Why we buy more than we need

Scholars answer this question in different ways. Economists assume that goods and services provide well-being and psychologists think it is part of human nature that ties back to evolutionary dynamics.

But the contemporary consumer society is more likely the result of the growth of unequal social structures. For a number of people, it's about consuming to their social position. For example, those with a richer reference group tend to save less and spend more, and those with a more modest reference group tend to save more even if their wealth increase.