To Ask if You are Materialistic?

[BeLikeThatSometimes]

And if so, is there anything wrong with it?

I have dreamt about nice clothes and “stuff” in general as far as I remember back, perhaps because we had limited budget growing up and nobody was spoilt.

Now reasonably successful professional, my tastes and aspirations are different but I still think a lot about material things and how they make life more enjoyable and beautiful. My friends and parents are not like this, my mother is big on culture, my grown up daughter values experiences more, and I feel shallow and indulgent I’m comparison, obsessing over prospect of new hand towels, shoes, body lotion, bedding, garden furniture etc. Not a hoarder but always something “next on the list” to research, check out etc - not always buy!

Anyone else like this?

It’s one of those irregular verbs, isn’t it?
I like nice things.
You are a shopaholic.
She is shallow & materialistic.

I’m unashamedly materialistic. Not in a judgemental way of others but having nice things for myself, my family and my home. My lovely inessentials bring me a little joy, while I spend my time looking after my (gorgeous but demanding) DS and DD with additional needs.

No I don’t think so. I don’t covet stuff and I don’t enjoy shopping. I don’t buy stuff I don’t need just for the sake of buying things. Like a PP, I prefer to see the £ in my bank account. Luckily I’m not interested in fashion, make up, bags, cars etc. I like spending money on holidays or gigs because they are experiences, the memories from which can last a lifetime. I don’t judge my friends who enjoy spending money on stuff but I do observe that it doesn’t really make them happy in the long term.

Like another PP, I lean quite far the other way and am usually trying to get rid of things. I don’t like owning too much stuff because having too much clutter makes me feel stressed out. I sometimes yearn for a much simpler life. A cabin in the countryside with minimal stuff in it and lovely views.

I amen't interested in jewellery, make up, designer clothes.
All our furniture is second hand except the electrical goods and beds.
I buy my clothes from supermarkets, Vinted and charity shops.
My car is very small and old.
I don't feel I am missing out because it doesn't matter to me.
My pets matter the most to me.
Each to their own though.

With you on that. I will spend on quality but when I do I love it and will have it for years. Hence my kitchen is 25 years old, and whilst I would pick something different now, and I know it’s a little dated, it’s still in decent condition as it was good quality and I could probably get away with a cheapies makeover, and it would look great.

Same with my en-suite. Went with what I loved 25 years ago and I was happy with it until things started going downhill with it, so it’s getting replaced with my dream hotel spa look that I hope will stand the test of time and last me for the rest of my life.

I’m not bothered about cars but I love a beautiful garden and mine is a work in progress.

We did up our bathroom 20 years ago and chose timeless pieces that still look good. Replacing radiator with something more contemporary but only because the old one burst.

I seldom buy anything without checking if I can get it cheaper elsewhere. I am a pretty adept bargain hunter!!

Nope, never have been.

No I’m the opposite.
I grew up extremely poor and had nothing. I hold no value in material possessions whatsoever apart from photos and drawings my kids have made. I prefer to spend money on experiences as the memories last a lifetime.

My pets - two torties and white, one long haired come only 4th and 5th after my three children! My DH knows his place lol!

buying endless unnecessary ‘stuff’ is such a terrible waste of the worlds resources. And I feel sorry for people who think of nothing more exciting than buying mire ‘stuff’. Please, please, please get a life!

You sound exactly like me. My car was £500 off eBay. I could afford to buy a brand new car and designer clothes but I’d rather have a holiday.

I grew up very poor but as a result of my dads illness and death, and my mums subsequent addiction. We were dirt poor after being quite well off before.

So no I am not materialistic but I do also very much value nice things. I value time and am very aware that on your death bed you won’t be wishing you’d bought those shoes.

at the same time I struggle to throw things away, knowing that if some tragedy happened, I may need it and never be able to afford to buy another one.

No. I’d live in a tent if I could (a sturdy one, obviously).

Stuff ends up owning you, rather than the other way round.

As long as I have the most comfortable gear for being outside, and my dogs, the rest doesn’t matter.

I used to be materialistic, but then I lost important people. Now I know what’s important.

I definitely am materialistic, I am a magpie but I don't have lots of stuff, I absolutely hate clutter! just everything I buy are really nice things, especially for our house and garden. I can't stand old tatty stuff but I don't buy labels for the sake of it I have to genuinely like the things.
We also have motorcycles and a campervan as well as a car.
Holidays/days out/experiences/treating our dc and gdc are first priority for us, spending wise though.

I love having a wardrobe full of gorgeous clothes, lovely handbags, footwear etc I suspect because growing up I had my dsister's hand me downs.

We have always done that too, still do! My kids are grown up and it was always all about them. Still is, currently on holiday with just my elder two, mid 20s, with DH and DS at home minding our adored, spoilt cats!

