I want to preface this blog with a quote:
Stop buying things you don’t need. To impress people you don’t like. With money you don’t have.
I don’t know who originally said the quote because I’ve heard it from Gary Vee and Dave Ramsay, but I really like it because it’s a quote I understand more and more as I get older. Kind of like wine. So what made me want to post this quote? It was from a trip I made to the auto shop.
It’s All About the Car
I went to my local auto shop to get a wheel alignment on my car. When I came back to pick up my car, there was a customer at the front desk getting ready for a brake fix. The mechanic said the appointment he set was for an inspection, not a fix, and also said there wouldn’t be enough time to do a fix because the shop closed in half an hour. The customer complained that the website wasn’t clear, it was hard to make an appointment over the phone, and he needed his brakes to be fixed so he could do his job. He was also mentioning stuff like “If I don’t get this car back by the end of today, I won’t be able to work” and “I can barely make ends meet”. I honestly felt bad for the guy because car fixes are expensive. When all was said and done, he handed over the keys and pointed to where his car was. All I remember him saying was “it’s parked right out here and it’s the silver car”.
I stepped up to the counter to collect my keys and pay for the alignment (alignment was $110). I was in shock because I had to pay $30 more than the last time I got it done a year ago. After I paid, I was thinking about how grateful I was to afford the alignment fix. When I got into my car, I noticed there was a nice looking silver BMW in the drop off zone. Now I wasn’t completely sure if it belonged to the guy who complained about his finances but because it was the only silver car in the drop off zone, I had a good feeling it was his.
I thought this was his car…
I’ll be honest – I did judge him based on the assumption that the car was his. The first thing I thought was “You say you struggle with your finances and yet you drive a nice BMW”. I mean, if I were in his situation, I wouldn’t purchase that car to make a living. There are things more important than having a nice car like having a good job that pays for the food and housing you need to survive, especially in this economy where everything is getting more expensive. But instead of harping on this man based on an unproven assumption, I wanted to share my own personal experience of buying nice things to impress people when I either couldn’t afford it or didn’t need it.
It’s All About the Looks
I didn’t buy a fancy car but I remember buying fancy clothes and shoes to impress people when I first moved to Tucson. Work wasn’t going well and I was getting jealous of my roommate and other college friends moving on with their lives. I tried to fill my insecurities with materialistic goods like HUGO boss shoes or Banana Republic jeans and shirts. The things looked great on me and having them in my hands gave me some sense of happiness and worth, but the thing with buying materialistic things is that you’ll want more and more. Unless you’re making way more than what you’re buying, it becomes unsustainable.
My friends didn’t treat me any different when they saw me in my fancy shoes or shirts. I was still the same Jerry. I stopped buying my fancy clothes and other materialistic good when I saw how much money I was spending. It took me a while to realize that people actually don’t care that much about what you buy and wear. They’ll probably point out the nice shirt you have on, but you don’t move up in the social dominance hierarchy nor do you become better than them as a person. If you’re looking to impress anyone, impress yourself first.
I wanted to conclude this blog by flipping the quote I mentioned in the very beginning. Buy things you need. Not to impress others but only yourself. With money that you do have.
As always,
Be Confident. Stay Curious.
