MONEY TALKS

To make a long story short, you were brainwashed! Somewhere along the line, as a society we've come to believe that, like spoiled children, we deserve to have what we want, when we want it, whether or not we have the money at the time to pay for it.

A hundred years ago, there was no such thing. By and large, you bought the things you could afford to pay cash for, and did without the things you couldn't pay cash for. It wasn't that there weren't moneylenders around back then. If you've ever read the bible, you know that moneylenders have been around for thousands of years.

So what changed? Our attitude towards borrowing. And why did that change? Largely because lots of companies were willing to spend tons of money to change it. Why were they willing to spend all that money? To make money for themselves. And how did they turn us all into the spoiled brats we are today? That part is simple enough: they used advertising to change our thought process.

They simply got us to stop focusing on price and focus on payments instead. So, instead of a car costing $25,000, suddenly it costs $300 a month. A house no longer costs $100,000. It costs $833 a month. A stereo isn't $1,000, it's $30 a month. And, as long as we can afford the payments, why shouldn't we have the things we "want" right now? They also used advertising to convince us that owning and displaying a bunch of physical objects would enhance our sex appeal and self worth. Of course, these companies couldn't have done this to us without our help. They led us to this candy store, but we were more than willing to stuff our faces.

Our willingness to trade our lives for things we don't really want or need comes as a direct result of moneylenders and other advertisers pandering to basic human nature.

So what the heck does all this have to do with debt? Everything. Because a lot of the ways we seek validation result in our spending money. And let me assure you, even if you've never considered your basic human insecurities, the folks on Madison Avenue think of almost nothing else.

If you don't believe me, spend an hour or two watching commercials on TV. In short order, you'll learn that a certain toothpaste will make the opposite sex want to kiss you. You'll learn that a certain scent will make people fall in love with you. That a certain car will make you macho. That a particular face cream will make you look younger.

It's never-ending, and we're subjected to it dozens of times every day for our entire lives. Whatever the message, virtually all advertising hits us where we hurt. These ads are promising us that if we own a certain possession or use a particular product; we're going to be more valuable as human beings. And the implication would naturally follow that if we don't act as the commercials advise, we won't be as valuable.

Whether you know it or not, it's likely that at least some of these messages that pander to your insecurity are convincing you to spend money. And since it's totally absurd to think that any product can boost your self-esteem, that's money that you're throwing away, because you're not getting any satisfaction in exchange. You're giving up your life and the only ones benefiting are the companies with products to sell.

Here's something that you might already know, but if you don't, it's time you learned it. If you don't have a strong feeling of self-worth, no amount of "stuff" is going to give it to you. And if you do like yourself, just the way you are, there's no lack of "stuff" that's going to take that away. Think about that, because until you believe and embrace that concept, any attempt to change your relationship with debt and money is doomed to failure.

Find more money advice at www.MoneyTalks.org.