[Drazen]

The idea of owning more is nothing more than corporate america telling you what you want and desire. They make this life path for you of endless buying, one-upmanship, and what not...but at the end of the day, you'll still want more and more and will never be happy. The whole thing is like women buying high end purses. It makes them feel good and they show off them. Then they get bored and keep on buying more and more and they look crazy to everyone else. For these women, you can buy one Louis Vuitton purse and have the appearance of you're a jet setting parisian..or you can use that money to ACTUALLY go to Paris and experience the lifestyle instead of simulating it. Honestly, which is the better path to follow? Collect for the sake of collecting and hoarding or using the resources to build a lifestyle and not just "fake it".

When I think of consumerism (the opposite of minimalism) in the US, I think of McMansions, flashy cars, etc....nothing wrong with that...but you can still be minimalist and be high end and have nice things...just not in overabundance.

I like a nice suit, nice car, italian leather shoes, I eat at fine restaurants and enjoy high end alcoholic beverages....having or planning to acquire these things doesn't mean I'm NOT a minimalist. Minimalism is a lifestyle. Having less clutter in your life. Having less stress. Not making the acquisition of physical goods as the focus of your life, but as an adjunct to it.