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COMMENTARY | It was recently reported by the Contrary Indicator that Kodak might file for bankruptcy. If Kodak files bankruptcy, it'll be yet another company that failed to thrive with the digital age. The article prompted me to think about the last time I bought film which was in 2000. In 2001, I bought a digital camera and haven't bought film since. I can only imagine that there are millions of Americans that haven't bought film in years which would explain Kodak's decrease in sales. Then I started thinking: what else am I not buying that is indirectly hurting companies and the economy?
Memory Cards
Memory cards last forever if they're not dropped, stepped on, dunked in water, or lost. I own three memory cards. Two of them are SD cards that I bought for my digital camera. The third is a micro-SD that I bought for my cell phone in 2005. I haven't bought a memory card since. I don't need to. There's nothing wrong with the memory cards I have, and I don't have any other devices that need memory cards.
Movie Rentals
I haven't rented a video from a video store since 1998. Part of that is because I haven't owned a TV since 1998, but the other part is the hassle. I have always hated having to drive to the video store, pick out a video, pay for the rental, drive home, and then drive back to return it the next day. It's too much hassle. These days, I watch my movies for free on Hulu, and if I really want a movie I'll purchase it from the store. Either way, I don't rent my movies.
Furniture
The furniture store closest to my house has been advertising an 80 percent off sale since December. I've never walked into that store. I don't need furniture. The last piece of furniture I bought was in 2009. It was a bed for $1,600. Since then, I haven't needed any other furniture. I have three couches, a futon, two dining tables, two end tables, two computer desks, and a few other miscellaneous pieces. The last thing I need is more furniture. Therefore, no matter how large the sale, I'm not going to walk into a furniture store and make a purchase.
Clothing
The JC Penney store down the street from my apartment has been advertising massive sales since January 2011. The last items I bought there included a pair of professional shoes, skirts, blouses, and a new sweater. That was back in June 2011. Since then, I haven't needed any new clothes. At my best I buy new clothes once a year. At my worst, I buy new clothes once every two or three years. I'm just not hard on my clothes. I don't need to replace them every season.
So how much money am I not spending? I don't know, but judging by the amount of business bankruptcies lots of us aren't spending money or are choosing to spend our money elsewhere. When's the last time you bought film, memory cards, furniture, or rented a DVD?
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