It's Friday, and I think we could all use a Would You Rather! It's getting harder to pick out some goods that we haven't done already, but I think today's is juicy enough to stir up some action ;)

Although technically, it's more of a "Would you give up ___ for ___" kinda deal, but the concept is pretty much the same - you have to pick one over the other. And let me just start by saying that this one is TOUGH! Okay, here's today's question:

Would you...for $15,000 in cash, give up sex for a whole entire year?!

That's over $1,000 a MONTH in cold hard cash! Or a brand spankin' new car. A down payment on a small house or plane. 15 plasma tvs. Around the world plane tickets (I think?). Potentially NO credit card debts! A generous charity donation. Or 15,000 double cheeseburgers from McDonald's! Haha...

So yeah, it's a lot of money. I just don't know who could give up such greatness :) And to be fair, let's make it TWO YEARS if you aren't regularly getting any to begin with - or else it's a super easy call. Although in that case, maybe you deserve to be rewarded with the $15Gs anyway? Also, let's clarify that "sex" is *any* form of it whatsoever before you try getting around it. Hugging and kissing on the lips only, okay? You don't want the Would You Rather monster coming to get you!

Personally, I don't think I could do it. I cherish my intimacy wayyy too much. It would be easier if I were saving up for a super spectacular goal where I could see the direct impact $15ks would have, but since I'm not I can't say it would be worth it. And plus, how would we be able to make little J's this year?! Hah! Better keep that in mind before making your decision ;)

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Check out the list of previous Would You Rathers.

Labels: life, would you rather

Guest Post by Brian Scheur

A couple of weeks ago J. Money did one of his "Would You Rather?" posts where he asked individuals what choice they'd prefer in a given situation.That specific post focused on the choice between an extra hour every day or an extra $100 a week? Most people that commented said they would prefer the extra money (including myself).

Now, let's twist the sitch a bit. One local organization has tried to weather the dragging economy by cutting all of its employees salaries and benefits by 10%. Now this would suck. In fact, it does suck. But they feel that it's not in their best interest to totally stick it to their employees. They are also changing their operating hours by extending each day from 9:00a to 5:00p to 8:30a to 5:30p, however they are giving every employee EVERY FRIDAY OFF! (J: I would take it in a heartbeat)

Now, I know the workweek is going from 40 hours to 36 hours (which would equal the 10% deduction in compensation), but I think this is frickin' awesome! I have a friend that works for this organization and she is terrified of the 10% decrease in her salary. I don't necessarily blame her, but what would you do if you had a three day weekend EVERY weekend? I feel like I could be productive on that extra day, work an extra job, take long weekend vacations, etc.

Technically, its only 4 hours less a week, but I refuse to look at it that way. It's a whole EXTRA day! The way my mind views it, the company is asking individuals to work 20% less days and only paying them 10% less. Score! Cha-Ching! Booyah! Is this company hiring?

Now I want to know your thoughts? This isn't some hypothetical situation as a friend of mine is going through this. Should she be focused on finding a new job with equal compensation or be focused on making the most of her upcoming three day weekends? I say the latter, but try and put yourself in her shoes. Less money and more time, or more money and less time? What do you think?

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Brian blogs over at My Next Buck and is a mighty fine human being. If you like his style, consider signing up to his feed.

Labels: career, would you rather

It's time to play another rousing game of Would You Rather! My brain is still reeling from the $50 vs Sex poll I wrote about earlier, but since we already covered that one I thought I'd bring up the ol' "money vs. time" dilemma. It might not be as sexy, but it's still interesting to think about:

"Would You Rather...Have an extra $100 of income every week (un-taxed), OR an extra hour every day (giving you 25 hours instead of 24)?"

I can tell you right now, I'd take the extra hour hands down. ESP if I could pick when to use the hour ;) Imagine, laying in bed and trying to wake up and then PRESTO! One free hour coming up! Or you're at work trying to slam through a project and time is running out. No problemo - just reach into your pocket and pull out a bright and shiny hour! Or better yet, use it when you're trying to knock out a blog post @ work and your boss comes in to tell you he needs an errand run ;) (not that it just happened to me or anything...cuz that would be bad...like, really bad...right?)

But even without picking when to use it, time is one of the main things money can't buy. And lately, I've been unfortunately short on it. When my brain kicks into creative overdrive, I need all the hours I can get to pump out my projects. The $400 a month would be awesome, but money doesn't power my ventures, hard work does. (side note: if you ask my wife, she'd totally take the money. She feels that the more time you have, the more you'd procrastinate and change your schedule around anyways, so that extra hour would just be wasted. To be honest, I see her point. I'd just like more time to live.)

But it's not up to my wife (hah!), it's up to YOU. If the would-you-rather genie came to your neck of the woods, which are you going with - the extra hour or the $100/week?

