For this blog post, I want you to think about a purchase you made recently — anything from a college application fee to a new skirt to a frappucino to a concert ticket. Please describe the purchase you made, the cost of the purchase, the reasoning that went into it, and the results of the purchase. Then, using Google or other methods, find another way you could have used the purchase cost that could have a greater effect on overall world happiness.
For example:
I spent roughly $12 on a large caffé Americano and lunch platter this weekend. I purchased this beverage because I wanted the pick-me-up that goes with caffeine on an early Sunday morning, which came when I drank it, and the food because I was hungry. Also, the purchase allowed me to log into the café’s WiFi network. Between the caffeine and the WiFi, I was more easily able to work on revising a lecture for my World Religions class, because I have trouble concentrating at my house.
With the $12, I could have purchased (from Episcopal Relief and Development) a mosquito net for a child in a malaria zone, which could help prevent the unnecessary death of a child exposed to the disease. Arguably, preventing one death by malaria produces more happiness and less pain — has a higher utility — than a slightly more streamlined World Religions lecture and my satisfied desire for caffeine.
Your comments are due by the end of tutorial (4PM) on Friday, 10/22.
I spent 23$ on a Ghostland Observatory Concert ticket today. I purchased this ticket becuase i wanted to see one of my favorite bands play with my friends. Also, the purchase allowed me to be prepared and not have to buy a ticket at the door.
ReplyDeleteWith that 23 $ i could have sent it to the Children organization to save a child in need. It is only 25$. I could have saved a child who needs this money to sustain life rather than having the pleasure of going to something i dont have to.
Last night I spent $20.00 at Starbucks: $4.00 on fruit snacks, $10.00 on a coffee for me and my friend, $1.00 on dried fruit, and an accidental $5.00 tip for the tip jar. I bought the snacks to have a plan for my breakfast the next morning, the coffee to keep me awake to finish my homework, and the tip was just to awkward to take back.
ReplyDeleteInstead of spending this ridiculous amount of money on beverages and snacks, I could have donated $20.00 to The National Organization for the Advancement of Haitians. This money would have contributed to the refugee crisis resulting from political unrest and upheaval in Haiti. I think helping the Haitians survive safely is a little more important than giving more money to an overpriced, over talked coffee shop.
I bought season 3 of Friday Night Lights on Monday. It cost $15 off amazon. I bought it because I finished season 2 of the show, and I wanted to see what would happen next. The result of my purchase has led to my laziness and procrastination of college applications and school work. So overall the result has not been a greater good to the world whatsoever, besides the fact that it's a good show, and I enjoy watching it.
ReplyDeleteWith the same $15, I could have bought a cheap lunch and dinner for a homeless person on the side of the road. Or I could donate the money to Invisible Children or another charity event. Although Friday Night Lights is a great show, the money I spent buying it could have been put to greater use in a charity event or buying lunch for a homeless person.
My most recent purchase was a $3 pack of sour gummy worms. I was picking up my prescription at Walgreens last night at around 8 o'clock. I couldn't use the drive through pick up because I wasn't going to use a credit card, so I went inside. I bought them because I thought I was going to watch a movie when I got home. I almost got chocolate, but I didn't because I knew I needed to get some sleep.
ReplyDeleteWith this money, I could have donated 3 Polio vaccines to children who need them. This would produce happiness and prevent disease. I didn't need the gummy worms; they weren't important to my survival.
Today I bought a thirty dollar batting lesson at Breakaway speed with a hitting instructor; Randy. I purchased this batting lesson, because I play competitive softball and I need to improve my swing in order to excel. Through this 30 minute session, I can get helpful tools that will most likely make me a better hitter. In the past I have learned how to turn my hips to meet an outside pitch, something I would not have been able to learn on my own. My parents also encourage me to take lessons outside of regular practice, because they believe it will help me to be a better player.
ReplyDeleteWith $30 dollars I could have sponsored Irma, a child from Indonesia, in need of basic necessities. Irma is five years old, and I could provide her with health care, an education, and nutritious food. It is clear that sponsoring this child has a higher utility, and will potentially produce more happiness.
I recently bought a pair of socks. However, these were not just any socks; these were special socks. They were colorful and fuzzy and warm, but the best part, is they were Moose Socks. I bought them because I needed thick socks to wear underneath boots, and I like the feeling of knowing you’re wearing fun socks, even if no one can see them. These special socks cost about $10 dollars. After I made this purchase, these socks completely fulfilled their purpose. Up north, they kept my feet completely warm even though it was freezing outside. In addition, because I had the confidence of wearing cool socks, I was confident and did fantastic in a college interview.
ReplyDeleteHowever, though I felt that this was a completely necessary purchase, my 10 dollars could’ve been better spent. I could’ve donated my 10 dollars to an organization called the children’s fund, which helps underprivileged children. Though my socks kept my feet warm, there are children out there who can’t even keep themselves warm, or worse yet, don’t even have food for a meal to eat. If my 10 dollars had been spent here, it would have provided more overall world happiness. Instead of keeping the happiness to myself, I could’ve given a starving child a meal, making their day.
About a week ago, I bought a pair of cowboy boots. I have not owned a pair of boots since I was a child. I have been wanting to go and have a pair of boots for myself. I never ask for much, and when I do, I truly, heart and soul, want it, so my mom let me get a pair. They costed $99, plus tax, a little over $100. I could have given this $100 to Scout's Honor Adoption Agency that would have possibly given a rescue dog a surgery or anything needed, like medicine, to help the abused dog become whole again and find a home where someone will love and cherish it.
ReplyDeleteThis week I spent 40 dollars on my application to TCU. This is really important to me because I am planning on attending college. In some ways it is a necessity, but you can argue that I do not need to go to college to survive. With the same 40 dollars I spent on my application, I could have donated the money to my church. My church has several programs that reach out to people in the Houston Area. One in particular is the PORT program. At PORT we pick up neighborhood kids for sunday school at our church and feed them a meal every Wednesday night. I usually volunteer there helping out with recreation time and meals. I estimate that we could feed about 10 more kids with the 40 dollars I spent on my application. For some of these kids, it is their only meal of the day. Helping out 10 more kids would be the right thing to do, but if we gave away everything we have as a person wouldn't really get anywhere ourselves. I think that by going to college, I will have the ability and means to help many more people than if I didn't
ReplyDeleteLast night I spent 20 dollars on Buffalo Wild Wings because a couple of my friends were going and I wanted to tag along. My mom had offered to make dinner but I wanted to eat out instead. For the 20 dollars I spent, I could have easily bought clean water for a child for 20 years. On the website "charity: water" it gives you the opportunity to give 20 dollars away for a child to be given 20 years of clean water.
ReplyDelete