I was just thinking in the back of my head about how cheap LEDs have made types of lighting that would’ve cost way too much (both to install, and in electricity usage) no longer stupidly expensive.

For example, I noticed on Amazon some cheap furniture that has LEDs/power outlets sort of integrated right into them. Looks pretty cyberpunk-ish to my eyes. And I know years ago that sort of thing would’ve been marked up to high heavens.

Fancy lighting in general has changed drastically in price/design.

So…what are some things, due to changes in demand or changes in tech or changes in anything…that would’ve been really expensive back in the day, but which no longer seem to be, making them more frugal than they used to be?

  • Yrt@feddit.deEnglish
    40·
    9 months ago

    If it’s okay to go waaaaay back: salt. It’s always mind-blowing to me that people all over europe during the medieval age or even before that couldn’t season anything with salt cause it often was as expensive as gold itself. If I imagine those huge amounts of salt if you wanna pickle some meat or fish. Today salt costs nearly nothing, nearly everybody can afford it and it’s so basic that some even don’t consider it “seasoning” at all.

    • Treczoks@lemmy.worldEnglish
      28·
      9 months ago

      Aluminium once was way more expensive than gold. That’s why the top of the obelisk in Washington is made from aluminum.

    • RediphileEnglish
      4·
      9 months ago

      I imagine those beside the ocean must have figured out what happens when boiling sea water. But I guess it was scaling it that was an issue?

      Tons of English phrases and words have salty origins, like salary.

      • Yrt@feddit.deEnglish
        4·
        9 months ago

        Yeah, the scaling and transportation. If you wanted salt near the alps it was expensive as hell and mostly the salt came from mines, but that was a very difficult task.

        Salary comes from salty? Like in a good way? I know an old “word” for salt in German is “weißes Gold” (white gold).

        • RediphileEnglish
          6·
          9 months ago

          Sal is latin (and also French to this day) for salt. Salary referred originally to the amount of salt you received as payment.

          • Cowbob12@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1·
            5 months ago

            There are no ancient sources stating that salary was literal salt bring handed to roman soldiers, I believe the current best theory is that it was “money for salt” that was given to soldiers.