Why Bad Times Breed Better Habits

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Well, the state of the economy has done away with that phrase ... everyone is just trying to stay afloat ... mostly everyone anyway. Credit cards were never a good way to keep up ... but, especially during the last 8 years, almost the only way. Thank goodness people are forced to wise up about that ... losing jobs though is tragic. So, can we all get smarter, eventually catch up with the "haves" ... at long last get health care for all -- doing away with the insurance companies making money off of the system with total disregard for patients? Can we do away with poverty in this country ... bad and decaying schools and neighborhoods ... Wow, that would be something! Affordable education ... Can the Republicans allow a middle class to be treated as well as the rich???? Here's to the future ... with ALL of us trying to help President Obama to succeed!!!!

Lila Mach of OK 8:06PM March 19, 2009

Well, here it is folks!...what some of us been sayn for several months now. Lack of money means smarter not harder financial know-how regarding your budget. Be frugal with your possessions; wear 2nd hand clothing (thrift stores are booming) and include your local Dollar Store for inexpensive shopping. Buy your groceries at an Aldis, Save a Lot, or stick to store-brands instead of brand-name products. BE CONTENT with eating left-overs and more fruits and veggies.
If your old car is paid for, keep and maintain it. Want a new car, consider your family needs and get more bang for your buck wnen it comes to gas mileage (shoot for 30 to 40 mpg). IF you're single go for a car that gets at least 40 to 50 mpg...it will pay for itself. And the beat goes on...

Randall Laraway of OH 8:39PM March 17, 2009

It seems that recession results in proliferation of cost-per-performance services which minimize marketing costs and risks for businesses. For instance, nationwide publicity can be obtained on pay-for-results-only terms from (Publicity Guaranteed) PublicityGuaranteed.com, online advertising can be obtained on pay-per-visitor terms from Google and Yahoo, cable TV offers revenue-sharing deals for infomercials and many services can be obtained for stock via Services4Stock.com. Does anybody know companies which offer advertising in print media on similar terms?

Max of FL 3:18PM March 17, 2009

Better behavior is only encouraged if bad behavior doesn't pay. Congress has flipped this to reward bad behavior. The result is a further ingrained greed from those used to taking what they want.

Randy Dutton of WA 6:44PM March 16, 2009

If this crisis was all (and only) about economic/financial lessons to be learned: bravo! Your point is right on. Unfortunately, I think there is another lesson that we are about to learn, except it hasn't yet hit the news media. The current crisis is morphing from an economic crisis to a social/cultural/political crisis. There is a growing global movement (virtually everywhere in the world) of protests that share three common factors: 1) they are protests largely of/by/for the middle/working class; 2) the targets of their protests are ruling (sometimes formerly ruling) governments, bankers, investment community, and certain corporations and corporate execs whom they blame for the economic meltdown; and 3) they are protesting for the government to address their needs (as a priority over those they deem responsible for their situation) by spending money they do not have in ways that don't make much sense. I have chronicled this in a narrated self-running PowerPoint you can find here: http://tinyurl.com/daaua9 -- other related articles are also there. This is a major issue that the mainstream news media has thus far missed, but I do believe we are about to see headlines around the world change in a way that will push off any sort of economic recovery for a long time.

Doug Poretz of MD 10:00AM March 16, 2009

Hey, even TRUTH might seem good!

Harold Reimann of CA 3:17PM March 14, 2009

MAYBE, an excellent form of forced savings for America would be higher taxes on higher incomes, dedicated to three purposes:
PAYING DOWN THE NATIONAL DEBT, so that our dollars are not all devalued by the world.
FUNDING UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE so that no family ever faces bankruptcy for having a member get sick.
CURBING EXCESSES OF COMPENSATION to CEO's, ballpayers, media personalities, rock stars, porn vendors, agents, brokers, traders, and miscellaneous opportunists.
Imagine how much better off we'd be if we average folks had paid less for Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Rush Limbaugh, Mitt Romney, Bill Clinton, Jim Cramer, Bernie Madoff and the guy who did "Girls Gone Wild". Do you think Home Depot would have paid $240 million for its CEO to quit if incomes over $10 million were taxed at 70% as they should be? C'mon! Use brain. The low taxes attract scams and excesses like a magnet. END IT. The savings from not paying the moon to charlatans ends up in the savings account of YOUR family.
There are lots of ways to collectively "save". Taxes are one of them.

Muser of NM 12:49PM March 14, 2009

Now you have less money so you have to spend less. It's natural. But what will happen when the economy recovers? Will you shoot your wad in one day again? I personally think it's time the US government called for their people to learn how to stretch the dollar even in the properous time.

mizzrapper 8:58AM March 14, 2009