Myself, and I know many others have felt this, and it’s ingrained in society. We mock people who go to discount stores, or cheap restaurants (that often turn out to be just as good).

We are marketed from about 3yrs old until we die, and somewhere in the middle we’re expected to be responsible as well. Yes that is partly true, but we are products of our environment. Humans are not cookie cutter replicants by any means, but if kick a dog a lot, he’ll bite anyone, and if you baby him, he’ll be a suck.

Our society and especially advertising casts shame on those who don’t make X amount or have the bells and whistles, and that is wrong. There was a time where most people at least “sort of” respected each other, regardless of the wage or position.

Is it responsibility, yes, but we as a society have let to much advertising mold our society, and we have all been affected to “influenza”.

The people at the top are just as greedy as the ones at the bottom. And I know plenty of people at the top who are “all flash” “no cash” just like at the bottom! The smart ones (in both lifestyles) ride the “middle” and enjoy their treats, but also nest and don’t buy when it’s foolish.

Trust me, there are people with several homes and cars, yet have trouble putting gas in the car.

My next move is to cut cable. At the middle tier, it costs almost $780 a year to have cable TV. When I factored in how much I actually watch, it comes to just under $3.00 an hour. About what I’d pay at a movie at a discount branch.

Analysis complete, cable will be canceled.

I can buy all 7 shows I watch from Itunes (seasons pass) for about $154 dollars in total.

Cable sucks because it’s like those old record/cd clubs. You really only want 10 channels, but have to pay for 200 other ones you don’t watch. It’s terrible, and in one month….it’s history

The best way is to cut extra things like high cable bundles, extra cell phones, drive less, and do what I do (if you are in a condo). Wear a sweater and cut the breaker to our furnace!

I turn the heat on for 10 minutes in the a.m. and then off until nightfall. Then maybe another 10 minutes just before bed.

See, even NOT giving us our share of the wealth in the growth of the economy will catch up with the “uber leaders” because we are now forced to cut back on consumption drastically….

Do we know that people even have access to more credit? or has the credit crisis as it relates to personal/retail individuals ended completely?

They paid 5772 in federal income tax, 4878 in provincial, and receive 1521 in CCTB. So they keep 60569, which puts income tax at 13.1%. If you decide to include CPP and EI they keep 56260, or taxed at 19.28% of their income. So how much else are they being charged in property tax, sales tax, licenses and fees . . . who knows. I would think it’s less than 50% of their income with 20% being your starting point.