Thought of the Day 2

[5523Pathfinder]

Ok, I have been thinking about this for quite some time. Our(U.S.) economy is in the toilet, jobs are suffering and the Middle class is disappearing more and more every day. Why is the happening? Government? Taxes? Overwieght population? The Internet? Conan not being on the Tonight show? It really should make everyone think. Someone out there has to be able to pinpoint the reason, right? Now, I am only going to reference the U.S. in this babbling, but, I think its the same around the world.

 

My thinking is that we have become a entitled mass of people. We have products and services right at our very near reach. You can go to the store and buy a computer. You can buy stuff from the store, on your computer. Somewhere along the line, we have forgotten something. I was raised, and many people I know are the same, that when you work hard, you appreciate what you have a lot more. When you buy something, you worked hard for the money, took your time to find the right one and its going to last you a long time. Whats the problem with that right? Well, somewhere, someone asked for a deal on a particular item. I know when I was in high school(91-95) we had what we called the "Homie Hookup". That ment you cut a deal to your friends for whatever. This grew and soon everyone thought they should get a deal, all the time.

 

Is it right to ask for a deal when you dont deserve it? Businesses have a MSRP price on things for a reason, and it should be up to them to drop the price and cut into thier profits when they seem fit. Maybe you need a example. Lets try this situation. You go to a friends house and he has the newest biggest TV that you have ever seen. He wont tell you how much he got it for, but says "I got a killer deal". Now you go to same store and try to find the same TV. You look at the price and it shocks you! You think "There is no way he paid this price"! You find a associate and ask if you can get a "deal". He looks it up and and gives you a price that is the "best he can do". You think to yourself, maybe I should look on the 'net and see if I can find it cheaper. You find a spot that has the a similar TV for hundreds less. Same features, looks identical, must be the same right? You purchase the second TV online, go to the big store and take it home. You think that you got a better deal than that other guy. Did you buy the extended warranty? Heck no, I dont need that!

 

It works great for 6 months, then fails. You look up the warranty and find it only had a 90 day warranty. You paid a lot of money for this thing, why not try and take it back to the store, right? They tell you there is nothing they can do, sorry. But the guy is nice enough to show you some new TV's that just came in. Now what. Buy a new one? Get it repaired? What to do. You call the other guy that bought the other TV and find his is doing just fine. Matter of fact, he tells you that he also bought a surround system from the same store as his TV. What he didnt tell you, is that he is a good customer at that store. He even has gone as far as to get to know the sales person and the owners, so he deals with the same person every time. The same person is there becase the store is a small local store that does its homework and finds the best products that they can provide to thier customers. Everything at that place has cost him a bit more, but everthing still works. Great in fact!

 

What I am getting at here, is that maybe we shouldnt ask for a deal on everything! Is there something so wrong with paying full price for a quality product? Would you frequent the same store if your purchase would last? Does the average Joe deserve a "deal" on everthing. Almost everything we purchase is used quickly, and then thrown away. We want the newest thing, as fast as we can get it. I bet everyone reading this probably held on to a old cell phone that still worked, but it was a bit old. Heck, I have two of them still. I even had to use one when my new phone decided it did not want to work. Im sure I could charge it up and use it again.

 

Cell phones, Automobiles, TV's, Houses, everything that we use in daily life, is measured against the next guys. We keep buying this crap at cheap prices and wonder why it falls apart so fast. Is it because its made in China? Purchased at Wal-Mart? You tell me. In my opinion, too much stuff is made overseas. Companies want thier product made cheaper, beacuse they have to have a profit margin to stay in business. Would you pay more for something that is made here? I have gotten into a habit of checking the labels on everything to see where it was make. 9 times out of 10, its made in China.

