

I feel like if it’s not every day+not a money issue+well below combustion+not putting a significant risk on others (driving) then it’s probably not too bad.
Having usage that is less instant, less portable, less potent, less common, or more variable may help too (ritual, not habit). Also if your stuff is low-quality (cheap/free) you probably won’t worry so much about wasting it if you let it sit.
Or maybe that’s a cope from me in a similar spot. Though either way things are not changing for the better for me, aside from maybe the small (mostly sustaining) steps I’m still doing.
On paper sure they are villages, but I think a US village and one from elsewhere would likely feel drastically different. Lacking actual community (see Bowling Alone), or just look at all of the things that the village lost (shops, train station, industry etc) and what it still has(franchise dollar store, gas station etc).
It could just be coincidence, though “retirement village” is a term (also ecovillages) so maybe not. Aside from decay, I’d imagine the common perspective of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it (unless you stop for gas/maybe breakfast) probably doesn’t help with image either.