It's just dawned on me that i have... well i'm not going to say problem as that's too strong a word, i'm going to say 'issue'.
I like to own 'good' things. By this i don't mean necessarily luxurious items, more that i like to own an item that is considered above average for a specific task, even if my personal hobbies don't lie toward its intended use. I tend to just stick to one of each item, i'm not particularly well off and i'm not a 'collector', i just like to have it 'just in case'.
Examples would be, today i just bought a flashlight for £40. I don't need a £40 flashlight, i just disliked the idea of buying a £12 one as 'i might need a good flashlight in the future!'. I shave with a Merkur razor instead of a disposable, to be fair i did get shaving rash with the generic brands and it has helped, but i don't need a £30 razor in the big picture of life. I own one of every peripheral for my PS3, not that i use them all. I have a mid-level leatherman, not that i do much DIY. I own a fairly decent cordless drill, but i use it once a year. I buy blu-rays instead of DVDs when i can. I own CX-300II headphones when i only use them for the occasional jog. I have good rechargeable batteries, when cheap ones would be fine. I wear a watch that cost £120, when one that cost £20 would do the job just as well. I have a blackberry when a cheaper phone would be just fine i'm sure.
Its strange, i don't need these items, but i buy them as i might. I also don't spend too much, for example i didn't buy a flashlight that cost £100, i didn't get a watch that cost £300. I don't believe in owning the best, i just believe in owning something that's 'better'. Not to gain a misplaced sense of superiority, not in the delusion that i need that item, purely because i know i'm getting something 'good'. I also only shop for a specific use, for example i cannot see a specific use that i'd make of an ipad, so i cannot justify buying one. I can see me using a torch however, so i managed to justify that to myself. I also research meticulously, i do not buy based on what one guy on a shop floor has told me is good, for example i use a £4 HDMI cable as i know it will provide just as good a picture as a £100 one would. I also price hunt and will always buy at the cheapest price i can find. Anything i buy (within reason) has to be researched, and has to be better than the bog standard.
I guess i'm just rambling, maybe there's a point in there somewhere. Does anyone else 'consume' in the same manner as me?
Am i an informed consumer or am i a gadget snob?
I like to own 'good' things. By this i don't mean necessarily luxurious items, more that i like to own an item that is considered above average for a specific task, even if my personal hobbies don't lie toward its intended use. I tend to just stick to one of each item, i'm not particularly well off and i'm not a 'collector', i just like to have it 'just in case'.
Examples would be, today i just bought a flashlight for £40. I don't need a £40 flashlight, i just disliked the idea of buying a £12 one as 'i might need a good flashlight in the future!'. I shave with a Merkur razor instead of a disposable, to be fair i did get shaving rash with the generic brands and it has helped, but i don't need a £30 razor in the big picture of life. I own one of every peripheral for my PS3, not that i use them all. I have a mid-level leatherman, not that i do much DIY. I own a fairly decent cordless drill, but i use it once a year. I buy blu-rays instead of DVDs when i can. I own CX-300II headphones when i only use them for the occasional jog. I have good rechargeable batteries, when cheap ones would be fine. I wear a watch that cost £120, when one that cost £20 would do the job just as well. I have a blackberry when a cheaper phone would be just fine i'm sure.
Its strange, i don't need these items, but i buy them as i might. I also don't spend too much, for example i didn't buy a flashlight that cost £100, i didn't get a watch that cost £300. I don't believe in owning the best, i just believe in owning something that's 'better'. Not to gain a misplaced sense of superiority, not in the delusion that i need that item, purely because i know i'm getting something 'good'. I also only shop for a specific use, for example i cannot see a specific use that i'd make of an ipad, so i cannot justify buying one. I can see me using a torch however, so i managed to justify that to myself. I also research meticulously, i do not buy based on what one guy on a shop floor has told me is good, for example i use a £4 HDMI cable as i know it will provide just as good a picture as a £100 one would. I also price hunt and will always buy at the cheapest price i can find. Anything i buy (within reason) has to be researched, and has to be better than the bog standard.
I guess i'm just rambling, maybe there's a point in there somewhere. Does anyone else 'consume' in the same manner as me?
Am i an informed consumer or am i a gadget snob?
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