 

Dont get me wrong, the people of China deserve to have a decent life. The should have every right to go to a job, save money and make purchases to support and grow thier family. As customers, we should have the choice to purchase something from our own country or from somewhere else. They used to call it a exotic purchace! The deal has basicly ruined goods production in the U.S., and moved it overseas. We pay a low price for it, and get what we pay for. There is no incentive to make a quality product anymore. People think they deserve a deal, even when they have never spent a dime at a particular store. In the day, the only time you got a deal or credit, is when you got to know the store owner. He trusted you because you spent money with him, instead of going somewhere else. Was it convienent? Probably not. Did you get what you paid for, yep. If you had a problem, you broght the product back and they gave you a new one. It wasnt sent out to be repaired and it took weeks to months to get it back.

 

We need to stop seeking a "deal" on everyting. If you buy something cheap, be happy with your purchase. If you buy something expensive, be happy with your purchase. What does a few buck mean in the long run? Well, think about it. The business owner can pay his employees more, they in turn spend a bit more money on what they need. Does this not make sense? Everyone in the world should take a long look at what businesses are doing in thier area. Heck, I work for a Infiniti dealer. People buying vehicles from us deserve to get the best product and serivce, because thats what they paid for. This should be no different anywhere else.

 

Ok, I will get down off of my soapbox now. I hope to hear some some of you and hear your thoughts. Oh, I will again state, Im not bashing China or business owners. They should be able to do whatever they have to do, to make money. We are the customer. We have the say when it come to purchasing. Just like wanting the deal, we can demand to have the opportunity to buy a quality product. This should apply wherever you live. Thanks for taking the time to read this. If i sound like I am rambling, Im sorry. If you have questions or comments, please ask or post away. I apperently need more customers so I dont have the time to write this stuff!

 

Derek

Edited October 29, 2010 by 5523Pathfinder

[k9sar]

I got a good deal on my soapbox

[nunya]

you have to take into consideration if the person getting the original 'deal' truely got one anyway, people tend to lie to make themselves feel better as well. Someone who is embarrased they paid so much for somethign is gonna lie and say thy paid half what they did, someone who thinks it impresses people is gonna tell you they paid $50 for a friggin Snickers bar. All keepin up with the Jones' will do is make you even more transparent... enjoy making payments for the rest of your life because you HAD to have a newer something than the person who only you think is impressed by it.

[adamzan]

I will gladly pay full price for a quality product or service. But I do have some connections here that can get me really good "deals" on parts and I will not refuse that!

[nismothunder]

Ok, I have been thinking about this for quite some time. Our(U.S.) economy is in the toilet, jobs are suffering and the Middle class is disappearing more and more every day. Why is the happening? Government? Taxes? Overwieght population? The Internet? Conan not being on the Tonight show? It really should make everyone think. Someone out there has to be able to pinpoint the reason, right? Now, I am only going to reference the U.S. in this babbling, but, I think its the same around the world.

 

My thinking is that we have become a entitled mass of people. We have products and services right at our very near reach. You can go to the store and buy a computer. You can buy stuff from the store, on your computer. Somewhere along the line, we have forgotten something. I was raised, and many people I know are the same, that when you work hard, you appreciate what you have a lot more.

 

Derek

Money cant buy you happness,but damn it can sure buy you a lot of hookers and coke.

But,if where the richest country in the world why can so few of us afford to live hear?(cause dumbass's will pay outragess amounts for junk)

 

Now thats outa the way,Let me tell you about this deal I can get you...

Edited October 30, 2010 by nismothunder

[Tungsten]

I will gladly pay full price for a quality product or service. But I do have some connections here that can get me really good "deals" on parts and I will not refuse that!

 

x2

 

Also, it is extremely hard to find things that are even made well.

Edited October 30, 2010 by Tungsten

[4x4white03]

I will gladly pay full price for a quality product or service. But I do have some connections here that can get me really good "deals" on parts and I will not refuse that!

 

While that is true, people (and Corporations) continually think about their "bottom line". As an Operations Manager, I see companies ask for decreases in contracts that, in the end, hurt the company that asked for the reductions in the first place! There has become this sense of "me against the world" and take every advantage you can to get to the top.

