To think consumerism is spiralling out of control??

[Notcontent]

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?

And how many parent refuse to buy a second hand pumpkin outfit that has been worn by a toddler for 2 hours??

We are a re-use family and it is nice to know things are getting their full use. For example my dsis has 3 girls who have worn hand me from each other. Some of the baby outfits have been worn once or twice and are in perfect condition. They have now gone to my DD and now a colleagues DD.

There is nothing wrong with buying a few Halloween bits each year to build up a box of decorations. But if things are being bought and thrown out each year then yes, it is very wasteful.

thesunflower so true. I am trying hard not to fall into that trap with my family and my lifestyle but it is hard.

I think the culture has changed quite rapidly. I always sent my older kids to events in homemade, bodged together from charity shop stuff costumes; collecting and adapting stuff was half the fun. DS is 7 years younger and it was a big shock that all the other kids in his class had perfect, bought costumes.

Don't even get me started on people who have to change their Christmas theme each year (E.g last year was modern purples and solvers but this year it's creams and rustic reds).

Yay. Me and my rescued-from-a-house-clearance-10-years-or-more-ago baubles will be ‘in’ again

I hate the tat. I’ve become more and more aware of it over the years, and I can’t stand it.

And yes - costumes. We were asked to supply costumes for the nativity last year, and the school was very clear that just wearing one of dad’s old shirts would be great. I cobbled together an outfit that looked pretty decent - everyone else turned up with full on nylon costumes (some bespoke made). Ffs.

I was in Asda today and they had a huge selection of Children in Need Pudsy pyjamas, onesies, tops, leggings, fleecy hats, cuddly toys, socks, slippers, purses, hair ties, etc etc etc. Very good cause obviously but how much use will most of the things actually get?

I'm sure all this themed stuff never used to be available so there was no expectation of wearing it to show off your support for the charity - a little pin badge or maybe some Pudsy ears was enough. Why not donate without buying a ton of crap?

I disagree, I went to Halloween event last night with my partner and my family but we either all reused costumes from previous years or cobbled together a costume out of clothes we already own. Our Halloween decorations are about ten years old and come down from the loft every year.

motherofjiggly
When I was in school we did a non uniform day for children in need and maybe a cake sale.

I don't get the themed items that will get binned each year. Do people only donate if they think they are 'getting something' for their money or is it the need to be seen to have donated?

I think it’s a bit of both Maisy.

I think some people are more likely to donate if they get something back, even if it’s a novelty t-shirt they’ll only wear once.

And I think some people like that wearing the themed stuff is effectively signposting the fact that they’ve donated. You don’t get that proof of donation if you just draw some dots on an old t-shirt with a felt tip and donate £x anonymously.

We have always opted out of the school christmas jumper thing. We still make the charity donation but I sew a bit of tinsel onto their school jumpers. Christmas jumpers are such a waste of money and by the following year they don't fit. Luckily mine are now senior school age and so less likely to want one anyway.

We are going to attempt No Spend 19. It is a bit of a cheat since we've already booked and paid for our holiday for next year but the aim is that we don't buy any "stuff". I'm not sure whether we will manage it, certainly there will be essentials required like new school shoes and uniform as the DC grow, but things like toys, books, comics, magazines, gadgets, computer games, make up and beauty stuff, adult clothing and accessories, random household decorative items are all in the no spend category. I'm hoping we can manage it at least for six months since we're not massive spenders anyway.

DS1 (13) has declared there is no way he'll be able to manage with no spend 19. Might have to limit the period so that we don't all give up before we've started.

