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?

Christmas is on the verge of being totally spoilt by consumerism. Too much stuff in the shops way too early.
Yes I know we all work and can't possibly start without at least 8 weeks run in. But the easier it becomes too buy stuff the more it seems we need too. It's horrendous.
I'm off to Spain for Christmas. Decent food, Christmassy atmosphere and nothing like the miserable, stressed Brits relentlessly buying in packed shops.

KC225, I agree that there's a degree of classism in this thread. Like you say, foreign holidays have a much more significant environmental impact than buying some plastic Halloween stuff, but you don't see loads of posts about how people just had seaside holidays in Blackpool in the early 70s and were damn grateful for it. I suspect it would help the environment if we all started seeing foreign holidays as a luxury that you only indulge in once every five years or so.

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 don't think there's anything wrong with it - I just don't think there should be societal pressure to do it, if you see what I mean? (Probably not explaining myself very well!) Lots of families with new babies are strapped for cash as it is.

I'm off to Spain for Christmas

Oh the irony.

Goes to Spain for two months every year over winter as it's much warmer and saves her heating bill

Maybe we should all do the same and migrate to warmer climes

Yep I'm with you. Posted myself about baby showers/gender reveals the other day. All this sort of stuff drives me nuts!

"" 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""

Well Mars have been caught up in the scandal of using unpaid and traficked child labour.

They also use/d illegal Cocoa Beans. Where the land was used illegally for growing Cocoa it cut the Elephant population down from hundreds of thousands to around three hundred. It also obviously effected the Chimp and other animal population.

It puts genuine Cocoa Bean Farmers into further poverty.

That was in 2017 it was proved, so your chocolate this year is 'dirty' chocolate (as called in the trade and by environmental groups.

It has caused massive loss to the rainforest.

So cut the holier than thou attitude of giving/eating chocolate, rather than stuff.

The same can be said about the Coffee that most people drink.

Do you know the damage that your choices are causing?

JFC 🙄

Birds this thread is not about being holier than thou and it isn't about being a complete eco warrior. Its about mass consumerism and the fact that its spiralling out of control.

The use of a fabric advent calendar with treats inside which can then be used year after year is exactly the sort of thing that can make a difference whilst not creating a situation where children in particular feel left out in any way.

So DFOD