Consumer culture has convinced us that we need the latest and greatest (insert desired item here) all day, every day.
~ Tatia Childers
But do we, really? Do you need a new phone or is your current one dying? Do you need a new car or is your current one on its last legs, with the check engine light permanently on?
Determining the difference between need and want is a skill that sadly many people do not have anymore. The culture of instant gratification, with overnight delivery from Amazon, drive-through “food”, and the “keeping up with the Joneses” attitude has done more to hurt our self-esteem, wallets, and environment than so many other things.
So how do we disengage ourselves and begin to think for ourselves, rather than relying on society to determine what we need?
IS FRUGALITY ANTI-AMERICAN?
We’ve been convinced that if we decide to be frugal, buy only what we need and reject the consumer culture that we are anti-American. Some people may say that we are holier-than-thou or that we are simply strange.
Why would we not want that brand new, shiny Mercedes or BMW for all of our friends and neighbors to see? After all, you work hard for your money and you “should” be able to show it off! You “should” letting everyone know how well you’re doing, because it’s the American way.
Here’s another way to think about it: Perhaps you are “shoulding” all over yourself AND the Earth.
THE DOWNSIDE OF KEEPING UP
The downside of “keeping up with the Joneses” is that it puts us in a cycle of never being able to be satisfied with what we have. We end-up never being able to find joy in just being comfortable. We are constantly on the lookout for next, best, biggest thing.
There is always a newest, latest or greatest. Keeping up is almost impossible! It leads to unnecessary stress, debt, and even sometimes suspicion of our friends. If we continually seek-out the thrill of a new purchase we eventually become desensitized. This is just another cog in that endless cycle of never being satisfied.
Whatever happened to use it up, wear it out, or do without? Instead of mending that hole in that shirt, it’s just tossed away (which, by the way, there is no “away”), and a new one purchased without a second thought.
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Or, Apple comes out with a new iPhone, so everyone rushes to the store so that they’re not left behind. Society tells us that it’s the non-cool kids who use their phones until they absolutely have to be replaced.
Why do we feel this need, this push, this compulsion to always have the latest and greatest?
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WE’VE BEEN SOLD A BILL OF GOODS
I’m convinced that our consumer, throw-away culture wants us to believe that if we don’t keep up then we’re less-than! Advertising tells us that we’re not cool, that we’re not worthy, and that we just won’t be happy without whatever product they’re trying to hock.
Advertisers tell us not only to be “keeping up with the Joneses,” but to BE THE JONESES!
Just look at some of the advertising slogans: “because you’re worth it”, “breakfast of champions”, “have it your way.” And if we’re not doing well enough to just be able to throw away our current item and get a new one then we’re not working hard enough, we’re not contributing to the American way, and we’re less-than.
LET’S MAKE A DEAL
There are also the deals that you get with upgrading (or, the so-called deals), when making an initial purchase. Great, you want to buy this refrigerator? Well, if you upgrade to this other one right now you’ll get an extra 10% off and it’s the one that everyone is buying right now.
Do we really, really need a refrigerator that has a television on it, that talks to us, that hooks up to our phones, and that dispenses ice and water on the door because opening the door to get a few cubes of ice is just too dang much trouble?
Do we really need to replace all of the cabinets and appliances in the kitchen just because we’re tired of looking at them? Everyone that I’ve ever seen who wanted to buy the newest, latest and greatest whatever always had problems with those items.
All of that technology might be great, but it’s also a lot more stuff that can break. A simpler model, that will last much longer, will save you money in the end and it will be one less unwanted, less-desirable item going to the landfill.
Another upside to buying basic models is that many times, if something goes wrong, you can fix it yourself! Wouldn’t you rather do that instead of having to pay through the nose for a repairman to come and do it for you?
Bonus: you’ve just gained another skill too!
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IT’S TIME TO BE MORE DISCERNING
There are times when we obviously need to upgrade. Like when your phone doesn’t hold a charge at all anymore. But, when we do, we should get the best that we can comfortably afford with what resources we have. And, we can make smart, frugal choices!
Look for longevity, not which one sparkles more. Yes, it probably won’t be nearly as impressive to your friends and family. It might sting the self-esteem a bit in the beginning. But, knowing that you’ve done the right thing for yourself and the environment will long outlast the disappointment of not fulfilling that need for immediate gratification!
In the long run you will also find that you have less and less of an urge to go out and spend your hard-earned money on the newest model. You will be satisfied with what you have and feel secure because you have more money in the bank!
ASK YOURSELF
Here are few questions to ask yourself before jumping on the bandwagon to purchase the latest and greatest:
1. Do I really need it or do I just want it?
2. What are my specific needs and which of these items fulfills those needs?
3. Is there a way to make do with what I have until I’ve used it all the way?
4. Can what I already have be repaired, eliminating the need to buy new?
5. Who am I buying this for? Is it really to fulfill an actual need or is it because I’m keeping up with the Joneses?
Once you go through these questions you might find that you really don’t need that new iPhone and that the one you have is perfectly fine. Then again, you might find that yes, the one you have is dying and does need to be replaced. In that case, I would buy the very best that I can reasonably afford. And if you can get a little upgrade for the same amount of money, then more power to you.
Physical possessions are nice and they make our lives so much more comfortable, but we need to find a balance between over-consumerism and our actual needs. There is nothing wrong with buying something that brings us true joy (or that we really need, like a toilet plunger), but we’ve lost the skill to determine the difference between “need” and “want” and it’s high time we re-learn how to do that.
So really, upgrades aren’t nearly as essential as the consumer culture would like us to believe. In fact, in 2017, $205 BILLION was spent on advertising in the United States alone! that was trying to convince us that we need their stuff to be worthy of love, friendship, fun, and any other number of things that make us human.
Well, I for one, am NOT buying it, quite literally. I really don’t need to be “keeping up with the Joneses.”
Sustainably Yours!
Tatia
Tatia Elizabeth Childers is a certified sustainability consultant, radical homemaker, unschooler, doTERRA wellness advocate, and homesteader. She is also the admin for Toward Zero Waste Haywood County, NC Facebook group. Her background in alternative and natural medicine, preparedness, self-reliance, environmental science, and domestic history are the backbone of her life of zero-waste, sustainability, non-consumerism, and environmental responsibility. She has studied environmental issues, natural medicine, preparedness, and domestic history for the better part of 30 years and it is her journey to share the knowledge of how the health of one’s environment affects human health with her community. She offers classes, workshops, presentations, and courses on a variety of subjects that is she is passionate about, as well as consultations and mentorships. She is the mother of 4, plus one bonus son. She is married to her beloved, a retired Navy veteran and on the board of a local non-profit, Women of Waynesville. She received her BA in health & wellness with an emphasis on environmental science and domestic history from Purdue Global University in 2019. She can be reached at https://smokymountainhomestead.wordpress.com/ or smokymountainhomestead@gmail.com.
