Comments on: Running after the Joneses

By: Spending Profile

Spending Profile — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:41:29 +0000

Nice comment. Keeping up with the Joneses results in a lot of useless clutter in our lives. A return to simple living is sorely needed. If you feel the urge to buy something just to impress someone else, remember the words of Henry David Thoreau: “A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone.” From his book Walden, where he describes his experiment in simple living.

By: Turn One Pound Into One Million

Turn One Pound Into One Million — Fri, 30 May 2008 10:43:27 +0000

I think it is sad that we seem to measure success by the amount of possessions that we have. I prefer to have less clutter around me and more money in the bank!

By: brad

brad — Thu, 29 May 2008 22:05:49 +0000

I was talking with a former neighbour of mine who lives up the hill from the house I grew up in. He said after my parents sold the home, the new owners spent over $1 million renovating it, and they put in seven — count ‘em, seven — bathrooms. That’s one for every day of the week! And then, after they finished all that work, they divorced; the woman now lives there alone, with her seven bathrooms. That’s one set of Joneses I’d never want to keep up with!

By: Canadian Capitalist

Canadian Capitalist — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:06:32 +0000

I’m reading House Lust and one more reason cited for spending money is the “I deserve it” factor. The author says that it could be one reason many people spend a ton of money on bathroom upgrades that few others are ever going to set foot in.

By: Rachel @ Master Your Card

Rachel @ Master Your Card — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:52:02 +0000

If I am tempted to try to keep up with the Jones’s I have to remind myself how lucky I am. I have a fantastic husband and children and have a house in a great area. It has less clutter than many places as we have less stuff due to frugal behaviour and although it needs new carpets and decoration at least we do not have to worry about any damage the children might do to it. I can also be smug in the knowledge that I am working hard to get the mortgage paid off and I hope it will be paid off before I am 40.

By: Jim Somerville

Jim Somerville — Wed, 28 May 2008 22:34:09 +0000

You people all make really good points. Many of us do try to keep up with the joneses, be it physically with all the toys, socially – look who I’m friends with, look at my kid’s accomplishments, or experientially – look at what I did or where I went. This kind of attitude, as long as it is kept in reasonable check, is overall good for society, driving us all to want a little bit more out of life. Many of us reasonable types look for value for money, and don’t just throw money away to buy boasting points.

By: Warren

Warren — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:35:15 +0000

I think its all about choices. Make your choice, don’t let marketing/TV make it for you. Do you need that big HDTV? Maybe. I bought one a few years back when they were more expensive but I think I’ve gotten great use out of it.

Now, do I need that sports car? No, my girlfriend and I share a small economy car. The cost for a nicer car, or one car each, wasn’t worth it for us.

By: telly

telly — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:20:21 +0000

Great little article. I’ve always prided myself in the fact that my husband and I have managed to, for the most part, avoid the “keeping up with the jones’” mentality (living in a small house in a less desirable area of town, driving a beater, etc.). Then I remembered how I emailed photos to our friends that live in bigger, nicer homes of our recent trip to Africa or Europe and I’m reminded that I’m really no different.

Where you live and who you associate with makes a really big difference in who your Jones’ are. Despite our physical location, most of our friends have similar careers and incomes so it’s hard not to compare yourself sometimes. But as CC says, it all comes down to balance. As long as you’re spending money on something you really want and can reasonably afford (and still manage to sock some away), you should feel good about your spending habits.

By: Traciatim

Traciatim — Wed, 28 May 2008 15:31:19 +0000

I’m not sure if it’s a great example, but my spouse just went out and switched from Rogers to Telus and picked up a Blackberry rather than a perfectly working normal phone. I’m not really sure why, I think it was because it was pink and looks nice.

She claims it was only 50 bucks and they threw in a $50 gift card to the store she purchased the phone from. I try to point out that she signed a three year contract so the actual cost is:

$49.95 (Phone Cost)
$6.49 (HST on Phone)
$-50.00 (Gift Card)
$6.50 (HST on Purchase from gift card)
$2412 (67 bucks a month plan * 3 years)
$313.56 (HST on plan)
———–
2758.30 over 3 years
912.83 / year

Plus that’s with after income tax dollars, but I won’t get in to that . . . that’s an interesting way to get a $50 gift card.

By: Canadian Capitalist

Canadian Capitalist — Wed, 28 May 2008 14:49:48 +0000

brad: You’re right. I’d like to aim to be thrifty (defined as “thrift at once earns and saves, with a view to wholesome and profitable expenditure at a fitting time” in a recent post by Jon Chevreau) and not parsimonious (“excessive and unreasonable saving for the sake of saving”) and definitely not miserly (“the denying oneself and others the ordinary comforts or even necessities of life, for the mere sake of hoarding money”). I guess it all comes down to a balance – yes, we definitely need to save money but also spend on things we derive pleasure out of.