How Corporations Keep Stealing Your Money (And How to Stop Playing The Game)

Let me ask you one simple question. What is so special about your phone? What makes it different from the phone you had, say 3 years ago? Are you excited about getting the new version when it comes out? Probably, even if you have to pay it off, am I right? Most people who have iPhones lust after the latest rendition, the iPhones to top all iPhones—for thousands of dollars. And not just iPhones, all smart phones. But when you break this all down, what is a smartphone, and what do you use it for?

• Making and receiving calls (a given)

• Texting

• Playing games

• Using the internet

• Taking pictures

• Using apps

And oddly, all smartphones do these things, usually at the same level of quality. So why do we keep upgrading and wasting all of this money?  What exactly is different about the phone other than the insidious new ways that it is gathering data on you (fingerprint readers, facial recognition, etc.)? Nothing. In fact, some older smartphones have better cameras and comparable processors to the most expensive phones today.

Let me introduce you to a little concept called "planned obsolescence":

"Planned  obsolescence means manufacturers deliberately designing products to fail prematurely or become out-of-date, often to sell another product or an upgrade—a practice that is barred in some countries."

—Consumers International

So many companies do this, however, not just smartphone manufacturers. Have you noticed that most stuff that you buy these days breaks within a year? That's money down the drain—your money, from hard-earned hours of working. Really, we should be angrier, but how angry can you be when everyone is jealous of your new iPhone?

5.3 billion mobile phones were thrown away last year.

Planned obsolescence is the way most large companies operate, and it’s been around since the Depression. In 1924, a group of lightbulb manufacturers from around the world called the Phoebis Cartel decided to limit the lifespan of manufactured lightbulbs to 1,000 hours (at that time, they were lasting for about 2,500 hours) to increase profits. The same type of strategy was used by General Motors in 1927, and in 1932, Bernard London, a real estate broker, coined the term “planned obsolescence” and suggested that it should be used as a means to end the Depression. By the 1950s, the manufacturing strategy was used as a marketing tactic regularly to entice consumers to buy the newest products. In France in 2015, a bill was passed making planned obsolescence illegal, and five years later, France fined Apple $25 million dollars for the offense. From IKEA to Apple to Forever 21, hundreds of large companies rely on selling us poorly-manufactured, easily replaceable crap that we’ll toss out in six months—either because it is unusable, or because it’s no longer new and exciting.

The bookcase you bought from Walmart that lasted you all through high school and college now costs three times as much and falls apart in six months. Most new clothes are basically made out of tissue paper (unless you can afford to buy more expensive clothes, and even then, good luck). From bookcases and razors to cars and phones, things are manufactured to break and be replaced. In this throwaway culture, the victims are always the environment (from pollution, landfills, strip-mining, logging and more)  and the 99%.

Whether they are selling us more and more stuff to stimulate the economy or just to make more money, planned obsolescence always ends the same way—with the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

So how do we fight back? Oh, there’s always a way, don’t you worry.

Buy less stuff.

The easiest way to get out of the trap of buying crap you'll need to replace in a few months over and over is to just stop buying so much. I know, there are things you need, but there is a big difference between "need" and "want". Let's face it, you don't need more new clothes every month or a new phone every year or two. And if your stuff is crap and needs to be replaced, that brings us to...

Buy more durable stuff (ideally made in the US or Europe)

"Sure, Tawanda", you say, "I'll just go into my magic money bag and buy some fancy-ass expensive stuff to replace my discount crap—why didn't I think of that?"

And, no, I'm not going to suggest what a lot of minimalists out there say, which is to spend $300 on good jeans and that will make up for the $100 pairs you have to keep donating because the zipper breaks. Of course, if you have the money, go for it, but cost doesn't always equal quality. Look for brands known for durability, and go somewhere in person to check them out, if you can. If they are expensive, keep an eye out for sales and deals, or better yet...

Go to the thrift store.

 If you want something that was manufactured well and made to last, you will often need to go back in time. Thrift stores are the last frontier for finding quality stuff at cheap prices, and you can find anything, from that sturdy postmodern oak dining table and chairs to high-quality clothes to that charging cord Apple was trying to charge you $100 for at the store. Check out multiple thrift stores, and you'll soon find one that tends to have the best stuff for you. Go get an $8 Patagonia jacket, why don't ya.

"I'm gonna pop some tags, only got 20 dollars in my pocket. I'm hunting, looking for a come up, this is fucking awesome."

—Macklemore

Buy from local craftspeople.

Check out Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace for custom-made local stuff from talented artisans. Some of it will be on the pricey side, but there are always people out there who are just starting out are happy to unload some of their less fancy creations for a bargain. You can also find these handy people at places like farmer's markets and festivals. Do a search online for custom makers in your area, and if there is a local community woodshop, hanging out there could connect you to some people who'd be happy to build you something awesome, at a much lower price than getting it from Amazon or Wayfair.

Get stuff repaired or repair it yourself.

If you need a new jacket because your favorite one ripped, go to a local sewing/alterations person. $10 for bringing a $50 (or more expensive) jacket back from the dead is worth it. That goes for bags, camping/outdoor gear, and more. Local places sometimes repair or replace cracked phone screens, or you can just do the smart thing and buy a used one on Craigslist. Instead of going into years of debt to buy a new car because yours is old and has issues, find a good repair shop (through word-of-mouth is usually best) and get little things fixed on a monthly basis. Or if you live in a city with public transportation, sell your hunk of junk and get a good bike and a bus pass for the year! You can also check out repaircafe.org to find repair cafes near you, where people can help you repair your stuff for free (and you get to learn how to do it!).

Upcycle.

Without special equipment or a lot of time, you can easily repurpose some of your old stuff into cool, unique new stuff that is better than the crap you'd buy at a store. Do you have old wine corks, a knife, and a hot glue gun? Slice those corks in half, hot-glue them together and make coasters. Need a large planter for your patio? Drill a bunch of holes in a plastic storage bin you found in the garage. Try just looking through all of the crap you already have and searching the web for ways to repurpose it. Can't find any ways to repurpose something? Donate it to the thrift shop so that someone else can get some good use out of it.

Planned obsolescence is a trap, but now you know about it—hopefully, I've given you some tools to stop playing the game.