If you have ever scrolled through social media posts only to be gripped with envy when you see a friend posing in front of their beautiful house or enjoying themselves at a luxurious resort, then you understand how easy it is to want what other people have.
Financial envy is real and sometimes, it can be ugly.
“Financial envy is absolutely normal. It’s part of the human condition,” says Yvonne Hampton, who holds a doctorate in personal financial planning and runs a financial therapy practice in Missouri.
And it is not necessarily a bad thing, she says. “It’s an opportunity to dig more deeply internally about why we have that feeling so we can work through it and be happier in our own lives.”
If you are wondering how to turn the so-called green-eyed monster into a positive force in your life, here are five steps to take.
1. Let go of shame
“A lot of progress can be made simply by acknowledging, ‘Yes, I feel envious’,” says Rick Kahler, a certified financial therapist and financial planner in South Dakota. “Be compassionate towards yourself.”
Then you can more easily turn towards the concrete steps that help you meet your financial goals, whether it is paying off debt, saving for a down payment or building up an emergency fund for greater financial security.
2. Get specific about your triggers
People are more likely to feel envious of those in their own peer group versus mega-rich celebrities such as Jeff Bezos or Oprah Winfrey, Ms Hampton says. “Those feelings are a signal: If you are envious of a neighbour getting a new car, what is that feeling?”
Perhaps it is rooted in a desire to earn more money or spend your money differently. Once you figure out the cause of the feeling, then you can address it and make changes in your own life.
“It can give us insight into what we really want,” Ms Hampton says. If it truly is about buying a car, then you can give yourself a savings goal and start setting money aside each month.
3. Use envy as a motivator, not a detractor
Some forms of envy may be helpful, says Robert Leahy, author of The Jealousy Cure and a clinical professor of psychology in psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine.
He notes that envy is visible across cultures governed by hierarchies, including with animals such as dogs, and even in human toddlers. In its most positive light, envy can lead us to learn from the success of others and apply lessons to our own lives.
But it also has a dark side, stirring up feelings of inferiority and insecurity.
Envy can lead to self-harm, such as cultivating feelings of hatred towards wealthy people, which can drain energy away from your own life and pursuits, says Rainer Zitelmann, a historian and sociologist and author of The Art of a Successful Life.
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Mr Zitelmann warns that unchecked envy can easily become destructive. “You should acknowledge envy whenever you experience it, because envious people only end up harming themselves,” he says.
4. Recognise what you don't see
While your first reaction to a friend’s social media posts might be envy, the truth of their situation could be far more complex than the picture suggests, Ms Hampton says.
“We don’t know the whole story. You don’t know how long they saved for that house, or how hard they worked for it, or if their parents paid for it. Maybe they’re screaming at 3am about paying the mortgage,” she says.
It is easy to feel jealous of someone’s public posts that showcase the highlights of their life without any of the behind-the-scenes struggle.
“In all the time I’ve been doing [financial therapy], I’ve never met someone who felt like they had it all. We’re all dealing with something. Even if you’re at the higher income spectrum, there are still challenges and these are challenging times with inflationary pressures,” Ms Hampton says.
In all the time I’ve been doing [financial therapy], I’ve never met someone who felt like they had it all
Yvonne Hampton,
personal financial planner
5. Reflect on what actually brings you joy
Mr Leahy suggests a thought exercise to counteract materialistic envy.
“Imagine everything has been taken away,” he says, including all of your possessions.
You get one thing back at a time, but only if you can make the case that you appreciate it. That process clarifies your values, he says.
“You can see you have many different sources of satisfaction and purpose.”
And in a final tip from Mr Leahy: Think back to an experience of real contentment in your life.
It might have been as simple as sitting by a lake with a friend — perhaps not an Instagrammable moment, but one that was far more meaningful.
CREW
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The specs: Aston Martin DB11 V8 vs Ferrari GTC4Lusso T
Price, base: Dh840,000; Dh120,000
Engine: 4.0L V8 twin-turbo; 3.9L V8 turbo
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic; seven-speed automatic
Power: 509hp @ 6,000rpm; 601hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 695Nm @ 2,000rpm; 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.9L / 100km; 11.6L / 100km
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
Naga
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh810,000
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Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
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Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
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SHOW COURTS ORDER OF PLAY
Wimbledon order of play on Tuesday, July 11
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Centre Court
Adrian Mannarino v Novak Djokovic (2)
Venus Williams (10) v Jelena Ostapenko (13)
Johanna Konta (6) v Simona Halep (2)
Court 1
Garbine Muguruza (14) v
Svetlana Kuznetsova (7)
Magdalena Rybarikova v Coco Vandeweghe (24)
Brief scoreline:
Al Wahda 2
Al Menhali 27', Tagliabue 79'
Al Nassr 3
Hamdallah 41', Giuliano 45 1', 62'
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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'Gehraiyaan'
Director:Shakun Batra
Stars:Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa
Rating: 4/5
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000
On sale: now
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Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
THE%20SPECS
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What is safeguarding?
“Safeguarding, not just in sport, but in all walks of life, is making sure that policies are put in place that make sure your child is safe; when they attend a football club, a tennis club, that there are welfare officers at clubs who are qualified to a standard to make sure your child is safe in that environment,” Derek Bell explains.
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Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
