Priorities

I signed up for AdSense and my first advertisment is on my site today. It is a credit card ad! I devote most of my posts to the downside of debt and I wind up with this ad. Geez. Anyway, I was thinking about priorities today. Below you will find my comprehensive list of priorities listed most important to least. 1. Me 2. Everything else. One of the major financial institutions ran an ad campaign called Live Richly. Their point was that life was about more than accumulating wealth. When I last checked there wasn't an epidemic of people getting too rich, saving too much, not buying enough stuff. So what gives? Apparently banks have a dazzling array of financial products that will make us happy, really happy. They have done such a good job thus far that most consumers are satisfied with their financial situation and deleriously happy. Am I right? I'm sure I read that somewhere. Most advertising tells you in subtle and not so subtle ways that you should be your first priority. You know, you deserve that new car or that vacation or that big newhouse. What they really should say is, "You deserve to buy our stuff because we deserve to have your money." I have no ax to grind with their stuff. It is fine stuff and fun to own, if you have some money. But marketing seduces us into believing that we can rob the future to enjoy today. Unfortunately the future will come whether or not we are prepared for its arrival. I do agree with them that quality of life should be first. However, when I think about my priorities it means taking care of all my needs both present and future before I take care of my wants (their stuff). Dave Ramsey always says to live like no one else, so that later you can live like no one else. True enough.