It's summer, so our social media feeds are getting flooded with pretty pictures from friends and acquaintances of their far-flung adventures. It's easy to get jealous and want to do what they're doing, but you know what? It's a bad idea. 

Those pretty pictures aren't really what they seem, and they can tempt you to live outside your means, something you will regret when the bills come in. There is a better way, one that will give you far more freedom and happiness than you could ever feel trying to keep up with the Joneses and their expensive vacations.

Why Pictures on Social Media Are Not What They Appear to Be Most people try to present a highly edited version of themselves on social media. They post pictures of rare glamorous moments -- but not of their everyday lives -- which creates the illusion that they are always smiling, always enjoying themselves and each other, and always having exciting adventures in exotic locations. Consciously or not, many people want their friends and acquaintances to be jealous. Don't fall for it.

The Joneses Are Often Living Above Their Means Another thing the pictures don't reveal is how your friends paid for their trips. Many people use credit cards to pay for vacations they can't afford, and then they struggle later when the bills come due. The camera may capture real or posed smiles during the trip, but you won't see your friends post anything on social media about the stress they feel when it comes time to pay after the trip is over. If you are tempted to try to keep up with the Joneses, remember that part of what the Joneses are doing may be creating more stress in their future lives. That's something you don't want to imitate!

Glamour on the Outside Doesn't Equal Happiness on the Inside The pictures you see may look exciting, but chances are they were carefully posed. When no one is taking a picture, when no one is urging your friends to say "cheese" for the camera, how do your friends really feel? You don't know. Maybe they had problems that kept them from being able to really enjoy their trip. When your goal is to be happy, rather than to impress other people, you don't need to spend a lot of money. In fact, there is little to no relationship between how much you spend and how happy you feel.

Don't Become a Hostage to Your Experiences If keeping up with the Jones' experiences tempts you to go into debt, then a brief vacation can cast a long shadow over your future. Before using your credit card, think about what will be involved in paying it off. Will you feel increased stress? Will you have to work more hours than you want? When you keep the future in mind, the answer will be clear. Don't let the desire to imitate the Joneses cause you to hop on the treadmill of debt. Live your own life -- go for your own happiness -- just pass that treadmill by. The freedom and peace of mind you will gain are priceless.