I keep hearing about print and online magazines that say they're for "real" people, yet they're still touting wares such as shoes priced from $200 to $500, they're still talking about 401k's and mutual funds, they're flaunting travel to exotic places, or they have articles about women who can pay hundreds of dollars for multiple visits to get Botox injections and chemical peels. These magazines are still not talking to REAL people.

 

The real people I know shuffle money between a savings account and a checking account each month to pay their bills. Usually one account or the other goes close to a zero balance at least a few times a year if not monthly. The real people I know avoid phone calls from 1 (800) numbers on their phones because they know it's another bill collector calling about a debt they can't pay. Many real people are living off credit cards to pay for groceries, make car payments, take the kids to a doctor when needed, or to pay utilities. When these real people pick up a magazine in a grocery store or go online to read content, they're not looking for the latest pair of $300 shoes or where to invest their mutual funds.

 

So what do these people want to read about? The same things everyone else wants to read about! Books on the bestseller lists, movies, and music reviews. The library is seeing a resurgence of visitors dusting off their old cards to check out books, DVDs, and CDs as well as to use their computers for internet access. Real people want to read about politics, celebrity news, food, and fashion…just keep it realistic. If fashion is the topic, don't pretend that a pair of $200 jeans is something all of us can afford right now. Maybe a $75 pair of jeans would be more palatable. If you're talking boots and showing us the latest styles, keep the prices to a minimum. Tell us where we can buy them at a bargain. Publish the regional discount warehouses. I know in my area, Off Broadway Shoes is a Mecca of designer discount shoes, boots and accessories. Places like TJ Max often have deals on the end of season styles.

 

Most of us can't afford cosmetic procedures right now, either. I can't justify injecting poison into my face or chemically burning the skin off of it to make myself look younger. I know the stress of the past year has added a few more worry lines to my forehead than I would like to see but I have learned to live with them. So, when I read articles about $750 procedures to look "refreshed", I actually laugh at anyone who wastes that kind of money. For that kind of money, I would take a relaxing weekend trip someplace, get a massage and a facial, and feel refreshed all over. But I'm a real person and I don't have $750 to burn on my face or a weekend getaway.

 

I understand the whole concept of escapism behind picking up a magazine. I also know that more than young women are harmed by trying to live up to the images of skinny models in fashion. We're all sucked into a futile attempt at keeping up with a lifestyle we can't have based on what we see in magazines, on TV, and in movies. The fact is, we covet that which we see every day and do not have.

 

So why not really create a magazine for real people? Instead of a travel section filled with places we can't afford to go, make it an open area for others to contribute ideas of what they do in their particular region on a budget. In the Carolinas, we can do inexpensive day trips to mountains for hiking to see beautiful views off the Blue Ridge Parkway, or we can take a drive to a beach and possibly see wild horses. Plus, nearly every city in America has a Chamber of Commerce bursting with ideas for free or inexpensive family time. Usually, there are areas of a hometown that we never experience ourselves because we don't act like tourists in our own cities. Have you been to all of your local museums and historical attractions? Do the kids know how your town was founded? Do you?

 

A real magazine for real people wouldn't talk about mutual funds and 401k's. Most of us either lost ours when the economy collapsed, or we never had one to begin with, because we've always needed every dime we earned to live on. Instead, which banks are offering the best specials at the present time for opening an account. Are any credit card companies extending credit at this time? If so, publish that information! Real people need "how to" articles like: wiring money to/from a family member across the country, avoiding repossession of your car, ways to lower auto insurance, talking to your landlord about an extension of rent, talking to creditors about dropping late fees or over limit fees, and other real life issues that are taking place today.

 

Because of today's economy, I've cut the fat from my household budget where ever I can, so I've let my magazine subscriptions run out. Guess what? I don't really miss them. So until I find the magazine that I'm looking for, one for real people who live on the type of budget that my neighbors and colleagues earn, I'm not buying into any of them. As far as the online publications go, it's pretty much the same. I don't read them, don't comment on their pages, or connect links to/from my blogs at all. I won't support them.

 

I'm a real person, living in what seems like an unreal time. Unfortunately, this is reality and while the occasional escape is nice, I want to read content and see things that I can really own. That's what will make me feel better in all this chaos of economic crisis. Knowing that there are obtainable goods and services in my price range.

 

The basic needs are out of reach for many Americans and it's depressing to see clothes, accessories, trips, and lifestyles that are out of reach. Give us the hope our government can't seem to offer. Show us what we can do and have as regular Joes in America. Be real.