I Need This!

Ever seen the movie, "The Jerk"? It was made in the 70's and it stars Steve Martin as, well, a "Jerk". His character came from the slums and as a result of a bizarre set of circumstances, eventually became a multi-millionaire. However, when the very product which turned him into a rich man, the "Opti-Grab", a sort of nose handle for eyeglasses, turned out to be a literal eye magnet, he became bankrupt and ended up on the streets. Before he left his mansion, he decided to make a rant aimed at his wife. He stormed out, yelling "I don't need you! I don't need anything!", until he spotted an ashtray. He began to pull random items from his home and ended up alone on the street dragging his pants and holding an elegant chair, a paddleball, ashtray, and a lamp.

I wonder why we as a people decide what we 'need'. And why do these 'needs' differ so much from person to person? We all start out the same way, in the womb. We had our sources of life in that one tiny little bubble; food, oxygen, silence. Now I can understand how needs will differ based on location and living arrangements, but where do the following 'needs' come from?

"I need a BMW"
"I need an $80,000 dress"
"I need a TV in every other room in my house"
"I need a sensor that e-mails my phone when the mail arrives at my house" (These things DO exist!)
"I need a remote for the lights in my house"
"I need a movie theater in my house"

A need should be something required for survival. A want is a want, no matter how diligently you strive for it. The 'needs' listed above are extravagant, yes. The majority of people, even in America, could not see or possibly afford those luxuries. However, middle-income earners can have special 'needs', too.

-Daily coffee from any other place besides the tin can you bought at the grocery store
-Weekly pizza deliveries
-CD's and DVD's
-Cable TV
-Cigarettes and Alcohol
-Jamba Juice
-Eating out at restaurants/fast food places
-Relatively expensive vacations

Now I'm guilty of 'needing' most of the items in that second list. But I'm making the following resolution : To pray daily about one thing I can let go, one 'need' I can do without, if even for just one day. Here's the question, though - What will you do with the money you save by refraining from any item in any list? Save it up for bigger 'needs'? Or to use it for someone, some idea, or some place that actually has legitimate needs they cannot afford?