Work Harder, Spend More, Be Miserable

[derby378]

Inspired by books and blog entries about living simply, Ms. Strobel and her husband, Logan Smith, both 31, began donating some of their belongings to charity. As the months passed, out went stacks of sweaters, shoes, books, pots and pans, even the television after a trial separation during which it was relegated to a closet. Eventually, they got rid of their cars, too. Emboldened by a Web site that challenges consumers to live with just 100 personal items, Ms. Strobel winnowed down her wardrobe and toiletries to precisely that number...

Today, three years after Ms. Strobel and Mr. Smith began downsizing, they live in Portland, Ore., in a spare, 400-square-foot studio with a nice-sized kitchen. Mr. Smith is completing a doctorate in physiology; Ms. Strobel happily works from home as a Web designer and freelance writer. She owns four plates, three pairs of shoes and two pots. With Mr. Smith in his final weeks of school, Ms. Strobel's income of about $24,000 a year covers their bills. They are still car-free but have bikes. One other thing they no longer have: $30,000 of debt.

...

Amid weak job and housing markets, consumers are saving more and spending less than they have in decades, and industry professionals expect that trend to continue. Consumers saved 6.4 percent of their after-tax income in June, according to a new government report. Before the recession, the rate was 1 to 2 percent for many years. In June, consumer spending and personal incomes were essentially flat compared with May, suggesting that the American economy, as dependent as it is on shoppers opening their wallets and purses, isn't likely to rebound anytime soon.

On the bright side, the practices that consumers have adopted in response to the economic crisis ultimately could — as a raft of new research suggests — make them happier. New studies of consumption and happiness show, for instance, that people are happier when they spend money on experiences instead of material objects, when they relish what they plan to buy long before they buy it, and when they stop trying to outdo the Joneses.

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/110275/but-will-it-make-you-happy

Not that I would embrace the 100-item limit, myself, but the idea of "calculated consumption" is definitely food for thought.

This article seems like it dovetails into something I wrote a couple of years ago about consumer goods and sustainability:

I know, I know - it's only a tissue box

[Blue_Tires]

1. International travel is the one thing I regret waiting this late in my life for

It has brought so much enrichment into my life that no one can put a dollar amount on...

[derby378]

3. I've never set foot outside of America

And really, I should. Just not now, since I'm facing unemployment in the near future and cleaning up the legal aftermath of my wife's death. But I need to travel. Ginny always wanted to go to Paris. She has been to Sydney with her best friend back in 1998, and she said the experience was wonderful and life-changing.

[Demeter]

2. Don't Try This With Children

or you'll find the Child Protective Services on you. If the kids don't run away, first.

This is for static households. No disabled, no elderly infirm, and above all, no growing feet.

[LargeGreenSpider]

4. She has THREE pairs of shoes now?

ok ... I just don't have that kind of will power.

[NoNothing]

5. There is a lot that is attractive about this lifestyle

But in my opinion by far the most difficult aspect is dealing with dependency. Living in this way, you are totally, completely dependent on others. You can probably cook for yourself, but that's about it. Personally, though, I get such a deep sense of satisfaction from my workshop, my tools, and my ability to fix and create things with my own hands, I can't imagine it would be worth giving all that up.

[derby378]

6. You're creating things on your own instead of buying them

Sure, there's costs for the raw materials, tools, and fasteners, but what you're doing is a great thing. You're demonstrating a little independence of your own, and there's nothing wrong with that.

[NoNothing]

7. I agree

It just seems like you have to choose: you can either live simply, but dependent, or accumulate tools and materials, and be independent. I don't think you can do both.

[derby378]

8. I do agree that the 100-item limit is a bit sparse

There's a delicate balance somewhere in the middle, and if someone is able to find it, that's a good thing.

[The2ndWheel]

9. They don't not have anything

It's alright if a few people here and there do this. Nobody gives a damn. But if more and more people do this, the economy collapses. Then the government has to attempt to force us to spend money. That's where we're so completely dependent on others. If more people fixed or built their own things with their own hands, then the whole structure of our society falls apart.

[Merlot]

10. I own enough clothes so that I only do laundry once a month.

Look at all the time, energy, and water saved.

Less clothes, more laundry - unless you wear them dirty...



edit: type