Luxury vs. Necessity

In my March 31 post, "Do you want three shots or four?", I discussed the sense of entitlement assumed by many Americans. Basically, I said that the convenience of access to goods and services in America should not become an excuse for greediness.

I was listening to NPR the other day (you should all listen to NPR, it is amazing) and I heard a story that was very encouraging. They were interviewing a man from the Pew Research Center about a recent poll the Pew Center conducted. Apparently, the Pew Center has been asking Americans since 1973 what they consider to be luxuries and necessities. The poll focuses on things like cars, TVs, dishwashers, microwaves, and the like. From 1996-2006, Americans' perceptions of most of these items as a necessity steadily increased. By 2006, 91% of Americans thought a car was a necessity, 83% said the same of a clothes dryer, 70% for home air conditioning, 64% for a TV, 68% for a microwave, and 33% for cable or satellite TV service.

A few years ago, I probably would have said most of those things, with the exception of cable and a TV set, were necessities, particularly AC, a car, and a microwave. Living in Georgia, AC is a must have. It's either AC or death in the middle of the summer here, and I still believe that. But after living in England without a single one of the things listed above (and no dishwasher either!), I have revised my views a little. Whereas I felt that I needed my own car, I have realized that sharing a single car with my wife is really quite feasible, at least for now. We also do not have a microwave in our new apartment. It didn't come with one, and we hardly ever miss it. When I was in college, I used the microwave almost every day. I really didn't need to. We have decided that it's not worth it to spend the $30 it would cost us to buy a microwave - that is how little we need one. We only get the basic channels of TV, and it's great; we read more instead.

In short, I realized that many of the things I considered necessities were really luxuries, and some of them were luxuries that I really wouldn't miss if I didn't have them. Apparently, the recent economic troubles have caused many Americans to rethink this issue as well. Now, according to the poll, the percentages listed above have dramatically reduced. That is great! While the recession is not a good thing, I'm glad it has caused people to realize what is luxury and what is necessity. Some of the new percentages of people considering items as necessity are as follows:

Car - 88%
Clothes Dryer - 66%
Air Conditioning - 54%
TV set - 52%
Microwave - 47%
Cable or Satellite TV Service - 23%

I'm especially pleased that less than half of Americans think microwaves are necessities. Compared to the old 68%, the microwave percentage dropped 21% in three years! That is marvelous. Unfortunately, I know all the numbers will go right back up when the economy rebounds. Meanwhile, it is a good time to reflect on how good we have it in America, because in many places, all the items in the poll are luxuries. And while I'm not saying it is bad to own the things in the list, just because we can afford something doesn't mean it is necessary.

For a summary of the research mentioned, click here.
For the complete report, click here.