Have you seen the price of DDR4 and DDR5 lately? It’s insane. Between the supply chain “adjustments” and the AI-driven demand for memory in data centers, us hobbyists are getting squeezed. A 16GB stick costs twice what it did last year.

And yet, software developers keep acting like RAM is an infinite resource. It’s almost as if they want us to fail.

The Bloat is Real

I saw a “minimalist” todo-list app the other day that used 600MB of RAM just to show five lines of text. 600MB! That’s more than my entire Alpine Linux NAS uses with five services running.

We’ve reached a point where “modern” software is basically just a giant pile of Electron-based browser windows pretending to be apps. If you have 32GB of RAM, you might not notice. But for those of us with 4GB Dell junk laptops or 512MB Rock Pi S boards, it’s an existential threat. It’s the “subscription model” for hardware you pay for the RAM, and the developers take it away with every update.

My Strategy: Digital Austerity

I’m refusing to buy more RAM at these inflated 2026 prices. Instead, I’m “saving” what I have by being ruthless with my software choices:

1. No Electron: If it’s built on Electron, I look for a native alternative or a CLI tool. (Sorry, VS Code, you’re gone. It’s Micro or Neovim from now on.)
2. C and Rust over Java/JS: For my background services, I’m prioritize binaries that are “close to the metal.”
3. The TUI Advantage: I’ve moved 90% of my workflow to the terminal. btop for monitoring, nnn for file management, aerc for email.

I even uninstalled my Desktop Environment (DE) on the Dell junk and moved to a window manager (LabWC). That saved me another 300MB right off the top.

Why it Matters

We can’t just “buy” our way out of bad software anymore. Optimization isn’t just for nerds; it’s becoming a necessity for survival in a world of overpriced hardware. If we keep letting developers waste our memory, we’re going to be forced into a loop of buying new hardware every two years just to run a basic chat app.

I’m sticking with my 4GB. I’m going to see how much I can squeeze out of it before the “RAM Apocalypse” wins. If I have to go back to 100% terminal usage to keep my data private and local, so be it.