Materialistic?

lazy&indebt

Hi Everyone,

I was flicking through the Argos book yesterday (thinking about investing in a slow cooker) and decided to browse through all the kitchen appliances they had available and do you know, i found a toaster in ther for £5.87 (or thereabouts) and I also found a toaster for £60...and I thought to myself, do they not just do the same thing?!

I guess what I am trying to say is has anyone else learnt not to be materialistic, simply by having your 'lightbulb' moment and throwing all your spare cash at what you owe? I know I have! I get much more pleasure out of bagging a bargain than I would out of saying 'Oh look at my new shoes, they cost £300' and going on very cheap nights out (walking to the local waterfront and sitting by the lake with a glass of coke, rather than driving into the local town and buy a bottle of wine!)

my materialism got me into debt in the first place. My new love of appreciating the simple things in life is going to get me out of them.

Does anyone else feel like this or am I rambling

tesuhoha

I hate my George Foreman grill but I keep using it.

aliasojo

I agree with the materialistic point.......but I don't agree with the toaster point.

On the whole (and I know there are always exceptions to every rule :rolleyes: ). I have always found if I have bought a cheap item...then I have had to replace it within a short space of time. Alternatively spending more has usually meant the item has lasted longer so that in itself is moneysaving...IYSWIM.

Of course I'm not talking about extremes here, obviously in some cases much dearer items might be dearer purely because of design or brand name. I am a firm believer in you get what you pay for though.

So I do tend to spend more and I will not buy the cheapest item.....not because I am materialistic but simply because I am realistic.

Greenwellies_2

Hi,

I was watching TV shopping and was 1/2 convinced into buying a slow cooker. I had lots of do I, don't I moments.
I compared prices on ebay, argos etc, and even had a chat with an electrician friend about it (energy consumption wise)
Then I looked at it from the point of another appliance on the surface will make me mad and I haven't got cupboard space for it.
It was then that I thought well if I am having a casserole, I can either make it in advance and put it in the oven on timer, or prepare it and put it on timer.

The real point that made me realise I didn't need one, was that I would need to get out of bed earlier in the morning to prepare the food before work! I can't manage that!

GW

marybishop

Yes I feel exactly the same - it's a great feeling when you nab a bargain or set a budget and come in on or under it (for once!). Silly things like drying the washing on the line in between showers for free instead of it tumbling for hours on end and knowing it's costing a fortune, bagging some sandwiches for a day out instead of spending a fortune eating in the overpriced cafe. A favourite day out in the summer is fruit picking and picnic at a PYO - so long as you watch how much you pick otherwise it can be an expensive day out!! I could go on but best get back to work ....

lazy&indebt

I agree with 'you get what you pay for' but I mean on items you just don't need. For instance, because of my materialism, I ended up with a brand new 206 on HP when a little £500 run around would've been sufficient because I hardly drive anywhere! (obv. as long as it didn't keep breaking down) or when i decided to go out and buy a laptop with my credit card and then never used it - just to be flash!

Broken_hearted

tesuhoha wrote:

I hate my George Foreman grill but I keep using it.

I sold mine at a car boot sale.

aliasojo

Lol.........I agree the laptop thing was an extravangance and you didn't need to go new for your car, but a £500 job would likely have cost you more in the long run on repairs.

I think as long as you can separate what you need from what you just want, then you shouldn't go too far wrong. Problem is, there's a lot of people (me included up until recently) who find that hard.

lazy&indebt

It's as if people spend their cash as a status thing, you know? I used to do it myself and it's not a good idea...showing off because my concealer cost me £20?! I mean, what's that all about!! I still know people who do it, one of my friends decided to move out of home and with an income of £1000 permonth, thought it would be a good idea to rent a 2 bed £500 per month (bills not included) flat and kit it out with Ikea furniture! I decided to move out and found myself a little studio aprtment at a cost of £340 per month (bills included!) and took hand-me-downs and second hand goods and I love my little space !!

owessomuch

I use to be very materialisitic about clothes and shoes ect, they had to be from the best shops, but now my favourite shop is primark!

I do think that when it comes to buying things for your home like washing machines ect that 'you get what you pay for' and you should always do your research.

lazy&indebt

I always laugh now at people who buy designer gear and tell them that I don't have to spend a fortune to look good!