|
|
Budget-Crunchers
In
our last poll, we asked, “In which area are you more likely to try to
save money in the coming year?” The largest percentage of you (28%)
are eating out and going to movies less often. The next largest group
(26%) are staying out of car showrooms to resist temptation, and
making your car last another year. Shopping for a better cell phone
plan is saving money for 14% of you. Buying a lower grade of gasoline
saves money for another 9%. Switching to fee-free banking services and
reducing your premium cable services ranked fourth, with 7% choosing
those methods of cutting their budgets.
Other suggestions offered by our readers: buying fewer new
clothes; limiting expensive coffee and convenience food purchases;
thinking before buying anything; and staying home and spending
nothing. All good advice; just keep telling yourself when you’re
spending nothing, you’re saving for something—your future.
MAKING BREAD QUICK POLL
|
In which area are you more likely to try to save money in the coming year?
| Buying a lower grade of gasoline. (5) |
9% |
|
| Reducing your premium cable services. (4) |
7% |
|
| Shopping for a better cell phone plan. (8) |
14% |
|
| Eating out and going to the movies less often. (16) |
28% |
|
| Switching to fee-free banking services. (4) |
7% |
|
| Making your car last another year, instead of buying a new one. (15) |
26% |
|
| Other : view suggestions (5) |
9% |
|
Total Votes: 57
|
|
Less Really Is More
When
we asked in our last poll, “Will you be spending the same, less or
more for holiday gifts this year?” not one of you answered “More.”
Sixty-one percent said they would be spending less, 17 percent planned
on spending the same as last year, and 22 percent said they had
“instituted a ‘no gift’ policy this year, so we can focus on the true
meaning of the season.”
Several staffers at MAKING
BREAD adopted the no-gift policy this year and reported that
they had enjoyed their stress-free, hassle-free, mall-free holiday so
much that
they’d be doing it again next year.
MAKING BREAD QUICK POLL
|
Will you be spending the same, less or more for holiday gifts this year?
| The same. (3) |
17% |
|
| Less. (11) |
61% |
|
| More. (0) |
0% |
 |
| We’ve instituted a ‘no gift’ policy this year, so we can focus on the true meaning of the season. (4) |
22% |
|
Total Votes: 18
|
|
|
Oval
Office Politics
“Together, we are going to take the
Men-Only sign off the White House door,” said Carol Moseley Braun,
in her call for women to support her in her run for the Presidency.
When we asked in our last poll: “Do you
believe that a woman President would give greater priority to
traditional women’s issues, such as education, health care, equal
pay, and the environment, than a man?” 41 percent of you said “yes,
definitely,” and 29 percent voted, “not necessarily.” Another 29
percent declared they don’t take gender into account when they cast
their ballot for any political office.
Comments ranged from, “Men have been running the show
for too long; things need to change. . . Women will bring compassion
to government, which this country desperately needs,” to “It's the
principle of sensitivity I'm looking for, which certainly is not
limited to the boundaries of gender.”
If you’d like to find out more about Carol Moseley
Braun’s campaign or the issues she stands for, visit
www.carolforpresident.com.
MAKING BREAD QUICK POLL
|
“Together, we are going to take the Men Only sign off the White House door,” said Carol Moseley Braun, in her call for women to support her in her run for the Presidency. Do you believe that a woman President would give greater priority to traditional women’s issues, such as education, health care, equal pay, and the environment, than a man?
| Yes, definitely. (21) |
41% |
|
| Not necessarily. (15) |
29% |
|
| I don’t take sex into account when I cast my ballot for President or any other office. (15) |
29% |
|
Total Votes: 51
|
|
|
THE BEST GIFTS . . .
We like to say that “the best gift you can give yourself is money in
the bank.” So, we’re happy to report that, when it comes to the best
gifts you can give others, you don’t have to spend a lot of money. All
the more for you to stash in the bank!
