Holiday Madness: Living Beyond Our Means

Okay, no.  I haven't been abducted by aliens or fallen off the face of the planet; I am alive and well and have been somewhat preoccupied by life.  I have been thoughtful and creative over the last few weeks but haven't quite made the effort to post anything, my bad!

I hope you all have settled into December just fabulously.  I have officially recognized the season's arrival by the six inches of snow we received this weekend, the erection of my beautiful, fake (mini) Christmas tree and continuous preparation of my company's largest Holiday gala of the year.  I have baked trays of baked goods and have listened to a healthy amount of Christmas toons, too.  Life seems content and I am excited for some travel, skiing and relaxation in the month to come.

Published: November 2011

Not to be a Debby Downer or anything, but I am going to post some valuable information regarding how American's spending/saving/borrowing behavior effects global financial markets and how our behavior compares to other nations.  I feel propelled to post finance tid-bits because I'm interested and you should be interested, too!  I think the holiday season has the potential to spin out of control in terms of personal finances and it is my wish to keep you on track!

Please read this interview on NPR.com regarding our nations tendency to overspend, our lack of saving habits and our propensity to draw excessive credit lines.

"In Western Europe and East Asia, governments aggressively encourage people to save through special savings institutions and savings campaigns."

-- Author, Sheldon Garon of new book Beyond Our Means: Why America Spends While the World Saves.

I.e. What used to be a popular gift given to new-born children; U.S. savings bonds have completely "gone out of style" over the last couple decades.

Santa, baby ... I'll take a saving's bond for the holiday! 

Too far?