Social
media has changed the way we live. While it’s great for catching up or staying
in touch with relatives who live far away, it also sucks us into seeing what
others are doing and comparing our lives to them.
For
many people, social media or even having friends in real life, makes them feel
less than when they see what others own.
Eventually,
most people try to make their lives look more glamorous than they are – showing
the highlight reels so people think their life is the best.
What
this turns into, however, is a case of poor people trying to look rich –
spending money they don’t have just to make people like them. The material
world we’ve quickly created is draining bank accounts everywhere.
If
you don’t think you fall in this category, check out the top 7 ways poor people
try to look rich and see if you see yourself in any of them.
So
please give your support to this blog post and let’s start with the first one.
BUY
EXPENSIVE CARS
We
all love flashy cars – they turn heads and make us feel important, but do they
do anything better than any other car?
They
get you from Point A to Point B, right? Any reliable car can do that – not just
expensive cars.
Don’t
get caught up in the name brand, thinking you have to drive only the best. A
Hyundai drives just as good as a Mercedes and it will leave a lot more money in
your pocket.
Don’t
forget, no matter how nice a car is, they all need maintenance and repairs.
A
Mercedes will cost a lot more to repair than a Hyundai, for example. Don’t just
look at the price tag of the car, but its cost over its lifetime.
Even
gas can cost more in expensive cars if they only take premium gasoline. Cars
are a depreciating asset, so you aren’t getting anything more out of it if you
buy an expensive car.
Instead,
you lose money because you likely won’t get it back when you sell it – you may
even end up ‘upside down’ on the loan owing more than the car is worth in some
cases.
CARRY EXPENSIVE HANDBAGS
Women
especially feel the pressure to carry expensive handbags. Like cars, the more
expensive version doesn’t do anything more than your typical purse.
Of
course, you should carry a handbag that suits your needs and lasts a long time,
but that doesn’t mean it has to cost thousands of dollars.
Women
often let brand names define them as if they are a better person if they carry a
Louis Vuitton bag versus a bag they bought at Kohls or even TJ Maxx.
A
purse or even briefcase should carry what you need, has a style you like, and
makes you happy despite its brand. A handbag shouldn’t put you into debt or
make you choose between your bills and your purse.
A
brand name doesn’t make a purse or handbag any more special and it only
depletes your bank account which complicates matters.
FLAUNT BRANDS
You’ve
seen people like this before, I’m sure. They walk around making sure everyone is aware they
are wearing name-brand clothing.
Some
people wear clothing that clearly shows the brands – shirts, pants, and shoes
with the
brand logo repeated on it.
Others
just talk about their clothing and the brands they wear a lot. It’s almost as
if they think the brands define them.
They’ll
work the name of their clothing or the brands they buy into every conversation and ask what
brands you wear. Again, like handbags or even cars, name-brand clothing
isn’t better or worse than less expensive brands.
If
it’s comfortable, fits, and it lasts, then it’s the perfect brand for you with or without the
designer label. Flaunting makes a person look desperate, as if you
want attention from others and will do what you can to make everyone like you.
Instead,
let them like you for you and don’t go into debt trying to impress them.
BUY HOUSES BIGGER THAN THEY CAN AFFORD
Some
people think the bigger the house they live in, the more people will like them.
This is probably one of the worst financial decisions anyone can make.
A
house is one of the largest investments you’ll make in your lifetime. If you
only put down a small down payment, you will have a large mortgage payment that
could last as long as 30 years.
If
you can’t make your payments, you could lose your house and have nowhere to
live. This hurts your credit tremendously and makes it hard to even find a
place to rent.
The
right house is the one that comfortably fits your family and fits your budget. A
big house isn’t better than a smaller house.
As
long as it provides your family with shelter and is in a safe area, you can use
the money you save by not buying a big house to invest in your future.
TALK ABOUT MONEY ALL THE TIME
Rich
people typically don’t talk about money unless they are conducting a business
deal. Poor people trying to appear rich, however, talk about money as often as
they can.
They
think if they keep talking about it, people will think they are rich. How they
talk about money varies. Sometimes it’s just talking about having a lot of cash
on them or even finding ways to take the cash out and show it off.
Other
times, they talk about their expensive purchases, as if it will impress others.
The reality is that rich people don’t talk about their purchases, no matter how
large.
To
them, it’s a standard purchase and it’s nobody’s business how much they spent. Talking
about money makes you look poor rather than rich.
INSIST ON COVERING THE BILL WHEN OUT WITH OTHERS
People
who insist on covering the bill when out with a group feel like they have
something to prove. They want others to think ‘wow they have a lot of money’ if
they can cover the expense.
It’s
a way to show off, but in reality, it just puts them further into the hole. If
you don’t have the money to cover it and you use a credit card instead, you’ll pay
interest on the cost that you couldn’t afford in the first place.
Now that bill you covered to make yourself look ‘good’ put you further into debt and may even cause financial problems.
The next time you see someone announce rather loudly ‘the bills on me’ it’s because they’re trying to make people think they have a lot of money.
Instead,
insist that everyone pays their share and show the person trying to cover the
bill that you like them with or without money.
BUY USELESS
THINGS JUST TO LOOK LIKE THEY HAVE A LOT
Poor
people tend to buy more things than rich people. It sounds backward, but it’s
true. They feel like they have something to prove.
They
feel like if their house is filled with trinkets and ‘things’ they will look
like they have more money. The rich are actually much more frugal than you
think.
They
buy what they need and don’t think twice about it, but they don’t buy what they
don’t need. In other words, they don’t buy to impress others and this is why
they are rich.
They
keep their money, using it where it’s needed and saving it when they can.
DON’T TRY TO LOOK RICH
It’s
nobody’s business how much money you have If someone doesn’t like you because
you don’t appear ‘rich’ then they aren’t your friend.
Trying
to look rich only puts you further into debt. Buying expensive cars, large
houses, or only wearing/carrying name brands puts you further into debt and
makes you poorer.
Instead,
buy what you can afford and don’t worry about what others think. If you don’t
have the most expensive purse in your friend group or you have the smallest house
out of your family members – it doesn’t matter. That’s not what makes a person.
What
makes people like you is your personality, beliefs, and the way you carry
yourself and help others. If you want to flaunt money, give it to those who
need it or save it for a rainy day.
Have
the money your family needs for important things like food, shelter, medical
care, and transportation.
It
doesn’t matter if you’re driving a Mercedes or Toyota, wearing Coach or Target brands,
and live in a small or large house.
How
you manage your money and live your lifestyle according to what you believe in
matters. What everyone else thinks isn’t your problem.
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