In our
last poll, we asked, “Do you tend to value a gift more for how much it
costs—or the amount of thought that went into selecting it?” Those who
answered overwhelmingly chose “the amount of thought that went into
selecting it,” with 57% choosing that response, versus 4% who were
impressed with “how expensive it is.” Thirty-two percent confess you
“get more pleasure out of giving a gift than receiving it,” and 7%
found that “gift registers take the fun and surprise out of giving—and
getting—the perfect gift.”
Maybe so, but at
least you don’t end up wasting your money on something your recipient
doesn’t want and will just end up “re-gifting” to someone else!
Making Bread Quick Poll
|
Do you tend to value a gift more for how much it costs—or the amount of thought that went into selecting it?
| How expensive it is (1) |
4% |
|
| The amount of thought that went into selecting it (16) |
57% |
|
| I get more pleasure out of giving a gift than receiving one (9) |
32% |
|
| Gift registers have taken the fun and surprise out of giving—and getting—the perfect gift (2) |
7% |
|
Total Votes: 28
|
|
|
STANDING ON OUR ‘OWN TWO FEET’
Experts have predicted that baby
boomers, who as a group have saved far less than their parents’
generation and have accumulated more debt, would be bailed out by
the largest transfer of wealth in history, an estimated $10.4
trillion dollars. But recent events—a fickle stock market, the Enron
Effect, plus the rising costs of medical care and long term care—may
whittle away at those inheritances.
When asked in our last poll, “Are you
counting on money from an inheritance to help you improve your
financial situation?”, our readers proved they’re not laying their
eggs in that particular basket. Only 7% answered, “Yes, to pay off
debts”; 7% said “Yes, to put a down payment on a house”; 7%
responded, “Yes, to cover my children’s college education”; and an
overwhelming 79% said, “No, my parents have told me not to expect to
inherit much.” One reader commented, “I’d sooner stand on my own two
feet,” and another said, “It’s better to depend on myself than
others.”
Making Bread Quick Poll
|
Are you counting on money from an inheritance to help you improve your financial situation?
| Yes, to pay off debts. (2) |
7% |
|
| Yes, to put a down payment on a house. (2) |
7% |
|
| Yes, to cover my children’s college education. (2) |
7% |
|
| No; my parents have told me not to expect to inherit much. (23) |
79% |
|
Total Votes: 29
|
|
|
IS
HALF A TAX CUT BETTER THAN NONE?
In
our last poll, we asked, “If it passes, do
you expect President Bush’s proposed $726 billion tax cut to make a
big difference in your spending and saving for the coming year?”
Fifty-three percent of you said you’d “rather see the Government
balance its budget, instead of creating an even larger deficit by
lowering my taxes,” with 26 percent saying you expect the tax cut to
make no difference to you, and 21 percent thinking it would
help you handle your finances.
Though the numbers reflect an opposite opinion, the
question did elicit pointed comments in defense of the cut. One
reader thought the question itself was “a very biased comment on the
matter of balanced budget.” “President Bush has proven he is a man
who can be trusted and who is bent on doing the right thing for this
country,“ said another. “A tax cut would be beneficial for everyone,
allowing businesses, investors, and consumers to use that money,”
commented yet another. “The more we are taxed, the less we have
to spend,” said another reader. “I think after this war, we need
to get back on track and get the economy going again. We are losing
jobs due to the economy,” stated someone else. Then there was the
reader who suggested this radical cut: “Impeach Bush.”
Congress cut the tax cut by nearly half, passing a $320
billion version at the end of May; time will tell what its short and
long-term economic effects will be.
Making Bread Quick Poll
|
If it passes, do you expect President Bush’s proposed $726 billion tax cut to make a big difference in your spending and saving for the coming year?
| YES (13) |
21% |
|
| NO (16) |
26% |
|
| I’d rather see the Government balance its budget, instead of creating an even larger deficit by lowering my taxes. (33) |
53% |
|
Total Votes: 62
|
|
|
LOVE &
MONEY
In our last poll, we asked: “Are you working hard for your money and
hating every minute of it? Or lucky enough to be doing what you love
and getting paid for
it?” Interestingly, 40% of you are planning to switch
careers so that you
can do something you enjoy, while 38% are already doing what you
love. The rest of you are working hard for your money. We hope that
all of you make your money work hard for you—by investing it
wisely! For investing tips tailored to your circumstances, visit our
“Ask the
Expert” section.
