Barack Obama Endorses Frugal Living

9 Responses to “Barack Obama Endorses Frugal Living”

1. Alison @ This Wasn't In The Plan on May 19th, 2008 8:09 pm

   I do agree with your first thought. I’d be curious to know what the context surrounding this quote was. On one hand, some people tend to think they are entitled to having brand new cars and eating out several times a week, despite not being able to afford it. I think it’s wonderful that a politician is telling them that they are not entitled. Though I can definitely see where people might not appreciate such a concept. There are people out there who really can afford to gas up their SUVs (and quite possible own them because they need that particular size or strength of vehicle) and eat out whenever they please and do these things without batting an eye. But I wonder if the later are the ones complaining about higher prices?

2. Marin on May 19th, 2008 8:24 pm

   I don’t necessarily personally disagree with what he said, but the fact is that the US is a free, capitalist society, where people can drive big cars, eat too much and air condition their homes, even if it drives someone else crazy. Obama’s on the road to socialism. So, yes, it’s probably not going to wash with a lot of Americans!

3. Jennifer on May 19th, 2008 9:05 pm

   I’m leery of a candidate who promises change with no actualized, practical plan of how we are going to get there. Even if the outcomes he wants are good, when all the things he promises conflict with all the other things he promises, it just isn’t going to work out in the end.

   I don’t think the American public is going to buy into it that they need to keep their homes warmer in the summer because its not fiscally responsible, but that at the same time he can promise better healthcare without raising taxes or cutting social security. Why can’t we make oil and food appear, if we can make doctors, hospitals, and retirement income appear out of nothing?

4. Christy on May 24th, 2008 5:52 pm

   Personally, I would like to know what the temperature gauge is set on in his mansion, what he drives and why he has any right to criticize hard working people who are spending less in one year than he does in one month. This man really grates on my nerves! He is so out of touch that he sounds ridiculous trying to sound like he is “right there with us”.

5. greyseal on May 29th, 2008 11:23 am

   Obama travels to campaign events on private planes and in gas-guzzling SUVs. People may be less generally hostile to the message of politicians if they practice what they preach. “For me, but not for thee,” is something most Americans see right through, whether it be politicians or Al Gore, or even activist Hollywood celebrities.

6. Leslie on June 18th, 2008 5:28 pm

   Regardless of whether he practices what he preaches or our perception that our freedom as Americans includes the freedom to indulge in excesses, the environmental and global economic impacts be damned, what he said is the simple truth. Having grown up mostly working-poor with Appalachian grandparents who were socked down seriously hard by the depression, I know that we are NOT, as a country, all that far away from a time when it was considered not just patriotic (WWII) but good citizenship and good character to not be wasteful, to use our resources wisely, to reuse/recycle everything you can, to save money, to borrow as little as possible, to grow much of your own food… concepts that are now not only considered by many to be crunchy/hippy/tree-hugging but downright un-American. There’s nothing “socialist” to say that we have to grow the **** up and stop thinking that we are the center of the universe and that we should never have to practice frugality if we don’t want to. My guess is that, unfortunately, in not too many years way too many folks with “I can do whatever I want” attitudes are going to be stuck down brutally hard by an unexpected economy that has become overly dependent on gasoline and other oil-based products, once our gas prices and oil prices finally even out with what folks may in most of the rest of the world. Instead of preparing now by living frugally by choice, they’re going to end up having to live with far less than they could have ever imagined — just like folks had to in this country because of the depression and because of many wars, WWII and before.

7. kid on April 4th, 2009 7:43 pm

   bush never told us this junk.
   obama uses planes, suv’s etc. obama has his heat up high in the w.h.
   what is he doing exactly- people like him but he doesnt know what he is doing- does he?
   GREED HAS KILLED OUR COUNTRY.
   BUT THIS STIMULUS PACKAGE WAS A CONCOCTION OF THE DEMOCRATS. THEY WANTED BUSH TO ENDORSE IT AND HE WOULDNT. AND HE WAS RIGHT. HE WAS JUST HATED. HE COULDNT WIN FOR LOSING. NOW THIS STIMULUS PACKAGE IS ENDORSED BY OBAMA AND IT IS CALLED HIS STIMULUS PACKAGE, AND IT IS GOING TO KILL US- WE WILL BE OVER MANY TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN DEBT- IS THAT CRAZY OR WHAT- WHAT IS GOING ON- PEOPLE MAY LIKE OBAMA BUT WHAT THE HECK IS HE DOING TO THE COUNTRY- THIS IS SO WRONG.

8. kid on April 4th, 2009 7:49 pm

   AND BY THE WAY- I WATCH C SPAN-
   THE DEMOCRATS SAID WE HAD BEEN RUNNING ON RESIDUAL POST WORLD WAR 2 ECONOMY AND NOW THAT WILL CHANGE- world war 2 got us out of the depression- is this stupid stimulus package going to put us into another recession? PROBABLY.
   IT IS JUST Plain WRONG- THE ADMINISTARTION does not know what they are doing- we will all be in big trouble. it doesnt suprise me if the titanic is coming.

9. kid on April 4th, 2009 7:54 pm

   there is nothing wrong with living frugally- frugal is good- i just saw your blogs and recipes and they are great.
   i just have a big problem with hypocritical government officials who feel the need to tell us what to do- that is wrong-
   frugal is good

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