Keeping up with the Joneses

PostKeeping up with the Joneses by **Lotus** » Sun Jan 08, 2017 1:58 pm

Prompted by the news that household debt has now reached record levels - part of which is no doubt down to people buying things that they don't really need - how much of what you buy is influenced by a desire to either show off or 'keep up' with friends and colleagues?

I'm thinking phones, cars, holidays, gadgets, etc. Do you buy the latest phone or piece of technology, make sure people know about it, and try and show off? Or do you not play into any of that? Be honest...

I have some colleagues who all seem to be in competition to have the nicest car, newest phone, etc, but it doesn't bother me at all. Curious as to whether people feel pressured to buy things they don't need, purely because of what others will think. A while ago one of my friends told me how she went to a mother and baby group and felt judged about the pram she was using. :lol:

Just baffling, but she went out and bought a bigger/'better' pram as a result. :fp:

Personally I don't give a gooseberry fool, and thankfully most of my friends are the same, but you do get the odd one (or in the case of colleagues, more than the odd one) who seem desperate to drop into conversation the car they've just bought or that they've got a new phone. Their face when nobody gives a gooseberry fool is quite amusing. What's the GRcade view?

PostRe: Keeping up with the Joneses by **Hypes** » Sun Jan 08, 2017 2:09 pm

Nope. I'm know I'm better than them anyway. strawberry floating Jones's.

I'm quite the opposite, I don't like to let people know what I have in case they think I'm bragging. The majority of my family don't know what cars I own and I never post pictures or discuss anything I've bought on Facebook.

PostRe: Keeping up with the Joneses by **Moggy** » Sun Jan 08, 2017 2:49 pm

Lagamorph wrote:I've got two dishwashers

PostRe: Keeping up with the Joneses by **Lagamorph** » Sun Jan 08, 2017 2:52 pm

I thought this was going to be about a British version of Keeping up with the Kardashians that was set in Kent.

I'm disappointed now.

If anything I wouldn't like to brag around certain people at work because they're so bad with money, and despite us being paid the same I'm doing better financially than them.

PostRe: Keeping up with the Joneses by **Rocsteady** » Sun Jan 08, 2017 6:32 pm

I don't care much as nice possessions don't equal happiness, but having turned down lucrative job offers and seen friends get properly on the career ladder - with the monetary benefits that brings - I do sometimes feel twinges of jealously at their homes or nice cars. Nothing more than momentary though, fair play to them really.

I don't give a gooseberry fool what other people have and don't care what they think about the stuff I have.

On the other hand I will now feel obliged to laugh and mock those people who have a standard PS4 as opposed to the mighty PS4 Pro.

Peter Crisp wrote:I don't give a gooseberry fool what other people have and don't care what they think about the stuff I have.

On the other hand I will now feel obliged to laugh and mock those people who have a standard PS4 as opposed to the mighty PS4 Pro.

That will be short lived. In 20 years the classic will be worth 20 million where as the Pro will be worth only £18.50.

I don't have a car and I bring this up as much as possible

I used to be able to do the same with my phone being terrible but then I was silly and went and bought a good one quite recently. What a fool I am

PostRe: Keeping up with the Joneses by **Curls** » Mon Jan 09, 2017 2:09 am

Not really. I do like to buy new things occasionally but don't talk to people about it and certainly dont give a damn about what other people have. I am a Jones though, so all the neighbours probably try to keep up with me anyway.

Ive always been of the view that unless its broke dont replace it...thats why Im happy to keep maintaining my old Ford Focus rather than buying a brand new car on finance or something daft like that.

PostRe: Keeping up with the Joneses by **Preezy** » Mon Jan 09, 2017 9:24 am

Death's Head wrote:I'm quite the opposite, I don't like to let people know what I have in case they think I'm bragging. The majority of my family don't know what cars I own and I never post pictures or discuss anything I've bought on Facebook.

This. Minus the Facebook because I'm not on that (too cool etc).

PostRe: Keeping up with the Joneses by **jawafour** » Mon Jan 09, 2017 10:39 am

I do think it's kinda funny when folk try to "judge" marerial items or feel superiority because of what they own. I live in a flat and it's amazing how many folk look down their nose at that or throw lines like "(random name) couldn't even afford a flat" into the conversation... as if that type of dwelling is the worst thing imaginable. Not that it annoys me or anything :shifty:

.

I live in a flat, have a 720p, 26" telly and an old-fashioned mobile phone that I only use for calls and texts. I don't own a pair of Church's shoes and I wear middling high street-branded clothing. I don't own a car and I use buses.

But I do own a PS4 Pro so, as Peter suggested, I do of course feel a sense of superiority :datass:

. Even though it hasn't really made much difference at all to my games as far as I can tell :lol:

.

PostRe: Keeping up with the Joneses by **Preezy** » Mon Jan 09, 2017 11:00 am

That PS4 Pro is wasted on your TV, Jawa, sort it out.

jawafour wrote:But I do own a WiiU so I do of course feel a sense of superiority .

FTFY

PostRe: Keeping up with the Joneses by **jawafour** » Mon Jan 09, 2017 11:08 am

make fists with your toes wrote:That PS4 Pro is wasted on your TV, Jawa, sort it out.

I do have a smaller set (24") for my videogaming that is 1080p and so I get a (tiny) benefit on that :lol:

.

OrangeRakoon wrote:
jawafour wrote:But I do own a WiiU so I do of course feel a sense of superiority .

FTFY

OR knows the score. Wii U owners are always gonna be the real winners :toot:

.

PostRe: Keeping up with the Joneses by **Moggy** » Mon Jan 09, 2017 11:28 am

make fists with your toes wrote:That PS4 Pro is wasted on your TV, Jawa, sort it out.

He needs to get a smartphone before he buys a new TV.

PostRe: Keeping up with the Joneses by **Denster** » Mon Jan 09, 2017 12:09 pm

No debt.

PostRe: Keeping up with the Joneses by **Moggy** » Mon Jan 09, 2017 1:40 pm

Scheiss dem Fenster wrote:No debt.

Other than a mortgage, I am in the same position.

:toot:

PostRe: Keeping up with the Joneses by **Denster** » Mon Jan 09, 2017 2:05 pm

Partridge Iciclebubbles wrote:
Scheiss dem Fenster wrote:No debt.

Other than a mortgage, I am in the same position.

Tory banana split!

Keeping up with the Joneses

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