POLL RESULTS NOT AVAILABLE AT
THIS TIME |
HOOKED ON SPEED
When we asked in our last poll, “What category of Internet services
are you most willing to pay for?” high-speed access took the lead,
with 33 percent willing to plunk down money to zoom around the ‘Net.
Content (news, magazines and other information resources) came in
second, with 22 percent considering it a worthwhile investment, and
e-mail and instant messaging, resume postings and job listings, and
e-cards tied for third.
Twenty
percent of households currently have high-speed access. Judging by
your interest, that number is poised for fast growth. Those of you
who already have it or are considering signing up will find our
computer expert Mr. Modem’s latest column, “Staying Safe at Any
Speed: What You Need to Know to Prevent
Hack Attacks” useful. Find it in “The Bread Box.”
Making Bread Quick Poll
|
The Internet is a’changing: More and more Web sites and ISP’s are offering original content and services—and charging for those features. What category of services are you most willing to pay for:
| Content (News, Magazines, & Other Information Resources) (2) |
22% |
|
| Games (0) |
0% |
 |
| E-mail and Instant Messaging (1) |
11% |
|
| Personals and Dating Services (0) |
0% |
|
| Resume Postings and Job Listings (1) |
11% |
|
| E-cards (1) |
11% |
|
| High Speed Access (3) |
33% |
|
| Other view suggestions (1) |
11% |
|
Total Votes: 9
|
|
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
When we asked in our last poll,“ Do you expect to
see a woman elected as President of the United States in your
lifetime?” 46 percent of you answered a resounding “Yes!” One woman
went so far as to nominate her “good friend from high school—even
though she is a Republican and I am an Independent.” And another
commented, “I would love to see that happen really soon.” Coming in
a close second, 34 percent said, “I hope so,” and 20 percent
pessimistically replied, “No.”
MAKING BREAD
reminds all of its
readers that
women, who make up half the population but only 10 percent of
Congress, have the power to change that statistic. We are the
majority of voters in every state of the United States. In the
election this November, a record number of women ran for Governor
and a record number won. Next step: The White House.
For more information on women in government, visit (and support)
www.emilyslist.org, a donor network committed to raising money
to support women candidates. In the
1999-2000
election cycle, Emily’s List members contributed $9.3 million to
pro-choice Democratic women candidates. In its 17-year history,
Emily’s List has helped to elect seven women governors, 11 women to
the U.S. Senate and 54 women to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Vote with your wallet as well as your ballot.
Making Bread Quick Poll
|
Do you expect to see a woman elected as President of the United States in your lifetime?
|
| | YES (16) |
46% |
|
| NO (7) |
20% |
|
| I Hope So! (12) |
34% |
|
Total Votes: 35
|
|
|
CENTS-IBLE
SOLUTIONS!
Money differences consistently rank among the major
causes of marital discord and divorce. When we asked, “What’s your
secret weapon in a money argument?” in our last poll, the largest
group of you (24%) cited “Agreeing
on spending priorities beforehand” as your way to
prevent discord. Next in your arsenal of weapons, with 21% selecting
this choice, was “Separate
checking accounts
.” That
old standard "sex and sweet talk" came in third (19%), and "changing the subject,”
which only postpones the inevitable, came in fourth (14%). Happily, only
10%
resorted to “tears,”
and 7%
chose “compromise.”
Making Bread Quick Poll
|
What’s your secret weapon in a money argument?
| Tears (4) |
10% |
|
| Changing the subject (5) |
14% |
|
| Compromise (3) |
7% |
|
| Sex & Sweet Talk (6) |
19% |
|
| Agreeing on spending priorities beforehand (7) |
24% |
|
| Separate checking accounts (8) |
23% |
|
| Other view suggestions (2) |
5% |
|
Total Votes: 35
|
|
|
ARE ALLOWANCES OUT?
