Curious

[geminigirl]

(Please do feel free to link to this post by the way)

If you're filling out this poll, please assume that it's purchases for personal or household use, not for business.

[Poll #789963]

If you share the purchasing decisions with housemates or partners, how do you decide which way to go when you disagree on which value is more important?

Comments

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

I started to answer this poll, and changed my mind, because the questions, IMHO, are a bit too limited. I look for a certain quality of product, not just price, and not necessarily corporate values. Meijer gas is pretty cheap compared to the name brands around here, but it ruined the fuel injectors in my Neon several years ago. And I don't usually go to Wal-Mart, because the crowds suck and the service sucks, not because I don't like their corporate values.

[geminigirl]

The point was to choose between value A and value B, though I realize that those are far from the only things that influence purchasing decisions-service at a particular store, the range of products, the convenience, those are all factors that can influence where we shop. This afternoon, for example, I had a choice between two office supply stores, which are diagonal from one another, across a major intersection, and I chose the one where exiting the parking lot to head towards my next stop is easier.

[redhawknflight.livejournal.com]

I try to support local buisnesses and small (woman owned if possible) buisnesses that are envionmentallyfriendly and support fair trade practices...that said...occasionally I fail and wind up at the dollar store out of conveniance. My s/o is supportiveo my shopping habits so it has nt become an issue for us.

[kellfire.livejournal.com]

While I am a cheapskate and my answers above reflect that, I do take the values and spending habits of companies into consideration when making purchases - no matter the size.

[emperor]

generally, whoever does the purchasing gets to decide on their ethics :)

[wait.livejournal.com]

I started answering, but then I wanted shades of gray. I like to think that I balance our values with our price point.

For example, a few years ago we stopped shopping at WalMart. Mostly because of their anti-union stand, coupled with some friends who were employees who were screwed over by the corporate game. Switching our shopping over was an adjustment, probably a small price increase, but very fulfilling.

Our area is dominated by only two supermarket chains. Price Chopper happens to be locally owned. The family does lots of charitable outreach, particularly with local Jewish groups; we like this. So we do most of our grocery shopping there.

[geminigirl]

I know there are shades of grey when making shopping decisions. I was curious about which one is more important of those two, not the whole range of values, and not all of the factors that influence purchasing decisions.

Wal-Mart is one of the major grocery retailers around here, for example. I dislike them immensely, for a lot of reasons, one of which you mentioned above, but I also can cut my grocery bill by about a third for an average weekly grocery shop. And that 30% a week adds up. There's a recent push at WalMart throughout the company go go greener, which is interesting, too-but what do you do if you're both an environmentalist and a support of good labor practices and living wages?

[raggedrobin.livejournal.com]

I believe in supporting local business and buying from companies who support my values. However, I am also a broke-ass college student with student loans, married to a man who works part-time despite being promised full-time for the last 3 years. So we tend to shop wherever we can get the cheapest price (*sigh* Wal-mart) because otherwise we starve. I hate that I have to choose between my ethics and surviving.

[jennifer0246.livejournal.com]

currently really very poor. when in different financial circumstances, answers change.

[vix.livejournal.com]

I echo the financially-strapped comment above. Perhaps when I don't have tens of thousands of dollars of student loan debt hanging above my head, and can afford a vehicle and gas to drive to locations better aligned with my personal corporate philosophy, I will be able to indulge them.

Until then, I need to make sure my bills get paid, and that means shopping at WalMart from time to time, much as I loathe the corporation. I go where my ride is willing to take me, and I can't afford to be very picky.

A corollary to this poll would be one about clothing purchases, i.e. do people pay attention to where their clothes come from. However, it would behoove the poll to include income brackets for answering the poll as well, because that would undoubtedly change the answers. I simply cannot afford a J. Crew wardrobe on my budget, and as much as I don't like to think about how old the little girl was who fashioned my t-shirt, I can't go to work in the same outfit every day either (no uniforms here).

[redhawknflight.livejournal.com]

I agree, I would love to afford to wear only oganic fair trade clothing, but the reality of it is COST, not to mention how hard it is to find unless I buy online or via catalog. I've found a compromise, I buy everything but undergarments at thrift stores. Sure it may have been originally made by child labour, but MY money is going to support charitable outreach, and I am reusing stuff that otherwise might wind up in a landfill. That's about all I cando for now, althoug I am getting a sewing machine this week, and am about to start making my own organicly gron and recycled clothing. YAY me! LOL

[pinkfish.livejournal.com]

I found this questionnaire difficult to answer. "similar quality" - so, am I going to find a supermarket that sells organic food, whose politics are radically different from another supermarket who sells organic food?

