Froodee

Living. Blogging.

Consumer spending declining

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Okay, I must say I expected this to happen.  There’s a part of me that is happy and a part that’s a little worried.  Consumer spending these past months (since October) has been declining.  With the world’s largest consumer country experiencing a recession, it is no wonder (really) that we may see the worst effect to come.  

Just as I speak, a lot of people are having trouble keeping their jobs.  Circuit city has filed for bankruptcy, the Chicago Tribune has done the same too… needless to mention that America’s auto makers General Motors & Ford have almost filed for bankruptcy if not for talks regarding a government bailout.  Ho hummm… I hope it turns out for the better by the second semester of 2009.  Yep that’s how long people are predicting the pivot.

Check out this snippet from CNN’s money website.

A Commerce Department report showed spending by individuals fell 0.6% last month, after falling 1% in October. It was the fifth consecutive monthly decrease. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com had forecast a 0.8% drop.

Falling consumer prices contributed heavily to the decline in overall spending. When prices were not taken into account, spending actually rose by 0.6%. – from CNN.com

Let’s all hope for the best of 2009!

Who Moved My Cheese: The Cliff’s Notes! (Part 1)

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Finally, after quite some time, I give you the Cliff’s Notes for “Who Moved My Cheese”!

MY cheese was moved quite so often lately, so I apologize for delivering this only now..

Last post, I had talked about Who Moved My Cheese in a general way. Today, I will give you a Cliff’s Notes version of Who Moved My Cheese. No, I won’t give you spoilers on the parable itself. But I will give you the main principles of the book. If you want to enjoy the childlike beauty of the Who Moved My Cheese parable, you better grab the book for yourself.

So, ready for a few life-changing lessons now?
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The Search for Significance: Is Your Worth In Your “Stuff?”

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There is one thing that saddens me about our generation, and this is the seemingly extreme materialism that we have. A generation back, our parents had toiled in order for us to experience the comforts that they themselves have missed out on. But today, the average yuppie works… To buy the next iPod, the next digicam, the latest and greatest laptop.

While there is totally nothing wrong with being able to enjoy the fruits of one’s labor, and for all I know, like in my country, these young adults deserve their creature comforts too, because these young ones are the type who actually support their families or siblings, and put them through college.

But there is something wrong when people focus all their energies on these “creature comforts.” Then there is something grossly wrong when people even turn to credit cards in order to fuel these wants.

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