Keeping Up With the Joneses

I copied these articles from diningonadime.com and it's so very true. How often do we find ourselves buying things we don't really need because we feel like we "should" have it, because subconsciously we're being told to spend spend spend and to define ourselves by what we own? (every time I see the "He who dies with the most toys wins" license plate frame I want to get out of my car and SHAKE the driver - "Wake up! That's not the way to live your life!") The more I think about our society's out of control debt, excessive clutter, disorganized homes, and financial stress (btw, 90% of illnesses are stress-related) the more I realize how our culture's priorities are entirely out of line. We keep eating too much or spending money trying to make ourselves happy, when truly all that can make us happy is to choose the simple things - our families and friends, nature's beauty, and a relationship with God. Ultimately, the things we buy are worthless when compared with the promise of a debt-free life, a clutter-free home, and a low stress level. So I'm going to continually simplify, simplify, simplify. I'd rather be relaxed than have lots of "things" to clean or put away. :-)

Of course, I know all of this in the same way that smokers know that smoking is insane. It will be a daily battle for me to suppress my consumerist habits. But a battle worth fighting!

Anyways, here are the articles:

Don't Buy In!

Are "They" Ruining your Finances?