Wetsuits have to be form-fitting to keep the person warm. If you buy something that has a large air pocket due to some fatty stretching it out, it’s very counter productive.
As I said, I consider it voting with my dollars. If I think that an author or artist gives me good value for my money, then I will buy new. In the case of authors, I’ll even buy new hardback books from the ones I consider the best. However, I think that authors like Steven King and John Grisham just don’t give me enough reading enjoyment to justify the money I’d spend on buying them in new books. In fact, I won’t even buy their books at used prices, unless they’re on the clearance section, where I’ll pay one to two dollars for them. I WOULD buy King’s Eyes of the Dragon in a new hardback, because that is a really great book, IMO, and it shows that King can really write when he doesn’t just phone it in.
Also, buying used books and music allows me to try out an author. I bought John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War in used paperback. Then I went to a new book store and bought it in new, as well as several other of his books. I did this because I think that Scalzi deserves any royalties I can throw his way…and because I want his publisher to feel confident that any new books he happens to write will sell.
:dubious: Bottled beverages? Bottled *water *I can agree with, but beverages? Wouldn’t that cut out everything except water from the tap and milk cartons?
Extra food means food you end up throwing away. I used to have a problem with that. I’d buy extra because it was on special and check it every day as it grew mold in the fridge. I eat more than I need to, too, and have the spare tire to prove it.
Wet suits degrade over time, according to the link.
I get by OK without bottled beverages most days. I mostly drink tap water and coffee.
The only difference I noticed when I took vitamins was the color of my urine.
IMO new books are a waste of money except for reference books and the occasional gift. Used books are usually a waste too. I read them once and then they clutter up the house. I’m lucky to live near a decent public library, though, they aren’t all that common. “Voting with my dollars?”… I dunno, I don’t even vote for politicians. My puny dollars seem insignificant compared with the mighty power of the millions of teens buying future landfill staples such as Harry Potter and Twilight.
The lists are geared toward average people and are subject to conditions. If you can get a lot of use out of a boat or vacation home, it might be a good deal. Or maybe you’re wealthy. I don’t see me rounding up the kids and wife and doing the same thing every weekend or even every other weekend. Most of the time they have stuff on and would get sick of going. Better to rent, for me anyway.
With hobbies mileage is going to vary a lot. Comic books or figurines have zero practical value and for most people are not going to be worth money. For a collector, different story.
I expected someone to disagree with laptops as buy new.
Things I’d put on the don’t buy list are things that are bad for you like weed and tobacco. I wasted a lot on those two.
I consider beer to be a don’t buy and fancy booze even more so. Regular beer is quite expensive here in Australia compared to wine. Even in the States, though, vodka was much cheaper by the drink and depending on the mixer. People who drink stuff like India Pale Ale or single malt scotch aren’t sensible with money IMO. Some say that expensive booze gives you less of a hangover but the answer to problem hangovers is probably “drink less” not “spend more money”.
There’s coffee and tea and flavored powder drinks (Koolaid and the like). They are astonishingly simple to make, for the most part. And really, we don’t NEED anything more than water, once we outgrow the nursing stage. When I had to make some serious budget cuts, I cut out all sodas as a first step. Yeah, we missed them, but it’s not like we needed them. And now that we can afford to buy the sodas again, we have gotten out of the habit. In fact, we had to throw away five cans out of a six pack because it had expired. So now we just keep a couple of Sprites in the fridge in case of low blood sugar occurrences.
Add to the list to buy new:
Toilet paper
Toothbrushes
Suppositories
I’ve been burned before.
There are two kinds of scuba divers - those who admit they pee in their wetsuit, and liars.
We were told to pee in our wetsuits. When you think about all the other stuff you’re swimming in, a little pee is no biggie. 
If you don’t dive frequently, I don’t see the problem renting a wetsuit. It’s hopefully newer and better maintained than the wetsuit you bought new and let sit in your closet for 6 years.
I buy almost all my jewelry used. You can’t tell the difference and I can afford much nicer stuff than I could new.
Heh. I’m on the winning side of this equation right now - I managed to wangle a HELL of a deal when I bought my '09 2.5i, right before the new body style rolled out, and am now about $4k ahead on the balance of my loan, per Edmunds. The notion of a car as a savings instrument is a little mind blowing to me.
Does this woman ever buy clothes?
I buy used shoes. I love to have someone else break them in for me. Especially high boots, which retail for over $100 and I get at the thrift store for $15 ($7.50 at half-price times).