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Original poster

To think consumerism is spiralling out of control??

184 replies

Notcontent · 31/10/2018 19:43

Just thinking about this tonight, as it’s Halloween and it seems bigger than ever before, with more decorations and more people buying sweets and stuff in general. The same at Easter this year - there was so much Easter related stuff for sale. People are also buying huge quantities of what is literally disposable fashion - clothes that are only worn once and then thrown out.

How did this happen?

OP posts:
Bodicea · 31/10/2018 20:14

I reused all my kids outfits this year. Sent them out with their beach buckets. Got into an argument with dh about sons outfit as a bit was missing and the Velcro has stopped working. He thought I should just buy another one and stop being cheap. I hate the waste though. It upsets me.

Hedgehogblues · 31/10/2018 20:15

Festivals are as commercial as you want them to be. If you don't want to buy stuff don't.

Nutkins24 · 31/10/2018 20:17

Agree, all the costumes and extra crap that is bound to end up in the bin, yikes!

user764329056 · 31/10/2018 20:17

I despair at how easily influenced some people are by hughe marketing machines encouraging everyone to pursue more of everything, it’s soul destroying, the planet will give up one day

HoraceWimpIsThisYourLife · 31/10/2018 20:21

Oh see I can’t see the harm in a Christmas Eve box. I put in some pyjamas, a Christmas book, got chocolate and a candy cane. We usually make a letter from the elves ourselves.
That’s not bad is it?

newtlover · 31/10/2018 20:40

the story of stuff

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 31/10/2018 20:46

HoraceWimpIsThisYourLife I mean there’s no harm in any of this stuff at ground level. But it is just more stuff to be bought. When I was little we loved leaving out the milk and mince pie etc for Father Christmas, I didn’t have to get a book and pyjamas etc to enjoy that.

TheCraicDealer · 31/10/2018 20:46

My DSis was complaining about this, specifically regarding Christmas- she was of the view that it's much worse this year than before and I think she's right. Not even Halloween and all the shops have their Xmas stuff in, including crap quality family pjs or Christmas jumpers that are shit quality and won't fit the kids next year. All that money and waste for the sake of a few photos. And don't ever get me started on things like Christmas Eve boxes- fair enough having new jammies (not crap quality Xmas ones that go to shit after one wash) or whatever the night before, but do your kids really need a £40 personalised box to have them presented to them in? It's a pile of shite fed by social media.

I'm getting old, aren't I?

ProfessorMoody · 31/10/2018 20:47

Oh here we go. Didn't take long for the mood hoovers to appear.

People do things like Christmas Eve boxes and Halloween Costumes for babies because they like to. If you don't like to, don't do it. It's a very simple concept that seems to be very hard for some to understand.

ProfessorMoody · 31/10/2018 20:48

I've been having a Christmas Eve box with new Pjs, a book etc for 39 years. It's nothing new.

treaclesoda · 31/10/2018 20:50

I find it frustrating that if you do try to opt out a bit, people often mistake it for not being able to afford stuff and then they buy you it anyway because they think they're doing you a good turn. My in laws are terrible for this. Eg we used washable nappies because we didn't like the waste of disposables and they used to turn up with hundreds of 'proper nappies' for us to 'help us out' because 'we know money is tight'. They just couldn't understand that it wasn't due to money, it was about 'stuff'. And that has been repeated so many times over the years and we don't want to look like patronising arse holes by refusing to accept their kindness.

VenusClapTrap · 31/10/2018 20:54

The world’s gone mad, the planet’s going to hell in a handcart, and it’s all because of stuff.

^This.

Beechview · 31/10/2018 20:56

I don’t know anyone who has spent loads on Halloween this year.
We spent £2 to attend the school Halloween party, £1 on a pumpkin and £4 on sweets for trick or treaters. Kids wore costumes from last year and we ve had a lovely Halloween.

PennyMordauntsLadyBrain · 31/10/2018 21:00

It makes me grit my teeth when I see the another Christmas themed everyday items that NO ONE ACTUALLY NEEDS.

I give you

  • Christmas Eve boxes- as if the piles of plastic shite that the kids get on actual Christmas Day isn’t enough
  • Christmas Jumpers- either spend £££ on a piece of clothing you can only wear for 25 day’s a year without looking like a tit, or go cheap and buy from Primark etc and support unsustainable fast fashion
  • Christmas themed duvet covers
  • Christmas themed toilet mats
  • Matching family pyjamas
  • Christmas Tablewear and China

All this needless expenditure for stuff that is only used for a month. And the same thing is happening for Easter and Halloween.

