thx for this helpful article..very good for many people who get mugged or not yet face this experience..its not nice..anyway thx and women should be more careful..this is a big lesson for me not walking alone at night and carry purse..
If my bonus goes up 100% this year, and matches 2007's record, I am definitely going to splurge on something, be it a new used car, or another rental property.
When times are tough, ironically I like to spend more bc it helps balance out the toughness. When times are good, well, it's a joy to save bc things are already so good!
It won't last long. Already, the stock market is up 39% from its lows and Wall St. is going to pay record bonuses. It's human nature to adapt, and human beings are adapting to good times returning again. Caveat, so long as you aren't one of the 10% of Americans who are unemployed, things have gotten a lot better.
It won't last for most people who feel that it's forced frugality. People don't like to be forced into anything. Then it feels like punishment. For those of us who felt like becoming frugal was a conscious choice, frugality is something we can be proud of -- and not something we'll just give up because we can.
And whether it feels forced or like a choice I think has more to do with the person than the circumstances in many cases. My husband and I chose frugality, but we chose it when we knew we needed to be more frugal -- though we weren't quite forced into it literally as we certainly had more credit we could have spent. We look at it as a blessing, so yes, our frugality is here to stay.
I began using coupons shortly before we were "forced" to do when my husband closed his company. I went to a meeting where Stephanie Nelson, aka CouponMom, gave a presentation explaining how to use coupons. I chose to go to this meeting because I had read an article about couponing in a maaazine (Women's Day, Better Homes, etc.). The article intrigued me but I did not get all the concepts. Once I went to the meeting, I totally got it and began saving coupons and using them. I could not believe the deals you could get. At the time, we were doing fine financially at home and did not "need" to use coupons just to make ends meet. While I had started using the coupons I did not do it all the time.
Then my husband closed his company and we sank into an abyss financially for us. We could be considered the poster children for the economy right now and have lost everything that had financial value. Still, we have each other and our children and a good attitude so do not feel sorry for us. When this happened, we really needed to use the coupons to make ends meet. We started using them in full force. My husband has embraced the couponing as much as me. He helps me clip them and helps with the grocery shopping and uses them happily as he shops.
In addition to couponing, we have learned how incredibly awesome Craig's List is. I do not think we will ever purchase furniture at retail value again. We sell things on ebay. We think long and hard before making a purchase. We are quick to let go of things that are not important to us and keep only the things that truly have value and meaning to us. We find multiple uses for things before throwing them away.
We are certainly not the most frugal people out there. I still have a weakness for books. I love books and I love to purchase them new. So, I allow my indulgence for new books as long as they are on the bargain rack at Barnes and Noble or Borders.
Thank goodness there are so many blogs like this one to teach us how to be more frugal. Will we go back to our old ways? For the most part I would say no. Couponing is a way of life for us. We know how much can be saved by purchasing second hand and reusing items. On the rare occasions now when we do make a quick stop into CVS for something we need right away and do not have coupons for it with us, we feel like we are leaving money on the table. A few dollars here and there add up so quickly. These lessons cannot be unlearned.
Now, we would love to have a nice vacation again at some point in our future and I cannot wait until we can have a few spa treatments at some point in our future. So, we might still indulge every once in a while but for the most part there is no turning back.
i have been frugal for the last two years, because i needed to save and put up a small house for my parents. at first i thought i was hutting myself, my friends were laughing at me, but i ve found it fun, and realized most of the things i considered necessities were actually luxuries. i am pleasantly surprised that i am enjoying it, and seem more in control of my finances now than before. now my friends envy me.
I read with great interest all the comments.My doctor said
Trevor why havent you bothered about your health for the last
20 years.Running a business,losing a house,raising a family,then losing a business with the credit crunch in the uk has been terribly stressful,then finding problems with conventional medicine i,ve turned to alternative medicine and wow i feel a different man.Apricot kernels,kombucha and vitamin supplements
and walking and once a week swimming and blood glucose levels
have gone down from 20.8 to 8.8.The talk about alkalising your body,it works,find out how many foods and apple cider vinegar
help the body to alkalise.I,m going to keep trusting natures
way will cure me.Our creator must have provided health for us in nature itself,please comment
i used to spend a lot on myself, until, about 2 years ago i needed to put up a small house for my parents. i needed to cut on my spending if i was to be able to complete it in time. i have been pleasantly surprised that frugal living is fun and very possible. i actually have more money on me, now and realize that many things i thought were necessities were actually luxuries. i will remain on frugal living even when the house is complete. it's been great training.
