Think about the things you buy in stores monthly or weekly — what purpose do they serve? It may be for materialistic purposes if you feel like you’re buying things and you’re not sure why. I’m going to talk about materialistic things and what purposes they may serve in our lives.
Materialistic things are the items people purchase for different reasons. For some, these things bring joy, fulfill a need, or remind us of something. Materialistic things don’t always serve a purpose, require replacement, and may not be durable.
What are the things that bring you joy every day? Do you buy things to impress your friends and be fashionable, or to meet your needs? From fast fashion to collectible items, materialistic things are more “wants” than “needs.”
What are Materialistic Things?
Materialistic things are items like clothing, accessories, gadgets, and electronics that people collect for different reasons. These things cost money, may mean different things for different people, and can add value to one’s life.
Material Things that Make You Happy
The material things that make you happy are always individualized. Think about your favorite things — when you purchased those items, did they put a smile on your face? Did you feel a sense of fulfillment or satisfaction? Why do we purchase the things that we do? Sometimes it’s because we need them, other times we like to use them. Often it’s because someone else (like our children) asks us to buy them.
Materialistic items can bring us some degree of joy, fulfill a need, sometimes help us out around the house, or remind us of someone or something very special to us. Researchers Isham, Verfuerth, Armstrong, Elf, Gatersleben, and Jackson found that when people purchase materialistic things to try and pursue happiness, it actually has the most detrimental effect on the individual’s well-being. However, sometimes we buy these things because we know they will make someone else happy or fulfilled.
Characteristics of Materialistic Things
Materialistic things are widely variable in terms of what they are and how they make people feel. In general, however, some common characteristics of materialistic things can fit across several categories. Here are some common attributes of materialistic things:
- Don’t always serve a purpose
- Are collected rather than used
- Require replacement
- Are purchased because others have them
- Are flashy and impressive
- Become obsolete
- Demonstrate wealth or credit
- Not durable or sustainable
- Cost more than they are worth
- Are “wants” rather than “needs”
Does this sound like anything in your home? Don’t worry-we’ve all purchased materialistic things in our lifetimes; it’s human. Especially with kids — they tend to be the most materialistic of all! Now let’s examine some materialistic things.
Some materialistic things are useful, meaningful, and special to the person purchasing them and the person receiving them.
List of Materialistic Things
When discussing materialistic things, we’ve shown that they have some of the same characteristics. Now let’s get more specific and look at a list of materialistic things.
- Fast fashion
- Smartphones and accessories
- New cars with gadgets
- Video game consoles and accessories
- Stuffed toys
- Decorations for the home
- Decorations for the yard and garden
- Jewelry
- Shoes
- Collectible items
You probably noticed there are some things we use daily, including shoes and smartphones. When we refer to shoes, it’s the collections of shoes in every color and every style, or just those fancy brand items that cost more for the label than for the actual shoes.
Smartphones are useful for phone calls, text messages, email, and keeping track of appointments, but they age quicker than most items and have upgrades and updates every year. When you buy a new smartphone every year or two, they become materialistic things. And their accessories are sometimes cheaply made and require replacement fairly often. This is also materialistic — and definitely not sustainable.
Examples of Materialistic Things
Materialistic things are usually bought and often thought of in a negative light. However, some materialistic things are useful, meaningful, and special to the person purchasing them and the person receiving them. It’s also important to consider culture with materialistic things. Let’s look at a couple of examples of materialistic things.
Non-materialistic things include hobbies, favorite activities, vacations, experiences, and relationships.
Materialistic Things to Buy
Researchers M. Li, Zhao, Huang, and J. Li of Jilin University have found that materialism can be due to competition, needing to indicate success, feeling a sense of control, and even trying to find happiness. The things we buy that might be considered materialistic are not always “bad” or unnecessary; there are some good things to purchase.