My older ones do the Christmas jumpers thing with normal fairisle or scandi type jumpers that they wear all winter. Youngest DS has a lovely handknit from his grandma that has stretched in the wash and lasted three years so far. Although I overheard one of his mates moaning to his very busy mum, "Why can't you make me have a hand knitted jumper like Little Tink?" That'll make me popular

We went away in the UK for half-term to a popular tourist destination. As ever, the picturesque little towns consisted of one convenience store and loads of shops selling gift tat. It's all absolute rubbish, generic plastic nick-knacks that are totally unrelated to the location - a fishing frog ornament, a mug with a cheeky joke, money boxes, candles - who buys this stuff? It's not anything you'd buy to remind you of a happy time spent there, and it's a non-present if you're unfortunate enough to be given it. It's just landfill, made cheaply in China to be a token thing to take home with you and passed on to someone else to prove you've thought of them...
But people MUST be buying it, otherwise there wouldn't be so many shops selling it

I just learned from another thread that "push presents" (jewellery that a man buys his partner after she gives birth) are now officially a thing. I know, I know, this sort of thing is an inevitable side effect of capitalism. But it's sad that society has become so materialistic

To be fair I got that but it was a Christmas present (5 weeks after giving birth). Not an extra present, just an expensive one to say thanks for going through 9 months of pregnancy.

I hate plastic tat and waste. I have really tried to train people not to buy me rubbish for birthdays or Christmas. If you don't know what to get me either don't bother or I will be very happy with a bottle of wine or box of chocolates. Might be considered boring but I can make use of it. Please don't get some overpackaged gift pack from Boots. When my son was younger I used to get books from the Book People in lieu of party bags.

However, I did buy myself an expensive beauty advent calendar. Excuse=stock pile of nice toiletries in case Brexit makes them more difficult to get (sorry to bring the B word into it but it was part of my thinking on this occasion). We also have a cloth calendar with pockets that we've had for years and we bring it out each year and put chocolates in it.

I think one massive culture shift that has shocked me, as a change from when I was young, is the trend to buy cheap disposable costumes rather than make them

Probably because a lot more mums work and don't have time to lovingly sew a costume.

And even if I were a SAHM mum I'd still buy because I can't make things. It's actually good my ds has his dad, as he is much more arty than I am.

yes its awful. Im glad these days im not part of it.

Christmas and Halloween etc are over the top and all the celebrations start to early. They already have Xmas jumpers on at the supermarkets too early by far. Makes me feel ill seeing it all. The amount of chocolates too around for Christmas no wonder we have a problem with obesity.

oh yes the Christmas eve boxes more pressure on parents to spend who invented that.

Most children have toys all year round now so Xmas isnt even special.

Motherof : I noticed the Pudsey stuff in Asda too.

Made my heart sink.

@Bluntness100 I think OP is referring to Halloween Costumes...?!

Here we go, the sneering at the masses who enjoy a few sweets, decorations and the old polyester mask/decorations.

I actually laughed at the poster who presented her 50s Christmas with a log fire, walks and vintage nativity with recycled nostalgia. She even claimed to help the less fortunate. Can I presume her 'less fortunate' are not allowed to buy Christmas jumpers from Asda or tuck into plastic tubs of haribo.

How many of the sneery posters are two, three car families, enjoy foreign holidays two three times a year or far flung hen weeks. And spa weekends, so good for the enviroment. What about their kids causing more poverty with voluntourism? All okay because they are 'naice' things for 'naice' people.

But go on make yourselves feel better snorting at some kids with a few plastic buckets.

I don't think the OP is hvi g a go at any one set of people

But generally the mass production of useless throw away items.

The MD happy meal tat, the party bag tat, the Christmas jumpers that become too small to reward that schools buy into ......

We can all make changes to drop the mass tat

Agree with these sentiments

Didn't buy anything for Halloween excep sweets. Kids swapped outfits (boy went as a cat)

Refuse to do elf on shelf garbage Xmas boxes or excessive decorations.

Last Xmas hardly any presents and instead a surprise holiday. This Xmas bought the 3 of them a day at a theme park inc pants for 30th Dec and stay at hotel with a pool that night. For 5 of us cost £175. Sure they will remember this more than junk in their rooms.

Going to continue with this.

I'm far from perfect. I'm trying to make small steps. I explained to my DD the plastic waste in LOL dolls, and how it all ends in landfill. She changed her mind on asking for one for Christmas in a blink of an eye. We went online and looked at alternatives. It wasn't very hard.

I need to take bigger steps though, as do we all.

I have a fabric advent Calendar which we have been using for 15 years I put minstrels in the pockets for the kids (and me) as they don't melt and go sticky