Consumer choices, socio-political consciousness and you

[HisMajestyBOB]

I buy only based on taste, calories, and price.

I do buy a lot of tea from a local tea store, but that's partly expedience (don't have to wait for something bought online to ship) and good quality, not just "buying local".

[dps]

I don't worry about politically correct crap like that.  OTOH, I wouldn't say I buy only based on price and quality.  I tend not to go back to places where I've found I have unpleasant shopping experiences, for example.

[Ideologue]

I buy free range eggs (and chicken),

Like Dennis Miller once said:  if it winds up on your plate, exactly how free was the range?

If it's just the eggs, there's conceivably a chain of events that didn't cause harm to the chicken.  How actually likely is it that no harm came to the chicken?  Not very.

I would probably prefer not buy products from the PRChinese.  However, this would be such an unsustainable and useless one-man damnbargo that it's not really worth pursuing.

Of course, however, as you folks know, I'm a lacto-vegetarian (and crustaceans don't count).  So obviously I try to avoid products with dead animals in them, like hamburgers or Lee-Enfield rifle cartridges from the mid-19th century.

[Martinus]

I don't worry about politically correct crap like that.  OTOH, I wouldn't say I buy only based on price and quality.  I tend not to go back to places where I've found I have unpleasant shopping experiences, for example.

Fair point, but I would count it as a part of "quality" too. Same with "distance to the shop" etc. - anything that is a part of a "commercial trade-off". On the other hand, if you refused to go to a distant shop because of the carbon footprint issues, that would be among my criteria.

[Ed Anger]

count it as a part of "quality" too.

I don't buy Chinese made tools. I'm not going to trust my life to a Chinese made chain.

[mongers]

Did some 'recycling' today; took a 10 mile coach journey, walked 1.5 miles, bought a 2nd hand bike for $50, cycled it 18-19 miles home, tomorrow I scrap if for the wheels, drive train and a few other things.

I guess it worked out cheaper than buying new, but mainly it was quickest way to get the other bike back on the road. 

[The Brain]

If it's marked with "fair trade" or something like that I generally avoid it.

[11B4V]

How often are you guided by considerations that are not directly related to the quality and price of goods and services when making consumer choices?

This could include anything - from boycotting corporations that do something that you do not like (whether it is political donations, or being involved in worker rights abuse), or only choosing products with a certain certificate or badge (e.g. "kosher", "halal" or "fair trade"), to preferring to buy products manufactured locally/nationally as opposed to imports.

Neal said it best. I do buy those Heb hotdogs though. Nothing against Oscar Meyer or Ball park.

[Agelastus]

I don't buy fair trade as I think that's a scam that mainly benefits the first world vendors who give only very little of the price premium to the producers.

If it's marked with "fair trade" or something like that I generally avoid it.

Snap. I will not consider buying a product that's labelled "Fair Trade", although possibly not for the same reasons as you do.

That's the only time I'm guided by external considerations to quality and price though, as far as I am aware...

[Sheilbh]

If it's just the eggs, there's conceivably a chain of events that didn't cause harm to the chicken.  How actually likely is it that no harm came to the chicken?  Not very.

That's not really what motivates me.   I think we should look after animals in our food chain because it seems fundamentally ethical, but I'm only willing to pay more if I think it's actually also a better product.  With meat - especially chicken and eggs - there's a huge quality difference.  I've said before that I very rarely get organic veg, for example, because I think there needs to be a quality difference to justify spending that bit extra and - for most veg - I just haven't noticed it.

I think I'm far more aware when it's an option - in Dorset where my family live, for example, there's a great local bakery and lots of farm shops and the like.  That's not available in the East End.

The only one that's purely sort-of political is fish.

[CountDeMoney]

I would probably prefer not buy products from the PRChinese.  However, this would be such an unsustainable and useless one-man damnbargo that it's not really worth pursuing.

Yeah, but sometimes, there are certain things you simply can't avoid.  Like air.
One of the local news channels did a piece on a family shortly after the whole Chinese-toys-lead-paint thing from a few years back;  they tried to go 2 weeks or so without buying a single Chinese-made product, from make-up to dog food.  They were sinking about 4 hours of research a day in it, just trying to deal with basic consumables and staples.

Of course, however, as you folks know, I'm a lacto-vegetarian (and crustaceans don't count).  So obviously I try to avoid products with dead animals in them, like hamburgers or Lee-Enfield rifle cartridges from the mid-19th century.

[Ideologue]

The only vegan superpower I'm aware of is the ability to shatter your bones from glancing, everyday impacts.

Also, in the Scott Pilgrim-verse, it's apparent you get mid-grade superpowers just from being a creepy man-child.  That I can do.

[Admiral Yi]

Such as the ability to put yourself into a coma-like trance in the middle of bustling drinking establishments.

[CountDeMoney]

As hawtly cool as Ramona was, and as adorable as little Knives was, I really wanted to bang Bad Mood Julie.

[Monoriu]

Actually, now that I think about it, "fair trade" means "overpriced" to me.  So yes, it does affect my purchase decision - I avoid such products if I can.