Cautious consumers may seem like a byproduct of the current, challenging economy. However, if social scientists are correct, the rampant consumerism that drove the 80′s and 90′s won’t be coming back for generations.

I’ve see the phenomenon first hand. My dad was a World War II veteran who grew up during the great depression. And, he didn’t abandon modest living or his low cost eating habits during the 80′s just because things got better. Like the well-known Eddy Murphy routine,  dad’s family ate homemade hamburgers on white bread. We ate liver, tongue, and other depression-era standards. We didn’t venture to McDonalds with our parents the same way that we did with our own kids.

Dad always focused on providing what the family needed. It was rarely about what we wanted – and even then, there was a utilitarian aspect. Dad’s ‘new cars’ were always used. His vacations routes were based on where family lived. He shopped garage sales, relatives, and classified ads for furniture.

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