Some takeaways from the article "Buy wisely" by Steph Ango, founder of Obsidian

• cost per use as a heuristic to make decisions about non-perishable purchases, such as clothing, devices, and even subscriptions
• The basic question is "How much will it cost me if I divide the price by the expected number of uses?"
  • cost per use = total price / number of uses
• a poor quality could be $5, but if you can only use it 10 times, it's$0.50 per use, the best quality, $20 could maybe last 200 uses instead, so it's$0.10 per use
• The best things asymptote (trends) to zero dollars per use over their lifetime
• other approaches
  • cost per smile: how much joy can you get out of each dollar?
  • cost per thrill: some experiences have high intensity per dollar
  • cost per externality: Incorporate cost of externalities (values of organic produce, green products, etc.) into the cost you're paying
  • cost per lesson: cost of experience and learning could be monetary, time, pain or all three.

Questions to assess durability

• Will it be as useful to me in the future as it is now?
• Is it made of durable and maintainable materials?
• Does it have a timeless style and aesthetic?
• Does it age well, wear well, build a wabi-sabi patina?
• Does it retain its resale value? Would someone else want to own it?
• Can it be disassembled and repaired?
• Does it have replaceable, non-proprietary parts that are easy to acquire?
• Can it be powered with a standard plug or replaceable batteries?
• Can it be modified and upgraded?
• Has the maker existed for at least as long as I hope to keep the product?
• Can it perform many jobs, or only one?
• Does it have a guarantee?
• Does it rely on other products or technologies that aren’t durable?¸