After scrimping on themselves for the whole year, many consumers finally let loose towards the end and gave in to self-gifting. A lot of people went overboard probably due to the sense of deprivation felt during the year as they tried to live within the dictates of the economic reality. This has largely resulted to buyers’ remorse where many regret the purchases they made on impulse.
Stores are of course encouraging self-gifting as in any other way that could result to increased sales. Self-gifting can easily be understood as putting one’s self first in gift-giving. People who bought into the idea felt that it was long overdue and that it finally provided them a break from always putting other people first.
Self-gifting is about “me”, “myself”, “mine”. Industry observers see this type of shopper as a very recent addition to the existing types like the sale buyers and the impulsive buyers, among others. Many see this not as an act of selfishness but as an act of better appreciation of one’s self after putting in all the hard work to earn the money used to buy these gifts.
Consumerism which is the desire to purchase goods more than the amount that is actually needed has been with us since the early times. It is never more evident than during holidays where everyone just have to have everything that is on sale even when the items are clearly not needed. By everyone, we mean people who have money, actual or expected - plastic or real currency.
There is nothing wrong in gifting one’s self. Actually it is one of the little joys in life that we should get to enjoy every once in a while. However, it should not be more than what we can afford in relation to these very difficult times.
People will determine their own lifestyle no matter what. Family advise can provide some influence and so will advertising. At the end, it all boils down to what a person is willing to accept or give up to attain a specific lifestyle. No lifestyle can be maintained without acceptance and determination.
When people decide to be healthy and live accordingly, it requires a lifestyle that agrees with such a decision. A healthy lifestyle can be difficult to achieve not because it is impossible to do but because of the prevailing tendency of modern-day people to favor convenience. It is not an accident that convenience foods are generally not considered healthy. Healthy eating requires planning which in turn requires time. Time is of course something we almost always don’t have that is why we settle for what is available.
Healthy living is about making the right choices by practicing wise consumerism. It starts with eating a balanced diet and is supported by avoiding unhealthy habits such as smoking or taking drugs, exercising, and having regular medical check-ups. The rest is about proper life disposition which can be achieved by a strong support network of family and friends, having clean fun and enjoying life, and creating that critical balance between work and play.
A healthy lifestyle leaves a person with a positive feeling that is manifested in having more energy and motivation to do what needs to be done, including the more difficult and unpleasant ones. Life after all, is not a bed of roses, more like a bed of roses with thorns. Healthy living can make our minds and bodies responsive to the day-to-day challenges we face, and that includes the good and the bad.
All these problems that we are facing right now can be blamed on many things. In fact, everyone has his own version of the root of the problems. I tend to agree with what Oskari Juurikkala says in a commentary, though. According to him, free markets and rampant capitalism are not the real cause of the global economic crisis. Instead, he asserts:
There are at least three distinct but related reasons for the crisis: the culture of greed and consumerism, irresponsible monetary policy, and misregulated financial derivatives. Are they rooted in free-market principles? Let’s see.
A central function of law is to educate citizens in virtue. Not all vices should be prohibited, and as in the education of children, the right mixture of rules and sanctions depends on the moral qualities of the people. In Wall Street, the culture of greed and the presence of strong financial incentives to engage in dubious practices should be countered by stronger sanctions. The failure of existing codes to prohibit and punish blatant acts of injustice has been fostering a law of the jungle.
Various reforms are needed, but they do not consist in heavier taxes and more industry regulation. Big government will only make it more difficult for economies to adapt to the crisis situation. We must tackle the problem at its roots by defending basic principles of justice and honesty.
Though I would have to say that capitalism does have its role in what is going on, it is not inherently evil and should not be blamed solely. The commentary is right – our core values and principles have to change. Otherwise, the problem will never really be solved.
The credit crunch and the general state of the economy are making things hard for many people these days. Homeowners may not have to pay their rent but they do have mortgages to worry about – among other expenses. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why the queen of talk shows has created a challenge for families all over the United States. Called Your Family’s “Live with Less” Challenge, it is aimed to help wasteful families to re-evaluate their lifestyle and, hopefully, make some changes for the better.
