Rejection of Consumer Culture

Okay, I just got back from camping out in front of Best Buy for three days….whew, what a trip! But, it was worth it, I got my X-Box! So, what’s this thread all about?

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This is the government the Founding Fathers warned us about.....

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"Let the beauty we love, be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground." Rumi

There are more differences between homesteaders than I ever would have guessed before I joined this forum - more definitions of what homesteading means, more reasons for choosing to live this way.

The answers in this thread show a similar differences regarding "consumerism", and what that means.
Some apparently do it because "acquiring" has failed to fullfill them and their seeking something else.
Some are expressing a feeling that there is something wrong with it and want to get it under control.
And then there is always the radical fringe - in this case I would say the ones who consider it extremely wrong: gluttony, sinful, or unethical from a global standpoint.
And there are some who are taking it to the activist level.

I'm not saying that the description above is all encompassing, but just that we're not all at the same place.
There are some for whom "anti-consumerism" is not self delusion. It's an important part of their value system and they are in a constant battle against the norms of our society in order to fit a "footprint" they have set as their
personal goal.
They actively seek to learn how much of the planet's resouces they're
using and how to give back instead of merely take.

Things like improving your soil, feeding your own family or obtaining your food locally, rejecting getting caught up in the lastest fashions and or "toys", decreasing your travel or the methods of getting from place to place
will balance some of the "purchases" you have to make.

So in our society you can't have a roaming flock of sheep that wander loosely about, and fencing is necessary... but are you getting fence to keep the stock in and garden safe? Or are you putting up the latest plastic privacy fence as a backdrop for your ornamental plantings and resource guzzling lawn? Big difference. Especially if you are taking it a step further and planting a thorn hedge that will be mature by the your fence fails - so it won't need replacement.

I'm just pointing this out because anti-consumerism is hard in this society.
Those who are attempting it fight an uphill battle daily and need all the encouragement they can get...
We are taking our first steps on this path and are a long way from the goal.
We have to relearn what we've been taught was "good" and "successful".

Plus, the typical city or suburban household is set up completely wrong for this lifestyle. There are a lot of "corrective" purchases to make. But there are serious differences in our purchases from the average American shopping for entertainment and/or status.
Take mason jars, for instance. They will last several lifetimes. And the family using them will NOT be buying zip lock bags or disposable plastic containers. Eventually they will have all the jars they need.
The homesteading items we're acquiring or making do not go out of fashion.
We avoid junky tool/items that will need frequent replacement.
Most of it we hope will be a one time purchase.

The kubota is one of those things that is on the spectrum of how radically you are into this or not. For one person, a brandy new one time purchase meets his frugality test. For the next guy, a used tractor is a compromise.
For a few, less acreage and no tractor feels right, and for some, its horses or oxen.

I wouldn't marginalize the effort folks are making by calling it self delusion.
Morrison Corner, I think you are making more of a positive impact than you give yourself credit for.

I agree with you that the whole thing can descend into self-righteousness by some.
I also think there is an incorrect perception of self-righteousness at times when it's not really there.
We are trying to educate and encourage one another. When it's you who stumbled and could've done better, the ideas for improvement or alternatives can come across the wrong way.

There is an argument that says you DO have a right to "disapprove" of gluttonous spending. The rest of the world is looking hard at the US right now, and our unbalanced taking of the planets resources. Eventually, (In the case of China, very soon) they will challenge our "rights" to what we are taking.
Where is that little soapbox emoticon?
Blah Blah Blah... Sorry so long.

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Hut on the Hill Farm
http://www.hutonthehill.org

One more thought and then I promise to zip it...

When I was younger, one of the most insidious ways advertisers managed to gain their evil influence over me was though "women's" magazines.
Not only with an abundance of ads, but the articles themselves were nothing but extended ads and as a youth I could not see that.

A few of the country magazines out there prove that there are some who call themselves homesteaders but could also very easily be defined as "country-fied consumers - gentleman 'farmers' or yuppies with acreage."
We personally avoid these publications at all costs, even if we can read them for free at the library. They just plant seeds of discontent in us.

Of course, I know there are folks who want to live that way, and there is nothing I can do about it except refusing to support those nasty mags that help feed their desires...

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Hut on the Hill Farm
http://www.hutonthehill.org

So, maybe it could be said that homesteaders want to have a personal "producer" culture, rather than a "consumer" culture, and that everything we "consume" is to that end? ...to "produce" out of what you consume, to me is ENTIRELY different than to consume for it's own sake... but that is just my opinion.

