Tired of Keeping Up with the Joneses?

Tired of Keeping Up with the Joneses?

Tired of Keeping Up with the Joneses? We all know the Joneses. They're the ones who just got back from a two-week trip to Europe dragging suitcases stuffed with souvenirs. They drive their 2.5 kids to private school in their new car, and every weekend, they head out on the town ”fashionably dressed” to eat at their favorite restaurants.

No budget. No worries. They've got it all. Or so it seems...

"How do people do that?" you may be wondering. That was Rachel's question when she took Financial Peace University with her husband, Eric. As a newlywed, she didn't understand how other couples in their early twenties were buying big houses and driving new cars while they were renting an apartment and having to say no to going out to eat with their friends.

Like Dave says, most young couples expect to attain their parents' standard of living within about five years. Only it took their folks 25 years to get there! It's a trap. Don't fall for it.

When Rachel asked some of her friends how they had all that stuff, she quickly found out they didn't really own anything. All of their "toys," like motorcycles, boats and cars, were financed like crazy. They admitted to only putting $700 down on their fancy new home—after living free in a family member's extra home for three years! They were building a house of cards that wouldn't even stand up to a light breeze, let alone a rainy day!

It's easy to look like you have more than you do. That's what credit lures us into. But spending your life trying to look like something you're not isn't all it's cracked up to be.

At the end of the day, you're the one stuck with the bill.