I have a neighbour who seems to care more about appearances and how much money everyone in the culdesac appears to have and judges based on what he sees, not what he knows. He's a douchbag a$$hole who doesn't "appear" to have any friends. I honestly don't give a crap about what you drive, how you furnish your home and what kind of clothes you wear. I do care about making sure my kids are well taken care of, have what they need for school and happy. We bought an RV a couple of years ago because we love to camp and we want our kids to continue to want to come out with us. And they do from 22 yrs old to 12, they love it and hanging out with us. It wasn't about what our friends had, it was about what works for us as a family. Its only been in the last couple of years that I have actually started to spend money on myself outside of necessities. My income has more than doubled over the past few years, from when I was a single parent to today. I worked my butt off to ensure I could look after my girls and it was not easy, and no, I did not receive any support. I chose a career in which my income is only capped by how far I want to grow within the industry.
The cost of living has gone up, for sure. But in the end we make our own choices on how to spend our money, what type of house to buy and car to drive. Life was so much simpler with no mortgage, no bills (being a renter vs homeowner), no cell phones, car payments, fish tanks etc.
If coworkers decide to blow bonuses on cars and trips etc., really, why do you care? If you are happy, that really is all that matters.
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