Don’t be fooled by the recent “good news” about jobs that is coming out Washington. The information is skewed, confused and just plain rude; the reality is that the economy is not growing, people are not getting jobs and many people are still struggling. And while the headlines last week were all about the jobs report, the big news about the economy was put below the fold.
The news that I am talking about is the spike in the number of personal bankruptcies in March. Automated Access to Court Electronic Redo, or Aacer, a data company, issued a report last week that the number of bankruptcy filings in March was over 158,000, up 35 percent from February and more than the previous record month, October 2009 when the number then hit 133,000. READ THE STORY HERE
The reason for the spike?
Simply put, it’s the economy stupid.
People don’t have money, they are losing their jobs, they are losing their homes and they are losing it.
Washington doesn’t seem to get it. The Obama Administration and Congress were so hell bent on shoving healthcare down our throats and the Republicans were so hell bent on blocking it that they all have missed the big picture. It is not good, folks. It is very scary. The tough choices are not being made and as a result there is a great divide growing in this country. This is not a Democrat or Republican thing, but rather an American thing. We need to start focusing on putting this country back to work and getting out of the current funk that we all seem to be in right now. The answer is not new taxes or massive cuts in programming – it is to be smarter with the way we spend our money. Do with what we have and that’s it.
My suggestion is something I call “the M&M theory of spending”. Those of you who know me well know I love peanut M&M’s – especially straight from the refrigerator with a hot cup of coffee. Anyway, I love the candies but I don’t love the price. So I have resigned myself to buy them only four days a year, November 1, December 26, February 15 and the day after Easter. I stock up those four days and that’s it. The reason is you can get a great deal on them then. Why? Mars, Inc., which makes these delicious treats, makes special editions for the holidays and once the holidays pass – well, the supermarket marks the price of these special editions way down. It is a great value play. I have been doing it for years and to me it is the only way to go. The candy tastes the same, they last a long time and you can’t beat the price.
For example, recently I went to Shoprite in Garwood, thinking I would be able to get a good deal on the Easter M&M’s.Alas, the price was not right, but the store had cases of Valentine’s Day packages that they were selling for ninety-nine cents, or more than seventy-five percent off the price of the year-round packaged M&Ms in the same size bag in the candy aisle. The only difference: the ones I bought were pink, red and white, and the more expensive ones were the standard rainbow colors. It is a great value play, it’s a fun way to save money and it allows me to get what I want for less without giving anything up. By the way, I dare anyone to tell me that they can taste the difference in a blind taste test
Seeking value and spending wisely is what Washington and the powers-that-be around the nation need to start doing if they ever want to get things going again in a meaningful way. If not we are destined to remain in this continued state of flux and that is not good for anyone. Applying, “the M&M theory of spending” may be just what Washington needs to get the country moving again.
THINGS THAT DRIVE ME CRAZY
Taxi driver preachers drive me crazy. I realize that it must be lonely up front, the sounds of the city are boring after a while and the television in the back seat is full of useless noise, but please don’t preach to me and better yet don’t hand me religious cards with my receipt – I don’t want it. Let’s talk about baseball, politics, the city, the mayor, or your lunch just don’t talk to me about religion. Am wrong? I don’t think so…