Spending Family Time versus "Spaving" Money

After reading the first chapter of the book about the Age of Affluenza, I realized just how accurate the analysis of a typical American is. We don't realize it as easily because we live among it every single day. From advertisements, to complimenting someone's new shoes, to spending an afternoon at the mall, we've been raised to live with this idea that spending money and shopping is a perfectly acceptable way to spend your time. I thought it was ridiculous and surprising that many families spend more time at the mall than they do with their own children. I think that as a whole, American society is losing the emphasis upon family values and the importance of family in everyday life. Granted, this "Spaving" frenzy is only one aspect of the problem, it is definitely a main contribution that can definitely be avoided. If you think about it, what really matters in the end: a new purse or a family member that you consider your friend? It's not a difficult question for me to answer, but for some people it may be...