I was reading a friends blog talking about the stimulus package from Obama.
One question Traci posed:
"Do you have thoughts on what WE can do? and/or what the GOVT should do?"
And I started thinking about what I would do if they gave us money...again. And what I would expect other people to do.
First, I think there is enough division in our social class right now that most people can tell a more definite distinction than before our economy got flushed between who is upper, middle, and lower class.
Second, we're going to spend the money we're given in the same way we did the first stimulus package, or probably even more "cautious" than we did the first. We saved ours the first time. But since then, John has lost his job, we changed apartments, winter came and for anyone who knows construction and electrician work, that means business has been slow for us. So we're definitely going to be more frugal. We're going to pay our light bill, or the car payment, or rent. Some where all of our money is already going.
Third, the only way I'm spending money on shopping is if I get a mall gift card as my stimulus package. Ya know the ones, where you can only spend that money in that particular mall. And even then, I would be thinking about how much more I would rather be spending that money at the grocery store, or paying off my car, or paying my student loans.
So in response to the question posed at the beginning: I heard someone say the other day that if we have money to spend, we should spend it. We should pay for our roof to be fixed, or we should buy that TV we've been wanting, etc, because it means that someone is being employed by that money.
John and I have wanted to be done with renting for so long. No one knows just how badly we would love to buy a house right now. The market is a "buyers market"...but no one has money to buy a house. With him starting his own business, I don't see that dream of us buying a house happening for a very, very long time. I'm not talking later in the year, or even next year. I mean not for at least 3 or 4 years. This to me is extremely depressing. I am so tired of throwing money away renting.
If I could spend my stimulus package buying a home, I would. Government, Please give me a $100,000 stimulus package so I can buy a home.
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From what I've heard your ask on the $$ is going to be a long shot :) The news said last week that what the package is looking to divi out is about $12 a month per person... not a ton of money. But, in perspective with the rest of the world, there are tons of folks who would die for that much $$ just to get some water... its hard to know what to ask for and what to do... our economy is fueled so much by consumerism, but that is a lot of what got us into this mess... so do we continue to buy into consumer patters or save or give? not sure...
ReplyDeletewe shall see
it is coming up on Spring so Jon's work may pick up soon, plus he is going to be a famous rock star... even if he didn't ya'll have richness with friends and family that can be celebrated in the midst of financial drought.
Unfortunately, I could not watch your video here at work, so that might have offered more information. Also, $12 a month is not much of a stimulus, but it is consistent and it's more than nothing.
ReplyDeleteYeah when John becomes a famous rock star we'll just buy a house with cash and never have debt again. Ahh the dreams.
In America, we don't see people saving money for a drink of water every day, so we tend to forget that it actually does exist.