Dec 10 2008
Money makes the world go ’round
With our country officially in a recession, many folks and businesses are struggling to keep afloat. It’s fascinating (and truly sad) to see how these economic troubles are affecting people from all walks of life.
Many news items in recent days have been about the economy and Christmas. Kids are asking Santa to help Daddy pay the bills instead of asking for toys. Parents are having frank financial discussions with their children and how the spread of gifts will be smaller this year. People trampling a store worker to get an extra $20 off a video game system.
Celebrities have also had their financial woes in the press. The most recent one involves American Idol Winner Fantasia as she has one of her Georgia homes facing foreclosure. Last reports said she planned to auction the house off. Lots of other celebs have talked about scaling down their expenditures and selling some of their extra toys.
Businesses are struggling too. The bank bailout and now the automaker bailout. The only businesses that seem to be doing well are Wal-Mart and McDonald’s. And, resale shops and pawn shops are booming too. People are trying any way they can to save money.
I saw an intriguing article on line yesterday about people selling body products for cash in record numbers. Ladies (and some men) are selling their hair for cash. Men are lining up to be sperm donors. People are selling their blood. Women are selling their eggs and signing up to be surrogate mothers in increasing numbers as well.
And the major news story yesterday was about the Governor of Illinois being arrested for corruption charges in relation to his role in filling Obama’s now empty Senate seat. The phones of the lovely Gov were tapped and the conversations he had would make even the toughest Mob-boss tremble. This man needed/wanted money and lots of it - and he didn’t really care how he got it.
People are scaling back on what used to be “everyday luxuries” - mochas at Starbucks, weekly manicures and pedicures, massages, trips through the automatic car wash, trips to the movie theater, etc. Casual dining restaurants are suffering tremendously in these troubled times.
I am trying to teach the kids more about money matters. Of course, they really have no concept of how you have to work to make money and how you have bills to pay each month, etc. They were shocked when I told them how much we pay for their Taekwondo classes each month. But the shock didn’t last long - as they requested McDonald’s a few minutes later as we passed the famous Golden Arches sign.
Hopefully, the economic cloud of glood and doom hanging over our entire country will lift soon - ’cause I’m ready to go shopping!
