Last week I shared all the things that I bought new in 2023. The goal there is to buy nothing new at all as that is most sustainable. I have never reached that goal yet. However, this year I wanted to take it one step further. I also want to minimize my secondhand purchases. Why? I mean, secondhand stuff is someone else’s trash and so it’s sustainable. But still, I want to step out of the cycle of consumerism. Appreciating what I already have and buying very little at all. Whether that’s new or secondhand. So, here’s all the stuff that I bought secondhand in 2023.
The goal
Before I list all the stuff that I bought secondhand in 2023, I want to say some more. The goal of this category (unlike the new stuff that I bought) is not to buy nothing secondhand anymore. I can’t even manage to buy nothing new in a whole year. Let alone secondhand. So, the goal is to buy very little. Only things I feel like I truly need. Maybe 1 item a month is a good goal to start with. To me that still sounds like a lot, but 12 secondhand items in a year is a good first goal I think. And by the way, this is only a list of the stuff that I bought secondhand, clothing is not included because it’s a special category. I will share the secondhand clothing that I bought in 2023 in a separate post.
1 | Foam roller for 5 euros (January)
I am actually really proud that I bought this item secondhand. I had a sport injury and my physiotherapist told me I needed a foam roller as soon as possible. Therefore, I almost bought it new, because buying secondhand items just takes longer. But I stayed strong (haha) and ordered the foam roller at Vinted. I used it very much for a few months and it resolved my injury. I actually think I’ll get rid of the foam roller soon, because I haven’t used it in months and hope I also don’t have to use it the future. But I don’t regret this purchase.
2 | Hot water bottle for 3,50 euros (January)
I was trying to get through the winter of 2022/2023 without using my heating at all. While that was going on, my (secondhand) hot water bottle broke. It was something I used when it became really hard to stay warm. And so, I searched for a ‘new’ secondhand hot water bottle. I found one on Marktplaats and do not regret buying it. It got me through the tough moments.
3 | Black photo frame for 1,50 euros (February)
This actually was a gift to my grandpa. I made him some sort of cheque for his birthday and that needed a frame. I was happy to find a perfect one in a local thrift shop. It always feels good being able to gift secondhand stuff.
4 | Fitness hoop for 7,50 euros (February)
Since I graduated my master in 2022, I have been working full-time. I have an office job and so I try to stay active in every way I can. I heard this tip of hula hooping during meetings and I thought that was a great idea! Especially for my Mondays meetings, where I usually just have to listen. And so, I bought a fitness hoop on Marktplaats. I use it every week.
5 | HDMI-cable for 7 euros (March)
For my full-time job, I have lended an extra screen from a family member. However, I also spend a lot of time on the computer when I’m not working. For this blog and my Youtube-videos, for example. I did not have a cable to connect my personal laptop to that second screen. And so, I bought one from Marktplaats. It’s something I use almost every day and do not regret buying it.
6 | Imploding Kittens for 10 euros (April)
Another gift! A friend of mine celebrated his birthday and sent me a list of some things that he wanted for his birthday. That was perfect, because it gave me the opportunity to buy something he wanted secondhand. I bought the game Imploding Kittens on Marktplaats.
7 | Phone holder for running for 2,50 euros (May)
I run twice a week. While running, I listed to podcasts or music. In the beginning, I put the phone into my bra. But that really hurt my nipples. And so, I bought a secondhand band that went around my arm. Unfortunately, that band had velcro on it and the velcro did not work anymore after 2 years. And so, I needed another phone holder. I found one without velcro in a local thrift shop, this one goes around my waste and I hope it can last me a lifetime. I do not regret buying it.
8 | Sit-stand desk for 95 euros (June)
This is the biggest secondhand purchase of 2023. Like I said, since I started working full-time I try to stay active because I have an office job. At work, we have sit-stand desks and so I switch between standing at sitting every hour. On those days, I sit for 3 hours and stand for about 5 hours. But at home, I had a regular desk and so I sat for about 8,5 hours. That’s extremely bad for my health and so I started looking for a non-electrical sit-stand desk. After a while, I finally found one on Marktplaats. I love it and use it almost every day.
9 | Wake-up light for 8,50 euros (August)
In between my pre-master and master I worked in a sample room for 45 hours a week. I usually started at 7 AM and got up at 6 AM. During that time, I bought a wake-up light because I really felt tired waking up with a ‘normal’ alarm. It felt like I was drawn out of my deep sleep all at once and I hated that. I tried the wake-up light and loved it. It woke me up slowly and I felt way less tired waking up. But after that job, I started school again and did not need the light anymore. But then, in 2022, I started working full-time again and felt I needed it again. I bought the same one on Marktplaats and have been happy with it every since. No regrets here.
10 | Ergonomic mouse for 8 euros (August)
Another thing that I bought for my full-time job. Since I will be working an office job for the next 50 years, I decided that it’s good to buy some simple items that make sure I will not get injuries from working. Because believe me, a lot of people get injuries from working an office job. This mouse makes sure my arm is in the best position to prevent that. I had to get used to the mouse for a while, but now I love it. I do not regret this purchase.
11 | Boonanza game for 3 euros (August)
During a sailing weekend with work I played Boonanza for the first time. It’s a pocket-size game and I loved it. I wanted to play it more often and so I bought it via Marktplaats. I do not regret this purchase, but I do have to watch out a little bit. My boardgames collection is growing and I do not want to own games I never play. Maybe I have to find some sort of membership soon, where I can lend games instead of buying them. I’ll look into that soon.
12 | Pandemic for 20 euros (September)
Haha, what can I say. Another game I really wanted to have (for years now). I got it for my birthday from my dad (and know he bought it secondhand). I’ve played it 3 times now, but it’s quite complicated. Therefore it’s difficult to find somebody who wants to play this haha. But for now, I do not regret this purchase.
13 | Sewing box for ? euros (December)
This is something I got gifted. My mom gifted me a secondhand sewing box. The coming months, I really want to learn how to repair my own clothing a little bit more. This sewing box is perfect for keeping all my sowing items. I really love this gift, it was so thoughtful of my mom.
Evaluation
I managed to hit my goal! 13 items in total, so that’s about one a month. In total I spent 198,50 euros, of which 95 went to the desk. That’s about 17 euros a month. Hmm, I think that’s all right. I hope I didn’t miss anything. Looking back now, I do not regret a single purchase. And so, I think I did very well this past year. There are many items in there which will last me years and I really needed in this new phase of my life in which I’ll work full-time (like the desk, hula hoop, mouse and wake-up light). Each year, I am more and more confident that I have everything I need and that I’ll buy even less secondhand next year. We’ll see about that.
Yours sincerely,
Romee