A few days ago, I came across a picture on Facebook that had the following caption: "We buy stuff we don't need -- with money we don't have -- to impress people we don't like." Perhaps you can name a few people in your life -- whether at work or at the gym -- who do precisely that. Maybe that person has been you from time to time. The sad reality is that people often become so hung up on the things they perceive as missing in their lives that they lose sight of everything they already have. In many cases, this results from direct comparisons to people in their circle, thus igniting the urge to "Keep up with the Joneses." As I've said before, there's nothing wrong with indulging yourself every so often. Eat at that fancy restaurant you've been wanting to try. Buy yourself that expensive pair of shoes you say online. You work hard for your money; if you have the means, why not? I take issue, however, with people who have to have the...

Apple today announced that is has already sold a record 13 million iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s Plus phones after launching both models just three days ago. The new iPhones will be available in more than 130 countries by year's end. Now, I have never owned an iPhone. In fact, I've remained loyal to Samsung when it comes to mobile phones -- I currently have a Samsung Galaxy S4 Active -- and TVs. I do, however, use a Mac computer at work and have been using my trusty iPod for all things music for roughly nine years now. But I have to give credit where credit is due: 13 million iPods in three days is a staggering number. Everytime I walk past the Apple store at my local mall, it is jam-packed with shoppers ostensibly looking to shell out big bucks. Apple has succeeded brilliantly at creating an appetite for its product like no other company in the world. When one thinks of cutting edge consumer products in the 21st century, Apple is top of mind. And the funny thing is that the c...