Our last big purchase was the wife's Christmas present. I figured I'd probably get laid off soon so I'd better get her what she's always wanted before we don't have the money to buy it anymore.

Since that purchase, we've cut way back on everything. Hardly any more eating out. I wanted an external amp for my digital piano today, but instead of buying one, I made do with a 70's vintage Kenwood amp (close to top of the line back in those days) and some bookshelf speakers.

I haven't bought any survival/preparedness gear for several months now, and don't really plan to any time soon. I have much more survival gear than the average person. Note: that is not the same as "the average person ON THESE FORUMS"! I'm still way behind most of you that hang out around here.

Not sure if this was tongue in cheek, but feeling obligated to spend hard earned dollars buying business' bloated inventory is not patriotic. In this case the market will sort it out. When the price is right, people will buy, period. People aren't hoarding cash, they're being smart consumers.




Good point, but I think some things (cars in particular) have a little ways to go, especially considering the 2010 models are coming out this spring. I just happen to be in the market for a car. Was gonna go the used route but now I'm giving buying new more consideration.

I'm buying more stuff in general because I feel that the goods are a better investment than what banks and the stock market are currently offering. When interest/investment returns go back up, I'll cut back on buying and get back into the market.

I would say need rather than want. We really don't know what inflation is going to do, but if you think you will need something over the next year or so, get it now.

That $Trillion the Fed just put into T-Bills is exactly as Susan described, money with no value backing it. Companies that issue shares to raise cash dilute the value of the shares that already exist. That's exactly what happened when the Fed made their announcement -- the dollar index fell from 87.50 yesterday to 83.66 today; it will be below 80 soon -- Death Spiral financing.

While that was going on, the Wall Street was enjoying a rally, thought by some analysts to be a dead cat bounce, so the market manipulators dragged down the price of gold over a few days and then yesterday about the time the Fed made their announcement, gold recovered all of its losses. Gold and (IMO undervalued) Silver in their various forms (bullion, coins, leveraged accounts (my choice), and mining stocks) seem to be a good bet when the dollar is being purposefully devalued. Consider it a currency play when paper currencies are being manipulated.

But I digress -- things could get very ugly, so make sure your needs are covered.

Just my opinion, $.02, $.20, $2.00, never mind. I am not an analyst and have lost enough in the market to be experienced enough that my opinion should not mean squat.

Speaking of cars, the price of fuel is down so everyone is back to buying bigger cars and the Toyota, Honda and other hybrids aren't so much in demand, and therefore available. Fuel will not always be cheap and you can get a Toyota Prius at a pretty good price now.

You'll thank me later. Maybe, maybe not. I put money into my old Ford Ranger, it should go another 10 years.

I used the term "want" because my definition of need is quite narrowly defined. To me, "need" is survival (Shelter-Water-Food). Everything else is "want."

For a long while I haven't needed to buy anything other than food (for us and dog), toilet paper, postage stamps, hygiene products, fuel, medicine (which I could have lived without but the sore throat would have lasted longer).

If you "want" to buy something in the next couple years, and you can afford it, you may as well buy it now. Had this conversation with a friend last night who is mulling whether to replace a 120,000-mile Ford Explorer now (with a Honda Pilot), when the manufacturers and dealers are discounting significantly, or hang onto the Explorer until it dies (hopefully not on a remote stretch of road).

Like Susan, I've been seeing inflation creeping up for awhile on a lot of things, including my dog's food. Started noticing the inflation factor in the first half of 2008, presumably due to the then-declining dollar (which helped drive up fuel prices) and the price of fuel which affects manufacturing and transportation costs.

At outdoor suppliers that I frequent such as LL Bean, REI and Cabelas, I found the 2007-08 winter sales much better deals than the 2008-09 sales. I got much better deals on cast iron Dutch Ovens, etc. a year ago than I find now. With rare exception, nothing I "want" is cheaper than a year ago. My favored companies seem to have gotten smart in '07 when the credit crunch began and tightened their inventories in '08.


LED - it was tongue-in-cheek. But I do think people who are comfortable spending money now can do so knowing that their purchases are making a bigger difference than usual for the businesses they buy from. That includes the corner grocer, the contractor hired to renovate a kitchen, the lawn service, the manicurist, the retailers, whatever.

America's businesses and workers do need people to spend.

And America's nonprofits need people to give because there is a lot of need in our country and around the world that our charities are hard-pressed to meet.

The most money I've spent lately on non-essentials was a contribution to the Washington Animal Rescue League. They've set up a food bank.

Well the patient is in a very sorry state I'm afraid, Mr Economy has suffered a major heart attack and the double cheese burgers and the chocolate chip creamy milk shakes he has been recieving since his admission doesn't appear to have done the trick. And now Mr Economy has developed a major bowel obstruction. Do you think a Trillion dollars of laxative quantative easing medicine will do the trick or shall I just call the Funeral director? I don't think Mr Economy had any life insurance to pay for a funeral director so I guess he'll just have to decompose and the vultures will just pick over his bones.

Ahh, semantics...

I define 'need' as need, same as eveyone. But, the similarities between us stop there. I define 'want' as an interest in obtaining something unecessary that was once possessed but that is not presently; and I define 'desire' as an interest in obtaining something never before possessed, regardless of whether or not it is necessary. I think someday I will further distinguish between two or more kinds of desire.

i have actually not changed mine behaviour at all. Mine education and job are aimed at the emergency services. They rarely try to save money on that. So job security is good. I'm actually looking for something better. I have mine arrows aimed at the full-time fire academy.

I've also always lived below mine means, so no debts for me. I'm just spending like usual. I'm actually in the market for a new mountainbike. Sold mine old one last weekend, so i can pay for a good one.

I am completely in agreement with your feelings on this subj.

I am wrapping up the home improvement projects that I had been putting off. I have just purchased some more pocket guides (got a line on another 1 that I have been wanting), bought some reference books to help me brush up on my woodsmanship, and bought some hardware that I'm afraid will not be available in the near and/or far future.

The pocket guides that I just bought: (all by Waterford Press)

Mushrooms: An introduction to familiar North American species
by Kavanaugh/Leung
ISBN: 13 978-1-58355-182-0 US$5.95
full color illustrations and information on edible & poisonous mushrooms

Animal Tracks: An introduction to the tracks & signs of familiar North American Species
by Kavanaugh
ISBN: 13 978-1-58355-072-4 US$5.95
full color illustrations and information on N. American Critters

I also picked up a copy of How to Stay Alive in the Woods by Bradford Angier. I haven't read it yet (it was a purchase that I had passed on earlier, regretted that but couldn't find it again until a few days ago). It appears to be a very thorough bit of work that includes an "edible plants" section. I will file a book report on this when I finish it.

There is a pocket guide on edible plants, available by Kavanaugh but I haven't found it yet and I've been too lazy(?) to order it.

I have no affiliation with Books A Million or Barnes & Noble,,,or any of these authors, publishers, etc.