The last 20 years or so of American society has seen an unprecedented surge in consumerism. We have accepted, without much questioning, that spending is good for both us, and our country. We have not questioned the extremes we have gone to, and don’t realize how pervasive spending and acquisition have become in our lives. We are constantly being told that we "need" something. Advertisers create "wants". Advertisements and marketing "campaigns" tell us that there is an answer for any problem we may have, or any situation we may find ourselves in, we just need to pay for it. Is this spending binge making us a happier, more connected society? Does the continuous acquisition of possessions make our lives easier and happier, or does it just create more work, both in taking care of these possessions, and the time we have to spend working to make money to pay for these possessions?
Our current President asks us to spend. Contrast this with President Truman who asked the country to "buy only what you really need and cannot do without." It is not un-American to control your spending. We are the hardest working industrialized society, putting in longer working hours than any other country. European workers vacation 8 weeks per year, we vacation just 2 weeks. What are we working for? Most workers say they would trade working hours for vacation time, so what are we waiting for?
Whatever we spend our money on should be a reflection of our values, and not create conflicts, anxiety, or push us in a corner where we have to work even harder to afford our latest acquisition. Do we really need the bigger house, latest SUV, latest computer or entertainment system? Does it really matter what your neighbor or co-worker has acquired? Television shows today show characters living lifestyles that real-life people could not afford under the same circumstances. This is sharp contrast to shows such as "I Love Lucy" that showed modest living conditions, and a modest lifestyle. Part of the whole advertising and marketing push is that we deserve a product, whether we can afford it or not!
An integral part of the financial planning process is to make sure that how we spend our money is a reflection of the values that are important to us. If this is done, we should not feel guilty about how we spend, or save, our money. How we handle our finances should enhance our lives, not corner us, or put us on a never-ending treadmill. "The Music Inside You" workbook is a tool that can be used to get a better handle on what is important, and uses the financial planning process to live a fuller, more reflective, and happier life. The real "cost" of this workbook is the time that must be spent going through it, and answering the questions that are raised.
It was only a matter of time that advertisers and marketers would realize that some consumers had to have other reasons to buy their products. To reach more potential customers we are now being told that products will reflect our values. For example, a cellular phone company sells their service as bringing your family closer together. A car manufacturer states that buying their car is good for your soul! I think it is up to us to come up with what is good for our souls on our own. And I don’t think buying a car, or any other product, is necessarily going to make us happier or more fulfilled, despite the promises. Let’s not put a price on everything, or feel we have to pay for everything. Let’s start figuring out what is important to us, and not follow the crowd in believing that acquiring more is going to fulfill us, or that not acquiring stuff we really don’t need is somehow un-American. (This is a whole other issue, since just about everything is made overseas!).
More than ever, we have big houses and broken homes, high incomes and low morale, secured rights and diminished civility. We excel at making a living but often fail at making a life. We celebrate our prosperity but yearn for purpose. We cherish our freedoms but long for connection, in an age of plenty, we feel spiritual hunger.
Psychologist David Meyer