Hey, Big Spenders

I Don't Envy You At All

Odd timing. Today is designated for boycotting any consumer spending that’s not essential.

But so much of the nation has already cut back on purchases.

In addition, there’s the aging of America. Our peak earning years in our 40s and 50s are behind us. Therefore, so many of us have already retreated on assuming we could buy whatever we want.

However, the most significant factor in a shift away from the 20th century consumer culture is that we’re becoming increasingly aware of the tradeoffs entailed in earning the big money to finance being a big spender.

The Wall Street Journal documents that those big spenders currently are responsible for 50 percent of consumption. Along with the wealth, of course, they have influence and power.

From observing, from being a career coach and from following professional anonymous networks such as Blind, Fishbowl, Reddit and Glassdoor, I know this: The “price” paid for achieving high compensation from work can be high in health, relationships, emotional well-being and spirituality.

At the very least is the reality that others are chasing after the positions the high earners have. There’s the angst that they will catch up.

At worst is the real possibility that so much will be lost. That’s exactly the saga of financial builder Leon Black. Through his association with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and the later legal fallout from a romantic encounter gone very wrong, Black stepped down as CEO and Chairman of Apollo and head of the board at the Museum of Modern Art. Even his long-term law firm Paul Weiss had to severe ties with that client. Do we envy this billionaire?

The Americana ethos of the hunger for more could finally be shifting to raw relief that we can pay the bills for what we have purchased. In a sense that’s the emerging definition of “making it.” No, we don’t need to be told to buy less.