Keeping up with the Joneses was a full-time job with my mother and father. It was not until many years later when I lived alone that I realized how much cheaper it was to drag the Joneses down to my level.

Summary

This quote suggests that the speaker's parents were always preoccupied with comparing themselves to others and trying to maintain a certain social status. However, the speaker, upon living independently, realizes that it is much more cost-effective to bring those others down to their own level rather than striving endlessly to measure up. It implies a critique of societal obsession with materialism and social conformity, highlighting the benefits of finding contentment in one's own circumstances rather than constantly striving for higher social standing.

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