The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Do Not Need
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- čas přidán 21. 11. 2018
- The Overspent American explores why so many of us feel materially dissatisfied, why we work staggeringly long hours and yet walk around with ever-present mental "wish lists" of things to buy or get, and why Americans save less than virtually anyone in the world. Unlike many experts, Harvard economist Juliet B. Schor does not blame consumers' lack of self-discipline. Nor does she blame advertisers. Instead she analyzes the crisis of the American consumer in a culture where spending has become the ultimate social art. (Based on the Juliet Schor book of the same name).
This video is unmonetized, and is for educational, non-commercial purposes only.
I think we accomplished the "stop going to the Mall", part. Now we need to work on the "stop going to Amazon", part.
I thank God I never got into online shopping. and with malls declining each month esp the small town I’m in, there’s never any clothes to buy lol
Damn Amazon is invisible
@James Orman Amazon Prime my guy.
I cancelled my prime membership and my spending was cut by about $300 a month.
@@shastaweston buy less shit my guy
Less is more. Eliminating debt and living beneath your means is the real goal. The Joneses don't pay my bills.
I pay all your bills.lol ;)
Kudos to you
Debt keeps you from rising.
The Queen owes no one, everybody owes her!!!!
Amen to that!
Ding! Ding! Ding! We’ve got a winner
I remember hearing "The rich stay rich by acting poor & the poor stay poor by acting rich."
Yes, but the rich don't act poor.
@@josie3221 Some do, or at least they don't flaunt their wealth.
@@josie3221 The Super wealthy don't but I drive a junker and we have a million in savings.
Practically Heidi
Me too, I drive a 2003 Dodge Truck, I live in the (1000 sq ft) front unit of one of my duplexes .. I have over a million in assets including 5 single family homes as rental portfolio. People would never know how I'm a millionaire (except in these forums of course). I live very frugal.. I still shop Dollar Tree for all my cleaning products. LOL.
@@gormenfreeman499 This is one of major reasons staying low as low as possible or something bad can be happenes
"Comfort is no longer enough, people want luxury". That sums it up perfectly.
Carpet vs hardwood
Well, some people just want enough food for their loves ones and a roof over their head.
Comfort is no longer achievable for Average Joe and it's hard to scale your lifestyle down. Luxury was when the college was dirt cheap because anyone could make good money with a high school diploma. No longer true.
I don't feel comfortable with my $42k salary as more than half is gone with housing and taxes alone. I gotta cook a lot and commute which make me miserable. Forget about luxury.
I wonder how these overspent Americans are doing now during the pandemic, I have been living sustainably for years now, the generic sun provides my power and generic rain water comes out my tap lol, my utilities and internet are less than $100.
@@MosaicHomestead could you please tell us the general area you live in as we are wondering how you are using your rainwater to come out of your tap ... is it the Pacific Northwest ?
Freedom is not having debt.
Dave Ramsey has been saying it for years!
Correct. I started working at a bank at the tender age of 20, I learned quickly the more you owe the less freedom you have. Debt free except mortgage is how I stay! My mortgage is under 800 a month I couldn’t have a studio apartment in my area for that amount. Your comment is golden I hope you get younger viewers to understand this concept .
True that.Freedom is also having a healthy savings account that one keepsfeeding for that feeling of security.No debt, high savings....true freedom.
@@brucemarsico6 use debt to gain wealth borrow the banks money not yours case in point I just bought an ALPINA b7 bmw to sell I borrowed the banks money to buy the car when I sell or flip the car I will pay the money back to the bank and very little interest and pocket my profit and put tjat into another investment that will gain even more income
I'm impressed. Just be sure you can pay back the bank on time and not get snared paying unnecessary interest.I'm a bit more timid. I revel in having cash. I believe in strong savings.I save as much as I can, from the dollars to the spare change. I have no credit card debt nor car payments. I'm planning a fourteen daycruise from Spain to Brazil this autumn. All paid for....Boa Viagem!
Man this aged extremely well...
It didn't because the economy completely changed with regulation on credit and the housing crisis but okay
Very suitable statement for Charlie Brown 👍
20 years later in a world of Covid, economic collapse and political strife, I wish we had learned and taken heed. We cannot go back to this type of world.
Well put Charlie👏🏾
Its been a year since it was posted??? Unless you mean the date the documentary itself was made then yeah
My job as a teen was as a bank teller, boy did this give me a great view of spending habits. Sometimes the ones driving the fancy cars were overdrawn.
I was a teller as well in college, AND YOU ARE SO RIGHT !!!
Yup I remember working in a bank and those who acted rich when I looked into there account almost made me want to put some money so they had bread to buy they were all show nothing else it opened my eyes because I was bad about being my worst enemy
I'm curious if any of you saw someone turn it around. I used to be terrible with money. I was overdrawn, late on loans, etc. Then I had an epiphany and within a couple of years, I changed from having $1.24 in the bank until payday to being able to pay cash to side my house last year. I'm no millionaire, but I am not living on the financial edge anymore.
When I used to do overtime, I tended to spend that money. I felt that I needed to reward myself for working so hard. It's a viscous cycle.
I feel your pain and done that shit
It is really up to you.
@@usadaily135 Yes, he's admitting that it became a trap to him, so we must have a different posture, when it comes to overtime.
When I work overtime I reward myself with a $20 meal from my favorite restaurant, otherwise I cook at home. I regularly save/invest 50% of my income.
@@V.E.R.O. even working everyday to save feels miserable
"Consumerism becomes a substitute for human connection."
Heavy, and still holds true today. Sad.
Tell me which one of these is consumerism: housing, health, taxes, college tuition? Hint: none. The globalized world is screwing over the poor sections of the western world because the world is full of poor people.
Yup
Only neighbor I was ever jealous of was the one with the smaller lawn.
Lol I was jealous when I missed a good sale and my friend told me she saved this great amount of money on house supplies 😆
word, less grass to mow. More time to go out and party on a budget
@@Ms.MD7 what does that have to do with it.
@@budgetking2591 why don't you use your critical thinking...hint: sarcasm
@@Ms.MD7 says the one trying to use sarcasm in text.
I am now 82 years old. I retired at age 52. The reason I was able to do this is because I have
never owned a TV. Unfurtunately, the internet is taking it's place.
