When I first left home I lived in a one bedroom flat. Think a square. Half was the living area. A quarter was the bedroom and the remaining quarter was divided into 2 for the bathroom and kitchen. It was a popular design for flats in the 70s and they are still around today. It was walking distance to the local shops and the station. It was furnished with my bedroom furniture from home and the rest came from the op shop. Rent took half my pay and my parents did help now and again with the bills. But on the whole I managed. I made a lot of my clothes. I shopped in the sales and my grocery bill was what I could afford.
When Himself and I got together he had some stuff from his first marriage and my op shop furniture came with me. That was replaced with corduroy covered foam furniture (very 70s) and then a lounge suite from my in-laws when they replaced it for a new one (that lasted until they died/moved into aged care).
Over the years we moved around and each house we bought had a mix of old and new furniture. Old always outnumbered the new and the new was the best quality we could afford with the intention of it lasting.
In 2007 we sold our house to downsize and got a really good price and as a bonus the buyers kept (and paid for) our furniture. That meant we were able, for the first time in our lives, to buy furniture that really suited the new house we had built.
I don't get the current obsession with replacing major items of furniture on a regular basis to create a new look. How the hell do people afford it? What happens to the furniture they are replacing? People don't seem to want second hand furniture any more. Even those who are setting up their first home.
Does it all go to landfill?
In the past we have tried to sell well made and cared for furniture for not very much at all but no-one was interested. We gave it away. The people that took it were newly arrived and very grateful.
And, no, we weren't creating a new look! We downsized again when we moved here and we didn't have room.
How dare my generation pass any negative opinion on the younger ones. Apparently we are the ones that stuffed up the planet. Yet we weren't "influenced" bullied into the latest trend. We didn't need to walk everywhere with a coffee in a takeaway cup. We cooked meals at home and ate leftovers. We wore the same clothes for more than a year.
And we didn't buy new furniture every time the seasons changed.
Up until a few years ago I still had some second hand furniture
ReplyDeleteAbout four years ago. We needed to replace the carpet repaint the house and decided to get rid of all our old furniture and replace it with new
This was after close to thirty years of being married and living here
We gave away what we could and the rest wqw pretty much crap
It was lovely to finally have all furniture that matched and once again we will just replace it if it needs to be replaced not because the fashion has changed
I think we appreciate new things more when we aren't replacing things every five minutes.
DeleteI don't think we have bought any new furniture for five years or more. Some is really old and very good. Some in newer and looks dated, but we can't find better. I can't see much need to replace anything in the future apart from white goods. But it is not because we can't afford it.
ReplyDeleteOur generation ate slices of roast pork not off cuts called pulled pork sold at premium prices.
Oh dear, I look at five year old photos and realise I still wear the same shirt. In one case, eight years old.
Your life is poor quality if you can't sit down to eat and/or drink your coffee.
I know what you mean about newer looking dated. Well made timeless furniture really is a thing of the past.
DeleteNothing wrong with wearing clothes til they fall apart. At least you still fit into them!
I can relate. I retired from my office managers job in 2001, at the that time, what I call decent clothes were worn to work, not jeans and a T-shirt. As I look in my clothes closet, I am still wearing some of those clothes. Happy too, I can still fit into them.
ReplyDeleteOur furniture is a mixture of mine and his, it would cost us a small fortune to replace everything in five bedrooms, livingroom, kitchen, dining room, recreation room and three bathrooms, it's a big house. We only replace items that quit working such as, TV and microwave they do not repair them now as they did years ago.
It's just not furniture they replace, it's cars too. Outside living spaces are all in vogue here, furniture, BBQ's built in outside kitchens, bars, and seating areas with rugs etc. etc. Oh! and don't forget the pool or hot tub.
Yep, I am old.
Pat, we have the outside kitchens and living spaces here, too. I just don't get it. The next thing will be outside bathrooms and bedrooms and no one will live inside. Oh wait - the pool and hot tub. Bathroom right there!
DeleteI quite agree but I have to say my two kids are similar and have hung onto items that they bought or acquired many years ago. I think it is a frugality you learn as a child - making do or purchasing to last. I will replace my car this year as it is 14 years old and is beginning to need expensive repairs.
ReplyDeleteChris, I have one kid who buys as needed and doesn't go crazy with trends. Funnily enough he and his wife are doing very nicely, thank you Another kid has a wife who changes everything when there is a Sunday in the month. They are on good salaries but live pay check to pay check. The final kid and his wife are still renting but neither are in well paid jobs and the pressure to keep up is huge. I feel for youngsters these days with social media etc.
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