今年回家不攀比:邻居只是看上去比你有钱

You look out the window of your home each night after dinner, staring across the street at your neighbors. You long for the cars they drive, their weekly manicured lawns, and even the vacations they seem to take several times a year.
吃完晚饭，你朝窗外望去，目光穿过小路看到了邻居。你羡慕他家的车子，每周修剪的草地，甚至每年几次的假期。

But there are several reasons our can neighbors afford so many of the things we would love to have:
但邻居拥有我们追求的生活不是没有原因的：

1. Perception is Everything
1. 眼睛会骗人

Your perception may be skewed. You see fancy cars in the driveway, and the trim lawns between your toes. You watch work crews going in and out of the awesome remodeling projects happening inside. Yet, none of that means your neighbors are wealthier than you are. Just because you see them as more affluent, doesn’t mean they are.
眼睛里看到的东西未必是真实的。你看到车道上的靓车，脚下整齐的草地，看到他家进进出出的装修工人，忙着为屋子重新装修。但这些都不能表示邻居比你有钱。这只是你的错觉，不是实际情况。

You are only able to see above the surface of their spending, meaning you have no idea what’s happening down below.
你只看到他们表面上花钱的情况，不知道人家在你看不到的地方过什么样的日子。

2. Allocation is Essential
2. 钱花在哪里是关键

While you choose to consistently save money for your kids’ education, and retirement later in life, they are spending what they believe are excess funds on their cars and homes. They might be making the shallow choice to spend their money on what people can see, while you are spending your money on the life you want to live, both today and tomorrow. You choose to pay for piece of mind.
当你决定要为孩子的教育和未来的养老存钱时，你的邻居却把额外的钱花在车子和房子上。也许他们只是肤浅地把钱花在大家都看得见的地方，可是你是用钱创造自己现在和未来的理想生活。你是在为自己的理想买单。

It’s how your neighbors allocate their income that makes them seem richer than they are.
看起来邻居好像很有钱，其实是他们花钱的地方和你不同。

3. Perks Matter
3. 福利很重要

While Your neighbors’ salaries might be slightly more than yours, it isn’t enough to justify the massive leap in spending. However, fringe benefits can greatly widen the gap. Perks such as cars, phones, laptops, and more can give the recipient an amazing leg up when it comes to freeing money for other pleasures.
虽然你的邻居可能工资高一点，但这不足以解释你们消费的巨大差异。不过，福利会加大你们之间的消费差距，比如汽车、电话、笔记本电脑等，有了这些福利，你的邻居就有闲钱享乐了。