I don’t like buying nice things.

They’re expensive.

You need to take extra special care of them.

Then you end up devoting an inordinate amount of mental energy to your new purchase.

“Shit, did I just drop my brand new iPhone?!”

However, there is one thing that I love. Having quality technology that WORKS.

(Because #efficiency)

So how do I reconcile these two desires?

I try to only buy technology that is either used or refurbished.

Had I done this 20 years ago… it would not have worked.

New innovations were coming out every 6-months in the early 2000s.

But today, you can buy anything that was cutting edge in 2015 and it will work just as well as a something that came out in 2021.

Here are the 5 benefits I’ve come across buying used technology:

1. You can save a ton of money. Usually to the tune of 50% – 75% on each purchase.
   
   
2. The products already come with wear and tear. Getting that first scratch on your screen is the worst… so just let somebody else do it for you. When I saw that my used Fitbit had a scratch I thought to myself “great, now I don’t need to worry about protecting it”.
   
   
3. Accessories are dirt cheap. Just snagged this OtterBox case for $10 for my iPhone X. That’s an 83% discount compared to having a new phone.
   
   
4. Avoiding the BS of new product releases. Things are more expensive and… they don’t always work. Just look at the Cyberpunk 2077 debacle.
   
   
5. You are helping save products from the landfill. The more demand there is for used technology, the more businesses will be forced to refurbish their old goods.
   

Technology isn’t advancing fast enough that buying used puts you at a disadvantage.

In many ways, you come out ahead.