LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

Do you ever have to remind yourself that not everyone else does what everyone on LIF does?

Not meant in a bad way, but as I was planning DD's 1st birthday, I thought, I need 3 of X, Y and Z

and then I thought, no, I don't neeeeeed them....I just think I do after reading stuff on here....

I pick and choose (photography, parties, toys, clothes, vacations, programs, classes, etc)...I can't afford it all, but if you can, more power to you!

I guess its normal to think this, I just was wondering if I'm the only one that sometimes gets sucked into feeling like this

Re: LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

I think it's easy to feel that way! But then I remember that I'm not the type to compete/compare anyway so I move on and make my own decisions.

Re: LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

Re: LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

i see what you are saying. I tend to do what I want to for DS. I get ideas from LIF and others however I don't do the entire kitten and caboodle that a lot of moms do. Honestly I wish I could but my bank account definitely doesn't allow for it.

Re: LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

I tend to forget that when I say "CAKE SMASH" pics to someone they are more than likely not going to know what Im talking about....

As far as Keeping up the Jones. Im definitely NOT that type at all. Not IRL and certainly not on LIF...

Re: LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

I start to do it sometimes, but then finances take over and I realize that I am not in the same position as others.
And then I plan according to what we can afford. As in, DS's 1st birthday party is going to be in our backyard, a bbq with no entertainment! LOL

Re: LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

I don't look at it as 'keeping up' so much as I see all of these amazing ideas and I have a strong desire to incorporate them. Some of the ideas are just well beyond my reality and others involve budgeting and creativity.

But I never really feel like I 'need' to do or have anything so that I can 'keep up'. I figured out looong ago that I'm trudging along on foot while most of the ladies on here are in race cars so there's no competition anyway!

Re: LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

Re: LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

Re: LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

I have made it my personal mantra to do things in life cheaper and more practically than the gals of LIW and LIF.

Don't get me wrong, I love reading this stuff, but the $$ I spent not doing petal cones or buying a Peg Perego stroller beefs up my vacation fund quite nicely

Re: LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

You're upstate, right? I think you'll find that LIF is much different than what you'll encounter up there anyway!

This was one of the things I feared about raising my child on LI (I grew up in NJ and then upstate). It is notorious in the tri-state area for conspicuous consumption.

ETA: Just bought my 1st bday party supplies at the Dollar Tree, so doesn't mean much to me.

Message edited 5/27/2010 9:15:38 AM.

Re: LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

Posted by nov04libride

You're upstate, right? I think you'll find that LIF is much different than what you'll encounter up there anyway!

This was one of the things I feared about raising my child on LI (I grew up in NJ and then upstate). It is notorious in the tri-state area for conspicuous consumption.

ETA: Just bought my 1st bday party supplies at the Dollar Tree, so doesn't mean much to me.

Re: LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

I wouldn't say I feel like I have to keep up, but many of these ideas/things I wouldn't have even thought about in the first place had I not seen it on LIW/LIF. Then I feel like "omg, am I supposed to do that"m but I realize half my friends IRL never even heard of newborn pics, cake smashes and other things I see on here, so it's ok if I don't do it lol.

I do what I can on my budget...for my wedding, I did a lot of things myself, and I do the same now for bdays and such.

Re: LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

I like to see and hear new ideas. But honestly, I can't afford most of them. So I choose what I can and can not do. Everyone's circumstances are different, and you choose what is right for you.

Re: LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

Yeah, sometimes I do start to think that LIF is the whole world. When I feel like, 'Oh, geez, should I be doing that?' I realize that NO ONE in my real life does most of it!

Here are some things I've truly never heard of anywhere but on here:
Registering for a 2nd, 3rd, etc. child
Sprinkles
Cake smash photo shoots
High end professional kiddie pictures
Maternity photo shoots
and I'm sure I can come up with several more.

As a result though, I'm looking into maternity pictures.

Re: LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

Posted by Eireann

Yeah, sometimes I do start to think that LIF is the whole world. When I feel like, 'Oh, geez, should I be doing that?' I realize that NO ONE in my real life does most of it!

