During the years of prosperity you probably accumulated status symbols. The reason for this was that peer-pressure of keeping up with friends and family prompted you more than likely to trade up, like buying a second home, a big screen TV and the latest car.

Think about the home that you grew up in and the size of the “McMansions” that dot the landscape. Even though families got smaller and most professionals spent less time at home, the square footage of homes continued to grow. In fact in 2006, more than one-third of new homes exceeded 2,400 square feet in floor space compared with 18 percent in 1986.