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Previous Would You Rathers:
- Would you rather... Be ugly & rich, or hot with less?
- Would you...take a 10% pay cut if it saved co-worker?
- Would you rather be rich with a crap job, or poor with a job you love?

Labels: life, would you rather

Wow it's been a long time since I've done a "would you rather". I feel like we need one of these to get our brains in think-mode today. After all, it's Feisty Friday! So here's the question - give it some thought and drop a line w/ your answer. You never know when it just might come true ;)

"Would you rather be rich with a crap job, or poor with a job you love?"

I'll admit it's not the most creative question ever asked, but it's something we talk about whether we realize it or not. Remember all those times we bitch & complain about our jobs? If we're not doing it for the money, then why? ;) (on a side note I actually DO happen to love my job, but not after sorting through the other dirt holes first) In interest of this question though, I feel like I'd choose rich over poor. You can do a lot of good w/ money both for yourself AND others. As long as the job didn't suck up all my time, I'm pretty sure I could deal with it in order to grab the benefits. Although, if I really hated it that much I guess it would mean that it DID take up my time, eh?

On the other hand, spending your valuable time @ a place that makes you happy can go a loooong way! Easier to wake up to, get back from vacation to, and just overall a better quality of life. Minus the money part, of course. But that alone is enough to drive a man crazy. As I mentioned, I couldn't ask for a better job right now, but if the pay was a half or a third of what I currently make there's no WAY I could live the lifestyle I do - and that's saying something considering I live pretty low key as it is.

None of these questions ever have correct answers, but it's still interesting to think about. I'm a huge "what if" kinda guy, for better or for worse (usually for worse if you ask any of my previous gf's). But if you find yourself leaning towards the "poor with an incredible job" side of things, ask yourself this: what's stopping you? If money isn't as important deep down, why not get out there and start looking for it? It's worth a few minutes of your time considering it at the very least.

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Check out some others:
- Would you...politically & publicly sell out for $10,000?
- Would you rather... Be ugly & rich, or hot with less?
- Would you...take a 10% pay cut if it saved co-worker?

Labels: career, would you rather

It's been 57 days since my last "would you rather", and I have missed 'em dearly. So not only do we bring 'em back today, but we reach into the classics and pull out a favorite!

We go all the way back to ancient times when Old Babylon was ruled all of the lands...or not, i'm not entirely sure. I don't even know if Babylon was even a real place? I've been reading "The Richest Man in Babylon" lately and it's freakin' awesome - soooo many great lesssons! I really can't wait to talk about it, but that comes a bit later....

Back to the point here - the whole "looks vs money" debate has been going on for ages. And since I don't recall writing much about it myself, I thought it was about time. Plus, I had asked it via an interview over at A Gai Shan Life last month but it's still not outta my system yet. So let's give it another go and see what we can drum up here. This is today's Would You Rather:

"Would you rather be attractive as hell BUT you never make more than $30k a year for the rest of your life? Orrrrrrr, you're pretty damn ugly BUT you're as rich as Oprah Winfrey?"

Now, you have to think long and hard on this one (at least i do). Being attractive certainly has its perks: More opportunities to meet hotties of the opposite sex, better possibilities of getting great jobs, getting into more parties, getting away with more stuff (or so i'm told), etc, etc. BUT, if you're never gonna make more than $30k, it kinda limits your benefits here.

On the other hand, being rich as balls and being able to help out thousands of people around the world, not to mention your own friends and family (and SELF for that matter), is crazy sexy! But having a repulsive stature sure wouldn't be fun :( We're not talking about so-so looking, or "average" either - just plain ol' butt ugly, whatever that means to you.

As always, since I asketh thee, i shall also answereth thee. While I wish I could take the middle-road and just go w/ an average joe w/ average money, that is not one of the answers. Sooo, I will be 100% honest and look like a total d-head here - I would pick being HOT over Rich :) Money is awesome for a number of reasons already mentioned, but I could get by on $30k if i had to - I'm already frugal as hell! It would suck not being able to provide for my family as much as I'd like to, but we'd manage. Plus, I could still donate my time to places and still give back to the community, right?

So what about you? Take the looks and run, or suck it up and be rich!
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Check out more Would You Rathers...

Labels: in the real world, would you rather

I just got out of a company meeting, and I'm flying high baby! My 2 weeks away from the office was a nice break for sure, but the economy was putting some doubt in the ol' job security department :( That meeting turned my frown upside down though!

Our CEO assured us that our company is staying strong, and that things are looking up for '09!! And not only that, but that cutting people is the last option on his mind! We'll still lose a few benefits here and there for sure (i can probably kiss my 100% matching 401k away), but at this point I'll TAKE IT! haha...I really don't feel like looking around for another dream job right now.

