• West_of_West@piefed.social
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    20 days ago

    Sure, but plenty of people buy things because they want to feel wealthy. I have people in my life who buy fancy cars, holidays, and furniture on loan with bad interest. Instead of saving for an item, they pay too much for instant gratification.

    • [object Object]@lemmy.world
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      19 days ago

      One source of entertainment for the past three or so years was seeing on social media how terrified USians are of the prospect of living like people in other countries do.

      • OrangeSlice@lemmy.ml
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        19 days ago

        I think we are going to have another decade or two or that, with the way things are looking

    • merc@sh.itjust.works
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      19 days ago

      Exactly, and it’s a cycle. They buy things on credit, carry a balance on their credit cards, owe a lot of money, and the stress gets to them. Eventually they buy things as a way to feel better and relieve the stress.

      Trying to “not look poor” or “keep up with the Joneses” can lead to real misery. But, if instead you make a budget and save just a little bit every month it can be liberating.

      Fundamentally, the problem is unequal wealth distribution. But, we should also try to help people live within their means while we attempt to fix that societal issue.