As the Economy Gets Worse, So Will Crime
Welcome back!
Crime is up. Welcome to this new fiscal reality. Now it’s time for some safety tips for the New Depression.
More and more people are having to go without. Jobs are being lost at an alarming rate. People are getting desperate and because of this crime is on the rise.
Now, I’m not telling everyone to run out an buy a gun, or take drastic measures to protect themselves. I’m merely saying that as the economy gets worse, we need to be more vigilant.
I live in an upper middle class suburb of a major city in the U.S. We are far enough out where people don’t lock their doors, because many feel that crime doesn’t happen here. My little town has had quite a wake up call recently. A neighbor was recently robbed. Someone had their car stolen in the Walgreens parking lot, in broad daylight. Petty theft is on the rise all over. Times are tough and people need money.
There are a few simple steps that you can take to protect yourself without spending a lot of money. Again, I do not tend to alarm, but I do want to bring this issue to light. I know that crime is up much across the country with robberies at the top. In the past few months, in my area robberies have been way up. Before the economy took a down turn, the biggest robbery was maybe a bike.
The first step is simple and it’s free. Lock your doors. I know this seems too simple to even mention but you’d be surprised how many people don’t lock their doors. By doors, I mean not just the house. Lock the car, shed, garage, etc. Anyone can come in and take what they want when the door is not locked. Have the door locked even when you are home. Once you start locking your doors on a regular basis, it will become habit. Also, never leave your car running, ever! It’s just too easy for a crook to hop in and drive away.
The second thing that you can do is to keep an eye on your belongings. Always keep your purse on your body, never leave it in the cart when grocery shopping. I cannot tell you how many purses I have seen sitting on the passenger seat of empty cars. When you leave something like that visible and unattended, you might as well beg a thief to help themselves.
This is the same with a man’s wallet. When in crowded places, watch out for pick pockets. I know that this is rare in most small towns in America, but you’d be surprised what people would do to get by. Also protect what is in your wallet and purse, have the phone numbers of credit cards, and the cell phone company on hand, so that if something is stolen or lost, you can make the necessary calls right away.
The biggest thing to keep in mind is to just be aware of your surroundings and have common sense. If you see something out of the ordinary that seems odd, give the police a call. You don’t have to call 911. Most police departments have a non-emergency phone number that you can call. Most times the police will thank you for keeping a watchful eye. I’ve called them a few times myself and I have never had a negative reaction. It’s their job.
Common sense should guide you. I saw one of the stupidest things while I was out today. Someone had just purchased a 48″ flat screen television and left the box at the end of the driveway for the garbage man to pick up. The driveway was next to a busy highway. This is basically an advertisement to criminals. Common sense would say, never put packages from expensive purchases out on the curb for the garbage men (cut the box down and recycle it). Many towns have recycling centers to dispose of packaging. If the packaging cannot be recycled, I would suggest disguising it so that you can’t tell what went into that package. Don’t advertise to criminals.
The world is not a complete bad place. I am not suggesting you run out and buy a pricey alarm system or something as extreme as a gun. I just want to stress that now is a time for vigilance. Keep an eye on your surrounding and your posessions. Lock your doors. With a little common sense, we can all stay safe. So through these tough times, safety is possible, but it may require just a little more effort.
The One Question that will get you through the New Depression
What do I really NEED?
This should be the new attitude that will get people through the modern day depression. Americans are coming out of a time of enormous prosperity, and great waste. Sure the credit boom was fun, while you were on top, but at the bottom, it is no fun. Those plastic little cards are sneaky, its easier to spend money when you do not see the actual cash coming out of your hand.
Want is a four-letter word.
It’s a dangerous word that needs to be used sparingly. It is okay to want for things, but one must be thankful for what you do have. In our materialistic society it is ingrained in all of us from childhood. Those Saturday morning toy commercials are made to make children want. This disease of want continues into adulthood, but now a $10 toy does not satisfy the want, soon it’s cars and electronics or expensive designer clothing and accessories.
Want and the concept of reason do not coexist for many people. Often when want takes over, rationality flees in the opposite direction.
Now I am not saying that I do not want items that are not basic necessities at times, but I do not run out to the store to purchase that want. It is possible to have rationale in this matter. I must say that this was a long and hard lived trait.
If I really want something, I think long and hard about that purchase. I ask myself, will I really use that? How often will I use the product? What purpose does it really have in my life? Do I think the price is actually representative of the value of the item? Will it go on sale? After I take into account these questions, I discuss it with my husband. I am capable of making rational decisions on my own, but having someone to bounce ideas and thoughts off of is helpful.
When a big purchase comes along that my husband and want to make, it is always a joint decision. We save for what we want, and we pay cash. Recently, my husband said that he would like to upgrade our television to a new HD one. Our current television is old, buttons are broken on it, but the picture is still good. The remote has been lost for centuries.
After much debate, my husband and I decided that if we really wanted a new television, then we would save for it. A little money from each paycheck will go towards that television, into a specially designated savings account. We are grateful for the television we do have and we realize that we do not actually need a new one. But that doesn’t mean a new one wouldn’t be nice, after we’ve earned it.
NEED is the most important word in the English language. So many purchases are made with little to no regard of need. Most purchases are merely based on want. This idea of want is a dangerous one and it’s why the economy is in such trouble. There are many reasons why people shop, some actually need to, some use it as entertainment, therapy, or just a fun way to pass an afternoon.
Shopping is not an entertainment outlet, it is to get what you actually need. Need is a very basic concept, which is confused with want to many. There are 4 basic needs, water, clothing, shelter, and food.
That’s it.
An HD television is not a need, nor is the newest model of car or a designer pair of sunglasses. These basic needs do not have to be the best and most expensive, they have to sustain life, that’s all. I know that sounds harsh but, when you really think about it, it’s true.
Overall, I encourage all of you out there to think about purchases with your head, use rationale, don’t use your heart or emotion. I have to say that like any new way of thinking, this takes practice and time to learn. It took me a couple of years, and at first, I was miserable. I am guilty of being a shopper who enjoyed the entertainment of it. But I must say that I wish I would have been taught early on the difference between wants and needs. The sooner you start to separate these two words, the better and happier you’ll be.
You Don’t Need a New HDTV to Get Digital TV
I won’t deny it, HDTV sure looks nice when properly presented. However, I’m in no rush to invest in a new television. We’ve had the same TV for almost ten years and it’s showing no signs of death, even though the power button broke off.
The desire for a fancy flat screen HDTV is very strong for both of us. But it’s something that we are refusing to invest in for the foreseeable future. We have TV now, why pay more to watch it when what we have works fine? This is a question more of us need to be asking ourselves before we make large purchases.
A big misconception about HDTV is that you will need a new HDTV to get through the HD transition or get HDTV at all. This could not be farther from the truth.
If you have cable TV, you do not need to worry about the digital transition. Your cable company already does it for you. As do satellite providers.
The government is also giving us two $40 coupons to buy Digital TV converter boxes that will convert the over-the-air HD signal to fit on older TV’s. Walmart has these digital converter boxes for $50. Minus the $40 coupon, HDTV costs you only $10 plus tax. Not a bad deal, though you’ll need an antenna. Go here to send away for your government digital tv coupon.
What about all those fancy HD only channels that aren’t over the air? A little secret is that most cable receivers can decode the HD channels and convert them to fit into a regular TV. Sure, the picture isn’t as great but the content is still there and still looks pretty darn good. I know for a fact that most Comcast DVR’s do this.
We’ll probably upgrade our TV when our current one dies and cannot be repaired. By that point, fancy flat screen TV’s will cost much less and we won’t have to pay the ‘first adopter tax.’
