Growing, deepening loathing for hyper-consumer people and families

[Anonymous]

I get it. I hate it too. But in this day and age, if people find joy in buying stupid halloween stuff, I support it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP I think you need to step away from social media. But also....people decorate for the holidays!! It's festive and fun, and it makes my kid happy. I reuse the same decorations year after year and maybe add one small thing here or there, including making home made stufv. It's not like I buy my decorations, throw them out, and replace them with brand new stuff next year. I also really enjoy walking around and looking at other peoples holiday displays during the holiday season. Just let people enjoy things.

But your experience is different from others.
What about the people who buy and keep like you. And they keep adding on.

Or they don’t keep.

Or they find a trendy reason they need to replace it every year or two.

Just because you are more fiscally responsible, that’s not what OP was talking about.

I mean....I don't think so. I have lived in my neighborhood three years now and I can recognize that 99% of my neighbors that put up lights and yard decorations for various holidays are reusing the same one year after year. Sure people decorate, but again, it's not people are throwing things away every year and then going out to buy new things the next year. It is so normal to decorate for holidays, store the decorations and bring them out again the next year. I don't see how this is hyper consumer behavior.

[Anonymous]

I’m more offended by the movement to remove Halloween from schools. I understand not celebrating religious holidays but Halloween is not religious. Give Halloween back to the kids and stop making it a book character holiday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m more offended by the movement to remove Halloween from schools. I understand not celebrating religious holidays but Halloween is not religious. Give Halloween back to the kids and stop making it a book character holiday.

What do they do before winter break?

[Anonymous]

LIVE SIMPLY SO OTHERS CAN SIMPLY LIVE!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I get wanting to do nice things for kids and I definitely relate to wanting to create fun things that just make people smile and happy. Life is hard enough. A couple years ago I started doing way more around the holidays for this reason. I actually decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving because I want to come home from my in-law's house to a home that feels festive and cheerful already.

But I think you can still be thoughtful and discerning. Why does everything have to be so over the top? I think that's what OP is complaining about. You can do something festive and nice for the kids without going way overboard and spending 10x more and producing a bunch of plastic trash.

It's just the culture of more, more, more. Put up some decor but you don't have to cover every square inch of your house in plastic crap. Throw a party for kids but you don't have to rent a bounce house and do a foam party -- you can just let the kids in sprinklers or go to the local park.

One negative outcome of always going the extra mile is that kids start to normalize it and then they think that's what's normal. In the long run, going way overboard with everything ultimately backfires because it becomes harder for your kids to be happy with simple things.

Eh, I gave my kids a big party every other year. They are 20 and 22 and barely spend $$ now. Oldest graduated college with $20k in savings and is maxing out his 401k. I had the money for a laser tag truck, and in the grand scheme of overconsumption that’s not a huge deal.

I really don’t like these threads. Yes, we should all be mindful, but it’s corporations and government who needs to step up. Donating $$ to lobbying groups probably more effective in the end.

Step up and do what?

[Anonymous]

Op, you need to take a break from social media. It will do you a world of good.

[Anonymous]

I cannot imagine paying this much attention to the lives of people not in my own household. Focus on what you can control. If you can’t, get treatment for obsessional thinking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you feel about ballrooms?

I don't want to think about the utility bills that the taxpayers will pay for the Kings oversized golden ballroom. It's sick.