You see some people around you. You notice the nice car they drive and the phone they have. You even sometimes notice the name-brand clothing they wear. You see them out all the time at the popular establishments in town every night as you walk by. You wonder how they do it when they earn the same amount of money you do.

In all honesty, You heard of the saying, keeping up with the Jones. Keeping up with the Jones is a term created in a comic strip in 1913 titled literally, keeping up with the Jones. The comic strip depicts the social climbing McGinis family, who struggle to “keep up” with their neighbors, the Joneses.

In today’s terminology. This term is used to describe the people who have the best house on the street, drive the flashy cars, and always have the latest and greatest whenever something new comes out. You wonder every time you drive past them in your 10-year-old Hyundai SUV, how do they do it? Well, the secret to 8 out of 10 people who are like this comes down to just 1 word — DEBT.

In society everywhere, you turn. It is pounded into you a flashy lifestyle that you can only dream about but can be yours for a minimum monthly payment. A new phone is released, that costs $1600. Your cell phone company will give it to you for free if you sign this service contract for three years with a payment plan that you say to yourself, I can afford that.

You go shopping for a vehicle, you say to the salesperson. I can afford XXX as a payment. He shows you several vehicles that are ok in your eyes. Then he smiles and then shows you your dream vehicle. It has everything you ever wanted and will make your neighbors and friends envious. The salesperson then starts painting a dream for you and says things, such as you deserve this and why don't you treat yourself for once?

When you sit down and look over the numbers. The salesperson shows you on paper. For only $45 more per payment, per week, this vehicle can be yours and can be sitting in your driveway as soon as tomorrow. What is an extra $45? He finishes his sales pitch with the words, imagine what the neighbors will think. It is the same thing when you go shopping for some new clothes. What you see on display for the price of the designer clothes is what the amount of the payment will be per month. The catch is you need to use that specific retailer's credit card. This credit card comes with a 29% interest rate, or more. You spend $1000 for just a couple of items because you can afford the payment.

You buy the big house, which is more than what you need. Chances are you will typically use less than 20% of the living space. You made this purchase choice because someone was willing to provide you with the funds, and you qualified for the payment.

Everything I just described also comes down to just one word, and that is WANT. You want the newest phone where you only use 10% of its capabilities. You buy it so you can impress the people around you. You justify this purchase or payment by saying to yourself I need this. You WANT the new BMW instead of the used Honda. Which is more impressive to you and your friends. The BMW or the used Honda? Both vehicles are the same in quality and functionality, but the BMW is only $20,000 more than the Honda, and guess what? They both have similar payment amounts, just that the BMW has a 3-year longer term for the loan. You buy the fancy name-brand clothing so you can impress, thinking people are saying behind your back. Wow, they sure dressed for success. When you wear these clothes, the tags are hidden, and no one else can tell what you are wearing unless you tell them. I have seen some people dressed with the wow factor and then say they bought everything at the local second-hand store.

When you live a lifestyle that is financed over time. There are several unwritten rules that you follow

1- You never talk about the amount of debt you carry.

2-Always make it look like you are successful and, possibly, someday, you just might be.

3- You spend the way you do because you feel that is what is expected of you

That is what we have been told. Live the person that you aim and want to be. People are walking around with the latest iPhone, signing a mortgage on an oversized home, or buying whatever car is the flavor of the year. The chances are they are doing all this on someone else’s dollar and they are doing it quietly. On the outside, they look like they are living the great American dream. 80% of North Americans have debt, and 69% of those in debt won’t even talk about it in any manner. To everyone, it appears they are living a charmed life from the money they have. The truth is, it is not their money, and it belongs to someone else, and guess what? They want it back.

I found living in North America. Some People would live a distortion of reality to keep up appearances on the outside. But what came with this lifestyle of debt was depression, anxiety, sleepless nights, and in some cases, even death caused by these conditions.

What it comes down to is a way of thinking. Marketing companies have spent decades and billions of dollars showcasing a lifestyle and saying, hey, this can be you. They make it sound so sexy and romantic. What better status symbol to have than the beach vacations, the mega weddings, the nice car, and the biggest house on the block? For each of these, you are then quietly paying it off for who knows how many years or decades.

Since you now have a large house with a large mortgage where you use only 15% of the living space and driving around in the BMWs and Mercedes. You spend every waking minute working, sometimes 2 or 3 jobs, to pay for it. But you are impressing the people around you, or so you think. Or, you could live a sexier lifestyle where you enjoy a budget-friendly vacation, a more particle wedding where people walk away saying they had a fantastic experience. You could live in a house or even an apartment that you can easily afford that is a home to you. You can also drive a more practical vehicle better suited to your financial means. To top it all off, you also have a social life where you do not have to worry about pulling out the card when needed, knowing there will not be a problem. Knowing when the bills come in, there is money in the bank to pay them off right away. You sleep well at night. You also start working fewer hours because you can afford to and your lifestyle allows you to. Now that is a sexy lifestyle and one most people only dream about. I found when I started living within my means or just below them, I started having

• Better relationships with everyone

• I started discovering things I liked doing

• My attitude towards work changed. I was there because I wanted to be there, not because I had to

• I also started to enjoy life and everything it had to offer

• I no longer lived to work but worked to live

• I also found I now have options and the freedom to explore them

In-all-honesty. I was that guy that I described. I lived that lifestyle. I didn’t want to keep up with the Jones. I wanted to be the Jones. Then I discovered the people around me who mattered to me the most did not care about the house I lived in, the car I drove, or any material possessions I had and was in a partnership in. Yes, I did not own anything. I was the renter of my possessions. I paid rent every month to the bank and credit card companies. I then discovered the only thing my true friends wanted from me was me.

Next time you are out, you see someone sipping on that $12 latte, getting into the fancy vehicle, or pulling out the card to buy those overpriced name-brand clothes. Just say to yourself as you pay cash for your purchase. I wonder how much they are in debt. Yes, that is the debt game, guessing how much someone is in debt due to their chosen lifestyle. It is a fun game, try it sometime, and it is free to play

Live Free - Live Life

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