Edited to add; also, producing decreases the amount of consumption that is coming from other market sources, so we should be consuming LESS than most rather than just differently where ever we can. Also, some of us are making conscious choices to LIVE WITHOUT... Heating with a wood stove is entirely counter culture. Consumer culture would suggest that it denies too much personal comfort. Many people on this board make those choices every day in order to live in their own producer culture within their own economic boundaries. Feeling really fuzzy today, so feel free to pick apart my assessment. I am sure there are holes in it.

Signing off to wash the Lexus now.

Cindyc.

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Mom to 5 cool kids and wife to 1 great guy. Life is good!

There's a big gamut here, I do agree Minnikin. There's also a hybrid of the old and new ways of doing things to provide a synthesis that improves and builds upon the strengths of both thought lines while attempting to minimize the weaknesses of both. For example, you can store up foods in glass jars, but if you sell cheese at a farmers market, at least soft cheeses like feta and queso blanco, you aren't going to be using traditional wax coatings, rather vacuum sealed plastic bags.

There are some things I do buy new when the opportunity to find a second hand counterpart is slim or when I may need a standards against which to test what I make. For example, for a new to me hunting rifle I bought second hand, I bought a box of the least expensive hunting ammo Wal-Mart had to use for sighters on my paper targets to get the scope tuned in, then I used my test handloaded ammuntion to pick the most accurage load. On that rifle I spent good money to buy the strongest, more resiliant scope base and scope rings I could find so that I could invest my money wisely. Those latter to purchases will ensure that I don't have to replace them in a few years after some typical rough handling when out hunting.

In another aspect, due to my job duties, I cannot cut back on fuel because my boss tells me he needs this or that covered for the deadline. Sometimes I can combine trips when assignments allow, but there are times I may need to burn two tanks of gas a week to do my work. The car I have does what I need it do and there is no logic in getting over a barrel with a new car that is more fuel efficient if I will be stressing it more anyway to get the same things done and spending more money overall.

As for things like ATVs and tractors versus nothing or a team of horses, mules or oxen, The former two would make more sense around here because they don't need to eat all the time, can haul in wood as needed and the tractor can move hay bales and grade the driveway. I grant that such a decision works for what I need to have done.

It is possible to live even more simply, though one would necessarily have to have a life setup that allows it for a daily existence. Some people have it. Others don't. Some want it to feel complete. Others are happy to have more comforts.

For me it really boils down to having to deal with all the unintended consequences of progress and development and wastefulness that accelerates faster and faster every month here. However, in my mind I see that it does no good to try to fight what the ignorant masses want to do with this area and ruin its charm and attraction in the process. Rather I simply try to live as simply as I can in response to the gluttony, avarice, waste and selfishness others value. Perhaps I cannot change the world, but I can at least do what I can to minimize the impact on the planet.

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I would challenge anyone here to think of a question upon which we once had a scientific answer, however inadequate, but for which now the best answer is a religious one. – Sam Harris

I would have to say that it initially had nothing to do with my decision. (my great grandma gave me a first edition copy of The Have-More Plan!)
However, I soon became aware of it through my researching, and also through the subtle change in mentality that I experienced. Once I knew - I wanted to expand that knowledge to other areas of my financial life.

My first goal was to produce all of my family's meat. Reading books to self-educate, like Joel Salatin's books, Fast Food Nation, various articles, etc on raising animals and the steep learning curve - not to mention figuring out how to keep my freezer stocked and my food supply somewhat steady (instead of feast/famine) led to an awareness of an 'attitude' towards buying food that I was previously unaware.

Discovering a scratch and dent shop created another subtle shift - really following the 'eat what is available in the freezer' mentality. I 'adjusted' to the prices, and not having things perfect, and also selecting from what was available - not being brand loyal, or even list loyal. If they didn't have it - we ate something else that week! Now I can't imagine going back, when I go into a grocery store I have total sticker shock.

Not all of my decisions were made with some sort of higher calling. I buy from thrift stores because I really have to in order to not go into debt buying clothes for my kids. Three boys at home all the time on acreage is hard on clothes! Sometimes I find other deals there. BUT for me, thrift stores can be a weakness. I've found a middle-ground there by justifying some of my purchases of 'finds' as Christmas gifts for others. I don't go just to look either, but only when I need something.

We got rid of our television in August of 2005. We don't miss it. Now we are even further removed. It makes a huge difference. It's called peace and quiet! lol.

