American Consumers Are Short on Discipline When it Comes to Parting With Their Income
Like a 4-year-old child at the checkout counter in a supermarket, American consumers want just one more impulse buy to make their buying day complete, and apparently the more expensive it is, the better.
Here is an example: A 68-year-old, semi-retired businessman shells out $600,000 for a recreational vehicle which costs about $550 to top off at the pump. He and his wife are tooling around the country in an effort to have fun while they can.
His comment on the decision is that "This isn't a dress rehearsal for lifethis is it. We're curtailing nothing." Those big tears you see following his comment might well come from any children who see their inheritance fading away into the sunset with dad and mom.
Like a dog in heat, if we have it we tend to spend it in America.
All of this impulse buying is detailed in a recent USA Today article with this headline: "Spending is hotter than the 4th of July". And indeed it apparently is.
Although the median amount of credit-card debt carried by the typical American is about $6,600 (this is not a typo), 13% of respondents in a recent online poll reported balances higher than $25,000, according to CardTrack.com.
"Never have Americans, who have always liked their toys, been faced with a situation where their impulses are so hard to control," says Stuart Vyse, a professor of psychology and author of the upcoming book Going Broke: Why Americans Can't Hold on to Their Money.
The fact is that we as consumers can buy almost anything we want anytime we want on the easiest terms we want. Sellers and lenders have no compunctions about selling us what we do not need at a price we cannot afford and at a rate of payment that can eventually drive us into bankruptcy.
Sellers and lenders, especially credit card lenders, have raised this willingness to line their pockets at our expense to an art form. And yes, I understand and agree with the observation that we all need to be responsible for our actions.
What I do disagree with is this: How can doing the right thing with right thinking and right motives justify lending consumers money and credit when they do not deserve it, and then leaving them no smarter but broker and deeper in debt in the process?
All of this unmerited lending is creating and concentrating wealth among America's very rich, and the rich club in America is growing faster and farther away from America's poor and middle classes.
"For the first time in history, more than half of all earned income, specifically 50.4%, is going to 20% of the U. S. population, which amounts to $3.5 trillion in the hands of 23 million households," says Peter Francese, a demographic trends analyst for ad and marketing giant Ogilvy & Mather.
So more than half of the earned income in America is going to 20% of the population, leaving the other half to 80% of the working stiffs that are left to continue buying things they do not need at prices they cannot afford on credit.
A key component of this impulse spending happens because too many Americans think they can afford it when they cannot.
Families are less frugal today, in part because only 25% of households have married couples with children, a significant drop from 50% in 1960 and the lowest percentage in census history. We have a census procedure in this country to learn these kinds of sociological shifts.
There are more working couples without children who have more disposable income and keep spending rather than realizing their good fortune and saving. Leading the spending spree are the seniors mentioned at the beginning of this article.
Seniors have so much spendable income that a Luxury Marketing Council has been created to advise top brands on consumer trends for a growing group of seniors that have at least $1 million in liquid assets. They do not need to sell their home to buy a $125,000 Maserati, they simply write a check out of one of their accounts.
I personally would not encourage this kind of spending among any consumers, and especially on an automobile which is a decreasing asset. If you cannot control your impulse to buy, at least buy land or developed properties that might well appreciate over time.
The USA Today article carried information by Pitney Bowes MapInfo which identified the Top 20 Counties nationwide with the highest average expenditures annually per household. Here are the Top 7:
1) Marin, CA - $68,782
2) Fairfield, CT - $65,263
3) Fairfax, VA - $63,569
4) san Mateo, CA - $63,229
5) Morris, NJ - $62,995
6) Somerset, NJ - $62,345
7) Westchester, NY - $61,425
I identify these counties as "high rent districts" which are too expensive for most people to buy a home. One thing is for sure, if you do not make some major money, you are not going to be able to keep up with those earners who can.
Not all of us suffer from this apparent impulse to buy.
The answer to impulse control just might be in yoga. yoga taught me "impulse control", the ability to feel an urge and delay acting on it. yoga also taught me that when stability becomes a habit, maturity and clarity follow.
While earning money has a way of increasing financial intelligence quickly, I learned a long time ago that a fool and his money are some parted.