[Hawzzy]

On a little side note...a few years back Canada celebrated a big birthday 125yrs. Big celebrations planned for months. DO YOU THINK I COULD FIND ONE SINGLE TSHIRT, SWEATER, COAT, ANYTHING AT ALL THAT WAS MADE IN CANADA??????? NO FREAKIN WAY!!!!!! I wanted a souvenier shirt or something to commemorate the year! I found NOTHING and was really PISSED off about it!! Made in China and Bangladesh...but said happy birthday Canada, and Happy 125 How ironic eh?

 

Tye

[5523Pathfinder]

You think that is shocking? Go to any Disney store or theme park. Everything was made in china. We took our kids to Disneyworld about a year and a half ago. Everything we bought (clothing/apparel) is or has fallen apart. Sad.

[4x4white03]

You think that is shocking? Go to any Disney store or theme park. Everything was made in china. We took our kids to Disneyworld about a year and a half ago. Everything we bought (clothing/apparel) is or has fallen apart. Sad.

The sadder thing is how much you paid for it! I know people who have souveniers (shirts/hats included) from the mid 70's that look brand new, yet something that was bought yesterday ages 10 years with one wash.......

[GrimGreg]

The problem is "no one" wants anything "old", that thinking brought quality down, because if "no one" is going to keep something a long time, why make the product to last? At the same time they kept the price the same, and either pocketed the rest, or used it to offset having to pay union wages, or Federally mandated minimum wages. Once those got so high, it was either charge even more, or make the product somewhere else where labor is cheaper. Face it, if you can pay someone in China $.15/hour to make a T-shirt, why would you even consider paying someone here $8.00/hr to do it?

 

Yes, people do want a deal, but they also think they are entitled. That entitlement mentality is what has priced our labor force out of their jobs. Without a good job, people have to buy what they can afford, and that means the cheap imported crap.

[synthetic]

check out the book called shut up stop whining and get a life by larry winget. it's a wonderful read, and addresses the entitlement mentality in a pretty... blunt fashion. i know you all don't really know me and i'm new around here, but even if you get totally screwed on the price and say pay fifty bucks for it. it's worth it.

[tekazgtr1984]

^

Sounds like a good post to me. And a good read. I'm so sick of whiners.

[dieselmonkey]

I agree "a lot" of America is like this, but definitely not everyone. Maybe not even most people. However, corporate America thinks we all are or wants us all to be because it's better for their bottom line and that's all that matters. We get to choose from what they choose to offer us unless you go out of your way to find something else. They played and continue to play a far larger roll in undermining American manufacturing than they get blamed for. It's that simple.

 

My cell phone is 8 years old.

I drive the vehicles in my signature and will continue to do so for a very long time.

I don't have TV.

I built my PC in 2003 and my laptop is from 2006.

My house is 170 years old.

I buy my hardware from small businesses who go out of their way to find and stock the good stuff. Shout out to Frenchtown Hardware!

I ordered my door hinges and hardware from a blacksmith for much less than a plastic piece of garbage SCHLAGE from Home Depot and they're AWESOME.

I support my local lumber yards who actually carry straight boards.

ALL of my hand tools are made in the USA be they automotive, wood, or metal working.

I refuse to buy Chinese built power tools because they don't have a clue how to build an electric motor. Vintage or new USA all the way!

 

If everyone did the same there would be no Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowes, Advance Auto, etc to shove all that cheap (cheap the first time, but you have to keep buying it again!) Chinese junk down your throat. Vote with your dollars.

