PAUL SCHRAG: SAVE YOURSELF >>>
Sometimes the irony of government programs is enough to make you cry. Take Washington Saves Week as an example. This week, as part of national effort, several state and non-governmental organizations will work together to promote a concept that seems increasingly at odds with the way America does business.
This is going to sound weird, but they want us to start saving money instead of spending it. Go ahead and decide who you want to listen too. If you ask me, saving money sounds decidedly un-American.
It wasn’t long ago that a group of government number crunchers determined that Americans were spending more money than they were hanging onto. If that sounds impossible, remember that we live in an economy that is increasingly based on spending money, in the form of interest, so we can spend large sums of money that we haven’t actually earned yet â€" a.k.a. credit. In 2005, America’s personal savings rate dropped below zero for the first time in history. The Bureau of Economic Analysis says that the rate is slowly increasing, but continues to hover around zero.
Now that we’re all broke, it’s time to start saving apparently.
For those looking for a selfish motivation to override the equally selfish motivation to spend money like Paris Hilton on a coke binge in Manhattan, try self preservation to start. With the likelihood of layoffs and financial struggle increasing exponentially, you might want to consider holding off on that second plasma screen. Gov. Christine Gregoire sure thinks so.
“I would encourage all Washingtonians to take advantage of the many resources our state has to offer to improve financial security,†she says in the official Washington Saves Week announcement. “These are tough economic times that require families to tighten their belts to ensure financial security and long-term well-being.â€
State asset building advocates offer several solutions, and none of them involve going to see Confessions of a Shopaholic. You can find those at www.dfi.wa.gov/wa_saves. They’re sound, but they’re also kind of boring.
Thankfully, dear reader, the Weekly Volcano has drafted its own list of savings tips.
For example, try swapping those $4-a-pint Belgian ales for a nice domestic. You can drink three bottles of Rainier for every pounder of Corsendonk Abbey Brown. Savings: $100 per month.
Stop drinking premium Martinis, tequila and other bourgeois bombs, and bring back the Monarch-brand-built Long Island Ice Tea. Savings: $300 per month.
Quit smoking. Savings: for a pack-a-day puffer, $180 per month. Plus you won’t die a horrible, painful, shame-shrouded death.
Stop smoking blunts. It’s just wasteful. Savings: $75 per month.
Take the bus, train, bike, walk â€" anything other than driving a car. Gas ain’t $3 no more, but it’s still unreasonably expensive. Savings: depends on how much you drive. It’s probably a lot more than you need to.
Take a cue from my friend Joe Malik, and get over your aversion to shopping at places that remind you that you’re broke. Savings: The possibilities are endless.
Finally â€" and this one’s important â€" learn to find joy and pass time with things that don’t cost money. Connect with people you’ve lost touch with, exercise, read a used book about something that matters, talk to your family, go for a walk in the woods, take a nap, take your time making love, make music, fulfill a dream you abandoned so you could make more money than you need. Then make it a habit. Savings: Your soul.
PHOTO: Flickr/toast_it_note
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