People are supposed to love other people (and perhaps, pets and local sports franchises). So why is it that consumers are …
stuff
How Oprah Winfrey Implicitly Endorses Consumerism and Materialism
“For her, transformation is about self-esteem and about buying stuff.”
Find the Meaning of Life … At a Flea Market?
“Flea markets proliferate a volume of goods needing to be sold and people who are hungry — emotionally and aesthetically — to sort out the meaning of life … For most people who go on these ritualized scavenger hunts looking for something that they may not know exists, it is a kind of pilgrims’ process through the detritus of the past.”
Celebrate the Quasi-Holidays: Give Something Away, Bike to Work
‘Tis the season to bring your clutter to the curb and offer it to the masses for free. It’s also the time of year to dust off your two-wheeler, pump up the tires, oil the chain, and—if it’s even in the realm of possibility—pedal your bicycle to work.
Study: When You Feel Loved, You Love Stuff Less
A new psychology study shows that people who feel loved and accepted by others place lower monetary values on material possessions than folks who feel insecure and unloved. In other words, the folks who don’t feel valued and appreciated tend to value their stuff more.
Less Stuff Equals More Happiness
“The things we are trained to think make us happy, like having a new car every couple of years and buying the latest fashions, don’t make us happy.”
Stuff, Spent, Bottled and Sold: Notable New Books
Four new books explore why consumers do what they do—even when they know it’s unhealthy, unsanitary, and/or obviously bad for their finances.
A Month without Credit Cards. A Year without Half Your Clothes.
I’m a sucker for experiments—from the guy who didn’t get into a car for a year, to the blogger who asked for at least one discount daily, to the women who aren’t buying clothes for 365 days. Here, two more money-related experiments that caught my attention.
Spring Clean Out! Instead of Getting More Stuff, Get Rid of Some
The result will be that instead of clutter, you’ll have space and a refreshing sense of Spartan simplicity—and you won’t have to look at all that stuff you never use, and probably should have never bought. And instead of money disappearing into the cash registers of retail centers all over your neck of the woods, you’ll have some money …
