Discuss: In Lieu of More Stuff

My, but how timely this article has proved to be! I was just getting ready to order a new wrinkle-free shirt from Land’s End at $49.50, plus shipping. Seriously. It’s real purty—lavender with white stripes. Would Make me look quite “Springy” around the office. But here’s my ethical dilemma: I’ve got about 15 such shirts, and the only thing wrong with four or five of them is that the collars ridges are wearing through. They look a bit frayed, which in my office environment, could make me feel unkempt—even a bit ratty.

Is this not ridiculous? all my shirts are otherwise perfect, with the buttons and sleeves intact, and no ugly stains or big holes to make them unsightly. They do a fine job of covering the body, which is all a shirt is supposed to do, and they’d no doubt provide many more years of service before they fall apart altogether—which, one would think, would be the logical time for replacing them. And what about my neck ties? I own about 20, but haven’t worn them much in the past two years, since my office switched to business casual dress. This means, of course, that I have none of the big wide ties which are now “in style.” But according to whose idea of “style,” and for what reason? It’s this kind of absurd manipulation by the advertising and fashion industry that fuels a level of consumption that has very little do with human needs—but everything to do with human wants and desires, which are apparently infinite. By the way, I don’t consider myself a shopping addict, or an overly consumeristic person. I try to live green, and live on a small farm where my wife and I tend a big organic vegetable garden. But the materialistic culture we swim in influences us all, and it’s good for us to remind each other that’s OK to upt opt of the madness. More than we know, even small examples we set with our behaviors does have an impact—for better or worse—and the people around us.

I struggle with the same issues. I have several perfectly good pairs of shoes, but they’re no longer fashionable or they’re getting a little worn. I have to remind myself all the time that what I have is enough. But I still look for shoes that are on sale.

On a practicle note, while I was reading your comment, Tom, a possible solution for your shirt problem occurred to me - could you ask a tailor to turn your collars over to show the hidden side? That is, if there isn’t any fading that would make that problematic.

The book Your Money or Your Life was influential to me. One of the main points is the idea of really assessing why one makes purchases, and reviewing their value…

Perhaps our children will soon enough come to understand that the choice to “consume less” is the most efficacious and powerful thing any person in the “overdeveloped” world can do to preserve life as we know it and the integrity of Earth.

If consuming less occurred collectively among individuals in the human community who are conspicuously over-consuming, as my generation of elders is doing now, then this sustainable behavior could make a huge difference, one that really makes a difference. It could help the family of humanity save itself from its unhealthy, obscenely increasing and soon to be unsustainable per-capita over-consumption activities.

This article is indeed very timely!last weekend I hepled my son move, it was an interesting experience to say the least. All day I was moving boxes and stuff into a more modern leased place. The most interesting part of the exercise was moving the contents of the garage which was full of another families stuff! a relative who had moved out of country and not expected back. Talk about not letting go of stuff. I am preparing for my own move into a passive solar home 1400 square feet one floor no stairs, no closets, no large storage rooms, and one bathroom. from a house with a basement full of mostly my stuff, a packrat of 40years of adultlife, a garage mostly full of my stuff, and a main floor with a modest collection of couch, chairs, tables, kitchen utensils etc. I read your money or your life over ten years ago, a life changing book for me aside from all my stuff (raw materials and tools. Yes I have my collection of “gazing guss pins”. The coming move is already allowing me to re-think what is important a good resource for this is a book called “It’s All Too Much” by Peter walsh. One of the most enjoyable times in my life was a two week cycle trip I made with my son about 10 years ago, we lived out of the pannier pags and really enjoyed our surroundings in the Rocky Mountains in Western Alberta. We had shelter food and transportation.

“Want more, desire less” sums it up best. The less we crave and needlessly consume, the better off we ALL are. I committed at the beginning of 2007 to consume less in as many ways as possible and I’m simply amazed at the excess I’ve been able to shed from my life. I’m “re-gifting” whenever possible (often met w/ a very positive response) and have virtually stopped buying all non-essentials. There is so much less clutter in my life and closets, more in my savings account, and best of all my conscience is lighter knowing that my consumer habits are helping to ease the burden of our overburdened planet.

What I’ve been amazed by most, though, is that the less I consume, the less I desire, and the happier I feel. Ironically, I have a much greater sense of “abundance” than ever before and I’ve never bought or spent so little.

There is beauty and healing in simplicity and I hope that as a culture we begin to embrace simple living as a way of life. The survival of our planet depends upon it.

To end with another quote: “Live simply so that others may simply live.”

In response to Tom’s dilemma: First, find someone to turn those collars - it really isn’t difficult and would not only cost much less but would save buying another shirt. Then think about all the still good shirts you already have. You can only wear one each day and you already have more than enough good ones for a week. Finally, donate all those ties to a quilt group - they can make a usable quilt out of them.

Lindy in AZ “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without”

Some people like only the newest and the best.  It used to be called conspiuous consumption, now I hear the phrase is resource enhancement.  Get these people to hear what you say and progress has been made.  But I think you’re fighting a lost cause.  There will always be greedy oblivious self indulgers who believe what they want and care for nobody else.  They never have ethical dilemmas when it comes to safisfying the latest whim.  How to reach them?  Often they invoke Tradition to justify what they do.  As the woman I know who when reminded that wood fires aggravate asthma, exclaimed that she was a tradionalist, as if it was not only a justification, but a good and proper one.  What to say?  If we do not share the resources of this little planet we will all die fighting.