I don't know about everyone else here, but where I'm from, this minimum wage hike probably won't effect much, and here's why: For the jobs that will be effected by this, like restaurant and grocery store workers, management routinely keeps things to where they're just barely staffed enough to keep up with things anyhow. Around here, they can't let go many more workers in most places without cutting their own throats.
I am not "forced" to be frugal right now. My husband and I pretty much live the same life style we have always been. We have always try to live frugal life style regardless of our income (from poor college students to double income to now a single income because cuurently I am a stay at home mom). I think if a person thinks that he/she is suffering because he/she has to cut back, then it would be very easy to go back to bad spending habits as soon as the person's financial situtation changes again. I have a friend who is losing her home because she can no longer afford her mortage payment. Instead of looking at it as a blow to her credit, she is looking forward to going on vacations with her extra money since she has stopped paying her mortgage payment. Therefore, I don't think it will frugal life style will last for most people.
I am having to be a bit more frugal than usual, and many of the changes will last for me. They're becoming habit. I also think many people WILL continue to live more frugally after things turn around. Anyone out there have a parent or grandparent who lived through the Great Depression? For many of those people, careful frugality absolutely stuck around. I'm sure there are plenty of folk learning valuable, life-long lessons today.
Tomorrow I leave for a 10 hour journey in my new used 3/4 ton truck to pick up a 16 ft.consession trailer... I've given this venture a lot of thought and it's a go...I will make a good living.. why?
Because I have to..I will sell off the wall foods at fairs etc.. a boxed kids lunch? hey im not mickey dee's but i can put to gether a dinosaur outlined PBJ and a jiggles jello w/ real fruit in it and a small water or juice for $4.00 beats a hot dog or fries for a child, my adult menu will be different as well..my trailer will have two serving windows one will be titled the "CLUB HOUSE" and all my club sandwiches will be GOOD!! And a parent can actually take the four triangles of a club sandwich and split it up for themelf &/or their kids. Breaded deep fried Cauliflower? you bet! look for me in Central Florida I'll be there Making Money and serving good eats!!!
Tomorrow I leave for a 10 hour journey in my new used 3/4 ton truck to pick up a 16 ft.consession trailer... I've given this venture a lot of thought and it's a go...I will make a good living.. why?
Because I have to..I will sell off the wall foods at fairs etc.. a boxed kids lunch? hey im not mickey dee's but i can put to gether a dinosaur outlined PBJ and a jiggles jello w/ real fruit in it and a small water or juice for $4.00 beats a hot dog or fries for a child, my adult menu will be different as well..my trailer will have two serving windows one will be titled the "CLUB HOUSE" and all my club sandwiches will be GOOD!! And a parent can actually take the four triangles of a club sandwich and split it up for themelf &/or their kids. Breaded deep fried Cauliflower? you bet! look for me in Central Florida I'll be there Making Money and serving good eats!!!
Funny how no one on here has mentioned the movie "Food, Inc." It's a must-see for people who are concerned about what they're eating.
I completely agree with the person who posted about dead milk. If anyone here thinks that organic, ultra-pasteurized milk is nutricious, then they have some reading to do. While organic milk is a lesser evil than non-organic, the real problem is the pasteurization process that renders the milk completely unhealthy and difficult to digest. It kills the nutrients as well as the bacteria, which were (when pasteurization became the law)and are the real targets. The law in New York State (where I live...but this probably applies in many other states) mandates that no unpasteurized (raw) milk can be sold at a farm for human consumption (or it can be but only if the buyer brings own containers). This is completely outdated legislation put on the books before there was refrigeration (and likely the USDA).
If you support the idea of organic, minimally-processed or otherwise "unconventional" foods, buy them. Support those companies! Make the demand grow and squeeze conglomerates like Dean Foods out or have a hand in making them change their ways. It is possible if enough people get with the program.
If you support raw milk, petition your state legislators on this issue. There are movements to abolish this kind of legislature; join them!
Buy local, support the small guys who need their farms to make a living and who need to make a living to keep their farms. Whatever the argument about Horizon, for me the bottom line is that every Horizon purchase supports Dean Foods. I will NOT do that. Remember, every purchase we make is a small voting booth and we choose what goes on the shelves. We cannot blame the USDA and corporations for exploiting our apathy and ignorance; we can blame only ourselves.
