Is Conspicuous Consumption back in fashion?

This is something that has me wondering. Three different families that I know (yes, I know that that is not a statistically relevant number), all very fashion conscious and driven by appearances, seem to love to waste. One family was apologetic that they weren't putting out as much trash one week--that they usually throw away twice as much. They spoke as if they are somehow depriving the garbage collectors of their livelihood(???). Another has the wife going grocery shopping every day--it takes up hours of her time. If they don't use whatever that night, they throw it away.
Tons of perfectly good food, that they throw away. If they have steak for dinner, they have to buy two extras for the dogs. The dogs get steak and bottled water. (Evian, because it's the best--it costs more).
They don't eat leftovers either--more food thrown away.
All told, I think that family throws away more food than it eats.
One family deliberately pays rent a week late (with late fees). Because they are rich enough they can afford to be late?
One of the families has 5 cars. Only 2 of them get used--maybe they're saving one for the teenager when he's old enough to drive? In 5 years? Meanwhile, they pay to maintain the licenses and registration fees.
I could go on.

Is this normal? Am I the one out of touch? Are the values I was reared with just completely ignored now?
I'm not sure who is supposed to be impressed by this type of expenditure for the sake of expenditure. I do know that one of the three families is starting down the road to financial ruin, and I'm not sure about the other two.

That makes no sense at all to me. I don't know of anyone who would act like that.

Bullgrit

*shrug* Everyone's got to have a hobby.

Murika, [redacted] yeah!

and then they voted.

Some people are stupid and/or wasteful. Take note of their houses for when the revolution comes so they can be the first against the wall.

Maybe location has something to do with it.

You do have your location listed as "Silly-Con Valley" -- that could be some kind of normal behavior there, I suppose. If everybody near Santa Clara had become accustomed to high living during the housing bubble of the 2000s, then the collapse of housing prices in 2008-2009 might have put a crimp in some people's finances without also teaching them anything about living frugally.

The families live in New York (outside manhatan), Carlsbad CA, and Marin county CA.

sabrinathecat said:

This is something that has me wondering. Three different families that I know (yes, I know that that is not a statistically relevant number), all very fashion conscious and driven by appearances, seem to love to waste. One family was apologetic that they weren't putting out as much trash one week--that they usually throw away twice as much. They spoke as if they are somehow depriving the garbage collectors of their livelihood(???).

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Just curious, but how affluent would you say these families are?

Is this normal?

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For some people, yes.

Am I the one out of touch?

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No, you just have a different view of money and spending it than they do.

Are the values I was reared with just completely ignored now?

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No, just different than the three families you described.

I'm not sure who is supposed to be impressed by this type of expenditure for the sake of expenditure. I do know that one of the three families is starting down the road to financial ruin, and I'm not sure about the other two.

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It’s possible that they are trying to impress others, or it’s possible that they are not. It’s also possible that they don’t know how to handle money. Then there are people that have never had money and come into a large amount of it and spend ridiculous amounts of money because they finally can. Lottery winners are a good example. They will buy several cars, not that they’ll be driving them all an equal amount of time; they just buy it because it was something they wanted and could finally buy. Some of these lottery winners end up spending all their money and have nothing to show for it. Hell, there is even a show about it. I think it’s called the lottery ruined my life, or something like that.

sabrinathecat said:

This is something that has me wondering. Three different families that I know (yes, I know that that is not a statistically relevant number), all very fashion conscious and driven by appearances, seem to love to waste. One family was apologetic that they weren't putting out as much trash one week--that they usually throw away twice as much. They spoke as if they are somehow depriving the garbage collectors of their livelihood(???). Another has the wife going grocery shopping every day--it takes up hours of her time. If they don't use whatever that night, they throw it away.
Tons of perfectly good food, that they throw away. If they have steak for dinner, they have to buy two extras for the dogs. The dogs get steak and bottled water. (Evian, because it's the best--it costs more).

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There's a saying that a fool and his money are soon parted. Sounds like that applies here.

The truly rich tend to get that way, and to stay that way, because they're not wasteful. They buy what they need and only what they need, making sure to buy the right thing first time and buying items of sufficient quality that they'll last as long as they (and quite possibly their children and grandchildren) will need them.

sabrinathecat said:

Is this normal? Am I the one out of touch? Are the values I was reared with just completely ignored now?
I'm not sure who is supposed to be impressed by this type of expenditure for the sake of expenditure. I do know that one of the three families is starting down the road to financial ruin, and I'm not sure about the other two.

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That sounds like something between extravagance and throw-away mentality, and I sincerely hope that it's not normal! Extravagance can have a manic quality, which is recognized in German jurisdiction.

It sounds pretty much like people - mostly male - around here who define themselves by their expensive cars. Eat junk but drive a BMW: it's not necessary, itr's too expensive, but you're so cool. It's a phallic symbol on wheels.