[herr_oberst]

I know a woman whose father died. He left a mountain of debt, the house had been refinanced many times, vehicles that were worth far less than what was owed, motorcycles, toys, clothes, living the life. All paid for with debt. His wife had no interest in how the household finances worked. My friend had to pull that mess apart and come up with a plan of action for her mom - who was in total denial about suddenly having no money and having to move from a huge house and all the trappings to a tiny apartment with a check from the government Social Security office every month.

Here's the thing: This woman is quite smart and makes well over 6 figures, she's been the target of headhunters many times in her career, and in spite of going through that hell with her dad and mom, lives her life the same way as her parents did - brand new car every year, clothes, trips, remodels; anything she wants she buys. The last thing she puts money toward is retirement, and now she's in her mid to late fifties. Thank the gods she's not my problem. There's surely trouble a'brewin'.

Consumerism run rampant. Just one more major, unsolvable problem that we've created as a society.