Conscious spending isn’t just about our own choices. There’s also the social influence to spend. Call it the Sex and the City effect, where your friends’ spending directly affects yours. Next time you go shopping, check out any random group of friends. Chances are, they’re dressed similarly, even though chances are good that they have wildly different incomes. Keeping up with friends is a full-time job. Too often, our friends invisibly push us away from being conscious spenders.