When we asked, in our
last poll, “How much of an allowance do you give your son or
daughter?” 45% of you said that you give your kids zip, zero, nadda,
nothing.
Only 23% said they give $10 or more a week, 16%
hand over $5 or less a week, and another 16% selected “other’ as
their choice.
These would include the generous parent who
explained, “My daughter is a Ph. D. candidate with living expenses
like most adults and time commitments that prohibit her from making
what you could call ‘a living.’ The $100 a month we send her just
feels necessary. It's not easy some months, but she deserves
it!”
Making Bread Quick Poll #13
|
How much of an allowance do you give your son or daughter?
| None (14) |
45% |
|
| $5 or less a week (5) |
16% |
|
| $10 or more a week (7) |
23% |
|
| $50 or more a month (0) |
0% |
|
| Other view suggestions (5) |
16% |
|
Total Votes: 31
|
|
|
Home
for the Holidays
Though
nearly 80% of Americans say they will take at least one vacation
trip this summer, 44% of visitors who took our last poll, asking
“How many vacations will you take this year?”, said they would take
none. “I don’t have enough money to take a vacation. I’m just making
ends meet,” commented one. Another offered: “I struggle enough. I’d
like to invest some money in the hope of making more so that I
can go on a holiday.” Of those of you who were planning trips,
“several weekend getaways” were planned by 13%; 21% expected to take
“two or more vacations,” and 23% will take one. For those of you who
are looking for ways to take a vacation closer to home, read
“This Workaholic’s
Idea of a
Vacation Is a Real Bargain That Everyone Can Afford”
or “Rx:
Take a Break . .
. That Doesn’t Break the Bank!”
Making Bread Quick Poll #12
|
How many vacations will you take this year?
| None (15) |
44% |
|
| One (7) |
23% |
|
| Two or more (6) |
21% |
|
| Several weekend getaways (4) |
13% |
|
Total Votes: 39
|
|
|
The
Smartest
Investment: YOU
In out last poll we asked, “What have you done in the last year to
invest in yourself and your future?” The good news is that nearly a
third of you “upped the amount I save every month.” That’s called
“paying yourself first,” and it’s one of the three smartest things
(along with increasing the amount you pay each month on your
credit-card bills and paying those bills on time to avoid nasty late
fees) that you can do for yourself.
The second most popular choice was taking care of your health, with
19% of you selecting to invest time, energy, and monthly fees into
“joining a fitness club.” Third in popularity was “becoming a member
of a professional association for networking purposes.” We’ll beat
the “old boys” at their own game! Less popular were “getting a
medical checkup” (12%) and “opening an IRA or 401(k)” (9%). (Do
both, ladies!)
Another 9% of you enrolled in a summer, night-school or
community-college course. Continuing education courses look great on
a resume and can help you get a promotion.
Only
3% opted to
“subscribe to a self-help magazine.” (If you’d like to join them,
visit our Electronic Newsstand.)
MAKING BREAD Quick Poll #11
|
What have you done in the last year to invest in yourself and your future?
| Upped the amount I save every month. (10) |
31% |
|
| Opened an IRA or 401(k). (3) |
9% |
|
| Enrolled in a summer, night-school or community-college course. (3) |
9% |
|
| Joined a fitness club. (6) |
19% |
|
| Gotten a medical checkup. (4) |
12% |
|
| Become a member of a professional association for networking purposes. (5) |
16% |
|
| Subscribed to a self-help magazine. (1) |
3% |
|
Total Votes: 32
|
|
|
Hey, Big Spenders!
In our last poll, we asked, “What’s your
biggest financial pet peeve?” It might have been tempting to answer,
“Never having enough,” but only 25% of you did. More of you (30%)
made a social statement by selecting “the rising cost of health care
and a good education in this country”—two issues that will determine
the quality of life for our seniors and youth (and politicians) in
the years to come.
“That women on average
still make 73 cents for every dollar men make” garnered 15% of the
votes, as did “that athletes and performers make more than
teachers.”
” Eight percent of you
are peeved by “people who judge you by how much you earn.” They
don’t know what they’re missing.
