The old saying that your things own you is so apparent today.
All the people standing in line to pay for stuff that I doubt if they even need.
Keep the economy churning, let the rich get richer, stand in line and beg them to take your money for a bunch of crap that will satisfy you for a very short time.
Learn to live with less stuff. Teach your kids that stuff is not that important.
People can live in small houses of just a 100 square feet or so, yet most people want big space. Keep your footprint small on this earth. A small space will encourage you to buy less because there is nowhere to put all the junk.
Avoid paying for anything you can get for free, this is particularly true of digital things like movies and music. It is out there free, free at countless number of sources -- for example, go to youtube if you want to listen to some tunes.
The rich are rich because they convince people to buy all sorts of crap they don't really need. Advertisements are based on fear and lust. Don't fall for the insane story advertisement try to tell you .. buy this and you will be happy, or if you don't buy this you will be dead. Most of it is just nonsense, exactly like our political ads.
Learn to live with less.
You will be happier.