Why Ikea Is The Devil

Big box store, cheaply made furniture, is going to end up in the landfills, aka, hell for furniture. It worries me that our planet is going to a bad place too. Global warming is scary, greed is what is causing it, partly. So sad. If we all don’t do something drastic it’s just going to get worse.

Have you noticed how quickly fashion trends come and go? Sometimes it makes me feel sick to think about it because it contributes to everyone buying more crap from China and then throwing it away when they get tired of looking at it. Not only that, but many of those same people are racking up their credit cards to do this and putting themselves into financial prison! That's sad too.

I’m far from perfect when it comes to my carbon footprint and buying nonessentials on a whim. I want to be better. I feel guilty every time I throw something away. I want to build a bigger compost bin, adopt a street, and recycle everything. I want to buy less stuff new. I used to love the Dollar Tree, but here lately I’ve stopped buying unnecessary things from there.

One thing I do feel good about are my purchases from thrift stores, and the way I’ve added value by repairing and refinishing used furniture and then selling it on Craigslist and Marketplace. I have a flea market booth in an antique mall where I sell used records, clothes, kitchen stuff, décor items, and furniture. I’m proud of myself for doing these things and making a good profit at the same time! It’s a win-win situation.

Now I want to share what I’ve learned along the way to help and inspire others to do the same. Don’t buy that cheap, pressed wood junk! Buy heirloom quality if you are buying new, or better yet, buy something timeless, that has been used and abused, and it survived! Go with something unique, inherited, and personal instead of that contemporary, cookie cutter boringness. Go with classic, traditional, mid-century, rustic, vintage, antique, or cottage style, solid wood furniture instead! Yep, I’m being bossy, but it’s only because I care! Plus, your pocketbook and your planet will thank you!