Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Question of money

• Tell us how much money you had to begin with ($200, $1000, or $2500) How did it feel to have more or less money than other people in the class? What did you spend the most money on and why? What did you spend the least amount of money one and why?

I got $1000.

If I have less money than other people in the class, I’ll feel inferior. That means I only can wear bad shirts and I can’t go to 7-11 to buy things to eat.

If I have money more than other people in the class, I won’t feel anything. It’s a good thing, but we shouldn’t be too proud. I can wear and eat good things. I can have a luxury life.

• How many of you could not afford education? What would your lives be like if you could not go to school?

I can’t go to school if I only have less than $50. That means I will start working when I’m 16 years old. I ‘ll have to start helping my dad and mom when I am young. I think it is not a bad thing, because I can accumulate more working skills than other people.

• What were some of the trade-offs in your decisions and choices? In other words did you have to make certain sacrifices in order to buy other things you needed or wanted? (For example: buying purified water in order to afford to send your children to a better school)How would it feel to have to choose between food and health care?

Yes, I’ll buy the things I really need. If it’s very important, then I will buy it. For instance, I will skip meals in order to buy other things I might need.

• How many of you have ever been very sick or gone to a hospital or had friends and family who have? What would your life be like now if you had been unable to get medical care?

No, the people in my family usually don’t go to see the doctor. We are all very healthy. If we are not healthy, then we usually go see the doctor. We need to pay a lot of money for it, which will make us less rich.

• When you were choosing what to buy, did you think about the environmental impact? For those of you in the lowest income range, did you have a choice about the environmental impact you produced? If not, how did it feel to not have a choice??

No, because I only want the things I want and I forget about the environment.