Posted by admin on December 3, 2008 · Leave a Comment
There has been a lot of press given lately to the fact that the major auto manufacturers, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler are asking for a 34 Billion dollar bailout for their companies. As are many average Americans, I sit and wonder why it is the average American’s are struggling but the big companies can get help, and we sit completely helpless, waiting and hoping for things to turn around.
Unfortunately, I have learned that the main reasons that these bailouts are necessary is to save the overall economy of the country. I did see that with the banking and credit industry, however it didn’t make as much sense to me when it came to the auto industry. Sure, I could see that it was going to put the people in the auto industry out of work, which obviously would cause great economic hardship, especially in areas of the country like Michigan who rely on the auto industry to support most of the other businesses in the communities, however, I was really unaware of the ripple effect that the destruction of this industry would have across the country. The fact that I didn’t consider and really was completely unaware of, was the fact that the US auto manufacturers are the biggest purchasers of American-made steel, aluminum, iron, copper, electronics and plastics. The decline of the American auto companies is one of, if not the most important, areas where our economy is struggling.
Expert financial analysts predict that allowing the US Auto Industry to fold would be one of the biggest hits to this country’s financial state that has ever occurred. They feel that in order to keep the economy even remotely stable it is going to take a bail out of significant proportions of the US auto manufacturer’s.
Filed under In The News · Tagged with Americans, auto manufacturers, bail out, bailout, chrysler, credit, credit industry, economic hardship, economy, financial, financial analysts, financial state, ford, general motors, get help, hardship, help, stable, struggling, US Auto Industry
Posted by admin on October 13, 2008 · Leave a Comment
I have always loved the holidays. Always a fun and exciting time of year filled with hustle and bustle. Some years, though, have been more difficult than others. Many years, we didn’t really have enough money for Christmas gifts, and it put a lot of added stress on us. The years had more and didn’t have to go into hock to make a Merry Christmas were also a lot nicer. I didn’t have to worry about what I would get everyone, I could relax and shop early and get whatever I idea came into my head for that special person. On years when I didn’t have enough money I would stress and by the time Christmas day would roll around, I would be completely broke and miserable knowing that I spent money that I didn’t have to get through it. This year, I think that with the economy where it is, we all need to take a few steps back and really look at how much money we are spending on Christmas. There is nothing fun about buying gifts and then stressing about how to pay for them. I know I wouldn’t want to think that anyone was getting stressed about a present that they bought me and really couldn’t afford, the gifts are not that important but the people are. It is a great time of year to acknowledge people, but you have to make practical choices and shop for the deals. There are a lot of good bargains out there and a lot of really creative ways to give exciting gifts without spending too much money. This year, let’s all be smart and limit our spending of dollars and just spend time with the ones we love instead. It is more important than ever to realize that the material stuff is just stuff. Let’s not buy into the madness that the local businesses perpetuate, let’s take a step back and just enjoy the holidays and not go broke in the process, after all you don’t want to end up in the same financial state as our government do you?
Filed under cutting back, Debt · Tagged with acknowledge people, afford, bargains, broke, bustle, Christmas, Christmas day, couldn't afford, deals, dollars, enjoy the holidays, enough money, exciting gifts, exciting time of year, financial state, gifts, good bargains, government, holidays, hustle, limit our spending, Merry Christmas, money, money for Christmas, present, shop early, shop for the deals, spending on Christmas, spending too much, spent money, stress, stressed