When I was growing up, my parents went to a generic store to buy clothes for us kids. We all got the exact same clothes, with subtle color differences. In my parents’ defense, there were many kids to shop for, and we were all boys, so the clothes never lasted as long. They simply couldn’t afford to clothe us in the fads of the day.

When I started buying my own clothes, I fell into the habit of buying “cool” clothes. I still do, to an extent. But the truth of the matter is that FADS ARE EXPENSIVE TO FOLLOW.

Funny thing, it isn’t just clothes: Almost every aspect of life that has fads or temporary fashions costs more to follow than going outside the fad. This leads me to believe that fads are not good things.

Personal Finance has many fads as well. People who know me will ask me who I “read”, in an effort to determine the source of what I teach and how I live. Many of them will be sporting a copy of their favorite author’s latest offerings, like a shield against the unbelievers. Whether it’s JIM CRAMER, DAVE RAMSEY, ROBERT KIYOSAKI, SUZE ORMAN, or even me, people get stuck on ONE person and follow that person (dare I say) religiously.

People, don’t do this to yourself. I don’t pretend to be the only game in town, and hopefully these others, or other bloggers out there who are the current flavor of the month don’t either. Read as much as you can out there, preferably from sources who don’t agree. Take what works and discard the rest. Once you figure it out with Finance people, start really looking at other areas in your life where you follow the fads. See if there are other view points that you might gain something by listening to.