[5523Pathfinder]

Ceritantly, this is not everyone here, or anywhere for that matter. But, as with most, the minority steers the majority. Im sorry, if you are on welfare, you should be able to purchase a flatscreen tv, or a new Xbox. People are so wasteful and do not appreciate the things they have, like I said, because they didnt work for them(again, some, not all). These are the same who cry about government, but dont do anything about it. I also try and purchase as much stuff made in my own county as I can. I also visit the local hardware store. My house is new, but it was built by a small local builder, and as stuff wears out or breaks, I will replace them with better, well built items(not the cheapest I can find).

 

 

Thanks to everyone who has read this. Glad I can provoke some thought around here!

[synthetic]

I'm with dieselmonkey on how he put everything. My cell is about 4yr old, bought it off of my friend for a few favors and thirty bucks. Before that, I had one of those brick-ish virgin mobile ones.. no actual tv(service), because it's a waste of time as far as I'm concerned. It's for movies and the xbox ... once a month really, haha. My computer is the newest thing i own.. there's a hardware shop out here in mesa called Handy Freds up off of main east of power(local shout-out ) that does good business so i aim for it when i need something.

 

I only have one vehicle, the pathy(which i'll get a picture of sometime for yall, just not proud of my dinky 235's on the 31 rim) .. It's my d.d., takes commercial miles and i'll probably drive it till it blows up. And then some more. it's solid.

 

Another interesting thing, look up on google vlassic's dealings with walmart, it's horrible. Buuut on the other end of the spectrum there was a big lawn machinery company that outright refused to do business with Walmart that made the news too - which sparks some hope for humanity in the states, haha.. i'll try and dig up the name of that company.

 

EDIT - company is called Snapper. They deal with lawn mowers and the like.

Edited November 10, 2010 by synthetic

[Precise1]

Where to start??

 

I've been in manufacturing for 18+ years, specifically machining but I work for an injection molding company now. I've watched manufacturing get out sourced my entire career for one reason, profit. Not the profit of the workers, the ecomony or the country, the profit of the owners, top managers and investors. Oddly enough, there seems to be no limit as to what a reasonable profit is... Greed has driven things too far.

 

On the other side, the consumers have gone completely off the deep end with their expectations. I suppose it is the entitlement mentality mentioned before, I just know it as a bunch of whiny, lazy, greedy, materialistic idiots. Consumers led around by their noses with marketing, status symbols and competition. A co-worker said it best, "Why do we need $50 DVD players ($25 now)??" Reason being, because you have to have 5 of them. One in the living room for the big screen TV with 280 channels and surround sound, one for Billy's room, one for Nancy's room, one for the master bedroom and one for the tv in the bathroom...

 

30 years ago it was one 15" B&W TV that had 12 channels and nothing else.

Sure, upgrading has been nice but how did it get so carried away?? Why is this crap so important now?? To me it is not. I have a 7 year old flat screen (not flat panel) tv without any cable or satelite hook up, just a DVD player (that I bought used at a garage sale) and a VCR (remember those? I have it for the old movies that I have so I don't have to throw them away and buy dvds). I know I'm the odd one, but perhaps I offset just one materialistic, disposable consumerism family...

 

Quality of out sourcing?? I make things for a living. I send them to China so they can use them to make other things. Why?? They can't make what I do!! What does that tell you?? I pay more $ and buy quality the vast majority of the time, made in USA if possible. This ccountry was founded on agriculture and industry, it seems odd that it is of so little value now.

 

I avoid Farbor Freight and will not enter a Walmart. I do shop at Costco and look for good deals on line, but I also shop at the local country butcher for grass fed beef. I'll buy from local small vendors when ever possible and even buy second hand when appropriate. My cat eats out of crystal bowls that were 75 cents each. Go to a pet store and buy a Chinese made plastic bowl for $2.99...

 

I smoke my own food and as soon as I get a house, I'll set up my home brewery. I grow my own vegetables and fix my own cars. I am not the Joneses.

 

B

[GrimGreg]

Yeah, I think those of us who have bothered to reply are on the same wave length as for the way we think, live and spend.

[Nismojunky]

Where to start??