I don't think it'll last for most people. For those that have truly embraced the lifestyle, it'll persist. For those that are doing it out of fear or necessity- it will go away as soon as the fear or need goes away. It reminds me of gas mileage was such a huge deal at $4 a gallon, but the Hummers were back on the road at $2 a gallon.
Yes, there is a learning curve to frugality. Many of the tricks that work for middle class or working class families require an investment of time, money or both before the savings are noticed on the cash flow.
Now once those new routines are set, or the supplies and equipment have been purchased, it is easier to maintain what you are already doing. I'm sure people will be glad to break out of the frugal tactics they find to be stressful or annoying when money flows again, but why would they drop the routines that they enjoyed or worked really well for their family?
I am aware that there is a vehement anti-cosleeping movement in this country right now. That said, I suggest you do some serious reading before you are definitely anti-co-sleeping. I recommend:
Mother Nature: Maternal Instincts and How They Shape the Human Species by Dr. Sarah Hrdy
What’s Going on in There? : How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life by Dr. Lise Eliot
Why Love Matters: How Affection Shapes a Baby’s Brain by Dr. Sue Gerhardt
The Scientist in the Crib: What Early Learning Tells Us About the Mind by Dr. Alison Gopnik
Our Babies, Ourselves: How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Parent by Dr. Meredith Small
Raising An Emotionally Intelligent Child by Dr. John Gottman
The Vital Touch: How Intimate Contact With Your Baby Leads To Happier, Healthier Development by Sharon Heller
From Neurons to Neighborhoods : The Science of Early Childhood Development by Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development
The Nursing Mother's Companion: Revised Edition by Kathleen Huggins
There is definitely a lot of pressure to be frugal for my family and me. Even though the harsh economic climate has only been harmful to my parent's 401k, we still "pinch pennys" much more than we used to just because others are doing it.
I notice it most, though, when we went to Europe on vacation and most of our friends were incredulous and almost upset with us for taking advantage of great flights and hotels.
Personally, I don't think that this is at all permanent and many positive things will result from it. We eat out at restaurants less now for health reasons but cutting back definitely has benefits even if you are not in terrible financial straits. As I have said before, people should start living simply and graduate to more and more luxuries.
A starting salary may not be enough to support the new cars that you want or going to the movie theater every Friday but won't it be better in the long run to have enough money to travel and not worry about expensive dinners.
Those forced to will go right back as soon as spending on whatever the new fad is becomes trendy again and they have or think they have the money to spend.
Lack of easy credit might be the only thing preventing this.
I fell back into my old frugal habits as our income dropped and then the economy. Looking back many of the things done previously seem unsustainable and a poorer choice than what we are opting for now. The only things I can see us doing more of if our situation improves is entertainment and travel.
Yes, I'm forced to being more frugal than ever right now because of the economy. My friends are more frugal than before.
But do I think it will last for most people? Probably not. Those of us who read blogs like this will probably only loosen up a little, but if gas prices stay down and things get good again, I think people will still buy gas-guzzling cars and bigger houses than they can afford.
The problem we have is deeper than a flesh wound. It's a problem with our basic philosophy and only those who are hit the absolute hardest will have a lasting change, borne from the inside out.
It's interesting that you think about the fact that if you saw the same item in a thrift store, would you buy it. I do the opposite. I am usually lured in by the sale- "But it's only $10!" so I ask myself, "Would I still buy this if it were $50, or 60, or ...."
I find that if I'm not really in love with the item I wouldn't pay more than it's on sale for. This logic has kept a lot of money in the bank!
My wife is trying to pay her medical bill and sent a payment out to them on the 10th of July. I just now got my payment check sent back to her today 18th of July. What do you think we need to do now?
The CPI has always been a suspect number because the government has tweaked it so many times since its inception. Be that as it may, I think the number will start an inexorable rise in the not so distant future. The government won't be able to hide it.
Why?
The present administration has never found a problem that throwing money at won't solve (in their opinion anyway). Hey, his chief of staff, Ralm, said, 'never let a good crisis go to waste'. Do you think possibly they might be tempted to even create some?
The level of out-of-control, budget-busting spending takes one breath away. I know, politicians always overspend and every administration before Obama has been guilty of the same thing. But the scale of what's going on right now has to scare you silly. If it doesn't, well, you're just ingesting too much kool-aid.
But we live in a world where the people are sheep, so I don't expect any uprising or change of course until the whole thing come tumbling down.
thx for this helpful article..very good for many people who get mugged or not yet face this experience..its not nice..anyway thx and women should be more careful..this is a big lesson for me not walking alone at night and carry purse..
