Aibu to think everything is such a waste?

[AlpineButterfly]

I went into a home type shop this morning. There were fluffy blankets, ugly mirrors, elephant pictures,.dancing Santa's, colourful rugs, word signs. So much stuff. So much tat.

I'm right now babysitting a friend's boy. The telly is on. My god, the rubbish. Adverts, trashy tv. What a waste of time.

How much of life is a waste of time and materials? I'm right now on MN, also a.waste of time.

I wouldn't even know what to do to stop the waste of time and materials. We do buy mostly second hand but... I don't know. I'm not even able to articulate myself properly right that second

I agree with you op. I quit Facebook last year and I recon I've saved days of my life.

Mind you I'm someone who detests adverts, at home we can turn over which isn't so bad but on a cinema screen it feels like brainwashing. Horrible horrible horrible.

Totally agree with most of it, especially the wastefulness of "stuff".

Was in the supermarket yesterday and they have huge displays if all manner of tat and stuff to buy for Christmas. Most of it not made from recycled or sustainable materials, lots of it in plastic packaging, lots of it fairly pointless, none of it essential.

It can get overwhelming and we are killing our planet with the desire to constantly accumulate more stuff. We definitely ask for vouchers and "experience" gifts for the kids rather than more stuff but not everyone is on board with that.

I also agree that being productive give you more purpose than watching box sets or scrolling through pointless Instagram feeds. But you can do both - knit, crochet, cross stitch or iron while the telly is on.

Small thing, but we have a no advert policy in our house and it's great. If we want to watch a programme from a channel with adverts it's recorded and we fast forward through the dreaded adverts.
I also dont do Facebook, instagram, twitter or watch the news. In fact, I DID catch the 6 o'clock news the other week and they were talking about the exact same things they'd talked about when I last saw it approx 6 months previously!

I'm with you OP, but please leave biscuits out of this

I agree OP.

I went to Ikea last week for the first time ever. Acres of cheap, plastic tat. Fucking acres of it. Useless gadgets and gizmos, cheap plastic furniture, plastic cups, plastic rugs. A huge floor rug for £19! A lamp for £6. Cushion covers for £1.75.

It just epitomizes the throwaway society. I remember my nan had the same cushion covers she had had since my mam was little. I have had 3 lots in 4 years. Bloody shamefull really.

Chopped a swede up yesterday. Wrappes in plastic. Carrots in a plastic bag. Onions the same. All DS toys are plastic.

It's absolutely shameful.

@Billydessert We're similar, I like to read the news but I never have it playing on the tv. It's not fair to my children to witness some of the awful imagery on there. If I think they should know about the news items that day we use Newsround, for children.

I don't generally watch adverts, my other half does though. Thankfully he's now realising that most of tv is drivel now, too.

Your post really resonates with me @RoseMartha, I need to make a greater effort to put the phone down and keep usage to a minimum throughout the day when I'm home with my daughter.

I too would like to get to a point where I only use it for essential contact and when I have a little time to myself.

You know it's a crisis when your iPhone tells you how many hours a week you use it and asks if you'd like to set limits and restrictions on time and apps!

I feel this so much and I’m trying to change. Already cut down a lot on plastics, don’t buy when I can. We’re destroying the planet for nothing, it worries me a lot.

We’re TTC and I’m already worried about the amount of plastic tat that seems to come with babies and children, and wondering how much of it I can avoid. Thinking about cloth nappies for a start. I’ve started looking around for baby stuff, travel systems, cots etc second hand - can anyone tell me, is there anything that’s really worth buying new or that I need to or is second hand for all ok?

Off the back of this post I've just deactivated my Facebook, disabled my Instagram and I will instigate a TV free time between my son's naps (9ish to 12:30ish) where I'll listen to podcasts instead! I'm the type that has the TV on alllll day for company.

Hope I can keep it up.

When my phone breaks I will be replacing it with a basic one. I spend far too much time on it.

