Apple is just one prominent example, but there are hundreds of others out there, companies that make products that essentially do the same thing a cheaper product would, repackage it and charge twice as much. An Ipod looks neat, but my cell phone will play music just fine and I don't have to have a separate gizmo to lug around to do it, or pay the hundreds of dollars for one in the first place. Just add up the things in life that you have bought for yourself or for friends that you paid a premium for just because they looked good.

This is especially true with gifts. When you go to buy that fruit basket for Aunt Bee, there is about a dollar fifty worth of fruit there, a one dollar basket and yet they charge $25 just because they put some clear wrapping on it and a bow on top. I can buy my own bow, thank you! Big companies are even more insidious because they have multi-million dollar add budgets to convince you that their products are worth more just because they are packaged better, or advertised better. So, think about it. Are the things you are buying really a good value?

You know from my other articles I am not averse to spending money. Heck, I think I am the only financial advisor out there telling you to spend as much as you can. But that doesn't mean you have to flush money down the toilet, or light it on fire. I still suggest you look for value, make your money go as far as it can, and get the maximum enjoyment out of every dollar. So, the next time you pick up that bottle of Jack Daniels, think. After the first couple swigs am I going to care what label is on the bottle? The next time you go to buy food, think, is the generic just as good (often times ONLY the label is different). And, do I really need 14 ply toilet paper when I am going to flush it just the same?

Don't let fancy commercials or slick packaging take money out of your wallet. Look at what the product is designed to do and see if there is another product out there that will do the exact same thing, or darned close, for a fraction for the price. Do I really need a NEW car, when the one three years old looks exactly the same, but cost half as much? We get into that mindset that newer must be better and that is what I mean by Apple will make you poor.

They have done a better job than practically anybody in convincing us that slick packaging should make a product extremely more valuable. We get in that mindset of newer must be better, that because a product looks better, it will definitely perform better. This isn't even true with technology necessarily. Some of the best, if not the best stereo components were made in the 1970's, over 30 years ago! How much more true is it for other products you buy every day that just because they are new, they still may not be the best?

So, what I always suggest is to think before you buy. If you can sleep on your decision at least one night before shelling out the money, do it. It is a lot easier to have buyer's remorse before the fact. Research and see if you can get that same product cheaper, or something that has the same function WAY cheaper. Look at used stores and online. Maybe someone thought they had to waste $1000 on an Ipad and now realizes they made a huge mistake. And lastly, remember my pleasure principle. Consider how much enjoyment you are going to get out of this purchase and how much work do you have to do to get that enjoyment? If the work isn't too much, knock yourself out. Just a little forethought as to whether you really need the item or not is a lot more beneficial than just thinking about how much you can save on it.