Perception of what we truly need changing

[jeffrey]

From the kitchen to the laundry room to the home entertainment center, Americans are paring down the list of familiar household appliances they say they can't live without, according to a new national survey by the Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends project.

No longer do substantial majorities of the public say a microwave oven, a television set or even home air conditioning is a necessity. Instead, nearly half or more now see each of these items as a luxury. Similarly, the proportion that considers a dishwasher or a clothes dryer to be essential has dropped sharply since 2006...

Pew Social & Demographic Trends: Luxury or Necessity? The Public Makes a U-Turn

[melcar.group]

That is the problem, most of the general public tried to live above their means (on credit) which lead to a lot of personal debt.

We all need to re-evaluate our lifestyles and ensure that we are living within our means.

[boosami]

"A luxury once sampled becomes a necessity."

Easy credit allowed people who could not otherwise afford it to sample luxuries. Since credit was flowing freely, people got used to those luxuries... that is until the credit ran out! Now that the smoke is clearing, people are emerging from their haze and the line between necessity and luxury is reappearing...

[wincrasher]

I really doubt that are problems today were caused by people buying dishwashers and using air conditioning.

Yes, in dire times people are giving up stuff so they can scrape buy.

The problem comes from people buying stuff with no residual value - vacations, eating out, fancy clothes, jewlery, etc.. Running up debts to buy things that aren't useful for everyday living is what gets you in trouble.

[boosami]

I really doubt that are problems today were caused by people buying dishwashers and using air conditioning.

True, a couple of specific debt purchases aren't going to get most people in trouble. The problem is that once it has started, it all seems to spiral out of control. I use credit to buy that AC unit I can't afford. Now I have increased energy costs each month. Oh wait, now it needs maintenance and repair. Not to mention that buying one luxury often leads to more down the road. (I have AC, and that was sure easy to buy... Why shouldn't I have a better heater now too?) Since I have no extra money, all those extra expenses go to credit and soon I'm up to my eyeballs in debt.

There are other options to dishwashers and AC. If I couldn't afford them you better believe I'd be scrubbing dishes by hand and cooling off with a cheap fan and open windows.

[rob62521]

Interesting survey -- it is amazing to see what we can "live" without when we have to!