With this week’s column, we celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Sun Day newspaper and birth of The Frugal Forum column. I have truly enjoyed writing the column this past year as well as receiving your feedback. It has also been a pleasure to engage in subsequent conversations with my fellow Sun City residents. It is your ongoing interest and inspiration that keeps this column alive. Keep those letters coming, folks.
I recently received a letter from one of our readers (who will remain anonymous) in response to the column on “We are Victims of Our Own Success.” That column referenced a recent ABC News segment called “Made in America.” Our reader made some very interesting insights which I would like to share with you here.
“Remember the refrigerator, the [ABC News] reporter found [an American made] one but remarked it was cost prohibitive for a typical American. There lies the reason – labor costs,” cited our reader. “It’s a fact a majority of household goods produced in the United States cost more than those foreign made. In third world countries, foreign workers (including Mexico) are paid way less than American workers; hence, the products are cheaper to produce.
“American workers have government-mandated minimum wage and many companies have to deal with labor unions and their wage demands. Remember when Florshiem shoes and Zenith TVs were made in America and how expensive they were? Today mainstream consumers would rather buy foreign-made, cheaper goods….
“The only way overall to change this habit would be for American goods to be as cheaply produced as foreign ones, and this is not likely to happen. American workers would have to give up their high standard of living and lower their wages to foreign levels. Americans in general cannot afford to do this. By the way, I’m for a minimum wage and unions in case you are wondering, but I’m thankful I can buy cheaper, affordable foreign goods. I may not sound patriotic, but look at what e-mail is doing to the U. S. Postal system.”
I found this reader’s comments to be quite thought provoking. We are caught between “a rock and a hard place,” as the saying goes. We all love to “have our cake and eat it too.”
I believe that climbing out of this economic downturn is a longer journey than we would like, and we won’t be successful without some sacrifices along the way. I applaud those who can weather the storm, and I pray for those who struggle through times of unemployment and constrained resources.
Keep those letters coming, folks. Send in your ideas to: The Frugal Forum, P.O. Box 693, Huntley, IL 60142 or by email to: thefrugalforum@gmail.com.
