I am a bad consumer. This became apparent to me because of my recent move, which required several interactions with businesses, companies, corporations, and banks. However, being a bad consumer does have its upside. That is that I don’t accumulate debt. Therefore, I have a good credit score–better than 70% of my fellow Americans, I found out.
The reality is I rarely spend money on non-essential products or services. (Of course, “essential” varies. Like values.) But, moving forced me to spend money I didn’t have, which put me in arrears. Furthermore, that fouls my mood. Notwithstanding, and because I am human, I engaged in a favorite American remedy–shopping.
On credit, I bought a book.
For a good reason, I reasoned. The book is Abraham Lincoln: the Prairie Years and the War Years (1925) by Carl Sandburg.
I thought it apropos considering our current state of affairs. Moreover, I killed two birds with one stone. I think Lincoln would’ve approved.
As it turns out, being in debt was a serious crime back in the 19th Century. Resulting in jail and sometimes even death. Which is quite contrary to the American way of life today, where being in debt makes you a good consumer. In fact – a Good American.
Let’s take a closer look.
The Details
The details of how I realized I am a bad consumer are as follows.
I wanted to cancel my Internet service because I wouldn’t need it where I was going. Therefore, I called my provider. After, of course, getting nowhere with the online AI machine. (That was the first clue.) Finally, thirty minutes of inane conversation later, I was successful. However, because I was cancelling my Internet service, They would have to charge me more for my mobile phone service.
Taken aback I said, “In that case, I’ll probably cancel that, too.” And disconnected.
One month later
Secure in my new home, using my landlord’s service, I decided to follow up on my threat and cancel the phone. Said landlord said I could attach to their service for much less. Again, I took to the machine that powers our lives. Only to find more of the same–frustration with an automated AI multiple choice questionnaire. It wanted to know why. Does it matter? No, not really.
However, they wanted me to really think about it. Additionally, they wanted to use the psychological mechanism of negative reinforcement* to get me to hangup before I had completed my task. Therefore not cancelling my service. And then, maybe I’d forget the whole matter.
In a Nutshell
The current ethos of American life is to spend money – that’s what keeps our society humming. Surely you’ve heard the expression: We’re a consumer economy.
Somewhere in time, I think it happened early in the 1970’s, credit cards became a thing. “Buy now, pay later.” Yes, of course, there’s a small fee. There is risk involved for the lender. However, if everyone is buying on credit, the losses can be absorbed. Because most people will pay off their loans. (As modeled by Honest Abe Lincoln, our 16th president.) Being in default was no longer a crime, just an inconvenience. Lawyers, like Lincoln, would find a way to make everyone okay. Moreover, to keep the economy growing via consumption.
Unintended consequences
Unintended consequences ensued, however. Because we humans (like most creatures) aren’t wired to think long term. We like instant gratification. Fast food, bring it on! I can have that car now? drive it off the lot? Where do I sign? Own my own home? With a garage and a car? Yeah, baby!
All of which fueled The Great Recession of 2008. It wasn’t evil people–evil bankers and Wall Street liars and thieves. Or, The Jews! It was people being people. Wanting the “Good Life”, The American Dream.
Bingo
Bingo! went the synapses in my brain, as they tried their best to get me to keep spending money. They make it so easy, especially now. Look here. Click here. Just Tap this icon. Scroll on down. See something you want? We know what you like. We know who you are. It’s so easy. You can have what you want now! Delivered to your door! All you need is a credit or debit card. 🙂
The world at your finger tips. Literally.
However, I am a bad consumer. I like cash. Greenbacks. I don’t like debt. Of any kind. That’s who I am. Does that make me a bad American?
*Negative reinforcement is when you remove an unpleasant stimulus. It is the logic behind why an “alarm clock” works to wake you up. You are rewarded (waking) for stopping an unpleasant sensation (the screech of the clock).
PS
How I came to be a person adverse to debt is a question for another day. As is: What if I had a lot more money at my disposal? And, why don’t I? … A shrink question.
All of those angst feelings from a $15 book about Abraham Lincoln? You should meet my kids, who ran up thousands of dollars in debt when in college. Of course, now they are some of the cheapest people in the world as well. Me? I went debt free when I paid off the house I now live in 25 years early. It wasn’t to be debt free. I was pissed at the bank that held the mortgage.
Yes, the curse of an unquiet mind. I, too, have had beefs with banks. Being debt free, in all matters, equals freedom. Which is at the core of the American Dream. So today we are caught within a paradox. Maybe that is a factor in why so many people seemed to be going crazy. :-\
I really wish it were that easy. Unfortunately, I think that’s a whole different can of worms. And I’m not smart enough to figure it all out!
A follow-up. My old internet/cell phone provider continued to bill me and extract payments from my credit card via “Auto-pay” (Still another story as to how ‘they’ steal from you). The bank then insisted I come to a branch, in person, to verify who I was. Because I had a new phone number. The bank and I did get it sorted out and they stopped paying the internet/phone provider. AND, the company (one of the largest media corporations in the world) still is billing me.
I so dislike this new world that has emerged. 🙁 We are the worse for the media technology revolution. Globalization in general, in my opinion. I think the Netflix series “Black Mirror” has it about right. Ironic that that is.