I agree that the average family doesn't make enough money -- I mean average, what used to be called blue collar. I don't mean professionals. And I believe that far too many people in America live in poverty. There is too much hunger, we are doing something very wrong.
I am almost embarrassed to state my disagreement because it sounds like some cockeyed conservative instead of the liberal that I believe myself to be. But I believe people do not save for retirement because they spend too much of what they make, no matter how little that might be, on unnecessary lifestyle choices. I believe advertising and the media have convinced the American people that they should have, deserve, really need many things they could live without. The list is enormous, to name a few: brand name sneakers and jeans, electronic devices, including multiple cell phones, flat screen TVs, and everything in the kitchen that has a plug, all those things that plug into your ears also, personal care, like the mani-peddi mania, hair coloring, toys -- oh, my god, I can't begin to name the toys, and decorative crap around the house especially at holidays--all those Christmas lights and other seasonal geegaws, all kinds of recreational paraphenalia. Shall I go on and on and on? What about fast food and gambling casinos, $4 coffee, e-books.
Don't I think people should have fun and live a gracious life? Of course I do, but I don't think most television is fun, I don't think blow up Easter bunnies on the lawn are gracious. If people want to save, they save first -- before the manicurist and the gym membership, before the trip to Disney or the new app. Americans can't save but there is an epidemic clutter overflowing into storage units. We buy too much. And put too little in IRAs. Will the economy collapse if we don't support the electronics industry, the fast food industry, the gaming and sports industries? I don't think so.
3 comments:
June -- you make some good points. I know that folks buy too much. Yes, it is evident when you go into a department store etc. But remember most seniors today have savings based on their incomes of maybe twenty or thirty years ago or more. The dollar bought probably four times more than it does today. So how far does this go in today's economy. Also, I think the huge increase in consumer spending began in the 80s. This would mean folks that are retired today didn't spend as much but are still short-shifted as their money saved is worth less. Just some thoughts.
I agree with you, Barbara, except that the people today who are trying to make ends meet probably spent as much proportionately and are now finding frugality especially hard because it was not much of a habit -- I speak of people in my generation and feel this is true in spades for the younger ones just now retiring, the first of the Boomers. America has lost any savings ethic it ever had and has been convinced to consume -- believe they need things now that didn't exist 20 or 30 years ago.
I do agree with you. For example, look at how many people camped out to buy the latest iPhone..and those things are darn expensive...just to have the latest gadget.
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