The new normal could be a lot more frugal

…But many who are saving are doing it less because they have to than because they feel that it’s the right thing to do.

As an example, it’s entirely possible that the automobile culture, which once dominated us, will never return and that people will be comfortable with smaller cars and rented cars and, most directly, with public transportation.

And, of course, no better way exists to reduce climate change than to reduce our spending on toys.

All of this suggests a possibility of a radical change in our behaviour. In fact, this very seldom happens: Almost always, once some crisis or disaster is past, people go back to behaving just as they did before.

Toronto Star