To Save $ or to spent $ on year 2009?

They should have given us all pre-paid debit cards and let us spend the money and stimulate the economy. people couldn't save it and it wouldn't be available for things like lottery tickets or going to the casino. They could have put an expiration date on it to encourage people to go out and use it quicker. Honestly, if they gave you 1000, 5000, or whatever and said you had to spend it wouldn't you? It would have been much cheaper then the trillion dollar bailout.

well i think its better to save $ instead of spending it , you should only spend if you are able to make some profit out tof the $ you spent, else just for fun spending in this year it not well good idea

For me, I will be saving more this year. I've actually spent a lot already because I started the year off with a travel abroad. :( But unlike before when I could go all out on shopping and eating, I had to actually watch how I spent my precious dollars this time around. It's a bit frustrating that I can't try on any of the high price items. But at least a bad economy means lots o awesome sales! So I can still buy as long as there's a big price discount. :)

I will not spend or save anymore than I do now. I am just trying to carrying on life as usually. I feel like the economy will either recovery or people will not learn about the problems they have caused and it will crash. What good does all that saving do if it crashes? If it returns then you have not changed anything so you should be in good shape. The economy is just a diversion from what is really going on in government.

I love the question at hand, however my answer is that I have to make money this year in order to spend it or save it...and I need it to help pay the bills and help buy the things we need, so I would of course be spending it when I make it, however I would love to get to a point that I can put some of it away and save it too... after all I want to save up for a vacation, a newer car, and for christmas... boy I hope I make some good money this year....LOL

Definitely have to spend some money, life still goes on, still have to spend on food, transport and whatever necessities. Even if want to die, also has to spend money on a coffin. The problem is really, to spend on what? Buy superior product and it will last a long time, or buy inferior product and pray that it will last as long as possible. After this recession, there will be a lot more rich people. Those are the ones able to soak up all the shares in the stock market today, and sell it at a profit in the future. If I have a lot of spare cash, will definitely invest in real estates and stock market.

I was thinking of this last night, waking up from my sleep and thinking I have not had enough time to save enough money and yet I have the problem of needing things. I have decided to try to earn a little more and at the same time, be able to send some money. The trouble is with people losing their jobs, it would not be the right time to charge anything so we have to make sure the money is in the bank and we can write a check, pay by debit, or only charge what we can pay. In other words treating a regular charge card as a secured card. Then we come to those who receive government help or retirement funds. I have heard of several retirement funds going belly up and would that also happen to the ones that the government gives to the over 65? Will they find that instead of getting lets say $700 a month, it is reduced to $650 and what if that fifty dollars was supposed to be a automatic payment. So it has left people in between a rock and a hard place. Does that mean that I may actually have to spend my mad money?

I believe that nobody can just start spending big time without any reason . Nor can we become a miser overnight . I believe we should be spending judiciously . Yet ; we should also save for bad days . I believe a balanced approach always helps .

In my case, it's a yes on both counts. It's important to save for that rainy day [I can see it coming now], but I have to spend a little on life's indulgences, as well. Wouldn't it be wrong if we can't reap the fruits of our labor? But--I'd save more. Saving's a priority for me, and mainstream society.

I say, spend if you have the money. Most people are saving because they do not have much money, and by the looks of the economy so many people will be out of jobs. There are so many places laying employees off, going out of business, and tightening their wallets that it makes it more or less impossible for people who desire a job to even get one (even a minimum wage job!). I think it is smart that so many people are not being foolish with their money right now, because they could easily become worse off.

I will save because I am not that rich to spend much. i always want to have something in the bank than having nothing at all.

I'll be trying to save more and spend less. In this economy you can't be too careful. My husband and I are lucky enough to both still have our jobs, but with these record job losses, who knows? It seems to me that it's better to save everything we can just in case something happens. I'd rather be safe and besides, it's always good to save money anyway.

Unless you have lost a job or something I suggest you just keep spending the way you have been, but don't spend frivilously. Who knows, 2010 could be alot worse than 2009 so I think you should maybe save a little more than usual. But you sound pretty smart so you're probably doing that anyway.

Hi, I am from Australia, in the state of NSW and we are just going into recession now. The government wants us to spend money to save the economy, in fact they have just introduced the second Stimulus Package in which both myself and my partner will both receive a $950 cash bonus each. We will spend the money as we are lucky in that we have quite a bit of savings, however if that were not the case I would certainly be saving it. It is difficult to tell someone to go out and spend the money when they may not be able to pay the mortage or electricity bill next month.

Personally how are you supposed to go and spend $$ if there is nothing extra to spend? It seems like everytime you might think that you are getting ahead of the game, or getting things back under control another Bill goes up, and you end up having to Scrimp and save even more. And then when it comes to saving for a Rainy day it seems like that usually ends up having to be touched all of the time as well. Hopefully there will be better times ahead for all of us. But with all of the lay offs, etc. happening around here all of the time, it could be a while as well.

I am spending money on preplanned purchases, and the rest of it I am saving. We are comfortable right now, and we have a plan for if one of us gets laid off, so we just have to be sure that we don't both get laid off. because of this (remote) possibility, I am reluctant to spend a lot of money.

As for me it is important to save. Save as much as possible for the future of the family and for it's security. But recently in this time of crisis prices are going up, it is hard to save. But as I said I saved as much as I can and I only spend into important things, basic needs of my family.

Well, I am, strangely, in the best economic condition of my life, so I will be spending, but I can see why many people will save in these hard times. It makes sense to me, although spending is necesary for our economy to sustain itself

Its gonna betuff year dude.I think everybody is saving with panic as more and more companies are cutting jobs and pay.Problem is,if everybody stop spending it will lead to more crash of economy.

I'm going to try and save more money this year. I'm also going to keep trying to make money on the internet! That is my 2009 goal!