I wll NOT have someone else's name on the outside of my clothing.
Debt is the new slavery.
Most of our money we spend for stuff which ends up in the waste bin.
That's right, why the heck would i pay for walking around wearing an huge clothing brand logo on my t-shirt? Free advertising? They should pay me for serving them as a human outdoor, not the other way around.
"The borrower is slave to the lender."
I agree. I have always felt it is the clothing makers that should be paying me for doing their advertising. I won't do it.
We don't have live TV (stream only) My kids never ask for stuff, we don't buy loads, we live comfortably. I do think the lack of advertising we are exposed to is part of that. We really notice it when we go on holiday etc and get "proper" tv back!
It went from keeping up with the Jones’s to keeping up with the kardashians.
🤣
Nailed it
True, never enough
I'm just trying to keep a roof over my head
Why would any sane person want to emulate the Kardashians?
They are the epitome of shallow and vapid.
I was frugal and put all my income towards my modest mortgage. I paid my house off last March and to celebrate my years of frugality, I bought a $200 purse. Realised that was a silly purchase that brought me no joy, and now I'm back to being frugal and funding experiences (like travel) rather than "stuff". I'm pretty happy and grateful. 🙂🌞❤
I have come to a similar conclusion. There are very few items that bring me more than fleeting happiness, and I have learned not to waste my money or space on them.
Supa Chipz, Funding experiences, than "stuff !" THAT is GREAT ADVICE ! + you are more happier and grateful too ! People need to listen and take your message about life and try to incorporate it into their own lives.
It's okay to own 1 nice handbag, enjoy it. Just don't buy anymore.
I just heard the words 'travel experience' recently and I would much rather save for that. But one thing about buying quality personal items, you can wear them for long periods of time. I have clothes and shoes that are over 10 years old, that I still wear. I don't by faddish items. Very conservative things that are timeless.
@@5678LeeLee That is true. Buying quality items that you use everyday is more worthwhile because they last longer. The purse I bought is 100% leather, Canadian made and far better quality than made in China crap.
If you save for big purchases instead of financing, 90 % of the time you will realize that you don’t need said item. I saved for a Rolex, and now that I have the cash on hand, it seems foolish to purchase the watch.
A sound practice.
Buy a noob best version replica, and invest the rest.
I’m waiting for the big correction
If you still must have one.....purchase a used one. Go out to Las Vegas andgo to any pawn shop...I'm sure you'd find a wide range of styles to choose from.
Another trick I use is to think about how much gold and silver bullion I could add to my stack rather than purchasing said item. Because of this mindset I now have a treasure trove most people dream of and is a nice addition to my overall savings. (see on my YT channel)
"The Milionaire Next Door" says it all. Live below your means
It's my favourite book!
Read it its a good book
@Punk Shark the mistake isn’t looking up to rich people. Upward mobility is good to allow someone from lower class to go up. The problem is that people live for today. Don’t pay any mind to tomorrow or next week when the Bill comes in... buy now, pay later...
"Can't tell me what to do" crowd will not follow this easy step.
One of my favorite quotes of all time comes from Marcus Aurelius:
"Almost nothing material is needed for a happy life, for he who has understood existence"
Yeah but what materials did they have then. Mudhuts, scrolls, feather pens, candles, chariots?
@@fromthepeanutgallery1084 I bet they were just as happy as the average person today.
@@fromthepeanutgallery1084 this was Ancient Rome, not the pueblos
@@uploadvidz4490 Insulae (Roman [cheap housing]) was constructed from mud bricks (fired clay)
Except for food, shelter, water, other people. All of which are material and without we will die
I love these old documentaries they’re completely unfiltered
@UCWWI9gs8ichk-8Qpd_2yqDg The video was published in 2003, this CZcams user uploaded it in 2018
horacejasperable uhuh ...and 2003 is old
horacejasperable 2003 was 16 years ago. Pretty old to me🤷🏾♀️
Well, you can still tell that some of her longer passages are edited, when the camera is on her. Not saying that that's necessarily evidence of some kind of tampering with her statements (those cuts could just be, after all, abridging pauses during longer points in order to keep the run time down, for example), but it's not exactly "completely unfiltered." Editors have the true power when it comes to cinema.
hate the video's racial bias. This only refers to Caucasians...;! need more focus on Blacks, Asians, and Latinos....
4-day workweek, more leisure time predicted in the 60s & 70s - that would have led to higher quality of life and stronger family units. Can't have that. Too revolutionary.
A desperate workforce is a cheap workforce and since they have let the corporations run this country, people are majorly overworked and underpaid.
The vast majority of new jobs pay under $15 an hour...what many consider minimum wage. Everything else has gone up dramatically.
Nothing stops you from choosing that lifestyle. I work 24 hours a week. 2 x 12 hour shifts. Spend the other 5 days studying and doing sport. Still manage to put money to the side.
@@SF-eo6xf lucky you
I've hear that before too. Unfortunately it's the reverse now. People working longer hours and more than one job to just make it.
Even the wife has to go out and work. Where before in the 50's the wife can stay at home and deal with that, while husband can work one job and support the entire family.
@@SF-eo6xf Unless of course your married and have kids to support then I doubt you can afford to that.
$100k+ a year and you still can't afford what you need. That's bananas. 😳
because you have gotten yourself into debt keeping up with the Joneses
Depends on where you live.
$100,000 gross pay but after taxes more like $80,000 and if you own a business more like 60,000 people have mortgages student loans putting kids to college so $100,000 a year is not that much
You must have flunked math, then...I mean, I know people like this. I wonder if they secretly use drugs, because I don't see it...minus the insistence on a new car or bike every 2 years, which is just stupid.
@Derrick Crawley The cost of living is very high in the United States.
People's lives are unfulfilled. They have to spend money to get stuff to compensate for their unfulfilled lives.
Craving attention and admiration from others.
Lotta truth there! Silly how they keep trying, instead of re-evaluating it. I love the statement "people do not live the way they do because they love their lives; they live the way they do because they do not know the other ways."
“Time” is the new luxury.
depends how you use your time
PLO 8
That’s the whole point. To have the time to do what YOU want to do. A lot of people have no free time whatsoever.
.....and that’s sad.
I got plenty of time, over a month of PTO. Just a shit job that pays just enough to keep you from quitting without any possible means of advance.
