Home
>
Wealth Building
>
How To Be the Ultimate American Consumer

How To Be the Ultimate American Consumer

Feel like a lemming lately? Ready to follow the crowd into the great plunge of Ultimate American Consumerism? Just in case you need a little help, here is a tongue-in-cheek look at how to continue the process of becoming the Ultimate American Consumer!

1. Always spend right at the level of your after-tax earnings. Having surplus dollars is troublesome. It's difficult to know exactly what to do with them.

2. Forget having 3, 6, or even 12 months of basic living expenses tucked into a liquid account such as a money market or CD. Why bother?

3. Purchase repeatedly, often, and preferably on credit, items that rapidly depreciate such as cars and consumer goods. Why pay all cash for something when you can use OPM (Other People's Money)?

4. Maintain at least $7,000 to $12,000 of revolving credit card debt ? preferably on store credit cards ? and avoid reading the monthly statements.

5. Eventually revolving debt becomes a bit of a burden. Once that happens, take out a Home Equity Line Of Credit (HELOC) to alleviate monthly payments.

6. Seek out, and take advantage of get-rich-quick opportunities. They offer simple, easy wealth accumulation plans ? with little effort, of course. Leave honest hard work to others. They don't know any better.

7. Spend at least half of your allowable IRA contribution each year on Christmas and holidays, preferably on credit.

8. If you have an investment or asset plan, don't review it too often. This can be tedious, boring and rather dull. Once every 6-10 years should be fine.

9. Where possible, avoid the toilsome task of creating asset accumulation strategies. Instead, have more dinners out with friends, or fun vacations. After all, you only go around once!

10. Invest in insurance. Wrap yourself in insurance protection from disability, death, dismemberment, accident and ill health ? you just never know when you'll need it. Insure your pets as well!

11. Only buy new automobiles for their quality and reliability. Used vehicles can cost as much as $150/ month in long term average maintenance.

12. Regular financial plan setting? Don't do it!

13. If you have a home mortgage, refinance every couple of years to capitalize on low rates. Just think, you too can own your house for 20 years ? and still have 20 to 25 years remaining on whatever debt is there at the time.

14. Don't bother with financial coaches and truly objective advisors. They may assist you with your money plans, but those busybodies should find something better to do.

These 14 steps are a sure way to reach the rank of "Ultimate American Consumer". Along with the title, you will reap all the privileges and benefits that this provides. All the best in your quest!

Eric Johnson is a regular contributor to the Investor's Value View newsletter. To learn how to reach Mr. Johnson for comments or to subscribe to the Investor's Value View newsletter, visit http://www.valueview.net

experienced cleaning professionals Northbrook ..

In The News:

Cybersecurity experts warn about one of the largest credential compilations ever found, urging users to check "Have I Been Pwned" and change passwords immediately.

Quick iPhone and Android battery optimization techniques help your device stay powered all day by turning off hidden features that secretly drain power in the background.

Kodiak Driver autonomous truck achieves perfect 98 safety score, matching top human fleets in groundbreaking AI evaluation by Nauto's VERA system.

New 401k catch-up contribution rules in 2026 will change taxes for high earners over 50. Learn how scammers exploit these changes and protect your retirement savings.

Kurt Knutsson's guide covers social media privacy protection through location settings, account privacy controls and two-factor authentication to prevent scams and data breaches.

Revolutionary retinal implant restores central vision in 80% of patients with advanced macular degeneration, offering hope where treatments once only slowed blindness.

Learn how to use passkeys on Windows and Mac computers without cameras or fingerprint readers. Discover secure authentication methods that replace passwords.

Tesla's FSD v14.1.2 update reintroduces Mad Max mode, enabling higher speeds and more frequent lane changes than the standard Hurry profile setting.

A phishing email scam targeting American Express customers shows how cybercriminals use fake urgent messages to steal personal and financial information.

Facebook's new Meta AI feature analyzes your camera roll photos to create polished collages automatically, but requires cloud processing and raises privacy concerns.

A New Jersey teenager filed a major lawsuit against AI/Robotics Venture Strategy 3 Ltd. over ClothOff, an AI tool that created fake nude images from her social media photos.

Microsoft reports Storm-2657 cybercriminals sent phishing emails to 6,000 addresses at 25 universities to steal payroll credentials and redirect funds.

Astronomers have discovered asteroid 2025 SC79, a skyscraper-sized space rock orbiting the sun in just 128 days. the second-fastest known.

The Fox News AI Newsletter delivers the latest developments form the world of artificial intelligence, including the technology's challenges and opportunities.

A cyberattack on SimonMed Imaging exposed personal information of 1.2 million patients, including medical records, financial details and identity papers.

Spotify's managed accounts for kids under 13 now available in at least seven countries, allowing parents to filter and block explicit content and songs.

Friendly text conversations about BBQs and social events can lead to WEEX gold trading scams that target older adults with fake investment opportunities.

California company Skyeports creates self-healing glass spheres from Moon regolith that generate solar power and support plant growth for sustainable lunar living.

Cleafy researchers discover fake VPN streaming app Mobdro Pro that installs Klopatra banking Trojan, giving attackers full control over Android devices.

Police departments across the U.S. and Canada are adopting virtual reality training to better prepare officers for high-pressure, real-world situations.

House Bill 469 would prevent AI systems from owning property, serving as executives, or gaining legal personhood in Ohio under Representative Thaddeus Claggett's proposal.

Public voter records expose retirees' personal details to election scammers who create targeted cons using names, addresses, and voting history data.

Instead of fearing what comes next with artificial intelligence, think outside the box. Here are high-earning AI jobs that don't require a computer science degree.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says polite words like "please" and "thank you" cost millions annually, while direct prompts may improve ChatGPT accuracy by several points.

Chattee Chat and GiMe Chat exposed intimate conversations and photos, revealing users spent up to $18,000 on AI companions before the breach.

How To Be the Ultimate American Consumer

Wealth Building