i'm not blaming target, but one of their lastest ads was the impetus for this post. in this ad, the song talks about wanting more, needing to have it right now, and so on. hey, it's marketing. i understand that it's their goal for me to buy things. especially things i don't need, but just want. or even things that i don't even really want, but buy because it's cheap, or that i'm just a shameless consumer.
i wouldn't say that it's fundamental to our nature to be such consumers. i want to say that it is a learned response. i think back to the ten commandments, good old number ten talks about not coveting (exodus 20:17). coveting is desiring something that others have. like, i want that new ipod because you've got it. it's wrongful desire. i gotta have it right now. so, these desires have been with us for a long time. we can't blame advertisers.
i want to live a simple life. this is not to say that possessions are wrong. but, am i driven by a desire to have more stuff just to have it? do i spend money just because we have it? can i just get by with what i have, which is already more than enough?
so, what is responsible spending look like? here's a scenario: i currently don't have a car. when i want to get around, my options are to borrow the car from the wife, ride my bicycle, or take the bus. lately, i've been thinking about getting my own transportation. so, do i buy a used car? or some little cheapy like honda's fit? i really like the jeep wrangler unlimited, with 4 doors. to be competitive in this high gas price world, they've slashed prices. does that make it worth it? or, the option i really want, get a motorcycle.
of course, the bike i want isn't the cheapest on the market. nor is it the most expensive. but should i get a high priced motorcycle just because i need an easier, faster way to get around?
this isn't the problem. it is a symptom. and maybe the bike isn't even the best example. but, it just seems that we're always being told to desire more than we need, to reap more than we sow. i heard about a new apple phone to come on the market (something much better than the rockr). my first thought, "i want that." i told heather about it, she felt the same way. do either of us need no phones? not right now at least. do i, with my 60gig ipod need a new one of those? no. but the idea of a phone with great ipod & isync technology makes me want it. or, you got a new car, so now i want one, too.
it's easy to turn down over the top advertisers like target. it's a much different story when it's subtle stories on the internet about a product. or a desire for an expensive hobby. in a lot of ways, i'm very tired of "keeping up with the jones'es" and chasing after the american dream. if we need something, well, fine, we can get it. but let's stop allowing ourselves to be sold on a way of life that is anything but healthy.
(and no, this isn't just my way of saying i want to be unemployed the rest of my life.)
5 comments:
I have a lot of the same urges. I want that!!
I heard someone on the radio talking about raising kids. She said that sometimes the best use of money is to spending it on experiences rather than on posessions. It got me thinking...
I have a small house (I own it and it was a good investment, but that's another matter). There's not a lot of room for things. I don't really mind. This morning I was thinking how cool it would be to have a punching bag, pull-up bar, incline bench, and on and on. But there's no room. And I wouldn't use it enough, I'm sure. So my urge to spend was thwarted by my lack of space, and it was a good thing.
But back to experiences. I have been thinking that having a memorable experience is worth a lot, compared to having things that are nice.
Something I've been realizing a lot recently is that access is more important than ownership. If I want to, I can ride a harley, kayak in the river, lift weights, whatever else, but I don't own any of that stuff (well, I own a kayak, but I bought it used and it's in Arizona now). But it's so nice to be able to do things, try them out, see if the gear is going to be worth owning it, and then buy it or rent it or realize that it would have been wasted money-- and I don't have to buy/own/store the equipment. Posessions are a pain in the ass, but it's so nice to have the experiences.
One of my dreams is to grab you and Woody and whoever else and rent a big fat cadillac and spend some time cruising I-10 through the southwest. My desire to have that experience makes me sorta want to own that big white cadillac, but really, it would be such a waste to own it. I'm sure there's someone somewhere who will rent me the car for the trip. At the end of it, we'd have the experience and the photographs, but not the car. Fine with me. Access is so much more important than ownership, if you have an experience-oriented consumption idea rather than a posession orientation.
I think a good idea is to buy slowly, buy intelligently, and buy quality things when you really want them.
Just make sure you keep that little Playstation III nestegg safe and secure.
AMEN to you and the JAY!
I CALLL A FOUL!!! Ed I demand credit for the idea of this post. Or is it just consequential that I went on an Ambien-induced-rant that was very similar to your post (although not as coherant) the other night.
i do admit that we were watching tv, and that you commented on the commercial. but, your rant was more oriented around target's ad strategy, whereas i feel my post is more struggling with consumerism and simplicity.
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