We’ve all heard the phrase “Keeping up with the Joneses”. That is the arms race of measuring one’s worth by comparing one’s possessions and status with one’s peers. It means acquiring the biggest, the best, the newest, and the most expensive things. You look down the street and see the family with the new car and you set your sights to figuring out how you can buy one yourself. A friend gets a new job or promotion and you feel the pressure to improve your own career standing. You have to be the first among your friends to buy the newest iPhone model. It is an insatiable pursuit of more and better. If you look around, it appears that we are surrounded by the Joneses. Do we have to keep up with the Joneses? Is there another way?
Who are the Joneses?
The Joneses value having the best…
- The best house
- The best car
- Attend only the best schools
- The best job
- Attend the best events
However, if we look past the Joneses’ shiny objects and McMansions we might notice some troubling signs.
- They are likely in debt up to their eye balls
- They likely have little to no savings and live paycheck to paycheck
- Their work-life balance is probably heavily tilted towards work
- They may be forced to stay in jobs they hate to make ends meet
- Their relationships are strained
What if there was another family we could be keeping up with?
Enter the Anti-Joneses
Who are they?
The Anti-Joneses (the AJs) embody the principles of the Financial Independence/Retire Early (FIRE) movement by:
- Emphasizing lifestyle optimization to bring more of what they love into their lives while reducing time and spending on superficial thrills.
- As an example, the AJs might live close to work to reduce their commute time while freeing up time and money to enjoy the outdoors with their friends.
- Seeking out creative solutions to everyday problems.
- We might find the AJs living in a duplex and renting out the other side to live rent-free.
- Sharing their knowledge and abilities, as well as their successes and failures, with others to benefit the whole rather than the individual.
- The AJs may be handy and offer to help their friends with home maintenance. They might share experiences on how they saved money on insurance, or be willing to teach others hobbies or skills. This sharing of ideas and abilities gives the AJs the sense of community that they cherish.
The Anti-Joneses seek not to obtain things with the highest value, rather they seek to obtain the highest value from things.
Why Keep up with the Anti-Joneses?
- To reduce our financial stress and our dependence on working for money
- Since the AJs live below their means, they are able to sock away money to cover unexpected costs and to build a nest egg for retirement. Ultimately, the AJs may obtain “FU” money and be able to choose their lifestyle with little regard for having to earn money.
- To develop deeper relationships with friends and loved ones
- The AJs are just as happy sitting on their backyard patio with a fire and some beer with their friends as they are having bottle service at the trendy club. Rather than centering the experience on what they are eating, drinking, or buying, they value the conversation and the person.
- To create a more inclusive society with lower barriers to entry
- One of the end results, and possibly the ultimate goal, of always seeking out the newest, trendiest items is exclusivity. Expensive restaurants, clubs, etc. may be out of reach for many with limited income or savings. This exclusivity sets up a situation of the “haves” vs. the “have nots”. Contrarily, since the AJs find value in their interactions rather than the venue, they are likely to be found at low cost, or even free, activities. This ensures the AJs are accessible to others.
- To reduce our impact on the environment
- Since the AJs are frugal they often require significantly less “stuff” than the Joneses. AJs often turn to sharing with others, or using Craigslist to acquire or dispose of items. When they do have a need, they tend to meet it without requiring that additional resources be pulled from the earth. Handy AJs may repair items that others would simply toss out, or they may offer to assist a neighbor with a task, which eliminates the need for a distant contractor to burn gas to drive to look at the job, then return to complete it. As a result, their environmental footprint is much smaller than their counterparts.
- To drive more happiness into our lives
- The AJs have thought long and hard about what makes them happy and what does not. They have become very creative in shaping their lives to maximize the things they love. Conversely, they do not waste energy on things that don’t bring them happiness. As a result, logic suggests that they will be happier on average than the Joneses.
So What are the Downsides to the Anti-Joneses?
The Joneses would say they are missing out on everything. That they are at risk of a severe case of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).
At first blush this seems plausible, since the Anti-Joneses can often be found living in smaller houses, driving used cars, and shopping Craigslist rather than shopping malls.
However, in practice, the AJs are much more likely to not miss out on the things that matter to them. This is because they’ve prioritized their goals and have removed the distractions that would lead them away from achieving their goals, or waste their efforts and resources. As an example, if the AJs have their hearts set on traveling to Europe, then they won’t shop for groceries at Whole Foods, buy a fancy new car or TV, or hire a house cleaner. They may end up doing some of these things at some point, but NOT UNTIL THEY ACHIEVED THEIR GOAL.
The AJs don’t sound like big consumers; if we all behaved like them wouldn’t the economy suffer?
It’s true that the AJs tend to eschew consumerism and our economy, in it’s current state, is driven by consumption. First, I am not so idealistic to believe that a large portion of the population will be willing to switch from the Joneses to the Anti-Joneses, so I doubt this situation would occur. Secondly, the focus on sharing and exchanging ideas and financial freedom afforded by emulating the AJs would likely result in conditions ripe for creativity and technological breakthroughs. Such developments will always have high value and drive economic growth.
How do you find the Anti-Joneses?
Certainly, there are a plethora of FIRE bloggers out there that meet the definition of Anti-Joneses. So engaging with these online communities (Rockstar Finance is a great resource) can provide you the opportunity to exchange ideas with the AJs. Many even plan meet ups around the country offering you the chance to meet them in person.
But the most sure fire way to connect with other AJs is to become a living example of one yourself. Engage with others, share your ideas, offer to lend your skills to others. Fellow AJs will recognize these traits and make themselves known to you. Additionally, the example you set may convert some around you to the ways of the AJs!