Finance, Home, Lifestyle, Money, People, Self, Society, Technology & Internet

I Don’t Want To Keep Up with the Joneses

Designer brands or status symbols?
Designer brands or status symbols?

Do you have to buy designer to keep up with the Joneses?

It amazes me what people class as necessity.  Society hammers us with the concept that the more you have, the better you are- the bigger display of wealth, the higher social standing.

Most people have flat screen TVs- surround sound home theatre systems, Blu-ray and an array of pricey gaming consoles. I have my faithful PSP 3 and a boxy older TV. Sure, I can afford a new flat screen telly but I would rather spend my money on other things. It’s simply not a priority.

I’ve been car shopping for a while now, and am doing so on a budget. I don’t want a loan from the bank; I want to own my car outright. Well meaning friends have suggested I should be looking at cars in the $20,000+ price range, because well: “Maree, you’re a teacher! It’s a good career and you deserve a car that reflects this.” While I appreciate their sentiment- I have to disagree. I’ll be purchasing a second hand car that does the job, not something that is the monetary equivalent of a house deposit.

If I see something that’s pricey, but is something I truly want- not something I think I need to get in order to ‘fit in’ then I’ll buy it. But I wont be influenced by external factors. I have name brand items, but I choose items that keep the brand insignia subtle. I hate flashing around designer names and logos. It’s garish and unnecessary.

Maybe I have different priorities to those that society says are ‘important’. What matters to me is that I don’t live beyond my means. I’m sure having brand new things is awesome, but when I think of necessity versus pleasure I simply cant spend large portions of my income on ‘Keeping up with the Joneses’.

Designer brands or status symbols?

I don’t need designer handbags, shoes or heated leather seats in my car. Sure, these are all lovely things, but are hardly a necessity.  How do I justify spending money to keep up with my peers when there are people out there who have nothing? And I mean nothing. I have 2 sponsor children and they are grateful for the smallest things, the stuff we take for granted: clean water, food, shelter and education.

Do I begrudge people who have nice, new things? No. Not at all- why not enjoy the finer things? Just make sure you know WHY you are surrounding yourself with new, expensive items. The motive behind having these things concerns me. Advertising execs will go to extreme lengths to make you feel like a second-class citizen if you don’t have their amazing, expensive products. Why, you’ll be a social pariah!

I challenge you to think about why you buy the things you do- have you been brainwashed into believing it will raise your social profile? Or do you simply enjoy having brand new things?

Do you feel pressure to keep up with the Joneses? Do you feel like there are things you have to have? 

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    • Vicky

      I’m nicked name frugal Vicky. I love pretty things as much as the next girl, but I bargain shop, op shop, search for cheaper options all the time. I’m proud of the fact that while I may not have much moment in the bank I also don’t owe any money to anyone. Don’t have a mortgage don’t own a credit card song have a personal loan. The “jones” can have all of that. I’m happy with my choices.

      Recently when I was packing up to move house, I was astounded at how much STUFF we had collected in 5.5 years. If there had of been a fire, the most important things that I would have carried out would be my kids, their memory boxes and my photos. Everything else is just stuff. Good on you for flying your own flag!!

      • Vicky

        Auto correct on the iPad…. Hope my comment makes sense with the wrong replacement words!

      • Maree Talidu

        I totally hear you! I just did a massive spring clean and threw out SO much stuff, wasn’t even aware that I had half of it!
        Nothing wrong with looking for a bargain either!

    • http://tamsinhowse.com/blog Tamsin Howse

      I’m TERRIBLE with this. I always want the brand name, I always want the most expensive one. In the last few years I’ve gotten better at mixing up brands. I wear my nice brands mixed with Target and Kmart. I buy a LOT of my stuff on sale, though.

      The worst one for me is engagement rings. I have a modestly sized engagement ring at 51pts, which is perfect for my incredibly tiny fingers. We looked at getting 1ct and it looked too big. So I happily selected this ring, which I LOVE, but whenever I see a bigger diamond I am overcome with envy, and every time I think “I should have gotten a bigger one”… The worst was when I was working with someone I went to primary school with, who is STUNNING, and she has a 2.5ct ring. Oh man… Every day I wanted that ring.

      It’s terrible, Maree, TERRIBLE

      • Sonja van Woerkom

        I totally hear you on the ring thing, T. I’m pretty sure my (absolutely gorgeous) ring only has about 30pts of diamonds. I get *so* envious of other people’s rocks!

      • Melissa Savage

        Mine’s a 30pt, I wanted a 50, but it is actually great on my little hands and didn’t set us back too much.

    • Maree Talidu

      I think I know which ring you may be referring to, and I know what you mean about clothes- I will buy brand name stuff and mix it up with cheaper stuff, but I don’t buy it because it’s brand name, I buy it cos I like the look of it. I admit to having the latest Mac stuff, but again, with a Vis Arts and graphic design degree, I am Mac trained- so it was natural to go the Iphone, Ipad, Macbook pro route.
      With the clothes & accessories, if I DO buy designer/name brand, I rarely buy stuff that is clearly that brand labelled. I prefer the logo to be subtle.

      Oh and the ring thing: I still have to pry my mother away from every jewellery store we pass- she’s got the same diamond fever! Mum is also guilty of checking out other people’s rings too- total strangers are not immune. Whereas if I get engaged, the diamond isn’t the most important part of the ring for me- I *may* even pass on the diamonds for something plainer with a wide band.

      Don’t feel bad Tamsin, perfectly normal!

    • melinka

      I grew up in a ‘genteel poor’ household, i.e. we were lucky enough to live in a nice, safe suburb but the fridge was often close to empty and Dad would literally live from pay to pay :(
      Oh dear. Anyway, consequently I feel mega uncomfortable spending money on myself because I know how easy it is to fall down that hole. I owe a small amount on my credit card but that is all. All of my clothes I’ve either had for years or have bought in 2nd hand stores or Target/Gap/Myer (on sale only for the last two!). If I do splash out I try and get the best quality so it will last for a long time. My TV is tiny and the single most expensive thing I own is probably my beloved laptop 😉

      Having said all that, this totally falls over at Xmas and birthdays, or with my family’s kids. If I’m buying for others, then expense doesn’t matter, I just have to make sure I’m organised for Xmas otherwise it can get out of hand!!

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