Way to go America!!

[killersheep]

Kind of ironic isn't it? The more effort you put into building your safety net, the greater the chance is you're going to need it.

I'd rather have it and need it than leave everything to chance.

Well yeah, me too, I was just pointing out the paradox. Like most paradoxes, there's no good solution. Anyways, it's no secret that consumer confidence is one of the bog unknowns in trying to navigate an economic recovery.

I agree it is interesting though, what is good for the individual is rarely good for the economy as a whole.

[CGM]

I'd rather have it and need it than leave everything to chance.

Well yeah, me too, I was just pointing out the paradox. Like most paradoxes, there's no good solution. Anyways, it's no secret that consumer confidence is one of the bog unknowns in trying to navigate an economic recovery.

I agree it is interesting though, what is good for the individual is rarely good for the economy as a whole.

hmm. there's an interesting topic for debate. Have you ever read much by Ayn Rand? In particular her book The Fountainhead, in which the primary premise is that the economy as a whole is best served by everyone acting in his/her own best interest? (Maximizing their own utility). IMO she takes things a little too far, but there is a lot in what she says. In general I support capitalist principals and self interest as being in the best interest of the economy as a whole, but it isn't quite that simple, and I'm not sure how savings fits into all that.

[killersheep]

Well yeah, me too, I was just pointing out the paradox. Like most paradoxes, there's no good solution. Anyways, it's no secret that consumer confidence is one of the bog unknowns in trying to navigate an economic recovery.

I agree it is interesting though, what is good for the individual is rarely good for the economy as a whole.

hmm. there's an interesting topic for debate. Have you ever read much by Ayn Rand? In particular her book The Fountainhead, in which the primary premise is that the economy as a whole is best served by everyone acting in his/her own best interest? (Maximizing their own utility). IMO she takes things a little too far, but there is a lot in what she says. In general I support capitalist principals and self interest as being in the best interest of the economy as a whole, but it isn't quite that simple, and I'm not sure how savings fits into all that.

Haven't made the plunge into the Ayn Rand books yet. I'm reading The Baroque Cycle right now, that will keep me busy for a while.

I don't agree with the everyone acting in their own self interest provides for the best in society. For one thing, there are a lot of fundamental jobs that wouldn't be performed, who WANTS to work at the dump?

[Drago]

I agree it is interesting though, what is good for the individual is rarely good for the economy as a whole.

hmm. there's an interesting topic for debate. Have you ever read much by Ayn Rand? In particular her book The Fountainhead, in which the primary premise is that the economy as a whole is best served by everyone acting in his/her own best interest? (Maximizing their own utility). IMO she takes things a little too far, but there is a lot in what she says. In general I support capitalist principals and self interest as being in the best interest of the economy as a whole, but it isn't quite that simple, and I'm not sure how savings fits into all that.

Haven't made the plunge into the Ayn Rand books yet. I'm reading The Baroque Cycle right now, that will keep me busy for a while.

I don't agree with the everyone acting in their own self interest provides for the best in society. For one thing, there are a lot of fundamental jobs that wouldn't be performed, who WANTS to work at the dump?

i habe taken a year off work to look after my daughters while my wife has returned back to work & after looking after a two & half yr old I can say that working at the dump sounds a hundred times better & 100 times less stressfull

[Gandalf]

People should always looking to put away some money every month. There is no excuse for living beyond limits IMO. I have to listen to boring family members all the time talking about how they have no money and it's boring. They talk about kids birthdays and how they are going to buy new phones and pay the kiddies bills and wonder why they have no money. Spend, spend, spend and no consideration of what the future might hold. They just don't get it! They all have things I don't have such as cars, children, Amir Khan fights on PPV, weekends away, 3/4 bedroom houses etc etc.

And there is boring old me studying until nearly 30 and delaying having kids just because I want to live a life with a modicum of planning, consideration and opportunity. Not quite America I am talking about but a lot of similarities between the US and the UK.

[boozeboxer]

People should always looking to put away some money every month. There is no excuse for living beyond limits IMO. I have to listen to boring family members all the time talking about how they have no money and it's boring. They talk about kids birthdays and how they are going to buy new phones and pay the kiddies bills and wonder why they have no money. Spend, spend, spend and no consideration of what the future might hold. They just don't get it! They all have things I don't have such as cars, children, Amir Khan fights on PPV, weekends away, 3/4 bedroom houses etc etc.

And there is boring old me studying until nearly 30 and delaying having kids just because I want to live a life with a modicum of planning, consideration and opportunity. Not quite America I am talking about but a lot of similarities between the US and the UK.

as if a kahn fight is some luxury.......... If it is, it is pretty fleeting.

[Gandalf]

People should always looking to put away some money every month. There is no excuse for living beyond limits IMO. I have to listen to boring family members all the time talking about how they have no money and it's boring. They talk about kids birthdays and how they are going to buy new phones and pay the kiddies bills and wonder why they have no money. Spend, spend, spend and no consideration of what the future might hold. They just don't get it! They all have things I don't have such as cars, children, Amir Khan fights on PPV, weekends away, 3/4 bedroom houses etc etc.

And there is boring old me studying until nearly 30 and delaying having kids just because I want to live a life with a modicum of planning, consideration and opportunity. Not quite America I am talking about but a lot of similarities between the US and the UK.

as if a kahn fight is some luxury.......... If it is, it is pretty fleeting.

I would never pay to watch Khan. But it highlights one of the things people with no money should not be trying to fork out for either.

It's a good thing people are saving more. I wish a lot more people would do the same. Admittedly, it's probably been tough for a lot of people this last year, but people should always have something for when times get tough.

I took 6 months off from working full time and I was only able to do that because I had been careful for a good while.

[killersheep]

People should always looking to put away some money every month. There is no excuse for living beyond limits IMO. I have to listen to boring family members all the time talking about how they have no money and it's boring. They talk about kids birthdays and how they are going to buy new phones and pay the kiddies bills and wonder why they have no money. Spend, spend, spend and no consideration of what the future might hold. They just don't get it! They all have things I don't have such as cars, children, Amir Khan fights on PPV, weekends away, 3/4 bedroom houses etc etc.

And there is boring old me studying until nearly 30 and delaying having kids just because I want to live a life with a modicum of planning, consideration and opportunity. Not quite America I am talking about but a lot of similarities between the US and the UK.

Very good points, people are so out of touch of what's essential.