Yes, I do drive a rusty Toyota Corolla too. An ’88 model to be more exact, an amazing vehicle which took me from west to east coasts in North America twice. Would I buy a brand new vehicle? Not really. I cannot afford it.

In my personal experience I’ve learned about the value of certain things. And I’m going to be heretic in saying that sometimes I value certain things more than people. Some people may be kind, helpful and honest. They are true jewels which are getting harder to find – the experience of having a true friend. The majority of people hurt, change, backstab and betray and will run away and dissapear in moments when we need help. In contrast if we own a good thing which we always took care of, if we flick up its switch it mostly will turn on and will be there to help us even if it’s after 40 years.

Now before I get slandered let me explain that I do have a little family who I love immensely and I’m loved by them. They are my spiritual existence and fortress. The material appreciation I have is not towards consumerism, but the awareness of the value of things built in a way that go beyond exceeding its “lifetime”, and that from the point of view of “business” and the “economy” they are betrayals as they stop people who can see beyond the scheme to continue buying newer items simply because they’re “old”.

One detail that north americans have ingrained in their brains is the belief that goods are available as “for granted” therefore it is not necessary to take care of them. So many good items, manufactured in times when quality and materials were better have been thrown to the garbage. Take for instance the rusty Corolla: Can you imagine the amount of resources and materials it has saved from consumption in almost 25 years? Can you imagine the joy and beauty of this car if it would have been taken care of from the first day it rolled off the dealership and not being abused by previous unscrupulous owners who did not value it at all?

This vehicle is a hero because it survived. And it happily starts every morning, even while its dark fate is written and God only knows for how long its body will last before it turns into dust. This car is something I can count on with more reliability – if I had an emergency, chances that it will be available for me to get help are greater than asking for help to people.

Think about it. Think before you buy something new. And take utmost care of all your things. You never know when you will need them. 

I think it is easier to buy into the function side of the argument if you have a concrete goal. My friend Beata is traveling the world (read her guest posts in my travel section) and found it easier to not spend on clothes and shoes when she had a concrete goal. I think she told me once “Nate, I stopped buying expensive dresses because one new dress costs me five days of hotels and food in Egpyt.” At the time, she was living in London and was planning a 2 week trip to Egypt. Having that concrete goal makes you view purchases in a completely different light and makes it much easier to be happy with purely functional things.

I think it is easier to buy into the function side of the argument if you have a concrete goal. My friend Beata is traveling the world (read her guest posts in my travel section) and found it easier to not spend on clothes and shoes when she had a concrete goal. I think she told me once “Nate, I stopped buying expensive dresses because one new dress costs me five days of hotels and food in Egpyt.” At the time, she was living in London and was planning a 2 week trip to Egypt. Having that concrete goal makes you view purchases in a completely different light and makes it much easier to be happy with purely functional things.