Another year, and I again have an enormous bounty of things to be thankful for. Okay, enough with that, now it’s time to buy stuff! To get in the proper mood, you should watch this video first…
The Good Consumer
Posted on November 28, 2008 // 21 Comments
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Wow…that was creepy…
But I liked it!
It sure is quiet around here – I think everyone is shopping with the rest of my family. 🙂
I really liked that too. I MUST CONSUME SOMETHING NOW!
Straight from 1984!
So, I’m not comfortable with rabid consumerism, but I’m always curious of what, on a high level, what an healthy economy would look like that wasn’t so heavily dependent on consumer spending?
Great video…consumerism is an ugly thing. How about that Walmart worker who was trampled to death after unlocking the doors to the store in NYC? What a tragedy…all brought about because of excessive consumerism.
I happened to drive past a couple of malls today (while visiting family). I was amazed to see them packed. Who even shops at malls still? Don’t people realize that you can get better prices, usually with free shipping (and most of the time avoiding sales tax) while shopping from the comforts of your bedroom while in your underwear? Mall shopping will be obsolete in 10 years.
To: Baughman
I agree about electronics, but cloths it a tricky thing. It is really hard for me to buy a pair of jeans that I like. I cannot imagine buying cloths or shoes online.
I always try to buy local, it really helps the local economy. I do most my research online though.Buying oline only hurts the mom and pop stores. It costs a lot of money to operate a place of business and supplies jobs so people can buy at your place of business and keep you working. Just a though…
The video went on way too long. Pompous art school crap.
Future malls will consist solely of shoe stores and clothes stores…mark my words.
Although, there will be some more online sales, I think largely the malls will remain the same.
The web just cannot provide that impulse buying sentiment that the retailers are looking for.
Don’t kid yourselves.
Wow. It speaks my mind
@Chris: I agree, it is both pompous and one-sided. The other side is the NEED for stuff.
Yes, there’s a lot of stupid loyalty to brands and purchasing things to show off to others, but buying food and clothes is necessary regardless of the brand. Also, with regard to repairing a laptop…after 3 years it a technological dinosaur and will end up in the closet if it doesn’t break. I’ve never understood why anyone would ever put a huge low-end brand name on their clothes (such as Old Navy) though.
In the end we’ve bought a lot of things this year because the weakening economy has brought out deals. Off to the store now…
@John: I am writing from my so-so desktop that I bought in 2001 (read 1.5 years old technology at the time). It runs perfectly well and only had to replace a HD that died. I expect that it will run for at least another 2-3 years without a hitch. I do not own a laptop for the reason you mentioned. I use the work laptop though.
For many brand loyalty comes from experience, for whatever quality you are looking for (i.e. craftsmanship, price, assortment, compatibility, etc).
oh, c’mon, so consumerism is the devil now? What happened to the society that actually eliminated consumerism and mercantalism – I mean the socialist republic of russia?
Anti-consumerism, imho, is as idiotic as consumerism itself. It only promotes antagonism but offers no solution.
This the most stupidest video and am diappointed to see this on mymoneyblog.com. What about the savings? I am not questioning byuing what is needed. Buy brands, stay on top of fashion etc…. and then what go go bankrupt? Consumer driven economy is going to kill the future for current gratification. Old school of Savings and prudent consumption is old fashioned but works. Exceptional growth in the past 3 to 4 decades helped sustain the consumerism of past two decades and changed mindset of entire generation. But will not sustain further. See the consequences explained in a simple and no nonsense manner by none other than Oracle of Omaha.
http://www.berkshirehathaway.com/letters/growing.pdf
We all consume to some level. I’m still buying Christmas gifts for family and friends, and also stocking up on cheap boxer shorts. 🙂 But I do think consuming based on credit and borrowing is not sustainable.
In any case, this video was originally posted to be tongue-in-cheek, as that is how I saw the video. I never took it completely seriously.
However, in light of this poor dude being trampled by crazed shoppers, it’s a lot less funny. Especially because I, too, have been a temp worker during the holidays.
Maybe the problem is not the evil consumer culture, but this unreasonable “black friday” thing. I mean, seriously, there are just so many things wrong about this phenomenon (and that doesn’t include the trampling of temp workers at wal-mart):
1- some retailers counting on up to 40% of their annual sales in one day?!! No wonder many of them will fail when holidays are over.
2- imagine the return and exchange lines in each retailers after the holidays – how much goods are wasted?!! how to do retailers reconcile the losses here, in a seperate book or they actually write down these anticipated losses already?
3- do you really think that you can find the best gifts for your friends and family during these weeks and still spend the least amount of money possible?
4- do you seriously think this is the most efficient way of shopping, with these many people in the store?!
5- at last, giving presents and gfits are good geastures and can be meaningful. However, x-mas gift giving is becoming just like mandatory tip giving culture that took the entire meaning of the original gift giving away. That is the most disturbing thing of all.