Essay:A case for frugality

At America's founding, saving money was paramount. Many of Ben Franklin's witty sayings were about saving. But modern culture has went far away from that. People must have the most expensive clothes, fancy gadgets, and all this other material wealth. People who want to save money are seen as cheap.

Women stereotypically are seen as the big spenders, but men are just as guilty. People want more, so they put themselves in debt to live beyond their means. But this epidemic is not limited to individuals. Governments, local state and national, are also spending like crazy.

Not only are individuals going extravagant, even the government is living well beyond its means by borrowing more money. Individuals all the way to the federal government are spending borrowed money.

Forty cents of every dollar the federal government in America is borrowed. Entitlement programs (and also unchecked military spending) are bringing America down deep into debt.