stimulus

I'll be the first person to admit I know nothing about economics and I am constitutionally unable to learn. For example, my ex whatever-he-was-to-me tried patiently for years to explain the stock market to me and my understanding is still, shall we say, vague and clouded. But I do understand some simple, common sense principles, like buying something on sale with a credit card that you carry a balance on and thinking you've gotten a bargain is as stoopid as hitting yourself in the face with a brick. It is with this sad level of understanding that I approach the idea of economic stimulus.

I just read a maddening (to me) internet exchange. It started out as "how are you cutting back in these difficult economic times?" A number of people said they weren't eating out at all anymore. Someone sensibly suggested that this was actually bad for one's local economy, since many, many people depend on their jobs in the restaurant industry. This caused some of the non-restaurant goers to get snippy.

Someone suggested that no one should waste their money on things like mani/pedis in this economy. I thought, but didn't bother to post, that there are a huge number of people who also depend on their jobs in the salon/spa industry. (I'll admit I am conflicted and/or hypocritical on this matter. When I went back to school and became [once again] poor, the first thing I gave up was professional hair coloring and waxing, and I *certainly* don't pay for massages these day when I can get the most awesome ones in trade from M2. But having some friends who make all, or the predominant amount of, their incomes in spas and who are quite worried about possible drop in said incomes, I truly hope not everyone is like me. In fact, I'm almost thinking it's my duty as a patriotic American to go back to the professional hair coloring now that I'm not poor any more.)

Someone brought up that the media was whipping us all up into a frenzy so everyone was afraid to spend money and this was in fact horrible for the economy. Someone else (from Michigan) said they thought that spending money was not an economic stimulus and the only thing that was going to work was creating jobs. To which I thought, jobs doing what? I mean, I understand the public works projects ala the New Deal, but beyond that? Jobs involve making things, selling things, and/or providing services that *other people want, or have, to spend money on.* If no one is buying what you're making, selling, or providing, no jobs. Am I totally wrong here? Isn't that, like, the main principle behind an economy?

And, again, people getting snippy and defensive about not *having* any money to spend on anything. Fine. If you can't pay your bills, or can just barely pay your bills, then no one is suggesting you wrack (rack? help me here) up more credit card debt getting your eyebrows done or going out for Chinese food. But this is what I think. If you do have, say, $40 in disposable income a week, $40 that doesn't need to be spent on bills, and you aren't in debt, the responsible thing to do, for yourself and for your neighbors and country is this: put $15 into your savings and take the other $25 and spend it, preferably on something that's gonna give work to someone in your community, not a factory worker in China. Pizza, microbrews, and pedicures all qualify. As does a chair massage.

I have spoken.

xoxo