Are people really materialistic around NoVA? (Norfolk, Newport News: cul-de-sac, apartment complex, townhouse)

[dod236]

I think this is the best post I have ever read on this forum

Originally Posted by Workin_Hard

Is it materialistic to lives within one's means, even if those means are higher than that of others? We live within our available budget, are able to consistently pay our bills, and rarely go out to eat. We buy our clothes at Potomac Mills, Kohl's, etc., and our food at Costco, Wegman's, Harris Teeter. Our daughter is in private preschool which actually is only slightly higher than many daycare options. Our house is 5000 sq. ft., we have a paid-for SUV with 150K miles which is running just fine and a new Lexus hybrid. Books come from the library and I cut my own grass. Our credit cards are at a zero balance and a recently refinanced mortgage is the only significant debt (although I pay less in mortgage than many pay in renting a 2 bedroom apartment).

Is the judgement of "too materialistic" relative? If it's all about money, even Bill Gates picked up the morning paper recently and learned that maybe he's not the richest guy anymore.

So who sets the 'standard' we should live by?

[graceC]

Originally Posted by RVA-Jsn20

you're right because in richmond it's actually encouraged to make your own clothes or get them from locally owned boutiques. and sorry we don't switch cars every 5 years, people generally buy one and get as much use out of it as possible

Hm... I sense a sense of snobbery in your post there. It may be reverse, but it's still snobbery.

From my experience, clothes from locally owned boutiques are usually more expensive than generic mall stores.

[dod236]

I also always ask that question, "do people really go up to people and ask them why they dress the way they do or why they drive the car they drive, or is it all in their head". It must be in their head

Originally Posted by EuroExpat

I don't get it.. When people say "I get judged by the clothes I wear and by the car I drive", does someone actually walk to you and say hey, you're not dressing well or what? Or do those people who feel like they're being judged by others just a bit.. self conscious? I personally couldn't give a hoot about what others think about my clothes or my car. I don't care what they wear/drive either! I mean, I'll notice a nice car and think "good for them, it's probably leased anyway, hopefully one day I can afford a nice car like that". But do I look for designer logos/tags in people's clothes and purses? Umm, no! Seriously, you need to get a life if you're too busy staring at other people and judging the way they live their lives. Let them have fancy clothes if they want, it really shouldn't be any of your business AND you shouldn't care. If you want everyone to dress the same (like you? and I'm not pointing to any particular person here), move to a communist country. This is a free country where people can spend all their money on nice clothes if they wish.

[dod236]

I see that you're having a blast.

Originally Posted by normie

It's too chilly and grey today to do anything outside. Nothing much in the news to talk about. So, this is today's big entertainment.

[bmwguydc]

I don't see how hardwood floors are materialistic, since they used to be the building standard, until significant materials/labor cost increases in the 1970s prompted production builders to market capet/vinyl as the new standard; thus setting the stage for upgrades, and preserving their profit margins in the base configuration. Hardwoods don't show the wear, and have a longer use cycle; and, the use of hardwood/stone/tile significantly influences indoor air pollution in today's tighter houses (no out-gassing from petrochemicals in builder grade carpet, and no trapping of dust/allergens), which is of importance to those with allergies/asthma.

Now ripping out a perfectly good oak floor to replace it with Brazilian mahogany one year, and then an inlaid rosewood within a couple of years, just to show up one's peer group would be materialistic. Merely having a house with quality materials that have a longer life cycle is not materialistic, since it actually costs less in the long run to have them than to have carpet/vinyl that has to be replaced at more frequent intervals.

Stainless/granite is a national trend, spurred by the same consumer preferences that brought about the all white, almond, and the French country kitchen styles of a few years ago. It's not a NoVA-centric phenomenon, and it's even in moderate icome in-fill apartments in transitional urban neighborhoods. There's also a practicality there, since natural/engineered stone counters last longer than their laminate bretheren that can suffer early failures and delamination/discoloration because of regular use.