Greed will always return, it's just human nature.
If my bonus goes up 100% this year, and matches 2007's record, I am definitely going to splurge on something, be it a new used car, or another rental property.
When times are tough, ironically I like to spend more bc it helps balance out the toughness. When times are good, well, it's a joy to save bc things are already so good!
Rgds,
RB
Rich By 30
It won't last long. Already, the stock market is up 39% from its lows and Wall St. is going to pay record bonuses. It's human nature to adapt, and human beings are adapting to good times returning again. Caveat, so long as you aren't one of the 10% of Americans who are unemployed, things have gotten a lot better.
Rgds,
RB
It won't last for most people who feel that it's forced frugality. People don't like to be forced into anything. Then it feels like punishment. For those of us who felt like becoming frugal was a conscious choice, frugality is something we can be proud of -- and not something we'll just give up because we can.
And whether it feels forced or like a choice I think has more to do with the person than the circumstances in many cases. My husband and I chose frugality, but we chose it when we knew we needed to be more frugal -- though we weren't quite forced into it literally as we certainly had more credit we could have spent. We look at it as a blessing, so yes, our frugality is here to stay.
I began using coupons shortly before we were "forced" to do when my husband closed his company. I went to a meeting where Stephanie Nelson, aka CouponMom, gave a presentation explaining how to use coupons. I chose to go to this meeting because I had read an article about couponing in a maaazine (Women's Day, Better Homes, etc.). The article intrigued me but I did not get all the concepts. Once I went to the meeting, I totally got it and began saving coupons and using them. I could not believe the deals you could get. At the time, we were doing fine financially at home and did not "need" to use coupons just to make ends meet. While I had started using the coupons I did not do it all the time.
Then my husband closed his company and we sank into an abyss financially for us. We could be considered the poster children for the economy right now and have lost everything that had financial value. Still, we have each other and our children and a good attitude so do not feel sorry for us. When this happened, we really needed to use the coupons to make ends meet. We started using them in full force. My husband has embraced the couponing as much as me. He helps me clip them and helps with the grocery shopping and uses them happily as he shops.
In addition to couponing, we have learned how incredibly awesome Craig's List is. I do not think we will ever purchase furniture at retail value again. We sell things on ebay. We think long and hard before making a purchase. We are quick to let go of things that are not important to us and keep only the things that truly have value and meaning to us. We find multiple uses for things before throwing them away.
We are certainly not the most frugal people out there. I still have a weakness for books. I love books and I love to purchase them new. So, I allow my indulgence for new books as long as they are on the bargain rack at Barnes and Noble or Borders.
Thank goodness there are so many blogs like this one to teach us how to be more frugal. Will we go back to our old ways? For the most part I would say no. Couponing is a way of life for us. We know how much can be saved by purchasing second hand and reusing items. On the rare occasions now when we do make a quick stop into CVS for something we need right away and do not have coupons for it with us, we feel like we are leaving money on the table. A few dollars here and there add up so quickly. These lessons cannot be unlearned.
Now, we would love to have a nice vacation again at some point in our future and I cannot wait until we can have a few spa treatments at some point in our future. So, we might still indulge every once in a while but for the most part there is no turning back.
i have been frugal for the last two years, because i needed to save and put up a small house for my parents. at first i thought i was hutting myself, my friends were laughing at me, but i ve found it fun, and realized most of the things i considered necessities were actually luxuries. i am pleasantly surprised that i am enjoying it, and seem more in control of my finances now than before. now my friends envy me.
I read with great interest all the comments.My doctor said
Trevor why havent you bothered about your health for the last
20 years.Running a business,losing a house,raising a family,then losing a business with the credit crunch in the uk has been terribly stressful,then finding problems with conventional medicine i,ve turned to alternative medicine and wow i feel a different man.Apricot kernels,kombucha and vitamin supplements
and walking and once a week swimming and blood glucose levels
have gone down from 20.8 to 8.8.The talk about alkalising your body,it works,find out how many foods and apple cider vinegar
help the body to alkalise.I,m going to keep trusting natures
way will cure me.Our creator must have provided health for us in nature itself,please comment
i used to spend a lot on myself, until, about 2 years ago i needed to put up a small house for my parents. i needed to cut on my spending if i was to be able to complete it in time. i have been pleasantly surprised that frugal living is fun and very possible. i actually have more money on me, now and realize that many things i thought were necessities were actually luxuries. i will remain on frugal living even when the house is complete. it's been great training.