I will keep the $125,000 and you can have the Maserati. I will keep the $600,000 and you can have the recreational vehicle. Eventually, cash is king; the car and the recreational vehicle will eventually end up in the junkyard with a lot of other impulse purchases.
Copyright 2007 Ed Bagley
Ed Bagley is the Author of Ed Bagley's Blog which he Publishes with Original articles on Current and Past Events, including Analysis and Commentary on Lessons in Life, Movies, sports, Internet Marketing, jobs and Careers that are intended to Delight, Inform, Educate and Motivate Readers. Visit Ed at . . .
http://www.edbagleyblog.com/MovieReviewArticles.html
http://www.edbagleyblog.com/LessonsinLifeArticles.html
American Banana Yoga Mats Importers
Reviewing The Plantronics Pulsar 590A Speakers & Headphones
We have already tried out various A2DP headphones and we have found the Plantronics Pulsar 590A to be the best among all when it comes to comfort. But, we did find the audio quality to be a bit off from what we were expecting. Maybe we were having too high expectations for it, but you still can have a good listening experience with this set of speakers and headphones. Oh, by the way, you do get other things to as part of the whole package an audio streamer, a carry case, plus a stand.
And for its price of $299, you might want to weight things out first before you do go ahead and purchase the whole set. If you think this might be the kind of speakers and headphones that you have been looking for all your life, then maybe the $299 would be worth it.
Anyhow, the headphones do feel solid and it has got a silver frame to possibly add up to its appeal. The band that goes around your head is firm but it does not give you discomfort. Everything looks sturdy with this headphone.
The whole gadget has various types of controls including a switch to turn the power on and off plus a microphone just in case you would like to do some VoIP calls. If you are connected to a Bluetooth device, you will be alerted by a flashing light somewhere within the controls.
If you are thinking about where this one gets its power, just remember that it does come with a round charging connector. You also do get a stand so you can display your headphones while it charges up.
As previously mentioned, the sound quality was a bit off. We found the bass to be too overwhelming while the treble seemed to be definitely lost. But between this and everything else, this Plantronics Pulsar 590A seems to be quite a good buy at that.
More of the latest Plantronics headsets visit http://www.cordless-phones.uk.com/newest-products/ .
Jill Carron is a 32 year old native of Ireland and has a knack for research on Ligo news, mobile gadgets, VoIP and Skype and anything and everything about them. He works full time as a Market Analyst for one of the leading DECT Digital cordless Phones, cheap Telephones, and Headsets suppliers in UK today. For more product news and updates visit http://www.cordless-phones.uk.com/news/.
Learn Yoga And Pilates On 43
The Nintendo Wii is NOT the Game Cube
As nintendo chief Miyamoto says about the Wii
The hardware is basically a GC. Weve upgraded our development tools to new versions but, you can still use GC programs as they are. With that in mind, I thought we could remake GC titles for the Wii and modify them to work with the Wii remote so that theyre more fun to play.
This statement been making its speedy journey around the web, with the predictable result.
i tuld u tha Wee sux0rs! Thus proving the Wii is infact.. a repackaged gamecube Rofl @ Nintendo
The argument need to be split in half to avoid confusion. Lumping the two arguments together ends in a negative situation, where neither of the debating parties can influence the opposition.
Firstly, The Wii is gamecube 1.5?
Miyamoto, in his cute little Wish we had an international auxillary language to stop english speaking l33t gamers from mocking our consumers way, was accurate with his statement. The hardware is similar to the gamecube. WAIT! Dont go running away just yet, for here is a word equation that will float your boat.
The nintendo Wii hardware is similar to the gamecube, as A gaming PC is similar to a Windows 95 word processing computer.
What! Says you, but my uber el33tzo0r Gaming PC has 4 GB of Ram! It has 6.7 Gigahertz of processing power! THINK. Instead of thinking about the technological specifics of hardware capabilities, when the above statement is made, one is referring to the style in which hardware and software are created. The Architecture of the device.
Going out on another tangent, nintendo would not be stupid enough to make the gamecube mistake again. The GC was not a high point for flailing nintendo. Why now, riding on the success of the nintendo DS, an innovative handheld device that has taken the world by storm, would nintendo choose to release an updated version of a failure?
