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- Wayfaring Wednesday
Wayfaring Wednesday
Here’s the truth that few people talk about: our collective overspending drives inflation.
Sandra Burkholder
November 05, 2025
Living Below Your Means: The Real Path to Financial Freedom
There’s a quiet crisis in how we view money today.
Even among educated, hardworking families, living within your means is no longer the goal — it’s now the exception.
I see it often in the next generation — and even in my own kids’ circles. Parents who buy their kids everything they ask for: the latest tech, endless clothes, constant upgrades. On the surface, it looks like success. But when my kids visit those homes, the truth shows up in subtle ways — cluttered rooms, unkept spaces, and constant talk of “what to buy next.”
This isn’t about judgment. It’s about realizing that stuff does not equal wealth. And in fact, it often hides the absence of it.
The Myth of “Rich” Friends
One of my daughters once told me about a new friend — “She’s rich, Mom! She gets whatever she wants!”
For weeks I heard about the latest purchases, the fun gadgets, the big shopping trips. But when I dropped her off for a sleepover, I couldn’t help noticing the difference — a small house, no porch, no landscaping. When I picked her up, my daughter said quietly, “You’re right. She’s not rich — they just buy a lot of stuff.”
That moment was eye-opening for her — and it captured something our culture has gotten wrong: we’ve confused spending with wealth.
The NYC Lesson
Another time, I joined one of my daughters on a school trip to New York City. We walked around with another mom and daughter, both kind and generous — but with a completely different spending mindset.
I gave my daughter a set allowance, made up of money she’d earned herself. But the other mother told her daughter, “Get whatever you want.” And they did — store after store, buying for fun, not for need.
At one point, the girl herself admitted she wouldn’t even want most of the things at home. It wasn’t about the items — it was about the thrill of buying them.
Later, over lunch, we suggested something unique to enjoy the city experience. But they preferred fast food. To me, that moment summed up the contradiction perfectly — we chase what’s easy and familiar, even when it costs us the extraordinary.
Consumerism and the Bigger Picture
Here’s the truth that few people talk about: our collective overspending drives inflation.
Every time we spend money we don’t have — or buy more than we need — we feed the very system that raises our costs of living.
When demand stays high because people keep spending, prices climb. Businesses raise prices because they can, and inflation rises as a result. That inflation then pressures the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates — and those higher rates ripple through the entire economy, especially mortgage rates.
So the same spending habits that make people “look rich” are literally making it harder for everyone to afford a home.
It’s not just a personal finance issue anymore. It’s a cultural one.
The Cost of “Keeping Up”
Parents often want to give their kids everything they didn’t have — but what we really give them is a mindset.
If they learn that happiness comes from buying, they’ll chase satisfaction that never lasts. But if they learn that peace comes from purpose and patience — from waiting, saving, and building — they’ll have something far more powerful than wealth.
They’ll have freedom.
Living Below Your Means: A Radical Act of Wisdom
Living below your means doesn’t make you cheap — it makes you wise. It’s not about depriving yourself; it’s about creating space for options.
It’s about paying off debt, building savings, investing for the future — and ultimately owning your home and your life, not renting both from the bank or credit card company.
It’s about realizing that financial peace comes not from how much you earn, but from how you manage what you already have.
Final Thought
In a culture obsessed with appearances, living below your means is an act of quiet rebellion. It’s choosing long-term stability over short-term satisfaction.
True wealth isn’t loud. It doesn’t shout from shopping bags or designer labels.
It shows up in your peace of mind, your paid-off home, and your ability to say “no” — not because you can’t afford it, but because you know better.
Weekend Free Fun in Lancaster County
Stroll or bike a scenic trail like the Conestoga Trail for fresh air and beauty.
Visit Lancaster Central Market or a local farmers market – free to browse, fun to explore.
Take a self-guided historic walk through downtown Lancaster and spot architectural gems.
Bring the family to a park or playground for free outdoor time together.
Check out a free community event this weekend – great for hanging out, meeting neighbors, and enjoying the local vibe.
Two ideas:
Saturday, November 8, 2025
Volunteer Workday at Graham Nature Preserve: A chance to get involved outdoors. (Starts at 9 AM)
Creek Stomp at Climbers Run Nature Center: An opportunity to explore the local creek ecosystem. (Starts at 1 PM)
Remember: living richly doesn’t mean spending big. Sometimes the best weekends cost nothing but presence.