So true. Yet people keep working and working. Then they spend all their money which forces them to work even more.
Then if their income drops they can't adjust...
Time is more valuable than money.
I would love to see a 2018 updated version of this.
Look up The Minimalists
No kidding. Things changed after the great recession. I know that healthcare costs jumped after Obama.
the government joined in on the spending action
@@stuartbear922, the two aren't correlated though. Healthcare is a private industry in the U.S.
L S - which is some sad bullsht . We need unions back. The minimalists is no dream, still unattainable for many because all of us arent engineers or doctors to do that, “why enjoy life ?” attitude must be embraced and taught to your children- all while your CEO gets gods money in a year with enough to hand 10 of his family members 3 generations of wealth.
It’s a hoodwink and minimalists expose how fcked up Capitalism has become. It’s psychopathically exploits the public under the guise of being “reasonably logical”.
It’s NOT.
And we’re not “all men created equal” as long as this exploitation exists until it possibly compromises democracy once again
I own my Car a 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage, Zero Mortgage payments, Zero Student Loan Debt, Zero Credit Card Debt. I shop at Second Hand Stores and i never eat out. Yes it's not the most Luxurious Lifestyle, but i will be able to Retire now before the age of 60 Years old. I've built a very comfortable Financial Nest and I'm 36 Years old. If i were to lose my Job Right now, I would be Financial Fine for the next 5 Years if i stopped working. Living a Frugal Life has Payed off, and my retirement will come sooner than Most. Not buying things you don't need is key to saving!
You have used too many capital letters..So you might have scrimped too much on spell checkers.
Good for you 👏👏👏👏
That's amazing to hear! Hats off to you for living a simple enjoyable life with the supreme luxury of early retirement and not working to live.
I would be in the same boat. Have a family with 2 or 3 kids. Virtually impossible to save for retirement unless you live with family members or have a very good paying job with full benefits including a company car. Ideal family from a government perspective are DINKs. Double income, no kids. Kids are expensive from a government perspective as well. Why do you think they discourage families.
Hope you have 401k invested fully in the stock market. Important to save money. Even more important to grow that money
And this is before social media came out.
It's 1000x worse with social media
I said the same thing!! It is scary😮😮
And before CZcams. All these vloggers showing off their houses and cars who make a couple million a year sponsoring crap to sell to their gullible audience.
Excellent documentary. I bought into the "norm" but now I want less and less. Freedom is the new American dream.
Amen sister!
I agree. Less is more. We are now on year two of a three year plan to eliminate debt. Things are just things.
@@jellyroll5247 You're doing great!!
There is now freedom while we still have an overbearing, pseudo rich person in the white house. all of his followers think he made his money the right way...didn't happen.
Exactly. Being debt free is my American dream. Down to just my mortgage and refinancing to a 15 year fixed.
Think about it, everything we buy will either end up in the dump or at a thrift store someday. Buy only what you need, everything else is wasteful.
Buy second hand when it makes sense to do so, spend less and lessen your environmental footprint.
@@granitemoss1451 Absolutely! Thank you for adding this important piece.
That's my barometer for a purchase. Where will it be in 5 years, 10 years, etc.
But don't forget to treat yoself on activities that add value to your life.
Facts!
All I need is a good home, warm water and food on the table.
Instagram has only increased that effect where one group is renting reach item to show off and the other one buys them on credit card to be the same.
"People no longer want comfort, they want luxury"
Some ppl only suffering in style.As soon as they cant keep up "its game over".
Give me comfort. You can have luxury. Comfort would help me do more work, to get more comfort. A viciously gentle cycle of a good life.
The ultimate luxuries in life are peace and quality time with loved ones. And if you can travel to places you're curious about, well that's nice too :)
With CZcams videos and a good monitor, I don't need to travel to see other places.
Mental health is very important, otherwise you cannot function.
@@pauljordan4452 You can function. You just function in a bad way.
@@pauljordan4452 Oh, you can function, just can't do it very well. around others.
Amen to that
Rich ppl now wear jeans and converse while middle class and poor wear Gucci and LV......etc
This is because they are focused solely on the house and car payments.
My only debt Is my mortgage and I usually buy clothes from Costco.
The middle class has always used their businesses to over charge the poor, so the middle class is not innosent,don't group them with the poor because they are not having it as good anymore,they drained us dry,there is still a lot of businesses upping prices off the backs of the poor
Poor are barefoot
Cheri Merchant Nobody drained anyone! Anyone who wastes their money does so as a result of their own choice! Dont blame someone else for your own mistake
Excuse me as I go empty my Amazon cart... Change starts now!
🤣🤦♀️lol..I'm with you lol
Have you stuck to your change?
Empty that Amazon cart again
How’s the change going, Andre? I’ve found it a load off my back.
good for you!
The smartest thing hubby and I ever did was buy a house WAY under what the bank approved. This allowed me to stay home full time with out children, and we are perfectly happy with our modest ranch.
"Hubby" blech
Loser
"Modest ranch" 🙄
You both obviously have high IQs and your children will too. Congratulations!
I made the mistake of letting the realtor company pre approve my mortgage. Seemed every p.o.s. House I looked at was exactly that amount. When I checked Zillow after the houses had sold they were literally $25,000 less than I was told. Now if I had been approved for $500,000 that amount wouldn't be an issue but I was only approved for $49.900. The second agent was unaware of my limit and showed me everything and I was able to get my house for way below my means. Twenty years later I worry more about the taxes and the upscale movement of my area.
Buying expensive stuff to impress people they don’t like...
My dad one told me to "look at the people spend the money they don't have... to buy the things they don't need... to impress the people they don't know...." that has stuck with me For life
Dr Phil says that phrase too 😀
Lol
And people who could care less about them as well.
It's Will Smith's quote
The only people Im jealous of are those who can retire early yet can still live comfortably til old
@Hmtasty I worked hard in the 70's, 80's, 90's and the 2000's. I retired at 55. Things were so different all those years ago. I had a free University education in the UK and property was so much cheaper back then (even in London). I would hate to be starting my career in this day and age. It is so difficult for a lot of young people to just survive, let alone have a lifestyle of their choice.
It's because too many are taught that "they deserve" instead of "what you can manage".
What people don't realize is that having cushion in your finances relieves SO much stress!
