To suggest that people should buy less stuff

[Noras]

i just think that the mess we are in is because we get stuff from overseas that we don’t really need. People buy a lot of tat and junk eg cheap clothing, rubbish confectionary and artificial tat for homes. If we all just cut down on huge chunks of it we could cut out our balance of payment deficit.

Also people need to buy less from overseas owned companies. People need to check each and every company they buy from and go for smaller independents etc There needs to be an online list of stores to avoid.

Surely you're not being told anything you don't know, or haven't worked out yourself. I can't believe people are stupid enough to not realise they are falling for advertising shite and keep buying into all the consumerism

I hate seeing all the shops full of absolute shite when I go into town. People selling cheap plastic bags, purses, phone protectors, plastic shoes, plastic clothes.

It's grim to know it's all just gonna bury us alive one day, or fill up the seas, or get burnt and fill the sky with shit.

This.
and does it really make anyone happier? No.

What is really interesting is how if you actually compare Amazon and your local shop, you’ll often find your local shop is cheaper.
it wasn’t like that 10 years ago. Amazon has tricked us into thinking it’s always cheapest. Once everyone believes that, they can put their prices up. And they do.

Yup, it’s what supermarkets did back in the 70s and 80s. Get rid of competition then raise prices and screw suppliers.

Less Stuff more Life as the Danes would have us believe

Amazing how some people know what will make us happy or not.

I read a book on how supermarkets treat supplier's particularly smaller concerns.
No scruples what's so ever once they're in the supply chain.

Me? yes

I enjoy shopping
Im a collector of a few things, namely WWE and AFL merch
Even this morning before work, im talking to someone about buying a WWE figure. Do i need it? no, do i want it? Oh hell yes! Will it make me happy? sure will

Yup, the supermarkets make the suppliers dependant on them so they become trapped.

It's that kind of thing that small shops are up against. Some customers seem to be frightened of actually going into a shop and asking for something and seem to prefer the anonymity of huge impersonal shops or laziness of online ordering.

This is a massive thing. Really quickly people have become very reluctant to speak to other humans in a retail situation, even if they are the ones with the money making the purchase. My partner's 21 year old son won't even order a Chinese over the phone - says he doesn't like "confrontation".

Agreed, it seems like there is just an abundance of, as you say, stuff. In recent years I’ve definitely seen an influx of the seasonal decor people are talking about, particularly things like Halloween bath mats, cushions etc. Recently my mum was telling me about how when growing up in the 70s and 80s she would have a handful of outfits that were pretty much used on rotation and you’d only get new clothes for Christmas or other special occasions, and that shops used to have their stock for weeks/months. Most high street stores have a much higher stock turnover now because instead of having designs for just four seasons, they have something like 50 or so, pretty much a new collection weekly. Have you watched the Netflix documentary Buy Now? It’s a really interesting watch. Apparently 65% of clothing an individual purchases gets disposed of within 12 months which is nuts!

Not his fault tbf.
Half an MN thinks that any form of commute is confrontation based on threads here so no wonder it's filtering down to young gens.

Absolutely

This is held up as normal behaviour when it isn't. He brought a girl to a family party last year. She was 20 years old and they stayed in the kitchen because she had anxiety about meeting new people and being expected to speak to them. Wouldn't even acknowledge a "hello nice to meet you".

On a positive note, less competitive job market I guess? I wonder if us close to 40s are safe from soon start being replaced by young ones.
I still have at least 40 years to go since there will be no retirement by the time I get to some solid age... So I am count on like 80😂

I loathe shopping and only buy stuff when it needs replacing, DH is the same. We are accidental environmentalists. A lot of new made stuff is just shit so buy a lot of secondhand stuff, it’s nothing to do with affording it either.

Just pretend you're really poor.

I agree about years ago, the shops had certain items for ages. I can remember buying a plate a week of Denby for example until I had enough. I suppose you can still buy Denby slowly.
But now you snooze you lose because once the stocks gone it’s gone.
But I was quite a sad because I loved buying my weekly item. From a lovely local shop and they use to wrap it so nicely.

I get my dopamine hit from our local swap shop. New clothes for the whole family every month for an annual subscription of a tenner 👌

They must wear the cheapy stuff very little, then replace it very quickly, and if they aren't just building a stash of cheap clothing on their bedroom floors, then they're chucking it out

I rescued a whole binbag of Shein tat from our street bin a few months back. Some poor fucker sweated blood and tears over it, only for it to be casually binned with the labels on. Disgraceful.

I can't believe the figure about 65% clothing is disposed of after a year, I have clothes that are 20+ years old. I do a wardrobe sort once or twice a year and get rid of stuff if its worn out or i cant remember the last time i wore it. but I would say most things are 4 or 5+ years old. (Same with bedding, most of that is 5+ years old) I recently had to buy new jeans as 2 or 3 pairs wore out at the same time. It was such a faff finding ones to fit, I intend to keep them for years! I did buy a couple of jumpers in a charity shop recently as well.

I’ve never seen anything cheaper than Amazon. I needed a part for my shower so I went to local places. None had it in stock and had to wait a week. I went on Amazon and got it next day for half the price. I’ll stick to Amazon…

But then, when we are using the last bits of arable land, across Africa and India to feed our cattle for those, more expensive leather handbags, is it really more ethical?
There was a thread at Christmas were the OP's parents didn't do presents, but put on a buffet and many posters said that they wouldn't go and they were called every stingy name going. People aren't going to give up their want for stuff, easily.

I do think part of this is the crap customer service these days which puts people off human interaction. Especially in places like fast food places or convenience stores/petrol stations, where the person you speak to barely speaks at all, no eye contact, just grunting and certainly no manners. Human interactions are getting less and less enjoyable when you keep coming up against this.

But I find that small private businesses are generally a lot better in this respect as you're often dealing with the owner themselves, or the owner is more "picky" about who they employ. Obviously not always the case, certainly generally not with private fast food places or private convenience stores!! I'm thinking more of the niche shops, such as independent clothes shops, hobby shops, etc.

I don't even like getting cabs anymore because taxi drivers nowadays don't make friendly small talk like they used to. If you don't make any effort at all it's just one long uncomfortable silence and if you try and chat they basically give you one word answers. I hate it.
People are losing the art of friendly small talk and chit chat.

I'd rather get the bus or walk now.