I was born addicted…

Photo by ashley.adcox
… like most of this nation. Being a child of the 80s and 90s, the crack that is capitalist consumerism has been ingrained in my fiber since conception.
My father’s parents built the home that he and his siblings grew up in. His father worked at Armstrong Industries his entire life and collected a pension when he retired. On the other side of the family, my mother’s father lived in a tent in northern California during the Great Depression. They lived during a time when being frugal was the patriotic thing to do. Americans gave up their copper pennies for ammunition, women gave up their nylon stockings for parachutes, everyone was expected to cut back for the wartime effort.
Cut to:
Today, in a time when every American is suffering mortgage, credit card, and college debt, our government is telling us to spend more money. The recent “Economic Stimulus Package” seems like a bad investment to me. I’m no economics major, and I’m not going complain about getting free money, but I feel like this is going to end up hurting us.
Here’s why:
While $600 is a lot of money and could go a long way to pay off some of the consumer debt this country has acquired, it’s not the kind of windfall that stores and manufacturers are selling to the public. Since congress approved the measure, I’ve heard and seen numerous radio and television ads that would have you buy new plasma screens, rims for your car, boats, and a number of things that are more than $600. All of this is going to add up to Americans overextending themselves even more when they make up the difference on credit.
I’m no better, every which way I try to start an emergency fund or a savings with one or two months something seems to come between me and financial security. As a start, I’ve been trying to simplify my life. Starting a garden, riding metro, and preparing more food in my home are all ways that I’m trying to battle the corporate addiction of spending money.