I am currently living in a dorm with my best friend. We get along great, but she is constantly getting new, expensive things. She will randomly get $700 Burberry jackets in the mail or a few new pairs of Lulu Lemon leggings. At first, it didn’t bother me- I know her family has a lot of money and I was used to it. After being around it for awhile, though, it started to really bother me. I have to pay for everything I get and her parents were just buying her whatever she wanted. I was constantly comparing myself and my things to hers. So, this post is for those of you that have to work hard for your money who deal with people who get whatever they please.
First off, recognize that circumstances likely won’t change. They will continue to get new, nice things and you will continue to work hard for your money. That’s how it is. The problem here is an illusion. Looking at someone with money makes us think “wow, I wish I could have whatever I want like them, they don’t even work for it, it’s just given to them”. It looks really nice on the surface, but it is a curse. Not having to work for money will create people who will never learn to depend and trust themselves, which won’t allow for a genuine self-esteem to blossom. On top of the fact that the person being given all of these nice things really isn’t having any favors done for them, it is also important to remember that material objects to not make people happy. I get a lot of pride out of budgeting and getting good deals. I know I am not wasteful with my money, and I trust that when I get older I will maintain a good financial state because I am learning how to handle money well now.
The bottom line is that the person working hard for their money is actually at the advantage (yes, it’s true!). People who are given things will learn to be dependent and get the false idea that materialistic objects are important, that they make them happy, and that having the objects defines them.
