The Ethos of Consumerism and Luxury Consumption - Page 8

I suppose one issue is the extent to which one relies on purchases to satisfy the hedonic drive. There may be many things that are cheap or free that some may find to be as pleasurable as others find consumption. For still others, life may not be a constant quest for pleasure. Saving money for the sake of doing so, rather than because one has specific plans to spend each dollar.

The notion that marginal utility of money declines as networth increases seems logical, but clearly there are some extremely well compensated people who continue to devote a great deal of time and effort to earning more.  Not everyone derives as much pleasure from buying clothes, and some resist high prices far more strongly than the typical SF participant.

Those who do not enjoy buying clothes may not understand those who do. Thus, they may be critical of a passion that they do not share. Like a non-smoker baffled at the appeal of a cigar bar.

I, too, bought good hiking boots, new on sale, years ago. They are still going strong, and I would not go out for hours over rocky ground with something less substantial. That said, they were $100 on sale, way less than many pay for such boots. Steel shank, excellent Vibram soles, waterproof, etc. While waiting to find a suitable pair, it was easy to protect my feet by avoiding challenging hikes until I had appropriate footwear. This is a pasttime, not my job, so I could defer the need until I had the right equipment.

I discovered years ago that my usual way of knowing that a shirt had past its useful life -rejection by the cleaners as no longer something they would wash and press- had stopped working. I thought my shirts had just become remarkably durable until I realized that my wife, mortified by the the cleaner rejection, of which I was proud, had been inspecting the laundry bag and discarding shirts she considered too worn to wear.

We all have to decide where we want to land on the spectrum between hyperconsumer and miser. I would rather be, and be known to be, the latter.

Very interesting read, some great contributions and points of view in here.

For me, I see many of the things on these boards almost as a hobby.  Many members here go to great lengths to research and attain that perfectly crafted suit and in many cases I am sure they don't need it but the journey of obtaining it, researching the materials, finding the right tailor etc thats just part of the fun.  In that regard I don't personally feel excess or gluttony comes into it, the only debate there would be if thats really the best use of ones resources but I think that just comes down to each their own.

In regards to gluttony though I think thats just for everyone to draw their own line, I am not sure despite some of the technical definitions offered here that there is a universal line.  I do think over time though gluttony - just as surely as any vice - changes a person, usually without their awareness of such changes. 

Eitherway fascinating stuff, very happy to have stumbled upon this topic with the morning coffee :)   

Red,

I find your post fascinating on many levels.

First, it appears that MY frugality causes YOU so much anguish that you forget everything you ever learned about manners, and must resort to insults.

So, some questions.

Why is my frugality such a bother to you? Is it that you assume no one could possibly have an attitude towards consumption that is this different than yours? Let's say that is the reason. Why does it offend you if someone else, a total stranger, does not like to spend money? The issue of spending versus saving may be interesting, but why the hostility toward someone who does not share your values? Whatever your political or religious opinions, taste in music, or favorite food, not everyone agrees with you on those as well. Are they all evil trolls? Do all decent people agree with you on everything, or only on the subject of spending for pleasure?

You also assume that my wife was disgusted by my tattered shirts. In fact, her reaction was embarrassment that I went out like that, but she did not find the shirts themselves disgusting. In fact, she uses them for scrap or working around the house.

My pride was not in my wife's reaction, but the cleaner's reaction.

Another question: You seem to find my story about waiting for discount boots either implausible, or evidence that I am "mental" (a fairly vague diagnosis). The story is absolutely true. I gather that you would not have delayed gratification to save money on boots. Again, that makes you different than me, but why does that make you so upset? It does not upset me at all that you, and I assume other people, would have just bought more expensive boots. Its a free country. Is my frugality somehow a threat to you? Do you sell expensive hiking boots for a living?

"Mental", without more specifics, not sure exactly what this means, but I gather you believe delaying pleasure to save money is not the behavior of a sane person. Is that it? Or, to state it more carefully, do you believe the amount of money saved was not worth the pleasure forsaken? If the latter, then of course, this depends on the relative values one places on pleasure vs frugality. It is apparent that I place a relatively higher priority on frugality than you do, and that you place a higher priority on hedonic pleasure than I.

Is it not possible for different people to have different valuations on these dimensions? Or must everyone in the world land in the same place as you on the spectrum between miser and spendthrift? Do you believe that everyone actually does? Do you believe that everyone of the same income level spends the same amount of money on consumption? This strikes me as improbable, to say the least.

Final question: Do you find that hurling insults at people on the internet gets them to state they agree with you? Or to just give up and stop posting, for fear of losing your favor?

I am genuinely interested in your thoughts, and I am sorry that my attitudes apparently cause you such distress. Here's hoping you find some peace.

Thanks