In this economy we are all trying to save money, I am no exception to the rule. We look for those elusive deals, the great find that we can feel proud of so that we can feel justified for spending money...Retail Therapy we call it. Oh the adrenaline rush of saving a dollar, of beating The Man. The retail man.
Not too long ago, our economy was such that it encouraged people to overspend, not just keep up with the Joneses, but to become the Joneses. Oh the days of the lines of credit a mile long, the more credit cards that you had in your wallet the more prestigious you appeared, and size of your car was a huge (pun intended) status symbol. Then reality smacked us right in the face. A whole generation that was used to spend now, pay later finds itself having to change completely how it operates.
Having grown up poor I can remember really going through rough times (although I didn't realize that we were poor at the time) and even these adjustments are not life shattering. Do I want to give up going out to dinner anytime I don't feel like cooking? No. Do I want to give up designer makeup? NO NO NO NO! But will I if it means feeding my family? You betcha! (Sarah Palin accent and all) There is not much that I wouldn't give up to care for my family.
I think that it is interesting that we can look back at the depression era and think, wow, those were some crazy times, they did anything that they had to do to survive...and yet, ourselves refuse to give up those frivolous material things that we call necessities. Have you ever considered what you could to save money in your day to day life? Will we be forced to (gasp) learn to budget, pay as we go and oh boy, eat homecooked leftovers!!! What will we do?? Oh my!
Where we be in ten years? Will we be still clipping coupons and living frugally? I actually hope so, it would be a step in the right direction. There is one thing that I think would help us more than even clipping coupons and that would be to want what we don't have less and want what we have more. How is that for a foreign concept?
Now, don't close the window just yet, it is possible...look around (unless you live in a shanty town) and say this out loud, "I am blessed. I have everything that I need, I need not for anything else." This week, when you run out to the store, before you reach for that extra something...put it back and send me the money that you saved. Hey, Susie Orman makes money from financial advice, why should I stay poor?
