Trying to keep up with the Joneses is not something that is ever going to be beneficial for you. Many people try to do this; that is to say, they try to have as nice or nicer things than those in their social circle. It is a bad choice that does not have any benefits. Let’s talk about some specific reasons why you should not try to keep up with the Joneses.
Trying to keep up with the Joneses can hurt you financially. When you are trying to have as good as or better than others have, you are more than likely spending money you don’t have to spend on things like that. It can be tempting to do this and more than likely, most people have felt tempted to do so at some point in time. But you can really put yourself in a financial hardship by living this way. Don’t allow yourself to spend beyond your means. It will hurt you in the long run.
Trying to keep up with the Joneses is not healthy for you mentally or emotionally. It begins to feed into your sense of insecurity. You will feel badly if you cannot spend like those around you. How you feel about yourself should never be based upon the amount of money or possessions you have at any given time. You should base your self worth on what kind of person you know that you are.
Trying to keep up with the Joneses is just a game. It doesn’t matter. It does not make you feel better and in fact, probably makes you feel worse about yourself. It is easy to get pulled in but remember that you will gain nothing from it. If you gain friends from what you have, they really aren’t true friends, now are they?
There are more important things in life than trying to keep up with the Joneses. You could spend your time and mental energy on much better choices. You could volunteer in a way that touches your heart. You could be investing your energy into making yourself a better person or into your family. Trying to keep up with the Joneses turns your focus to materialism, which is not a good value.
There are better things to do with your money than be competitive with it and try to buy friends and social status. There is nothing wrong with enjoying money or spending it. But why not spend it on things that truly matter to you instead of what you have to spend it on to have social standing? Maybe you are buying all the latest brands in clothing and shoes but what you really want to do is go on a cruise with your family. You are missing out if you spend your money in a certain manner just to keep up with the Joneses.
Let’s just be honest here. Trying to keep up with the Joneses does not reveal depth of character. More than likely, it reveals that a person is a bit shallow in ways. This does not mean that they are a bad person. Most of us have felt the temptation to keep up with the Joneses at times. It is just something that you need to work to overcome.
It is very easy to see when someone is trying to keep up with the Joneses, which always amuses me. People think they are being very suave about what they are doing when they spend money competitively but it always shows through. Make your purchases because you want to and because you genuinely like things, not because it is what those you hang out with buy. Realize that people see through keeping up with the Joneses very clearly and it is not impressive. Being who you uniquely are is what will impress others.
Most people feel the pull to keep up with the Joneses at some time or another. Have you felt that way before? How did you deal with it?