Habit, not the one worn by nuns, the spending habits we do every day. Why are they so hard to break? Well let me tell ya! We have been raised as consumers since the day our eyes were open to commercialism that formed our habits. And when we raise our families, they grow to be consumers just like us. The webster dictionary defines a consumer as one that utilizes economic goods. Because we are overwhelmed with advertisements and choices, we become overwhelmed and to sooth that anxiety we buy more products and goods.
As we consume the resources dwindle while quality merchandise disappears or is not made to last, we buy more. In industry the word commercial has become synonymous with consumers, and they strategize to get the most bang for their buck when targeting the market.
Bring in the marketers, they know us better then we know ourselves because they have molded the perfect consumer. People get tired of being bombarded with more than 3,000 marketing messages a day. And they’ve made it possible for us to pay not to have ads and messages all day but that doesn’t stop the marketers.
Advertisers soften the appeal of younger audiences to rope them in, forming the next generation of consumers. What used to be even between advertising and upbringing has now become dangerously one-sided. Guess who’s winning? That’s right, the commercials and corporations.
Think about years ago. We used to take our own food to school. Now teachers are feeding students and news celebrities are having school supply drives for the less fortunate in our communities. Mom may get her nails done and dad can get his sports channels. Or any number of daily activities designed to catch the consumer to spend their money. Take grocery stores for example, things change aisles on a rotating basis – this is so you can search for the item you need and impulse buy on your way. Where do they put the milk? That’s right – in the back of the store!
We get ads on our phones, computers, TVs, billboards, and weekly store fliers invading our privacy daily. And ads are tucked into books, shown in movie theaters, displayed on giant screens at sport events, projected from subway monitors, pumped into doctors’ reception rooms, posted in public restrooms, inscribed on clothes, embedded in arcade games, zapped through fax machines, and emblazoned (thanks to food dyes) on hot dogs.
Think of commercialism as an octopus with its tentacles wrapped around even our cultural institutions ranging from minority groups to even the local art museum. This exploits the exploited, alcohol and tobacco marketers capture the minority world. They dominate the inner cities by pouring misery money into minority media and dominating the billboards people see daily. Meanwhile, college and high-school coaches serve sometimes with or without realizing as “consultants” for shoe companies and sporting goods. The payoff to the companies is having top teams wearing their brand of costly sneakers and getting consumers to want what they have.
How do we combat this media malfunction to our financial plans? With today’s marketers promoting artificial wants that promote the urge for ceaseless spending, in every facet of our lives we must take control of our own personal money and starts with that 6-letter word, “Budget” and change habits. Sounds easy, right? Have you tried to break a habit? Some were easy, other people die trying. Budgeting allows you to have eyes on your plan and actions make things happen.
It’s not that commercial life is a new or inherently evil thing. Rather, to borrow is what causes the imbalance that has developed between materialism and idealism in the pursuit of happiness. Now is the time to get back to that longstanding American ideal of simple and honest living and acceptance that the marketplace isn’t going away, just how we apply those dollars will change.
Being frugal was a word my parents used often. It also became an essential component of the lifestyle to those that lived through the Great Depression. Yet ever since World War II we have allowed businesses to make ‘exclusive words” for all.
Rampant commercialism undermines much more than our health and environment, it takes a toll on our psychological well-being. Currently, advertising purposefully promotes envy, creates anxiety, and fosters insecurity. The sad part is crime increases by kids hurting kids just to walk in their playmates’ $200 name-brand sneakers. Selling things in the marketplace or garage sales helps to pay off debt.
By reconsidering our priorities and then acting is the only way we can influence change. We can be enlisted to rescue our environment, improve our health, educate our young, and help our poor. Against this backdrop, people are called to save more money for their futures. When we do not demand the product, production slows. When we eat balanced meals at home chains get less drive through time. When we watch local tv and get away from the 1000s of channels with nothing to watch the demand slumps, and our pocketbook grows.
Once we take control of our habits and have a written plan, we can tackle the bigger picture of our financial future. Coping with commercialism requires tough choices as you build your budget, but it is a necessity needed if you are to combat the rising prices on our doorsteps today.
Financial Counselors and coaches have made their life work to educate the consumer and help them realize that just because an actor says it is what you need the ultimate decision is yours to make. The banks want you to have credit because the advertisers have things to sell you but what they neglected to add is you will never get out of debt on minimum payments, and they just raise interest rates to balance corporate bonuses. You work hard for your money and why financial counselors and coaches are there to help you get that plan in place. They want you to have a lifetime of informed decisions instead of instant gratification or someone telling you that it’s a need when we all know they just want our money.
As a financial counselor, I only want my clients to financially succeed to live the American dream and relieve the stressful burden commerce has created. It is possible and has been time tested for people to reach financial goals, and the majority get there faster with the guidance of a financial counselor or coach to ask the questions and assess each situation with you. Anyone can call themselves a coach and not many have professional certifications or licenses – make sure you vet whoever you will be working with. Ask questions about their background in the financial industry and research them as needed. MyBudgetCoach.com is a great beginning to take charge and coaches on the platform have a wide range of expertise because they are vetted before allowed on the platform. The nicest thing is it is easy to use, better than any platform on the market today and ever changing based on the input of coaches and clients alike to make it better for all users.
Happy budgeting and remember, you will never walk alone.
