Interesting article: consumerism and want vs. need

[jlai]

You nailed it! I would only add: there are also some here who have spent $$$ on skating themselves or their kid's skating - wonder if anyone thinks that's wasteful.

Maybe.

Xmas is coming. This really is a perfect time to discuss consumerism. If we can't criticize something unless we're perfect ourselves then this skating board will cease to exist for lack of topics.

My Chinese friends pick on me re: my consuming habits and it's a good thing. In return, I don't think it's wrong to pick on my family and make them consume less.

Anyway, back to consumption and consumerism:

How Thanksgiving Became the Holy Day of Consumerism: Echoes
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-1...sm-echoes.html

[milanessa]

My Chinese friends pick on me re: my consuming habits and it's a good thing. In return, I don't think it's wrong to pick on my family and make them consume less.

Sounds like nagging to me.

[MacMadame]

My purchases make the world a better place, and sunshine and daisies and Skittles pop out of my ass whenever the register dings for I am a Good Citizen.

What, no glitter? What kind of figure skating fan are you, anyway?!

Sounds like nagging to me.

Yeah, ragging on people for their choices is never okay in my book. Having a reasonable discussion about consumerism is okay, but in the end we're talking about adults who are free to make their own decisions.

[triple_toe]

What I buy: A perfectly rational purchase based on need, time/money saved and enduring pleasure it gives me/others/the world. My purchases make the world a better place, and sunshine and daisies and Skittles pop out of my ass whenever the register dings for I am a Good Citizen.

What others buy: Unnecessary items that are overpriced junk; a wasteful and greedy exercise that takes food from orphans in Uganda and contributes to the downfall of civilization, manners and the behavior of "kids today." If others would stop being so consummerist, the world would be a better place.

GMAFB. Most of y'all in here need to get off your f-ing high horses. Seriously, you're talking about not being affected by consumerism, want or greed on the internet on a figure skating board, where I know most of the posters in this thread have spent serious $$$ for icenetwork, cable and/or going to events at the tune of hundreds of bucks to watch people gad about in sparkles to bad music.

How well would those decisions stand up to public scrutiny? And why is it anyone else's business what one spends their money on? For every judgement you make about how someone else chooses to use their paycheck, that person could make the same judgement about your choices.

You said this so much better than any attempt I could have made.

[sk8er1964]

Were the end-tables “chippendale”? Was the computer chair by Breuer?
Most of my artwork and decorative objects are also used…

The end tables were co-worker garage sale (although they do fit perfectly with the other stuff in my living room) and the computer chair is 1990's leftover office. Still works great and is still comfy so it's all good.

[jlai]

Sounds like nagging to me.

Family nags all the time. That's what family does. And they just came to my house and told me how I should get new ovens (including my nephews' mom ). (And I mumbled about her kids wasting food behind her back...bad auntie. )

As to friends nagging, well, in some way I find it refreshing because my immediately family sometimes let me do things I really shouldn't do. Had friends tiptoed around the subject I would never have reflected on my decisions.

But to each their own...

[modern_muslimah]

Family nags all the time. That's what family does.
But to each their own...

Not all families.

[milanessa]

Family nags all the time. That's what family does. And they just came to my house and told me how I should get new ovens (including my nephews' mom ).

That's just weird, IMO.

As MacMadame said, there are ways to have constructive, informative discussions about things without nagging.

[vesperholly]

What I buy: A perfectly rational purchase based on need, time/money saved and enduring pleasure it gives me/others/the world. My purchases make the world a better place, and sunshine and daisies and Skittles pop out of my ass whenever the register dings for I am a Good Citizen.

Oh, I am PAINFULLY aware of how much irrational shit I have bought over the years. I have been applying to jobs in New York City. In (still solely optimistic) preparation for significant downsizing, I've started to clean out a lot of my drawers and cubbies. After 7 years in a 2BR apartment, there is SO MUCH JUNK ZOMG. Who needs a device to turn hardboilded eggs into cube shapes? This girl, apparently. Losing and regaining 80 pounds in the space of 3 years has led to quite the motley collection of clothes, not to mention all those years of working at Pier 1. I just like my tchotchkes, okay?!?!?!

I keep looking at all this stuff and thinking "oh, I bought crap instead of having money in savings. NICE GOING. "

[Really]

How well would those decisions stand up to public scrutiny? And why is it anyone else's business what one spends their money on? For every judgement you make about how someone else chooses to use their paycheck, that person could make the same judgement about your choices.

I really don't give a rat's ass what anyone else thinks about how I spend my money. It's mine, I earned it, and I'll do whatever the hell I want with it.

So there...

[Japanfan]

No, no, buy a used cake pop maker!

What is a cake pop maker? I'm imagining a cake with a pop top? Or a cake that goes pop?

[BaileyCatts]

^^ It's a pan that you pour cake batter into these little round cuppie things and it makes the cake into little round balls. Then you put a stick in it .... .cake pop. Get it?

[Japanfan]

What I buy: GMAFB. Most of y'all in here need to get off your f-ing high horses. Seriously, you're talking about not being affected by consumerism, want or greed on the internet on a figure skating board, where I know most of the posters in this thread have spent serious $$$ for icenetwork, cable and/or going to events at the tune of hundreds of bucks to watch people gad about in sparkles to bad music.

