Those of us having had extensive practice at being thrifty find ourselves at the forefront of the newest craze. For the well off, being on the cheap is suddenly fashionable. Bragging about how little they are spending, giving less to charity, going out to dinner only twice a week instead of four and not buying haute couture is now top drawer.
Many are foraying into this newest craze without benefit of experience. Frugality has become a new and interesting diversion, one that can be tired of quickly and forgotten if they see something truly exorbitant they just can’t live without. Being thrifty, if only as long as it’s fashionable, puts those who are guilty of spending outrageous amounts of money on non-essentials some balm for their financial conscience, if indeed they have any, while the struggling world economy is front page news.
I find it curious that the many who can, don’t consider continuing business as usual to help the economy. Would it not be far more noble to renovate their summer home and purchase the latest hybrid car that they can well afford to help keep businesses going? Instead they take on the faux tarnish of doing without while evoking admiration for their iron self control from their peers. It is as if there were some insidious ‘thrifty causing chemical’ in their organic, global warming resulted, glacial drinking water with carbon offset donations of 10% on every bottle.
The worst of this bizarre mindset, which I have been unfortunate enough to witness first hand, is the case of a billionaire holding back a check for services provided by our company until a refund check they received had cleared…. ‘But of course, you understand we are cutting back…’
It’s a strange other world, the world of the very wealthy, one I have kept running into all of my adult life and wish I’d never seen. It tests my very hope for the human race.
What I find downright disturbing is the dismissing of employees, while the employers blithely live on much the same as always, only now with the incredible inconvenience of being a little short staffed. Boo Hoo! Is contributing to the number of unemployed going to help the economy? Are we expected to click our tongues and shake our heads in admiration of their thrifty sacrifice?
I laughed when I read a news blog last week about the “frugal” rich who are now asking for plain white bags when they buys things at some ridiculously priced place, like Manolo or something, so as not to parade their economic standing. Gag!
I guess I should laugh instead of having it making me sick. I’ve just seen too much of it first hand and I’m so tired of it….