Forget about the Joneses

Forget who?....

Well this idiom may probably have its origin from the idiom “Keeping up with the Joneses”. According to Wikipedia "Keeping up with the Joneses" is an idiom in many parts of the English-speaking world referring to the comparison to one's neighbor as a benchmark for social caste or the accumulation of material goods. To fail to "keep up with the Joneses" is perceived as demonstrating socio-economic or cultural inferiority. If you want to learn more about its origin you may Google it up or read from Wikipedia




Almost all personal finance articles give this one sound advice “Forget about the Joneses”. But how...? With Facebook making it easier than ever to compare your own material status to others, it can be easy to always feel one step behind.

If only we could echo Jessie J crooning

It's not about the money, money, money,
We don't need your money, money, money…..
Forget about the price tag.
Ain't about the (ha!) cha-ching cha-ching.
Ain't about the (yeah!) ba-bling ba-bling,

Sad but true, it is already a well-established aspect of human condition, we want what our friends, neighbors, colleagues have. Be it a flashy bling or the latest gadget, a high-powered job or even those cute shoes. Those Joneses can tippy-toe into our life in all kinds of sneaky ways. The more you’re exposed to them, the more those things that once seemed like luxuries start to look like basic necessities that you’d be depriving your family to go without.

So how do you forget the Joneses, when you rub shoulders with them every day? I’m only human and it’s tough to do in this world of consumerism. I may not forget the Joneses overnight, but what keeps me from keeping up with them as my main occupation, is to think of the price that I would pay “GETTING INTO DEBT”, DEBT that would be worse than the Joneses.

Although money and what it can buy provides us a certain amount of freedom and liberation but what we should really value most in life should be our family ,friendship, trust, love things that do not come from money. Though I would always welcome a GUCCI, an LV or a PRADA and perhaps that romantic cruise for two, but it might as well good for me to remember the old adage “the best things in life are free” :)

photo courtesy:Philip Caro (Panglao, Bohol Philippines)