Materialistic things to buy might be dress shoes for special occasions, including birthdays, weddings, and fancy dates. It could be the monogrammed cufflinks for your spouse’s promotion. Maybe it’s the personalized painting for your 20th wedding anniversary. Or the plants to fill up your mom’s special pots. When it has special meaning, it’s a little less materialistic.
Then there are the things we buy to serve several purposes: gardening is an example. We buy plants and landscaping materials to spruce up the look of our homes, to perform the act of gardening, which brings some people joy, and in some cases, it’s to grow flowers to create bouquets or fruits and vegetables to feed our families and friends. In this case, a little materialism serves a greater good.
Materialistic Things Meaning in Hindi
In Hindi, materialistic things are part of the middle class. It’s conforming to conventions and standards by purchasing physical things to demonstrate being part of that class. Materialism in Hindi also refers to placing more meaning on possessions and money than people and relationships. In Hindi, materialistic things is भौतिकवादी बातें or bhautikavaadee beaten.
Non-Materialistic Things
Non-materialistic things are what we do and what bring us joy. It’s spending time with friends and family, playing with pets, exercising, helping others, and more. Non-materialistic things include hobbies, favorite activities, vacations, experiences, and relationships. It’s also some of the things we do every day for self-care. There’s not always something tangible to go along with these things; it’s focusing on an experience or a feeling.
This video will help you understand why getting more stuff, more money, or more likes won’t make you any happier.
Related Insights
What materialistic things do people want?
The materialistic things people want can vary greatly. For some people, it’s the latest fashion craze; for others, it’s expensive paintings, but it’s something that a person feels brings them happiness or fulfillment.
What is a materialistic person?
A person can be considered materialistic if they focus on “things.” They may feel like buying and owning certain items makes them happy, indicates they are successful, makes them feel important, or fills a void in their life (or not).
What is a materialistic life?
Materialistic life is centered around owning things. It’s owning a bigger house than you need, having all the latest electronic gadgets, buying the car with all the upgrades, a closet full of the trendiest styles, and completing a collection of something.
Words That Real People Use to Describe Materialistic Things
I ask friends and family to give three words they think of when they hear “Materialistic Things.” Here is a table representing the percentages of their responses and what I learned from the poll.
| Words That Describe Materialistic Things |
| 7% of people polled said the word junk describes materialistic things |
| 5% of people polled said the word clutter describes materialistic things |
| 5% of people polled said the words trendy items describe materialistic things |
| 8% of people polled said the words brand names describe materialistic things |
| 3% of people polled said the words too much stuff describe materialistic things |
| 10% of people polled said the word stuff describes materialistic things |
| 5% of people polled said the word collectibles describes materialistic things |
| 7% of people polled said the word electronics describes materialistic things |
| 5% of people polled said the word cars describes materialistic things |
| 5% of people polled said the word clothes describes materialistic things |
| 3% of people polled said the words decorative pillows describe materialistic things |
| 5% of people polled said the word throws(blankets) describes materialistic things |
| 4% of people polled said the words big houses describe materialistic things |
| 5% of people polled said the word waste describes materialistic things |
| 10% of people polled said the word money describes materialistic things |
| 5% of people polled said the word debt describes materialistic things |
| 8% of people polled said the word toys describes materialistic things |
Other Resources:
- Minimalist Gifts – Thoughtful and Meaningful Ideas
- Minimalist Jewelry – Wear Beautiful Simplicity with Style
- Minimalist Cake – Delicious Simplicity and Elegance
- Minimalist Nativity Set – Style for a Holiday Tradition
- Minimalist Christmas – Happily Simplifying Big Traditions
- Minimalist Wallet – Choosing Well for Every Day Carry
- Minimalist Engagement Rings – Timeless Class and Style
Final Thoughts
Materialistic things can be useful and add something to your life in some cases. It’s all about where your motivation comes from and why you buy materialistic things. Before you buy, ask yourself three things: Do I need this, or do I want this? What purpose will this serve in my life? And finally, am I trying to find happiness or impress others with this? You might find when you have the answers to these three questions; you may be able to save yourself some money and find true happiness.