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Refuse To Be A Customer In Training

By Frugaling 7 Comments

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Consumer in training Whole Foods cart

A seed is planted

As a 4 and 5-year-old, I slept comfortably on an IKEA bed frame. Like many of their products, it was probably called a Flickanflack, Dottbland, or some other uniquely random, proper Swedish name.

I remember a drawer that occupied the bottom of the bed frame — so large that I could fit my little self inside it. When the drawer closed, and the world turned off, I felt protected — even if I was a little afraid of the dark. Nothing could find or get me in my enclosed space.

My parents would go to IKEA and drop me off at Småland. This little taste of the Scandinavian language was the play place for children. Parents could browse through the store — even eat lunch — and then come back to pick up their kids.

Lucky for my parents, I actually liked the place and it afforded them some time alone. They could breathe easy, and I could have fun — a win-win (we thought). Unfortunately, something more nefarious was cemented at this young age, and it directly affects how my room looks today.

Companies market to nostalgia, memory

A couple weeks ago, I read an article about cereal marketing. It turns out that marketers know how to manipulate us to feel nostalgic responses — craving feelings from our past that can trigger consumption.

One food and consumer trend analyst suggests that “nostalgia is an important weapon in a marketer’s arsenal.” This effect was recently envisioned in the return of General Mills’ French Toast Crunch cereal.

For Millennials, this cereal brings back memories of childhood and happiness. And the company wants to recreate those emotions and benefit from increased income.

Like the potty, consumerism takes training

Some companies openly display their child-targeted tactics. For instance, Whole Foods, which has a wealth of natural and organic food options, provides tinier shopping carts for children. Attached to these mini-carts is a flag with a message: “Customer in training.”

Subtly, General Mills, IKEA, and Whole Foods (to name three in a sea of companies) display the power of marketing to children. By reaching young minds, ideas can be implanted for later use. Many of their efforts are initially free or nominal.

Swimming in the ball pit, playing video games, and racing around IKEA’s Småland didn’t exactly feel evil. As a child, I wanted that environment; heck, it was more entertaining than what was at home. I welcomed those moments.

The perfect corporate consumer creation

Companies are playing a long game with children’s minds. This training can suddenly be activated at a company’s discretion — making us adult automatons and primed for consumption. It’s the tinge when we walk down the cereal aisle and feel a pull for Captain Crunch, Reese’s Puffs, and Life. These are marketed moments of nostalgia.

Children become inclined to the shapes and designs of IKEA furniture when it’s in their rooms and they’re visiting the fun, comfortable ball pit. And I was just one of the many affected by these tactics.

IKEA Catalog on table

In 2011, IKEA opened their first store in Colorado. As a student in Fort Collins (northern part of Colorado), I made the hajj-like journey to the store only days after its opening day. Again, there was a magnetic force pulling me to visit, purchase, and come back again.

Walking through the doors, there were a flood of emotions, but I couldn’t resist smiling. The smell of cinnamon buns and fresh wood tickled my senses and felt familiar. That familiarity led me to buy a desk, bed frame, side tables, a chair, stool, and many other odds and ends.

Hundreds and hundreds of dollars later, I had become the perfect corporate consumer. IKEA’s tactics had worked, and at the time, I couldn’t even seen the connection. I just felt this unknown gravitational pull.

Preventing childhood brand loyalty

Before I go any further, I’m not sure that most people in Western culture can prevent children developing brand loyalty. Billboards, magazines, TV shows, shops, restaurants, and everything in between serve as powerful anchors for future consumers. Children are psychologically changed by these messages — corporations know this and parents should, too.

The consequence of perfect implantation of these advertisements is that people do not want to relinquish the connection. As a frugal person and advocate of minimalism, I can tell you that I still like IKEA. If someone said I couldn’t shop there any more, I’d be upset. The company’s gigantic, warehouse-like stores are too familiar to imagine letting go of. I’m deeply loyal to the brand.

Nonetheless, in this world of marketing, there are a few things parents certainly can do to raise children that evaluate these external messages.

1. Avoid companies that target children

For many parents and families, this is challenging. Most supermarkets and big-box retailers model the stores to affect children. Cereal aisles are, again, the perfect example. Children’s cereal is placed lower to the ground, features colorful packaging, and fun cartoon characters. Parents can decide to avoid shopping with children when possible and protest companies like Whole Foods that actively recruit consumption in children (i.e., “Customer in training” carts).

2. Be skeptical of “free” offers

There are many samples, courtesy gifts, and free offers for parents and their children. When a child is surrounded by certain products, a connection develops. If there is comfort in these items, those children will likely continue the cycle of consumption for that particular brand (whether they know it or not). IKEA’s play place may be free in price, but their corporate goals are to create return shoppers for decades to come.

