Materialism is a major buzz kill.

The bulk of my disposable income always has gone toward food, drink, travel, reading and song. These pursuits create memories, and memories are far more valuable than the contents of all those shopping bags. Soon enough the curtain comes down, and all of it is left behind. It's ironic; as an atheist, I'm as disturbed by materialism as the most authentic of fundamentalists. We both think the approaching holiday season is repulsive in its mercantile fetish. We both think there's more to life than stuff. We both think the answer lies elsewhere.

The fundamentalist looks to the sky, and I look within.

And so it goes.

Materialism: a system that eats us from the inside out, by George Monbiot at The Guardian

... Perhaps I'm projecting my prejudices. But an impressive body of psychological research seems to support these feelings. It suggests that materialism, a trait that can afflict both rich and poor, and which the researchers define as "a value system that is preoccupied with possessions and the social image they project", is both socially destructive and self-destructive. It smashes the happiness and peace of mind of those who succumb to it. It's associated with anxiety, depression and broken relationships.