Great post.
When i met my partner and her 2 kids, i quickly became a step dad and i’ve loved every moment of it. Bit weird as i’d never got on with kids prior to this point. Anyway, she was from a poor background, as was I, but i’d managed to become wealthy but was still quite unhappy with my lot in life.
The first xmas we had as a family, I went a bit mad with presents for the kids, they loved it of course but strangely we started to see changes in them shortly after, as though they had become ‘entitled’.
We ended up spending most of our free cash on her house, making it lovely, then we stumbled across Minimalism….
I’d hoarded watches, clothing, toys, up til then, so as we embarked on that, i got rid of what wasn’t important, selling on, or passing to friends who would make use.
As we became more fussy about what we spent on, we then started to be very well off, and when we did spend, it was on “experiences not stuff” and we have had amazing times as a family.
Now it seems so obvious, what do i remember from my childhood, was it gifts and toys, or was it the time we went to XXxXx or the time we did yyyyyyy. It was the experiences i recall from my childhood, not the stuff i had or was given.
We may have taken it too far, because we do now grudge spending on anything consumer like, he said writing on an iphone 6s, DP had a 6. But we just don’t need the upgrade, they are perfectly good phones.
So, in answer to your question.. Yes second hand is brilliant, getting it giving, you can treat yourself occassionally, and you can actually be wealthier by not being sucked into consumerism and getting the latest item.
The weird thing is though, you’ll actually be happier too, because I personally feel consumerism is a bit like an addiction and you will never be able to satisfy it.