I have a hard time with consumerism as well. I would rather spend both my time and my money on things that have meaning and value to me. Why work more hours just to spend more money on the lastest trends, fashion… things that someone else tells us we need. “It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly.” - Henry David Thoreau

By the way, I recently caught a Bob Marley concert on PBS and watched it without any commercials!

What a great quote.

I have been thinking about this topic a lot, but for me it comes down to not being wasteful. I know it should not matter, but it makes me smile that all of my kids furniture is used or has been made by me and my husband. I recently brought this to my husbands attention when he just chuckled and pointed out that we only really had 2 pieces of furniture that we bought new. It certainly is not something to gloat about, we have much more than our “share” of stuff new and used, but for me it was a sort of epiphany. Now I am determined to not buy new and unnecessary furniture/stuff.

I don’t think the original intent of the topic was to say people should not buy new things or to even discuss capitalism.  my interpretation of it is- why do people spend their earnings on things that truly do not matter?  Sure, every human has the right to spend their time and money on anything they choose.  For some it is material items or things to make themselves look/feel better.  “Posters” and “Rodeo Clowns” come to mind here.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with the spending, some people just need brand new this and the best that to keep their egos alive.  Eckhart Tolle (A New Earth.. which I know some of you have read) even said he purchases art and furniture and there is nothing wrong with that.  If you find beauty in something and you want to have it around you, go for it!  It’s buying things for status and ego that is a real issue with our society.

^I love A New Earth.  :) I like when he says, “ in many cases you are not buying a product but an identity enhancer”

he goes on to say…

“Paridoxically, what keeps the so-called consumer society going is the fact that trying to find yourself through things doesn’t work:  The ego satisfaction is short-lived and so you keep looking for more, keep buying, keep consuming.”

I could go on and on quoting that book.

But on the Webkinz thing, my daughter has quite a little collection going.  I think she gets her love for stuffed animals from me.  I remember I had a ton on my bed when I was a kid.  I don’t mind the Webkinz thing, I think it’s really great how interactive it is.  Whoever thought of that is a genius.  But yeah, it can be over done when you buy your kid everyone that comes out.

Yeah, I kinda feel bad about the webkinz example, because they really are a good idea.  It was more that the conversations I was hearing from the kids were more about the competition for who had more, and the mothers racing to get the latest one first, that bothered me.  Made for another good reason to have the conversation about “needs vs. wants”!

humanity has killed humanity for this.  the majority of people in our country and my generation as a teenager have decieded that having the newest things and doing the newest and coolest things is the only way to fit in but trying to fit in is tiring and a waste of the one life God gave me to live it up with. 
If you think about it if someone way back in the day didnt say that running around naked is embarassing we wouldnt be wearing clothes right now haha! We set ourselfs up for this as a majority so its our bad but as an indivisual you can do what you want and just block out the negative consumerism