💸 Save Money AND the Environment

7 min readOct 9, 2022

Adopting this framework could ensure that you save the environment while having fun yourself

This week I go over a framework I recently adopted, which helped me save money and reduce the likelihood of e-waste generation. This was done by buying accessories for a desk setup that I needed second-hand. Overall, I saved over $1000 and, in the process, saved about five items from ending up in a landfill.

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Today we are looking at how I ended up saving money and potentially helping the environment by buying from second-hand suppliers. It wasn’t as straightforward as I initially anticipated. Hopefully, this article gives some insight into the process of buying second-hand. So let’s get started!

Framework for buying items

This is the framework I used to buy any items that I identified a need for. Checks were put in place to ensure I didn’t get scammed again.

A framework for ensuring that I don’t get scammed

The framework is triggered by identifying an item that needs to be purchased. Once identified, you decide on a minimum specification. Once you have your minimum specification in mind, you then look for it on the platforms of your choice.

Then comes the first decision: identifying an item that fits your specification. If you find an item you are happy with, you proceed to the next decision to check the seller’s rating. If the rating is satisfactory, you can proceed with a purchase. If not, you go back to look for an item that fits your specification. If you cannot find the item, you can check if an item in the category you are looking for exists on the platforms. If not, you go ahead and purchase from a first-hand store instead. If you find similar items, you amend your specification to match what’s available, and you restart the loop by looking for stuff again.

Whatever you decide to do, you come out with an item you were hoping to get, with the last resort being buying from a first-hand shop.

Need for new desk setup

Recently I moved home. Previously I was provided with a desk and a chair, but in the new accommodation, I had nothing. Therefore I needed some essentials:

Desk
Chair

And some nice-to-haves:

Gaming monitor
Docking station
Webcam
Monitor Light

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Hunting for New items

This is the most exciting part but also the most stressful. I chose Facebook Marketplace and eBay as my platforms of choice. The next step was to pick one item at a time and look for the best deal possible.

Essentials

Desk

I think the desk is the most crucial part of any setup. Previously I had a desk that made it difficult to place my monitor and keyboard at a recommended distance away from my eyes. I was also fascinated by using a sit-stand desk. This video cleared most of my questions about sit-stand desks and made me more confident that I needed one. Therefore I started looking.

When buying first-hand, a good sit-stand desk with an electric motor costs about $400. Therefore I set my budget at around $200 to purchase a sit-stand desk. I came across a seller claiming to sell their motorised sit-stand desk due to moving to another office. I was interested and sent them a message.

They were happy to arrange a viewing. Therefore, I let a buddy know the whereabouts of my location and told him that I would check in with them once I was back safe. After I inspected it, I was happy with the desk and bought it. The retail price was around $500, but I managed to get it for about $150

Chair

The chair from my previous setup was not very comfortable. This was because there was no lumbar support with very minimal adjustments. Therefore I wanted to buy an ergonomic chair with good lumbar support and adjustments.

Initially, I saw a blog post that claimed that after many years of testing costly chairs, the most comfortable chair was an exercise ball. But upon looking into this, I saw a video by some physiotherapists dispelling this as a myth.

Chairs with my specification were retailing at about $900. I came across a seller who claimed they no longer needed a chair with good ergonomics due to a change in work pattern. I briefed my buddy on my whereabouts and set off to take a look at the chair. It was in excellent condition with around nine adjustable settings. I paid about $270 for the chair.

Nice-to-haves

Docking station

I use both a Mac and Windows laptop in my day-to-day life. I use the Mac for creative pursuits like writing and video-editing and the Windows for gaming and software. Therefore, I often switch from one laptop to another. You must disconnect and reconnect your external peripherals such as a monitor, webcam, keyboard and mouse, etc.

This is where a docking station comes in handy. All your peripherals are attached to your docking station, which connects to your laptop with a single USB-C cable. Sometimes it can also charge your laptop if the wattage requirements are met. Therefore I prioritised getting a docking station to make my life a little bit easier.

A new docking station retailed at about $300. At that price, docking stations were capable of connecting all peripherals and supplying your laptop with around 110W of power. I scoured the web for one of these, and they were sold at around $200. Once while scrolling through eBay, I came across one. It had about 15 minutes left on the auction with a maximum bid of $70. This was the cheapest I had come across until that point. Therefore I was willing to part with up to $120, and I started bidding. I managed to nab it for around $100.

Webcam

With the world moving more towards an online-focused environment with a majority of work and play happening online, I wanted to have a nice webcam. Since I used an external monitor as my primary display and used the display on the laptop as my secondary display, meant that on video calls, I would always be looking to the side instead of looking at the camera. This, to me, didn’t seem like good webcam etiquette. Therefore I was in the market for a good webcam.

I wanted something which would output 1080p video. Webcams with that spec retailed for around $80. I found a deal on eBay for approximately $30 and picked it up.

Gaming monitor

I wanted a monitor capable of adjustments and could output video at a higher framerate. Therefore I was looking for a monitor capable of doing that. This meant going for a gaming monitor. The retail price was around $500.

I found a local seller on Facebook Marketplace selling a gaming monitor that met my requirements for around $250. I checked in with my buddy and went to the seller’s location. I used this handy tool to check the monitor and to ensure there weren’t any issues with it. It passed the test, so I also picked up the monitor.

Monitor lamp

This is a handy addition to any desk setup. It helps illuminate your keyboard, mouse and anything else on your desk. This was the only item I couldn’t find second-hand, so I bought it from a first-hand retailer for around $10.

What I learnt from buying second hand

For a very long time, I have been against the idea of buying second-hand. Hopefully, you’ve had a read through my previous blog post, which explores how I got scammed buying an item from Facebook Marketplace. The lessons I learnt through that experience helped inform my decisions this time.

Ultimately, I saved around $1000 by buying second-hand instead of first-hand from a retailer.

Upsides of buying second-hand:

Save money
reduce e-waste generation

Downsides of buying second-hand:

Stressful
Could lose money if it’s a scam
Can’t specify rigid requirements

I’d love to hear from you. Have you purchased anything second-hand? Are you entirely against buying second-hand? What’s something you recently saved money on by buying second-hand? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below or tweet at me with your thoughts.

That’s all for this week. I hope you enjoyed reading about the merits of buying things second-hand. Hope this encourages you to consider buying an item you need second-hand. Do leave a comment and subscribe if you want to be inspired to learn new skills on a week-ish basis.

Until next time,

Tony

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