Show Stimulating the economy Paul The Washington Post Alexa Choi did something recently that most Americans are avoiding She spent money Lots of it On Christmas Eve Choi went to a BMW dealer and bought a 2009 sedan Her mothers mother's objections did not deter her Nor did the fact that the value of her investments had shrunk by 40 percent And that price tag While millions of Americans are losing their jobs and tens of millions more are hoarding cash a small segment is spending freely relying on steady incomes to buy clothes finance European jaunts and renovate homes Some shoppers are paying full price because they feel financially secure Others are taking advantage of steep discounts Its like Lets Make a Deal for the consumer said Marshal Cohen a New York-based York retail analyst If you have havethe havethe the money now is the perfect time to buy Some shoppers say they are conflicted about parting with their cash as their investments evaporate And many are wary of being conspicuous about consumption at a time when people are suffering The discounts sucked Lloyd Carter 44 into the previously unexplored world of shopping malls mails During the economic boom Carter who works at the Library of Congress envied people who bought grand homes and fancy cars while he stuck with his 1996 Jeep Cherokee and stayed in his modest suburban Maryland townhouse Now Carter arter said he feels vindicated when he sees foreclosure signs And on weekends he has found himself taking advantage of generous markdowns in department stores During the boom that preceded the recession Americans went on a prolonged spending binge fueled by easy credit tapping home equity and credit cards to pay for luxuries But as Wall Street and the housing market collapsed consumer spending stalled According to the US U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Americans saved virtually none of their disposable income for most of the decade But in January the savings rate had risen to about 5 percent The Washington region has fared better than most parts of of- the country in part because the federal government is its largest employer and joblessness is relatively low Laura London and Joseph Dennis she's a real estate consultant hes he's an aerospace engineer have decided that now is the time for a facelift to the entrance of their five-bedroom five colonial in Arlington an inv investment they're sure they'll recoup if they ever sell A primary reason said London 40 the mother of three children is that they're tired of looking at their decrepit ugly stoop Maybe if were we're in the Great Depression well we'll wIsh wish wish-we we hadn't but I dont don't think its it's going there she said Choi is aware she might expose herself to ridicule by speaking of her BMW purchase as well as the cost of the purple coat she was wearing on a recent afternoon This is bad the Asian Paris Hilton she said imagining how people might view her Its our duty to contribute to the economy she said People should f feel el confident You go through J bad t times es its it's a greening process like forest fires or a drought Its It's a natural process so bigger things 1 can form b I |