Weird is Good

It starts in grade school, that desire to fit in and be "normal." We want to do what our friends are doing, and our parents say, "If your friends jumped off a cliff, would you follow?" Unfortunately, many of our peers are jumping – into a pit of debt. The average American carried over $6,000 of credit card debt at the end of 2019, and according to CNBC, 51% of people with credit card debt have increased their balances since March 2020. Auto and student loans are up too, and Experian reports that mortgage debt has seen record growth. A 2017 Pew Research study found that 54% of Americans spend more than they earn every month . While the personal savings rate increased in 2020 as people were forced to stay at home, a surge in spending is expected once people are vaccinated and COVID-related restrictions are lifted. These aren't the people you want to follow. When the Joneses spend more than they earn and save less than they need, keeping up with them is a terr