katemary63 Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Have you seen the VegieTales video about Madame Blueberry and "Stuffmart?" Well, that's what I was reminded of the other day. I now live in a small town in the middle of AR in a tiny house out in the country. There is no real shopping here other then Wal-Mart and I rarely go the 45 minutes it takes to get to a Target or anything else. I also have a lot less money since we moved here 5 years ago and don't really have any time to shop either. I'm running a farm and home schooling. It is exhausting. Well, all this to say that I have not been to a "mall" in 5 years. I drove up to Illinois to spend some time with my oldest daughter and we went to Gurnee Mills - one of the largest malls ever. I went inside the Bed, Bath and Beyond and just couldn't believe it. All that STUFF! I have been so out of the shopping "loop" lately that my head was spinning. Do people really need all. this. stuff???? How could you possibly decide? Do I WANT this? Do I NEED this? It is worth the money. Can I afford it? Where will I keep it? Then I walked out into the mall and was bombarded with MORE stuff. Most of it, things I don't even own and can't imagine wanting to spend my money on. Gadgets and doodads and "fashion" and on and on. I am now so used to making do with what I have, that I see all this STUFF as strange! I used to LOVE Bed, Bath, and Beyond! Now, I just couldn't stand to be in that store. I talked to my DD about it and we both agreed that just being in those stores made you WANT that stuff and think you NEED some of that stuff. I am not trying to criticize anyone at all. I am just making an observation. During the time that I have not been exposed to all this merchandizing, I have lost my desire for the "stuff" you see in most stores. I have no idea what designer names are popular. I don't have a clue about the latest new gadget or fragrance. I used to go to the mall and make my plans about what I would buy next. Now, I just don't think about stuff much. I can't imagine deciding to buy an entire new set of dishes just for Christmas....but the old me did just that. I think they have green sponge painting on the the edges and Christmas trees in the middle and are packed in a box in our storage garage and I haven't seen them in 5 years! I think it is interesting how drastically your perspective can change after a big lifestyle and income change. I actually like this life better. Stuff can take over your life and make you a slave to taking care of it! It can fill up your closets and shelves and drawers and clutter your brain. And most of it is just a waste of money. Just my thoughts for the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyco Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 *sigh* I agree. It's just so much to keep up with. I'd like a happy medium. After all, you can't take it with you... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Similar experiences here since we moved to a town of 1000. In fact WalMart is a 1.5 hour drive so we are very limited. Target or "The Mall" happens about once or twice a year and I have very carefully planned lists; we mainly get kids' clothing during those visits. Funny thing - my kids and I get absolutely claustrophobic in a store if it is crowded in any way. We almost had a mass melt-down in Ikea, myself included.:D We like our small town and have finally figured out that we're better off this way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarfoot Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 "Stuffmart" is what our 3-year-old calls Wal-Mart.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen sn Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Funny thing - my kids and I get absolutely claustrophobic in a store if it is crowded in any way. The first time I went into a Super Walmart I was soooooo freaked out. Even now - I avoid them like the plague. But when I was pregnant I went grocery shopping there a few times because they were open and it was 4 am and I couldn't sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Have you seen the VegieTales video about Madame Blueberry and "Stuffmart?" Well, that's what I was reminded of the other day. I now live in a small town in the middle of AR in a tiny house out in the country. There is no real shopping here other then Wal-Mart and I rarely go the 45 minutes it takes to get to a Target or anything else. I also have a lot less money since we moved here 5 years ago and don't really have any time to shop either. I'm running a farm and home schooling. It is exhausting. Well, all this to say that I have not been to a "mall" in 5 years. I drove up to Illinois to spend some time with my oldest daughter and we went to Gurnee Mills - one of the largest malls ever. I went inside the Bed, Bath and Beyond and just couldn't believe it. All that STUFF! I have been so out of the shopping "loop" lately that my head was spinning. Do people really need all. this. stuff???? How could you possibly decide? Do I WANT this? Do I NEED this? It is worth the money. Can I afford it? Where will I keep it? Then I walked out into the mall and was bombarded with MORE stuff. Most of it, things I don't even own and can't imagine wanting to spend my money on. Gadgets and doodads and "fashion" and on and on. I am now so used to making do with what I have, that I see all this STUFF as strange! I used to LOVE Bed, Bath, and Beyond! Now, I just couldn't stand to be in that store. I talked to my DD about it and we both agreed that just being in those stores made you WANT that stuff and think you NEED some of that stuff. I am not trying to criticize anyone at all. I am just making an observation. During the time that I have not been exposed to all this