“Small tippers” are a pet
peeve of 8%, and “big spenders” bother no one—I guess because we all
wish we could be one.
MAKING BREAD Quick Poll #10
|
What’s your biggest financial pet peeve?
| Never having enough. (10) |
25% |
|
| People who judge you by how much you earn. (3) |
8% |
|
| That women on average still make 73 cents for every dollar men make. (6) |
15% |
|
| Small tippers. (3) |
8% |
|
| Big spenders. (0) |
0% |
|
| That athletes and performers make more than teachers. (6) |
15% |
|
| The rising cost of health care and a good education in this country. (12) |
30% |
|
Total Votes: 40
|
|
|
YOUR HUSBANDS CAN
REST EASY—BUT CAN YOU?
When we
asked last week: “How much money do you have tucked away for an
emergency that your husband or partner knows nothing about?” the
majority (53%) of you said “O.” Of those who admitted to having
squirreled away savings for an unexpected emergency, such as
divorce, widowhood,
or
lay-off, the largest number (19%) had $500 to $1000, followed by 17%
with $5000. Only one forward-thinking soul laid claim to “$10,000 or
more.”
‘Having a nest egg is like having life insurance,” says
Donna Hanover, the former wife of former New York City Mayor Rudy
Giuliani. (See, nothing’s forever.) “It’s very bad for women not to
have their own money. You’ve got to have your own money and be in
control of it—and not just a little bit, either,” says “The First
Wives’ Club” author Olivia Goldsmith. Both are quoted in Heidi
Evans’ book, “How to Hide Money from Your Husband…and Other
Time-Honored Ways to Build a Nest Egg.” “If the emergency never
comes, what can you do with the money?” says Evans. “Invest it,
give a loved one a gift, or spend some of it on your dream.” Evans
calls this cash stash “The Best Kept Secret of a Good Marriage” and
documents that it is something women have been doing for ages. Think
about it.
Then start laying your own nest egg.
MAKING BREAD Quick Poll #9
|
How much money do you have tucked away for an emergency that your husband or partner knows nothing about?
| 0 (19) |
53% |
|
| Less than $100 (3) |
8% |
|
| $500 to $1000 (7) |
19% |
|
| Less than $5000 (6) |
17% |
|
| $10,000 or more (1) |
3% |
|
Total Votes: 36
|
|
|
THE TIMES THEY ARE
A-CHANGING!
Online banks, online bill-paying, direct deposit, ATM’s, Internet
shopping, online investing, 401(k)’s and debit cards are just a few
of the developments that have changed the way we manage our money in
recent years. With that in mind,
in our last
poll, we asked, what’s “the financial
innovation that’s made the biggest difference in the way you handle
your money?”
Your answers indicate that you’re not afraid of change, but that
you are selective: you use what works best for you. Ways you put
money into your accounts and take it out (direct deposit and ATM’s)
topped the list, tied at 21 percent, with online bill-paying
(predicted to double this year to 7.8 million households using this
method of payment) and debit cards second in popularity at 18
percent. Only 4 percent chose 401(k) retirement funds—indicating
either that your employers don’t offer them, you’ve chosen other
savings vehicles, or that you’d better start getting serious about
saving for the future!
Though you’re comfortable using the convenience of the Internet to
pay your bills on time—a great tool when you’re trying to improve
your credit rating—most of you still seem ambivalent about other
Internet uses: only 7 percent cited Internet shopping, and 11
percent selected online banks as most influential. None of you chose
online investing as the financial innovation that’s made the biggest
difference in your life. Maybe E-Trade needs a better ad campaign!
MAKING BREAD Quick Poll #8
|
The financial innovation that’s made the biggest difference in the way I handle my money is:
| Online banks (3) |
11% |
|
| Online bill-paying (5) |
18% |
|
| Direct deposit (6) |
21% |
|
| ATM’s (6) |
21% |
|
| Internet shopping (2) |
7% |
|
| Online investing (0) |
0% |
|
| 401 (k) s (1) |
4% |
|
| Debit Cards (5) |
18% |
|
Total Votes: 28
|
|
CAN WE TALK ABOUT TELLER MACHINES?
