The sensationalized news stories of the last few months would have us believe that the US economy is on a downward spiral. You would be even more inundated with these stories in Michigan. Well, I am here to say that I don't see it.....We went to Costco this morning since I had two coupons that were soon to expire for $3 of an 18" pizza and $3 off some cookies made in their bakery. These two items are things I have never purchased at Costco anyway, but due to the additional savings, I thought I would take the leap and just bring it over to my mom's house for our weekend visit we always make. Anyway, we got there at 11am. The place opens at 10am on Saturday. The parking lot was JAMMED!! Consider this, Costco only accepts cash and Amex or debit card. Well, I put in my order for this 18" monster of a vegetable pizza that looked like a freaking ceiling fan. L, M and I walked to the back of the store and retrieved the cookies and we were out of bacon, so we got some of that. We came back and every register was lined up with humanity as when we arrived before I put in the order for the pizza. Man, I was just thinking how amazing it was to think that if the economy is so bad, you would think people would be a little less likely to purchase so many items from Costco. Don't get me wrong, my only reason for going to Costco is that I can get some items there cheaper in terms of unit price and they have a great selection of goods, but there were people there with their carts full of items that can be purchased cheaper at other stores or farmers markets, etc.
The next time another person tells me how bad the local economy is, I'll just wink and nod.
7.19.2008
Times are Tough?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
how do you feel at the pump?
I'm not happy, but it's not throwing me into the street either....Consider these two words: discretionary income.
Gas prices cut into that for MANY people. People in the US have no idea what poor is.
#1--The Cell Phone. All of a sudden, people need a $35-100+ monthly bill? Sure.
#2--HDTV. People NEED that to enjoy tv?
#3--MP3 players, digital cameras, BluRay players.....etc. Because, people really NEED those items?
#4--Need I say more?
Must we be poor to have the right to want to maintain or improve our standard of living? It is a wise man that learns to bend but a fool who breaks.
Come on dub...travel to other parts of the world and see how people live...the US is a country club even with current gas prices. The UK pays over double what we pay per gallon.
You could move to Hugo Country and pay 12cents per gal or Ahmadinejad Land and pay 40cents per gal.
This country allows any one of us to improve our standard of living.
There are lots of fools out there..
Being the greatest country in the world should allow us to look elsewhere than our peers for what constitutes a good standard of living. Yes, we've got it good. Could we have it worse? Yes. Could we have it better? We did, A year ago.
You fail at Economics. Sure, it is not affecting YOU. But how many people are buying houses? Buying paint for their houses? How many upkeep things? Buying new cars? How many are living off credit? Have you noticed the dollar does not buy as much as it used to?
As for standard of living, many many in this country have it "worse". Just because you live in suburbia and don't see the ravages of the bad economy does not mean it is not happening.
d,
give me a break. i completely understand econ and don't need a rookie left wing like yourself to try and "school" me into seeing a different reality than what other people are in. i can see what is happening. you are talking to someone who is in a state with the worst unemployment right now. as if i am insulated to reality now? sure.
as if i am saying that i am echoing mccains former adviser about Americans being whiners due to the economy? not really. i'm certainly not saying that...what i am saying is people have screwed up priorities and what they believe they "need" is a marketers dream and why so many marketing budgets are severely bloated due to consumers attachment to so much junk/stuff in their lives. cut out the junk and one is able to manage inflation better. Wow...how do I even know what inflation is? :p
Shopping really isn't too bad. Money is tight, things go on sale? Not much demand so the price lowers? Isn't this economics?
By the way, Josue is right. Look at loans, money we don't have, credit, etc. And poor people in the US... try picking out of a dumpster for food and not having anything but the clothes on your back and not having a place to go, being a vagabond, not having a vehicle or even a bike. I don't know what it is like to have nothing, but I can sure imagine it. I don't really need most of the stuff I've got at home because it is all luxury, somewhat all of this is vanity. When we die our "things" mean nothing.
Post a Comment