Forwarded Messages

If you've been working long enough and you don’t have any savings in your bank account, you might wonder why your money seems to be disappearing into thin air. There are a lot of reasons and excuses that people have to explain why they are not saving enough. They’re the breadwinner in the family and they have a lot of dependents to support; their salary is barely enough to meet day-to-day expenses and monthly bills; or the rising cost of living makes it impossible to save. But, I think consumers are to blame, more than anything else.

An unemployed man applies for the position of a janitor at Microsoft. He was interviewed by the HR Chief and subjected to a battery of employment tests. The HR Chief tells him: Congratulations! You got the job! Just give me your email address so that I can send you and employment package and let you know when to start work. The man is distraught... he has no choice but to tell the HR Chief that he has no computer and therefore no email.The HR Chief tells him that if he has no email address, he virtually does not exist and therefore cannot hold a job. The man leaves in a desperate mood.

Monthly payments: Before the recession, consumers worried less about taking on debt, as long as their income could cover the monthly payments. No more. Window shopping: Browsing used to be an acceptable pastime. But consumers have discovered that window shopping encourages them to buy lots of things they don't need. Bells and whistles: The technology arms race is slowing, with consumers gravitating to simpler gizmos like Netbooks, prepaid cell phones, and older used electronics. Clutter: As Americans downsize, do more of their own cleaning, and look for stuff they can sell online, they’re discovering tons of things around the house they can get rid of without even noticing. Cable TV: Many people are cutting back on pay-TV services or canceling them altogether, which saves $50 to $100 a month. Alternatives: Watching free programs on Hulu or YouTube, or simply turning off the TV. A home phone: How many phones do you need, anyway? With cell phones ubiquito...