Let's discuss -Yiddishe Gelt- the mishpacha supplement

Thu, Sep 23 2021, 6:36 am

I have no issues with the ads per se. I’m not in the US so most of them are not relevant to me. I think the problem is the peer pressure that seems to be created by these adverts for luxury. How many women reading them suddenly feel that their sheitel/jewellery/bedding/kids clothes are not good enough because they are being bombarded by more glamorous versions?
With TV ads there are regulations, eg they can’t advertise junk food at times when kids will be watching. Why can’t the magazines set up something similar? Advertise books and milk is fine. But high end sheitels and jewellery…??

amother

Lightpink

Thu, Sep 23 2021, 7:04 am

s1 wrote:

I literally don't even glance at them. And I'm into the way I dress, my kids clothing and sheitals. They're just ads! Who lets ads get to them? I don't know a single person who actually feels inferior by looking at ads in a magazine. At simchas- yes. At the park- yes. on the first day of school when their kids shoes are "less then"- yes. While scrolling through instagram- yes. At their SIL's bris- yes. But to feel inferior because of ads?? Not a thing.
If their were ads in the KIDS magazine I'd be more upset because kids are impressionable in a way that adults are not. No reason to coddle adults.

amother

Begonia

Thu, Sep 23 2021, 7:38 am

amother [ Lightpink ] wrote:

When I’m surrounded by luxury ads, yes I do feel “less than.” Not so much the Mishpacha but definitely my local magazine. How does everyone afford extravagant gifts, constant new wigs, constant new wardrobe, expensive food and desserts, fancy jewelry?

watergirl

Thu, Sep 23 2021, 8:33 am

I always read these things knowing that I wont be able to relate at all because I live in a very "to each their own" community BH. But like others said, the first article alone (I think by someone in an Agudah or something) was beyond what I could relate to. I literally laughed out loud when he suggested, as a way to spend less on overnight camp, to simply send your child to the bungalow day camp and hold off on overnight camps. Seriously? Like, yeah we all go to the bungalows. We all have a summer home. We all have that kind of extra cash to spare that we can pay for two living spaces at once. Just the bungalow in and of itself is a massive luxury and also very location specific (ie, mostly people living in NYC go)... it was just humorous to see this "advice" printed in an international magazine as if it would help the klal.

I also chuckled at the stories of how people managed to eliminate their 50k debt in a year and a half. One guy said he decided to try to get a better job and just like that he got a new job that paid 40k more a year than his previous one. We should all try that, right?

Also, as much as I love to each their own, I found the michloach manos section to be truly obnoxious for various reasons.

watergirl

Thu, Sep 23 2021, 8:38 am

small bean wrote:

I thought it was really dumband did not contain any information.

I also dont know anyone who borrows so much from family.

I think the point was to get flooded inbox letters.

THIS. Reader engagement is the name of the game. People like me who buy the magazine only sukkos and pesach time, but are astounded at this insert will write in and then buy the magazine for a few weeks to see if their letter was published and to see who else wrote in. I'm sure they will do one of those "continuing the conversation" pieces for the next month or so on this topic as well as they've done in the past with reader contributions. It's to sell more magazines. They are hoping that while I am buying the next few weeks, I will read the rest and decide to subscribe.

amother

Clematis

Thu, Sep 23 2021, 8:45 am

lamplighter wrote:

I don't worry about the ads. Half the time I can't figure out what they're selling and the other half are for medical or financial services.

Speaking of the ads, are they not allowed to show pictures of women’s clothes? Why are the ads always empty?

amother

Eggplant

Thu, Sep 23 2021, 8:46 am

Like others mentioned, I found it odd that Brooklyn wasn’t separated into communities. How can you give one number for all of Brooklyn when Boro Park, Flatbush, Crown Heights, and Williamsburg all have very different community norms? Even Flatbush (where I live) has a very large range.

