Today’s article is Is the new frugality fading? Posted by Donna Rosato, and frankly, I’ve been worried about this for a while. Now that the “new” has worn off of the economic recession, people have apparently started loosening the purse strings…this is a big mistake!
First let me say that you should keep in mind that this data reflects only one month, and that it could just be a fluke. I know that the unemployment rate has gone down slightly, and that demand for houses has gone up, but honestly, so what! Just because the economy might be showing signs of improvement does not mean you should forget the lessons you have learned over the last several months in ways to save money and spend less. One of the reasons that people have gotten into trouble with money over the years is that they spend all that they have, or more than they have and don’t save enough for their future when they retire, or, just as bad, save for when their income is lost/interrupted, so that they have no emergency fund.
Deep down, I’m hoping that spending rose because we are in “back to school” season, and parents were spending money on their little ones clothes, crayons and paper, but I just don’t know. Americans tend to have what I think of as collective ADD, where, as a nation, we can’t keep our “eye on the ball”. When something loses its luster or lasts too long, we tend to get bored, and I think that the recession has reached that point. I ask all of you to keep your focus, save your money and spend less.
Tags: Budgeting, Emergency Fund, Frugality, Personal responsibility, Spending Money
