What are some things that others think are desirable that you actively do not want?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Farmhouse sink

No… I’ve always wanted one of these.

Why not?

[Anonymous]

country club membership. why? i dont get it. it's not 1950

[Anonymous]

to go on a cruise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cruises - the thought of being parked on the ocean for days on end with hundreds of people grosses me out
French Laundry - I spent a few years in a developing country and refuse super expensive food on principle, it feels like a human rights violation to pay $600 for an appetizer (my DH fights me on this all the time because he loves nice restaurants but I won’t go)
Post-graduate degrees - no interest to return to school, despite seemingly everyone in my life getting MBAs and graduate degrees
Vacations to Europe with little children - just no, it’s not fun for anyone until they can sleep well and travel nicely

+1

To the vacation point. All my young children want to do is go to the playground and chase squirrels. I don’t need spend thousands for them to do that in Paris!

[Anonymous]

Brazilian butt lift. Fillers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Farmhouse sink

No… I’ve always wanted one of these.

Why not?

Some of you are really really missing the point of the thread. Read the title again, slowly and let it sink in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having my teeth filed down to sharp little points.
Using "Heavens to Betsy!" as an interjection.
Building replicas of famous structures in my living room.

I use this as an exclamation occasionally.

I also use:

Jiminy cricket!
Good gravy!
Holy cow!
Holy mackerel!
Well, I'll be darned!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Designer clothes and luxury cars.

I'm happy in my mostly Target/Macys wardrobe and my Toyota. BUT I'll drop exorbitant amounts on travel/vacations/food.

To each their own.

Same! I’ll spend tens of thousands on exotic travel but I never buy designer clothes or shoes. I drive an old car. I never get manis or pedis. I dye my own hair (and sometimes trim my own hair too). Never get facials or massages. Etc…

You sound like a stereotypical 'ugly American' roaming Tokyo/Barcelona/Melbourne in your 5-year-old Teva sandals with an old fanny pack hanging off your side. I know to each their own but maybe you should invest in a decent haircut once in a while.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Designer clothes and luxury cars.

I'm happy in my mostly Target/Macys wardrobe and my Toyota. BUT I'll drop exorbitant amounts on travel/vacations/food.

To each their own.

Same! I’ll spend tens of thousands on exotic travel but I never buy designer clothes or shoes. I drive an old car. I never get manis or pedis. I dye my own hair (and sometimes trim my own hair too). Never get facials or massages. Etc…

You sound like a stereotypical 'ugly American' roaming Tokyo/Barcelona/Melbourne in your 5-year-old Teva sandals with an old fanny pack hanging off your side. I know to each their own but maybe you should invest in a decent haircut once in a while.

DP here. Nothing that needs to be redone/repeated in 2 months is an “investment.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ANY sort of conspicuous consumption. Lulu, stanley, LV, Tesla, fancy kitchens.

Teslas are actually practical.

Also odd that Lulu is on this list. I mean I guess I could do a bunch of research to find athleticwear that performs as well but costs less, but why? How much time spent to save $30?

And as for “fancy” kitchens….most people do not spend lots of money on kitchens for them to be impractical. The better appliances perform better, and yes, tend to look nicer. This is for the space that is the beating heart of my private residence that the public does not see. How is that “conspicuous consumption”?

Right, so in those categories you would fall into the "others think are desirable" part of the OP. Its literally the point of the thread.

I guess my point is that I don’t think of Teslas

or Lulus as particularly desirable or aspirational (which seems to be what people are really talking about) either. They just…are? So it’s hard for me to think of them as great examples of gross “conspicuous consumption” against which PP is railing. It doesn’t seem quite worthy of the hate.

Is the point that if *other* people seem to think of them as Name Brands à la Gucci, LV (in other words, aspirational “lifestyle” brands), then am I really being such a conspicuous consumer? I mean, they’re leggings?? I’m puzzled.

They are $120 leggings that YOU think are desirable (I certainly hope if you are paying that much!) and I actively do NOT want. Literally the words of the OP. What don't you understand? Same with Tesla - overprice junk to me. Desirable to others.

The first PP that mentioned these items called them “conspicuous consumption”, and others disagree that these are things that one buys just for the status.

I prefer the material and the only way someone can tell what brand they are is if they lift up my shirt and look for the logo at the back of my waist which fortunately never happens. I tried the Amazon knock offs and don’t like them.

I think the term “conspicuous consumption “ is way overused. Some people recognize and enjoy the design or quality difference and some don’t. It doesn’t have to be an insult. Something like a LV keychain? That’s for the label. But a designer purse? No, that’s also design, function, and style. It’s ok to appreciate good design. It doesn’t make you shallow.