Wii Vs Xbox360 Vs Playstation3
To be blatantly honest, the next-gen console battle will be fought between the Xbox360, and the Playstation3. Unfortunately for Sony and microsoft, they have launched products capable of the same types of activities, with the same types of controls and the same types of games. Its a marketing battle to see who will triumph. But for those looking for new, innovative [ie: Not BluRay] technology with an element of fun and a totally unique experience will choose the Wii. There is nothing else on the market to compete with it.
So who would buy the Wii? just little kids right? nintendo has many different demographics to target. From the very young, to the very old. The DS has opened the eyes of previously video game free generations, and inspired those just entering the market, as well as gameboy fans looking for a quality handheld. Half-core gamers want something fresh. they want to play with their friends and have fun. They dont want to shell out big bucks for a gaming system, but would be happy to pay a much lower price for entertainment.
You can not compare consoles on specifications alone. You must use implementation examples to compare things. On paper, the Playstation 3 is the strongest console. Better than the Wii, better than the Xbox360. But does it have quality games? Will there be many games? Will Sony finally be able to create a game that creates a third of the hype that halo does? Until all consoles have been released internationally, it is futile to argue over which console is superior and which will succeed.
The nintendo Wii is not a game Cube. As the old saying goes, its like comparing apples and oranges. Both are in the same general class, yet there are fundamental differences that make comparing them pointless.
Kit Allen, the chief contributor to nintendo Blog, http://nintendocommunity.com wrote this article to inform the world about the nintendo Wii.
Chair Yoga Video
Getting Started with Yoga Quickly And Easily
There are lots of amazing things about yoga, but one of the best is that there's basically no cost involved in practicing yoga. You don't need any specific, expensive training equipment required in order to get the desired results, and there's no one perfect environment necessary to practice yoga properly.
Mostly this is because yoga isn't really about just doing yoga - it's more a state of mind linked to your lifestyle. So far that reason, your will, together with your beliefs and attitudes towards your philosophical path, is what really matters. Yoga also encourages you to have a healthy, balanced diet, focusing on natural foods, in order to be properly prepared for your first yoga session. The food you eat strongly affects your mind and soul; so careful eating is crucial in yoga.
Although it's possible to practice yoga anywhere, without needing a specially designed place, it's still important to choose a location as far from annoying distractions as you can make it. So avoid, TV, radio and street noise if you possibly can. It's also good for the area to be clean, quite, and well ventilated if that's possible. Most yoga practitioners use a blanket when practicing yoga, as there are many sitting or lying positions involved in performing the exercises and meditation, but you can easily use a towel or a mat if that's easier for you.
When it comes to choosing what to wear, it's important that you choose clothing that is loose and very comfortable. Perhaps a training suit, sweat pants and a t-shirt, shorts, or even loose pajamas. It's possible to do yoga in the nude, which some people prefer, but generally it's accepted that you wear suitable clothing, particularly if it's a group yoga session.
Most yoga practitioners also recommend that you have an empty stomach when commencing a session. It's a good idea to wait a couple of hours after your main meal, so your body has had time to digest the food. Make sure you have clear nostrils and throat, as breathing exercises are a key element in yoga training.
Some people find that over time they develop a preference for practicing yoga at a particular time of day, but in fact there's no one time that is considered to be the best. If you practice yoga in the morning, you help to give your body and mind a good start to the day, as well as getting a good boost in your energy levels. However practicing yoga in the evenings can contribute to a peaceful and restful sleep.
It's important that you don't push yourself during yoga to the point where you feel exhausted when you're finished. If you feel tired during the session, take a break. It's quite common for yoga practitioners to take regular short breaks, particularly between the more difficult exercises. It's not necessary to persist with yoga for hours at a time to get results - 15 minutes of correct yoga practice can be enough to give you excellent results.
Finally, remember that your attitude and your desire to uncover the amazing sensations and experiences created by this ancient philosophy is the most important thing you can take to a yoga session.
For more exciting and important information on the benefits of yoga and tips on yoga for women, yoga for men and the branches of yoga visit Hot-Yoga-Tips.info located at http://www.hot-yoga-tips.info
Ociation Scottish Teacher Yoga
