“They don’t make them like they used to!” Even though that’s something you might hear a parent or grandparent say, there is some truth to the phrase. Unfortunately, there are a lot of products out there that fail prematurely, and it causes us to spend more of our hard earned money. Planned obsolescence is a concept that we’ve heard as consumers, but what does it actually mean? And is all planned obsolescence a terrible thing? In this episode we cover many examples of it, including the notorious sector of consumer electronics. But then we also dive into how we can do our best to avoid spending more money, due to planned obsolescence.
Additional links from this episode:
- Textbooks were mentioned as a classic example of planned obsolescence. To combat it, look to rent textbooks on Amazon and Chegg, and also look to OpenStax and Project Gutenberg to see if your books are open licensed.
- When looking to get an idea of how much your old cell phone might be worth, be sure to check out sellcell.com
- Or repair your electronics yourself with tools and parts from a site like iFixIt.com
During this episode we enjoyed a Juicy IPA by Squatters Craft Beer- thanks Sam! And as we’ve ramped up the podcast with an additional Friday episode every week, we could really use your help to spread the word- let friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to spread the word to get more people doing smart things with their money in these difficult times!
Best friends out!