I don't know about everyone else here, but where I'm from, this minimum wage hike probably won't effect much, and here's why: For the jobs that will be effected by this, like restaurant and grocery store workers, management routinely keeps things to where they're just barely staffed enough to keep up with things anyhow. Around here, they can't let go many more workers in most places without cutting their own throats.
I am not "forced" to be frugal right now. My husband and I pretty much live the same life style we have always been. We have always try to live frugal life style regardless of our income (from poor college students to double income to now a single income because cuurently I am a stay at home mom). I think if a person thinks that he/she is suffering because he/she has to cut back, then it would be very easy to go back to bad spending habits as soon as the person's financial situtation changes again. I have a friend who is losing her home because she can no longer afford her mortage payment. Instead of looking at it as a blow to her credit, she is looking forward to going on vacations with her extra money since she has stopped paying her mortgage payment. Therefore, I don't think it will frugal life style will last for most people.
I am having to be a bit more frugal than usual, and many of the changes will last for me. They're becoming habit. I also think many people WILL continue to live more frugally after things turn around. Anyone out there have a parent or grandparent who lived through the Great Depression? For many of those people, careful frugality absolutely stuck around. I'm sure there are plenty of folk learning valuable, life-long lessons today.
Tomorrow I leave for a 10 hour journey in my new used 3/4 ton truck to pick up a 16 ft.consession trailer... I've given this venture a lot of thought and it's a go...I will make a good living.. why?
Because I have to..I will sell off the wall foods at fairs etc.. a boxed kids lunch? hey im not mickey dee's but i can put to gether a dinosaur outlined PBJ and a jiggles jello w/ real fruit in it and a small water or juice for $4.00 beats a hot dog or fries for a child, my adult menu will be different as well..my trailer will have two serving windows one will be titled the "CLUB HOUSE" and all my club sandwiches will be GOOD!! And a parent can actually take the four triangles of a club sandwich and split it up for themelf &/or their kids. Breaded deep fried Cauliflower? you bet! look for me in Central Florida I'll be there Making Money and serving good eats!!!
Tomorrow I leave for a 10 hour journey in my new used 3/4 ton truck to pick up a 16 ft.consession trailer... I've given this venture a lot of thought and it's a go...I will make a good living.. why?
Because I have to..I will sell off the wall foods at fairs etc.. a boxed kids lunch? hey im not mickey dee's but i can put to gether a dinosaur outlined PBJ and a jiggles jello w/ real fruit in it and a small water or juice for $4.00 beats a hot dog or fries for a child, my adult menu will be different as well..my trailer will have two serving windows one will be titled the "CLUB HOUSE" and all my club sandwiches will be GOOD!! And a parent can actually take the four triangles of a club sandwich and split it up for themelf &/or their kids. Breaded deep fried Cauliflower? you bet! look for me in Central Florida I'll be there Making Money and serving good eats!!!
Funny how no one on here has mentioned the movie "Food, Inc." It's a must-see for people who are concerned about what they're eating.
I completely agree with the person who posted about dead milk. If anyone here thinks that organic, ultra-pasteurized milk is nutricious, then they have some reading to do. While organic milk is a lesser evil than non-organic, the real problem is the pasteurization process that renders the milk completely unhealthy and difficult to digest. It kills the nutrients as well as the bacteria, which were (when pasteurization became the law)and are the real targets. The law in New York State (where I live...but this probably applies in many other states) mandates that no unpasteurized (raw) milk can be sold at a farm for human consumption (or it can be but only if the buyer brings own containers). This is completely outdated legislation put on the books before there was refrigeration (and likely the USDA).
If you support the idea of organic, minimally-processed or otherwise "unconventional" foods, buy them. Support those companies! Make the demand grow and squeeze conglomerates like Dean Foods out or have a hand in making them change their ways. It is possible if enough people get with the program.
If you support raw milk, petition your state legislators on this issue. There are movements to abolish this kind of legislature; join them!
Buy local, support the small guys who need their farms to make a living and who need to make a living to keep their farms. Whatever the argument about Horizon, for me the bottom line is that every Horizon purchase supports Dean Foods. I will NOT do that. Remember, every purchase we make is a small voting booth and we choose what goes on the shelves. We cannot blame the USDA and corporations for exploiting our apathy and ignorance; we can blame only ourselves.
