I help people declutter and I find that most people are out of touch with the things they have. They have furniture, clothing, kitchenware, all untouched and waiting for use that never comes.
I'm not a Marie Kondo-style organizer but I do ask people about why they bought things and what it does for them. There are a lot of answers, most of them speak to impulse rather than intention.
Good read. Thanks. Reading and writing are good for the soul. Good for the environment too. Chasing the American dream is exhausting, leaving little time to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Like having the time to read and reply to your post.
Love this. Also, buying things you do not need lowers quality of life for most folks because you have to work harder to fund all the crapola. Before I buy things I do a mental exercise: How many hours of my worst days at work would it take to earn the money for this? Very few things are worth that, haha.
Great read! I applaud your decisions to live the way you do, and I have emotional pain to deal with when I buy into the hype of having what the Joneses do. As I age I’m realizing this and striving to do my own thing. Like you.
This made me think. I don't know anyone for sure that fakes wealth. A family member (or 2) definitely had a shopping problem, but didn't really buy to impress others. I don't think?? Maybe she did. She wound up with an endless mortgage from refinancing so often and filed bankruptcy. The other person in my family went bankrupt too.
Michelle, what do you think about those poor people featured on the Hoarders show? They actually have mental illnesses which cause excessive shopping and collecting. I'm so thrifty and minimalist-minded, that sounds like hell to me.
I "shop" at auction sites where "death cleaning" means rugs, furniture, lighting, kitchen and dishware are a fraction of the cost. My husband once drove 6 hours round-trip for the most amazingly comfortable leather recliner. But he did say 100 mile limit after that one.
I'm horrified by the proliferation of storage facilities across the US. It's so disturbing to me that people are essentially paying an additional rent for stuff they can't fit into their homes. I can see that there might be times when it's necessary to use this kind of space but they seem far fewer in number than the number of storage units being used as additional basements or garages indefinitely. It just feels obscene to me.
Hear, hear! I agree 100%. And I’ll add that living well under your means, if possible (and I know from personal experience that some means are too low to live under) gives the true pleasure of an occasional indulgence. If you rarely buy anything other than groceries, the occasional used book or special plant for the garden feels amazing.
Another great one, Michelle! Thank you for churning these out so much lately!
"Maybe it’s because we (thankfully) don’t have an aristocracy or caste system so we dreamed up the idea of signalling status via spending money instead."
I hate to say this, but I think the capitalist class, along with celebrity culture, constitutes our equivalent of an aristocracy. They most often inherit their wealth and the wealthiest among them literally control the government. And then we have the celebrities...
"Americans are drowning in debt, not for survival but for show." Yes, indeed! About 85% of my acquaintances prove this. Thanks for another great piece of truth.
I SO appreciate that you write pieces detailing the kind of life I can relate to because it's the kind of life I live! I really nodded along with this one. The majority of "peers" that I interact with, whether in my neighborhood or in interest groups or at places where I teach -- do not live like I do. It can be hard to find common ground for conversation beyond the very superficial, and sometimes I get tired of being judged and found wanting. I feel very much at home with your writing. Thank you!
I help people declutter and I find that most people are out of touch with the things they have. They have furniture, clothing, kitchenware, all untouched and waiting for use that never comes.
I'm not a Marie Kondo-style organizer but I do ask people about why they bought things and what it does for them. There are a lot of answers, most of them speak to impulse rather than intention.
You might want to take the advice The Temptations sang in this still relevant song from the late 1960s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kECo-16gyME
I hadn’t heard that song before! Thanks!
Norman Whitfield was doing wonders with them, then.
Just finished Trailer Park Rules. It’s a terrific book.
Thank you so much for reading it!
Good read. Thanks. Reading and writing are good for the soul. Good for the environment too. Chasing the American dream is exhausting, leaving little time to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Like having the time to read and reply to your post.
Love this. Also, buying things you do not need lowers quality of life for most folks because you have to work harder to fund all the crapola. Before I buy things I do a mental exercise: How many hours of my worst days at work would it take to earn the money for this? Very few things are worth that, haha.
I always run the math through my head before I buy :)
Great read! I applaud your decisions to live the way you do, and I have emotional pain to deal with when I buy into the hype of having what the Joneses do. As I age I’m realizing this and striving to do my own thing. Like you.
As I recall this from a Mad Magazine mid 60s edition.
(Done to the tune of There's No Business Like Show Business)
We're really lovin' our brand new oven
There's nothing that thrills us more
It's real expensive with chrome on the door
It's so extensive it takes up a floor
Cakes we're not baking, no meals it's making
That's not what we bought it for
We can't deny it, we had to buy it
To outdo the folks next door
This made me think. I don't know anyone for sure that fakes wealth. A family member (or 2) definitely had a shopping problem, but didn't really buy to impress others. I don't think?? Maybe she did. She wound up with an endless mortgage from refinancing so often and filed bankruptcy. The other person in my family went bankrupt too.
Michelle, what do you think about those poor people featured on the Hoarders show? They actually have mental illnesses which cause excessive shopping and collecting. I'm so thrifty and minimalist-minded, that sounds like hell to me.
I’ve never seen it — don’t have cable. I think hoarding is distinct from purchasing items to impress people, though.
I "shop" at auction sites where "death cleaning" means rugs, furniture, lighting, kitchen and dishware are a fraction of the cost. My husband once drove 6 hours round-trip for the most amazingly comfortable leather recliner. But he did say 100 mile limit after that one.
Someone is going to get some deals when I kick off!
Love the analogy!
I'm horrified by the proliferation of storage facilities across the US. It's so disturbing to me that people are essentially paying an additional rent for stuff they can't fit into their homes. I can see that there might be times when it's necessary to use this kind of space but they seem far fewer in number than the number of storage units being used as additional basements or garages indefinitely. It just feels obscene to me.
Hear, hear! I agree 100%. And I’ll add that living well under your means, if possible (and I know from personal experience that some means are too low to live under) gives the true pleasure of an occasional indulgence. If you rarely buy anything other than groceries, the occasional used book or special plant for the garden feels amazing.
Another great one, Michelle! Thank you for churning these out so much lately!
"Maybe it’s because we (thankfully) don’t have an aristocracy or caste system so we dreamed up the idea of signalling status via spending money instead."
I hate to say this, but I think the capitalist class, along with celebrity culture, constitutes our equivalent of an aristocracy. They most often inherit their wealth and the wealthiest among them literally control the government. And then we have the celebrities...
"Americans are drowning in debt, not for survival but for show." Yes, indeed! About 85% of my acquaintances prove this. Thanks for another great piece of truth.
I SO appreciate that you write pieces detailing the kind of life I can relate to because it's the kind of life I live! I really nodded along with this one. The majority of "peers" that I interact with, whether in my neighborhood or in interest groups or at places where I teach -- do not live like I do. It can be hard to find common ground for conversation beyond the very superficial, and sometimes I get tired of being judged and found wanting. I feel very much at home with your writing. Thank you!