BS: Take the Consumption (not medical) Quiz (US)

Subject: BS: Take the Consumption Quiz (US)
From: katlaughing
Date: 28 Oct 03 - 10:15 AM

Consumption Quiz at New Dream dot org.

Be sure to take a look around. Neat stuff, esp. the Simplify the Holidays page. A lot of the info is not US-centric.:-)

kat (I got 10 out of 11 on the quiz:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Take the Consumption Quiz (US)
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 28 Oct 03 - 11:32 AM

I got 10 out of 11 also. I missed "What percentage of Americans report that they would trade material possessions and higher pay for more time with family and less stress?" I guessed way too low. Lots of Americans seem to say they would do it, but I wonder how many would actually do it if given an opportunity. Maybe I'm just cynical, but I doubt it would be more than 10%.

Bruce

Subject: RE: BS: Take the Consumption Quiz (US)
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 28 Oct 03 - 11:59 AM

I thought that it was a test for TB.

Subject: RE: BS: Take the Consumption Quiz (US)
From: Beverley Barton
Date: 28 Oct 03 - 12:04 PM

nice one dave! being poor and english too, i thought it was a medical quiz, seriously!

Subject: RE: BS: Take the Consumption Quiz (US)
From: katlaughing
Date: 28 Oct 03 - 12:16 PM

I thought about that when I posted it.**bg**

Subject: RE: BS: Take the Consumption (not medical) Quiz (US)
From: Jeri
Date: 28 Oct 03 - 01:23 PM

A good quiz for advertising purposes, but a quiz in which the most extreme, cynical answers are always the correct ones is not a good quiz if you want to actually test your knowledge.

Subject: RE: BS: Take the Consumption (not medical) Quiz (US)
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Oct 03 - 01:42 PM

It seemed to refer a lot to North America. I think that other North American countries would have different consumption rates than The USA. So this sort of clouds the waters ? It is not so much a quizz as it is an advertising guessing game.

Subject: RE: BS: Take the Consumption (not medical) Quiz (
From: mack/misophist
Date: 28 Oct 03 - 03:41 PM

I guess I'm not as cynical as I thought. Have to work on that.

Subject: RE: BS: Take the Consumption (not medical) Quiz (US)
From: katlaughing
Date: 28 Oct 03 - 04:31 PM

Well, the website does have a goal, that of lessening consumerism through education and having a little fun along the way, from what I can tell, so far. Did any of you explore the site? My curiosity was piqued when I read an article about people wanting to simplify their lives including giving up a portion of their usual income for fewer hours, etc. I haven't explored it a lot, yet, but I did notice an emphasis on holidays without a big expenditure of cash on extravagant gifts and a section teaching kids how to be "green" comsumers.

Oh, well, fwiw...thanks for your comments,

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Take the Consumption (not medical) Quiz (US)
From: Jeri
Date: 28 Oct 03 - 05:10 PM

Nothing wrong with awareness. I didn't care for the feeling of being led, or the opinions they mixed in with statistics. It's too close to what advertizers of products and services do. "Lets manipulate people so they become more aware of being manipulated by OTHER PEOPLE." I may not be as cynical as is appropriate, but I sure am suspicious enough!

Fact is, not having money is a good way to become less of a consumer. When I was in the Air Force, I complained about how little money I made. Now, I make about half. At some point, I realized just how much I was spending on stupid stuff. Don't need that much clothing, don't need $6 tubes of lipstick, 9 'premium' cable channels re-running the same old movies I can rent once for a whole lot less or expensive jewelry when the cheap stuff is often prettier. The whole idea of dumping something because it's no longer 'fashionable' is just idiotic.

I'm refinancing my mortgage. I got off the phone with the loan guy a little while ago. He told me I could skip a payment, and I went all effusive. He asked if I was being sarcastic. (He had reason to believe this - the last message I left him was "TAG, you're it!") I told him "no." I said "You have absolutely NO idea how much that amount of money means to me!" When you don't spend much, you don't need much, and even a small amount matters a LOT. I could get a better paying full-time-all-year job. I'm just happy the way things are.

Subject: RE: BS: Take the Consumption (not medical) Quiz (US)
From: katlaughing
Date: 28 Oct 03 - 06:10 PM

Thanks, Jeri, I understand. Those are the kinds of things we've been doing, too. I am trying to talk Rog into approaching his boss with a pay reduction so he can go to a four-day work week, except for emergencies. Now...if we could only get BBC-America on basic cable!:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Take the Consumption (not medical) Quiz (US)
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Oct 03 - 07:56 AM

One of the ways I found to seriously cut down on my costs and live on a LOT less is not to own a car. I have not had a car for years and I do just fine and what a difference it makes to my disposable income. Cars eat money and are very destructive. It drives me nuts to see people driving great bug SUV's from one Suburb to another.

Subject: RE: BS: Take the Consumption (not medical) Quiz (US)
From: Bobert
Date: 29 Oct 03 - 11:17 AM

Good one, Kat. I got 7 correct because I don't do tests like that particularly well. Too cynical. Always lookin' fir loopholes and tricks..

Ahhhh, speakin' to loopholes and tricks...

Yo, Jeri:

Before refinancing, take into consideration the *total cost* of the loan and compare it to the *ramining cost* of your present loan. Refinacing in many cases, while lowering you monthly payment adds tens upon thousands of dollars to your *total endebtedness*. keep in mind that in any amortized loan the bulk of the interst gets paid in the front end and the bulk of the principal at the end...

Nevermind, I'm sure you know this...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Take the Consumption (not medical) Quiz (US)
From: Jeri
Date: 29 Oct 03 - 01:41 PM

Thread creep:
Yep, Bobert. It adds a bit, although not as much as I expected. (Closing costs aren't high and the loan only adds 4 years.) If I can pay the same amount as I currently pay or more, when I can afford it, with the extra going straight to pay off principle, I can pay it off a lot earlier and save a bunch of money on interest. If I pay just what they expect, I'll croak before I pay it off and won't really care what I still owe them. I personally think that paying off interest that hasn't accrued yet is a complete ripoff, but it's a well-established and tolerated ripoff.

Subject: RE: BS: Take the Consumption (not medical) Quiz (US)
From: Bobert
Date: 29 Oct 03 - 08:03 PM

Well, I hate interst! Hate it!!! I used to get these balence transfer offers ftrom credit card companies fir balance transfers and would take 'em up on 'em and transfer my balances from one credit card to another. Didn't pay no interst. They all go wise to me and taken my name off their mail out lists. I saved a bunch o' dough doing that. Had about $3000 in credit card bills and jus' keep transferin' the balances fir about 3 or 4 years and paid no interst!!! Yep, I'm sure them folks all got my picture on their walls with a caption of "Watch of fir this Hillbilly Crook". Hey, they offered the Zero Interest! Ain't like I robbed their danged bank...

Yeah, 'bout 6 'er 7 years ago I was gettin' ready to refinace. Then I did the 'rithmatic and bowed out of the deal. They even wanted to give me "Cash Back" at closing! Hah! Well, if I had done that then I'd be paying off my house in 6 years. As it is, I have 7 danged payments left and it's done...

Bobert