[...] Here they were raving about how nice the meal was and one guest even asked for the recipe. When I told them that it was all no-name food they would not believe me. Unfortunately I was not going to get the packaging out the the rubbish bin to prove my point. Their reaction really shocked me because it was like they had never had no-name food. I hate to see them actually end up poor one day and have to eat this stuff. Unfortunately they all are trying to keep up with the Jones. [...]

[...] want to spend money on items when they see that someone else has it. You can read my article on Why is everyone keeping up with the Jones’s.Who cares what your friends are doing. Stop going out to expensive places just because everyone [...]

One way to control your impulse buys is to wait a 24 hour period to see if the impulse subsides. If you still want the item and have thought through whether or not the item is really necessary, then you will probably purchase it after that time.

I myself am from the younger generation but my parents have brought me up in a way so that I appreciate everything that I have (gadgets and electronics in particular). And if I ever have kids, knowing where the generation is going with new gadgets, I will make sure they earn and deserve something before they actually receive it.

Cheers,
Wahid