In our last Quick Poll, we asked: “How many
ATM
withdrawals do you make, on
average, in a week?” While 32 percent of you say you “avoid them
like the plague!”—and one of you even admitting, “I have NEVER made
an ATM withdrawal!” —36 percent use the cash machines once a week
and 27 percent admit to using them two to five times a week.
By giving us
such ready access to our cash—and credit—there’s little doubt that
ATM’s have dramatically changed the way we use our money, and not
always for the better. But most of us seem to be using them to
simplify our lives, rather than letting them use us. We’ve learned
to avoid machines that charge fees and to ask for cash back when we
use our debit cards to pay for other purchases.
Even though fees
are imposed by most ATM’s, the Federal Reserve Board reports that
only one in seven transactions generates a surcharge.
One reader
noted, “My usage is more once or twice a month. I use a debit card
against my checking account.” Now, will the one person who admitted
to never using an ATM please come forward? She must be in a class by
herself!
MAKING BREAD Quick Poll #7
|
How many ATM withdrawals do you make, on average, in a week?
| One (33) |
36% |
|
| 2 to 5 (25) |
27% |
|
| 5 or More (4) |
4% |
|
| I Avoid Them like the plague! (29) |
32% |
|
Total Votes: 91
|
|
|
SAVE YOURSELF!
When we asked last week, “How much money do you have saved up for
the proverbial ‘rainy day’?” , only 14 percent of you said you had
the recommended “three or more months’ salary” that experts say
people should save for unexpected situations, like layoffs. Most of
you (43 percent) said you had $100 or less saved up for emergencies.
There’s some
comfort in those numbers for those of us who haven’t saved enough—at
least, we know we’re not alone. But that won’t help you in a
financial fix. You’ll be better off taking comfort in increasing the
number of dollars you stash in your savings account each week.
Get creative.
Every time you find a way to save money, set aside the amount you
would have spent, even if it’s just a dollar, and put every
penny of it in
the bank at the end of the week. Let compound interest work it’s
magic and help you boost your savings.
Then let the
April showers come!
MAKING BREAD QUICK POLL #6
MAKING BREAD Quick Poll# 6
|
How much money do you have saved up for the proverbial “rainy day”?
| $100 or less. (16) |
43% |
|
| $500 or less. (5) |
14% |
|
| The amount I earn in one paycheck. (4) |
11% |
|
| One month’s salary. (5) |
14% |
|
| Two month’s salary. (2) |
5% |
|
| Three or more months’ salary. (5) |
14% |
|
Total Votes: 37
|
|
READERS SAY OK,
NOT KO, TO KMART
In our last poll, we asked,
“Should Martha Stewart stand by Kmart—or get out of her contract and
take her home-design wares elsewhere?” Readers weighed in
overwhelmingly in favor of the Queen of Stylish Living staying with
the discount chain, with 29 percent saying it would be a “good
thing” if she stayed loyal to the bankrupt
firm and 36 percent indicating she
should ask for a say in the company’s reorganization plan as a
condition of her stay.
One reader summed it up this way:
“I don't think Martha Stewart will go broke if she sticks it out,
and the benefit may ultimately be that she helps Kmart and the
thousands
of employees who stand to lose their
jobs. Not that she will save Kmart single-handedly, but she will set
an example.”
We agree. Bankruptcy isn’t
“catching,” after all, and setting an example is what Martha’s
message has always been about.
MAKING BREAD Quick Poll #5
|
Should Martha Stewart stand by Kmart—or get out of her contract and take her home-design wares elsewhere?
| It would be ‘a good thing’ for Martha to stay loyal to the bankrupt discount chain and hope that management will succeed in turning the store’s fortunes around. (4) |
29% |
|
| If she’s smart, she’ll take her sheets and towels to Wal-Mart or Target. (5) |
36% |
|
| She should stick with Kmart, but ask for a say in the company’s reorganization plans. (5) |
36% |
|
Total Votes: 14
|
|
THE COLOR OF
MONEY
Last week, we
asked what your cheer-me-up of choice is when you get what Holly
Golightly in Truman Capote’s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” calls “the
mean reds.”
