Don’t get me wrong; I like to shop. I like to shop even when I’m not buying anything, a philosophy men don’t get but women understand completely. I just hate to buy when people tell me I am supposed to be buying, like at Christmas. I like to buy things for people when I see things I think they will like, which is why I am one of those annoying people who always has most of her holiday shopping done in July, or at least September. That way, I can tag along with other holiday shoppers and not be panicked and edgy when I can’t find the perfect gift for all those people on my list.
This year, you will more than likely see many "shoppers" at the mall, most of them women, because women like to shop (remember what I said above), and you may well see some of them dragging along their men who will look, as always, long suffering; but despite the plethora of the usual advertisements, even those for cars, yes, cars, (although who buys anyone a car for Christmas!?) there won’t, it is feared, be nearly as many buyers.
There is chance that those who do choose to buy may be using something that was once considered sort of, well, taboo: Lay-away. Uh huh. Which turns out is a good way to buy, without a credit card, especially for those of you who can no longer use your credit cards. It's being actively promoted by many stores including Kmart and Sears (who, by the way, are owned by the same company). TJ Maxx shoppers have known about it for years.
The reason for all this shopping without buying is nothing new. We're in trouble - deep trouble. Not only do we have less money, we are also scared we will have even less money tomorrow, and the next day.
Fear has spooked the economy. The economy has spooked itself, and everyone is terrified. People are afraid to buy. The economy is tanking because people are afraid to buy, and people are afraid to buy because the economy is tanking.
Basically, the reason for all this is that there has been a lack of saving coupled with an excess of borrowing and spending. For too long now the US as a whole bought and spent beyond our means with borrowed money. In the good times, this was fun (wasn’t it?), but everything was financed by cheap money flowing into the US from foreign investors.
Article comments
1 - Upstate
Yeah, be careful out there. Apropro now as it was in the seventies, another decade of economic contraction and lifestyle degradation. That's when Jimmy Carter urged us to turn down the thermostat and drive compact cars. We didn't listen, we never do! So here we are.
Just buy all your relatives cardigan sweaters!