economics

[Anonymous No.5030287]

i have a question for the economists amngst YOU:

why are people who dont have a lot of money still go out and pay 3 to 10 times teh actual price for coffees ina papercup from starbucks or 20 times the prices for a long drink in a bar (for shitty liquors that is) or exorbitant prices in restauranst fast food and other dumb stores?


why?


why is nobody making simple things like bread themselves?
why buy the ready made at teh store for 10 time steh price


idont mean teh example i gave but the behavior in general
have we lost touch with teh actual worth and value of things?

or is throwing money away considered good tone?

[Anonymous No.5030302]

Convenience, consistency, perceived quality, a social setting.

[Anonymous No.5030310]

>>5030287
You discount time. How much time in labor does it take to make bread yourself? How much is that time worth to you?

[Anonymous No.5030311]

>>5030302
what is that sociel thing you mentioned?
so somehow becasue other peopel are arround i pay 2000$ for a a bottle of liquor that is only worth 40$?
my question is will they think i am rich or will they think i am an idiot?

[Anonymous No.5030315]

>>5030311
People actually think stuff is better if they paid more for it.

[Anonymous No.5030324]

>>5030302
>>5030311
>this spelling

[Anonymous No.5030328]

>>5030287
Because they're idiots.

I make bread myself, it rocks, but it takes a long time so you have to plan ahead.

An interesting point to bring up is that many communist groups argue that if people didn't all have expensive kitchens in each of their homes then the cost of centralized eating places would go down as their demand increased. They argue that society would benefit much more from all going to large cafeterias to eat cheap food made by trained professionals in a social setting where one has an opportunity to meet lots of other people in society on a daily basis.

I will not argue the merits of their argument, but instead I will point out that if we have kitchens in our houses and the opportunities to buy fresh ingredients, cook for ourselves, discover what we like, and socialize with whom we wish then we should take advantage of it. Otherwise we're squandering it.

I think part of the problem is that a lot of people don't have any idea where to start with shit like bread making, and no one wants to teach unless there's some money to be made off of it either through teaching or selling a product (bread maker).

[OP No.5030333]

>>5030310

but let's for the sake of argument excempt anyone who gets paid more than minimal wage; as a judges time makes anything up to a 3 star restaurant a bargain


>>5030315
but do they really think the coffee for 0.40$ isn't as good as that for 10.50$? are the beans somehow grown on gold? and handpicked by rare crossbreed of oumpaloumas? do they think every bean has been hand crushed individually with two slapbs of bacon?

NO people know that it is teh same shit on a different toilet

i ask you guys is it possible that they pay the higher price to not be embarrased in public as not being able to afford what your friends can afford and thus become the poor kid?
i think people pay teh hjigher price to avoid humiliation
and i think some buisness are based on fear of humiliation

[Anonymous No.5030334]

>>5030311

Obviously they will think both. It's a stereotype afterall.

[OP No.5030344]

even 50 pennys for a take away coffee is dumb when you earn minimum wage if you dont have that money you should drink coffee at home you can have like at least ten times the amount of coffe at home for the same price
same with the sandwiches and all the subs and all that ish
you go out side you pay 7$ at home it isnt even like a1$! (and thats liek going all out)
when ever you can do something yourself you should
that's just my opinion!

[OP No.5030357]

>>5030334
why would they assume i was rich?
as i said: maybe i was so dumb that i would invest my 2000$ i saved up over the last year; to impress people that i haven't seen, since highschool?

[Anonymous No.5030384]

>>5030287
Because people are stupid. Seriously
The Answer to the Question "Why do people X?" is 90% of the time "Because they are goddamn stupid."

[Anonymous No.5030394]

>>5030357
Stereotype that rich people do dumb shit like that.

[OP No.5030397]

>>5030384
wait di i just got called ignant?

[Anonymous No.5030420]

conspicuous consumption / signalling.

you're not at the bar for the liquor, you're at the bar so that fertile women can *see* you drinking the pricey liquor. (or to show a potential business partner your etc etc etc)

[General Vagueness No.5030426]

[Anonymous No.5030445]

>>5030333
> but do they really think the coffee for 0.40$ isn't as good as that for 10.50$?

Except it really isn't. Not all coffee tastes the same and coffee that tests good tends to cost more than coffee that tastes like shit.

Is Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee worth $20 a pound?
I don't know I've never had it as I could never justify he purchase, but I do kniw that it tastes better than the shit you get at Dunkin Donuts.

[Anonymous No.5030480]

OP, why the fuck are you typing like a goddamn retard?

[OP No.5030504]

>>5030480
i could ask you the same thing
>>5030445
so are you implying that they sell blue mountain coffee at starbucks?

[Anonymous No.5030509]

Economist here.

Your question starts from the assumption that people actually do that. And you aren't providing any data of such levels of consumtion.

People that don't have "lot of money" actually DO NOT go to restaurants or coffees, they buy the coffee and the food in a cheap market and prepare it at home. What made you think that they actually pay more than they do?

>have we lost touch with teh actual worth and value of things?

Since when? Your questions are so fucking generic. I can't get you proper answers because I think you just don't understand what you are asking.

[Anonymous No.5030530]

Dear OP, please don't forget money is useless untill you spend it. Everyone has their own preferences...

Since I love good coffee and Starbucks is way more satisfying compared to the shit I brew at home, I go get some whenever I feel like it's worth my money. And please keep the social factor in mind...

[Anonymous No.5030547]

Because somewhere along the line of human history someone equated self-value with material value. A man was measured by how much extraneous stuff he had rather than how much he had of what he needed. Homeostasis moved from having enough food to having a surplus. And not only food but land. And not only land but resources. And not just resources like wood for fire but other people.

We decided that those people with those things are better than those without and thus better fit to lead everyone. So we worked for them and with them. That became the goal to strive for.

And no, I'm not some communist. The cat's out of the bag and I don't think we should take the guy's starbucks away because it's frivolous. Sure he could probably get a cheaper and better cup of coffee through other means. But he's paying for convenience and customer service and the image of buying something expensive while being "green" and "fair trade." Starbucks just isn't a cup of expensive coffee to some people, its a symbol of wealth. Which goes back to what I said before.

[Anonymous No.5030561]

>economics
>science

[Anonymous No.5030594]

dunno, why aren't you OP?
gtfo 4chan and make me some fucking bread

[Anonymous No.5030613]

>>5030287
Psychology. It may not be a real science, but it sure as fucking cancer explains why people do dumb shit. Yeah. Suck on that for a while /sci.