Today, I was hauling off some trash in my old pickup truck.  The radio in the truck barely works and will only receive AM stations.  As I was bumping down the dirt road, headed to the landfill, I hit the seek button, and the radio stopped on a talk show, hosted by some dude I’ve never before heard.

He said, and I quote – The reason most folks overspend is that they care too much what other people think.  They’re trying to keep up with the Joneses, so they spend and spend.

The station faded before I could find out more about the dude or his radio program, but his statement got me to thinking.

Do I really care what other people think, about the things I own or the car I drive or the clothes I wear?

It’s an interesting question.

On the one hand, I’d like to think that I’m secure enough, happy enough, and strong enough, and that I don’t need the approval of other people, especially when it comes to ’stuff’.  But, at the same time, I do conform to certain social norms, and I do so, quite honestly, so that I’ll fit in and be accepted.  Does this conformity reach past social behaviors and into my wallet?  Do I buy things so that I, or my children, or my spouse, will fit in and be considered normal?

I really don’t know how this post should end… So I guess I’ll just open the floor for discussion.

Do you really care about what other people think, when it comes to the stuff you buy?  If so, why?  And, if not, what do you mean by “No, I don’t care.”?

By the way – I realize that there is a certain segment of the population that doesn’t “care” what anyone thinks about anything.  That’s not, really, what I”m writing about.  I’m thinking more along the lines of – Do the opinions of others, people you love and respect, alter or change your spending habits?

(If my posts seem a bit more abstruse this week, I’m sick and I’ve stopped counting the cough syrup doses, as evidenced by my use of the word abstruse – and, what I fear is, an extreme over usage of commas)

Back in January, I purchased a new high definition television.  In order to get high definition channels, I signed up with Dish Network.  Our monthly bill is $92.73.  We live in a very rural area, and there aren’t any stations available via over-the-air antenna.  We also live in area where cable is not available.  So, if we want high definition content, we are pretty much stuck with choosing one of the satellite providers.

How much do you pay for television?  Do you watch television?  What about some of the online options like Hulu or Miro?

When we were getting out of debt, we radically reduced our bills and we only had the most basic satellite package.  But, over the past couple of years, we’ve upgraded our package.  The high definition content looks stunning – but I’m not sure it’s worth what we are paying.