LeedsGirl

I live in the Bay Area and people are obssessed with the car they drive and how big the houses are. I personally don't give a crap and my friends aren't the type to care either. It's a shame because people waste so much time worrying about keeping up with the Joneses and what do they have at the end of it, more bills, bigger mortgages, waste of time if you ask me. An hour at the pub with good friends and some Cheese and Onion crisps suits me just fine

Truth

Amen to that.

mandpete

It seems to be the same in this area of NJ. There are some huge McMansions here but apparently most of them are more or less empty of furniture. According to one realtor the owners can only afford to furnish about a third of the house and in most cases the couple both work full time jobs and are in that much debt that if one of them loses their job, within 6 weeks the banks will foreclose.

Dant3

That would explain why some of these houses are bought, demolished, rebuilt, sold, bought and demolished again within the space of a single year! And why are McMansions so UGLY!!! It's as though the contractor just had a bunch of random doors, windows and fixtures lying around and decided to put them all together in one big house. Then because it looks a little odd and uncoordinated, they covers the whole thing in fiberglass stone cladding and fake mullioned window. And the idiot owners genuinely believe the whole sorry mess says 'class'.

ladylisa

have to agree with you on the ugliness of some houses. In my sub division the condos are pretty ugly and all painted grey, even on the bits that could be painted a different colour. Never understood that.

ImHere

Isnt all this how Capitalism at its finest is supposed to work - Everyone strives to outdo the next person and success is measured by how much wealth you accumulate? True Socialism is the exact opposite - everyone is equal (well apart from a few but you get the gist) and success is measured by what you give to society. In Britain we are a capatilist country with socialist moderation so we tend to like to improve ourselves but not shout it out as thats not socially acceptable so the out and out capatlist approach we find here in the USA is somewhat extreme to our moderated norms? Welcome to a foreign country.

Dant3

Capitalism at it's finest is also what leads to the outsourcing of jobs to foreign countries, the destruction of rural communities and family owned farms by agricultural conglomerates, the death of heavy industy and the record pay increases of CEO's. Even Americans are starting to object, so don't give me any of that 'it's a foreign country, get used to it, crap'.

ImHere

I think you need to relax, no one was giving you the "its a foreign country get used to it crap". I was pointing out the facts, so get your head out of your arse. What make you think any of that is limited to just the USA? You could be talking about any country on the planet.

Dan725

Not found anyone asks how much you earn really, but I reckon there is a definate "standard" amongst social groups, if it looks like you are doing alright, you are fine. Thats my own personal experience of people we mix with.

But you don't have to look to far to find the money grabber shallow look at me people, definately plenty of them around.

bxpuser7543

Against my better judgement,wheres my nearest Ford dealer,i want a 350+ with all the whistles n bells