I want a product that last 30 years not 3 years. Why do I have to keep replacing my coffeemaker, or window ac, vacuum cleaner, or even car so often. One small reason for so much consumption is that products are not available which last for a long time. They build them cheaply. There not as durable as they can be. Nor can you get them repaired, they don't make the parts or supply the parts any more.
It's called Planned Obsolescence. Look it up..
I think it is difficult . It is known cells and circult board kill most of things. Think about a vaccum cleaner? It is not easy to find Dyson(R) Big Ball or AC Corded one. I think car is worse than I think, Although I have very limited ideas on gear box, after I see gear box's parts before exam, I knew automatic one, in most cases, B.S .
Maybe because you haven't tried a 4 or 5 year old Toyota with a cc of > 1900cc. It should drive like forever.
@@solomonchege2986 Now that is a car that last.
@@chuheihkg Yes electronic components are a problem. The boards are cheep to make yet they rip you off when you buy aftermarket parts. My ECM just cost me nearly 800 dollars to replace. And that was easy to do, only a few minutes.
"Comfort is no longer enough, people want luxury." And there lies the problem not everyone can afford luxury so they pay for it with debt.
So many forget comfort IS a luxury!
@@granitemoss1451 no, it is not. Everyday it becomes easier then ever before to get things done. Life for those who do not care about their suroundings is getting cheaper by the second (recent example look at smart phones).
There is a great push by society to keep people spending regardless of their needs and regardless of their comfort (stunning example, look at EA and activision).
@@MsLia32 I suppose the issue here is luxury may be subjective. What some people consider luxury actually gives me horrific anxiety (owning way too much stuff, having a super expensive phone, etc) while another person may freak out if they don't have those things.
Yes! Drove 1 hour to the Goodwill with the highest earning zipcode. Suit jacket tops $5, button up long sleeve $3, bought a pair of kaki’s at Ross and dress shoes on eBay. Looking clean for a lot less. An iPhone 6s can be had for $150 with an otter case your good; and with copart.Com there’s some cheap cars with no frame damage, just a fender, front bumper and radiator support needed. Everyone wants a house first, just get a duplex and live for free...
People don't want to live frugal they want to show off that they're living a fabulous life and it's all about champagne and lobsters just to trow it on peoples face not because it makes them happy. I find myself very happy living very frugal and no debt.
I have failed at consumerism. I have always refused to wear any clothing with any brand on it. I refuse to be "fashionable", and always have. I was raised by my grandparents, who were in their teens when the Depression arrived, grandfather was in WWII, my grandmother was a nurse stateside during WWII. They always said that credit was bad, and if I felt I wanted something that I should save the money. Grandpa always said the interest rate would scalp me. He also said the only loans I should have would be the loan for the house, loan for a vehicle, and pay them off as soon as possible. I have always remembered their advice.
My grandparents were the same. My grandma kept saying don't buy stuff you can't afford.
No one taught me about money, my brother and I were raised under the same circumstances yet am a saver/investor and minimalist and he's a big spender who has filed bankruptcy twice.
Don't get a loan for a vehicle, unlike a house, it is NOT an investment.
A car is an EXPENSE. Do not get a loan on a depreciating asset.
@@Bob_Lob_Law A house is not an investment either. It can depreciate, it requires regular costly maintenance, and it doesn't make you money if you live in it. When you sell it you will be lucky to make money, but most of the time you just break even. A house is an OK way to preserve your money from inflation or make a modest income from renting it out, but that's about it. The only way to make a buck is by consistenly flipping houses. Buy, repair, sell. Rinse, repeat. A car on the other hand can be used as a tool to earn income, so one can see it as an investment.
You were so Blessed 🤍🤍
Dr. Schor was ahead of her time. Everyone else has rebranded her original research but she was an original voice in this topic.
Our grandparents or great grandparents had what is known as common sense when it comes to money. Her research takes it to another level. More people need to pay attention to their finances and stop caring what others think.
When I turned 30 I paid off my CC debt. I have managed to never go back into CC debt. I’m now 50 yrs old.
Good job. I was 32. Paid off all debt. Im 37 now and still no debt. I know when im your age, ill be able to say the same thing.
J Parker. You are all awesome! I’m close to achieving that. I owe $3,000 on student loans. The only reason I haven’t paid it off is because I’m single with no kids. I think the interest is the only thing allowing me to get money back at tax time. But, everything else is paid off and manageable!
@longrider : Happy to hear about your ability to live without using credit cards. What's even more impressive is that you have a job/career/profession that pays you enough to cover your expenses so that you don't need to use a credit card for groceries, gasoline, medical, clothes, shoes, etc. I wasn't able to find a job that paid enough for even the basics to be covered so I did end up going into debt using cards. I suppose it depends on one's employment picture as to freedom.
Congratulations Mr. Parker. Im trying to do the same. I'm 27 now but will be out of consumer debt when I turn 30 too.
Justin Robertson 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻. Good luck. Great news.
I’d always laugh at the TV shows where it shows a detective living in some 1500 square foot apartment in NY City.
The Cosby Show’s house and lifestyle was accurate. She was an attorney and he was an Obstetrician. One of the best lines from that show was the daughter complaining to the mother about how “rich” they were and how that made it hard for her to make friends (something to that effect). And the mother responds, “We’re not rich. Your father and I work very hard for our money. When you’re rich your money works hard for you.”
that's a misnomer. An obstetrician and attorney would be considered wealthy
DreamChaser It's common for wealthy people to not consider themselves rich. Their frame of reference is different, they compare themselves to people who are even wealthier. For example, my dad is an executive in an accounting company, he makes $250 an hour plus bonuses, and he insists he isn't rich. His boss who makes $3 million a year is rich, but he isn't, he's just a bit above average. And I imagine that people that make $3 million think the same way, "I'm not actually rich, look at these people on Forbes' list, I'm dirt poor next to them"
@@exantiuse497 Funny!!! Yeah, three million doesn't buy what it once did. lol. I know people who go on a cruise every three months, but I've never been on one. Well, once around Lake of the Ozarks
@@Mrbynby You aren't missing much....it's basically lower middle class hillbillies "acting" like they are rich for 10 days....
