We certainly don’t want people to see the down and dirty secrets of our lives, so we put our best pics of our lives, our families, our possessions, our trips. When we get on Social Media, it’s kinda hard not to do this. This will drive a person crazy, if you let it. There’s always going to be someone who is more wealthy, has a nicer house, drives a nicer car, has a better marriage, is better looking. When you start comparing your life to someone else, it’s a recipe for disaster. We don’t need “things” to prove our self worth. Getting to the bottom of those issues, either by seeking professional help or by digging a little deeper into our emotional psyche, can do wonders for our mental state and will have profound results on our financial state, as well. Many times, buying things that we don’t need is a way to try and make ourselves feel better or we’re trying to fill voids in our lives as a result of deeper issues. This didn’t happen every time, but it did happen more than I care to remember. While I experienced a few moments of euphoria, as I was walking out of the store, by the time I got home, I would sometimes get that sick feeling in my stomach with immediate buyers remorse. We go shopping and get a momentary rush or high from spending money. Many people use shopping like a drug addict uses drugs. ![]() Now you know where the phrase came from and you understand how and why some try to keep this lifestyle up, I’m going to tell you about ways to avoid or stop the very behavior that could lead to your financial demise. But for your futures sake, you have to, because what you’re seeing in the Joneses facade isn’t always what it is in reality. They are everywhere! That’s why it’s so difficult to break free from the grips of rabid consumerism. They could be your family, your friends, your coworkers, acquaintances we see on Facebook, celebrities, athletes. The strip ran until 1940, but the phrase stuck and has continued to remain popular. The strip depicts the social climbing McGinis family, who struggle to “keep up” with their neighbors, the Joneses. The term “Keeping Up With The Joneses” originated from a 1913 comic strip that ran with the same name. You see, this cultural philosophy is not something new to any of us. Will Rogers, one of my favorite American philosophers, once said “Too many people spend money they haven’t earned to buy things they don’t want to impress people they don’t like”. And why is that? It’s because of the love affair Americans have with “stuff” and trying to keep up with people that are usually as bad off financially as they are. If this is you or someone you know, that is literally one crisis away from financial ruin. Nearly 7 out of 10 of your neighbors have less than $1,000 in their savings accounts. He simply made too much money to be that broke! ![]() The poor man admitted that they were heavily mortgaged, had too much in car payments and crazy credit card debt. One caller in particular said he made $150,000 a year and couldn’t afford to buy his wife a $4,000 hearing aid, that she greatly needed. When I listen to his show, almost daily, I’m amazed at the people that call in, making over $100,000 a year and can’t afford to spend any money on necessities. You Make Too Much To Be That Broke!Īs most of you that know anything about me know, I’m an avid Dave Ramsey listener. They try to keep the same standard of living they had when they were earning these whopping salaries. Well, it’s simply boils down to poor choices. How can this be, when so many professional athletes earn more in one year than most of us make in a lifetime. A recent article from states that 60% of NBA players and 78% of NFL players file for bankruptcy within 5 years of retirement. Keeping up with the Joneses will lead you to the poor house!Īnyone can fall into this trap if they’re not careful. To put it bluntly, it’s measuring your financial success against that of your peers and letting their spending behaviors influence yours. It’s what causes us to overspend and go into debt, no matter what we earn. Keeping up with the Joneses is a term most of us have heard all of our lives, but what does that really mean? Who are the Joneses? Well, the Joneses are all of the people that we compare ourselves to.
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