Too Much Stuff

Why do we buy the things we buy? Ryan Howell, an associate professor of psychology at San Francisco State University, said on The Colin McEnroe Show that people tend to buy things that make them more popular, fill a deficit created by feeling lonely, make then feel connected to other groups, and give them a sense of identity (i.e. people who love bicycling will go out and buy all of the bike gear).

The episode looks at the psychology behind the stuff we buy and why we buy them, and includes a guest appearance by Billfold pal Michael McGrath, who wrote about how much he paid to put his stuff in storage earlier this summer.

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