merchandizing, I have lost my desire for the "stuff" you see in most stores. I have no idea what designer names are popular. I don't have a clue about the latest new gadget or fragrance. I used to go to the mall and make my plans about what I would buy next. Now, I just don't think about stuff much. I can't imagine deciding to buy an entire new set of dishes just for Christmas....but the old me did just that. I think they have green sponge painting on the the edges and Christmas trees in the middle and are packed in a box in our storage garage and I haven't seen them in 5 years! I think it is interesting how drastically your perspective can change after a big lifestyle and income change. I actually like this life better. Stuff can take over your life and make you a slave to taking care of it! It can fill up your closets and shelves and drawers and clutter your brain. And most of it is just a waste of money. Just my thoughts for the day. You know I haven't been in a US store in 4 years...honestly I don't miss it. It's true I hit the PX for essentials and buy whatever we need from Lands End..but I don't miss the consumerism at all. I buy exactly what we need and I no longer over buy which is awesome. We are pretty much debt free because of leaving the US for a military assignment in Germany. Also we travel and doing fun family things instead of shopping. When we return to home I don't want to return to our former way of life..this is some much more rewarding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 We've called all the big places Stuffmart since we watched that video eons ago. I've never liked shopping and never could understand how people get so fascinated with stuff. Give me travel any day over more stuff... We buy what we need if we couldn't fix what we already had. Why does one need 'Better Homes and Gardens' when one has 'Perfectly Good Homes and Gardens?' (heard that one at one point in my life, but can't remember who to give credit to for it) Taking an advertising class in college was one of the best decisions I ever made. It really opened my eyes as to how much was need and how much was advertisement... even with the whole name brand vs store brand issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CookieMonster Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 (edited) Well, all this to say that I have not been to a "mall" in 5 years. I drove up to Illinois to spend some time with my oldest daughter and we went to Gurnee Mills - one of the largest malls ever. I went inside the Bed, Bath and Beyond and just couldn't believe it. All that STUFF! I have been so out of the shopping "loop" lately that my head was spinning. Do people really need all. this. stuff???? How could you possibly decide? Do I WANT this? Do I NEED this? It is worth the money. Can I afford it? Where will I keep it? Then I walked out into the mall and was bombarded with MORE stuff. Most of it, things I don't even own and can't imagine wanting to spend my money on. Gadgets and doodads and "fashion" and on and on. I am now so used to making do with what I have, that I see all this STUFF as strange! I used to LOVE Bed, Bath, and Beyond! Now, I just couldn't stand to be in that store. I talked to my DD about it and we both agreed that just being in those stores made you WANT that stuff and think you NEED some of that stuff. I am not trying to criticize anyone at all. I am just making an observation. During the time that I have not been exposed to all this merchandizing, I have lost my desire for the "stuff" you see in most stores. I have no idea what designer names are popular. I don't have a clue about the latest new gadget or fragrance. I used to go to the mall and make my plans about what I would buy next. Now, I just don't think about stuff much. I was nodding my head reading your entire post. :) I had a similar experience. The difference between my situation and yours is that before I moved to the country I didn't have any money. I used to walk around malls (when I did) wishing I could buy this, that, and the other. I would have loved to get tons of Christmas ornaments every year, or even a new pair of jeans. (I had one pair of jeans that I wore all through high school. That was it. When I got my own real job the first thing I did was buy two new pair of jeans - from the clearance rack - that fit.) After moving to the country the desire didn't go away, but the opportunity to sit around wishing did. And now I was married and had a home to take care of. Money was still tight. I lost touch with the latest and greatest, like you did. The best Wal-Mart in the world (Salem, MO) was my only avenue of shopping. We didn't have much, we didn't buy much, and we were fine. Then we moved to suburbia. And I was bombarded like you were. My perspective on all that stuff I used to long for was changed like yours was. Even when our income increased we knew we didn't want to spend it on more stuff. We started actually saving money toward things. But, I do understand more now why there is so much stuff. It's not all consumerism. A lot of it is just the natural urge to build a nest. In a more populated area you have more people and therefore more nests. I'm not saying that it doesn't get a little crazy, like with people buying more than they can actually afford because their slaves to slick labels and sale signs, but I understand better the root of it. Even on the frontier when women lived with dirt floors, they would - as soon as they could - line their shelves with pretty cloth and hang up curtains. We now make enough money that even after all our tithing, giving, and saving I can buy a little bit of stuff. So I do. I don't buy helter-skelter whatever-has-the-coolest-advertising though. I don't buy it because it's a "great deal". But I do buy a few seasonal decorations, or an extra-special hair bow for my daughter, or a neat toy for my son. But, I'm still very middle class in my spending habits. And I'm conscious of filling my house up with stuff. I always ask myself if I'm willing to actually take care of something before I bring it into my house. Edited July 13, 2009 by CookieMonster how can I possibly have so many typos... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iquilt Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 For me it's also about clutter and the realization I had that everything we buy must have a place when we bring it home! I see it also in my kids - with the DVR and videos they hardly ever see commercials but when they do we need "it" right away, whatever "it" is. I have since limited my personal exposure to commercials and we only go to the store when we have something on the list that we need to have (usually food). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 http://www.storyofstuff.com/ worth 15 min of your families time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Virginia Dawn Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Yep. We live in a rural town and and rarely watch commercial television. It really hit when we went on vacation to the Newport, RI, area. All the little shops and touristy places. I just kept thinking, "They really get enough people to buy all this useless stuff to stay in business?" Well, now I'm thinking a lot of people are going to cut back on "stuff" in the coming years. One drawback to living "country" is all your city friends think you need their cast off stuff. Sigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katemary63 Posted July 13, 2009 Author Share Posted July 13, 2009 Give me travel any day over more stuff :iagree::iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katemary63 Posted July 13, 2009 Author Share Posted July 13, 2009 It really hit when we went on vacation to the Newport, RI, area. All the little shops and touristy places. I just kept thinking, "They really get enough people to buy all this useless stuff to stay in business?" . I've had this same thought before..."Who BUYS this stuff??" But I know the answer - my sister in law! She is a wonderful woman. I really really like her. But she will buy ANYTHING. The latest whatever. She shops like crazy and her home reflects that with it's clutter. I am so uncomfortable in her house I have to just avert my eyes sometimes. Her bathroom sink is completely covered with toiletries and makeup, so much so that you can't even find the hand soap usually....and so is the cupboard below and the medicine cabinet above, and the little cabinet on the wall, and the over the door hangy thing...oh my gosh, who could possibly use THAT MUCH makeup or hair products? LOL ( honestly, she's a doll, I'm just playing fun.) One drawback to living "country" is all your city friends think you need their cast off stuff. Sigh. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katemary63 Posted July 13, 2009 Author Share Posted July 13, 2009 We are pretty much debt free because of leaving the US for a military assignment in Germany. Also we travel and doing fun family things instead of shopping. When we return to home I don't want to return to our former way of life..this is some much more rewarding. Good for you! You know, I hadn't even realized until several of you mentioned it that TV probably has something to do with this too - we don't get cable or satelite and I'm not exposed to that kind of advertizing either. When the flyers come in the paper, I've been just throwing them out because I didn't want to be tempted. Now, I'm NOT tempted even if I look through them. That's good I think!:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 One drawback to living "country" is all your city friends think you need their cast off stuff. Sigh. :iagree: I don't know how much furniture I've had to get rid of, because my family and friends all think we're the Salvation Army. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Since I started working at Wal-mart, I've become just about immune to the 'gotta-have-its'. At least when it comes to the stuff at Wal-mart! Now, plunk me down in an arts fair or a big SCA event with vendors selling all kinds of neat handmade things, and it's a whole 'nother matter! It usually helps that I don't have the money to buy much stuff at all. It really makes me think and I do very little impulse buying any more. Now, when I was in the Navy stationed in Great Lakes, and we'd go to Gurney Mills...Oh, My Gods, that place is unreal. I'd never been in a bigger mall before that, and while I may have been in more impressive ones in Japan since, it blew me away. Not because of the stuff, but because of the distance between the movie theater and where we'd want to eat. I had very little interest in the stuff back then, maybe because I lived in a barracks room and there wasn't room for any more stuff in my locker...except for books, I would stop in a bookstore no matter how much room I didn't have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herbalgirl Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 I know what you mean... Everytime I go to one of those huge stores, I feel like a deer caught in the headlights. Too many choices. Too many people. Too.much.stuff!