May 2, 2008

Peer/family pressure on finances

It isn't just about the pressure to do something to be cool or to be part of a click. There are times when peer pressure is also about doing something that results positively.

Don't you get that "Geesh, you bought that for $50???", instead of a "That's just $50, c'mon!"?

In my case the pressure from my parents to save is just enormous. They pressure me indirectly by telling stories of poverty and richness. So it is family pressure with me.

If you look at it, of course they always mean well but they just do it through negative reinforcement. I won't go into details of that but you know what I mean. I do save and I do invest. I do plan for the future of my family. When I get such pressure I tend to forget for a moment that what I'm doing with my finances is for myself and for my family and not to please anyone outside of it.

But. They are family. Of course I want to please them.

However, family is not the only group of people that can put enormous pressure on me. There is society that has measurements for wealth. What are my wealths? My family, my health, my happiness, whatever it is that I love about my life right now. Even those that I don't like, I embrace as wealth.

Even you bloggers are part of the pressure because we have to walk our talk. Everytime I update my net worth, I cringe to think that some blogger out there has got hundreds (even millions) of thousands of dollars to boast and I don't. Pressure! Aarrggh!

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