the list of 9 for november 13, 2008:
NINE INDUSTRIES THAT WOULD FAIL ENTIRELY IF EVERYBODY LIVED LIKE ME
In these bleak economic times, when companies are losing billions and unemployment is on the rise,I can't help but wonder how so many businesses keep going even in a good economy. Sure, weall need food, shelter and transportation. But how do tanning salons, travel agents, expensiveboutiques and pet therapists make any money? Who uses them? Who needs them? This is notintended to be a "holier than thou" screed, but my wife Miki and I really do live within ourmeans, debt-free, and although we don't make a lot of money, we never want for anything. But as Ihave said only half-jokingly to friends and family, If everybody lived like me, the economywould collapse. Here are nine industries, for example, that would cease to exist if the worldfollowed my example:
- BEER. I never drank alcohol at all until I was 33, buteven now, while I can enjoy the occasional glass of wine, cider and some spirits, I don't likebeer at all, putting me in a tiny minority. The whiskey industry, while not as gigantic as thebeer business, would also go under if people drank as I do.
- TELEVISION. I grew up a TV junkie but haven't watched TVat all (with the exception of the Oscars and presidential elections) since 1991. In our household,we have enjoyed watching DVDs of recent HBO series. But if both network and cable TV shut downright now, it would make absolutely no difference to me. (Of course this would crush theadvertising industry, as well.) The film industry is just as useless, but obviously I go out tothe movies and watch DVDs all the time. Call it a vice.
- FAST FOOD. I actually think most of the garbage you canget at a fast food restaurant tastes pretty good. But it's so bad for you in so many ways, and mywife cooks at home, and when we do go out, we go out to local mom-and-pop restaurants. I honestlycould not tell you the last time I patronized McDonalds, or Jack in the Box, or whatever. Peoplewho live in the burbs may have fewer non-chain restaurant choices (I am lumping in atrocities likeApplebees, TGI Fridays, etc. in this "fast food" category), but they do exist.
- WEDDING. I'd say there's a "wedding industry," wouldn'tyou? If you include not only wedding planners and dressmakers but bakeries, caterers, printers,musicians, photographers, florists and of course venues for rent. Look at it this way: the currentaverage cost of a wedding in the United States is nearly $29,000. Twenty nine thousanddollars. For what is basically just a big party. Miki and I spent a laughable $900 on ourwedding, most of which went into renting a hot air balloon for our ultra-private ceremony. And wewere far less stressed out, to boot.
- CREDIT. I do have credit cards. I use them for frequentflier miles. But I pay them off 100% of the time. If I ever wanted something that I couldn'tafford with the money in my bank account, I'd do without until I'd saved up enough money. Creditcards are a major scam which has become so pervasive that modern society has actually becomereliant on this scam. You can't buy a house or start a business if you haven't established credit.So I see its validity, unfortunately. (I could also lump both the real estate and the mortgageindustries into this category, but I know that other people do need these industries, unlike thefive mentioned previously in this list.)
- BEEF. I am, strangely enough, part of the beef biz: myfamily owns some cattle in Idaho and I see something like $200 a year from it. But ever since Imarried a vegan (who is also a gourmet cook), my meat consumption has dropped drastically. Theaverage American eats 180-200 pounds of meat per year. Yikes! I reckon I eat only 12-15 poundsa year nowadays (meaning, on average, one quarter-pound serving each week), with less than a poundof that coming from cows (perhaps 3 servings of beef each year), and clearly I could easily dowithout even that. Pork farmers would go out of business too.
- PROFESSIONAL SPORTS. A wuss like me has zero interest inwatching games, buying related merchandise, or justifying athletes' multi million dollarendorsement contracts. Everything from the NFL to Nike would go out of business if it were up tome.
- CRUISING. I like to travel, but there are two aspects ofthe travel industry that I'd never pay a nickel for. The first is timeshares, which are anundeniable ripoff as far as I'm concerned. The other is cruising - meaning enormous ships, notriding around in a low rider or picking up gay guys. I have been on a cruise, but it was a freetwo-night writing assignment for a travel magazine. So I can definitely say that I've been there,done that, and would never pay to do it again.
- TOBACCO. This one's easy. I don't smoke.
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