What Can The Average Person Do To Help The Economy?

I agree however the Big-Slicks that manage and run what used to be our Nations industry have sold off these assets to line their pockets with the profits or moved the enterprises offshore for cheaper labor. I believe in our system however it need to believe in it's populace and get managers that are not looking for self-enrichment but fulfillment and making it's customers, USA citizens believe in them once again to make it work. Out Government also must start dealing with the people and stop bending over backward for these money-hogs that have raped this country and it's citizens for the last 50 years with junk products and lies. The banks are the perfect example in this mess of distress we are now living. They want all these concessions and infusions of cash, yet when the table is turned on making similar deals with the individuals and family's that have seen most of the wealth ruined by these pimps of cash, they turn into Mr. Potter! It's a Wonderful Life but we all need to share in it not take it from each other.

Addendum

Let's just think about the salaries these YoYo's, not a Hasbro either but a cheap facsimile, are paid Tens of Millions of Dollars a YEAR! Could this outrageous pay have anything to do with the increased costs? I have yet to meet the person that is worth anywhere near this amount of money in a lifetime let alone a year! I would go for even 10% no 1% of there annual salary! Just like actors and sports figures that earn astronomical amounts of money and then gripe about their lot! What greed. Think that someone who may or may not be entertaining makes this amount of cash! Is that why when we go to the theater it costs $10 to get in, $10 for popcorn, $7 for a drink? I remember going to the ball park and see the Tigers play with my Dad and you could get a hot dog for $0.25 and a Coke was the same with my Dad paying $10 for his ticket and $.50 for mine that was an event that was under $20 with gas. Now if I were to take my daughters Hot Dogs are $7 Cokes are $5 and admission is $40. What is wrong with this picture when we are sitting in a State Tax payer paid for stadium? Henry Paulson was paid $20million? Before this job he made over $100 million on Wall Street? For ripping off the same people that he stole this money from and instead of helping out the people the BANKS get the cash because they just spent all of their money buying up the failed banks for ten cents on the dollar!

First, I think we need to ask ourselves some questions, like "Who are we responsible to?" Next, I think we need to recognize that the way things seem to work is that we have to be stable and take care of ourselves before we try to extend to others. If we don't have enough to give - we drain and hurt ourselves. It is not economical to always buy American products and not all products Americans use are made in America anymore. We are now a globally based society. IF we want to strengthen our economy we need to create updated rules and guidelines regarding taxing and other structures so the creation of products and services we use aren't sent elsewhere to be produced. We could also benefit by fixing things right here at home, regarding the corruption that we see; and get our own priorities in order... I suspect that we need to touch the lives of more Americans and have them understand that we need to depend upon our own skills more and less on handouts. I think our debt comes not from the level of consumerism, but from how we've become to depend on credit and other ways in which we are not to keep our own pocketbooks in balance (separately and collectively as a nation) - right now. I think "faith"is not based on what we "should" believe. I think that people are faithful to what they believe is truthful and honest. If they don't have faith in our system they may benefit more by considering what they have done to contribute to it being this way and then make a change, setting an example for others.

"The Head of the Snake" speaks:

There are many reasons for this Economic problem that is addressing the WORLD!
One is the GREED of money by the worlds Stock Markets and THE GREED OF THE BANKS that were trying to rip YOU off, but they didn’t figure in the FACT that if people lose their jobs they can not make those hose payments, pay taxes, buy things, on FEED THEIR KIDS!
Having said that NOW remember that ALL YOUR veterans have fought for your rights to have that job, own that car, go to that church, and raise those kids!
Now the Government has sent most of our jobs over seas, and THOSE people NOW pay their house payments, buy things, and FEED THEIR KIDS! That are not Americans! And now YOU have to pay their taxes, house payments, and feed their kids, too! And the RICH people are mad, because they lost money trying to RIP YOU OFF, and definitively not help you any at all! Even though they still have 85% to 90% of their money left! And the reason we sent the jobs over seas was so THEY could make more money!
They call it free trade! Well you try to buy land in China or Japan, or ship the much-wanted cars and parts over there! IT’S AGINST THEIR LAWS FOR YOU TO DO THAT!
HOWEVER YOU buy almost everything from over seas, and put THOSE people to work and feed THEIR KIDS! And YOU choose to put those AMERICANS out of work, and starve their kids!!
If you buy American made things then 90% of that money will stay here in this country, and those Americans will have jobs, pay their house payments, buy things, PAY TAXES, and FEED THEIR KIDS! Then YOU don’t have to, and your TAXES are less too!
The GREATEST DISRESPECT you can show us, YOUR REAL AMERICAN HEROS, is to display an American Flag or Car Sticker THAT IS MADE IN ANOTHER COUNTRY!  And some of us gave A LOT for YOU, some left their minds in OTHER COUNTRIES FOR YOY, and some gave it ALL FOR YOU!
And you buy things from OTHER COUNTRIES, and refuse to BUY AMERICAN!
If you want to get out of this thing we are in then BUY AMERICAN, and go out of your way to do it TOO!
Plus STOP shopping at Wal-Mart where 72% of their things come from CHINA!
“The Snake” of the most powerful VETERAN’S group in the EASTERN US “The Head of the Snake” wrote this!
Go to your local VA Hospital and hug some necks for Christmas!
That would be better than 1000's of cards! And show real respect for the pain they have indured FOR YOU!
Logic101

logic101

On a personal level a lot of people could do better,with living within their means but that has nothing to do with the big wigs and Gov money grubbers,is it our fault that the stock market tanked or that car makers did the same or that utility bills go up at will,JOBS have been out sourced,to foreign countries for cheaper wages,while americans are laid off etc, I feel what goes on in ones household affects the household and not the entire country,so I see those that have the authority to say a company can send their Jobs over seas but still collect funds while being the Ceo of the company etc.....that is my story and I'm sticking to it....financial institutions have tanked and prices continue to rise, just this math alone does not add up to good sense to me......

