A lot of people love to go shopping, look around, and buy what they want most.  It’s simple, we want what we see, so we buy it.  Well, most people anyway.  When people buy things they want, it makes them feel good, makes them happy, and of course they are satisfied with their new purchase.  Although, how many things does it take for a person to get into debt?  Not a lot at all.  Everything from buying a house, to the little things we want here and there are enough to put us far enough in debt.  We know that debt comes from buying too many expensive things, but what makes us buy them?

Brands – Today everyone is all about the brand names.  This goes from shopping at the grocery store and picking out a bag of chips because of the “popular brand name”, to the clothes we wear.  What is the difference between a polo from Walmart to a polo from Abercrombie and Fitch with the moose on it?  Are we really paying for that tiny logo?

Top of the line – Also, everyone seems to want the “top of the line” things.  We can’t drive around a car that isn’t expensive.  Instead, we want to make sure we drive the Lexus, Land Rover or one of the most expensive vehicles on the market around so everyone can see.  Although, who really pays attention to that?

Items to show – We also want items to show.  Buying a little house is “nothing” compared to a large house with a huge mortgage payment each month.  It isn’t even about being practical, it’s all about the looks and how big houses can be these days.  A house is one of the most expensive things you can buy, so make sure it’s ideal, and most importantly affordable!

Think they can - So, maybe someone has a really good job, and gets paid a lot.  They go all out, buy what they want, drive a nice car, and money isn’t an issue, until they loose their job.  You always have to prepare for the worst, there are no promises when it comes to jobs!

No back up – If you were to ask everyone what they’d do if they lost their job today, they wouldn’t know what to do.  Although, if you would have saved up money each month, at least 10% of your paycheck and put it in a savings account or money market, you would be in a better situation.  It is always important to save for the worst case scenario!

Almost everyone has some kind of debt, and that’s normal.  Although, when you get too far into debt it’s hard to get back out.  Make sure you watch how you spend your money, and you always prepare for the worst.  If you can handle doing these few things, you should be just fine.