Who Are The Joneses and Why Are We Keeping Up With Them?

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To “keep up with the Joneses” is a common phrase used in America to convey the idea of being as well off (or at least appearing to be as well off) financially as one’s neighbors.

Who are these Joneses and where did this phrase come from?

Come to find out, the phrase “keeping up with the Joneses” originated from an early 20^th century comic strip of the same title by Arthur R. “Pop” Momand. The comic started in 1913 and ran for another 28 years. It was eventually adapted into musicals, movies, and eventually a catch phrase.

The funny thing about the comic strip “Keeping up With the Joneses” is that the strip isn’t even about the Joneses. In fact the Joneses never made an appearance in the 28 years the strip ran. The main characters in the strip was the McGinises family consisting of Aloysius, the husband; Clarice, the wife; Julie, the daughter; and Belladonna, the housemaid. The Joneses were referred to now and then and the McGinises family tried to keep up with them

Why Are We Keeping Up With The Jonses?

We’ve all experienced keeping up with the Joneses moments at some time in our life. We see the next door neighbor buy a new car or hear from a co-worker who takes his family on trips to Europe every year and immediately we feel the burning desire to do the same. Why? First, we want to appear that we’re in the same socio-economic range as our peers. Second, we feel we deserve it. If a neighbor who sends his kids to same school that I send mine, shops at the same stores as me, and lives in the same are as me can afford to buy new things, then I should be able to as well.

People automatically assume that because their neighbors buy new stuff on a regular basis, their neighbors must be better off financially. In order to keep up appearances with the neighbors, many families take on loads of consumer debt. The reality, though, is that your neighbors are probably buying their stuff on credit trying to keep up with some other Joneses-maybe the Joneses at their church. Quickly, keeping up with the Joneses becomes a vicious cycle of one-up-manship.

But guess what? You don’t have to play the game anymore.

As soon as we realize that the Joneses are buying their stuff off of credit, the ridiculousness of the keeping up with them appears: We go into debt so we can keep up with our neighbors’ debt. If having more debt means my neighbors are better off than me, I’ll let them be better off than me.

Not all of our friends who are living lavish lifestyles are taking on debt to do it. Some people actually make enough money to support their lifestyle without taking on debt. However, we shouldn’t try to keep up with them by going into debt. It’s not worth it. It doesn’t mean we’re less of a person because we can’t have the things they have. It just means we don’t have as much money. The reality is that many of your friends who are well off don’t care if you still drive the car you drove in college or if you don’t wear the latest fashions. If these types of things really are important to your friends, then maybe you should get new friends.

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[tags]Personal finance, frugality, Frugal Law Student, money[/tags]

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19 Comments

1. Rich Minx on 30.05.2007 at 07:45 (Reply)

   That’s really interesting! It never occurred to me to find out who the Joneses originally were.

2. strange bird on 30.05.2007 at 08:29 (Reply)

   Well put!

3. Brett McKay on 30.05.2007 at 08:40 (Reply)

   Rich Minx-
   Isn’t it amazing how we can say something over and over and not even know where the phrase came from? What I find interesting about “keeping up with Joneses” is that the Joneses in the comic were unseen, just as the Joneses in real life are unseen. The Joneses are a figment. Why are we keeping up with figments. Pretty silly.

4. Brett McKay on 30.05.2007 at 08:41 (Reply)

   Thanks Strange Bird!

5. molly on 31.05.2007 at 09:04 (Reply)

   Actually, the family of Edith Wharton (born Edith Jones) was the original Jones. They were so extravagantly rich that the phrase came from them. This information can be found in the editor’s forward to Wharton’s book, Age of Innocence.

   From Wikipedia:
   It is possible that Momand named them in reference to George Frederic and Lucretia Stevens Rhinelander Jones, parents of novelist Edith Wharton; it could also be due to the fact that “Jones” is a very common name, implying a majority of people (hence the expression).

6. Brett McKay on 01.06.2007 at 17:57 (Reply)

   Thanks for the info, Molly! I learn something new everyday!

7. Presenting The Money Saving Festival Of Frugality #77. | My Two Dollars on 05.06.2007 at 06:43

   […] McKay presents Who Are The Joneses and Why Are We Keeping Up With Them? posted at The Frugal Law […]

8. PiggyBank Raider on 05.06.2007 at 11:27 (Reply)

   Great post and so true! I often fall prey the the “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality… I think, “If so-and-so can afford a bigger house, why can’t we?”

   Some of it is less about “wanting more,” and more about appreciating what I have. I’m trying to cultivate a greater appreciation for the things I DO have–Americans so often forget that running water is a luxury that much of the world does not enjoy–and it’s given me a new perspective on the Joneses.

9. Brett McKay on 05.06.2007 at 11:33 (Reply)

   PiggyBankRaider-
   Thanks for stopping by and commenting! Great points. I’m really trying to appreciate more the things I do have. I lived in Mexico for two years and saw some extreme poverty. But what was amazing was that many of the people weren’t bitter about it. They were just grateful for what they had. If people can be happy living in a ply wood shack without running water, I can be happy with the stuff I have.

10. Carnival Roundup: June 5, 2007 | The Frugal Law Student on 05.06.2007 at 12:14

    […] The Festival of Frugality was hosted by My Two Dollars. Lots of great posts on saving money and being frugal. I submitted “Who Are the Joneses and Why Are We Keeping Up With Them?” […]

11. Tight Fisted Miser » Festival of Frugality #77 Picks on 05.06.2007 at 14:22

    […] McKay presents Who Are The Joneses and Why Are We Keeping Up With Them? posted at The Frugal Law Student. This includes some historical trivia which I like. Being a Tight […]

12. The Digerati Life on 05.06.2007 at 18:54 (Reply)

    Honestly, I think this post deserves to be an Editor’s Choice. Great info, history and layout all around!

13. Brett McKay on 05.06.2007 at 19:32 (Reply)

    Digerati-
    That’s the best compliment I’ve ever received on a post. I’m flattered. Thank you very much!

14. The Wardrobe Miser » Blog Archive » Blog Carnivals for the Week of June 4 on 07.06.2007 at 12:04

    […] The Festival of Frugality #77 at My Two Dollars. Highlights include How to Have A Wedding for Under $200 at Free Money Finance and The Frugal Law Student’s explanation of Who Are the Joneses and Why Are We Keeping Up with Them? […]

15. Mel on 14.06.2007 at 08:34 (Reply)

    Very interesting post. I really like you blog in general. I’m pretty new to the blogging world - but yours is one of the better ones I’ve seen. Thanks! Keep up the good work.

16. Brett McKay on 14.06.2007 at 16:33 (Reply)

    Mel-
    Thanks for commenting and thanks for the compliment! I really appreciate it. I hope I don’t disappoint you in the future. You, too, have a great blog going. I’m glad you commented so I could discover it.

17. Why The Rich Get Richer: An Entirely Different Perspective » Money and Personal Finance Blog In Silicon Valley on 02.10.2007 at 09:26

    […] posts around the web: Standing Up To The Green-Eyed Monster Who Are The Joneses and Why Are We Keeping Up With Them? del.icio.us Digg Furl Reddit Socializer Help  |   Popularity: 1% Related […]

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    […] of temptation. Watch less or no television if you can help it. Avoid window shopping. Avoid the Joneses. In my case, I don’t mind being bombarded by advertising and the call of consumerism. I have […]

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