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikeBookBread Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 I think it is interesting how drastically your perspective can change after a big lifestyle and income change. I actually like this life better. Stuff can take over your life and make you a slave to taking care of it! It can fill up your closets and shelves and drawers and clutter your brain. And most of it is just a waste of money. Just my thoughts for the day. We live in the "big city" and have the EXACT SAME feeling! I find myself shouting (in my head so my kids don't think I'm nuts) AMEN AMEN AMEN!!!! No, I'm NOT "so blue-hoo-hoo, blue-hoo-hoo, blue-hoo-hoo-hoo-HOOOOO!" We don't go to the mall unless it is absolutely necessary -- getting glasses at the one-hour eye store, a specific brand of br* for me (I have to do that stupid asterisk or else my web filter will say it's a naughty word...dumb), etc. But before I get all high-n-mighty, your post is a good kick in the pants, too, because even though I don't do the stuff-mart thing (we do go to Target, though), I can become quite stuff-mart-ish online...it's just as bad. Your post is a good reminder. THANKS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katemary63 Posted July 13, 2009 Author Share Posted July 13, 2009 I know what you mean... Everytime I go to one of those huge stores, I feel like a deer caught in the headlights. Too many choices. Too many people. Too.much.stuff!! :iagree:Exactly!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PineFarmMom Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 We live in the "big city" and have the EXACT SAME feeling! I find myself shouting (in my head so my kids don't think I'm nuts) AMEN AMEN AMEN!!!! No, I'm NOT "so blue-hoo-hoo, blue-hoo-hoo, blue-hoo-hoo-hoo-HOOOOO!" We don't go to the mall unless it is absolutely necessary -- getting glasses at the one-hour eye store, a specific brand of br* for me (I have to do that stupid asterisk or else my web filter will say it's a naughty word...dumb), etc. But before I get all high-n-mighty, your post is a good kick in the pants, too, because even though I don't do the stuff-mart thing (we do go to Target, though), I can become quite stuff-mart-ish online...it's just as bad. Your post is a good reminder. THANKS! We don't live "in" the city, but about 45 minutes from a really high-dollar area with the stuff-martiest mall I've ever seen. I nearly hyperventilate when I go there with dd. She enjoys looking at clothes. I go crazy at all the stuff and all the people eyeing all the stuff...and all the teenagers mindlessly texting mindlessly in the middle of the mall. What's up with that anyway? It's just too much for me. Every time we leave I remember how much I despise that place. It's just too much for me. I do get pulled in by stuff sometimes, I will admit. It's just not "that" stuff. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 We just got satellite TV and I have been watching a lot of HGTV. I was very happy to hear my dds saying, "What difference does it make if the kitchen is old if it WORKS?!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shenan Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Too funny!! We were just having this discussion this past weekend. It led straight to the TV discussion and then onto how TV also influences the cultures and fads that we all seem to so disagree with nowadays (isn't homeschooling wonderful). We (5 adults) were discussing how our parents never owned 2 cars when we were younger, Mom's did their shopping on Saturdays or dropped dad off at work if she needed the car for appt's, we never had 'stuff' and were OK with it, mom was always home and we could count on her being there when we needed her, we discussed how both parents have to work now because they have to have STUFF, we were even recalling the few but good toys that we had (back when they built a toy to last), some of us had handmade clothing and didn't know any difference between handmade or designer made, we discussed how we hated folding paper bags on Mom's big grocery shopping event and then had to squeeze them between the fridge and cabinet, now you have those environment destroying plastic bags to contend with, and the discussion then went to how we only had 3 channels to watch on TV and lived for the Disney Sunday Night Movie. And we all discussed how we thought our parents only had kids to change the channel on the TV set for them. :D Dh and I used to live in the country for many, many years. Sadly the city came and took our country over which created so much stress on us. It was really starting to take a toll. We took a major finacial step backwards and moved back to the country and are finally feeling relief. We came to relize that STUFF is stressful!! Even the kids are happier now that their neighborhood acquaintances aren't shoving their new Xbox AND Playstations they received for Christmas at them. Our kids were happy getting camouflage clothes instead (in which they were teased about because camo wasn't quite the 'in' fashion yet) If only those neighborhhod kids knew what they were missing out on in life.... Oh and PS-- I'm NOT THAT OLD! I was a teenager in the mid 80s. So this really wasn't that LONG ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikeBookBread Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 I know what you mean... Everytime I go to one of those huge stores, I feel like a deer caught in the headlights. Too many choices. Too many people. Too.much.stuff!! DH asked me to pick up some "Old Spice deodorant" for him at Target the other day. I stood staring at the 20-odd choices -- YES! NO KIDDING -- of OLD SPICE brand deodorant completely confused. WHY are there 20 kinds of Old Spice deodorant?!?!?!?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 I try not to go to the stores as I find them overwhelming. I absolutely hate it when they quit making my brand of whatever because then I have to find a new one and the choices are just too much. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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