this post was submitted on 05 Jul 2023
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Based on the excerpt from this Discworld book, what other items do you use regularly that would fit in this theory? (Boots and shoes are fair game!)

Text transcript for people who want it:

[The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money.

Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.

But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.

This was Captain Samuel Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness.]

Bonus: suggest ways you can repair/restore your item/other people's items.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Here's my example: Nice Hoka shoes are typically 100$+, but Sketcher's Work Sneakers are ~40$. The Hokas would last a lot longer and be more ergonomic, but that price is way out of my reach. The Sketchers get disintegrated by a year of use.

What I do is add arch supports and gel shoe inserts (9$ iirc) into the Sketchers, and replace those when they wear. It adds about two years of life to the shoes! :)

[–] JohnDClay 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

How long do the hoka's last? I usually get $20 shoes that last a year before the soles wear though, so they'd need to last at least five years to break even. How long have you found them to last?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Unfortunately, I can't afford the price just to try Hokas. They were recommended by another nursing student, and seem to be a gold standard shoe for a lot of healthcare workers.

From what I've heard, though, it "depends on your usage".

What do you do to make your 20$ shoes last as long as you can? And tips and tricks?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

When mine were new, I waterproofed them. Regular maintenance, cleaning and re-treating them with a silicone spray extends their life substantially. I also have repaired and re-glued mine when repairs were still at a small stage, to extend their life. I have re-sewn tops to the soles, too. I wear my junker shoes when conditions are wet, saving the good shoes from water damage. YouTube teaches about anything, now, including basic shoe repair.

[–] JohnDClay 1 points 1 year ago

What do you do to make your 20$ shoes last as long as you can? And tips and tricks?

I'm guessing it's probably just that I walk less than other people. Not a great solution. But I also have hard orthopedic insoles, maybe that distributes the weight more evenly? And I hadn't had to replace them for like the 10 years I've had them. I also wear my shoes even when the seams are ripped or the sole is a third of the way unglued, I usually only replace when my toes are able to touch the ground. From the other recommendations, I'll see if I can save up for the nice shoes though, it might be worth it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I’ve taken my Hokas on hiking trips all over the country for years and they’re still just as good as the day I bought them. So with even regular rugged use you’ll probably get at least 5 years out of them.

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[–] erusuoyera 3 points 1 year ago

So much stuff in the building trade follows this. Flooring, cheap laminate and tiles scuff and scratch and need replaced after a few years, whereas solid wood/stone tiles are pretty much good for ever. Same with cheap fitted kitchens, plumbing fittings etc.

One of the most obvious is paint. "Cheap" paint usually needs twice as many coats, will discolour quicker and is harder to clean.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The system is set up against the poor. Not only is long term quality something you usually cannot afford for your purchases as with the boot example, things that were normal goods are now commodities people must have a subscription for (or buy the quality version). All the late fees, overdraft fees, fixed rate parking tickets, anything is set up to fuck over the little guy and keep him poor and running in his hamster wheel.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Fixed rate fine based penalties for "crimes" really bother me. Not that I have a better solution, but that is inherently unfair.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago
[–] Just_A_Human 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Thats what the concept 'conscious spending' tries to address and set up protocols to get out of the negative feedback cycle of having to constantly buy cheap shit only to have to replace it and double your cost.

https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/conscious-spending-basics/

The link above has much more details on this if y'all are interested.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (4 children)

In 2021 I rented a car and did Uber for about a year. At $316 a week, that car was costing me 1200 a month!

Eventually I lost the car as I couldnt afford to pay.

Now I’ve got a job, been building my credit, gonna buy a car instead. That car will be about $300/mo. And all because I’ve got the credit and cash to buy instead of rent.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There's a simpler saying: "you cannot afford to buy cheap things".

It's an effective way to climb out of poverty of you're making ends meat, so long as you're in a position where your things won't be stolen. Save up to buy quality, or buy used quality things that last and can be repaired. It's a wise investment, cheap goods are part of the poverty trap.

I mostly wear a single pair of $350 boots. The cost per mile makes them the cheapest footwear I can buy. I've worn them daily for 2 years, they have maybe one more year before they need a resole. Boots are only a single example. It's the same for everything from clothing to cars to houses to electronics.

[–] bastian_5 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

How did you get enough money to get those things in the first place though? If you look at all those things, you cannot simply go without them for the months it would take to save up under ideal circumstances, and if you're impoverished, you can't really get a loan to get them either.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

That's why I said if you're making ends meet. If you're truly impoverished, then you're just kinda stuck in that poverty trap

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

The explosion of dollar stores in the U.S. is like a boot that keeps pushing stomping on poor people to ensure they have to way out and this theory perfectly describes the situation.

The way forward is not to replace dollar stores with Targets, it's to move beyond capitalism and it's base of exploitation and move toward a base of cooperation.

Some ideas:

  • Make and grow stuff (food, weed, soaps, furniture, etc. and give it away, consume stuff your neighbors make and grow. Everything you avoid buying is power you don't give to the capitalists.
  • If you have money, help those that don't to buy quality boots (without seeking to profit, such as from a loan)
  • Fix things, value things not for being brand new, but for working and having history.
  • Buy used (tho if you have money, take care not to buy up all the nice things at thrift shops leaving the scraps for those who the thrift shops are their only choice)
  • Become reslilient at the community level - start out by making friends
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Boots, same as Vines. I used to buy boots every year for 200pln and they gave out mid season. Bought a pair for 700pln and it lasted 6 years. Also I have a 15 year old backpack which I wore almost daily.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (3 children)

the same concept is true for many other items - ultimately, it comes down to "you get what you pay for".

I had to get shoes last week, the ones I had previously had lasted 9 years and the rubber soles were beginning to crumble. they're now relegated to yard shoes & won't last another year. new shoes are 100% leather, with rubber soles, cost $90 & were on sale (normal price was $140). they'll last at least another 9 years without any issues.

most of the things I buy, I always look for sales but I never buy the cheap/cheaply made products. cheap stuff might last a year & it's just not worth it. expensive stuff is usually cheaper in the long term.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Tyres

In a subtle way. Go cheap and you may total your car in ugly weather. Go reliable and you may stop in time.

Of course you don't have to feature in c/idiotsInCars

[–] SouthernCanadian -4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

It's a true point, but am I the only one who finds the writing style genuinely cringe? It's all I can think everytime I see this quoted.

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