June 11, 2008
· Filed under Pay yourself first
After reading several other blog posts about it, I decided I needed to read yesterday’s David Brooks column in the New York Times, “The Great Seduction by Debt.” The column itself is eminently quotable; two good commentaries are here and here. The second one is written from a conservative Christian angle (which is not surprising to me — I run into Jesus again and again again in my hunt for frugal tips, probably even more than environmentalism, but that’s a whole other post in itself), but it’s really more of a call for unity. Reading Brooks’ column, the right-wing angle isn’t hard to see. This is the very definition of conservative thinking, without the political baggage:
“The people who created this country built a moral structure around money. The Puritan legacy inhibited luxury and self-indulgence. Benjamin Franklin spread a practical gospel that emphasized hard work, temperance and frugality. Millions of parents, preachers, newspaper editors and teachers expounded the message.”
Brooks actually has me excited about reading the think-tank report summary he references, which is here. I hope this exchange of ideas means more people are starting to see what I do: a rising social consciousness, one that transcends left and right.
June 4, 2008
· Filed under Acting up, Food, Pay yourself first
The worsening economic climate is as good an excuse as any for the mainstream media to run another story about freegans. I’m not complaining; as long as they’re not being depicted as total freaks, I think it’s positive that stories like this are being added to the national conscience, instead of the constant hum of spend! spend! spend! Tougher times are starting to force a shift in the messages of TV and news outlets; we’re seeing more acceptance of thrift, and what I see as a more prudent, responsible spending habits.
Of course, this takes it a little far — I think dumpster-diving, especially for food, is where a lot of people draw the line. (Not to mention, if you’re just a middle-class boho artist who likes to rebel, should you take that bag of perfectly good bagels instead of leaving them for someone who really can’t afford to buy their own?) But I have to admit I’m fascinated by these stories, just as I’m fascinated by what people discard. When I walk around my neighborhood on large trash pickup day, it’s hard not to stop and inspect the perfectly nice shelves or weird old dollhouse, and I do often wish I’d brought a van. And I have to say I wouldn’t mind checking the trash for stuff like that, if it weren’t for, well, the trash, and the stigma of going through an actual dumpster. Curbside, I have no problems — in fact, Mr. L. and I rescued some sturdy cardboard boxes from the recycle pile just this morning.
What do you think? Where’s your line?