Here are some things I've truly never heard of anywhere but on here:
Registering for a 2nd, 3rd, etc. child
Sprinkles
Cake smash photo shoots
High end professional kiddie pictures
Maternity photo shoots
and I'm sure I can come up with several more.

As a result though, I'm looking into maternity pictures.

Message edited 5/27/2010 9:37:37 AM.

Re: LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

Re: LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

I just don't have the wallet to keep up with the Jones (aka LIF gals). And also I find some of the stuff mentioned totally not neccessary. If you have extra dough, then go nuts, but by no means are some of these things neccessities. Case in point---1st Birthdays. I had one at my house with basic decorations & got food for about 40 ppl. Cost me about $350 for everything. But I'm a budget shopper. When I see how much others spend I can't fathom it, but again, I'm not in there similar budget world.

Re: LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

I don't try to keep with the Joneses. That's not me at all!

There is def. valuable information about vendors, ideas, etc... here.. Then you take or leave what you want out of it.

I never felt I HAD TO have a photo session, a venue at a particular place (even on LIW. Most of my vendors were barely known at the time).

But if I saw an idea that fitted OUR situation and likes, then yes, I really appreciated the information.

Just because I do what someone else is doing does not mean keeping with the Joneses.

Sure, some people might here but I don't think it's the majority of the posters.

Re: LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

Re: LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

Before coming on here I had never heard of :

-Professional photo shoots for christening, birthdays
-spending insane amount on cakes & cupcakes
-maternity photo shoots
-cake smash

Quite honestly, I've lived on Long Island my entire life and never met anyone in real life that did these things.

I dont get caught up in it. Spending $3k on a 1st birthday party doesn't guarantee a good time. Also, just because someone spends $$$ on a birthday party doesn't necessarily mean they have a lot of money.
I'll compare it to this....I'm surrounded by people at work that are all leasing beautiful, brand new cars. By Thursday every week they are broke.
But from the outside they look well off.

My husband and I both make nice salaries.
DD first birthday party will be in the backyard with food, alcohol (gasp), I will be the photographer. My husband will be the cook. There will be no professional entertainment, you will have to entertain yourself.
Call me trashy but this is how we roll. I'm always told we throw the best parties.
I'll probably rent a tent & chairs, that will be the extent of my splurge.

Re: LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

Yes def., Everyone is in a completely different boat, and I do have to remind myself of this. There are things I may splurge on now and then but at times I also have to take a step back and remind myself is that purchase really a necessity???? Thank goodness DH is the opposite and talks me down from the ledge.

Re: LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

DH and I are really "simple living", live-beneath-your-means types ourselves, so I feel no particular urge to keep up with the Joneses IRL or online. But LIF has opened my eyes to this whole market that I had no idea existed.

The photography alone! First you need a DSLR and multiple lenses. Backdrops too if you're so inclined. But apparently that's just for everyday pics, from the minute you meet your DH to be there are all these occasions that call for high end photography! Trash the dress shoots, day-after shoots, boudoir shoots, maternity shoots, newborn shoots, cake smash shoots, and on and on!

The caliber of parties, esp 1st birthday ones, are a whole new concept for me too. I have been to exactly one 1st birthday party of that level... most are small casual family affairs.

The high end summer camps for little kids are another new thing for me. My DS is attending a half day camp at the local Catholic school where he goes to preschool for $125 a week. When I read about these camps that are like $5000 for the summer for a preschooler plus all the big tips, I was genuinely amazed.

It's all interesting for me to read about, but I can honestly say iit holds zero appeal for me.

Re: LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

Re: LIF & Keeping up with the Jones'

Not really with parenting, but the Fashion and Beauty board! OMG

I have soooooooo many questions for the big spenders!

How many sundresses does one person need?
If you buy 4 at one time, each week, do you have enough days in a week to really wear them all? Do you do outfit changes mid day?
How many pairs of black boots does a person need? Is it just me that has a favorite pair anyway and wears those all the time, or do you really rotate out 5 pairs.
are people really spending 200plus every 6weeks on their hair?
I could go on and on.
I find it shocking. Not in a bad way, just a way I only thought celebs lived.

But I will say, I have a friend who throws the best birthday parties ever. Josh and I look at each other when we attend a party that is less then what she puts together