their marketing strategies.

"Sooth your buying addiction, buy yours today."

https://pixabay.com/en/recharge-facebook-facebook-battery-2387087/

Holy!
Marketing is merciless. Not only do they have you buying things, but being addicted to it.
To be honest I was surprised they were so blatant about it. Being off grid and disconnecting from all the propaganda and commercialism, it stands out more. We live extremely simple.

I have to say that I am guilty of buying things that are not necessity. I am a work in progress.
I certainly put more thought into it. I really think about what I need and what I want. I upcycle everything I can get my hands on. The landfill is my favourite hardware store! LOL Most of my things are re purposed. I stay away from Plastic every chance I get.

It's funny, when I started, people would say that the place would look junky, and run down. I find that it looks artsy.

20180228_122436 (1).jpg

An old gate, with old clothesline, made into a dream catcher. Old wire mattress springs make a great goat proof fence. Old straw bales make a great wall and garden medium. Old tires make a great wall of thermal mass planters. the mailbox holds all my gardening tools. We will most likely paint it, if we find some good paint at the landfill. :) Lots of fun projects!

The things that people throw away astound me. Very few people fix things anymore. We have become an instant gratification, throw away society. I remember my dad taking our toaster to the fella down the street to fix it. Or he would be soldering something to repair it. I often wonder if we went back to the old ways, as a society, how much money we would save? Remember borrowing things from your neighbour and returning it better than you got it? These are the old ways now.

I am a big upcycler/reuser/repairer too. I've been told various incarnations of "you look like a hobo" all my life. The nicer people say I'm "quirky" or "artsy." ;)

One good thing I told her is how amazing her place is set up and how awesome it is of how she thinks, how she can come up with such great ideas for these used items. I am amazed. How do you both do it? I am curious as how you do it and the different uses you have for things. It's so cool.

I think part is that I'm an artist, part is that I'm an environmentalist, and part that I've always been poor. There was never the option to go buy a new whatever, any time I wanted.

Growing up we were poor as well, but my mother never showed us was to work with things to our advantage, we just went without.
I am learning to be more of an environmentalist. Seems like I am going at a baby steps pace.
What you do and what @earthmother does, I think its great! Thank you for what you do and for your hard work.

Thank you for all your help!!! I have a feeling that you will be able to do some pretty awesome things at your new house! :) I am excited for you already. LOL

I got plans. Just need to find the way to execute them. ^_^ You are welcome and thank you as well.

I think it is fun. I am thinking that I want to build a bath house...in my head, going through what I have, and what I will need to pick up, to make it work. It is definitely a creative outlet!! and the price range is exactly what I am looking for!

I often wonder if we went back to the old ways, as a society, how much money we would save?

Probably more important than saving money is slowing the depletion of our limited resources before astroid mining gets into full swing.

ABSOLUTELY!!! There is so much excess already. Same with food. So much wasted, and yet creating more and more, and more.....