Appliances and Automobiles are such rare purchases, that it is hard to think about what I "usually" do.

[geminigirl]

You might not find the same selection as you would at Whole Foods, but even around here, most of the markets and WalMart carry a reasonable selection of organic stuff.

Our new place is not far from the Saturday farmer's market which is even more exciting for me.

[schillerium.livejournal.com]

Put me down as another one who feels a distinct difference at times between what's important to me in theory and what I actually need to do given my financial circumstances.

[wolfden.livejournal.com]

Fortunately, financially we usually can purchase where we choose so long as we are careful. I can't afford for everything to be just as I want it. The $150 organic cotton sheets weren't happening. It would have cost us over $400 for one set for our bed. In theory the idea is great. In practice, I can't. But I do try to buy things that aren't sweatshop based. We did get a set of bamboo sheets. They are so soft. *snuggles them* They were $25 a set so $50 for the bed. We have a split King bed.

I do tend to show my values with my $$. For instance, when I am treated badly I tend to not give anymore money there if I can avoid it unless they make it up to me. I am a pretty tolerant person but Walmart has done enough that I choose not to shop there. Haven't in 8 years. The skating rink also will be missing my $$ since my last mistreatment there. Prior coaching difficulties have been a thing I didn't blame the rink for I blame the coach tho I would have liked to see her done away with. Now when management treated me badly and didn't return my call I got pissed and if that's what they think of the money I spend there then I can drive an extra 10 minutes elsewhere.

I bought my car from toyota because they offered a hybrid with high gas mileage. We got a prius. More of my Sienna was built in the USA than my Ford was. Appliances I tend to choose based on how energy efficient they are as well as my views of who makes them. I don't buy Appliances from Sears because I've had numerous bad experiences there.

I try to support small and local when I can. I use big when I have to either for price or convenience sake.

Chris is pretty tolerant about how I choose to spend the money as long as I am reasonable and don't blow the budget. He's truly a gem and we agree on a lot of things. Other stuff we discuss until we reach a compromise. I know he thinks my anti-Walmart stance is funny but he supports it.

Having access to money makes a difference I think to some degree. But I still buy clothes for Tatiana at consignment shops and sales. I try to reduce, reuse, recycle. We pass her hand me downs on to a couple of families that need them. We try not to be wasteful.

[balmofgilead.livejournal.com]

I like the idea of supporting small businesses or people whose values I share in theory, but when it all boils down that seems too artificial to me. Part of being in business is being competitive--by having either superior products/service or superior prices. Continually propping up businesses that aren't really competitive feels unnatural.

I feel somewhat guilty for thinking that way, but I'm not a big shopper, so I doubt I have much impact anyway.

[sweet-tea79.livejournal.com]

I love supporting small businesses. One of the things that makes me crazy about Gville is the lack of small businesses to support. I much prefer local restaurants to large chains; in fact; I rarely eat at large chains. However, in addition to my limited options in this town, I also have limited funding (yay, student loans!). I buy Exxon gas because my dad gives me an Exxon card for Christmas every year and free gas is so much better. But then I take the biodiesel bus to work whenever my schedule allows. I shop at Target, but I refuse to go to WalMart. I don't have the time or the money to drive home to do all my grocery shopping at Whole Foods, but I would if I could. I go to the local farmer's market when I can, but I still also shop at Food Lion and Harris Teeter. I would prefer to buy gas, food, and various other sundries from local places and more eco-friendly places, but I just can't. So I do what I can, when I can.

[entirelysonja.livejournal.com]

I couldn't really answer this poll.

I often choose to shop at stores which I feel have values more in line with my own, and avoid shopping at stores whose values I know to be in conflict with mine. For example, I shop at Wal-Mart and Target only when there aren't any other reasonable options, whereas I make a special point of shopping at Costco. I don't think I'd be able to bring myself to buy my groceries at Wal-Mart routinely -- I'd be more likely to do without the more expensive items on my shopping list rather than shop there.

For large purchase items, quality and value are the most important issues to me. I pay no attention at all to whether Honda or Ford has better employment practices, political donations, etc. -- I buy a Honda because I believe it will last longer and need fewer repairs, thus making its higher initial purchase price worthwhile.

As for supporting local/small businesses -- I usually shop wherever I think I'm more likely to find what I'm looking for. Frankly, that's usually at the larger store.

So, I was only able to vote on the first question in the poll.

[aliki.livejournal.com]

Agree with others-- wow, was it hard! (though I totally see your point of having to make the hard choice between A or B). In the end, on all counts, I went with "low price". I like to think that it's because I'm too poor as a graduate student to be charitable in any sense. If I made enough money to have the choice to buy from a local store that cost extravagently more, then I certainly would.