What they don't want you to know- how I escaped materialism

[alanjh595]

good plan Fancy. Everyone in their 20s I know owns brans new, shunning parents castaways. I remember being so broke you took damn near anything offered.

That's how I got 2 ex-wives.

[Tootsie]

I agree 100% with Supermom a few posts ago. I honestly do believe that shopping HAS become a hobby for some people. And possibly an addiction. For sure on-line shopping - and I don't think it's a healthy one.

I work in a post office. I see it every day. All the endless Amazon/Shopping Channel/Reitmans/etc. boxes coming in and returns going thru. And let's not even talk about Telus !!!
In my opinion not a good thing. Anyone see the news about how all the cardboard recycling places are unable to cope with all the empty boxes that end up going back to China where they're treated, stripped of all their markings, turned back into boxes and shipped back to us? They showed one woman in Vancouver unloading over 100 boxes from her SUV. That's just one woman in one recycling plant in one city. Not very environment friendly shopping I don't think. Others may argue well at least they're not driving their cars to a mall and shopping. I think the latter has far less impact on not only our environment but our society. We are becoming a mindless "click & order" society. The shopping malls survived just fine before all this on-line shopping frenzy. If on-line ordering is so great then why is so much stuff being returned. Not to mention the endless whining and moaning we hear daily when Canada Customs decides they want a piece of your wallet if stuff is coming up thru the USA.
I swear some customers I know of would shrivel up in a corner if they didn't have internet access for 2 days because they couldn't shop.

Pretty sad.

[JLives]

I was browsing netflix and saw a documentary (still need to watch it) It's basically the idea that companies design their products to fail after a short period of time, Which i can see happening. That's why i hate commercials, look at all of the great stuff i can't afford. I like having toys as much as the next person but eh nut gonna keep up with the jonses anytime soon.

It's called planned obsolescence and is part of many company's business models. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence

[TheBoss]

Thanks Jlives i knew there was a fancy term for it. Apple was found guilty of slowing down older iphones so customers would have no choice but to upgrade. It happened to me i had the Iphone3g (i think that was it) The new update comes out so i though what the hell i'll update, worst mistake ever phone slowed right down didn't work right i ended up giving up on it. That phone was only a year old it annoyed me so much.

[whatwhat]

good plan Fancy. Everyone in their 20s I know owns brans new, shunning parents castaways. I remember being so broke you took damn near anything offered.

I know my boyfriend and I get lots of things from our parents. So much I have a shed full of hand-me-downs that my mother in law keeps giving me that I'll never use. I eventually got more comfortable with her to say "no".

I know for our mindset (we are late 20's fyi), we aren't just going to take anything and everything offered to us because we have/had little money. It doesn't matter if the stuff we have is new, but we want it to work well and to be useful to us.

I don't want a house full of cr*p I'll never or rarely use. I don't want a house full of cr*p that is broken that we might get fixed one day. Surprisingly, I know lots of people in their 20's that are really into the "minimalist" lifestyle that is becoming popular again.

[Fancy]

I know my boyfriend and I get lots of things from our parents. So much I have a shed full of hand-me-downs that my mother in law keeps giving me that I'll never use. I eventually got more comfortable with her to say "no".

I know for our mindset (we are late 20's fyi), we aren't just going to take anything and everything offered to us because we have/had little money. It doesn't matter if the stuff we have is new, but we want it to work well and to be useful to us.

I don't want a house full of cr*p I'll never or rarely use. I don't want a house full of cr*p that is broken that we might get fixed one day. Surprisingly, I know lots of people in their 20's that are really into the "minimalist" lifestyle that is becoming popular again.

I've told my kids my feelings won't be hurt if they say no. I also don't have a problem if they do take something and decide to get rid of it that's okay too. Don't hold onto things if they have no use at all - no point - and good for you not to take things that need fixing because you'll end up with more than a shed full of stuff like hoarders. Less is more.

[Ka-El]

Surprisingly, I know lots of people in their 20's that are really into the "minimalist" lifestyle that is becoming popular again.

My wife and I are embracing the idea of minimalism. As I already noted, I do own a few things that might be considered extravagant by some, but for now I also get a lot of use out of them. Still, we have a ton of stuff we are going to need to unload. Gave away way more than half my wife’s Christmas decoration collection this year to the soup kitchen. Going to be moving north again very soon and we’re only going to be taking what we absolutely need (in addition to my toys, some furniture, kitchen stuff and clothes). I'd have a garage sale if we had a garage. When we retire we are going to spend our first couple of years living in a few different countries a few months at a time (possibilities include Ecuador, Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, Mexico). We don’t want to have a whole crapload of stuff in some large storage space we’re having to pay for, and obviously we will not be dragging it around. The hardest thing I am going to have let go of at some point is my car :o(

My golf clubs I will keep.

[alanjh595]

Surprisingly, I know lots of people in their 20's that are really into the "minimalist" lifestyle that is becoming popular again.

My wife and I are embracing the idea of minimalism. As I already noted, I do own a few things that might be considered extravagant by some, but for now I also get a lot of use out of them. Still, we have a ton of stuff we are going to need to unload. Gave away way more than half my wife’s Christmas decoration collection this year to the soup kitchen. Going to be moving north again very soon and we’re only going to be taking what we absolutely need (in addition to my toys, some furniture, kitchen stuff and clothes). I'd have a garage sale if we had a garage. When we retire we are going to spend our first couple of years living in a few different countries a few months at a time (possibilities include Ecuador, Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, Mexico). We don’t want to have a whole crapload of stuff in some large storage space we’re having to pay for, and obviously we will not be dragging it around. The hardest thing I am going to have let go of at some point is my car :o(

My golf clubs I will keep.

Those golf clubs must be near brand new, since the golfing season where you are is about, 6 weeks? I bet that the 9 iron is really dirty and the sand wedge is worn down to a putter.

[Jack DeBear]

My 'secret' plan is working perfectly, as well.

Put the kids through university, helped them become successful career people-consumers-materialists, and now I have them feeling sorry-guilty-embarrassed over my present fixed income and all the old stuff that I still have and am using from when they grew up.

Some of the rewards so far:

Lightly used small appliances

A lightly used laptop and cellphone

An iPod Nano with a docking system to replace my Walkman (Walkperson)

A surround sound to replace my stereo

A new 42 inch flat screen TV to replace my 24inch CRT analogue set

A hand me down PS3 with a bunch of Blu-rays and games

I cut off cable, so they got me on their Netflix plan for the PS3

Books to borrow and discuss

Veggies from their gardens

Summer barbeques at their places

Camping trips--"Just show up, that's all"

Lunch downtown and a beer after work a couple times a month, "It's okay Dad, I got this."

Dinner at their places on Sunday nights with leftovers to eat during the week

All sorts of clothing accessories: gloves, scarves, socks, etc.

Shopping for stuff on their Costco cards

Coupons that they don't want

Gift and gas cards on those ‘special’ occasions

A new parka this winter when the zipper wore out on my old one

I’m cut in on the perks they get at work: tickets, etc.

I get to look after my grandkids and walk/look after a dog that I don’t have to support

And I get entertained by being the handyperson around their houses and mechanic for their vehicles: using their cash to buy the new special tools, parts, hardware, and materials that they need

More that I could add as I think of it . . .


Yeah, so I escaped consumerism-materialism, too.

[Because_They_Lie]