I’m not particularly environmentally conscious, but this year I’m really having my eyes opened on the impact all this shite is having when it’s seen as so disposable.

MaisyPops · 31/10/2018 21:01

It's what you make it.
I'm concerned at the amount of throwaway tat for things like this so don't get involved in it.
Christmas eve boxes aren't something I've done. I've always had nice new pyjamas on Christmas morning buy might bring it forward this year.

Frouby · 31/10/2018 21:01

I have to replace my 4 year old (just) cooker because it needs 2 really simple parts that are no longer manufactured. It's bloody sickening.

Not just the cost, but the fact that it's going to be scrapped. Most of it will probably be recycled but the fault is pretty minor. And could be repaired with 2 simple, cheap parts. Probably £30 worth. If I could find them.

It disgusts me.

We are trying to be as environmentally friendly as we can, we walk lots of places, recycle, trying to drastically reduce single use plastics, we grow our own fruit and veg, keep our own chickens etc etc etc.

Yet we have to scrap a cooker for the sake of £30 of parts?

Caprisunorange · 31/10/2018 21:04

I have never seen a Christmas Eve box that has plastic anything. It’s pretty much universally PJs, hot chocolate, food treat and book or DVD. It’s not random gifts

PennyMordauntsLadyBrain · 31/10/2018 21:07

I have never seen a Christmas Eve box that has plastic anything. It’s pretty much universally PJs, hot chocolate, food treat and book or DVD. It’s not random gifts

It’s not about what’s in the boxes, it’s the idea that what’s received on Christmas Day isn’t enough anymore.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 31/10/2018 21:07

The other side of this debate though is the demise of the high street, news reports about towns where there are loads of vacant shops- what will happen if there’s no one buying stuff? Towns will die out. In Birmingham city centre a few weeks ago they’re building another massive mall/restaurant/ apartment complex (opposite the massive shopping mall slash station, and the bullring, and the high street). We are being actively encouraged to buy things constantly. People can’t afford to spend lots, so cheap stuff floods the market. Where will it end?

We’re trying to reduce our plastic waste as a bit of a family project, and honestly it is eye opening when you look at the sheer amount of plastic rubbish just constantly pedalled to our kids.

ProfessorMoody · 31/10/2018 21:15

It's nothing to do with what's received on Christmas day though, they are two separate things.

PennyMordauntsLadyBrain · 31/10/2018 21:19

It’s a Christmas Eve box- of course it’s related! Without the gift giving tradition on Christmas Day, Christmas Eve boxes would never have existed in the first place.

TheCraicDealer · 31/10/2018 21:20

But how much of this stuff is being bought on the high street? I'd say most of the tat is purchased from supermarkets, retailers like Matalan who typically use out of town locations, Amazon, Etsy/Not On The High Street (but to be fair those are mostly small businesses I'm happy to support), EBay and the like. They all do it cheaper than the high street. If anything the availability of cheap "stuff" online/out of town just makes us less likely to go into our town centres and spend a few quid more on parking and the products themselves. We just buy yet more shite with the money saved.

ProfessorMoody · 31/10/2018 21:23

It's a Christmas book and a pair of pjs and perhaps some reindeer food and a mug of hot choc, certainly not a Christmas day gift Hmm

Again, if you don't like it, don't do it. I've had one for almost 40 years and it's very special to me. I certainly won't stop doing it for my own child because some people don't like them.

Babykoala1 · 31/10/2018 21:23

treaclesoda I agree. We were "gifted" a couple of halloween costumes for the baby and toddler by the in-laws. They are still in the packaging because they hate getting dressed at the best of times, especially into a one-size-fits-all itchy halloween costume

CartwheelCath · 31/10/2018 21:25

I'm with you ok.
I'm more against Halloween these days than I have ever been.
To me it's just become another Asda Festival.
Whole fucking aisles of plastic shitty tat.

I find with Christmas we have really cut back on gifts. Not because we are skint or tight but again it's so forced from August onwards. For me now Christmas is about filling up my social calender and finding time to see the people I intend yo see all year but our busy lives make it difficult.

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