Here is an excerpt of Oprah’s letter, which she presents to the participating families at the beginning of the challenge.
For one week, you’re going to give up the bottled water habit. Get a water filter—time to get to know your tap.
No more disposable plates, cups, napkins or paper towels. Try cloth—you might like it!
For entertainment, you’ll have to rely on each other. For one week, I’m asking you to give up your iPods and video games, and your computers only get turned on for homework. TV is limited to one hour per night—one TV only.
That thermostat is going way down…to 69 degrees. If you get cold, put on a sweater.
Give your washing machine a break—try to wash only clothes that are TRULY dirty.
When you leave a room, lights out. Ditto for fans. When you’re done using an appliance, unplug it. Don’t forget your computer and cell phone chargers too.
I think that though we may not all be able to participate “officially” in the challenge, we may very well learn lessons from it. Why not take a step back and re-evaluate your own lifestyle?
This is the best time to be more conscious of the environment in our daily lives. I think it is a great thing that there are more and more choices in the market when it comes to environment-friendly products. However, sometimes, consumerism still creeps in.
I recently read the term “green consumerism” from another article. It talked about how going green is a good thing but it does not mean that you have to purchase everything just because they are good for the environment. Imagine this scenario. You are at the mall to buy a few things that you need for the house. You know what you need so you go about getting those things. Suddenly you chance upon an item that is “good for the environment.” Let’s say a magazine rack made of recycled materials. It looks good. It looks durable. The price is so-so. You want to get it – after all, it is good for the environment.
The problem is that you already have 2 magazine racks in use at home – not to mention a couple more in storage. Do you really need that extra magazine rack just because it’s “green?” Do you get what I mean?
I suppose the bottom line is your purchasing habit – whether you are buying green or not, ask yourself if you need that item. At the end of the day, if you evaluate your buying habits and make a change towards using less – whether it is green or not – then you can make an impact on the environment AND on your pockets.
One of the most important things that homeowners pay attention to is how energy efficient their homes are. The fact is that sometimes, we overlook this aspect. As long as the house is comfortable and looks nice, the energy efficiency factor is sometimes set aside. If you think this way, you may be making one of the biggest mistakes as a homeowner. Why don’t we take a look at some signs that your house may be an energy guzzler?
Shoddy insulation
Shoddy insulation is bad enough. Missing insulation is even worse. Without proper insulation installed, your energy consumption will certainly skyrocket. You might even have to pay almost double of what you should. Check your insulation and save your money.
Heating and/or cooling
We talked about revamping your air conditioning system in the previous post. The fact is that older air conditioning units will eat up so much electricity. Now you may not be aware of it if you have been using your air con for many years but believe me, try using a new unit and you will realize just how much you can save.
Paint color
What color do you have on your roof right now? If it is dark, then you might want to consider repainting it. Dark color attracts heat more and this will cause you to have to pay more for cooling during the summer. This is also true for the exterior paint for the walls of the house.
You might want to check these factors out and see if you can improve the efficiency of your home.
Last time I said that “The most common way to get people’s attention and to invite them to your yard sale is simply by putting up yard sale signs.” Today I’ll be giving more tips on what to do when making a ward sale sign.
2. Use arrows - Always make sure that your signs have arrows that point people to the RIGHT DIRECTION. Last time the yard sale sign illustration was a perfect example of a very clear sign using huge easy to read fonts and contrasting colors. However, if you notice, it didn’t have any arrows. Aside from merely using arrows make sure that the direction the arrow points to is clear, especially if the road splits in several directions.
3. Place signs in strategic locations – A clearly written sign with clear arrows are useless if they are not strategically located. Place the yard sale signs on corners/bends. This is not so important in dead ends but very important in intersections and forks.
4. Keep it clutter-free – You can offer additional info such as your address in smaller letters but DO NOT list down all the great items you have on sale. However, if you are putting up a yard sale sign near an antique shop you might want to places antiques for sale. Just showcase one item/item class for each sign WHEN APPROPRIATE.