I don't think it'll last for most people. For those that have truly embraced the lifestyle, it'll persist. For those that are doing it out of fear or necessity- it will go away as soon as the fear or need goes away. It reminds me of gas mileage was such a huge deal at $4 a gallon, but the Hummers were back on the road at $2 a gallon.
Yes, there is a learning curve to frugality. Many of the tricks that work for middle class or working class families require an investment of time, money or both before the savings are noticed on the cash flow.
Now once those new routines are set, or the supplies and equipment have been purchased, it is easier to maintain what you are already doing. I'm sure people will be glad to break out of the frugal tactics they find to be stressful or annoying when money flows again, but why would they drop the routines that they enjoyed or worked really well for their family?
I am aware that there is a vehement anti-cosleeping movement in this country right now. That said, I suggest you do some serious reading before you are definitely anti-co-sleeping. I recommend:
Mother Nature: Maternal Instincts and How They Shape the Human Species by Dr. Sarah Hrdy
What’s Going on in There? : How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life by Dr. Lise Eliot
Why Love Matters: How Affection Shapes a Baby’s Brain by Dr. Sue Gerhardt
The Scientist in the Crib: What Early Learning Tells Us About the Mind by Dr. Alison Gopnik
Our Babies, Ourselves: How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Parent by Dr. Meredith Small
Raising An Emotionally Intelligent Child by Dr. John Gottman
The Vital Touch: How Intimate Contact With Your Baby Leads To Happier, Healthier Development by Sharon Heller
From Neurons to Neighborhoods : The Science of Early Childhood Development by Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development
The Nursing Mother's Companion: Revised Edition by Kathleen Huggins
There is definitely a lot of pressure to be frugal for my family and me. Even though the harsh economic climate has only been harmful to my parent's 401k, we still "pinch pennys" much more than we used to just because others are doing it.
I notice it most, though, when we went to Europe on vacation and most of our friends were incredulous and almost upset with us for taking advantage of great flights and hotels.
Personally, I don't think that this is at all permanent and many positive things will result from it. We eat out at restaurants less now for health reasons but cutting back definitely has benefits even if you are not in terrible financial straits. As I have said before, people should start living simply and graduate to more and more luxuries.
A starting salary may not be enough to support the new cars that you want or going to the movie theater every Friday but won't it be better in the long run to have enough money to travel and not worry about expensive dinners.
love love love love
Those forced to will go right back as soon as spending on whatever the new fad is becomes trendy again and they have or think they have the money to spend.
Lack of easy credit might be the only thing preventing this.
I fell back into my old frugal habits as our income dropped and then the economy. Looking back many of the things done previously seem unsustainable and a poorer choice than what we are opting for now. The only things I can see us doing more of if our situation improves is entertainment and travel.
Things get better and they'll go right back to how they were. I wish it wasn't true but I believe it is.
Yes, I'm forced to being more frugal than ever right now because of the economy. My friends are more frugal than before.
But do I think it will last for most people? Probably not. Those of us who read blogs like this will probably only loosen up a little, but if gas prices stay down and things get good again, I think people will still buy gas-guzzling cars and bigger houses than they can afford.
The problem we have is deeper than a flesh wound. It's a problem with our basic philosophy and only those who are hit the absolute hardest will have a lasting change, borne from the inside out.
It's interesting that you think about the fact that if you saw the same item in a thrift store, would you buy it. I do the opposite. I am usually lured in by the sale- "But it's only $10!" so I ask myself, "Would I still buy this if it were $50, or 60, or ...."
I find that if I'm not really in love with the item I wouldn't pay more than it's on sale for. This logic has kept a lot of money in the bank!
My wife is trying to pay her medical bill and sent a payment out to them on the 10th of July. I just now got my payment check sent back to her today 18th of July. What do you think we need to do now?
The CPI has always been a suspect number because the government has tweaked it so many times since its inception. Be that as it may, I think the number will start an inexorable rise in the not so distant future. The government won't be able to hide it.
Why?
The present administration has never found a problem that throwing money at won't solve (in their opinion anyway). Hey, his chief of staff, Ralm, said, 'never let a good crisis go to waste'. Do you think possibly they might be tempted to even create some?
The level of out-of-control, budget-busting spending takes one breath away. I know, politicians always overspend and every administration before Obama has been guilty of the same thing. But the scale of what's going on right now has to scare you silly. If it doesn't, well, you're just ingesting too much kool-aid.
But we live in a world where the people are sheep, so I don't expect any uprising or change of course until the whole thing come tumbling down.