“The bad times expose the sins of the good times”

Man is that statement ever true! So many of us thought the good times would never end and as a result put ourselves in a real bind when the good times did come to an end. I’ve personally had to change my lifestyle to deal with the new environment. Our company has had to revamp all our expenses, eliminate anything frivolous and get lean and mean to cope with the new realities facing all of us.
I’m sure you too have had to face the fact that perhaps you had over extended during the good times and thus have had to cut back or change your priorities a bit. I’m seeing a change every day at work. No longer are our customers adding the 22 inch wheels, the dvd’s or the subwoofers. I don’t think we’ve sold a single set of wheels in six months! Rather than stretching and going for the absolute most vehicle our customers can afford we’re seeing more prudence in their buying decisions and I would argue this shift in how we think is a positive shift.
There are those that say we need to spend to get our economy going. I have no problem with all of us spending money on whatever we like as long as we live within our means. The problem is for too long we lived beyond our means and now it’s time to pay the piper for those of us who went too far. The price paid for buying something we can’t afford far outweighs any enjoyment we may get out of it and I think this fact is setting in for every one of us.
At our dealerships, we encourage our customers to look at vehicles that will fit their needs and are affordable. If we show our customers a more expensive car than they can afford then we are doing no favors to anyone. I believe it’s time for all of us to live within our means and enjoy the comfort once again of having a little dough in the bank. This is where I’m at and based on the choices our customers are making I don’t think I’m alone.