If you want to have a successful yard sale the first thing you should make sure is that your “junk” is still worth buying. They may not be in the best condition but things need to still be serviceable or those that do not work any longer should be salvageable. Assuming that the stuff put out for sale can still be sold the next thing you should make sure you do to have a successful yard sale is to find a way to attract your costumers.
The most common way to get people’s attention and to invite them to your yard sale is simply by putting up yard sale signs. When making a yard sale sign make sure that:
1. It can be seen clearly – What this means is that you should make the signs and the lettering on the signs large enough. This also means that you should write in a clear handwriting. It is best to use block letters. You should also choose colors that easily gets attention. Large clear white letters on a black or red backdrop should work. There is no best color but just make sure that the letters contrast against the background.
Another aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked would be the placement of the signage, If you want it to be seen clearly then post it somewhere prominent enough. Place it eye level or slightly above eye level. You should also place it in posts/walls where there aren’t too many other signs posted, otherwise your sign will “get lost” behind all that clutter.
to be continued…
This consumerist culture tells us that we can not be happy without our creature comforts. It tells us that we simply can not do without a newer car, or phone, or whatever new gadget that just came out. It tells us that we do not look acceptable without the latest clothes for the season. It tells us that we have to buy and buy in order to have a fulfilling life.
Well all that simply isn’t true. However, the pressure society imposes on us and our own wants make us keep on buying. This is understandable but if you can live a fulfilling life, get what you want, and do all this without being enslaved by consumerism, wouldn’t it be so much better? Of course it will be. This is why I’ll be doing a series of posts that will hopefully help everyone (including me!) beat this consumerist thinking.
Tip # 1 – Understand what consumerism is and recognize its negative effects.
In order to beat something you have to know that you need to beat it! You also need to realize that it is not a good thing because if you don’t see anything wrong with it then why even try to change things. My previous posts should hopefully help you realize the negative effects of consumerism.
Tip # 2 – Resolve to fight against it.
How corny. But it is true you should decide not to be a victim if you don’t want to be one.
Tip # 3 – Change one bad habit or start a good one.
It is easier if you do things one at a time. Pick a habit that reflects your consumerist attitude and that is pretty easy to kick so that you can get a sense of fulfillment. This way you will feel like you can do it and be encouraged to continue being less and less of a consumerist each day. A few example of bad habits you might want to kick include:
drinking bottled water – It goes without saying that this is only for people who live in areas with clean tap water. Will save you lots of money and will also lessen all those waste from the plastic bottles you use and throw away each day.
take out food – Dine in the restaurant or bring a packed meal with you. This will lessen the packaging thrown away. Packed meals/snacks are also great for the budget.
newspapers – What? Newspapers are not bad but if you login to your computer every single day you might as well read the news on the internet. Less waste and no need to pay for the news. Lots of varied resources too.
It’s little things like these that count. More tips for you next time!
The environmental impact consumerism brings is clear and is definitely not pretty. Since a consumerist culture makes people want more and more the level of consumption grows exponentially. Add to that the exponential growth in population and it brings us to where we are now – a planet on the brink of disaster.
Two of the environmental issues brought about or at the very least contributed to by consumerism include:
Depletion of natural resources – The consumption of the resources to create products is just so rapid that it just isn’t sustainable.
Massive amounts of waste material – From the production phase to the consumption phase waste is produced resulting in all kinds of pollution (air, land, water, and even noise pollution). It is not only the big factories spewing noxious gases that are guilty of this but every individual who take out purchases from their packaging, discard old things, etc.
Even though resources will be used and waste material will naturally be produced even in a non-cosumerist society, consumerism can still be blamed simply because the amount that would other wise be used and produced can be sustainable apart from the consumerist culture.
Clearly consumerism’s negative effects to the environment has a global effect and leads (and has lead) to more serious issues than just getting into credit card debt.
With all the bleak scenarios I have painted I will be tackling ways on how to beat consumerism in your own personal life and thus help counter or, at the very least, avoid its negative effects.
