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Socks and underpants.
+1
I had a clear out earlier this year and threw out a load which must have been over 10 years old, so running a bit low now........
It’s considering a material item to be valuable simply because of what it is.
i’m materialistic then. cant say i’m going to agonise over it, not like i’m a shopaholic or massively in debt trying to keep up with the Jones’s.
Well exactly. I'm not alleging that materialism is always bad.
At least bikes are cheaper than cars.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Is a good bike a spiritual or material thing?
I mean, biking can be very spiritual. But whilst you don’t need an £8k bike, the likes of us might think we need at least £800-£1k bike to be reliable and not intrude into the ride experience with crapness. That’s still a fair chunk of money.
What about a musical instrument? Few would argue that music can be profound and transcendental, but a £60 guitar might not get you there. I have an £800 amp (bought s/h for far less) and I could get lost in the sound of a single chord played through it. That’s about all I can do with it mind.
One good bike is fine. Its having several especially of the same type - or the needless buying of the latest and greatest that the materialist.
Its buying replacements for functional items thats the real issue hence we have eaten of the same set of mismatched plates for 30 years. No need to buy more as we have a set that fulfils their function
I don't particularly want pointless gadgets or gizmos I wouldn't use, hate it when people by me them as presents.
But I have a weakness for good quality cycle clothing, and quite fancy a £4k ti bike for my 50th!
Materialism is bad if the underlying cause if that you are not happy in life and feel that buying loads of things will make you happier. It doesn't usually work as you will just be searching out the next thing to buy as you are still not happy with the last 100s of things you bought.
However if I had no bike at all I wouldn't be happy as I couldn't ride. So wanting a bike is not really materialistic whereas wanting a carbon crank because it looks better may be verging on it!
My weakness is outdoor jackets, I have cupboards full of them. After a year or so of not ever actually wearing them I generally sell them on Ebay. When we go walking I generally wear the same tatty old 10 year jacket that I've always used....
Fine by me.
Buying the right stuff can certainly bring a lot of pleasure.
Go for the quality stuff - keep the economy ticking over too.
I know plenty of people who are quite mean with their purchasing but don't seem any better of with their hording lifestyle. They also don't seem any happier.
I'm not sure depriving yourself of these sort of pleasures actually results in a more satisfying life.
I think struggling and just making ends meets is pretty miserable actually.
As long as you don't buy for indiscriminate reasons, it's all good. And you've got to get the priorities right for you of course.
hmm, maybe I should set up a bank savings account and every time I resist buying something or buy the cheaper option I could put the money into that savings account anyway?
....And then buy a 911 or F-Type I was looking at earlier? 😉
Materialism is bad if the underlying cause if that you are not happy in life and feel that buying loads of things will make you happier.
I think this is the key. It's your relationship with the stuff that is the key question.
I buy vinyl records, not because I listen to them, moreso because I see them and want them, usually because they're on coloured vinyl or something....... Makes no sense whatsoever but its like a sickness
Then I complain that I can't afford other things..... Like food
It's all just stuff innit
To me, buying something expensive and then not using it because I’m precious about it being damaged is materialistic. I’m terrible for it with bikes, I spend a fortune then never ride them because the weather isn’t right, or my fitness isn’t there, or it means chucking it in the car which might damage it. I then end up with a load of bikes I don’t ride, get pissed off and sell them for a huge loss.
for me the sweet spot is about £1500 - enough that I’m happy with it but not so much that I dare not ride it. I’ve just sold my etap equipped Storck and Di2 cervelo with a view to buying a tarmac s-works. I’m holding off because I know what I’m like and it would never get ridden.
I love threads like this.
First person to not understand the difference between "bought" and "brought" gets a free copy of "The Ladybird book of English Grammar" and a free sub to Grammarly.
Just turned 50. Wants..,nothing. Or at least there’s nothing that appeals. And that’s the thing, nothing material excites any more. Main pleasure these days is Scouting, giving younger folk some memorable times. Made some amazing new friends, done more than I ever thought I could. So rewarding. And it costs nowt.
Car, a 14yr old People Carrier that does everything I need. It looked odd parked amongst the German finery outside my firms glitzy HQ the other day. 🙂
Bikes, my Puffin does it all. I’m slowly resurrecting my SIR.9, as a do-it-all commuter type affair. Slowly being the word. It will live again.
Just moved house. Fancy big detached in a reasonably nice place. Big mortgage shackled now. Not what most wantvat 50+, & I do panic over it, sometimes. In a way I’m amazed that we afford it. But we do. if we’d stayed in the 3 bed semi I’d just be chucking cash at shite. I know because I did that for the last 10yrs. So now the cash goes into bricks & mortar. I’m not a saver, never have been. I want to, but part of me knows that if I’d [big sum] a month not going into the mortgage it’d be unlikely to go into the bank. (Or at least stay in it).
Soul bared. 😐
Great thread.
Some people around me are very venal and materialistic. Can't stand listening to obsessions over house size, car brand, how posh your friends are etc.
I have to acknowledge I've gone a bit too far the other way though. I worked in a very insecure job for three years and was terrified of spending any money in case I suddenly became unemployed. My job is more secure now but I just won't really spend money. I have to absolutely need something before I will spend.
I save for months and research good deals. Then, when I have enough money saved and a good deal comes along, I still can't part with the dosh!
I buy the best I can in the way of tools for my jobs. Apart from that it was just a case of overbuying bikes, and that was down to me just liking it. Hence my getting a Jekyll 2 from Pauls rather than a Santa Cruz from UBYK.
I was feeling pretty smug about that until I remembered guitars. I have just under a dozen in secure storage bought to make money a while when they rose in value. All secondhand, all classic, all fun and to be honest only bought because I was making good money at one point in my life and I wanted them. I've not been to the storage place in 18 months and not played any of them for longer than that. The ones I play now and then are a through body Mania cheapo thing I found on a wall in a pub in Weymouth and a first series Relic 50's Strat.
The rest would be on a wall at home if I lived there often enough.