 

I've been in manufacturing for 18+ years, specifically machining but I work for an injection molding company now. I've watched manufacturing get out sourced my entire career for one reason, profit. Not the profit of the workers, the ecomony or the country, the profit of the owners, top managers and investors. Oddly enough, there seems to be no limit as to what a reasonable profit is... Greed has driven things too far.

 

On the other side, the consumers have gone completely off the deep end with their expectations. I suppose it is the entitlement mentality mentioned before, I just know it as a bunch of whiny, lazy, greedy, materialistic idiots. Consumers led around by their noses with marketing, status symbols and competition. A co-worker said it best, "Why do we need $50 DVD players ($25 now)??" Reason being, because you have to have 5 of them. One in the living room for the big screen TV with 280 channels and surround sound, one for Billy's room, one for Nancy's room, one for the master bedroom and one for the tv in the bathroom...

 

30 years ago it was one 15" B&W TV that had 12 channels and nothing else.

Sure, upgrading has been nice but how did it get so carried away?? Why is this crap so important now?? To me it is not. I have a 7 year old flat screen (not flat panel) tv without any cable or satelite hook up, just a DVD player (that I bought used at a garage sale) and a VCR (remember those? I have it for the old movies that I have so I don't have to throw them away and buy dvds). I know I'm the odd one, but perhaps I offset just one materialistic, disposable consumerism family...

 

Quality of out sourcing?? I make things for a living. I send them to China so they can use them to make other things. Why?? They can't make what I do!! What does that tell you?? I pay more $ and buy quality the vast majority of the time, made in USA if possible. This ccountry was founded on agriculture and industry, it seems odd that it is of so little value now.

 

I avoid Farbor Freight and will not enter a Walmart. I do shop at Costco and look for good deals on line, but I also shop at the local country butcher for grass fed beef. I'll buy from local small vendors when ever possible and even buy second hand when appropriate. My cat eats out of crystal bowls that were 75 cents each. Go to a pet store and buy a Chinese made plastic bowl for $2.99...

 

I smoke my own food and as soon as I get a house, I'll set up my home brewery. I grow my own vegetables and fix my own cars. I am not the Joneses.

 

B

 

im with him

 

when me and the girl friend go out for dinner we try to go to these "mom and pop" places, good food not premade crap, its better for you and most of the time it costs about the same. Second I only buy top grade stuff whether its tools truck parts ect if you cheap out once your buying again. Sourcing products that arntt made in china is getting harder and harder, ill buy local when ever i can i hate these big box stores. Just last week i put a sound system in my coworkers truck, he came over looked the truck over and went to FM audio and Video (its a local store that sell tv's car audio that stuff) when we were in there he said o future shop has something like that half the price of that one so i got my buddie who works there to explane the differences with everything, to make a long story short we ended buying most of the stuff at furtue shop, hes complaning about the sound quality and wishs he bought the better product in the first place.

[TrailChaser]

I honestly think we have passed the point of no return...

 

Back in the 90's we as the American population had the chance to put walmart and others like it out of business. Now it's become almost impossible for the average American to not shop at a store like walmart since they/we(average Americans) have ran them all out of business. It's hard to resist being able to go to one place and do all your shopping and save $$$ in the process. Lots of small communities don't even have a "normal" grocery store anymore since walmart started dotting the map with their supercenters. You have to drive 30+miles to the nearest Hayes, Kroger, HEB, ect. knowing that you will be paying more for the same food, then you still have to go somewhere else to shop for clothes, hardware, sporting goods...

It's a shame that we have gotten to this point, and I feel it's only going to get much worse.

