Many people believe that the American dream has vanished. Every day, people are sinking further into debt, losing their homes, and losing a lifestyle that they have always dreamed of. The economy is not to blame, we are. We have become mesmerized by material wealth.
Disposable Income
Every day we are exposed to television programs and magazine articles showing us how successful people live. Magnificent homes, flashy cars and wardrobes bigger than some homes packed full of designer clothing are portrayed as the measure of success. We not only admire them, we strive to be like them.
We forget that these images are fantasies, created to show us a fantasy world. We cannot all achieve that sort of wealth, and shouldn’t really need to. Producers are aware of our aspiration for material wealth, and advertise products and services to further entice us into a buying frenzy.
We no longer have a few hours to consider whether we really need the products being advertised. Today, with online shopping just a click away, we don’t have that time to think and stop ourselves from throwing away money on things we don’t need.
Keep Your Money For What You Need
But all is not lost. Learn to think twice before you spend. If you feel that you must have that special thing, whatever it is, you probably are feeling a loss or some tension in another area of your life. There are very few purchases that will change your life or solve your problems, and if debt is an issue, spending money will only make it worse.
A new pair of shoes will never turn you into the person on the television screen. Yes, they may look good. But if you are honest, you probably have several similar pairs in your closet collecting dust. We all need money for shelter and food, to pay our daily living expenses like rent, fuel and utilities. Being able to pay these bills gives us security.
The attraction of material things dwindles as you feel more secure, looking after the necessities before the wants.
Spending money on things you cannot afford, no matter how nice they look, will not ease the stress of debt or financial burdens.
