Dodging gates and taxes.The stock market is in the tank. Your 401K is now a 201K. A friend of
mine bought a Westside Bend house for $99,000 about 5 years ago and
sold it a year later for $175,000. That person resold it at the peak of
the bubble, for $275,000. Last week, I saw a "For Sale" sign in the
front yard–they're asking $99,000.
Given the current state of the
economy, it is no wonder that frugality is the new cool. A recent
Business Week article dubbed this the "New Age of Frugality." After an
era of gluttony, it's good to go back to the basics. But for outdoor
addicts like me, gear is an actual necessity that ranks highly on
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, probably right after food.
And, hey,
my bike can provide transportation and self-actualization all at the
same time, without polluting the environment. But why pony up $5,500
for that new carbon-fiber Orbea when you can find a screaming deal on a
slightly used titanium Litespeed listed by an ex-developer, realtor,
mortgage broker or restaurant owner on Craig's List. There's E-Bay,
too, and the used gear shops. Personally, I miss Second Season Sports
which provided me with a steady monthly income for years, which, of
course, I spent on more gear, so it was probably a breakeven
relationship at best. Repeat Performance and Gear Peddler have never
quite filled the gap for me, though I'm sure they do bang-up business
on extra large downhill boots for PPP at this time of year.
Interestingly, swap meets are popping up like daffodils this spring.
But be forewarned. Our cash-strapped government actually wants to tax
your gear!
