21 Things We're Learning to Live Without

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I can't help but think this sounds exactly like the "good 'ol days" grandpa used to tell us about.

deja vu of GA 7:37AM May 20, 2012

Last year I bought 90 percent of my christmas presents Made in the USA
I will do it this year as well.
We the taxpayers are paying the unemployment for people who have lost their jobs due to exportation. The numbers keep growing. If enough of us ask the store managers, "Can you show me something made in the USA?" and refuse to purchase otherwise, the stores WILL create more merchandise made in the USA, that supports American jobs,
our social security, our healthcare among other things. Its all about supply and demand. You demand, they supply.
I also think their should be limits on campaign contributions to 50 dollars per source so the elite corporations can not rule us.

libby of LA 10:44PM November 11, 2010

Never mind what they're selling - it's what you're buying.
FUGAZI

JC of AL 11:37PM August 29, 2010

and a free country. People in this country still have the freedom to make their own choices, spend their money as they wish on whatever they wish, shop where they want (and yes, this includes Walmart).
Until this changes (and it very well may given our current President and his administration's aggressive push toward government takeover and socialism) let's cut each other a break.
I don't disagree with the point that we are a society of consumers, buying unnecessary "throw away" consumer items, and we definitely could do better, but I find the arrogance of many of the posters on this thread disgusting.
Just saying.

Ann of CO 1:53PM August 15, 2010

CHINA NEEDS MORE MANUFACTURING JOBS SO BE SURE TO BUY ALL THE STUFF YOU THINK YOU NEED FROM WALMART.

CRAIG of MD 4:45AM July 11, 2010

I don't want to work myself to death just to have more crap....and I'm a landscaper so I work pretty hard. A couple of things I feel worth mentioning: 1. I love my clothesline, my home has a dryer but here in Florida it is on most days a complete waste of time and money. My family of 4 does 1 load of laundry a day and we never use the dryer, run out of clothes or spend entire weekends doing laundry. 2. I think when discussing debt we should mention student loans. The biggest scam in America. I know college educated people make higher salaries, but I recently spoke with an accredited culinary school and the tuition was 48k. For 48k I could buy a restaurant and hire a chef. Also if one decides to file bankruptcy there are two debts that are not excused. Federal tax leins and student loans. We have in this country students coming out of college with thousands of dollars in debt and no where to work. We have been brain washed in to going into major debt for an education. Education yes, debt no way.

Glen Clark of FL 11:26AM July 05, 2010

I've been doing most of these tips for years. Partly out of necessity; but mostly because I don't like waste and don't want to spend every waking hour I have at work.....Working to buy and have stuff that gives me minimal pleasure. I would suggest being open-minded to these suggestions. Once you try one, its easy to adopt another. You will see you really won't MISS what you thought you needed so badly and worked so hard to have. Really.

L.Y. of CA 10:23PM June 29, 2010

United Socialist States of America

Joyce of IL 12:05PM June 26, 2010

Sounds just like any other third-world country to me. The people in those countries live a meager existence as well. Next we'll be growing our own produce, raising our own livestock, cooking outdoors over an open fire, and pounding our clothes clean on a rock, with big government and greedy merchants still making sure they get the lion's share of whatever we have through excessive prices and exorbitant taxes. Since WWII ended everybody had to have every appliance, gadget, and toy imaginable. The problem is, the merchants and the government became more greedy than the consumers and it wasn't long until credit buying was running rampant just to "keep up with the Jonses". The worst thing that's happened to this country so far was plastic credit cards issued by merchants and banks who didn't even bother to check that the people they were handing them out to like candy had the means to pay them off. Those merchants and banks are now raking in billions of dollars on various fees for ever-increasing personal debt, while the people who couldn't think straight piled more and more debt upon themselves and in some cases are now using them to buy food and pay the rent.

Joyce of IL 11:53AM June 26, 2010

My husband was recently away from home for an extended period of time. During that time I lost my job and was forced to move from our nice large apartment. I resolved to live in the cheapest thing I could find-a one room, $60/week sleeping room. While very bare and basic, it provided me with shelter and comfort during those months. Since my husband's return, we have moved into a small, one-bedroom apartment and have learned to live more simply. The advantages? More time spent in each other's company and after 18 years we are getting to know each other again and loving it! Also, I don't buy all the useless stuff to fill my home such as kitchen gadgets, there is no room for them. We now have more money to help our grown children who are also struggling financially, but who have children and need the extra space in their own homes.

Linda of IA 1:57PM June 12, 2010