Consumption and the Consumer Society

 
BOX 3: VOLUNTARY SIMPLICITY 
 
Greg Foyster had a good job in advertising, creating television commercials and print ads in 
Australia. But in 2012 he and his partner Sophie Chishkovsky decided to give up their consumer 
lifestyles and bicycle along the coast of Australia, interviewing people who have decided to 
embrace voluntary simplicity and eventually write a book about their experience. 
Voluntary simplicity is a growing movement in Australia, with a popular Web site (www. 
aussieslivingsimply.com.au) and a regular column on the topic in the Australian Women’s Weekly. 
Foyster explains: 
The overall idea is that you should step out of the consumer economy that we’re all plugged
into and start doing things for yourself because that is how you’ll find happiness. The best
way to think of it is as an exchange. In our society people trade their time for money, and
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de Graaf et al., 2005. 
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Elgin, 2000, p. 93. 

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CONSUMPTION AND THE CONSUMER SOCIETY
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then they spend that money on consumer items. It’s really about stepping back and deciding
what’s important to you in your life. 
Foyster found that his career in advertising conflicted with his personal sense of ethics. His 
“eureka” moment came during an advertising awards event when he saw colleagues being praised 
for their efforts to sell people products they didn’t need or even want. He realized that most of the 
world’s environmental problems stem from overconsumption, not overpopulation. He was so 
overwhelmed that he left the event and sobbed.
He says: 
“When I worked in advertising, I had a decent income, I had a prestigious job, and I was
miserable. I chose to leave the industry because it wasn’t making me happy; it wasn’t my
purpose in life. And now I have a much lower income; I work as a freelance writer, which
isn’t the most prestigious job. But I am so much more happy because I know what is
important to me and I’m doing what I love and I have everything I need.”
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