Rampant Consumerism

[Casperron]

Anyone else sick of it?? The fake sales, crappy clothes on boohoo were apparently £89.99 now reduced to 30.99 even though they’d never been 89.99. You can’t get a good deal now days, Black Fridays a sham. Influenzas doing hauls daily, who can afford all this buying! The worst thing is customer service in businesses are getting so much worse. Look at sofa club for an example.

 

[midnightrose]

I don’t think it helps that we are in an age of social media influencers who are constantly gifted shit and try to flog tat via swipe ups. They are a classic example of the consumerist hamster wheel.

 

[LifeOfRiley]

Before social media you only knew what other people had if you ‘knew them’. I have a friend who has so much lovely stuff and it’s expensive and not really needed but he lost his wife to cancer and I think that’s how he heals himself, keeps busy while the kids are at school as he received large amounts of money from insurance when she died. Anyone else would think he was overindulgent if you didn’t know the story. The kids want for nothing material related. He is doing his best under heartbreaking circumstances.

I think we are so aware of what others have that we feel we need to keep up. The nice cars, the posh food from Marks or the treat handbag.

We also have been perceived to believe love is bought. I had a very low income upbringing. My presents were bought from car boots and my clothes from charity shops. I learnt my lessons as a child, saw my Mum struggle and whilst I became a Mum Young, I knew love wasn’t shown in the mounds of toys at Christmas or the latest trainers. It was in the craft we did on a Sunday morning from old egg boxes or the walk we did in the puddles to collect baking items to make a cake together.

I worry for the children growing up now sucked into the world of social media without the skills to rationalise how fake it is. The looking at websites at trainers and then the company following you round the internet for weeks.

Its scary.

 

[Casperron]

I don't think anyone can, personal debt is at massive levels everyone's driving a brand new PCP car (although lots are left sat on the drive so they don't go over the 10k milage..). It's crazy. I bought very little for myself or presents this year as it's all so unnecessary.
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Debts excluding mortgages are on the rise in the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Debts including credit card debt and personal loans rose 11% to £119bn in the two years to March 2018, according to the ONS study, which is published every two years.

Average household financial debt rose 9% to £9,400.

Much of the increase is a result of higher student loan and hire purchase debt.

"The figures are skewed slightly by the £32bn of student debts - which the vast majority of graduates will never pay back in full," said Sarah Coles, personal finance analyst at stockbroker Hargreaves Lansdown.

"However, even excluding that we're carrying £87bn in loans, credit cards, hire purchase agreements, overdrafts and arrears."

I’ve got into quite a bit of debt this year through shopping - Klarna & overdraft never been in debt before

The Christmas thing is a Joke. Especially Xmas eve boxes, since when were they even a tbing
I feel embarassed when my friends get drawn into the trap of it all... thought they were smarter than that

 

[Avocadoontoast]

I swear The Minimalists have changed my life. I feel I had a spending/shopping addiction since leaving uni till about the age of 38. I was a full time teacher and was pretty much spending all my money after expenses had been paid. I had no concept of saving. I felt so yuk about myself it made me sick and depressed but I didn’t know how to get out of this cycle. I then accidentally discovered The Minimalists and have changed my life. I no long want or desire the things I use to and have spent the past 2 years decluttering my shit and live a very streamline life with intention rather than consumption. I feel so happy and good about myself. I actually truly feel happy with less. I wish I had discovered this years ago. I now have savings and feel so happy. Me and my husband are also in the process to buying a bigger house. This would never of happened if I was still on the road of spending/consuming.