Yet Lakewood was separated into two…

lamplighter

Thu, Sep 23 2021, 8:49 am

watergirl wrote:

Or read this and decide to NOT subscribe Smile

The more I read the mishpacha magazine the more insular it seems. That interview at the beginning was assuming most people get financial support from family at the beginning of marriage, assumed people go to bungalows etc.

It was quite notable that all the panelists are all giving cash gifts of pretty significant amounts to teachers/rebbbis. I don't think that's an honest panel of frum demographic. Also the hundreds of dollars on vacations or Chol hamoed trips. Oh but we save money on not eating at restaurants and staying by relatives or paid for by family. Again not the reality across the board. And definitely did not lower the bar of frum spending. Rather the contrary

amother

Lightpink

Thu, Sep 23 2021, 8:49 am

watergirl wrote:

THIS. Reader engagement is the name of the game.

Yea they were very upfront about that in the letter at the beginning. They said it wasn't meant to be an "in depth look" but rather a conversation starter to get the conversation going, to hear people weigh in and contribute in the coming weeks.

small bean

Thu, Sep 23 2021, 8:50 am

I also thought the questions for the Rabbi didnt really make sense.

The single guy who doesnt give his kids MM because he only gives 2 people. I was thinking, now I know why youre single.

The question about 1k, I would not be able to answer. Theres nothing I want. And I thought the wants were weird.

I always think they should interview me, but then there wouldnt be a sensational story. I live within my means. Buy what I want. I dont have any big wishes. And dont have any debt other than mortgage. I make it work, by being responsible with the money Hashem gives me.

lamplighter

Thu, Sep 23 2021, 9:26 am

small bean wrote:

I didn't think any of it was sensational. Super ambiguous and unhelpful but not dramatic or interesting in the way they may have been hoping. Maybe aside for the suicide attempt story.

amother

Thu, Sep 23 2021, 9:34 am

I would have liked advice divided by ages and stages.

The advice for newlyweds or those setting up a budget with 4 small children is vastly different to those sending kids off to yeshiva or marrying them off.

In my circles money talk is taboo and everyone magical makes it, except for some of us who have no idea why we don't have the magic potion and are still playing catch up. Like it's been said many times before the expression "make it work" literally teaches zero.

In terms of the OU article (which I have no way of reading, if anyone has advice on how to please?) Does it give advice for those who are past the young, live cheap, get an entry level job stage?

small bean

Thu, Sep 23 2021, 9:37 am

lamplighter wrote:

I didn't think any of it was sensational. Super ambiguous and unhelpful but not dramatic or interesting in the way they may have been hoping. Maybe aside for the suicide attempt story.

I didnt either think so and I didnt read most of the stories. I didnt read the suicide one. But they were aiming for people who had a story that would trigger a response (clearly they acheived it, hence this thread) the ones I read made the people sound stupid. The last story, of the rich to poor, michoel sounded beyond stupid, the entire time and so did his wife, I cant remember her name.

simcha2

Thu, Sep 23 2021, 9:42 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Here's the link for the Jewish Action

https://jewishaction.com/current-issue/

small bean

Thu, Sep 23 2021, 9:42 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I really dont think any article can do enough because a lot os based on circumstances. I think the first step is coming to terms to what is amd what isnt. Facing reality and deciding what to do about it.

And really education early on is important becaue its easier when you have less expenses....

amother

Daisy

Thu, Sep 23 2021, 9:50 am

This has been the first Yom Tov I can remember that I didn't look at any of the frum magazines. Even though I have them in my house.

Lately I'm finding them to be too superficial, too much hidden agenda and of too little relevance to my life to be interested in them anymore.

My lifestyle hasn't changed much over the past few years so it must be a different crowd that they have decided to cater to.

amother

Natural

Thu, Sep 23 2021, 10:02 am

To all of those who were offended by this publication, or dont relate to the content, why are you denigrating the mishpacha’s efforts on a public forum??
If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything.
I personally enjoyed it ( as well as the Jewish Action) and benefited from some of the articles.