3. Talk with children about the messages they receive

Advertisers don’t tend to explain themselves to children. It’s not like kids are provided a consent form that tells them what advertisements can do to them. But the young mind is malleable. What makes children incredible sponges for knowledge also makes them susceptible to untoward marketing behaviors. As parents, guardians, teachers, and leaders, we can share some of the truth and help explain how companies aim to affect our emotions negatively (by manipulating us to feel nostalgia and happiness).

Filed Under: Save Money, Social Justice Tagged With: Advertisers, Children, Consumer, Consumerism, Customer, General Mills, Ikea, Marketing, Minimalism, Nostalgia, Whole Foods

You Know What Would Be Nice?

By Frugaling 6 Comments

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Ikea Store Nice!
I like Ikea a lot, but this place makes me think, “You know what would be nice?” Photo: Håkan Dahlström/Flickr

A dendritic response arcs across my brain, as a firing of emotional and processing centers make me think, “You know what would be nice?” It’s the beginning of a dangerous game for me; at times, that question begets rampant spending.

“You know what would be nice” is a phrase that envisions the bigger picture, better future, and more attractive self. It encapsulates my desire for nicer clothes, electronics, furniture, etc. I can see and feel how an iPhone 6 might complete my left pant pocket. The svelte thickness and aluminum texture captivate me in these moments.

“You know what would be nice” is the reason Ikea, Target, and other big-box retailers exist. They perfected the art of the ensemble. It wasn’t enough to get/have a couch; now, you needed the accoutrements. They suggest “what would be nice” and show you the pairing. Their catalogs and stores are expertly laid out to exemplify an orgiastic group of accessories.

A small rug could complement the dining room. That watch would make this outfit POP. This lamp shade would make my room cozier. This shirt would be great for a night out.

“You know what would be nice” is the dream hypothetical that only lives in marketers’ models. Realizing this is one of the most painful lessons in consumerism. No matter how many “nice” things I own, the question will continue to putz around my little mind — craving me to cave and spend.

I’m not sure when I started saying this phrase. It’s led to horrible spending habits at certain times in my life. And I’ve heard others, mouths agape, vomit this treacherous line, too. The reality and solution is far simpler.

All we need to do is change the desired answer — a détournement to the prescribed answer. “You know what would be nice?” To be content with who I am today, the things around me, and the life I lead. “You know what would be nice?” To quiet the racing mind that suggests I need anything consumeristic to complete me. “You know what would be nice?” To make purchases out of necessity and enjoyment, rather than compulsion and marketing pressure.

Filed Under: Save Money Tagged With: buying, Consumerism, Consumption, Ikea, money, Save, stores, Stuff, Target

You Aren’t Frugal Enough!

By Frugaling 21 Comments

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Sale Ends Today Banksy Art Consumption

The world currently exists in an infinite growth paradigm — an impossibility that will lead to the planet’s destruction if not curtailed — where increased production and consumption are desired. A pressure to work, spend, and consumptively “contribute” can come from both internal and external sources. This environment makes frugality challenging.

Individually, I struggle to save money, eat out less, and make healthy financial choices. It’s easy to pull out excuses: I’m tired, stressed, or too busy. This monologue pushes me to spend on items that should make me feel relaxed and content. They don’t. My precarious budget necessitates and encourages an alternative. Moreover, I’m motivated to reduce my environmental impact due to climate change. To consume is human (i.e., food), but to buy endlessly and without reason is disastrous. But I can’t say it’s easy, as I must be continually mindful of my spending. Mistakes happen when I’m not actively working at it. Last weekend I spent about $35 going out for food and drinks, in a moment of total unconscious spending.

Along with this self-promulgated racket, there are also social pressures that encourage spending. Society has certain expectations about wealth and success. Usually, achievement in the eyes of our capitalist system requires a paycheck of about $50,000 or more — with continual raises and bonuses. Income must also be spent conspicuously. In other words, you should find ways to spend on things that provide no material value — they just occupy space (i.e., larger cars, homes, and the crap to fill them).

Buy Me. I'll Change Your Life. Art Graphic.If you aren’t making these purchases there can be a social reaction or rejection. This is where frugality gets messy. For instance, I tried a dating site that asked whether I owned a car. The question seemed innocuous enough, but upon further inspection I realized it was aimed at attractiveness. See, asking whether I had a car was meant to give information to potential women. They would be asked the same thing, but I could see many women’s profiles needed the man to have a car. It made me feel bad. Not having a car made me less attractive; an obvious societal pressure, which still felt unexpectedly horrible. I clearly wasn’t meeting the expectations of those on the site. I wished I owned a car momentarily.

It’s not just cars. Look at the phone in your pocket. If you’re a millennial, it’s likely a smartphone — mine is! When you see someone pull out a flip phone or a “brick,” you may judge that person’s income level and status — I have. But is that fair, right, or healthy?

