If I have the right space, I'll become the kind of person who has parties.
If I buy a truck, I'll want to do big projects.
not consumerism, but advertising. Specifically, brand advertising (rather than informational advertising like walmart putting low prices in ads)
It's far far easier to throw a party when it just means inviting people over and making or ordering food than renting an entertaining space. It's easier to work on a project when you have the tools in your garage than if you had to go to the hardware store or go rent a u haul.
For all the talk of rampant consumerism the stuff on the bottom of my list of things to complain about are purchases intended to reduce your reliance on buying things. Owning nothing, making nothing, and renting other people's stuff and labor for every task is peak consumerist behavior disguised as "efficient" "minimal" living.
a LOT of people do not have the rosiest finances. Maybe it is student loans or credit card debt or whatever. But sure, maybe it makes sense for people with more wealth than they will ever spend to have extras around 'just in case'. But if you're not in that situation, I think it's something a lot of people should look at a lot harder than they do.
The fact that I have a (mostly unused) guestroom absolutely does increase the number of guests I get.
The fact that I have a mountain bike (mostly used for commuting) absolutely does increase the amount of mountain biking I do.