I think my own family is slowly becoming sensitized. Some of it was intentional, some of it was not. I am glad, because I don't think I really had the freedom of choice before. I wasn't aware that there was any other way of doing food! DH and I have also spent the last several years getting out of credit card and car debt. That was simply due to the fact that we got tired of it! I hope our kids learn from our mistakes, and gain ten years on us financially. Sometimes, I fear they just feel deprived, especially compared to other kids their own age.

I don't think that frugal snobbery is any better than 'keeping up with the Jones'. It is the same 'one-up-manship' attitude. If I've got a tip - I'll share it - if you've got a better way - I'd love to know it!

niki

And consider this: All of these useless distractions
that are called "toys" included in these Happy Meals
come from China.

Brightly-colored plastic, made from Oil....

So, we are paying our greatest rival (economic as
well as military) to waste millions of barrels of Oil,
which is irreplaceable, to make our children happy
for about 10 minutes each, then clog our landfills
with persistant garbage.

And it teaches our children to treasure some little
trinket or bauble for a few minutes, then throw it
away; pleasure is disposeable.

This is wrong on so many levels it boggles the mind.

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--Arkander--
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For me, it is about a 50/50 split between prepping
for TSHTF/TEOTWAWKI, and getting out of the trap
of the Consumer Culture.

I was never into keeping up with the Joneses. I never
cared what someone else had, and never compared
myself to them.

But, I did like my toys.

And there is still $60K+ of Student Loans in my
household to show for it.

Now we are facing about 5 more years of jobjobs
that neither one of us can really stand to get rid
of them and The Mortgage(tm).

We called the tune, and the fiddler played....

Now he's asking for his due.

But since we are OUT of the Consumer Culture, the
bill will only go down.

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--Arkander--
root@universe> find / -name '*base*' -exec chown -R :us {} \;
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Hubby and I share the same feelings about what our "wants" are - and we just don't desire the sort of foods, entertainments, trappings, decorations, "toys", and luxuries that are continuously advertised and merchandised by businesses who only want our money.

If I were to turn on our 13 inch "big screen" TV right now, within a minute I could see frantic advertising for dozens of items that are just downright meaningless to us. And not one of them would compare with grabbing a piece of chewing gum, going out on the land, and sitting on stump chewing away while our goats and cow settle in to join us for a bit of family "cud chewing".

Some folks are happy to trade hours, days and years of their life to earn money and they give it straight away to the next bauble or trinket merchant. But that just doesn't appeal to us at all. We don't care for the whole churn and burn of manufacturing, selling and buying, consuming, replacing/upgrading items, land filling packaging and products, and waste in general. It doesn't seem like a way to be good stewards of the earth to us, and it doesn't sit well with us that money get pulled out of your pocket at every step along the way.

We honestly feel sorry for folks that end up working hour after hour for crap that we'd never even consider spending our money on, but we also recognize that they'd probably look at our lifestyle and think that we were the ones missing out because we're not wearing the latest fashion (or any "fashion, for that matter ) or being the first in the neighborhood to buy the latest and greatest flashy product of the moment.

I'm not sure that we reject the consumer culture so much as we just don't get it. It just doesn't seem like a satisfying way to live a life to us.

Lynda

Comsumer culture comes in several flavors:

http://homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=151522

http://homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=151462

Are there any homesteading related items that any of us would be willing to spend hours, even days in line waiting to buy?

.....Alan.

Nope. Not me....

The Missus and I made a conscious decision when
we started our Homesteading Journey....

We will buy nothing that we do not need.
We will only buy it when we need it, with cash.
If it is too expensive or isn't readily available, we
will do without.

To my way of thinking, a 3-day wait in line for an
item makes it unavailable. Ergo, we will do without.

We have had problems living up to the first one.
We have done very well on the second.
We haven't experienced the third yet.

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--Arkander--
root@universe> find / -name '*base*' -exec chown -R :us {} \;
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The answer here is to become Marketing Perverse.

Rather than ignoring intrusive/offensive advertising
and buying the product anyway, boycott any product
or company whose advertising annoys you.

I loath being Marketed to, in any way, shape, or form.
If I find that I want/need something, I'll send off for
a catalog or brochure.

Besides the useless pap served up by Network Tee Vee,
I turned it off in large part due to advertising.

Some years ago, TBS pi**ed me off and put the last
straw on the camel's back.

I was watching a movie; I don't even remember now
what it was. (Planet of the Apes, maybe?)

But I actually timed it....

