If I read another rant about how the iPhone is a waste of money, I'm going to burn my internet connection. If you feel good about yourself because you are driving a 12 year-old Honda - because your next door neighbor is driving a shiny new Lexus, then I'm here to burst your bubble.
I'm tired of hearing people basically whine how the sacrifice they so much by not having the very latest and greatest and complain about how their neighbors have all sorts of extra stuff, even though they can't afford it.
Frugality is not a competition. If it were, by virtue of the fact that you are on the internet means that you are losing the race because you are spending more money than tens of millions of Americans will ever have, not to mention several billion of our friendly neighbors who share our little planet.
I laugh when I hear people talk about needs & wants. The fact of the matter, is that the only actual needs for human survival are food & water. You can make the case that anything beyond that is luxury. Somewhere along the way to debt freedom, houses, cars, and farm-fresh organic produce also became 'needs'.
If you want to compare yourself to somebody, forget about people who spend more than you. They can't teach you anything about frugality (maybe they can teach you something about earning more). Instead compare yourself to those speding less. They have a lot to teach us. Even if you are a lower middle-class American, you are still earn more than somewhere around 90% of our planet's population. So, go look at their lives and see what they are doing right. Most of them don't see a lot of difference between you, me, and the guy down the block toting the diamond-studded iPhone. In their eyes we are all just very rich.
Frugality is at the end of the day a very personal lifestyle choice. What other people are doing with their money should have approximately zero impact on how you spend yours. So stop worrying about them and what they are doing so much.
I am as guilty of the things I'm complaining about as anyone. But I know I can do better and I shall strive to do so.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
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5 comments:
Boo, I just said today how I needed new black shoes, but only wanted the silvery ones.
I guess "need" is relative, and both are just wants. But one want is completely frivolous, while the other one is mildly frivolous.
Frugality is good and should be encouraged, but people who talk incessantly about their own frugality are not good and should not be encouraged.
It sounds like someone is feeling guilty about spending money on a want rather than a need. You don't have to rationalize it to us, but don't call everyone else irresponsible spenders just because you feel bad.
-- and you can get on the internet for free at a library and it doesn't matter if your rich or you're a bum. You don't need to pull out the third-world country economy to justify your spending.
My favorite justification is that I don't smoke/have a drug problem.
As in: I can spend that $60 on whatever, because, I mean, I could be spending it on hard drugs.
Which is pretty much the ultimate catagory of overspenders...
I compare my spending habits to people I know who make close to minimum wage. They usually look like big spenders in comparison to my lifestyle. It makes me smug and I get my jollies off. I guess I'll go hang my head in shame now...
Best post on your blog so far!
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