Shopping Habits

"When it comes to money, everybody is of the same religion."

"A Man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford let alone."

The above two quotes by Voltaire and Thoreau are applicable to the three works under discussion herein. The first quote demonstrates the universal appeal of money, a medium of exchange that crosses all national borders and sociocultural barriers. In other words, money makes the world go round as the popular tune from Cabaret expresses. This universal appeal explains why so many people become obsessed or addicted to money to the point Americans are a national of individual in debt from sea to shining sea, "Americans now owe more than $65 billion to credit card companies, an average of $11,000 per family" (Gallen 6).

The second quote from Thoreau is akin to advice from financial experts who encourage conscious spending, applying income to prioritized goals, and enjoying the most out of life by getting the most pleasure out of money earned. We shall see that all three of the authors who have written the works under analysis herein insist that their books are not only about money but also about getting the most happiness and freedom out of life from the money one earns. Yet, we will also see how all three authors argue that the majority of Americans are unable to figure out how to manage and control their

nal and professional experience, Gallen notes, "Money disorders require specialized help: an integrated approach that helps interrupt the self-destructive cycle while reestablishing a supportable financial structure and personal well-being" (xii). Most people are hopelessly locked into patterns and attitudes associated with money that they are unable to even recognize the need for these kinds of changes. Gallen begins his working like the others authors herein, by using statistics to demonstrate the growing consumption, rising debt, and growing fascination with money in American culture. In the past three years more people than ever before in history in a similar timeframe filed for bankruptcy, an astonishing 4 million or 1 in 35 families (Gallen 8). We see in Gallen's book that people need to be psychologically and financially aware of the issues associated with money and debt. This is because the problem is not money, argues Gallen, but instead is something deeper, more emotional, and spiritual (Gallen 2). This is why addressing only the money issues never resolves one of the four types of money disorders defined by the author: Overspending, Workaholism, Money Obsession, and Underearning (Gallen 2). Despite Gallen's val