Using Resources Wisely Series Part 10 – Crisis Makes Us More Aware

I believe the economic crisis (high gas and grocery prices, lack of jobs, & the real estate crunch) is making the general public more aware of their habits.  People are more focused on their budgets, more efficient with their resources, more conscientious of the value of things they buy, less wasteful of what they already have and less haphazard with their paychecks.

“Back in the day” (as my daughter coins it) people truly valued resources.  They took care of their vehicles and kept them until they were no longer able to be fixed. When a purchase was made, you were confident it was going to last along time whether it was a house or a sweater.  Remember when a vacuum cleaner lasted twenty or thirty years?  I do.

We have become a very disposable society.   Cell phones, clothing, appliances and cars last a fraction of what they used to.  I believe society looks at money as being disposable too.  Hey, we can throw it away and get more later like paper plates.

I believe people are willing to waste resources in the name of innovation, improvement, being stylish and “keeping up the Jones”.  And don’t get me started on the green movement. People want to feel good about conservation as long as their lifestyle doesn’t have to change too much.

So maybe most people are not changing because they want to but because their lifestyle is suffering from recession. (My Annuity Adventure-Self Worth Leads to Net Worth Part I) None the less, I am glad things are going back “the other way”. If you haven’t noticed, I am conservative when it comes to resources. Even so, I am still for new, modern and cutting edge as long as it is tempered with mindful living standards and conscious (not compulsive) improvements.

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