NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

Seems most folks make some sort of promise to themselves to improve in some way at the start of a new year, but I am still working on last year's! Improvement should be an ongoing process; regardless if it is self improvement, your lifestyle, your home etc. Don't you think so?

Unfortunately I got into the consumerism mode with many other people and find I have way to much stuff. Slowly I am working my way of using, reusing and just trying to not buy anything I really do not need. NEED is the operative word! We all must get into asking ourselves if we really NEED or just want something and..... WELL........

This week one of the gal's on the Frugal Living Forum posted a link to a very interesting video, which gave me a whole new perspective on buying and using stuff. It is about 20 minutes long and very thought provoking. If you have a few minutes take the time to view it and think about it. It is simply called "The Story of Stuff".

As an ol' hippy I was always fascinated by recycling items, but never really got into recycling aluminium cans, bottles, newspapers as that was for all the "tree huggers". I think we all pick and choose what we want as our "causes", but I think it has become increasingly necessary to think harder and take up more causes.

This week a news commentator actually used the word recession. I could not believe I heard him, but it was said again. Seems the government and these financial wizards are always months behind knowing what is going on. Don't they buy fuel and groceries? How long does it take them to realize our money is not going very far.

Is it my imagination or has the media been featuring more articles about living green, ways to save money and how life has gotten more difficult? Personally, I think it is going to get alot worse, and it will go on for a long time.

Over a year ago I tried to talk to my daughter about this, but she did not want to hear anything about it. She thinks I am a harbinger of doom and gloom. I have had coworkers laugh at me and asked me where I would get such an idea as we are going to have a recession or depression. At that time I was working in a furniture store and I was seeing people were really shopping for deals, financing and there were more people just looking. The wealthy are still buying, as the upper end furniture stores were busy. This part of the country seems to be at least a year behind most of the country. The housing boom was stilling going, but one of the contractors said there were fewer spec homes being built. It is just a matter of time for the housing market to take a dive here.

I really feel bad for those who have no idea how to be frugal. A few nights ago I was perusing one of the well known lady's magazines online. There was an article of how to save money. It would be a good place to start if you are not into being frugal, but it was the basics. I am afraid many of us are going to have to use our black belt frugal skills to make it in the coming months. So my new years resolution, if you want to call it that, is to hone my frugal skills.