Summary Of Buy Yourself Less Stuff By Mp Dunleavey

“Money” Analysis Paper In MP Dunleavey’s essay, “Buy Yourself Less Stuff”, she discusses various flaws with our society’s use of money and suggests a few solutions to correct those flaws. Most people assume that buying things and having stuff will give them a lasting happiness, but the truth is the happiness that having material items brings is only short-lived. People continue to chase after this lasting happiness which creates what Dunleavey refers to as the “never-ending treadmill of consumption.” To avoid being on this treadmill, she suggests spending money only on things that will benefit people’s long-term happiness. Throughout her essay, the author uses her own opinions, stories of others, and researcher’s studies to adequately develop

Companies are always coming out with something bigger and better. Dunleavey focuses on how because of the way the “normal” is always changing, people are constantly wanting and buying more to try to keep up with the world around them. She uses the two examples of how the average square feet of the American home has greatly increased over the past 30 years and how she always thought if her salary could increase by ten to fifteen thousand then she would be satisfied to effectively convey her point. One of the main reasons consumers get stuck on the “treadmill of consumption” is because people are never satisfied with what they have. It is Human nature to try and “keep up with the Joneses” as Dunleavey mentions. Some one else always has something bigger and better which will always makes people continuously crave more

Throughout her work, she discusses money’s positive and negative effect on people’s happiness. Halfway through the essay, the author says, “‘Conspicuous consumption is not about buying things you need, but about buying things as a symbol of your earning power, a signal to others that you’ve attained a certain level of wealth.” Dunleavey shifts from using trying to achieve happiness and satisfaction as the motive behind people’s spending habits to using power and wealth as the motive. This quote is the only mention of power or wealth as a motive in the essay. The idea behind power and money is undeveloped in the essay and could be unconvincing to some