Look at some of the houes around the region before saying that these embody materialism because many middle-class houses built in the area have such features, and nobody would describe them as materialistic displays. A friend had all of these in a modest ranch house (one of the millions built between The Beltway and West Springfield in the 1960s/1970s), and they didn't even have a garage for their Honda.

[normie]

Originally Posted by dod236

I see that you're having a blast.

You got that right! If I can't be out in my garden, then city-data's my favorite place to be.

[normie]

Originally Posted by CaliTerp07

I find it interesting that people are saying how much more materialistic So Cal is compared to here. I find this place just as materialistic, but it's a different kind of materialism.

You make a good point, there are different kinds of materialism and much of it has to do with your career. Careers in CA tend to be more image conscious than careers here--that could explain a lot of it.

BTW, I'm not dissing Southern California for being stylish--while I was there I got a kick out of it. Fashion and fancy cars may not be my thing right now, but once upon a time they were. When I lived in Redondo Beach I drove a Mercedes and shopped at Nordstroms and Saks (as well as Macys, lol). Those clothes were appropriate to the work I did at that time. I attended a lot of parties in "the industry" and being stylish was expected, in fact necessary to get contracts. But you know what, I also enjoyed being stylish. It isn't interesting to me now, but at one time it was--and so what?

After moving here, I went into a different field of work. I didn't need to be fashionable to get business contacts, and by then I had gotten tired of fashion, so that was the end of shopping at Saks for me. I also dumped the Mercedes, but I don't want to give the wrong impression. It's not like I achieved some sort of frugal enlightenment. I stopped spending money on certain things but I'm certainly not living like a monk.

For example, I'm now much more materialistic in the area of home improvement. I spent very little fixing up my townhouse in Redondo Beach. It was a tiny, poorly constructed place. I was not emotionally attached to it, so I devoted little time or money to fixing it up. Here, I love my house... and now I spend all sorts of $$$ for high end home improvements. I just upgraded the windows, and next year I'm planning to remodel a room on the main level so I can use it as a bedroom. It's going to have a pretty fancy bathroom attached to it. I spend a lot of time working on the plans and thinking about it. So I guess that makes me materialistic after all.

Oh well--I figure it's my money, I can spend it however I like.

[CaliTerp07]

Originally Posted by normie

So in that way life in Nova has its materialistic sides, too. I figure it's my money, I can spend it however I like. But I didn't mean to give the impression that I don't spend money--I just don't spend it on clothes and cars anymore.

I spend mine on my dog She gets premium food and top notch agility lessons!

But seriously...nearly everyone in this country is materialistic in some way. We all crave SOMETHING (whether it's clothing, cars, houses, vacations, a private school education, fancy food, etc). It just manifests itself different ways in different people, and some people can't afford to spend as much as others do on their object of choice.

[pcity]

Are there any rich areas that are not materialistic? In general, people with money like to use it to buy things. It's much easier to be materialistic when you have cash to spend.

I agree with RestonRunner that where you come from really defines your perception of the area.

I don't find it to be any more materialistic than where I come from (suburbs of Philly), but then again the place where I come from is on that same top 100 richest counties list that Loudon and Fairfax are (albeit a bit lower).

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by pcity

Are there any rich areas that are not materialistic? In general, people with money like to use it to buy things. It's much easier to be materialistic when you have cash to spend.

I agree with RestonRunner that where you come from really defines your perception of the area.

I don't find it to be any more materialistic than where I come from (suburbs of Philly), but then again the place where I come from is on that same top 100 richest counties list that Loudon and Fairfax are (albeit a bit lower).

True, I'm from Hampton Roads which is mostly blue-collar and military. When you see someone driving in a Benz there, you already know they probably can't afford it especially if it's parked in inner-city Norfolk or Newport News.

I guess my gulity materialistic pleasure is light colored dress shirts and vests for work. I get so many compliments from the ladies. (sadly it's OLDER ladies!!! ) I just buy my stuff at JCPenney and Burlington.