Consumerism is fuelled by the human desire to increase ones social standing by the ownership of material possessions.  The phrase “Keeping up with the Jones’s” is more prevalent than ever before, but as the credit crunch swings in, those who will ultimately survive are people who are able to remain largely self-sufficient and keep their heads above the proverbial water. Think about it, what makes someone a millionaire? At least a million pounds in the bank? More than a million pounds in assets? or an extravagant lifestyle? Many people will live a seemingly wealthy lifestyle, but are in truth, the polar opposite financially of the image they are trying to portray. Extravagance has its pitfalls, especially if it is funded by bad debt. Is someone who has just £1 to their name more or less wealthy that someone who has millions of pounds of debt?