GrinchMas - And Why

Can you name one product that is a "game changer" - that provides a quantum leap forward, and thus is truly a "must have"?

I can't.

That's a problem, when you get down to it; all retailers are really catering to is "the quantum of more".

Now look around your house. Look at all the junk you have in your home. Quantify "junk" as anything that doesn't provide you with a place to sit (or lay down), a way to keep you warm, a means to prepare (or consume) food or drink and a way to keep your premises livable (you gotta wash your clothes somehow, right?)

All the trinkets, the 47 computers, the three iPODs and the cell phones. The "new car" you bought over the last few years, for what - the "new car" smell? Does a used car - or even a clunker - get you to work?

Think about it - how much less would an inexpensive used car have cost you? Liability insurance only as opposed to "full coverage", because if you wreck it you could replace it for a couple of grand in cash - no need for collision coverage, and if the transmission falls out you could junk and replace it for less than the cost of the repair! In a couple of years you're way ahead, and even more so if you make a habit of smashing cars (since insurance gets verrry expensive for collision coverage if you wreck frequently!)

We as a nation have gotten used to deciding we want something and therefore we will have it, because the credit card hasn't been declined (yet). When it was, we then went to the bank and pulled out our home equity, paid off the card - and charged it up again.

The entirety of our media has become focused on exactly one thing - stoking that "need for more", with Americans being literally told they're poor, destitute, and deserving of that handbag from Gucci and the brand new Lexus you must have in your driveway.

market-ticker.denninger.net...

This is a good piece to read. It puts things into perspective. I think we all if we havent already need to take a look at our lives and re evaluate what is important and what we do and dont need.

I agree, it's like we're all stuck in the same scam over and over yet we don't change it.
I think everyone knows this, and if not they should. We're eating out of they're palms. Holidays aren't even holidays anyway, they're corporate schemes these days. I would definatly feel better driving a *#@! box knowing that i have money for what is important, then driving a brand new car out of the dealership and regret it when i find out it was over-hyped to begin with.
every year the technology applied to products seems to get just a little bit better, although it never truly offers much more than last years stuff. And people don't even care that it is done on purpose, we're constantaly being manipulated to buy and buy and buy nore useless crap. If we all went about this smarter we would have new and open tech. for less cost, and most likely we would have a lot more money for the things we all need to sort out together in the long run.

i agree! there are many people out there with skewed priorities. where i grew up, our farm was practically encircled by three trailer parks. there were numerous old dilapidated trailers with three dirty kids playing with a broken television set in the yard, and a brand new corvette in the driveway...it baffles the mind.