 

If a community bands together to reject a new proposed walmart supercenter then walmart will simply build just outside town then the town loses tax $$$ among other benefits. You can't expect them to shut down a working walmart because they employ too many people of the town who now rely on that 20-30hr a week paycheck.(Walmart doesn't wan't "full time" employees") Walmart also found a new way to save us $$$... They no longer offer a 401K package!!! I guess they figure if you're dumb enough to work for them you don't have the brains to think about the future. If you work for walmart and try to band employees together for any sort of group benefit you will be fired ASAP along with anyone else involved... If you do too good on the preemployment test you will not be hired.(heard that from a manager personally) They are looking for midrange intelligence at best, but you can't be "too dumb" to get a job there.

 

They found our weakness and exploited it... Now we have to reap what we've sown.

Edited November 12, 2010 by TrailChaser

[SilverPath]

Walmart I live withing 5 miles of 3 Supercenters, so to say they are hard to get around is true. They even put out the local Albertsons which was a huge company and they have closed up 2 of their stores near me I used to go to. Luckily the Safeway is fighting them hard. I have a huge one next to me aswell as a place called Winco, another large grocery store. Luckily we have Fred Meyers over here where we can go one stop shopping if need be. I agree with all you said chaser.

[Precise1]

It's hard to resist being able to go to one place and do all your shopping and save $$$ in the process.

I understand what you are saying but I don't really agree.

 

First, you simply have to understand that Walmart is evil. It takes advantage of people, comunities, vendors, etc. Once you truely understand this, it makes it much easier to avoid the 'convenience' factor (what Derek was really saying in the first place) and the cheaper prices. I don't buy much merchandise so Walmart doesn't tempt me and the vast majority of the food that they sell, I literally do not eat (Miracle whip, doritos, ball park franks, etc).

 

It doesn't cost much more getting what you need elsewhere, which is what I do...

 

[rant]

Oh, BTW, local Walmarts have a doctor office ( ) and now check cashing where you can convert your government check into a prepaid Walmart 'cash card'. That's some scary sheit right there!! It shows you the demographic they are after so don't be part of that demographic!!

[/rant]

 

B

[TrailChaser]

It will be even scarier when they start paying walmart employees with those cards instead of real money...(Probably with slightly more $$$ if you opt for the card)

 

Is that even legal... Oh wait, we're talking about walmart here.

[BoneZ]

Rant ahead

I agree Walmart's are evil I have been saying it since the 90's when one moved into a town near my home town. Now the downturn In are economy I think the major contributor to this is all the raises to minimum wadge, Do people not understand every time minimum wadge goes up it just makes money worth less, so every time it goes up everyone that makes more then minimum wadge is loosing money, It also makes it so company's can not compete with foreign manufactures on the same product. America was built on the working mans shoulders it was held up by the working man. We grew crops, built are own products and still had plenty to ship around the world. Now Media pushes being a paper pusher is the better way to make a living, I completely disagree. If you look at peoples lifes most of the people that work hard and make something go home after work with satisfaction that they were productive and made something that will be used for years to come. Someone that push's paper all day is just glad to get away from work with no satisfaction in what we do. The solution to our problems is less desk jobs more manufacturing jobs and a freeze on minimum wadge increases. Also we need to be able to use our natural resources, For instance since bill clinton signed a contract as our president it gave the japan's the rights to take more fish out of American waters then the American fishers are allowed to by 50 times over. That contract was for a 12 year period. Logging is another instance we can't cut old growth but can cut young trees we plant, what is up with that it should be the other way around you trees should have to be such a age or more to cut, it is also regulated to. These are the best instances I can give but it is probably because I grew up in a logging and fishing community that is now poverty land. people who live there are eather retired, on welfare or work at walmart because every other job was regulated by our government out of existence. If we had state over fedral laws I delive the united states would not be stuck in the downword spiral. States could allow for the proper things to be done for there inviroment not having someone on the other side of the country saying how it needs to work.

/rant off thanks for reading if you did.

[TrailChaser]

Good rant... Everyone in this country(legally) needs to read what the founding fathers had to say about big government. Then we the people need to knock big government off it's pedestal and get this country back to being the what it once was.

 

We could start by casting out every politician with dual citizenship.