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Proverbial Cliff

"Ours is a culture of hyperconsumerism.  Not only can and do we buy nearly anything (except for the truly outrageously expensive), but we seem to have come to believe that we can and should have it all and that who we are is dependent on the ability to live in the right neighborhoods, with appropriately sized homes filled with brand-name appliances, with prestige cars parked in the driveway with expensive golf bags and clubs in the trunk and so on.  And so we spend.  We may be spending somewhat less after the 2008 financial crisis, but we are still spending.  Savings may have increased to its highest levels in decades, but the reality is that that is not saying much, since the savings rate has been so abysmally low.

"We seem to become fairly good at generating an income, enjoying (for the moment) a very high stand of living.  But it is fleeting because we have not accumulated wealth--for our retirement, for our children's educations, for emergencies.  What kinds of trade-offs are we making?  In American, the proportion of people who owned boats in 2005 exceeded the proportion who left an estate of $1 million or more in 2007 by a ratio of nearly 5 to 1.  Even more pronounced is the ratio between the number of cell phone subscriptions and the number of household with $1 million or more investments: nearly 60 to 1.  The cold, harsh reality is that most people live well today, but they will pay for it tomorrow when their standard of living falls off the proverbial cliff due to a lack of resources to pay for retirement, healthcare, or even the cost of a trip to visit the grandkids." - Thomas J. Stanley, Ph.D. in Stop Acting Rich

Hyperconsumerism can hurt our lives.  The legacy it leaves is lots of stuff, lots of debt and low savings.  This also can increase anxiety instead of contentment and peace.

Renee Madison, MA, LPC, CSAT is a counselor in Colorado.  She can be reached for appointments at 303-257-7623 or 970-324-6928.
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