Real Value Vs. Perceived Value

October 29, 2007 · Filed Under ·  

I have a friend who thinks the more expensive an item is, the better it must be. Her perceived value is forged by advertisers and marketers and it is kinda sad to watch. She is the type who will shop at the grocery store and pick the most expensive jar of peanut butter because she figures it must be the best. She researches nothing and does the same thing with clothes, insurance companies, shoes, and electronics. She is what makes the consumerism train roar ahead at full speed. Marketers love her because she can be easily swayed and her mind can be molded like a fresh piece of clay. I won’t mention her name. ;-)

The $500 Coach Handbag

Some people perceive that a Coach handbag bought for $500 is a better value than a $20 handbag bought at Target. Their perception is based on the handbag being a status symbol that they can show off to their friends as well as to strangers that pass them by in the shopping mall. Some consumers are willing to pay a premium for items that carry the perception that they are the “best” money can buy. My take is that they both carry my stuff, neither of them have holes in the bottom, why would I want to buy more than what is reasonably needed? This concept is lost on so many people who are struggling with debt and wondering why they can never get ahead. Look at your lifestyle, you may not be to the extreme of the $500 handbag, but you probably pay $50-70 a month on cable, buy $4 cups of coffee daily, or spend $75 a month for cell phones.

I especially find the premium for concert tickets an interesting example. I can’t remember how many times I have sat in the Bob Uecker nose-bleed section looking down on the people in the first couple rows and saying to myself, “Man, I wish I was rich and could afford those seats”. My perception was that those seats would increase my happiness. Today, I am content with the seats I have in life. I have realized that wishing I was in somebody elses seat only detracts from my current happiness. Not worth it! Live within your means, find the real value in “stuff”, and sleep well at night.

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Comments

One Response to “Real Value Vs. Perceived Value”

  1. Peggy on November 6th, 2007 9:00 pm

    I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiments spoken here. I got an email from http://www.FlyLady.com the other day about a woman’s aunt. When the aunt passed away- all she owned could fit in the trunk of a car, with room to spare. But at her funeral, everyone there was talking about her many kindnesses, how she helped so many people, touched so many lives- in spite of her infirmities and having little in the way of financial resources. The niece believes our clutter sucks the life right out of us… that there is a direct correlation between the clutter in our lives(all kinds) and the good, kind things we never have the time to do… My question is, when will people, especially in this country, realize that ’stuff’ is not the value in life? ‘Perceived value’ is not tangible. It’s like the heat waves off a highway in the summer- visible, ‘perceived,’ but of no use to you. Get a hold on real value in your life, and you’ll really have something, whether you have any ’stuff’ or not.
    -just my 2 cents.

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