Our money saving tip for today is simple: Forget the Joneses
People work themselves into a lather all the time trying to compare themselves favourably with their friends, the people in their communities and their peers.
Such peer pressure – or “keeping up with the Joneses” – is the cause of a lot of heartache that is often perceived to be best solved with a bit of “retail therapy”.
This perception, however, is wrong. The best way to overcome feelings of inadequacy, in my opinion, is not to go out and buy things that will demonstrate how well you are doing. No. The best way to overcome feelings of inadequacy is to stop comparing yourself to other people.
This, I know, is easier said than done!
One thing a lot of us do is worry that we aren't paid enough to reflect our worth. Remember, your wages do not reflect who you are. And neither do the things you own; your credit limit; or the size of your mortgage.
What marks you out as a good human being is how you are, not what you own.
So forget the Joneses, and concentrate on being the best person you can be. Instead of buying a thousand inch flatscreen TV to out-do your neighbour, how about spending an hour or two training for, and participating in, a charity race – you'll feel better, you'll be helping a good cause, and you'll save money in the process.
One of the best things about all of this is that, by forgetting about what other people are doing, and concentrating on leading a better life, the by-product of this is that people will generally think you are streets ahead of the Joneses anyway – you're that nice person who gives his or her time freely!