One visitor
asked, “What are the mean reds?” In Holly’s words,
“The blues are
because you're getting fat or maybe it's been
raining too long.
You're sad, that'sall. But the mean reds are horrible.
You're afraid, but
you don't know what you're afraid of.” What Holly does when she
gets the mean reds is "get into a taxi and go to Tiffany's. It calms
me down right away," she says. "Nothing very bad could happen to you
there."
Only 8 percent of
you confess to splurging on jewelry when you’re sad. The favorite
cheer-me-up was a clothes shopping spree, with calling a friend
ranked a distant second at 23 percent. In one visitor’s words, “that
shows why so many people are in debt."
Moral: Don’t
let the mean reds put you in the red.
MAKING BREAD Quick Poll #4
|
What’s your cheer-me-up of choice when you’ve got what Holly Golightly in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” called the “Mean Reds”?
| New lipstick (2) |
15% |
|
| Spa visit (2) |
15% |
|
| Clothes-shopping spree (5) |
38% |
|
| Jewelry purchase (1) |
8% |
|
| Trip to the movies (0) |
0% |
|
| Walk in the park (0) |
0% |
|
| Call a friend (3) |
23% |
|
Total Votes: 13
|
|
ALL FOR ONE, ONE FOR ALL
In our last poll, we asked, “If your company needed to implement
cost savings and gave its employees the choice of an
across-the-board 20% reduction in pay, or a 20% cut back in jobs,
would you: (a) agree to the pay cut; or (b) vote for the job cutback
and take your chances that you wouldn’t be affected by the layoffs.”
Judging by your responses, “All for one, one for all” is the order
of the day among working Americans. A resounding 79% of you opted
for a pay cut to preserve your own job and the jobs of your
co-workers. Only 21% chose to take their chances with a job cutback.
One woman, reflecting a general lack of trust in corporate
management these days, responded in our comment box: “I would
agree IN PRINCIPLE to a pay cut, then sit down with union or staff
reps and ensure that the company's rationale for the cut proposed
was soundly based.”
MAKING BREAD Quick Poll #3
|
If your company needed to implement cost savings and gave its employees the choice of an across-the-board 20% reduction in pay, or a 20% cut back in jobs, would you:
| Agree to the pay cut. (11) |
79% |
|
| Vote for the job cutback, and take your chances that you wouldn’t be affected by the lay-offs. (3) |
21% |
|
Total Votes: 14
|
|
BRING BACK
CANDICE BERGEN!
In our last poll, we
asked, “If a product or service company has a female spokesperson,
are you more inclined to pay attention to the ad?” A resounding 73%
(does anyone hear an echo in here?) answered yes, while 27%
qualified their response by saying it “depended on the
spokesperson.“ Sounds like Voice stream spokesperson Jamie Lee
Curtis is trouncing that annoying guy in the gray raincoat in those
Brave New World Sprint commercials.
MAKING BREAD Quick Poll #2
|
If a product or service company has a female spokesperson, are you more inclined to pay attention to the ad?
| Yes (8) |
73% |
|
| No (0) |
0% |
|
| Depends on the spokesperson (3) |
27% |
|
Total Votes: 11
|
|
STARBUCKS IS SAFE...
Apparently, lattes are less expendable than “designer water” for
those on a budget. In our latest poll, asking “Which non-essential
item are you most likely to give up when you put yourself on a
budget?”, only 21% of you opted to give up your high-priced
caffeine fix, while 36% of you were willing to sacrifice the
pleasures of sipping couture H2O.
MAKING BREAD Quick Poll
MAKING BREAD Quick Poll #1
|
Which non-essential item are you most likely to give up when you put yourself on a budget?
| Designer water (5) |
36% |
|
| Late-afternoon latte (3) |
21% |
|
| Pre-chopped salad fixings (2) |
14% |
|
| Friday-night dinner out (4) |
29% |
|
Total Votes: 14
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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