My thoughts of the day...on the economy!

So yesterday we got our copy of Military Money magazine in the mail and almost every article talked about the current state of the economy and what we should be doing to make sure we are safe. One of the articles that really caught my eye was titled “The Best Thing You Can Give Your Family For Christmas is Financial Security.” I was unable to read the article because of motherhood duties, but it got me thinking.

At every turn we hear about how the economy is failing and how we all need to do what we can to secure our finances and keep our heads above water. The news is telling us of bailouts, bankruptcies, and the dismal retail numbers. HOWEVER every commercial within the news cast is prompting you to buy the most expensive, flashy items you can find AND if you don’t you really don’t want what is best for your family.

I have never been a fan of advertising certain products….take for instance all the toys and products that are advertised during children’s shows…making children think they need that toy to be cool or have their lives complete. Or the commercials that make teenagers think that every teen has a top of the model phone…yeah right! My absolute number one on the low down dirty list of tricks advertising trickery is (*drum roll please…..) the candy in the check out aisle of the grocery store!!!!!! Come on by the time I get to the check out my nerves have had it (well my kids are older now so it’s not so bad….but I remember the pain and the agony of days gone by)

So here’s my message to all those toy, cell phone, jewelry, car, video game, music apparatus companies…..

How about if you all tone down the advertising onslaught that you usually engage in at Christmas time and join the rest of the country in attempting get the economy under control. I understand you need to make your money and you think your annoying commercials are going to brainwash me into running out and spending thousands of dollars I don’t have which will of course push me further in the hole and increase your profit.

AHA! This is the way it suppose to work. I am suppose to spend $40k on a SUV, make my monthly payments, pay my insurance, pay for gas, and repairs, and still bail you out? Does anyone else see the problem with this plan? I still have to pay my bills….failing companies so should you…hellllllooooo when people stop making their payments for their vehicles to you….do you offer to bail them out? Do you offer them assistance? No you make nasty phone calls to them…..well guess what? I think someone should make nasty phone calls to you! I say America should give them some of their own medicine.

Anyway back to this Christmas present thing. I think that EVEYONE is exercising caution this year, because it’s the wise thing to do. I think that the companies that make all of the items that are shoved in our faces night after night on the boob tube should join America in trying to cut back in all the unnecessary spending and be quiet!!!

And let me add here...Christmas is not supposed to be and was never meant to be about presents. It is about the birth of Christ the Saviour. I think those that choose to cut back on their spending this year and give the gift of time to their families will be like the man in the Bible whose master left him with the money and he invested it and it gave a profit. AND those who chose to buy into the commercialism of Christmas and those bloody advertisers will be like the man whose master gave him money and he hid it....making no profit.