Reader's Advice: Stop Buying Lattes

"Common Sense" Advice

I find comments or sentences that refer to "we Americans", or any other group, to be meaningless. I feel a certain way, have my own ideas and opinions & I doubt they are shared by all Americans. If "we Americans" lack common sense (CS), b/c "we need to be told how to live," & I occasionally need input, I guess I'm not American, b/c I have scads of CS.

What is "CS,"anyway? Is it like "conventional wisdom," which usually turns out to be wrong? Is it knowing enough not to stick my hand in a flame, or is it being able to live within my means? Lots of people not living within their means don't fully understand that"actions have consequences", but they will learn. Does this mean they have no CS?

Most often,the term "CS" is used to describe a given person's beliefs or opinions that may be uncommon.

Ex: Anyone with CS knows that "God exists & zapped us into existence" or "we evolved from simians."

Or: Anyone with CS knows that blacks are "intellectually inferior" or "great at basketball".

Or: Anyone w/ CS knows that the Iraq war is "a stupid endeavor" or "necessary to defeat terrorism".

You get the picture. You've heard the adage"CS is not common and often isn't sense".

If I define "CS" as the state of knowing & feeling as I do,then anyone who doesn't share my perceptions & knowledge has no "CS".

It would be better to be specific: "White, male American citizens of Norwegian ancestry, who fly fish & earn between $50,000 & $100,000/yr., know that Acme fly fishing rods are the best."

The finding might be that 95% of this group share this view, & among that specific group, one might say that knowing Acme fly-fishing rods are the best if one fly-fishes,would be CS.

But I'll betcha that the American citizen, marathon runner & competitive swimmer, Guadalupe,of Hispanic descent doesn't know or care that Acme is the best.

A white male fly-fisher of Norwegian descent who earns $75,000 might think that Guadalupe doesn't have CS. But when it comes to, say, how to make tamales, she might have tons of CS, but he probably won't.

BTW, I appreciate suggestions like: "Save money by not drinking lattes & by having your friends over for movie night."

I might know this, but sometimes a new angle on old knowledge elicits,"I hadn't thought of it that way."

I don't drink lattes & see maybe three movies a year, but if I did & took 7 kids to the movies every Saturday afternoon, well, those are 2 darn helpful suggestions.

Perhaps I hadn't made the immediate connection between those activities & their high cost, or maybe I had, but don't care. The comment, though, is potentially helpful. Even if I had been drinking lattes with abandon, & paying 4 lots of movies, does that mean I lack CS? I think not.

I have another point of view, being a white female American citizen of Irish descent. I have many potential reasons for why I do or don't do those things. For instance, I may have just won the Lotto, & the cost of movies & lattes is irrelevant.

Anna Freud of OH @ Sep 13, 2008 12:36:22 PM

When I was growing up, my mom would not buy something unless it was on sale and she had a coupon. So what did I do? I clipped coupons like a maniac. Even today when I grocery shop for my apartment, I try to only buy something when it's on sale unless it's something I need like milk or bread. On my college campus, the meal plan was mandatory unless you lived on the on-campus apartments. My roommates and I would pool our money to go grocery shopping and would usually eat family style a few nights a week.

I will admit to going to Starbucks, but I have umpteen million gift cards there so it's not like I'm spending money I don't have.

Veronica of NY @ Feb 09, 2008 17:23:04 PM

Coffee is the #1 Money Drain

This suggestion was included in an article that made it all over the blogosophere; I'm surprised you hadn't seen it:

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/103379/Top-10-Money-Drains

It's about the top 10 money drains -- little ways we waste money that all add up.

And the #1 money drain? Not surprisingly, it's coffee.

Ever since I read this article, I've mostly cut #4, bottled water. It takes a good chunk out of every visit to a fast food restaurant.

Ben Altschul of CA @ Feb 08, 2008 03:01:34 AM

Hmmm, so Americans these days aren't too smart at assessing their financial situations and fixing them? Nah...well, very true actually.

Thats what I was referring to in regards to people, young ones especially, not being taught what coupons are. Everyone is being unintentionally taught that everything is disposable as they aren't shown anything to the contrary. How many college age adults cook rather than spend on eating out, or take out loans for meal plans? From personal experience"few", oddly enough some are smart enough to brew their own beer though. Anyway, most have forgotten the simple staples of home economics due to insufficient training. Nothing wrong with the simple stuff. No matter how disposable one's ncome, everyone can benefit from being smart about its management. On a Personal note, Starbucks coffee isn't as good as my local gas stations, but if it people get something out of the visit then hopefully its worth it. Its up to everyone to assess what they can afford and why they should.

Franco of NC @ Feb 07, 2008 13:30:06 PM

I'm not sure how "common sense" and spending at Starbucks correlate: those of us with sufficient disposable income to pay $4.00 for a cup of coffee should be and feel free to dispose of it however we see fit. The wonderful free marketplace at work. What's a coupon? Not worth some people's time, worth others' time, choice is wonderful.

Seems to me the problem is more our society's feeling of entitlement (as mentioned) where spoiled children have grown into spoiled adults who want everything (and want it NOW, a'la Veruca Salt), and then whine and stomp their feet when they overspend into perilous debt (see: subprime loan fraud). The true sadness is that everything is now so tightly coupled (thanks in large part to our overweening federal government) that it's seemingly impossible to simply let financially stupid people live with the consequences of their foolish decisions ...

of FL @ Feb 07, 2008 09:47:25 AM

Coupons

Franco, that is exactly what I was talking about. My wife and I budgeted and saved our money when I was on active duty. The result was we were able to pay cash for our vehicles and motorcycles. We also had enough to put a huge downpayment on our home. We still budget and save our money; the result is we now have a comfortable cushion. Of course, you know budgeting means using those coupon books you mentioned, not to mention making coffee at home rather than paying $20 a week at Starbuck's (which is not that good to begin with).

Stephen Johnson of MS @ Feb 07, 2008 06:38:57 AM

You can't have too much common sense in a society that spends about $20.00 or more per week on Starbucks. Living within your means starts with the small things, afterall if you make a lot of money then living in your means is easy, but if you aren't that rich or even well-off then it's a lifesaver. Heaven forbid people forget what a coupon book looks like, or more important in this society, heaven forbid someone was taught what coupons are .

Franco of NC @ Feb 06, 2008 22:42:21 PM