The Silent Crisis Keeping Americans from Buying Homes: Financial Illiteracy
A Growing Divide Between Money and Mindset
We often hear that interest rates or inflation are what’s keeping people from buying homes — but the truth runs deeper. The greatest obstacle to homeownership today may not be the economy itself, but how we think about money.
Financial illiteracy has quietly become one of the most destructive forces in American life. It’s not just about lacking formal education — it’s about a cultural shift toward spending before understanding. People buy with emotion rather than strategy, with the mindset of “I want it, I need it, I deserve it,” long before asking, “Can I truly afford it?”
“Financial literacy is the bridge between desire and discipline — and too many are never taught how to cross it.”
Parents Aren’t Teaching Because They Were Never Taught
Financial habits are learned — often unconsciously — and most parents today are passing along what they don’t fully understand. Many adults were never taught how interest compounds, how to save consistently, or how to view money as a tool rather than a reward.
Instead, they try to please their children through purchases, equating love with generosity and security with “stuff.” It’s well-intentioned, but it teaches the next generation to chase instant gratification. Combined with a digital culture that rewards dopamine hits — likes, follows, deliveries in two days — kids grow up emotionally detached from the concept of delayed reward.
This isn’t just a youth problem; it’s a family system problem.
The Generational Ripple of Financial Unawareness
Parents often assume stability will continue — that they’ll always have jobs, always get raises, always “figure it out later.” Meanwhile, the economic landscape keeps shifting: automation, market downturns, and rising costs of living make “later” an increasingly fragile promise.
At the same time, aging parents and grandparents are reaching retirement with too little saved, while facing longer lifespans and higher medical expenses. Inflation has eroded fixed incomes, and healthcare costs are devouring what little savings remain.
We’ve built a society where money is spent faster than it’s earned and rarely made to last. Even those not living paycheck to paycheck often overlook the unexpected — layoffs, disability, economic recessions, or the cost of long-term care. And for those living paycheck to paycheck, there’s often no safety net at all — just survival mode.
It’s uncomfortable to admit, but spending isn’t the only habit eroding financial stability. Addictions — not just to substances, but to screens, porn, and gambling — are quietly draining household finances. These aren’t fringe problems; they have measurable economic impact.
Online betting, digital gambling, and dopamine-driven consumerism all create the illusion of control while depleting resources. Hard drugs may destroy lives faster, but soft addictions often destroy them more silently — through slow, financial erosion.
Inflation Isn’t Just a Government Problem — It’s a Spending Problem
Yes, inflation matters. But consumer behavior feeds it. When we continue spending freely — often on credit — demand stays high, and prices follow. Our inability to delay gratification keeps the economy artificially inflated while individual households become financially weaker.
The more we normalize luxury as a baseline and consumption as comfort, the more we price ourselves out of long-term security.
What It Will Take to Change
Financial literacy must become a form of common knowledge — as essential as reading or driving. It starts at home: teaching kids to understand needs vs. wants, to respect saving, to see debt as a tool, not a lifestyle. It also means adults must relearn how to live below their means and plan for more than the next paycheck.
Homeownership, in many ways, is a mirror of financial maturity. It requires foresight, patience, and responsibility — qualities increasingly rare in a culture built on speed and stimulation.
Until we shift from “How much can I spend?” to “How long can I sustain?” — we’ll continue mistaking the symptom (high prices) for the cause (a financially fragile society).
Final Thought
The American dream has never just been about owning a home. It’s about stewardship — of resources, opportunity, and wisdom. The real crisis isn’t that homes are too expensive; it’s that too many people were never taught how to build the financial foundation to buy one.
Financial literacy isn’t just the key to homeownership.
It’s the key to freedom.
Sandra Burkholder, EXP Realty
Licensed Real Estate Agent since 2000
Serving Lancaster, Chester, Berks, and York County, PA
Connecting you to your dream home and the heart of the community with a professional yet approachable touch.
Not intended to solicit any properties already listed for sale with another real estate agent. If your home is already for sale, then please disregard this message.
