September 02, 2010
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Zogby Interactive: Americans Shed Material Belongings
Even in Recession, People More Likely to Give Things Away
UTICA, New York - A Zogby Interactive poll of 41,175 adults shows a continuing trend of Americans choosing to live with fewer material possessions.
The survey conducted from July 2-27, 2009. The margin of error is +/- 0.5%.
It found that:
- 22% of U.S. adults have given away more than 10% of their belongings because these were no longer needed. Only 20% say they have given away nothing, and more than half (58%) say they have given away less than 10% of their belongings.
- 17% said they purposefully gave things away in the past year because they have too much. Another 60% said they have a normal amount of belongings, and when they get useless to them, they give them away. Twenty-one percent said they hardly give anything away.
- 28% said they had given away more of their belongings in the past year than they had previously, and 20% said they had disposed of less. The rest were not sure.
- We asked which of the following almost exactly alike items respondents would be most likely to buy. One item costs $500 at Tiffany's and comes in a Tiffany blue box. The other costs $250 at Wal-Mart. Only 10% chose the Tiffany item, while 78% chose the Wal-Mart purchase.
Demographic differences in responses to all the questions were generally small. People with the lowest incomes were least likely to give things away, but as household income rises, differences were not significant. People who frequently attend church services were somewhat more likely to get rid of possessions than those who attend less frequently or not at all. Age was not a factor. As for political ideology, liberals were more likely than conservatives (23% to 14%) to say they were purposely giving things away because they had too much. Liberals were also more likely than conservatives to choose the Tiffany's item over the Wal-Mart , 19% to 5%.
Pollster John Zogby: "Even during economic hard times, we find Americans more likely to give things away. I don't believe that most are doing so in order to make room for new material objects. Instead, people are moving toward a simpler, less materialistic lifestyle. I call them Secular Spiritualists because they are looking for more meaning in their lives, and will seek it through family, friends, volunteering and leisure activities that fulfill their needs."
For a complete methodological statement on this survey, please visit:
http://www.zogby.com/methodology/readmeth.cfm?ID=1411
(9/4/2009)
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