@Cynthia Murphy Likewise, I've done 3 and that's my limit. I will admit that the last, a Alaskan cruise of Glacier Bay, was much better. I think because the class of people were "different". The other 2 I went on were the "Mexican Rivera" where it was people that just wanted to stay pickled the entire time.
Anyone in the workforce back in the 80's knows exactly what she's talking about. Being Gen X, I love the 80's, but that's when in my opinion consumerism went crazy to this day.
Thank the boomers consumers.
@@johndong7524 Because their attitude is/was "When you die, you can't take it with you". So they spent money they didn't have via the credit card.
She would choke at today's level of indebtedness
I once knew a guy who sold real estate in a luxury LOS ANGELES suburb. He informed me that half the people driving the LAND ROVERS in the particular surburb were bankrupt.
I have heard this about many major cities. Atlanta being another one. Many of those people don't like to pay their taxes either.
It's funny because the house I live in I get a debt letter from a land rover company and the previous tenant hasn't paid the bill for about 6 months.
The house flipping in affluent neighborhoods supports that kind of lifestyle until it doesn't
@@SoCalFreelance nothing lasts for ever man. Have to know when to get in and out. Just like the stock market.
Wow
I never realized how much of a play "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" was on keeping up with the joneses. Amazing.
pornstar pussy* That’s a good observation. Here in America we no longer keep up with the Jones’s we literally keep up with the Kardashians. We no longer have a taste for a modest middle class lifestyle. We want affluence, huge fortunes, and status goods.
SLOW!!! :-)
Finally, a video that doesn't make excuses for our horrible choices. This is probably 20 years old but is still relevant today and maybe even worse.
It's very much WAY worse today.
This seems to be a 2001 story, but seemingly still surprisingly accurate.
This was 2004 actually
man has spending issues since we start walking upright.
I love all you stingy people.
It's good to see there are people out there who aren't willing to be a slave of this consumption madness :)
I love you too
@@Balkanbabygirl thank you :)
Arash Kheshtkar the rich are stingy with what they pay out to the middle class. I think the word you’re looking for is frugal.
@@EmpressLilith222 I suppose you are correct. Thanks for correcting me eh :)
hahaha ... stingy ... my wife calls me cheap charlie ;-)
(I have money on the bank, she doesn't)
"act your wage"...best advice ever!
Storage rental units have always seemed excessive and unnecessary.
I manage a storage facility with 95% occupancy. It's ludicrous what people use the facility to store. Sure, there are a couple families moving or businesses who need space to store inventory. But I estimate that 75% of the people who have a storage unit at my facility are storing extra junk they think they will need someday. It's sad.
I read an article that said many storage units are now being used by families/individuals that are between homes starting in 2008. I did not research this any further, I'm not saying it's absolutely correct. Since reading that article I've met two people that were using storage units for this purpose 😕
“Most consumers live in a fog when it comes to their spending. That fog is important in reproducing the spending.” Wow. That’s insightful.
To change my spending I quit going window shopping and I delete advertising in my email and throw out flyers. I also moved out of the neighborhood that puts pressure on me to buy. I love where I live now. I actually got a bigger house for less than a smaller house in an affluent neighborhood. I also have a good amount saved and feel more secure. 💰🌞
Well done!
great share ! If we all want time, happiness and connectness, we do not need stuff or high pressure jobs to get that. we are born with time and happiness. and like you said, we can move away from communities that put pressure on us to keep buying unnecessary stuff.
@Aaron Jones I love your reply!
Mrs. Juliet is way way more than her time. Just amazing! this is 1999, and 20 years later this facts becoming more obvious!
It was obvious in 99 too. Unless you were 16
it's showing Hummer 2 and infinity SUVs from mid 2000s
@@payamyazdi7672 yeah I thought the same with the Jeep and Durango . Some of those reporters are still active today and don't look too different
22:35 shows a graffic with the 2002 year on it.
@@payamyazdi7672 You comment on anything car related. You are everywhere.
So fitting... my “ex”’s solution to her spending was for me to work more overtime... I am serious... she is long gone !
Lol
A friend who worked in Japan was asked by his employer which account his bonus should go to. He didn't understand. Then he realized that his employer wanted to give him the chance to hide the extra income from his family. I heard that in Japan the wife has no influence concerning the job but decides everything about the home. For example the husband comes home and there is a new couch. I don't know if that has changed in the last decade.
Gone in the trunk of a car I hope. Lol
this pandemic gave me the lesson that what counts is to have a family and friends, spending time with them, instead that in the office.
I’m essential and haven’t been able to stay home at all
"What's in your wallet? CASH" - Dave Ramsey.
I did plastic surgery a long time ago and I'm still living!
Jonathan Strange awesome! In 8 months my wife and I have paid off $16k and were just over halfway to being debt free. No payments=cash in our pockets.
@@nobody_special012 That's awesomeness!!! Congratulations to both of you!
I like a lot of Dave's advice. I don't agree with everything he says, but most of his advice is solid. I'm certainly a convert when it comes to never financing vehicle and other depreciating assets. I do keep a credit card which I know that Dave doesn't condone, but I pay off the balance every month to avoid having to pay interest. I mostly keep it because it helps increase my credit score and I get cash back rewards.
@@KayleeCee It's like credit card companies reward hard workers who keep on top of their balance.
Best thing we ever did was the Dave Ramsey course financial peace University no plastic in my life Cash is king just a mortgage.
The ease of online shopping now adays has Escalated this problem EXPONENTIALLY...
"Americans have everything, but actually own nothing"
David...I have an incredible revelation.....don't ever forget, as long as you live...no one, but no one, owns anything... the dust to dust, ashes to ashes journey......
We buy things we don't need, for money we don't have to impress people we don't like :D :D :D
@KILLERxPRO99 Um no.
Because of population growth.
Economy will always grow, it will just grow without bubbles.
Channeling Dave Ramsey?
@KILLERxPRO99 needs are means.
Well said 👍🏻😂😂😂
That's George Carlin. Give him credit. ;-)
This amazing documentary is far beyond its time. It is shocking how accurate it is for being such an old video.
History keeps repeating itself. I think the only ones who can live within their means are those that think for themselves. Those that are content with less than more....January 2020😫 wonder what countries debt clock will say then 5 trillion for each country.
thats because you love slavery
@@juanshaftpatel7488 I do. Prove it.
