Many people are working harder than ever to make ends meet today, and while we can’t blame everything on the skyrocketing price of fuel, some are being forced to choose between gas and food on occasion. People in general are said to be spending less and going out less often.* To top it off, while demands on their resources and time increase, they are becoming increasingly demanding themselves. As people keep a frugal eye on their spending, they expect more from everyone they hand their hard-earned money to, and who can blame them? Fierce competition for consumers’ attention, along with continual product improvements, has driven up the cost of doing business in recent years. Our electronics have gotten better, smaller, faster, and more versatile during the past two decades, yet prices have stayed much the same. New cars have become better, safer, more comfortable, and more expensive, and as a result people are driving them longer. Consumers have come to expect slow food faster and bette...