17 Ways Consumers Are Changing

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Its times like these that I am glad I have always paid cash for things and have always enjoyed living within my means. I moved to my current house in 1984 when it was new. I've kept in in top condition and paid off the mortgage within the 1st 5 years. Now I'm 63 and have no debt at all and mostly just enjoy a stress free life.
Never a borrower nor lender be. That motto sure has worked for me.

RogerDo of CA 7:27PM July 01, 2010

As a retired police officer/supervisor I have wonder many, many times when the would be " Get Away Artists " snap to the fact that police radios are faster than their cars. If you had ran from me you would be running TO my co-workers! We would often set up on a fleeing crack pot and just wait for them to blunder into our road block. Another thing was to just stay on them and sooner or later they would crash their pretty new cars, how sad. Belive me, if they damage or kill anyone in their path of escape - they will not stop and give assistance nor do they have any regrets. I was required to give police talks to kids in high school, I always told them - we do not give up or drop off a chase,mainly we because we do not know if those that flee have commited more serious crimes besides " Attempting to Alude an Officer ".
Been There, Done that and am still amazed at their
Ignorance, Wayne Mills Retired officer since 1988.

wayne mills of OK 11:08AM May 20, 2010

The middle class is getting very angry. Be afraid. Very afraid.

GD of MD 10:03AM May 14, 2010

We bought what "made sense" back in 1996. A 2200 sq ft old stucco house that needed quite a bit of work. I hated having to do so much on it and envied my friends newer homes that they could just enjoy. Now I guess I'm glad we stuck with it. It's alot of house now for the original 68K we paid. I'm grateful for that 700/mo house payment these days!

J Romano of MO 12:39PM April 22, 2010

It's AMAZING how well you can live if "you're not too special" to buy used. New usually isn't better, just shinier. Need a sofa or about any household item? there are tons of everything out there from the unfortunates that have lost their homes.
Need tools, a soup pot, a dvd player? you'll pay pennies on the dollar for an almost new one from someone that needs to pay their power bill.
Do YOU need to pay YOUR power bill?? See what you have that you don't use and sell it in the freebie adds. Keep the sturdy older stuff, give it a coat of paint if necessary and sell off the newer plastic junk that hasen't already broken.
You are no longer supporting American workers by buying anything new, it's all coming from China now so that's another reason to buy what the corporations have made their profit from and help a neighbor by buying their extras. If you don't know how to maintain or repair something, take it to a LOCAL shop, it's your neighbors business!

Michael Rogers of CA 11:58AM April 12, 2010

I live in Flint, MI. The town that was a rehersal in poverty for the rest of the country. You know, nobody has ever bailed out Flint,MI or any place else or anyone else in America the way the loan shark bankers and theiving wall street executives were bailed out. Bailed out with the hard earned tax money of auto workers, coal miners, waitresses and secretaries. And in return we got nothing. No loans from banks, no health care when we're sick, no education for our kids, no help for our old. They took our last dime and paid it out in bonuses to the gangsters who stole our future. Why did they treat us that way, because they can. And one of the reasons the can is because there are too damn many fools like you.

teah samek of MI 6:56PM April 08, 2010

I live in Lee's Summit, Mo. and though everyone has been affected by this economy brought on by greedy loan companies and the insuffient polices of the white house Mo has not suffered as much as some states. We do have alot of homeless people, people without jobs but I have been fortunate to retain my job and my home. House payment is first thing that gets paid each month. We live well but have given up unnecssary spending, entertainment and traveling. As long as I can pay my bills I consider myself fortunate but by only being able to pay bills there is none put away for sickness or retirement.
Those greedy people in washington do not have to worry about who will pay their retirements, insurance etc when they no longer are working. We the people of the US will pay their health insurance til the day they die. Why do they not have to supply their own insurance like we do once they retire?

Becky Tinsley of MO 9:36AM April 08, 2010

Here is something that you can do to ease the pain.
If you really want to change the attitudes in DC; then refuse to do business with all of the corporate criminals as much as possible. As long as there are large numbers of illegal immigrants (that corporate america is importing for us to compete with for jobs and wages) and are coming here and opening up businesses then we should be supporting them and not the overpriced retailers. You can save 75% on your groceries, furniture ,car parts, tires, home owners ,auto insurance and phone service by just shopping at these establishments. If you hurt the corporate criminals in their wallets then they will all be in favor of making things right again. My wife and I save thousands of dollars a year by snubbing the overpriced retailers and buying the same or better quality products at a lower price somewhere else. It's called competition; take advantage of it while you can.

Craig of TX 2:44PM March 26, 2010

I have no sympathy for people who appeared on TV newscasts harping about how they lost their homes to foreclosures because they were lured by lenders to owe more than they could afford in buying their homes...excuse me? If you know you can't afford something isn't it plain common sense not to buy it?
Why can't America be more responsible for their own actions? They always put the blame on others or somethings - "they made me do it" kind of mentality. Who's "they?" Don't you have your own minds? Ditto for credit card borrowers who max out their debts and declare bankruptcy when they can't pay their bills...and mind you the bills are for luxury items and unnecessaries..not the essentials like food and clothing.
If there's a lessoned to be learned here, it's stop being the spoiled brats that you are and be responsible for yourselves - don't expect bailouts.

Tumble Gomez of NM 2:16PM March 26, 2010

GARY
People need to not be so quick to judge. Although I do agree that many people have recklessly placed themselves in the financial bind they are in, there are those strictly a victim of this economy. we never bought a new car, nor the most expensive car, even though we could afford it. We have a modest home of only 1300 sqft. We were only mortgaged at 75% to value- before the bubble- I never believed my home was ever worth what lenders were telling us in the bubble stage. We are now losing our home and have lost a vehicle to this economy as my husband has lost his job of over 22 years. He has been out of work for 2 years with no hope of finding a job. We live in Florida were the recession has hit the hardest. We have used up all of our savings and cashed in all of our investments to keep everything going.
I had friends who were lenders who are now facing federal indictments charges for fraudulant lending practices because they doctored the paperwork and harped on and convinced the masses that their customers would be able to make their payments or sell before they got into trouble with their payments- our own friends tried it with us.
Banks should take to brunt of the blame but some do need learn to investigate and read the contracts that they are getting themselves into

MKeller of FL 1:32PM March 26, 2010