Shopping
People will buy:
- things they actually need
- things that although not absolutely necessary to survival are great enhancements to life comfort-wise
- things they believe can impress others (meaning others can become envious of, of course)
to the upper segment this means:
- things they believe nobody else can afford, useless showy trinkets that shout "I have a lot of money"
to the lower segment it means:
- things they believe will convince others they actually belong to the upper segment, although they sometimes can't really afford those things
The first two classes of items are easy to sell to almost everybody because people have to live and crave for at least a little comfort.
The third class is even easier to sell, because that is a bit of the stuff that dreams are made of, those things are what most people wish for.
That is what gets us buying things we could easily live without.
We never give much thought about stuff we buy every day or on a regular basis.
Even presents. Most guys will not remember for their lives a dress they gave to the wife eight years ago, whereas if it was a diamond necklace or a trip to Jamaica they'd surely remember. The harder it is to get something the more we think about it. The more one thinks about something the more one fantasizes how it would be to own that 'something'. This is why a lot of publicity campaigns start long before the products are available.
The wisest move would be to lower our expectations, bring our needs to a minimum. Enjoy that what we have and ask not for much more.
But everybody knows that life is not made of wise choices alone. And guys love gadgets. Gals love shoes and rags and a lot of other things, we love gadgets. I actually do believe gadgets and other toys I like all fall into the first class of products, among food and books (food for the soul).
posted by DCveR at 8:00 AM
13 Comments:
Don't forget music. That's what always gets me at Borders. Books and CDs. :) But I admit to being a bit of a clothes hound as well.. although living here you don't need much... just a few pairs of board shorts and some tank tops!
Also a new outrigger paddle purchase can almost always be justified. :)
Paddling is healthy, so it is essential to your life! Of course it is justified. Music is just as much "soul food" as books are, thank you for point out my omission. My bad. And I really can't criticize women for buying clothes, after all we love seeing nice looking women...
Well, common sense is not all that common now is it?
I have a fetish for pens and books. Books I can understand but Pens???? I have no idea, how it serves any purpose. :(
D'cver, as I woman who does have an appreciation for rags and bags, my biggest love is for my music and book collection. These are priceless to me. I'd rather cuddle up with a great read while listening to some good music than hit the mall anyday.
I do however sport my $700 Luis Vitton bag with my $12.00 Payless slipons, and my $30 jean ensemble, and am looked as a trend setter. It's a woman thing. Do I need a $700 purse, of course not, it was just one of life's little luxuries.
Oh yeah, women love cute expensive handbags so we can put our empty wallets in them.
I do however wish children were fed and people were safe from one another.
Some things I NEED. Books. Music. Magasines. More music. And travel tickets. Oh and food, let's not forget food.
And if I were filthy stinking rich, I'd buy a YATCH.
Anoop! Pens? I thought my mother and cousin were the only ones!
As one of the few men talking here at this moment I just have to agree with all of you :) We love gadgets and cars [wish I have Impreza or Evo, but I cannot afford any car at the moment] :D
dcver dude! gals love gadgets too!!
secondly- how dare you say "rags" when refering to the DEVINE creations that are to adorne our heavenly bodies!?!!! the correct outfit can surely take you away to paradise - how dare you use such diminuitive frases!! ;)
AND- who told you shoes are not FOOD for the soul!
very one sided of you- gadgets are great- shoes and clothes are great ALSO- like you said- both are supposed to "elevate" you to fulfill your own fantasy of yourself so they're equally important
but its true we should not let things rule our lives- there are more concrete ways of achieving what we are looking for- it may not be having that "elusive" thing.
OH btw anoop- i LOVE pens too! i use Pilot with the rubberized middle so it "massages" my fingers as i write :)
Other than shoes I buy very few things I don't need. :)
Hey, I like gadgets too. Okay, that's a bold-faced lie. hehe
Yes GG, I love pens. Only the other day, I saw a pen on my manager's desk and liked it immensely. I asked her if she bought it. She said no. So I asked, "Can I take it?"... She said "yes".... :)
And yes Ale, I love the ones with those rubberized grips too... comfort in writing.
And you know the best part? The best pens are the cheap ones. :)
anoop: Good Half has that problem with pens too, but she found a way to solve it: now she collects pens, so it is officially OK to have has many as she can get ;)
icylyrics: we all have our little idiosyncrasies, but I bet you don’t waste more money than you can afford, and probably you spend some of it to help others, am I wrong?
tacit: travel is learning as you said, so if you can afford it is first necessity (kind of), like books and music...
GG: a yacht, that sounds adventurous...
shyha: well but for starters you got yourself a nice house, that is an investment, and a major one
ale: you got the point! if one can afford it everything that brings satisfaction is important, but the secret is neither get too attached nor seeking to 'own things' that really don't mean anything to us
penny lane: kids should really try everything they want to, but never be forced to keep at it if they lack the interest, most of all you can not make a Mozart out of a kid just by forced practice
bent: I guess athletics is not a very expensive hobby :)
DC, not expensive if it's on sale. "Full price" is not my thing. :)
penny lane: sorry and glad I misunderstood you, sometimes parents tend to force kids to stick with the first fancy they have
bent: is there anyone who prefers to pay "full price"? ;)
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