Saving Money by Living a Retro Lifestyle

Did your former employer save money by moving your job to India, China, or Mexico? There's no reason to reward that kind of behavior by continuing to patronize such companies. You can simply buy or barter for vintage products instead of buying new items that you can't afford and that were made elsewhere anyway. The best revenge may come from living retro. Instead of buying what advertisers want you to buy, you can buy things that strike your fancy, have sentimental value, or simply serve a functional purpose well.

Chances are good that if a product was satisfying years ago and is still in good condition, there is no reason you can't continue to enjoy it today. If your salary level has been set back a few years, feel free to reach back for retro home style and retro decor. Furniture is an easy place to save money. Many furniture manufacturers have shifted production to China. But, some of the best furniture ever made is still around and available at your local thrift store, estate sales, or even sitting for free on the curb. If you are resourceful, you can even furnish your home for free. We once found a nice, hardwood desk with a leather top and tongue and groove construction for $20 in the basement of an estate sale. You can always repaint, refurbish, and repurpose retro items. A $5 sewing machine table can take on a new life with a crackle finish kit. Home redecorating has become so trendy that many people dispose of perfectly good furniture every year or two.

Some great products were made during the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. You can save lots of money by buying products from those eras. For example, a high quality 35mm film camera can be had for as little as $5 to $20 at a thriftstore or on eBay. If you want state of the art automation, you can find it in a point and shoot camera like the Canon SureShot Z135. However, if you want the challenge of working with a truly vintage camera, you can find it in a circa 1960 camera like the Kodak Retinette 1A. I've found plenty of excellent manual 35mm Single Reflex Cameras for as low as $20. Retro film cameras like the Minolta SRT-201 are built like tanks and can offer years of great service. However, if you want a technological assist, the Canon EOS Elan 7 can outshoot almost any digital camera.

In the era of iPods and smartphones, the temptation to pay extra for an internet data and text plan can be great. But, people got along with text messages from their friends for hundreds of thousands of years. If you just want to enjoy music, old stereo systems can be had for a song. If you are listening to retro music, you can enjoy it on a retro stereo system. I recently bought a Aiwa bookshelf stereo for only $35. I bought most of my music CDs during the late 80s and 90s and there is no reason to re-buy that music or spend time converting CDs to MP3 files. A few years ago, a music service advertisement claimed that it can cost up to $10,000 to fully load a high capacity MP3 player. That money can remain in your in your pocket. There are plenty of low tech alternatives to the Apple iPad.

When you buy a second hand item from a thrift store, your money is usually put to good use by a charity. Goodwill, the Salvation Army, and local humane societies all perform valuable social work that helps build our communities. If you buy a used item from an online auction site, craigslist, a garage sale, or a flea market, you are generally putting money directly into the hands of a fellow citizens. Finally, while you are saving green, you are also being green by keeping an old item out of your local landfill and eliminating the need to manufacture something new in some far off land. Plus, you'll enjoy owning something unique, durable, and with a hint of history and retro style.