@@michealsizemore1 you have a job
@@juanshaftpatel7488 Are you sure that I am not unemployed.
First time I went to America I was 19 and I was astonished at the consumerism ,I am now63 and they haven't changed one bit
Yes we have, we're worse.
Really? This documentary shocks me, I haven't noticed these trends in my town in Wyoming. I guess cause we're too busy with religion instead and being happy to go on vacation in Italy every year 😋
@@gabrielh9595 lol
@@gabrielh9595 because you have rich parents.
I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.
Since last month I‘m totally debt free! 😍 It feels so great✨ I use budget since 2 years, it helps a lot! Cut costs that you don‘t need, learn how to cook healthy and delicious, use coupons, sell everything what you don‘t need and don‘t buy things that you don‘t need! It‘s the key🗝
"Don't buy things you don't need". Oh, wow! What a great advice! I would've never thought of that by my own. Thanks! You must be some kind of a genius. How did you get so smart? I mean, really, this is some cosmic level of intelligence you are bestowing upon us there.
Very well done, Melanie ! And it's right that many people buy things they DON'T need. Just to have the same things that their friends or neighbours! Recently friends of mine bought a new car. Their old one was all right, but their neighbours had bought a SUV, so...
@@johndong7524 You don't have to be such a jerk
@@susanzito6466 Why am I jerk? Cause I called her on her silly advice? Any normal person should be able to figure that out. Get a brain.
Obviously a lot of people can't figure it out because they are in debt! Loser.
This video won’t leave my recommended page so fine I’ll watch it
I absolutely love being frugal and trying to beat the system instead the systems beating me!!! SAVE, SAVE, SAVE people!
And then you gonna die with all your savings..... The point of life is to spend just enough without going in to debt
@MM Primer Right but the point is to be content with less isn't it? As long as we still have necessities then the initial economic crash wouldn't affect us that much since we're trying to be minimalists anyway. We would just be spending money differently so different companies would find success. The economy would be restructured.
You’re employed part-time but are expected to have full availability, scheduled to work 5 days a week 5 hours each day which blocks the better part of the day to find another job.
Plus the cost of commuting for such a short day is proportionally higher
I am employed part time 20h/w my company expects me to be available 7 days a week for any shift they want me to work. Moving to a new job in a couple of weeks!
So stop being so lazy!!
As a kid my parents struggled.. I never had any trending clothes to wear to school but at least i had decent new clothes/shoes and most importantly food and a roof over my head. Have to be grateful for what we have and not what we dont have. There are people in our society that are living out on the street that would kill to have a portion of what some of ius take for granted.
Happy to say never brought a coffee in starbucks ever.
7-11 is 2 bucks.
@The Busy B's so does MCD
The worse coffee I tasted is starbucks
Don’t worry, the only thing you’re not missing is your money.
I have only done Starbucks out of desperation. I drink my coffee before I leave for work, and generally, that's it for the day. But sometimes you need a little extra. Starbucks was the easiest to hit up. Occasionally, there's the coffee date with friends at McDonald's as the place we go to doesn't mind us just buying one drink and sitting for two hours
What a brilliant woman. This was an excellent interview and video.
That is true. iPad to write this quote she said: The more time parents spend with their children the less discretionary buying they do. The more time parents spend apart from their children the more compensate buying they do: Toys,video games,etc. Consumerism becomes a substitute for human connection.GOD that is soooooooo. true. 🙂✌🏽
I was really enjoying this until I started to feel like a commie was trying to recruit me into their Marxist midst.
@@neoneherefrom5836 Well, her proposals were just that, proposals. I'm also not into the idea of a consumption tax, but I took away some important lessons from this video nonetheless. Each of us is responsible for our finances, taxes or no taxes. Hopefully this video will help people who really need it.
Brilliant? Hmmmm......what did she say that we didn't really already know? Most people who do this over spending know this, they just continue
@@neoneherefrom5836 Nope. This isn't our agenda. I'm a member of the Communist Party USA and I would only agree with about 20% of what she is saying as communism.
This is so true. I go into stores and having to tell myself I have too much stuff already.
When I'm cleaning I'm like..... WHY DO I HAVE SO MUCH STUFF???
Do WE OWN the stuff - or does the stuff OWN US ? And then we serve it by cleaning, purchasing cabinets for it, insuring it, providing the LARGE ENOUGH space to have it there.
P.S.: eveything comes at a cost, I am tempted by the new shiny object and have a hard time getting rid of stuff (it still is useable). It also feels like a loss (even though it did not _serve me_ in years). Likely equating the money it cost (or the trouble to get it) with VALUE.
So I am not quite there, not yet. I have the insights but the emotions have not yet followed.
Gotto do some EFT (meridian tapping) on the attachments to material things).
Don’t buy want you see. Don’t buy the latest. Don’t buy. things on sale that you don’t are already have.I never can understand why some of my coworkers would pay off their car note. Now they own their vehicle. Weeks later they trade in the vehicle they owned for another vehicle. Now they have another car note to pay. WHY. You traded in the vehicle you OWN..There was absolutely nothing wrong with that vehicle. But realize the mind set of some people is: If she/he can afford a BMW . I can afford a BMW. If she/he can afford to buy all those clothes. I can afford all those clothes. Because of that mindset. Auto industries, fashion industries, shoes industries, communication s industries, food industries are make millions or billions.🙂🙂✌🏽✌🏽
Leave the credit cards at home or cut them up it works
I was a sucker for brands & followed the trends because I wanted to fit in but now, I grew tired & wanted to be 'myself'.
Nelson Rockefeller gave a speech in 1963 where he outlined how they would double the tax base by making middle class women dissatisfied with their lives. This would bring the women into the workforce increasing the tax base, It would also bring the lower class women into the workforce more to care for middle class children and homes. In less than ten years they would shift to a two earner household and never be able to go back even when the inevitable inflation would erode the actual gains. That’s what really happened.
Why are they dissatisfied with their lives
Juliette Zea They were told that they were. They were told that unless they worked outside the home they weren’t valued. It wasn’t true but they bought it. My mom said she was constantly being told this.
