Saving Money Ideas Degrading?

[jeffrey]

It seems that Northwest airline employees that are being laid off have taken offense to 101 ideas of how to save money that was given to them and the company has apologized.

<a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-nwa17aug17,1,5341674.story?coll=la-headlines-business&ctrack=1&cset=true" rel="nofollow">LA Times Article</a>

<i>"This is disgraceful that somebody at Northwest Airlines would send this out to a long-term employee facing having no job, telling them to do certain things that are very degrading," said Robert Roach Jr., a spokesman for the International Assn. of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.</i>

My question is are these ideas degrading? Is so, which ones and why?

[disneysteve]

None of the ideas mentioned in the article are degrading, in my opinion. I'd like to see all 101. Maybe there are a few I'm not already doing.

[pearlieq]

The ideas are not degrading.

Having them sent to you by the employer who just laid you off, is in VERY bad taste. I can imagine some misguided person thought they would be helpful.

But having them sent as "Sorry we laid you off after 30 years of faithful service. You might not have much of a pension plan to count on, but you can save tons by switching to generics!" is somewhat degrading.

[jodi]

-buy jewelry at pawn shops
-get auto parts at junkyard
-take shorter showers
-give homemade cards and gifts
-ask doctors for prescription drug samples
-borrow a dress for "a big night out"
-give children hand-me-down toys and clothes.
-"Don't be shy about pulling something you like out of the trash"

Thought I would reprint the examples given in the article. I had to register and log in to read the article, and not everyone will want to take the time to do that.
None of the above is degrading to me - in fact, I have done many of them and would do all of them. For my last prescription, I received so many samples that I have not even had to fill the script yet. I borrowed dresses from several friends in high school and college for formals. My MIL borrowed her dress for my wedding! And it was gorgeous. All of my children's clothes are secondhand, and so are most of their toys. And you better believe that I will pull over to get something off the curb if I can use it!
I've never been to a junkyard, but I did get DH's car repaired at a local vocational school for free when it needed body work. All it took was a phone call and an application.

I would guess that people might have been offended by the suggestion to give kids' and others secondhand and homemade gifts - for some reason, that seems to offend people. Also, asking others for help (samples, borrowing clothes) embarrasses some people as they are concerned over what those people think of them.
I do find it a little tacky that they presented these options in a pamphlet about being laid off. I honestly think they were trying to be helpful, but that probably was not the best medium to do it.

[Bookie]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

None of the ideas mentioned in the article are degrading, in my opinion. I'd like to see all 101. Maybe there are a few I'm not already doing.

The list is posted on this site.

Enjoy

[jodi]

Well, I just read the entire list - can't say there is anything there that I would find degrading. I guess we just have to put the message into the context it was delivered to see why people were so insulted.
Or all of us here are just very open-minded when it comes to saving

[meaghanchan]

I agree with everyone else. The idea of saving money is not degrading, and the ideas on the list are not degrading. The implication from the company that it's OK that they're laying you off because they gave you a list of great saving ideas, that's what's degrading. I would feel extremely offended if a company I worked for laid me off and gave me that list.

[greedy4chips]

Nothing degrading to me on the list.

But you have to take it from the perspective of someone who has worked for years serving people drinks, food, and peanuts while breathing recycled air and going to the bathroom in a 2x2 foot room with blue water. Some of the things on this list are worse than those above.

[34saving]

This was very big news here. Even most of the local media said things like "saving money isn't bad, but . . ." Many of the people receiving the list had just taken 40% pay cuts. There's also boatloads of tension about cuts that management should be taking. The list itself isn't degrading, but the idea that "you just took a 40% pay-cut, you can offset that by not getting your nails done and dumpser diving" was offensive in an already tense situation.

[Snoopy2645]

Well some of it I find offensive like cut your kids hair yourself AAAA my kids would run away if I did this you dont want to see my haircuts LOL!!! AAA digging in the garabe for stuff I have a feeling the nieghbors wouldnt like that much!!! So I can see where some of the stuff is out of line on the other hand I do lots of things to save money dh finds degrading he thinks using coupons makes me look bad A sorry but I dont care did I mention I saved $15 doing that when me & him went shopping two days ago!!! Oh & this week alone I think I got around $100 in the mail from testdrives & rebates something I guarantee he wouldnt do

[TinyFish]

Hmmm, if the airline is laying people off because they (the airline) is in bankruptcy, maybe they should have followed some frugal advice themselves!

I think it was in poor taste, but there is nothing degrading about saving money. However, there is something very unprofessional and insulting about your (former) employer giving you unsolicited, and very personal advice on how to run your personal life.

What is also offensive is that the company that provided these hints prides itself on 'We are people who truly listen, who genuinely care, who are available at all times, and who know how to enhance the lives of employees and support the productivity and profitability of employers.' and probably got paid big bucks for handing out this kind of dumb stuff as a 'benefit' to the poor folk who were laid off. I can see it now, someone said "Hey, it says in our contract with the airline that we have to provide support to the employees...I know, let's give them this leaflet! OK, that's that task checked off!"

-TinyFish

[Saving in So Cal]

I think you all are correct. It is not so much the suggestions that are degrading, but the context. The first thing question that came to my mind is whether the President/CEO is going to be dumpster diving or giving his/her family homemade/secondhand gifts this year. I suspect not.

[TinyFish]

OOOOh! I like this one: 79. Use old newspapers for cat litter. So not only will they be unemployed, their house will smell of kitty wee. My apologies to anyone who may be doing this, but I've got cats and done rescue for years and I can't imagine this working very well.

-TinyFish

[MoneyHoney]

Lay offs and pay cuts are very painful. That's a fact. Workers want a good severence package, but management can't or won't provide that. A list of money saving tips is no substitute for income and benefits. This misguided effort shows how out of touch management is.

[med12]

Not really offensive so much as ironic:

53. Bicycle to work.
101. If your income is low, contact utility companies about reduced rates.

Um, you just put these ideas on a list that you are giving to people you are laying off. Hmmmmmmm

Just found it ironic and comical but not at all offensive as far as the list itself. I would be very offended though given the context in which it was given to me.

[Lori63]

I agree that none were degrading, but to get the list from an employer (ex-employer) was in extremely bad taste. Someone did probably just think it was being helpful, though.

[lrjohnson]

Some ideas that to me are very normal are not normal to others. I'm still reeling after reading in another thread that a person would not shop at a thrift store.

I like sushi and I like ice cream. Now I totally understand when when someone doesn't like sushi, but it's harder for me to understand when people don't like ice cream.

With saving ideas, it seems like what I thought was ice cream is sushi to some people. Thrift stores make so much sense to me-great stuff for very low prices. But I'm seeing that for other people, they are almost taboo.

It's always interesting to learn we have assumptions that are wrong.
None ofd the ideas is degrading to me but I'm starting to see that my view is not as common as I thought.

[Bookie]

People are funny about the things they do or don't find acceptable. Like people I know who won't buy discounted meat or produce, even if it's to be used the same day. Makes no sense to me but . . .

The stigma of "used" is deeply ingrained in the minds of many. Even Cadillac advertises their "pre-owned" inventory. So much classier than selling a used car.

[PRICEPLUS]

The list is not degrading. The context it was given is somewhat offensive!

[Tree0164]

If you look at this website, just about every idea has been suggested. Most of us probably incorporate alot of those ideas. I don't find it degrading ( I couldn't see the entire article) but the employer was thinking that they would probably be helpful.