No sorry. You just need to own it.

No, I don’t. I actually don’t have designer purses but I appreciate the quality and design of the good ones. So I don’t judge people who enjoy them. I carry a $60 unlabeled fabric bag but think fine leather goods are art. I don’t have to own anything. Not everyone recognizes or appreciates quality craftsmanship and materials and that’s ok.

I agree with you, PP. Some of the couple-grand-a-piece bags are truly gorgeous and if someone can afford them without selling their kidney, more power to them!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ANY sort of conspicuous consumption. Lulu, stanley, LV, Tesla, fancy kitchens.

Teslas are actually practical.

Teslas or EV are not really that practical. By the time you factor in the additional cost, cost for a home charging station, insurance, cost for new battery in 5 years, etc, the ROI is not really that great. It just looks fancy and cool.

Yikes. This is all based on misinformations/no information. Not true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cruises - the thought of being parked on the ocean for days on end with hundreds of people grosses me out
French Laundry - I spent a few years in a developing country and refuse super expensive food on principle, it feels like a human rights violation to pay $600 for an appetizer (my DH fights me on this all the time because he loves nice restaurants but I won’t go)
Post-graduate degrees - no interest to return to school, despite seemingly everyone in my life getting MBAs and graduate degrees
Vacations to Europe with little children - just no, it’s not fun for anyone until they can sleep well and travel nicely

Yes on the overpriced dining experiences. It seems like a total waste of money. Same with that place in Virginia where people stay overnight to also eat breakfast- why would I want to do that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having my teeth filed down to sharp little points.
Using "Heavens to Betsy!" as an interjection.
Building replicas of famous structures in my living room.

Wait... what?

I assume she means getting veneers - cosmetic dentistry

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ANY sort of conspicuous consumption. Lulu, stanley, LV, Tesla, fancy kitchens.

Teslas are actually practical.

Also odd that Lulu is on this list. I mean I guess I could do a bunch of research to find athleticwear that performs as well but costs less, but why? How much time spent to save $30?

And as for “fancy” kitchens….most people do not spend lots of money on kitchens for them to be impractical. The better appliances perform better, and yes, tend to look nicer. This is for the space that is the beating heart of my private residence that the public does not see. How is that “conspicuous consumption”?

Right, so in those categories you would fall into the "others think are desirable" part of the OP. Its literally the point of the thread.

I guess my point is that I don’t think of Teslas

or Lulus as particularly desirable or aspirational (which seems to be what people are really talking about) either. They just…are? So it’s hard for me to think of them as great examples of gross “conspicuous consumption” against which PP is railing. It doesn’t seem quite worthy of the hate.

Is the point that if *other* people seem to think of them as Name Brands à la Gucci, LV (in other words, aspirational “lifestyle” brands), then am I really being such a conspicuous consumer? I mean, they’re leggings?? I’m puzzled.

They are $120 leggings that YOU think are desirable (I certainly hope if you are paying that much!) and I actively do NOT want. Literally the words of the OP. What don't you understand? Same with Tesla - overprice junk to me. Desirable to others.

The first PP that mentioned these items called them “conspicuous consumption”, and others disagree that these are things that one buys just for the status.

I prefer the material and the only way someone can tell what brand they are is if they lift up my shirt and look for the logo at the back of my waist which fortunately never happens. I tried the Amazon knock offs and don’t like them.

I think the term “conspicuous consumption “ is way overused. Some people recognize and enjoy the design or quality difference and some don’t. It doesn’t have to be an insult. Something like a LV keychain? That’s for the label. But a designer purse? No, that’s also design, function, and style. It’s ok to appreciate good design. It doesn’t make you shallow.

No sorry. You just need to own it.

No, I don’t. I actually don’t have designer purses but I appreciate the quality and design of the good ones. So I don’t judge people who enjoy them. I carry a $60 unlabeled fabric bag but think fine leather goods are art. I don’t have to own anything. Not everyone recognizes or appreciates quality craftsmanship and materials and that’s ok.

I agree with you, PP. Some of the couple-grand-a-piece bags are truly gorgeous and if someone can afford them without selling their kidney, more power to them!

See, that's the difference between us. I literally cannot tell the difference between a $5,000 purse and a $25 knock off. So I cannot imagine spending $5,000 on something I could get for $25. If I wanted it -- I actually don't find most expensive purses attractive at all.

[Anonymous]

Those of you debating anything mentioned here are completely missing the point. Of course people are mentioning things others like and spend money on. That is literally what the OP asked! So you don’t need to defend your Tesla or your farmhouse sink. We are purposely naming things we know others like.