@@nikkil764 - wow
Buy a water filter and END Bottled WATER.
i buy voss or san pellegrino or perrier and fill it with tap water like x100 times😹😹😹
@@sskot4921 Dude just to to wally world and get a Pure Filter you can screw on to your tap. It works on EVERY tap. I have tried most them as a property owner. They are only like 16.00 for over 100 gallons. No need to drink the tap. That stuff is scary.
wally world
@@sskot4921 When I must buy a bottle, or one of my siblings has one. I try and see how long I can keep it before I lose it. LOL Longest time with one pellegrino bottle 6 months. It became a friend.
shanniworld Collecting dew and drinking that is totally free! And the water is more pure than filtered or bottled water.
Wow. She is brilliant. Consumerism as a replacement for parenting. Ouch.
I’ve stopped shopping because I realized I rather continue to live a leisurely life. Which I’ve been living close to a decade now.
Feels good to see the money staying in your account, whatever the amount doesn't it? :)
My mom ran the office of a car dealership. Back in the 1980s when they installed their first computer system, the GM came to her and asked when she could let someone go. He was shocked to learn they were going to have to hire another person to input all the info into it.
work begaets work
I've always had a good laugh at the spenders while I drove crappy cars I fixed myself for 30 years.. I retired at 52. Now my spendy friends ask me how I did it....:)
I drove an old car for a decade and saved my money. Now, I have a beautiful shiny truck I'm driving that completely paid for. I'm in Pre-Retirement (which means I work short-term projects and take a lot of time off). No debt of course!
I made me happy to hear that! All my friends and people i know in my 30´s have bought the most expensive house the bank would allow and the 2 most expensive cars they could borrow for and they just have NO money at all! I see them living with that huge debt over their head and they can´t even afford to go on holiday for a week. I lived in a studio apartment all my 20´s and still live in a slightly bigger one now as i moved to Spain and i drive 10 year old cars. I can retire in 7 years when i am 40. I mostly just owned index funds which follow the market and you double your money every 7 years. or after 2008 you tripled your money in just 10 years. I feel bad for fake rich people when i see them struggle
I retired at 25 but I. Married into money
Yes, for years we drove Mercedes that were ten or twelve years old. By that time they had lost eighty percent of the showroom price, someone else had paid the main dealer servicing, and we had stylish, reliable cars that we'd saved for and bought with cash.
Debt doesn't just drain your wallet. It drains the life out of you.
@Adrian Campbell I'm not laughing at their situation, as you say we can all be tripped up by unforseen events. What I laugh at is the decisions they make and then wonder why they are not better off financially.. Its like "My God, I pulled the trigger and now I have a hole in my foot!".. Who would have thought?
Recently stopped buying products where the brand would be very visible. This made me think, we bought the product, we paid for it, and we would still market the company for them.
The things we learned from this video, they were already mentioned to us before but somehow, we're not listening
Wow. I was thinking about the same thing 3 days ago.
@@ricnyc2759 Right? we're walking billboards for them.
they gotta pay me to model for them
Buy Vans, 30.00 shoes will last over 3.5 years. I'll advertise for that. The stripe is obvious. Just like Nike.
Amen my friend. That's been my philosophy all along! It's Nonsense! I'm not PAYING to advertise for a company.
Just as I wont use a self checkout. A W2 isn't printed w the recipt!
I made a promise to myself to never wear branded ANYTHING. I am not a bill board.
95% of my wardrobe is from the thrift store, so often that includes branded items. I just didn’t spent more than $5.00 for it.
If you can’t pay for it cash, save for it !
Never buy consumer goods on credit !
The only thing you buy on credit is property/ education
Important life lesson m parents told me
Dave Ramsey would disagree on the education part.
Agreed education on credit has negatively affected many lives
@@Alvarado2367 coming from Germany were university & health care are free it’s different. If you study you might accumulate a little dept because student jobs don’t always cover your rent & living expenses but it’s still reasonable dept which you will pay of in a few years time with easy... it’s nothing compared to America I got a PhD in the most expensive city in Germany and I have around 10k dept I guess that wouldn’t be possible in America
@@4legs4paws55 I know people with Bachelor and Master degrees that can’t get a decent paying job. I can only imagine the stress when you have those student loans piled up. You’re right, it would be impossible in the U.S.
Better not take out student loans, you'll be on the hook till the day you die!
Credit card debt? Zero. I do not carry a balance beyond the end of the billing period.
jvolstad:Congradulations!Me too.Also,i don't pay extra for internet or TV.
I don't have a credit card. I had one once, I paid it off, cut it up.
I've successfully survived without a credit card for over 16 years! Freedom is achievable.
I love my credit cards, I don't mind paying interest because my business covers that in the form of higher prices for consumers. Virtually every business you buy products from has some sort of debt on which principal and interest is embedded within the cost of their sold products. You also pay federal income taxes, payroll taxes, corporate income taxes, tariffs, property taxes, sales/use taxes, DMV registration fees and taxes, and many other taxes and fees charged by various levels of government that increase the cost of goods and services and drives up inflation. There is also the interest payments the debts governments must make on the taxes and fees they collect from you. This is also not including the compliance cost impositions of various governmental regulations placed on businesses as well. It's a way bigger picture than you think.
This is capitalism at its best. Having debt is crippling and will drain your mental capacity. Live in your means do what Makes you happy not what you thinks makes other people appear you to be happy. Have 12 months of expenses saved. It sounds hard yes. But it is possible! Good luck Humanity!
Branded water and athletic footwear are REALLY good examples of what she's talking about in this whole videeo.
I never understood bottled water but at least I’m seeing people use more reusable water bottles now and I love the reusable water fountain at the airports now
I dringk tap water and I have no idea what brand my footwear is.
Stop spending your future self's money.
Brilliant comment.
When I worked at Abercrombie I noticed that the polo shirts sold there were literally the exact same ones in Hollister and Aeropostale but almost twice as much.
Obviously, from the date of this video, we haven't learned the lesson.
maybe because the subject is to simple to understand on how to handle your funds etc....
this documentary was before Fast Fashion happened. And the proliferation of Facebook and Instagram.
what is fast fashion?
No, it clearly mentions the conditions of cheap goods having their prices elevated by a brand name. The concepts mentioned here can be applied to today even if they're not specific.
Fast fashion is like fast food for clothing. Cheap, low quality, quick to make.
@@MrSab177 for example uniqlo, h&m, pull and bear etc
the bottom line its still about money and how folks are irresponsible creatures and go into deeeep debt and have to work till their 80 plus yrs LOL.