A two hour movie took three hours to play, even carved
up the way networks are wont to do to make room for
the commercials. The result was five-to-six minutes
of movie followed by exactly seven minutes of commercials.
There were exactly thirteen commercials during each
break; twelve 30-second ones and one 60-second one.

And all of them pimping garbage....

Yup. Marketing Perverse is the way to go.

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--Arkander--
root@universe> find / -name '*base*' -exec chown -R :us {} \;
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WIHH...this is exactly it, at least in my life. This is what I am working towards. Thank you for verbalizing it so well.

Sassa

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"Start Where You Are."--Pema Chodron

What amazes me is how many people actually rent storage units to store all the stuff they've acquired!!!!!!! Can't fit it in their house...probably don't even know what they have. I'm into minimilism. DEE

A couple of things. A student loan as a status symbol. A young man where I work, dearly loves the job he has. But it is rather low paying, which normally doesn't bother him. But, he has huge student loans that he is barely keeping a head of. So, because his significant other has a job, he quit his job and is going to a truck driving school, which he also likes. Because the driving job will pay off the loans much faster, less than three years, he can come back to this job and resume the job he really wants (his employer will hire him back). Not many young people would solve a problem in this manner, because greed runs their lives. Now in my life, both my wife and I were brought up to be frugal, as do a lot of other farm kids. My wife and I just don't buy something for the status of it. We buy something because it will work for us. I have been fortunate that I have a curiosity and love of mechanical things. Approaching 65 now, I have never in my life paid someone to do anything on my vehicles, I do everything up to and including engine overhaul and body work and paint. As for finances, we have had one credit card all our 38 yrs of marriage, I did have one before that, and we have never bought anything we couldn't pay off in the 30 day grace period. Not having a high profile, debt ridden, lifestyle is in itself a lifestyle, one that we like.

Another significant difference between the homesteader's consumption and the average person's is the amount of waste generated. When a homesteader buys something, in all likelyhood, it sticks around forever(much to the dismay of your spouses). Whereas when the average consumer buys anything is ends up in the landfill in record time. We have found that by not wasting food, clothes, ect it becomes harder and harder to consume. Efficient disposal of waste is an essential componet of today's consumption patterns, perhaps if every product's cost included the cost of disposal, people's consumption patterns would change. As it stands, I pay exact same amount of taxes for trash pickup although I only generate a fraction of the waste the average person produces. This is just another example of how some of the incentives in our coulture are set up completely wrong...

I don't even have words for the trechery.



I have always profited from the consumerist society so maybe I shouldn't put it down.. never thought twice about taking something someone was throwing out that was either still basicly good or could be put to good use. I figure I find all this great stuff completely for free because of that crazy rabid gerbil sort of consumerism. I mean they either are throwing away perfectly good stuff to make room in thier house for more stuff or cuz they are so enraptured of the buy new stuff mentality that they can't tell when something is repairable.
Either way its all up side for me ... almost, I do end up with alot of jun.....erm spare parts.


........................

so much more to say but looks like one pile of spare parts is about to topple over onto me

wOOf

Consumer culture is great! They throw it away...and we get it! (That's the only reason why I have a couple of "name brand" pieces of clothing.)

I'm turning into a sucker for freebies...

I loved reading all the intelligent well thought out replies to this thread, I am constantly amazed at some of your wisdom and ability to express your self thru words.
I was first drawn to the lifestyle by visiting my great grandpas farm in eastern KY he had a wonderful homestead and did it all black smithing, gardens, plowing with mules and more by the time i was visiting him he was to old to do much but he still cared for the old mules till they died of old age. My mother taught me to love gardening at a young age 4 or 5. My grandpa always had a big garden while i was growing up I guess the life is just in my blood. Now I also do it in part as a rejection of the consummer lifestyle though it is more that I dont want to live over my means so that I have to continue working for others doing things that dont interest me, I want to be free to work on my schedule doing things that I love doing , and I want to be able to play with the kids when i choose and go swim or fish in the river on a hot day and finally after this deployment is over I will be where I want to be as far as that goes.Though many dont think I will be able to make it I will proove them wrong.My neighbor asked DW yesterday what i was planning on doing for $ the 6 colder months of the year when the farmers market is closed, what would he think if i told him make snow men and sled with the kids when i am not homeschooling them LOL when your humble place is paid for and you reduce your bills and grow/hunt your own food I guess it does not take much income to live on we will see. I will be sure to put updates here when i can.

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marching to the beat of a different drummer