Spending Less because of the Economy

[clifp]

Originally Posted by UncleHoney

2004 Survey results


FRB: 2004 SCF

Here is some updated info from the survey

From 2001 to 2004, the proportion of families carrying a balance
rose 1.8 percentage points, to 46.2 percent. The preceding
three years had seen a much smaller increase in use ...
Overall, the median balance for those carrying a
balance rose 10.0 percent, to $2,200; the mean rose
15.9 percent, to $5,100....
In the recent period, the median balance rose strongly for most demographic groups; but borrowing declined notably for the lowest
and next-to-highest income groups and for the
youngest age group. Many families with credit cards do not carry balances.

41

Of the 74.9 percent of families with credit cards in 2004, only 58.0 percent had a balance at the time of the interview; in 2001, 76.2 percent had
cards, and 55.4 percent of these families had an
outstanding balance on them

Far more troubling to me was 12.4% of home owners had HELOC with balances on them with an average balance of $22K

[Robert the Red]

Well, we aren't spending much on Christmas this year because our big present to ourselves is the trip to Hong Kong and Tibet in the Spring. That'll cost $7-8K, and should help out the Chinese economy some. Not that they seem to need it.

[igsoy]

I am spending more this year. Last year only spent $60. This year will be $400. I'm doing my part.

Please do not try to connect this with a supposed belief that the economy is doing better.

[tikitoast]

Originally Posted by Caroline

This brings up something I've wondered about lately -- what do news people themselves think about all the blather on TV these days? Do they just LOVE those interviews at the mall, or are they secretly hating life?

I once considered journalism and talked to some professors, students, and journalists who really wanted to change the world, be the next Woodward and Bernstein, etc.

Has anyone out there every been a journalist and what do folks on the inside think of the current state of the industry?

Such a great question.

My hubby is a radio newscaster who majored in journalism. He fell in love with Woodward and Bernstein, and I think he really did hope to do something important with his career. Over eight years at the same local news station, he's become very discouraged and disillusioned. There's not much scope for creativity or serious journalism in his current situation.

It's very much: We'll decide what we want to report on, and then we'll find people in the street who will feed us back this stuff that everyone can relate to. Relatability is their mantra. The audience is thought to be monolothic--interested in the same television shows and celebrities, and engaging in the same kinds of shopping and holiday-going behavior.

It's not that his station is actively quashing meaty investigative reporting. It's more that they've done their consulting and focus group research, and have determined that the listeners don't want it. They want fluff, so that's what they're getting. My DH is tired of working in a cliche factory.

He did do a cute story about Santa Claus getting cheaper shipping rates during Christmas. He had fun with that.

[twaddle]

Has he consider NPR?

[tikitoast]

Originally Posted by twaddle

Has he consider NPR?

Ooh...great suggestion. It wouldn't be DH's thing (long topic for another thread), but I've thought of it for myself. I'm in the commercial side of radio, and have considered doing some local reporting as a way to kick myself out of my rut. Kind of scary. Reporting is hard to do well. It's a real job, compared to what I do now (commercial data entry and occasional voice work).

The new temporary executive director of our station was our local public radio head honcho for the past 20 years. They did some local features and aired NPR the rest of the time. Maybe he's still got some contacts over there!

Thanks for the idea

[WanderALot]

The more I watch local TV news, the more I realize that it's a gigantic waste of time. There seems to be no journalistic standards applied to news stories. I absolutely detest the "man on the street" interviews.

When gas first hit $3 (last year?), one of the reporters asked a hapless looking customer at a gas station. I'm sure he was picked because he would exude the hopelessness of the gas being $3 a gallon. Here's how the interview went:

Reporter: So, is $3 gas really affecting you?
Customer: Yeah, it's really tough, it's really eating into my other purchases etc. Look, I can only afford to buy 1 gallon of gas today. <camera pans over to the pump fixated on the 1 gallon>
Reporter: Wow, yeah, you do have tough. Back to you Jim.

. So, when gas was $1.50 a gallon, this guy would have only been able to afford *2* gallons of gas! I'm not saying this guy isn't having it tough, but come on.

[Bikerdude]

Originally Posted by WanderALot

The more I watch local TV news, the more I realize that it's a gigantic waste of time. There seems to be no journalistic standards applied to news stories. I absolutely detest the "man on the street" interviews.

When gas first hit $3 (last year?), one of the reporters asked a hapless looking customer at a gas station. I'm sure he was picked because he would exude the hopelessness of the gas being $3 a gallon. Here's how the interview went:

Reporter: So, is $3 gas really affecting you?
Customer: Yeah, it's really tough, it's really eating into my other purchases etc. Look, I can only afford to buy 1 gallon of gas today. <camera pans over to the pump fixated on the 1 gallon>
Reporter: Wow, yeah, you do have tough. Back to you Jim.

. So, when gas was $1.50 a gallon, this guy would have only been able to afford *2* gallons of gas! I'm not saying this guy isn't having it tough, but come on.

What they probably left out was that the guy was driving a motor scooter that gets 100MPG and would get him to work and back for a week on a gallon .

[dex]

You wouldn't believe what some of the reporters get paid outside of the top 10 markets. About 20K to start. Some even less if it is their first job.

[Rustic23]

So...... are you saying they are over paid?

[template]

Originally Posted by UncleHoney

2004 Survey results

FRB: 2004 SCF

Thanks!

[dex]

Originally Posted by Rustic23

So...... are you saying they are over paid?

More of; you get what you pay for.