The 5 Categories of Things I Only Buy From Second Hand Sources

II first started to buy second hand items out of necessity. When four years ago, I moved to Amsterdam to start my studies I was only able to bring one suitcase with me. As you can imagine, the nineteen year old version of myself didn’t have much money to spend decorating her room, buying warm clothes for the winter and, in brief, making sure to have all the necessary items to live a comfortable life. Luckily, I found myself in an amazing community. I was studying in a college in which graduated students would leave most of their belongings for first year students to use, instead of throwing them away. I remember walking through the corridors finding clothes, pieces of furniture and even food! This is how I was introduced to the second hand community!

Since then, I changed apartment many times and my knowledge on buying from second hand sources increased (unlike my earnings which always remained the same). Here are the five categories of items that I always do my best to buy from second hand sources to save money and fight consumerism.

Food

Yes, of course, food is an option and it’s the main one! Throwing away food is extremely immoral considering the many who unfortunately still nowadays die of starvation. Since I started to buy food that would otherwise be thrown away, I saved an impressive amount of money and I am now spending half the amount I would otherwise use for groceries. In many big cities, there are now organisations that collect food which would otherwise be thrown away from supermarkets and small delis. These organisations are normally based on donations and arrange weekly markets in which for a few coins you can get all the veggies and fruits you need. Sometimes, among veggies, fruits and bread you can even find fresh products such as pasta, croissants and milk. In Amsterdam, for instance, you can check these two organisations: Taste Before You Waste and Guerilla Kitchen. There are also plenty of apps to prevent food waste and fill up your cupboard. Too Good To Go and Olio are just some of the many options available.

Also, if you work in the food industry, like me, you are probably used to getting home with tons of food which otherwise would go wasted. After a few months, many of my colleagues got tired of the same food over and over again and simply stopped bringing food home. However, I always make sure to bring home as much as I can. I may not be interested in it, but my housemates, friends and neighbours always are. If you do the same, they will probably remember your kind gesture and thank you in the same way. Last tip: if you work next to another restaurant, bar or even food truck, you may arrange a deal in which, at the end of the shift, you exchange food which will otherwise go wasted. In this way, everybody will go home with different products every day.

Plants

Why should you spend all this money on new plants when there are so many available from people who would otherwise throw them in the trash? Instead of getting new plants from a shop, why not save one? People continuously get rid of them for several reasons: pets for which they are poisonous, inability to take care of them or simply the need to change apartment. Not only you will pay less than in a normal store, but you will also be able to get a grown up plant as well as some nice tips from its owner on how to take care of it.

Furniture

Every big city now has plenty of second hand furniture stores. You can also try with some online websites, such as Marketplace. Useless to say, the price will be much cheaper. People tend to believe you can only find very old and out of date furniture in second hand stores, but this is just an assumption. Especially in big cities, people move in and out so frequently that modern furniture can be found as well. Before going to Ikea I always do a quick online research looking for the products I am interested in buying. Most of the time I am able to find the same exact item for half the price.

Books

If you are a big fan of classics like me, there is no need to buy new versions. Check out second hand stores or websites such as Marketplace and Ebay. Personally, I always prefer older versions not only for their astounding smell but also for the story they carry with themselves. I like to imagine that my books have been passed from hand to hand and travelled across countries, something you cannot do with a novel you picked up from a book store shelf.

Clothes

Since I started to buy second hand I never stepped inside a H&M, Benetton or Zara store. Second hand clothes shops are now available in almost every big city and the benefits are so many! Most of the time, the quality of the clothes is much superior to the one in nowadays’ stores. Plus, no annoying shop assistant asking “How may I help you?” before you even set foot inside the store. You will never end up wearing the same skirt as your neighbour! Despite what many believe, second hand stores do not only sell clothes that other people used to wear, but also items which were never worn and that for a reason or another no one bought in the right season. During the years, I managed to buy a pair of new Levis for 10 euros!

These are the main categories of items I try my best to only buy from second hand sources. Buying second hand has changed my view on shopping. I realised that frequently we buy only because we feel a deep need to do so. Now I do my best to only buy an item if I really need it and avoid the temptation of doing so for no reason. It is not about saving money but fighting consumerism. Don’t get me wrong, I still indulge sometimes in buying completely useless things.

When I moved to my new apartment I decided to buy a bedside lamp with cute cacti painted on it, which I never ended up using as I never noticed there was no plug beside my bed. Nowadays it’s still lying on top of my shelf staring at me from above and shouting: “What am I doing here?”. Who knows? Maybe it is a useful reminder of the importance of buying second hand.