How well would those decisions stand up to public scrutiny?

Spending money on figure skating events could be seen as luxury spending, although sporting events and movies aren't branded as such. But it's a luxury in the sense that really poor people usually can't afford to travel to figure skating competitions or other such events.

Also, it's more conscious consumerism I would think, as compared to the consumption of many other things.

Does that make it better consumption? No. I don't travel to many skating competitions but find them ridiculously expensive in terms of the money spent at restaurants and on coffee and snacks like chocolates
When all that is added to the hotel and the ticket, I do have to evaluate whether it is worthwhile expenditure.

Though for me seeing skating live is a serious want, almost a need in fact. This year I'm not attending any and really do feel very

I know I'll break down sometime in the next few years and travel to a competition, even if the airfare is expensive.

It's kind of non-negotiable, like a vacation. Having things to look forward to and getting away from the daily grudge is important to my mental well-being. That's a need, but being able to consider it as such is in itself a luxury.

And why is it anyone else's business what one spends their money on? For every judgement you make about how someone else chooses to use their paycheck, that person could make the same judgement about your choices.

The problem is that our production and consumption practices are not sustainable and are depleting the world of its resources. The price for that will be paid collectively.

The current economic paradigm is such that consumption is essential to economic health. Collective consumption ensures that the whole chain of production keeps moving. Sweat shop workers in the third world, factory workers, delivery truck drivers, and retail clerks keep their jobs. The fact that the people at the top of food chain are fabulously wealthy doesn't matter that much to the common person, who is better off earning a minimum wage than no wage. And even fair trade is a bit of a joke, as it just gives the person at the bottom a slightly bigger piece of the pie, not an equal one.

But capitalism's hey day is over - not that you would know it by looking at the production and consumption of technology. The system isn't sustainable and its cracks are starting to show.

We are all part of the problem, particularly those of us who do most of the consumption (the developed world). Likewise, we all are part of the solution.

But I don't think there will be any real change until things get much, much worse. In the mean time we'll just keep on working, consuming, and wasting because that is the way we live. We don't have time to make our own stuff so we buy stuff. We don't share much of what we have with others, because there is never enough just for us. Our time is measured in dollars, so we can't all give freely to community. We don't compost because there is no time or space. And so on.

That's speaking generally of course, but it's all part of the current production/consumption system.

[Southpaw]

If people didn't ever stick their big critical snouts into other people's spending habits then Monty Hall and Bob Barker would be bartering over a suitcase in the retirement castle today.

[MacMadame]

Japanfan, I think by even semi-seriously trying to argue that traveling to figure skating competitions is a need, you have proved Matry's point.

Of course going to figure skating competitions and the movies is a luxury and a want, not a need. Needs are things like shelter, clothing and food, medicine if you are sick. Pretty much everything else is a want and we can decide not to want it.

[milanessa]

Japanfan, I think by even semi-seriously trying to argue that traveling to figure skating competitions is a need, you have proved Matry's point.

Of course going to figure skating competitions and the movies is a luxury and a want, not a need. Needs are things like shelter, clothing and food, medicine if you are sick. Pretty much everything else is a want and we can decide not to want it.

Where is Maslow when you need him?

[vesperholly]

^^ It's a pan that you pour cake batter into these little round cuppie things and it makes the cake into little round balls. Then you put a stick in it .... .cake pop. Get it?

How weird - my sister makes hers by baking the cake first, then breaking it up and mixing with a can of frosting, out of which the balls are made with a little melon baller. That's what makes it so delicious.

[vesperholly]

Pretty much everything else is a want and we can decide not to want it.

When you figure out how to do that, let me know.

[MacMadame]

How weird - my sister makes hers by baking the cake first, then breaking it up and mixing with a can of frosting, out of which the balls are made with a little melon baller. That's what makes it so delicious.

I don't want icing in mine because between the icing and chocolate covering, that's too much sugar for me. (I like sweet stuff, but not that sweet. I'm not even big on icing on cake a lot of the time.)

And a cake pop maker is completely a want! I'm sure the author of the original blog post would be horrified that (a) I bought something with such a limited use, (b) new, (c) and waited in line for an hour to save $9 on it (okay and on a few other things as well).

But I don't care! I can't wait to make cake pops.

When you figure out how to do that, let me know.

Well, the first step is to lose your job... it's amazing what you don't "need" when you can't pay for it. Not that I'd wish that on anyone but between having my own business for 2.5 years and being out of work for 6.5 months, all in the past 7 years, I've had lots of practice doing without things.

Which is not to say that I don't engage in consumerism and waste money. After all, not only do I have internet, but an iPhone, an iPad and a desktop computer. I also have some expensive hobbies.

But I know I can do without if I have to and I know these are wants, not needs. I guess it helps that I don't think there is anything wrong with buying things you want as long as you aren't being financially irresponsible. Therefore, I feel no need to justify my purchases either to myself or others.

I do think there are things that I have that aren't needs that seem like needs because they get me other things I want. Like internet access.

[vesperholly]

I don't want icing in mine because between the icing and chocolate covering, that's too much sugar for me. (I like sweet stuff, but not that sweet. I'm not even big on icing on cake a lot of the time.)

Yeah, they're usually so sugary that I can only have one or two. And I take small bites of them. Some people just throw the whole thing in their mouth ... But they are soooooo gooooood