(Sorry, I think I posted this twice...didn't mean to.)I couldn't have said it better myself, Countvac. I give you 5 stars sir. I also agree with you Katie, however, I am conservative in my spending because I have to be, and even if I didn't have to be, I still am not a frivolous spender. I don't think that just by buying American is going to get us where we need to be. It is much more as Count explains. I don't believe we should be bailing anyone out of anything as they pull up in their Leer jets asking for a handout to save the company they so greedily destroyed. I think the designer suit or the wrist watch that the CEO flew over in was worth more than my car.

You can isolate a lot of incidents of excess. UAW job bank. UAW workers hired in at $28.50 to sweep floors. Cost of average pickup truck now? 34K. The banking scandal. The Dept. Of Energy established by Bubba Clinton that has spent 24 billion dollars so far. Their recent written report submitted to Congress? We should buy less foreign oil. Who knew? Point is, things get out of hand and we all pay for it in the end. Me personally? Absolutely will not buy anything made in China. And have rarely purchased anything I did not need. The advertisering agencies cringe at that statement, but I have a nice TV that I can see just fine, and I don't "need" to go out and buy a liquid crystal HD wall mount 80" screen. I have 1 charge card for emergencies only. I don't live in a monolith castle with 40 rooms and a mortgage payment in the 1000's. Those material things help me to live, instead of living to possess them. Hippie idealism of the 60's? Not really - just common sense. I know a woman, husband owns successful business. The big house, 2 Lexus in garage, teenage son drives BMW. Did woodworking in their house. Area I was redoing turned up over 100 pairs of shoes this women had bought -many never worn. Politley asked her why. Answer? "When I go shopping I have to buy something!" Something amiss there... Part of answer is that if you can't buy it cash, don't buy it. That 20% off sale item isn't much of a bargain when the credit card company is charging you 22% interest. Mafia loansharks don't even charge that much. Collectively we all should be more responsible. Gas $4.00 a gallon. We collectively use less. Result? 10 weeks later gas now $1.50 a gallon. The government is atotal loss when it comes to spending our money responsibly, so if you want change, the change starts with us.

This is not just an American question, a lot of what you all say applies in the Uk too.  The question is what can the AVERAGE person do to help the economy?  We can all choose to buy goods made in our own country, thereby supporting our fellow workers.  If what you want/need is not made in your own country then try to buy it from an ally country.  We can all read "Made in *****" can't we?  Given the choice between locally produced food and something that's been shipped from abroad - buy local.  Shop wisely - ask banks and mortgage companies hard questions and remember there is no such thing as "something for free".  Try not to get into debt, don't buy stuff on credit when it is something you don't really need.  This all sounds like self-help stuff, but if you can avoid needing benefits/handouts/whatever you call Government aid, then you ARE helping the economy. I have to say I was shocked to see how much of the souvenirs at Disney and the Space Centre came from China.

Not all of the people can even remotely do anything about helping because while the U.S. Government and business does away with the ability of the middle class and below to have a labor based jobs or the ability to train for these so called tech jobs the only jobs left are service jobs  with 10 times the applicants for the positions open...the nice companies and our government forgot that when they do away with the base (work force) that supports america they have no one(base) to sell to  or consume products  creating the circle of our economy...and when the government allows illegal(or practices that should be illegal ) practices to flourish without putting them in check this is what you have ...the nice schemeing U.S. Companies have made their boat  but now have no one to paddle because they have outsmarted themselves by their own business practices....instead of protecting the U.S. Economy they have sold it off to foreign companies/countries.....and everyone knows when you don't control your assets/companies/money flow  all the components that make up the U.S. Economy you have given control to a outside source....which is now what the United States is learning the hard way....our gatekeepers fell asleep on their watch or are complicit with the people that let it happen...(in league with the devil so to speak)...there is not much regular folk can do at this point they have slowly had their power drained /pulled out from underneath them..all we can do is hang on for the ride....automotive speak for when the brakes get wet and man did the big three/banks and the housing industry run  through a big gully washer...taking us all on a rollacoaster/economy ride...now we just have to see who's left at the end to start fixing the tracks.....this reminds me of what opie said one time-she learned if she did not have control of her assets she was handing out funds just because she did not know what was being done to arrange for her own venues....in other words she was no longer like a plaintiff without a lawyer trying to defend themselves....and having a xxxx for a client.....I could go on but I think this answers the question......OH!(excitement) get down on your knees and pray to the god of israel ,isaac and jacob..and bring God back into the schools and streets.....or it is going to get a lot worse believe it or not  ripley....and that is no joke... Later

Each one of us should get a job or live off of our own savings, and not demand a dime from government. Self-reliance will stimulate the economy; other-dependence will deflate the economy.

I am surprised with all the thoughtful and heartfelt responses.  There are some really cogent solutions and pithy responses offered.  If the people at Blurtit are any indication of the intelligence and character of the average American, than I am very encouraged.  There is hope.  With people like you, the good ones, we will not only prevail but prosper.  I apologize for some of the low ratings.  I fear they are reflective of someone at Blurtit that has it in for me and the low ratings are just because it is a question I asked not aimed at your answer.