For almost three years now I've been trying to convince some of you that the city is the place to be. For the most part, my words have fallen on deaf years, but maybe the cries from the pocketbook will be the sounds the bring about change.
The writing's on the wall: from the mortgage crisis to yesterday's prediction of SEVEN DOLLAR/GALLON GAS, people are going to have to seriously contemplate moving closer to town. An article in Wednesday's New York Times confirms that the American trend of sprawl might finally have met its match, and mass transit might be the only thing that saves the suburbs as we know them. While we've spend almost two generations trying to figure out how to solve America's inner city problem, we might be in the midst of a generational shift that will have us posing the same question about America's suburbs. I guess I'm saying if you're even remotely thinking about going urban, now is the time before the market goes crazy.
I fully understand that [especially with the housing market] it's impossible for some people to even consider such a move. But I would challenge all of us to start to rethink the way the we are living life. I'm not Chicken Little, but I'm not sure we've hit bottom of this roller-coaster economy. Unless you have money in the bank, now is not the time to be spending money. If you haven't already, start working down your debt. Even though people are complaining now about these economic indicators, most of us haven't actually felt the pinch. But I say it's coming.
Didn't think this would turn into a Dave Ramsey session, but there's an interconnection between these thoughts. Take care of those you love and start tightening the belt now.