The Recession and Michael C. Fina

Even though I’ve certainly touched on the recession in several other posts, I’m glad to be able to do it again. Because of the nature of work I’m in, it’s always on my mind.

I interact with people every day who don’t get preventative health care for their children because they don’t have the money or insurance or common sense enough to do it (or all three). I went across the hall to the Food Stamp office last week to check in with one of my managers and found staff taking up money to buy snacks from the vending machine for a family that hadn’t eaten in two days. The unemployment rate in my home state hit 10.8% for March – that means hundreds of thousands of people who are drawing down savings, racking up more credit card debt, putting off mortgage payments or getting evicted, and having to choose between gas for the car, food on the table, or diapers for the baby. These are really tough times for a lot of Americans, and I have to constantly remind myself that not everyone works where I do (but should, just once in their life, spend a day at our front desk). But that doesn’t mean we should all be spending like it’s 2004.

I know many people who have gotten married in the last 12-18 months, and I was happy to spend money on a gift to help them celebrate the occasion. While indulgences are certainly commonplace on registries (as, perhaps, they should be!), I am somewhat shocked when one of my friends asks for people to pay hundreds of dollars for coffee pots, gravy boats, flatware, and pomegranate Seders (I’m not Jewish, so I don’t know if $565 is appropriate for that or not…) when there are people and organizations out there going broke.

So what breaks my heart is that I have a friend (who shall remain nameless, although if he, for some crazy reason, ever reads this blog, he’ll know who I’m talking about) who is getting married. It’s not sad that he’s getting married (in fact, it’s wonderful!), what’s so crazy is his wedding registry. I do not attempt to blame anyone for this extravagance; it is certainly within their right to register for whatever they desire. And in fact, it may be all her doing, so no need to point a finger at him. This is just my subtle reminder that right now, when people are hurting, showing a little restraint is appreciated.

Anyway, back to the registry. There are over 300 items on a collection of three registries: Fancy Major Department Store, Uber-Fancy Kitchen Store, and some place called Michael C. Fina. I don’t know Michael personally, but he makes some very nice items. Where else can I buy an ice bucket (with tongs!) for $200? Or a single china dessert plate (1 of 8 requested) for $210? Where I live, $200 can provide 200 meals at the local food bank or 100 meals to elderly and disabled folks through Meals on Wheels (their waiting list has now topped 150 people). The Fancy Department store registry holds their second set of china (this one out of 12) and a dessert plate here will set you back $184. The gravy bowl’s a whopping $246, which will work out to $123 a serving for each time they make gravy in their lives…..They’ve also registered for everyday china (thankfully more in my price range) although it causes me to wonder who they’re going to be having over with their three sets of dinnerware. The bride and groom have certainly covered all of the bases for registering for enough items, and thankfully around a hundred or so of those items are under a hundred dollars – well done.

I’m not asking everyone, including my friend and his fiancée, to think like I do, just to realize that for the cost of just one $330 stainless steel roasting pan or one $370 12-quart stock pot, you can provide assistance to a family facing eviction. So think about that next time you’re using your 10 qt stock pot.