We live in a fast paced world where we are constantly bombarded with advertising messages enticing us to buy the latest, shiny things. The accumulation of "stuff" has become a part of our culture and consumerism defines our time.

But all of this consumption has a number of downsides:

- The constant need to buy more stuff requires more and more money. More money requires more work and less time to relax, play and enjoy. Many people feel trapped on the treadmill of consumption. Working harder to buy more stuff but never finding contentment.

- Consumerism is satisfied by resources; the materials and energy needed to make and transport all the stuff we buy. The end result is resource depletion and ever increasing carbon emissions.

- Our culture is becoming increasingly homogenised. In cities all over the world the same clothes, furniture, cars and furniture can be found in almost identical shopping malls. Brands vie for our attention and affection and our world starts to look like a retailers catalogue.

- One of the ironies of this so-called progress is that the stuff we buy is decreasing in quality. Electronics are designed to break down after a few years, clothes fall apart after a couple of washes and cars pack it in after 100,000 kms. Corporate types call it "built in redundancy".

There is a better way. When you really need to buy something consider buying second hand alternatives. Here are some of the benefits of buying second hand.

Save Money

Buying second hand products is a tried and true method for saving money.  People are forever offloading unwanted gifts, excess furniture and superseded cars. With a little research and patience you can save thousands of dollars every year by buying second hand.

Traditional sources of second hand products includes community markets, garage sales and second hand stores like St Vincent de Paul shops.

Today the internet is a great source of second hand products. Ebay, Gumtree and Cracker are chock full of all sorts of stuff. Online marketplaces like these allow for the easy flow of products between people around the country.

Save Resources

Every product we buy has to be made. Resources are dug up, cut down or extracted to create that 'thing'. Trees are felled for timber, oil processed for plastics, ores mined for metal. Depletion of some resources is becoming a problem and every product that is made from those resources increases the problem of depletion.

On top of the resources required for manufacture, every product needs to be transported. First the resources are transported to the factory, the factory makes the product and ships it to the retailer, and the consumer buys the product and transports it home. All of this movement of products consumes energy - oil, gas, coal.

By buying second hand we are choosing something that is already made. No additional resources are required. Plus, if you are buying locally no additional transportation is needed.

How much unused "stuff" is sitting in our houses, garages and businesses? If you think about it, there is probably no need to actually make some things ever again. I mean, how many vases are there in the world?

Selling your unused stuff and buying second hand saves resources and energy. That means less resource depletion and less carbon emissions.

Be Creative

You could dress yourself, your home, your yard and your kids to look like they are straight out of a catalogue. You will effectively allow someone else (a retailer or advertising agency) make your style choices for you. Or you can be creative. Mix and match different styles and fashions to make your own statement.

Mixing and matching items from different eras, genres and styles can make a bold individual statement. Get creative with your shopping and step out of the glossy catalogue.

Old World Quality

Some things just ain't made like they used to be. For some items you will find a suprior second hand product at a better price than new.

Old fridges were built to last forever, old amplifiers produce better sound, old hand tools were designed to work a lifetime. There is a bustling trade in antique furniture, vintage clothing and classic electical goods.

Shop around and you can step back in time with a quality second hand item.

If you are interseted in a less "consumerist" lifetyle and in reducing carbon pollution and resource depletion then a good start is buying second hand whenever possible.