The man that fitted it said his wife has a new kitchen fitted every two years

We've just had the kitchen which was around 30 years old replaced. Probably going to take me another 30 years to get over the pain Apart from the sheer crazy waste of getting it done every two years how does she cope with the nightmare?!

Yanbu. We could all consume a lot less, (I include myself in that). And it’s scandalous that we throw away so much food when there are so many starving people. Especially food which takes a lot to produce, like meat and dairy.

Yanbu, because we've reached a ridiculous level of over consumption... but at the same time, it is perfectly ok to have things and enjoy things that you just find beautiful or fun as well as things that are functional. I'm a second hand shop addict and don't often replace things unless they need replacing, but I do have things just because I want them rather than need them.

Exactly most. It’s fine to have some things around just for pleasure, but I think reducing consumption should be the overall goal.

It’s easy to reduce. Not completely eliminate all unnecessary stuff.

Yup. I had this yesterday packing away baby clothes that have hardly been worn

I totally agree OP . I tidied up yesterday (one room) and threw away 8 bin bags of stuff. Disgusting.

Agree with you OP, have thought this for some time. It becomes even more noticeable at this time of year with the Halloween tat followed immediately by the Christmas tat. Sad really that so many people feel they must 'keep up' by buying all this rubbish that will soon be in the bin.

Having been in Spain and Portugal fairly regularly over Hallowe'en it's quite interesting to note there's virtually no push to sell orange plastic tat there. The only place I've ever even seen a reference to it was in an upmarket hotel which decorated the reception area. Even Christmas tat is sold in a very low key way as opposed to here. Supermarkets aren't trying to sell mountains of throwaway novelties either.

The tourist tat available obviously partially compensates but that's aimed at us rather than those who live there. We have been conditioned into being marketing's patsies.

Forgot to say thanks for the link to the article by George Monbiot - interesting reading.

Someone on another thread said they are doing no spend 19 (no spending in 2019). Sounds really interesting as an experiment on consumerism and spending habits. Considering doing the same myself.

I totally agree. My kids have a shed load of abandoned plastic tat from Christmases gone by. My Mil is hugely environmentally aware but still buys them cheap B & M crap that breaks after a week so can't even be given to the charity shop! She's been told by us and bil that it is crap but still gets it I am trying to do 10 minutes tidying a day but quickly checked Instagram and wasted at least 20 minutes on it yet I say I haven't got time to do exercise! After reading this thread, I logged out of Instagram and mums net, so I have that extra step off logging back in if I want to browse. I'm going to pick my crochet up again too. DH is attached to Facebook and twitter all evening. I try to restrict the kids but it's hard when he let's them go on their kindles just because he sits there wasting time all evening on the Internet.

Buffalo cauliflower,the only thing I wouldn't reuse us a cot mattress everything else is fine and if looked after can be used again.

Perhaps some of you might like to join me on No Spend 19?

I'm not sure we will make it through the year (particularly with a teenager and a 12 year old) but we are going to try.

All non essential spending on "stuff" is going to be cut out. So we will still buy food and essential toiletries and children's clothes (for older child). But apart from that we simply don't need it. I don't need a new dress to attend a party. My feet haven't grown in the past 30 years and so I certainly don't need shoes. I will use up the make up I have (which since I have stuff hanging around dating back decades should be fine), the DC don't need toys, books, magazines, CDs, computer games, more IT, I can cope without household decorative items and kitchen gadgets etc.

I'm interested to see how long we last but it should be entirely feasible. For Xmas grandparents have been asked to buy the DC experiences rather than things eg cinema vouchers. We have ebooks from the library and our library is good at ordering things in. We already have lots of good board games etc. We all have bikes.

I'm not sure what we need other than food, toiletries, essential clothes for the growing ones and fuel.

We are also going to grow twice as much fruit and veg next year in the garden in an attempt to reduce single use plastic and food miles. We already have chickens so very little food waste since they turn any scraps into eggs.

Hi user!

I’m thinking of joining you. I just mentioned upthread actually, but couldn’t remember your username .