There’s room in life for many wants and desires, maybe not just all at the same time. Since Covid we spent the money we would have spent on holidays on our home. We still had lots of experiences as a family. Maybe I am just lucky now to be able to find that balance that eluded me when the kids were young. Still accrued an extensive collection of jewellery (think Links of London, Thomas Sabotage, Chlobo etc not gold and diamonds!) but I don’t believe I paid full price for any of it!

How do you think the economy works? We would all be screwed if nobody bought anything!!

No I'm not materialistic at all.. I hate clutter . I can afford to buy stuff but it just gets on my nerves!

I'm a bit contradictory, sometimes I like to save money and I buy nearly all second-hand (Vinted) clothes. Then I do like to pay out more for some items, like leather shoes and even a nice car as I think those things represent value for money, because leather shoes are worn for years, and driving a better car is more relaxing than an old one with crunchy gears!

I am too stingy though to pay out for expensive clothes or bags, just can't bring myself to do that, same with meals out, I enjoy a Pizza Express (remembering the recent thread) about as much as an expensive restaurant so wouldn't want to pay £££ on that.

I'm not motivated by being rich, but it's nice to be comfortable which is a lot less for me than for a lot on Mumsnet, I suspect.

This is a really tough question, I like nice things, I like to look pretty. I love buying new clothes and make up but it's more of a urge to look my best rather than owning things. All my cars have been old, I'm happy with old furniture, I constantly move countries and get rid of stuff, I don't have many possessions but I'm always hunting out clothes that make me feel attractive and I'm always looking for new make up to make me look pretty. I couldn't give a hoot about designer stuff, but with saying that Primark and Boohoo are my idea of hell.

I see the value judgements came out last night OP. I wonder if it's because shopping is considered a female concern that people are so quick to dismiss the things that make you happy?

Yes, I love nice things, pretty jewelry, lovely clothes, I dream of the perfect large house that's clean and tidy, I'm saving every penny I can for that house. I enjoy nice things and look after them.

My husband prefers experiences and genuinely doesn't see mess or dirt and cant tell the difference between mass produced tat and beautiful hand crafted items. Which means a lot of my lovely things get destroyed through poor care and my dream of a lovely clean tidy home will never be a reality, all our savings disappear on experiences as soon as its saved. It is a bug bare of our married life, I really had no idea we were so incompatible in this way when we married, mainly because we lived in my house before we got engaged and he was on his best behavior as a guest in my home, and we didn't share finances so I had not idea how much money disappeared each month in living life to the full.

I think most people feel happier if they are surrounded by things they like. It doesn't really matter what those things are, or how expensive they are, or many of them they acquire - it's still about 'things'.

I think someone who likes a very minimalist and clutter-free environment can be every bit as materialistic as someone who buys lots of stuff, because ultimately minimalism is still all about cultivating a physical environment that makes you happy. Someone who spends a lot of time on creating their perfect 'capsule wardrobe' of high-quality mix-and-match classic sustainably produced pieces that will last them for a decade is still getting pleasure out of curating material things that please them.

I can certainly be greatly cheered up by buying something nice. 'Nice' for me doesn't equate to 'expensive' - a £150 bottle of perfume can absolutely bring me joy, sure, but so can a £1 bunch of daffodils from the market or a charity shop dress for a fiver.

Yes, and unashamedly so.
I don't have kids, I work bloody hard, I like luxury goods and I'll pay for them.
I don't actually think that materialism = more stuff.
If you buy quality, you don't tend to replace it as often so I've always found it more streamlined and minimalist.

The concept of "making memories" is all well and good, but since my mother died in 2014 my memory has been absolutely appalling. I can't remember what I did on any of the holidays I went on last year, I just know that I went, couldn't tell you what month they were even, just the locations.

No not interested really. I like nice stuff but not with a silly price tag. Where i work atm my boss is very materialistic, always throwing in top end shops shes been too, labels of what shes bought and price tags. I honestly dont kniw who shes trying to impress. I just think she has more money than sense. She dresses no different to me. You cannot tell she shops designer iykwim. You could, if your that way inclined, pick up loads of good secondhand branded items from vinted

Just to add i grew up in poverty. Big family. Never any spare money

Yes I am very materialistic. I don't care that it seems to be viewed as a bad thing. I'm a home comforts person, I don't enjoy travel, socialising or 'experiences' most of the time. I'd much rather spend on a new mattress I'll use every day or a beautiful plant than a holiday or party. I've spent my money creating a sanctuary at home. I hate clutter too, there's no clutter, just the things I love and have collected over time.

I wonder if memory plays a part in this too. I don't have a great memory. I often remember holidays or family trips as awful and stressful or I forget I ever went on them, even if they were ok at the time. Whereas I get a lot of daily enjoyment out of my clothes and the things I love in my home. Maybe some people have a better (or more positive) memory.