How do you stop yourself wanting all the things?

An idea for this is imagine all that stuff cluttering your house. Not nicely placed on the shop shelves, that are placed there in a certain way to make it look lovely. Imagine you picking up more mugs or decorations or stuff you already have/ don't need.
It really works for me to prevent me to get new things. I visualise my kitchen, my sitting room, the bedrooms and how good is too keep it uncluttered. It is saving me tons of money for the past few years and it definitely lowers my level of stress (triggered by seing stuff around) It really works:)

I just try and avoid looking.

I do "allow myself" to buy a couple of new Christmas tree decorations each year, but that's it.

I try and remember back to my christmases as a child. The same stuff came out year after year, and it was lovely to see all the familiar and much-loved things come out of the bags and boxes. We just didn't need all the new stuff each year. We never had Christmas pjs, christmas eve boxes, or new outfits specifically for christmas.

yes you are right

We’ve just watched BUY NOW! on Netflix. Everyone on this thread who loves Christmas tat or buying stuff for the sake of it should watch it.

Can I just add that you shouldn't feel bad for wanting the stuff, you're only human!

I find a reasonable budget for discretionary stuff very useful. So you don't have to deny yourself forever like a monk...but it's easy to say no to just tons of impulse buys if you know it will leave you short on things you REALLY want.

This
I dont want it
Can't bear having tons of tat.

It's such a gimmick and detracts from the spirit of Christmas. Yes, for those religious amongst us it's a religious festival but for many others it's a chance to be thankful for family and friends and the spirit of giving and receiving not just gifts but warmth and affection. If you have enough money for tacky gimmicks, try sending it to a charity for the homeless so other people can enjoy the spirit of Christmas and leave the tacky cr*p on the shelf where it belongs.

OP, did you grow up deprived of these things?

I struggle to see why anyone would want to buy all the seasonal tat they see (and even wish to be wealthy to be able to afford it) unless they were hoping to fill some kind of emotional hole.

Thinking of the conditions workers endure making these things puts me right off buying them.

The things sound like tat, so I wouldn't want them. I'd rather have good quality things that will last, and things with memories attached.

what you could do is sell previous years stuff on Vinted. You’ll lose a bit a money but you’ll make some to buy new.

The thing is, wealthy people don't buy all the things. They know it's just tat.

I would t describe this as unreasonable at all just wishful. Just because You know you can’t/shouldnt doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be lovely!

I used to feel this way but having been through divorce and had a lot of my personal items, even clothes which he couldn't possibly wear, taken by the ex I now feel that anything I don't actually need is rather pointless. Yes, I do get times when I look at a Christmas item and think that I would like it and very occasionally I will buy, but only if I know it will come out every Christmas for ever after.

I found my desire to buy things decreased when I stopped walking past the shops on the way to work. Is it possible to reduce how much you enter shops etc? Then you wouldn't even know this stuff was there for you to pick up!

How do you stop yourself? Well I do it by realising that every bit of tatt has been created by pumping co2 and likely more poisonous air pollution too, and when it reaches the end of its life it'll just be dumped somewhere. Why would you want to contribute to any of that unnecessarily?

I don't buy any of those things and never have. It's nothing to do with money, I just don't like that sort of stuff and it makes me angry that so much of it will end up in landfill at some stage. Xmas pjs and mugs make me shudder.

I despair at the amount of "stuff" people seem to think is necessary these days.

Just ignore it all. At the age of 60 I have more than enough stuff in my house. I'm trying to declutter meaningless stuff so my kids don't have a big job on their hands in the future. I've put a ban on any more mugs, glaases etc coming into the house. It's a waste of money & just adds to landfill

I seem to have a built in tat filter - it just doesn’t exist for me in my head so never get bought. When DS was still growing he got a new pair of PJs on Christmas Eve every year, But they were normal (nice PJs) not Christmassy ones, so they’d be worn all year round. He finished growing last year so did get some Christmas pyjamas that year, but they will fit him for years and years so he can just wear them every Christmas.

I love getting out the same Christmas decorations every year so don’t buy any new ones, we don’t have stuff like Christmas mugs etc. I like a Christmassy scented candle so buy a couple every year but that’s all.

my partner (who I don’t live with) in the other hand is an absolute tat-monger. She will buy all manner of B&M/Temu shite. Tried to make her watch the Netflix documentary about it but I think if you’re that way inclined it’s really hard to change your mind.

Nope, I never want to buy stuff like that - just a waste of money.

I should have said, my concern for the state of the planet is my primary concern. There is so much waste and unnecessary plastic.

I find the Christmas consumerism sickening. Don't get me started on Black Friday! A ridiculous American import. I vowed to avoid all shops in November except essential groceries as I hate the Christmas stuff being rammed down our throats for nearly a quarter of the year. It's been lovely avoiding all the tat and premature festive music. I've enjoyed autumn more, being able to separate it from the Christmas onslaught. From 1 Dec I will embrace the Christmas season without going mad in the shops. I'm happier for it.

I've grown into this! I used to find it hilarious that my mother (born in the 30's) used to use her old knickers as floor cloths. Part of the humour being that they were "substantial" enough. Now I have a bag under the sink with my son's old pants in. Ideal for the floor, outside paint work etc 🤣He's only 15 and growing at a rate of knots so the supply is steady.

I don't think your friend believes treating herself will cure her being skint.
I don't understand what you mean by "It’s only £30 that won’t make a difference!". Do you mean £30 won't make a difference to how down she feels, or that £30 won't make a difference to her finances?

Either way, when our budget is constrained, if treating yourself isn't going to mean going w/o food, heating, ability to get to work, then it can help to make you feel a bit brighter. Just buying something small for yourself while you shop for the essentials can boost your mood and feelings of self worth. What do you find baffling about that?

Is their mum OK with that? Just wondering, as it's still waste if mum gets rid of it. I've seen a few threads on here with mums upset with grans buying kids charity shop goods.