 

[Itsallaboutmememe]

I work in customer care so have a lot of contact with families all year round
from about June I see (mainly) mums starting to get stressed about how they are going to be able to afford the mound of presents for their kids
(been there over the years!)
the daft thing is they make themselves ill over it all-but on my first shift back I askEd the kids what they got
girl 1-a unicorn necklace
girl 2-a plastic ring from a cracker
boy 1-chocolate
boy 2-socks

like I say to the parents they could have spent a kings ransom but when the lady (who knows these kids!) asks them its the small bits they remember not the ‘sell your soul/body to pay for
one little girl wanted to tell me all about how she ate her body weight in carrots for her Christmas dinner and had watched her fave movie with her grandparents
she just wasn’t bothered about much else

to me that’s Christmas not this mental ‘spend spend spend’
and from what the kids where saying it’s the same to them too

if we look back on every xmas can we really remember every single toy we got?
i remember having my granddad round and just having fun knowing I was loved

I admit I’m a sucker for clothes
99% of my wardrobe is second hand *my stepdaughters think I’m mucky but new stuff just doesn’t sit well with me*
i buy stuff then wear/enjoy it and when I’m done it goes back to the charity shop
i don’t smoke drink do drugs and i work hard
at a push I do buy bits if we need them (first shop is a charity shop and 70% of the time I can find amazing bits for say our house or garden)
it’s just this mad spending for crap we don’t need don’t want and can’t afford that kills me

 

[Rosie878]

I definitely need to calm down my consumerism this new year. I'm not in debt but I do pretty much waste a lot of my left over money after bills. I'm a bit of a magpie for accessories, bags, clothes, to the point I never get to the bottom of the laundry washing pile and it is stressing me out. I have started donating clothes and sitting on my hands and not impulsively buying things online, but I want to keep it up.

I was thinking about this the other day - we buy so many clothes now and it actually creates a lot of anxiety with laundry/ironing piles. A few generations ago most people had 3 or 4 outfits at most. I know times were much much harder then and I’m not trying to say the past is better but perhaps there are some things that we’ve gone too far with as a society.

 

[Porkiepies]

I’ve got into quite a bit of debt this year through shopping - Klarna & overdraft never been in debt before

The Christmas thing is a Joke. Especially Xmas eve boxes, since when were they even a tbing
I feel embarassed when my friends get drawn into the trap of it all... thought they were smarter than that

I too fell into the Klarna trap this year. Thankfully in 2 more months it will be gone.
As for Christmas Eve boxes it's just another thing to put on Facebook and Insta to get those likes and wow you're such a good mum comments.

 

[stevienicks]

Totally! Hate how commercialised Christmas is too!

 

[coconochanel]

I've decided in 2020 to only buy what I NEED not what I WANT. The mantra is 'do I need it? will I use it? can I afford it?' . Like its been mentioned these influencers don't help when they are showing all the new in stuff all the time and then you end up buying something they've shown which you don't really need but you like.

Christmas eve boxes are such a shit idea IMO its just more money for the parents to fork out when they've just spent loads on presents. Next year I'm going to suggest to the family to just give one present each (adults) we just don't need it all.

 

[SisterBliss]

Anyone else sick of it?? The fake sales, crappy clothes on boohoo were apparently £89.99 now reduced to 30.99 even though they’d never been 89.99. You can’t get a good deal now days, Black Fridays a sham. Influenzas doing hauls daily, who can afford all this buying! The worst thing is customer service in businesses are getting so much worse. Look at sofa club for an example.

So much so that I stopped watching tv because of the adverts and all the anxiety-inducing content like news, reality tv and mindless suspense and violence shows. I think anxiety, alongside low self-esteem, is known to make people buy more. I try to be mindful and buy only things that I need, really want and that are of the best quality I can afford. I also avoid plastic as much as I can. That way I don’t feel deprived even if months pass without me buying any clothes/beauthy/skincare/gadgets. The bonus of buying little but good quality is that customer service is much better too. The only thing I don’t restrict myself with is books, and these I mostly read on Kindle. I do pay for Netflix and Kindle Unlimited and any other movies/shows I want to see I buy in iTunes.

 

[bry800]

Yes, I hate all this consumerism too. I’m doing a “no new” year in 2020 with clothes, only buying second hand (except for underwear, sportswear and PJs although I have plenty of all of these!) I started only buying on Depop at the end of this year after several shopping bans and I love it!
I’d say I own a fairly modest wardrobe now and I don’t buy half as much as I used to but I’ve been clearing out some stuff I left at my parents’ when I moved out three years ago and I’m so embarrassed by how many clothes I’m donating to the charity shop!

