Name: Steven Age: 23 Sex: Male Ethnicity: Viking

American Attitudes Towards Money

1. You suggest to a classmate of the same sex, “Let’s go out for lunch after class.” When the check comes for the meal, who pays? Why? Is
that typical in the US?
←We’ll both probably pay individually. This would be very typical between friends.

2. You go out on a date to the movies with someone of the opposite sex. Who would you expect to pay for the evening? Why? Is that typi-
cal?
←This depends. If it was the first time we had gone out together, I would probably offer to pay for the movie. However, I think
that the girl should not expect that I’ll pay for everything. If we went to dinner first, I would probably pay for dinner and then we
might split the movie cost or maybe even the girl would offer to pay for the movie since I paid for dinner.

3. You borrow a dollar from a friend to make a phone call. The next time you see your friend, do you return the money? Why or why not?
Would your friend accept it? Why or why not?
←I probably wouldn’t return it, because a dollar isn’t that much money and usually when people “borrow” something that small
they really just mean “Can I have a dollar?” If I tried to give the money back later, my friend might or might not except. De-
pends on them, but I would imagine that they would not accept it. Again, a dollar is not a lot of money.

4. You need $100 for an emergency. To whom would you go to borrow the money? Would you return it? What would happen if you did not
pay it back?
← I would borrow the money from my best friend or my parents. I would return it, although if I borrowed it from my parents
they might tell me not to pay them back. If I didn’t pay my friend back, they might be a little angry but probably won’t say
anything. Same for my parents. If my friend needs money later on, they might bring up the fact that I never paid them back
before.

5. The college that you want to attend costs $5,000 more than you have. Where, of from whom, would you try to borrow the money?
←I would borrow money from the bank or from my parents if I felt they had enough money.
←

6. The semester is ending, and you want to thank your favorite teacher for all her help. Would you buy her a bracelet for $50? Why or why
not? What would she think if you did?
←No, that would be too much. Especially since it’s a bracelet and especially since it’s a female teacher. I might invite her to get
lunch at school or send her a nice email. And best to do all of this after you have received your grade for the class, that way it
doesn’t appear that you are trying to influence your grade in the class.

7. While waiting at customs, you notice that the customs official is giving people a hard time at the front of the line. Do you slip the official
some money when it is your turn, to avoid hassles? Why or why not? In the United States, do people tip government employees in order to get
a job done well or quickly?
←No, do not do this. Do not tip any government employee. Bribes are considered very bad in the United States.

8. In the US, is it OK to ask friends how much money they make? Why or why not?
← You probably shouldn’t do this unless it is a really good friend of yours and if you are pretty sure that they won’t be offended.
Overall, a question like this would be considered a private matter and not something for discussion.

9. Is it OK to ask friends what they paid for their car? Their house or apartment? If not, why not?
←This wouldn’t be as bad as asking the question above, but it is still something that you need to be careful about and it would
need to be a good friend. The car would be the easiest to ask because the cost of a car is the most public information. The cost of a
house would be the one you would need to be the most careful with because it is a more expensive item than the other two.

UniBraw 2007 - Steven Ellis 1

10. Is it OK to ask these questions of someone you have just met, or of an acquaintance? Explain.
←An acquaintance is usually someone that you know, but not someone that is really a good friend of yours. So I would say don’t
ask these to an acquaintance. Maybe car or apartment would be possible, but then again maybe not. Some people might have no
problem answering while others may really be uncomfortable with the question.
←

11. How would you feel if a guest at your house asked you how much you had paid for your stereo?
←I would answer, but I might prefer that they didn’t ask unless it is a good friend of mine.
←

12. How important is it to you to have a job which pays a lot of money?
←If I feel that I am doing something important and have enough money to live, the amount of money I have would not be impor-
tant. I just want to do something that has a positive influence on the world and that challenges me. Still, having some disposable
income to travel would be nice. Especially if it means that I can come back to Indonesia.

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