We've all heard the funny comments about keeping up with the Jones' where one family tries to buy a new car and the next-door neighbors buy a more expensive and better car.
One of the neighbors puts in a new pool and the other neighbor puts in a pool, plus a Jacuzzi.
Each time the neighbors are trying to one-ups-man-ship on the other.
It gets even more crazy at work with colleagues where one person at work buys a new motorcycle, and then another person buys a recreational vehicle that has a space for their brand-new motorcycle to go in the back.
It used to be when you bought an SUV your neighbors would go out and buy a bigger SUV, then the neighbor down the street would go out and buy a big bright yellow Hummer just to make you all look bad.
Those days seem to be going, especially as many of the people that spent too much money on incidental nonsense, are dealing with bank foreclosures and car repossessions.
But there is a new trend going on right now and that is one of keeping up with the Greens, yes, Mr.
and Mrs.
Green (both on their second marriages of course).
Now the Jones' no longer matter, as today it is all about who can be the most environmentally friendly.
This occurs when one family buys a solar panel for the top of their patio in the back yard.
Then the next door neighbor puts solar panels on their entire roof.
Then after that, one of them buys a SmartCar, and it goes on and on from there.
What you need to remember is all these things cost money and the return on investment is not always as fast as you think it might be.
If you sell your car that gets fairly decent gas mileage now and buy a new SmartCar it might take you five years to recoup the money in gasoline cost.
And if you buy solar panels it may take you 15 to 20 years to pay off the cost to install them.
Just like keeping up with the Joneses, keeping up with the Greens can send you into the poor house.
Please consider all this.