Consumerism: Is it just me?

MarciKS said:
What really bothers me is they make everything at the lowest cost possible and mark everything 2 to 5 times higher to make a profit. Meanwhile we get robbed only to get stuff that's absolute crap. I remember the days when things were made to last. Not hafta be replaced every year.
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I saw a shocking video a few days ago, when I looked up a video from the underground churches in China, about Chinese being used as slaves, suicide nets at a company that forces them to make iphones and then everyone running for an iphone.
 
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GoodEnuff said:
In a fit of boredom this morning, I went to the Amazon home page. You gotta be kidding.

An outdoor pizza oven = $299. Outdoor? What? You can't cook it in your kitchen? If camping, have a hot dog.
A shower head filter = $169. If you need that, you better have one on every water source in your house.
A stainless steel tea kettle = $199. Something wrong with your stove top burner and a $25 tea kettle from WalMart?
A tomato shaped ceramic plant mister = $29. A plastic spray bottle from the dollar store for a buck or two would work just fine.
A 60" bamboo wall fan as wall art = $63. Really? That's all I have to say about that.
A heated towel warmer = $80. Holds two towels with all kinds of "don't"s. Do people store their towels in the fridge?

I have two appliances in my kitchen: a small crock pot and a two slice toaster with which I still burn the toast. Oh! and a small cuisinart food processor set that was a gift. I alternate between laughing and crying. Or both.

And on top of that, have you seen the dozens and dozens of videos out there about decluttering?

I had a joint garage sale with my daughter and her husband some years back. After we had everything set up, we took a break and sat in the driveway on our lawn chairs. My daughter said, "Wouldn't you like to have all the money you spent on all this crap?"
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I know a lot of things are expensive. Amazon presents me with an interesting challenge very often. For example when I needed a part for my mower, the thought of driving 50 miles and very likely only to find that the part would have to be ordered. I tap into Amazon and within minutes I find the part I'm looking for.

A lesson I have learned however, is that I don't have to buy the first one presented. Many times the same part is offered by multiple sellers with widely ranging prices. It pays to consider carefully if buying cheap is a wise idea. If it is something that I will be relying for long term I will specify the part number and OEM (original equipment manufacturer). If my need is a one off and is a pressing but long not term needed item then I become more price driven. In both cases I have found that I can usually find similar items that satisfy the criteria I have in mind.
 
That Lady in PA said:
IDK... I think everybody has things that others would not spend a nickel on.
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I agree. as long as people are buying what they want and can afford - no problem

I know people who have outdoor pizza ovens - I wouldn't buy one because I don't really make pizzas from scratch (you can do other things in them too) But I have spent equivalent amount on a good BBQ - because we do use that, even though we have a kitchen inside.

My son has a fancy expensive coffee maker - I wouldn't buy one but they use it regularly and they can afford it.... and no doubt I spend money on other things they wouldnt buy.🤷‍♀️
 
Murrmurr said:
Consumers support their nation's economy, define its industries, and generate employment.
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Messy said:
I saw a shocking video a few days ago, when I looked up a video from the underground churches in China, about Chinese being used as slaves, suicide nets at a company that forces them to make iphones and then everyone running for an iphone.
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Rhetoric meets reality. 🫤
 
GoodEnuff said:
In a fit of boredom this morning, I went to the Amazon home page. You gotta be kidding.

An outdoor pizza oven = $299. Outdoor? What? You can't cook it in your kitchen? If camping, have a hot dog.
A shower head filter = $169. If you need that, you better have one on every water source in your house.
A stainless steel tea kettle = $199. Something wrong with your stove top burner and a $25 tea kettle from WalMart?
A tomato shaped ceramic plant mister = $29. A plastic spray bottle from the dollar store for a buck or two would work just fine.
A 60" bamboo wall fan as wall art = $63. Really? That's all I have to say about that.
A heated towel warmer = $80. Holds two towels with all kinds of "don't"s. Do people store their towels in the fridge?

I have two appliances in my kitchen: a small crock pot and a two slice toaster with which I still burn the toast. Oh! and a small cuisinart food processor set that was a gift. I alternate between laughing and crying. Or both.

And on top of that, have you seen the dozens and dozens of videos out there about decluttering?

I had a joint garage sale with my daughter and her husband some years back. After we had everything set up, we took a break and sat in the driveway on our lawn chairs. My daughter said, "Wouldn't you like to have all the money you spent on all this crap?"
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I didn't know they had a home page!
However, I frequently receive emails with various products they're encouraging me to buy.. often, I can't even figure out what the products are!

My viewpoint has always been: if I don't need it, I don't need it.. and if I don't need it I probably don't want it, either. 😁
 
My mom would by herself stuff behind dad's back and then spend all her time showing everyone what she bought. It was embarrassing.
 
I think it often happens that, as we age, we have a tendency to move away from rampant consumerism and less enamored of all the bells and whistles and brand names. We just don’t need as much non essentials.
i try to remember not everyone is in the same stage of life.
Be that as it may, our culture does produce a lot of useless throw away junk clogging our landfills and planet.
 
MountainRa said:
I think it often happens that, as we age, we have a tendency to move away from rampant consumerism and less enamored of all the bells and whistles and brand names. We just don’t need as much non essentials.
i try to remember not everyone is in the same stage of life.
Be that as it may, our culture does produce a lot of useless throw away junk clogging our landfills and planet.
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Probably so.

Also, by time we've reached the last quarter of our life most of us have accumulated almost everything we need or want (and then some) via purchases, gifts or inheritances.

As a group, seniors seem rarely swayed by fashion updates in apparel, interior design, electronics, vehicles, and so forth.
 
I've largely stopped buying clothes, mainly for the reasons you mention, StarSong. But I'm a big customer of Amazon nevertheless. Mainly not clothes, just pretty much everything else (except food). I do get my coffee pods from them, though.

I think it's wonderful being able to order whatever we need from the convenience of our homes, especially as we reach the truly "senior" years. And though I still drive, I still find it a lot easier to order stuff via Amazon. It can easily be returned to a department store about 5 minutes from here if necessary. No delivery charge, ever.

What do I get? You name it. Within the last few days: a nice little saucepan to replace a very old one that I should have thrown out years ago. A pair of pearl drop earrings because I brilliantly allowed one to go down the sink drain. A set of new sheets for the guest room. Some vitamins that cost less than my pharmacy for the exact same brand. I've gotten everything you can imagine from them by now!

And sometimes I decide I don't like the item and return it. My latest return was an ergonomic computer mouse that seemed like a good idea especially since I have carpal tunnel syndrome. But I couldn't get the hang of using it. It just didn't feel right. No problem, it went right back.

P.S. I'm having surgery for it next week, so I might disappear from here for a few days, unless I can manage to type with one hand.
 
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