Caterina.net: Frugality and Thrift

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« Blackberries and Caste | Main | Unnecessary things »

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{ Thursday, February 5, 2009 }

Frugality and Thrift

Old people are tough. They made shoes out of newspaper and twine, and subsisted on a thin stew of newspaper and twine. Sometimes they had to go without shoes and stew altogether so that there would be enough newspaper and twine to treat the baby's Scarlet Fever.

Stephen Colbert is funny. Our experience of the world has been more like this:

It may be the end of all that, and as the book notes The Return of Depression Economics signalled by reemergence of the virtues of frugality and thrift, the growing savings rate, the drop in consumption and the now-daily pillorying of villains of excess.

LINK | 9:53 AM | TB

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{ COMMENTS }

I think when you blog something on someone's desk calendar they should at least get a "via".

chris | February 6, 2009 6:59 AM

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Though if you can't be bothered to provide an URL for your site in your comment, then perhaps a "via" is too much to expect. ;-)

Am being thrifty with my linking as well.

Caterina | February 6, 2009 10:29 AM

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I agree with Chris because I too thought you had written that bit at the top.
Both my parents were children during the thirties and the 2nd world war. Both are used too doing without. Our family never went wild with consumerism. As a result I spend a long time deciding what to spend my hard earned cash on. I don't want to waste it on the wrong thing. Stores like the one in the picture give me a headache.

melanie | February 6, 2009 3:35 PM

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>> virtues of frugality and thrift
>> growing savings rate
>> drop in consumption
>> now-daily pillorying of villains of excess

Although this economic climate is tough, I'm actually thrilled that these patterns are rippling through our society. It'll help us all be leaner and greener, and innovative out of necessity.

Amy Jo Kim | February 7, 2009 9:16 AM

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drop in consumption, rise in virtue: reading this, "it's a good thing" came to mind...

then thought of martha, and her preponderance of good things: what is it that makes so many want so much? will we remember, after downturn, where all the wanting got us?

a little newspaper and twine never hurt. thanks, via chris and colbert, for good laugh. a delight, as ever.

victoria thorne | February 9, 2009 1:09 PM

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Is that an edward burtynsky photo?

shannon | February 12, 2009 5:01 AM

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No, Andreas Gursky.

Caterina | February 12, 2009 8:18 AM

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