One tiny part made of plastic launches a new personal era.
Lindsey Barnes Richards
Welcome to a brand-new year! It’s so exciting to have a fresh start, a chance to do better this year than last. It’s a real opportunity. So exciting. So new.
I’m not interested.
I find myself in an unusual state of mind this year. My priorities no longer include new and shiny. Except for groceries and gas, it is my resolution not to spend money on anything non-consumable. If I need something, I probably already have it somewhere on the property. Is it in good working order? Probably not. That’s okay though, because between elderly neighbors who seem to know everything and YouTube videos, I can learn to fix whatever I need. My neighbors have taught me how to get rid of cutworms, rewire a lamp and double my potato harvest. National treasures, every one of them.
This alternative mindset started because of a shirt I ordered online. I needed a white, long-sleeved shirt. That’s simple enough, right? The shirt was reasonably priced but not cheap, so I had certain expectations about its quality. I was wrong. The fabric was so thin it was practically transparent. Two of the five buttons were loose and needed to be restitched. Is this what they mean when they talk about “fast fashion?” Do they mean clothes that wouldn’t survive a quick trip through a washing machine? This shirt is going to fall apart fast so it’s fast fashion?
I used to think that new was better. Maybe decades ago, it was. Not now. My parents had a ’fridge from the late 1970s in the basement. Naturally, it was harvest gold in color, because I think all refrigerators were harvest gold or avocado green then. I think those colors made appliances strong, kind of like Superman’s cape. When they sold the house, the ’fridge was still a stoic, hardworking appliance. It was donated to a daycare center where it worked for another 18 years before it died an angry, noisy death and everyone had to eat Puddin’ Pops before they all melted.
In contrast, I bought an expensive, state-of-the-art ’fridge, the biggest I could find, stainless steel, French doors, and I loved it. Three weeks after it was delivered, it broke. Three weeks. They sent out a repairman and he fixed it. The fridge stayed fixed for two weeks and broke again. They sent out another repairman and he fixed it, again. Three weeks later, it broke again. I have to admit, my spirit broke as well. I may not have been polite to the store after losing all my food in the ’fridge/freezer twice and offered to dump the disappointment they sold me in their parking lot within the hour. An angry woman can move an entire house of furniture all by herself; one fridge is not going to be a problem.
They sent out one more repairman, an elderly gentleman who knew everything there was to know about refrigerators, and he fixed it. He said that the manufacturer made a small but critical part out of plastic instead of metal. He went to another manufacturer and bought the metal part they still made and put it in. The fridge has worked for 10 years now without a hiccup. To save some pennies in production costs, the manufacturer put in a cheap part and I lost $800 worth of food. I will never buy another thing from that manufacturer and I will tell all my friends this story so they don’t waste their money there. Saved a penny, lost a loud-mouthed, revenge-minded customer.
I am not buying new this year. If I have a certain thing in the house, I’ll fix it. If I don’t already own it, I’ll check the thrift stores and Habitat for Humanity Restores. Wish me luck and if you want to join me in this effort, please do. Let’s see what we can accomplish with what we have. Yes, 2026 is the Year of the Frugal People. Save your money.
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Retain your cash.
The story above first appeared in our January / February 2026 issue. For more like it subscribe today or log in with your active BRC+ Membership. Thank you for your support!