The greatest challenge to my frugality has come from those who verbally question my decisions (fortunately, none of my friends 🙂 ). For example, there are people who tell me I’m not frugal enough or could/should be doing better. Essentially, they’re saying, “You’re trying to be frugal, but you haven’t met my expectations. If you really want to be frugal, you’d do this…” The other critique I receive is that my frugality hurts the economy. By reducing my consumption, I’m somehow not doing my part. When I more accurately reflect on these situations, I realize that something about my goals are creating a reactionary defensiveness in some people.

I’ve found that my method of talking about frugality and saving money greatly affects how safe others feel about their own choices. A spendthrift may inherently be insulted and/or self-conscious by my choices. What they don’t realize is that their social pressures (or critiques) can act on a healthy budget to encourage conformity and consumption.

Becoming more frugal isn’t without challenges — both internal and external. The frugal life isn’t always easy, but it certainly feels rewarding when done right.

Filed Under: Save Money Tagged With: Consumerism, Consumption, environment, Frugal, frugality, money, Save, social pressure, spend, Work

Who Are The Real Job Creators?

By Frugaling 9 Comments

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Office Space Boss Are Job Creators

The term starts with classic media manipulation

For too long, big businesses and media conglomerates have propagated messages that suggest that only wealthy individuals can be graced with that moniker: “job creators.” The time has come to reappropriate and annex this title from the privileged minority.

News outlets are masterminds at twisting words to fit this greater script. Their training must be incredible, because they’re naturals at it. The trite, overused, and vapid phrases support a message that “wealthy people create jobs.”

The wealthiest elite stole the term, job creators. Instead of saying “rich,” “wealthy,” or “top one-percent,” the term puts a positive, flattering spin to scary inequality. What could possibly be wrong with job creators? Why would we want to discourage job creation? We need to help these job creators do their job — create jobs! (You can find beautiful examples of this media manipulation on Fox.)

This widely circulated logical fallacy has long been hurting the masses. Billionaires are often seen as the lubricant for our great American society. The dream that we are born into is promoted by their unique skill set, intellect, and economic wherewithal. Where would we be as a country, people, and world without the wealthiest people creating jobs? What would the world look like if we just removed the economic power that is trapped within the economic elite — our infamous one-percenters?

Started from the bottom now we here…

Let’s clear up this myth real quick. Below, I have ten (off the top of my head) of the greatest entrepreneurs of the last few decades. None of them were billionaires or part of the wealthy elite prior to creating thousands of jobs.

1. Steve Jobs (Apple)
2. Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook)
3. Elon Musk (PayPal, Tesla Motors, SpaceX)
4. Larry Page (Google)
5. Sergey Brin (Google)
6. Bill Gates (Microsoft)
7. Sean Parker (Napster, Spotify, Facebook)
8. Jeff Bezos (Amazon.com)
9. Howard Schultz (Starbucks)
10. Kevin Plank (Under Armour)

Steve Jobs was a job creator and entrepreneur
Steve Jobs unveils the latest generation iPhone. Photo: Matthew Yohe.

There’s no doubt that we’ve benefited as a world and country from these entrepreneurs. But to suggest that their billionaire status created jobs would be naive and dangerous. They created jobs through grit, timing, and intellect, but it came before the money.

Jobs was tripping on LSD and going through spiritual journeys, and then segued to the computer industry.

“[Steve Jobs] never finished college, dropping out after 18 months to take random, creative classes (such as that calligraphy, which he said is one of the main reasons why the graphics look so great on Apple devices). He was dropping in on these classes and just grabbing as much knowledge as possible without actually getting a grade in them. During the course of that he slept on the floor of friends’ dorm rooms, returning Coke bottles for food money, and getting weekly free meals at the local temple. (Source)”

He wasn’t wealthy, just a hippie looking to find salvation in the next great technology.

Larry Page and Sergey Brin were mere graduate students at Stanford University when their lives were forever changed. They weren’t rich, just motivated entrepreneurs.

Who are the real job creators?

We have entered a centralized, monopolized, anti-trust-ridden epoch where only a select few companies, organizations, and people control the dialogue. Fox News shouldn’t be able to manipulate the American people into thinking that wealthy people are job creators. And the short answer: they’re not.

Today, we must reclaim the title of “job creators” to their rightful owners: consumers and small business entrepreneurs. Every time we choose to search through Google, check/update our Facebook status, click and clack over our Apple keyboards, and slip on that Under Armour for a run, we are making an active, consumer-based choice. We are supporting jobs for that company and industry. That purchase and usage is our choice; ultimately, we create and support those jobs through this spending.

Trickle-down economics doesn’t work, and neither does trickle-down job creation. Let’s get our title back.

Filed Under: Make Money Tagged With: Apple, Business, Consumer, Consumerism, Entrepreneurs, Fox, Google, Income Inequality, Job Creators, media, Microsoft, News, Small Businesses, Steve Jobs

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