Why don't Americans save?

Quote from Sandybestdog:

http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Yearly_working_time.jpg
Sorry to burst your bubble, but the facts don’t support your argument. Fact is that even though Americans watch so much t.v. they work some of the longest hours out of any country.
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Yes, Americans work a lot, I've seen those statistics as well. What does that have to do with my argument that too much television has caused too much consumption in the US?:

http://www.economist.com/research/a...ystory.cfm?subjectid=7933596&story_id=9527126

http://dilsenomad.wordpress.com/2008/03/05/television-and-consumption/

Or maybe this is easier for those that aren't used to reading:

http://news.zdnet.com/2422-13568_22-155512.html


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfvyrhKpDnY
 
Quote from Sandybestdog:

Your attitude is very typical of a baby boomer. While some in my generation may have an entitlement mentality, I contend that your

I don’t want a handout, just equal opportunity. Bring back good jobs and stop inflating the money so that prices remain steady, and I bet you’ll see the savings rate increase.
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Sorry to hear about your struggles. however, you can start a business with little or no money. I started my tiny publishing company back in 1990 with $30.00--just enough to print up 1000 flyers advertising my marketing. Now, its so much easier to start out-- with the internet, etc. . This business would never make me wealthy, but it bought me a nice lifestyle and almost absolute freedom to do what i want when i want--so that i could work on the things that had great potential for wealth.

You need to remember that LUCK has a tremendous amount to do with success. Therefore, I wish you luck in 2009.

surf
 
Quote from marketsurfer:

You need to remember that LUCK has a tremendous amount to do with success. Therefore, I wish you luck in 2009.

surf
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That is ESPECIALLY true of career traders. For the most part, (1) few survive "many years", and (2) those who have "survived many years" have done so because the conditions which could hurt them have not come around... YET. Unfortunately it takes only 1 or 2 significantly bad decisions to wipe out 20 years of gains...
 
Quote from gnome:

That is ESPECIALLY true of career traders. For the most part, (1) few survive "many years", and (2) those who have "survived many years" have done so because the conditions which could hurt them have not come around... YET. Unfortunately it takes only 1 or 2 significantly bad decisions to wipe out 20 years of gains...
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very true. Luck is the absolute most important factor. markets change all the time, if you're a one trick pony and not flexible, as most are, you're simply not going to last...

happy new year gnome!

surf
 
Quote from marketsurfer:

very true. Luck is the absolute most important factor. markets change all the time, if you're a one trick pony and not flexible, as most are, you're simply not going to last...

happy new year gnome!

surf
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Thanks. You too.

Too bad most ET'ers don't recognize when a little wisdom is dispensed here... :D

"A smart man learns from his mistakes... a wise man learns from the mistakes of others"
 
Sandybestdog,

The very idea that everyone should 'get ahead' is way oversold. This was the american dream that somehow went from dream to entitlement. You have to ask yourself exactly what you think everyone should have, then ask whether or not people really produce to that level. Liberty is what this nation is founded on, not material well being and entitlement.

Initially I took the safest rout- went to school for a long time. For many of those years I didn't own a car and health insurance was a vitamin. Never in my life have I thought that my living was guaranteed or a right, and I live small. Either accept freedom and the uncertainty of it all, or move to a communist nation where you can live at exactly the same level (poverty) as everyone else.
 
Quote from Sam Mcgee:

Yes, Americans work a lot, I've seen those statistics as well. What does that have to do with my argument that too much television has caused too much consumption in the US?:

http://www.economist.com/research/a...ystory.cfm?subjectid=7933596&story_id=9527126

http://dilsenomad.wordpress.com/2008/03/05/television-and-consumption/

Or maybe this is easier for those that aren't used to reading:

http://news.zdnet.com/2422-13568_22-155512.html


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfvyrhKpDnY
More...
I still don’t see your point. This thread is about people not saving. I thought one of the ways to save is to work a lot. So what if people watch a lot of tv if they’re working a lot. I can’t wait to see how Jack Bauer saves the world next.
 
Quote from marketsurfer:
Sorry to hear about your struggles. however, you can start a business with little or no money. I started my tiny publishing company back in 1990 with $30.00--just enough to print up 1000 flyers advertising my marketing. Now, its so much easier to start out-- with the internet, etc. . This business would never make me wealthy, but it bought me a nice lifestyle and almost absolute freedom to do what i want when i want--so that i could work on the things that had great potential for wealth.

You need to remember that LUCK has a tremendous amount to do with success. Therefore, I wish you luck in 2009.

surf
More...

Thank you. I sold a lot on eBay and enjoyed that very much. I don’t have anything to sell right now. It’s very difficult to find good stuff. Eventually something will work out, but in the meantime it just keeps getting harder and harder to stay afloat.
 
Quote from Mav88:

Sandybestdog,

The very idea that everyone should 'get ahead' is way oversold. This was the american dream that somehow went from dream to entitlement. You have to ask yourself exactly what you think everyone should have, then ask whether or not people really produce to that level. Liberty is what this nation is founded on, not material well being and entitlement.

Initially I took the safest rout- went to school for a long time. For many of those years I didn't own a car and health insurance was a vitamin. Never in my life have I thought that my living was guaranteed or a right, and I live small. Either accept freedom and the uncertainty of it all, or move to a communist nation where you can live at exactly the same level (poverty) as everyone else.
More...

I never said people should have a free ride to“get ahead” I am saying for my generation it is much more difficult to get ahead than the last. Why do we play the blame game so much instead of coming up with solutions to fix the problem? Our job markets are eroding. How can we bring back good jobs? Up until recently housing prices were out of control. Let’s have them keep falling so my generation might one day be able to afford it. Why are bankers allowed to print money out of thin air and the consumer has to pay for it through inflation? Why has health insurance gone up 50% in 5 years? How do we bring down the cost of medical care?

Not to mention the baby boomers are going to make out nicely with Social inSecurity while my generation will pay for it. Or we’ll just borrow more from China. If I’m ever able to retire, there will either be nothing left, or the dollar will be so inflated that it won’t buy anything.
 
Quote from Sandybestdog:

Thank you. I sold a lot on eBay and enjoyed that very much. I don’t have anything to sell right now. It’s very difficult to find good stuff. Eventually something will work out, but in the meantime it just keeps getting harder and harder to stay afloat.
More...


Sandy, go look on chit chat and Brandon is trying to start a thread for learning how to create a business on the internet.
 
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