eir feelings of fatalism about the future (Ventura 1995). When people have money they have an overwhelming urge to spend it. Advertisers know this and shamelessly pander to the public=s lack of self control where money is concerned. The only way most people can save is by never seeing the money. Examples of this are pension plans and savings plans that are automatically withheld from paychecks. Others allocate their income between various Amental accounts@ some for saving, others for spending, as another form of self-discipline. Sociologist Viviana Zelizer dubs the latter form of savings discipline, the process of personalizing currency. This personalization can become quite idiosyncratic in some individuals. For instance, some people save the difference between the regular price and the sale price for purchases. Parents often contribute to the personalization of currency by their offspring. Children are indoctrinated by their parents= overt and subtle money messages. Parents use money to control, to punish, or to deprive children and the children learn to look to money for various kinds of emotional fulfillment that it can=t supply.The disruptive effect of money on family relationships is clearly illustrated in cases of inherited wealth, the primary source of household wealth in America. Far from solving problems in families of great wealth, money often contributes to conflict and alienation. Children of rich parents often grow up with the discomfort of living in their parents shadows, particularly those who fail to Ameasure up.@ Being the recipients of unearned wealth, they doubt their own abilities and may develop a fear that others will be critical of their Aeasy@ way of life. Inheritances are often used as a source of manipulation, with parents threatening to cut off their offspring if they do not live up to certain expectations. Children of wealthy parents sometimes lack the incentive for personal achievement that comes from havin...
