I try to buy mostly just what I need--food, gas. I still buy gifts for family members, but I like to give practical items they can use. Our house is small and I try to live simply.
Consumerism controls us in two ways that come to mind:
1. technology requires time to learn to use it effectively and to get the most out of technology
2. when our "stuff" breaks or needs maintenance, that also takes time, thought effort, and finances (e.g., today I took one son to get registration tags for his car, took the other son's car to the mechanic, helped son #1 take a panel off the hot tub to find a leak...)

Having spent a week in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, I can see how much consumerism controls us in the US. Such a simple matter of using paper towels (at my host's home, we air dried our hands), or toilet paper (hard to get used to the single ply stuff - and needing to deposit it in a little trash can next to the toilet).

I use the one in one out rule. New things don't come into the house unless something old, broken or unwanted leaves, that limits binge spending and clutter.