 

[Bubble10]

I've decided in 2020 to only buy what I NEED not what I WANT. The mantra is 'do I need it? will I use it? can I afford it?' . Like its been mentioned these influencers don't help when they are showing all the new in stuff all the time and then you end up buying something they've shown which you don't really need but you like.

Christmas eve boxes are such a shit idea IMO its just more money for the parents to fork out when they've just spent loads on presents. Next year I'm going to suggest to the family to just give one present each (adults) we just don't need it all.

Our youngest daughter has suggested that we do a secret Santa next year, (one gift) she's concerned about the environment and wants us to cut down on waste. We already recycle, shop local and use renewable energy. We love nothing better than a day out trawling the charity shops.

 

[chandlercheesecake]

The other day, I filled up 3 black bin bags full of clothes and accessories that I don't wear (or have never worn) before. Going to take them to the charity shop later this week.

One of my new year's resolutions is to not buy any clothes, bags and make up that I don't need... yes that purple glittery eyeshadow may look pretty, but I'll mot likely never wear it as I don't go on night's out or anything.

 

[Deleted member]

I remember watching a youtuber or something, honestly can’t remember who and they said they had stopped buying for their fantasy life and this has really stuck with me.

Before, if I seen something I liked, I would end up buying it because what if I needed it for future nights out or an as yet invited to wedding or event . Now I realise I have a quiet social life and we prefer nights in...I live in a work uniform, loungewear or jeans and trainers so I stopped buying stuff for my fantasy life.

 

[Yel]

I don't think anyone can, personal debt is at massive levels everyone's driving a brand new PCP car (although lots are left sat on the drive so they don't go over the 10k milage..). It's crazy. I bought very little for myself or presents this year as it's all so unnecessary.
-------
Debts excluding mortgages are on the rise in the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Debts including credit card debt and personal loans rose 11% to £119bn in the two years to March 2018, according to the ONS study, which is published every two years.

Average household financial debt rose 9% to £9,400.

Much of the increase is a result of higher student loan and hire purchase debt.

"The figures are skewed slightly by the £32bn of student debts - which the vast majority of graduates will never pay back in full," said Sarah Coles, personal finance analyst at stockbroker Hargreaves Lansdown.

"However, even excluding that we're carrying £87bn in loans, credit cards, hire purchase agreements, overdrafts and arrears."

 

[midnightrose]

I completely agree. It actually makes me feel stressed and anxious sub-consciously and I was someone who previously loved shopping.

 

[Oohthedrama]

I bought totes slipper socks for 9 quid because it was in the sale and to be honest.

I walked out and thought “like fuck I’d have spent that if it wasn’t on *sale*”

I hate myself but I love the socks do you feel me...
I’m a mess.

we didn’t really do Christmas gifts though so let me enjoy my frigging socks.

but the serious bit, it all feels too much, on Boxing Day and the 2 days after, our local Tesco had 10’000 transactions I was speaking with the manager and they were shocked with how many people seemed to be shopping after 24 hours without the ability to shop. It’s crazy. I miss the days when Christmas was 5 days stuck with your family and your credit card got a rest

 

[Kema]

I go a few days after Xmas, like today. I can't sit at home a day it drives me nuts and too cold for me to go outside!

Too cold? Just wrap up and go for a walk preferably in nature. You don’t need to go to shops to entertain you or when you’re bored as that’s when you spend money. Honestly get in the fresh air, read a book, go to a park etc all free stuff to do. I do this, haven’t been in a shop since before Christmas and don’t feel the need to spend

 

[emmer_moans]

I definitely need to calm down my consumerism this new year. I'm not in debt but I do pretty much waste a lot of my left over money after bills. I'm a bit of a magpie for accessories, bags, clothes, to the point I never get to the bottom of the laundry washing pile and it is stressing me out. I have started donating clothes and sitting on my hands and not impulsively buying things online, but I want to keep it up.