Dearly beloved, we have come today to put to rest a true icon of the 21st century. An everlasting symbol of the technology and real estate booms. The quintessential flag bearer of Wall Street’s hedge funds and private equity firms. The overused word that described over the top opulence and conspicuous consumption. The Hot Boyz pushed it into our lexicon and we have never looked back. Until now. God bless you Bling, you had a good run, but now it is time to let you go.

credit: ZenOptic

Is the day of bling over?

There is a new phenomenon slowly gaining acceptance across this nation. There is not much empirical evidence to back it up yet, but there is strong anecdotal evidence that we, as Americans, lovers of material possessions, have begun to back off the spending throttle. Some portion can be attributed to the obvious economic straits we find ourselves in. High-energy prices and a real estate market that is still overpriced for many have made downsizing consumption a necessity. There are a great many of folk who are eschewing excessive consumption for other altruistic reasons. A counterculture is gaining momentum with the affluent and the not so affluent where less is more, consciousness is better than couture, and the lines between the have’s and have not’s are blurry.

It is quite possible that the new glam is actually…not.

Y.A.W.N. Young. Affluent. Wealthy. Normal.

The term actually comes from Great Britain where the Sunday Telegraph actually coined the acronym. Think of YAWN’s as the anti-Diddy. They eschew the high profile, big spending ways of the yuppies that preceded them and focus their energy and resources on fixing economic and social ills. Think of Warren Buffett as the godfather of the YAWN movement, boring, maybe so but definitely impactful.

Steps to YAWNing success:

1. Go Green: Much has been written about the benefits of green living, but it is also great for your wallet. A few tips:
   • Use public transportation/walk/bike/pogo whatever you have to do to leave your car parked. You will spend less on gas, need fewer oil changes and you may be able to qualify for a discount on your auto insurance for driving less. Plus, I have found there are some really cool people on the bus. There’s also some weirdo’s, but the drunken guy talking to himself just spices up my ride to work.
   • Use local markets for your food. The fruits and veggies here are almost always better in quality and cheaper than those at the grocery store. On top of that you can get excellent recipe ideas from folks that actually know what they are talking about.
   • Craigslist. Craigslist has to be one of the greatest Internet concepts EVER. In the past 3 weeks, I bought a brand new bedroom set (for the dirt no less) and sold my guitar (unfortunately, also for the dirt). Craigslist combines free market capitalism with old school bartering. If you are in the market for furniture, automobiles, tools, companionship, etc. check out Craigslist first.
2. Pay it Forward: Being a do-gooder is finally envogue. Bill Gates and Warren Buffett have decided to leave a good portion of their fortunes to charity and many other YAWN’s are showing that you can do good and do well. Here are some advantages outside of the warm fuzzy feelings to being a do-gooder.
   • Giving money to nonprofits whether it be religious organizations, scholarship foundations, or charities means you are entitled to a tax deduction. Uncle Sam lets you write off those contributions on your taxes.
   • Getting involved civically will get you connected. People that have money, usually hang out with other people that have money. Many of these people are big wigs on local charity boards because of their influence. There are a lot of ways to climb the ladder and having a helping hand up does not hurt.

As always for more info check out www.molifeney.com.