[Seth81]

If this world was populated by people who only ever bought what they needed the world economy and technological development would grind to a halt! lol... obviously that is an extreme, but people pushing their budgets helps to drive the economy.

I do agree though that people need to learn to live within their means, I have a lot of nice toys, but I can afford them. Why can I afford them? Because I work my a$$ off!! Some people don't work hard and still expect to drive those $70k+ cars and have expensive homes. I think the parents of those kinds of people did not install the value of a dollar into their children.

Also, inflation is undeniable... if you didn't get a 2.3% raise this year (in alberta), then your effective income dropped.

Originally Posted by kien

It kinda boggles my mind actually. Excuse me for playing the 'old-man card', but when I was growing up and I didn't have enough money to buy that new G.I. Joe super aircraft carrier, I did one of two things. 1. Accepted that I can't afford it and move on. 2. Asked my buddies if I could do their newspaper routes while they were on vacation so that I could pick up some extra cash. I wonder if part of the problem is that some people are blurring the lines between needs and wants. If you focus on living with what you need, life isn't actually all that uncomfortable.

For the record, I am an immigrant whos parents came to Canada with absolutely nothing but the shirts on their backs and young children in tow. I know all about living at the poverty level while mostly all of my peers lived well above the poverty level.