Most movies begin with a book, but this book began with a film by the same name shown on public television in 1997. Its subject matter is about over consumption and its impact on American society.

The title Affluenza was coined by the authors to describe what they believe is a social disease, namely over consumption. They define affluenza as “a painful, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more.” And the tidbits of factual information they include are real eye-openers. Examples include:

• In each of the past 4 years, more Americans declared bankruptcy than graduated from college.
  
  
• Our annual production of solid waste would fill a convoy of garbage trucks halfway to the moon.
  
  
• We have twice as many shopping centers as high schools.
  
  
• Americans now work more hours each year than do citizens of any other country, including Japan.
  
  
• Since 1950, Americans have consumed more resources than everyone who ever lived on earth before then.
  
  
• Potomac Mills (a shopping center) is the number one tourist attraction in Virginia
  
  
• More than two-thirds of Americans carry credit card debt from month to month with the household average being $7,564. Total debt tripled in the 90’s.
  
  
• Our national savings rate hovers near zero while the Chinese, Indian and Pakistani workers save around 25%.
  
  
• The average square footage of houses was 950 in 1950, 1100 in 1960, 1350 in 1970 and 2300 today. Why? Stuff.
  

More than half of this book weighs out the socio-economic-geo-political and environmental aspects of a consumption driven society. Radical solutions are offered. While I have always preferred free market forces to solve these problems, the authors challenge that by claiming that free market forces are the problem.

I’m not going to go there. I get in enough hot water just talking about money and taxes. You can draw your own conclusions on the subject. However, I have to say that their views were powerful and a bit frightening. I may have to re-align my own thinking after this read.

I selected this book for its analysis of the impact on the individual. So many people I meet feel that while they are earning more, they have less to show for it. The authors claim that, as a society, we were at the peak of satisfaction back in the late 50’s, and that our standard of living, as measured by our feelings of contentment, have been in decline ever since.

Wow, that’s heavy. But then, just what is the “average American”? A statistic would be my guess. The real focus of importance should be ourselves, not our neighbors. I have said it before, and will now say it once more: For many of us, the greatest available source of new wealth can be found in managing how we spend our money. Consumption is about today’s journey, but at the expense of tomorrow’s journey. Both are important and the better you manage today’s consumption needs, the sooner you’ll reach your financial freedom day.

Our economy and indeed the entire media/marketing industry seem to be aimed at consumption, and to hell with financial freedom. Bigger, better, newer, trendy … that seems to be the message. Our media is full of sound bites and head messages designed to make us financially illiterate. And it seems to be working … much to our individual peril.

Fail to manage your consumption as well as your values about just what is important, and your dreams of financial freedom will always be just that … dreams.

If your financial life feels like a financial treadmill, read this book and perhaps you’ll discover the reasons why.