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We need a new couch.
We've needed a new couch for a long time. Years, even. In the past, we never had the money when we had the time to look, and vice versa. Now we have the money and we could easily find the time, but . . .
My husband works for a company that sells services to newspapers. The newspaper industry is dying. None of his company's customers appears to be in danger, but . . .
So we're holding off on buying that couch or making any other major investment until such time as the dust settles and we know where we are and what we'll need, to keep us where we want to be.
Unfortunately, a lot of people are doing what we're doing, and it isn't doing the economy any good.
That is the biggest irony of our economic situation: to get the economy out of its rut, we need to consume; to get our personal finances under control, we need to save.
Our household has decided to follow Isaac Newton's advice: moderation in all things.
We're going out to eat less, not making unnecessary trips in the car, using our ceiling fans more and leaving the thermostat at its energy-efficient, computer-controlled level more often. But at the same time, we're not switching to the store brand on items where brand means something to us, not haunting the thrift stores looking for bargains, not walking to the grocery store that is less that five blocks away (but on the other side of Tyler Road).
Whenever I have to make a financial decision, no matter how small, I find myself thinking of this balancing act. Should I save a few pennies or should I help the economy? It's kind of corny, but I believe, no, I know that the future of the country rests on all those little, everyday choices.
So what do you think? Should we buy that couch, after all?
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2 comments:
I wish people would stop using the word invest to mean spend money on. Investing is putting money into an enterprise with the expectation, or at least hope, that you will eventually get back more money than you put in. People do not invest in new couches, new wardrobes, or--my particular pet peeve--cars.
How about checking out DAV, Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc? I found one that way. Handsome and in good condition, it proved to be one of my all-time favorite sofas. And after years of good use, it got donated back, along with my gratitude for the comfort and service it had provided, not to mention the hope that someone might possibly see the possibilities it still held if it were to be reupholstered and restored. Now, admittedly, this may not have done much to bolster the economy, but it did save a bit from an ecological perspective. And knowing that added to the enjoyment provided by that sofa.
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