The C word already and we've not taken summer hols yet.

Bureaucracy SueDonim......drives me crazy! Firm filling, licences, PAT testing, new regs every year, working out loading for each lighting column, it’s a bigger task than people realise. Hope your ftiend’s DH manages to get through it all without too many problems.

And if we did all 'dare to dream' and 'started now... and refused to buy into it' there would be hundreds of businesses at risk of closure and thousands of jobs lost. People depend on us pulling crackers for their very livelihood oldbatty. Would you see them all out of work? Would you see more homeless people on the streets as they can no longer pay their rent?
Now that really would 'make a difference' wouldn't it?

OK, sorry for my rant. But the balance is all wrong. People need work certainly and if its making crackers, so be it.

But surely there is something wrong with us ,if we relentlessly pursue the idea that more stuff equals happiness.

Can you remember a few years ago when it was a tree, a dinner and gifts for the family. It now seems like some huge juggernaut of consuming stuff.

Katek, the latest bright idea from the council is that the town pays for the electricity the lights use. Firstly, the residents already pay a not inconsiderable amount of council tax and second, who's going to work out how much electricity is consumed?

It might be a juggernaut for you, Oldbatty, but our Christmas is still a tree, some presents, some nice food and a chance every couple of years for all my family to get together.

I have to say, didn't Jesus himself receive some pretty pricey gifts? Gold, frankincense and myrrh didn't come cheap!

Yes, I do agree with you there, but it's not just C*******s is it? The juggernaut of consumerism is driving through all aspects of our lives these days. It's no longer just the 'must have' latest clothes, but the 'must have' latest smart phone, tablet, X-Box games, TV's, coffee machines, and so on ad infinitum. We complain that nothing is made to last any longer, but a lot of that is driven by people who don't want their gadgets and devices to last, as they wouldn't look so cool with last year's model. The level of consumerism in first world countries is obscene.
I came across something on Facebook which read "If one million women bought their next item of clothing secondhand instead of new, we would save 6 million kg of carbon pollution from entering the atmosphere." Food for thought! (though of course, I don't necessarily take everything at face value on Facebook!!)

That post was in reply to oldbatty

But are we the generation Oldbatty that relentlessly pursues that more stuff equals happiness?

I don’t think we are . We’re the make do and mend generation , the guilty for spending our money generation , the generation that actually hopes to repair things rather than just rush out and buy new.

I think you’re preaching on the wrong forum - it’s a much younger generation that maybe has that attitude.

to be honest, I can be a bit silly with wasting things but it is small in comparison to some. I feel bad is I chuck out an out of date yoghurt.I waste money on coffees out and meals out.

I guess my parents were the war time generation and that still loomed large whereas now its a case of " I spend therefore I am".

Is buying yourself a coffee or a meal out really wasted on you Oldbatty ? Don’t we all have an obligation to take care of ourselves as well as others .

Don’t you deserve a small treat once in a while ? Punishing yourself won’t save the world you know. I firmly believe that this is not a rehearsal so you owe it to your self to live it to the best of your abilities .

I don't think having coffee or eating out is a waste. My Dh & I had lunch in a newish independent cafe today. I thought it was excellent for a number of reasons.

It has returned an old, abandoned building to useful life and is furnished with 'pre-loved' tables and chairs. It employs a number of staff. It serves as a link to the local community. It had a free swap-a-book corner and a local information point. It sells healthy food and drinks sourced locally wherever possible. It attracts tourists into the area as it's on a cycle route. Finally, it was going like a fair today, with customers ranging from an aged lady with a zimmer to a young baby with family so is obviously providing a great service to its town!

We could all sit in our own homes & workplaces drinking our own coffee but the price of a coffee out was well worth it to see the value this new cafe has brought to people's lives.

Nobody ever saved the world by keeping their money to themselves. Go out and spend it - wisely - and keep people in jobs, keep shops open, keep your village, town or high street alive.