“The Joneses” Are Broke

 If there’s a new type of TV out, they’ve bought it. If there’s a new gadget, they have it. If there’s an exotic locale, they’ve been there. If it has a Nike check on it, it’s on their feet. Sharing isn’t a priority; each kid has their own iPad to keep them occupied on road trips.

 Being around a family like that can definitely make the rest of us feel a bit inadequate, and it’s really tempting to try to “keep up with the Joneses” as the saying goes.

 However, if there’s anything I’ve learned over the past few years of adulthood, it’s that the Joneses are broke.

 Okay, I’m not saying that every single family who seems to have it all is secretly drowning in credit card debt. I’m just trying to illustrate that many people who treat possessions as status symbols rarely take the time to carefully save or invest because they’re always spending their money on the latest thing.

So, here are a few steps you can take to combat those times when you feel like you just don’t measure up.

Sure, the Joneses look successful, but you’ve had your own great successes too. Go through them in your mind and give yourself credit for how far you’ve come. Perhaps you just spent the last 3 years rigorously paying off all of your debt. If that’s the case, then you likely went without life’s little extras for a few years! Wasn’t it worth the sacrifice? Doesn’t it feel great to be debt free?

Similarly, maybe you just finished college, or maybe you just got a promotion. Perhaps you got an award or maybe a lot of people read your blog. Listing your own successes in your mind reminds you of all of the great things you’ve done. Maybe the Joneses should try to be measuring up to you!

Every single person has their own path that they are on. Each of us has had our own trials and our own tribulations. Maybe the Joneses used to struggle, but one of them lost a parent, and they recently got a huge inheritance. Perhaps they won the lottery. Or, maybe it’s all a clever ruse.

The thing is, we’ll never truly know what other people’s finances look like unless they tell us. So, it’s best to not concern ourselves with what people might or might not have.

Don’t let yourself feel inadequate or inferior to someone else just because of what it appears they have. You don’t know what path they are on, and you don’t know how different their journey is from yours. Keep your eyes on your own goals and remind yourself why you maintain the lifestyle that you do.

We can’t help the fact that it’s human nature to compare ourselves with others. Whether consciously or unconsciously, we all do it. Yet, if trying to keep up with the Joneses is causing you anxiety or even worse, hurting your pocketbook, then it’s time to assess the situation.

How many times have you felt that you don’t measure up simply because of something the Joneses owned or said? How many times have you had those jealous feelings? Every time they post on Facebook? Everytime you interact with them at soccer practice?

Those types of negative thoughts are harmful to our psyche. Instead of using our energy to succeed in our own lives and our own careers, we can easily waste it going through someone’s vacation Facebook album wishing we were them.

When you catch yourself feeling this way, channel your energy into something positive. Ask yourself, “What do I have to do to reach that level of financial security that I think they have? Is feeling like less of a person in comparison to them actually helping me achieve my financial goals?”

The answers are yours to seek out, but just remember that things are not always what they seem. As long as your finances are on track and you are achieving your own goals, what the Joneses do in their day-to-day lives truly does not matter.