So youre out mowing your lawn one day. You happen to glance up from your beat-up old mower across the street, where your neighbor is pulling into his driveway in a brand new luxury sedan while a team of hired gardeners carefully manicure his lush green yard. You dont get it. His house is the same size as yours and you know the jobs that he and his wife have arent anything special. How does he have so many more toys than you? How can he afford them?
Well, rest easy my hard-working friend; if hes like many Americans, he cant. Hes just another victim of our countrys endless pursuit for bigger and better material possessions, regardless of if we can afford them or not. Sure a brief moment of jealousy might come over you for a moment or two, but itll pass. Resist that urge to keep up with the Joneses; youll be happy you did.
Why we do it
Americans are nothing if not great spenders. Status-symbolism runs rampant in our country, and todays advertising would have you believe that everything is within your financial reach. With loans and credit cards available in a moments notice, we believe it too. But spending carelessly without real cash resources to back up the...