Sustainable living – Strategies for breaking the cycle of work and spend

Consumerism is skyrocketing in the USA. This paper assists land‐grant university National Cooperative Research Extension Education Service (NCREES) faculty in understanding the definition of a consumer society, the dynamics of consumption patterns, the factors and values of sustainable economics, and the varying interpretations of consumer characteristics. It then identifies possible target populations, and suggests educational strategy options to be used to foster sustainable lifestyles and responsible consumer decisions. The strategies, which encompass NCREES disciplines, include a quality of life questioning system; redefining the relationship between job and social status; economics coursework; LETS education; time management and simple living workshops; acting as conduits to other programs; and most importantly, modeling sustainable behaviors. These are all important components of the sustainability formula and indicate some areas where universities could be more pro‐active.