Given-name Surname totally applicable yup
this is amazing. Juliet has hit the nail right on the head. products do NOT make us happy. the more you buy, the more in debt you become the more unhappy you become.
This happens when egos are a lot bigger than basic financial common sense
I got so lucky with this, because I totally bought into the "Dynasty" hype as a youth. I even bought a house I only used a third of and a German SUV. Thankfully fate smiled upon me and I sold the house for twice what I paid for it, paid off the SUV, invested well, developed recurring income, and retired fairly young to live a modest life near family. Somewhere along the way I realized that I didn't care what other people thought anymore and just wanted the freedom to control time and place, what I do and where I do it. I don't even know how the shift happened for me, but I pray it happens for others too, because this is happiness.
I love your story, Conscious Crypto, thank you for sharing it. I suppose that for most people, the shift has to happen through their own experience and learning from it, just like in your case.
Conscious Crypto I pray your "shift" happens for me too. ♥
What's your favorite crypto???
This is an EXCELLENT short Documrntary. It shows how "Spending" is literally making Everyone POOR in So Many Different Ways. This is truly a Phenominal video. I am an active shopaholic and am trying to curb my shopping by at leat 80%. This video should be seen by Everyone.
One thing I learned is that there are several "sales" per year, you don't have to shop on every single one for fear that you may miss out on savings. Coupons expire but guess what , they'll keep sending new ones.
I had to decide what is really important to me. Stopped watching commercials and worrying about what other people have. I mind my own business and share with others about my changes when asked. True freedom is not being a slave to "stuff"
I will say one thing that the author was not aware of: on the Friends show, the big apartment was rent-controlled and belonged to Monica and Ross' grandmother. That's the only reason they were able to live there. But yes, she's right, that apt in no way reflects the average New Yorkers apt. Most are studios under 400 sq ft.
I believe this was added to the script well into the series when viewers woke up to the reality it wasn't possible for these low wage earners to live in such a spacious apartment in NYC
That NY apartment would be a joke where I live in Arkansas. I was trying to see why it was considered a nice apartment. #LoveMySouthernLiving
@@LMae-rj9qi Yes, but most people would prefer to live in NYC rather than Arkansas.
@@CBeatty59 I understand. But I think if they saw what they could save for retirement, quality of life, etc. in arkansas they might be satisfied with visiting NY. But I could be wrong.
@@josieschmo4172 It was mentioned in the series finale (the rent control; the grandmother was mentioned earlier, people from NYC would have assumed rent control, people from other places may have been confused hence the one-off line in the last episode).
My mother used to work in a textile factory and they were told to put the cheap brand onto one garment and expensive designer label on exactly the next (same) garment
Nazeem Dollie I worked at a milk bottling plant where they did the same thing with plastic cartons of milk
@liz t until you try to paint with it, that is...
Same with regular jam and extra fancy jam.
Basically just ripping customers off by charging a higher price for a mere label.
This is why I shop from AliExpress lol The clothes are from the same factory, I pay for cheaply just without the label 🏷
I've been to Africa and got to know children who literally have NOTHING and are HAPPIER than ANYONE I've ever met in America
Please do not romanticise poverty to suit your narrative. Nobody is happy to be poor and have nothing. Those African children could do with good health care and education.
And another thing about that is they don’t even know what socks are. They don’t know what so ever that they could be living a better life not just better but millions of times better down to the very last detail. And not only that but they’re children... when I was a kid I had no idea I was poor I just wanted to knock everything down that was standing. Ask adults In Africa eating literal patties of mud dried in the sun starving to death, adults that weigh 75 pounds and will soon die
Theresa Nwabia How am I romanticizing poverty? Who ever said they were poor? They might be poor in the eyes of western opinion, but they don’t know what it’s like to be enslaved to material possessions. They are arguably the richest people on earth given that they don’t even know what material possessions are.
A man with no food on the table has one problem. A man with food has many problem. The more you have the more problems.
Theresa Nwabia we could use good education and healthcare here in the U.S. We have the money to make this happen yet we still don’t.
"sometimes you're just living to buy new things"
I am seeing 351 sheepish consumerists disliking this beautiful exhaustive piece of work.
I work 35 hours, one job, thats all the blood they get from me.
Exactly... i get calls from work to work xtra shifts. Why would I submit if they don’t staff properly?
Julio Mateo I just turned down an overtime shift a few minutes ago lol
My job calls me every week on my days off. I never answer
Shalawn Dudley 😂
@@shalawndudley2094 thats the way :)
I bought a $165 dollar ink pen with exotic shells and mini diamonds in it as a symbol of reaching a goal and now it reminds me of excess. I've learned my lesson. I'm now debt-free and I occasionally take out this fancy ink pen that I cannot even find ink replacements for and smile to myself.
The space pen from Seinfeld 😅 Take the pen!
Any good art supply store, or a million online. search “buy ink cartridges near me.” They are not expensive, and you have saved the planet from heaps of deadly plastic waste from disposable biros. You can even get refillable ink cartridges so you don’t even make waste with empty cartridge barrels. My fancy cartridge pen was a fun find at an op shop. $2 for a brand new Shaeffer cartridge pen still in the box, beautiful to write with. I used to throw away hundreds of biros a year, now very few. Its not just for the money, our planet needs us to be frugal too!
.
What a sweet story :D :D
vctjkhme ri-i-i-ght. So no matter what i suggested there would be an excuse? You may be debt-free, but you’re running up credit on a planet that cant keep paying. Not frugal at all.
vctjkhme ri-i-ight. Mad legit..
It’s amazing how she’s explaining it as if we have to spend. I know she’s explaining how people’s mindsets are.
This pandemic probably has done more to wake people up tho the folly of their spending than any video or book ever could.
yeah for a quick second and then they'll do the same thing
I doubt it.
@@MrBigtime1986 Yep.
@@MrBigtime1986 the funny thing is people are sick and addicted to consumerism. I have a tenant who instantly fell behind on her rent because the COVID federal unemployment stopped. With it she was receiving more money than she got at work. Now that it over and her rent is late she said she spent it on short term pleasure and consumerism and didn't think COVID would last this long. Now I have to be the bad guy and evict.
@@BigSnead76 Hard times are coming thats for sure, right around winter and for many years after that