Anti-Consumerism

Edinburghlass_2

DingDong wrote:

No I havent. How can you tell?!! The thing is though, when I was a teenager my bedroom was bare because I hated possessions. My mum used to go mad at me. I was fairly alternative and I always wanted to live like the native Americans. Is that wierd for a teenager?

Yes

I say again, its all very well to say we can live without this, that and the next thing while we sit at a pc (costing ?) accessing the internet in comfortable surroundings with our modern appliances at hand.

Money makes the world go round, its true you know! If we all gave up buying "things" there would be no jobs manufacturing the tumble driers, pcs, washing machines, tvs, mobiles that are goods taken for granted in todays life. So then there would be no jobs selling the said goods, delivering the goods, repairing the goods etc etc...

No jobs, no money, no trade, no nothing but even supposing we go back to the "good" old days and go out to stone a rabbit to death to eat, there will always be some enterprising person who comes up with a better stone to trade

The first thing accumulated is a house, no need to stuff it full with "things" if you don't want to BUT they make life easier and why not? I go and buy "things" because I WANT to not because someone on the tele tells me I can't live without it. :rolleyes: same with clothes, sometimes, just sometimes I buy a t-shirt because I like the look of it :eek: or even a book, lol

DingDong_3

There is a good expression which I think is very apt here:

Live simply so others may simply live

Our western lifestyle has a big impact on the rest of the world. We're not saying you can't buy things but I would rather support my local traders than the large corporations.

BTW, I got my ideas about going organic etc.. from other people on here who have families. I figured if they can do it, so can I.

Edinburghlass_2

DingDong wrote:

There is a good expression which I think is very apt here:

Live simply so others may simply live

Our western lifestyle has a big impact on the rest of the world. We're not saying you can't buy things but I would rather support my local traders than the large corporations.

BTW, I got my ideas about going organic etc.. from other people on here who have families. I figured if they can do it, so can I.

I agree wholeheartedly about buying local, I was brought up as the daughter of a local business man and we bought local if at all possible with everything.

However the large corporations give most of the little people the jobs so that the little people may simply live. My father employed people so they might eat and house their families and I too when I had a shop employed people and enjoyed the patronage of people who shopped locally, fortunately!

No reason why you need to have a family to go organic, good for you

jazzyjustlaw

DingDong wrote:

I think anti-commercialism goes hand-in-hand with being green. I've always been attracted to living a more sustainable lifestyle. I've always found it really hard though e.g. it's been a hard slog finding organic fruit/veg. (not in tescos). Since discovering MSE last month, it's led me to other websites regarding organic food and clothes. I now want to change my whole life! Here's what I've done/hoping to do.

Clothes: Only buy from charity shops or from online organic clothing companies.

Food: Organic fruit/veg, free range eggs, from market. Trying to find a good butchers for meat. Everything else from Tesco but using internet vouchers.

Goods: Try to buy second-hand e.g. ebay

Recycle: I'm going to email the council regarding cardboard, batteries and plastic recycling.

TV: I don't own one!

Electricity: I've changed to Ecotricity

Chemicals: Not buying cleaning products anymore. Just using vinegar + bicarb etc.

Cosmetics: I'll never use anti-wrinkle cream (what a load of rubbish!)

Women's stuff: Doing what it says on the 'One for the Ladies' thread!

Sorry if this doesnt quite go on this thread but once you start being anti-materialistic etc.. it leads you to change other things too.

Do you have any specific household items you use for cleaning and if so what do you use them on. I would like to stop using cleaning materials but I do not know where to start.

Also I cannot find the "one for the ladies thread" can you post a link?

Thanks Justine

thetheboy

I agree ( in principle!) with anti consumerism. If you want to recycle anything go to this sitehttp://www.freecycle.org/ you give things you dont want to people in your community... also look to see if there is anything you want.

Miroslav

It's nice to see so many people that don't rely on having material goods as the be all and end all

I have very little money and an old PC that just about works and am in debt due to mistakes.

I have to be careful, cheap food, very few clothes which makes me not a very good catch to the ladies. No car, rent a pokey flat, old mobile phone that is rarely used, house phone rarely used....I could go on!

Nice to meet many people who like to save money and ignore the big companies who lie and mislead us consumers!

Bogof_Babe

Edinburghlass, I totally agree with "money makes the world go round" - in fact it's my mantra, and would have been my next signature except I won't pinch it off you .


It is after all, apart from s*x, the only thing that motivates us to actually make an effort. And by a certain age, it knocks s*x into a.. erm.. c*cked hat. (Believe me I didn't intend that sentence to go that way ).

It would be brilliant if the world could still go round with everyone making enough to live comfortably on, but with no-one in the third world having to pay the price for that.

Btw I think the term "comfortable" needs reviewing. In my vocabulary it means having food, a roof over your head, adequate clothing and a means to keep warm in cold weather. I'm afraid this word has become hackneyed to the extent that nowadays you have to be playing golf three times a week and holidaying regularly in the Tropics to consider yourself comfortable. Which is sad.

We in the western world really should step back and count our blessings now and then.

jazzyjustlaw

Miroslav wrote:

It's nice to see so many people that don't rely on having material goods as the be all and end all

I have very little money and an old PC that just about works and am in debt due to mistakes.

I have to be careful, cheap food, very few clothes which makes me not a very good catch to the ladies. No car, rent a pokey flat, old mobile phone that is rarely used, house phone rarely used....I could go on!

Nice to meet many people who like to save money and ignore the big companies who lie and mislead us consumers!

Lol why should you need nice possessions to be a good catch to the ladies!!

halloweenqueen_2

Possessions are a compromise on your freedom - read that somewhere!

I have an old battered car because its paid for!! its cheap to run and I shall be sorry to see it go, i'd be scared stiff to have several thousand pounds wrapped up in a tin box anyone could nick. Our hifi is about 6 years old and its still brilliant, it was an indulgence back in the bad old days but is used daily and still going strong (bang - lol).
I keep trying to whittle down my stuff, some on Ebay and some at boot sales and some to whoever wants or needs something! I want to be free of all this clutter we all have, cleared the garden out - what a load of **** !!!
I refuse to go shopping when we are told we should, easter, xmas, etc etc why should I??!! I don't want to go shopping for the sake of it - can't stick it - hate any kind of shopping, but will try and do it as cheap as chips! Have filled up both the freezers and just having to buy fresh stuff now so feel quite smug going into April, which is just as well cos have to splash some cash on stuff that needs doing around the house (not because we want a colour change!!). i'm getting so bad I have my daily fix on here! I don't want to spend any money and the budget is getting so finely tuned its ridiculous, a pound or two saved on groceries is swiftly kicked into a savings account!!

Miroslav

jazzyjustlaw wrote:

Lol why should you need nice possessions to be a good catch to the ladies!!

Cos my looks don't do it for me

Maybe it's just the ladies I meet, but I've met very few not seriously into the ££££'s

Now, I know there are some out there, I guess I need to move