Before this meeting, however, I was playing a rousing game of "would you rather" with a few co-workers of mine, and we came up with a really interesting side question. And since it's one of my all-time favorite games to play, I thought I'd drop it on ya:

"Would you be willing to cut your salary by 10% if it meant saving another employee? And what if there was a randomized chance that the employee in question could be YOU?"

TOUGH one, right?! 10% is a lot no matter how much you make. And if you're not a great rainy day saver or budget'er like some are, this could def. knock ya on your feet. Plus, is it even worth the risk? Would you be more comfortable losing 10% than 100% if you were the unlucky employee? Even morally - could you stand by and watch your cube-mate walk out the door all because you couldn't chip in a little? Definitely no right or wrong answer here though...we all have our stuff going on.

And since I asked it, I shall now answer it. While the frugal side of would get up and bitch-slap me, I'd 100% bite the bullet and take my pay cut. For one thing, i'm too much a panzy to risk losing my dream job no matter what the odds are ;) That, and everyone knows each other pretty well since we're a small company. I certainly wouldn't miss one or two of them, but I doubt they'd ever get fired anyways. So that would leave ME, along w/ the rest of my closest co-workers to get the boot.

I'd gladly give away $8k for total peace of mind. Okay, well not *gladly*, but I'd still do it. Who knows, maybe that good kharma would turn around and we'd all get rewarded down the road?!

How about you all? Would you tell the employee to F off, or would/could you pull out the get-out-of-jail-free card?

Labels: career, crazy economy, would you rather

This one may be my favorite yet. It's not exactly a "would you rather" question, but it should definitely do the trick. You know why? Because it involves politics.....AND money. Both of which coule rile you up in a heartbeat ;)

And what fun would this world be without testing your limits? So while the elections are still in the rear view mirror and nobody's tired of it yet (HAH!), here's this month's question:

"Would you, for $10,000 in cash - publicly announce to the world on national t.v. that you strongly support, AND admire, the opposite candidate you actually voted for?"

Oooooh, good one right :) I'd imagine those who aren't that passionate about it wouldn'g care all that much and would gladly take the money, but what about those hardcore supporters? I mean, $10G's is a lot of loot! Do you think your family, friends, and co-workers (or even your blog readers) would really CARE that much about your ideals?

For me? I'd take the money and run! haha...i'd sellout in a heartbeat. Hell yeah I think Obama is the man and proudly voted for him, but McCain is a decent human being and i wouldn't mind taking $hit for saying so for a few weeks. People (aka those who know who i am) will forget in no time, and the rest of the world could care less...it's not like i'm Perez Hilton. yet.

What about you all? Would you pocket that money and get out of dodge? It's an interesting question either way - it's just too bad it'll never come true ;)

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Want more? Check out the other would you rathers.
ps: if this looks familiar it's because i originally created it for cleverdude.com...

Labels: would you rather

Today's "Would you rather" question comes from one of our readers here - my boy Philip - and it circles around the economy these days. I don't know about you, but people around here are starting to freak out more every day, and it's starting to get out of hand. So with that in mind, Philip and I bring you the latest from our fun little game:

"Would you rather take one big hit and then be done, or just keep getting hit left and right for a long time?"

Rather interesting in my opinion! The old me probably would have liked to drag it out a bit and pad the shock, but the NEW me is getting tired of it all and would like to swallow the loss and start moving on. Of course, in real life you don't really have a say in the matter, but you do here on this blog ;)

So what say you? Are you daring enough to watch your nest eggs take a one-time plummet? Or do you have patience to stick it out and watch it continously drop, little by little, day by day? Curious minds want to know.

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Previous "would you rather"'s:
- Would your rather keep $500k to yourself, or give away $1million?
- Would you rather default on ALL loans, or...
- George Bush gives you $2million, but...
- Would you rather take $500k now, or...

Labels: crazy economy, stock market, would you rather

So here it is. You're sitting in a room with all of your closest friends and family, and the mayor of your city singles you out and asks you to come up to the front. He/she tells you that the city has a proposal for you, and you MUST answer it no matter what. The question is:

"The city would like to offer you money, but the amount is up to you. We can give you $1 million dollars, but it can ONLY be dispersed between your friends and family - you cannot take any yourself, or use any bartering/trickery to get some back later after the "deal" has been completed. OR, we can give you $500,000, of which you can use all to yourself, but ONLY for yourself, no one else."

Which would you choose? Keep in mind that all your friends and family will hear both options and know the difference...HARD as hell, right? I mean, either way you or someone you love will be extremely better off so it's totally a GOOD thing, but do you have the heart (and balls) to give it ALL away? Half of me says yes, but the other half says nooooo way in hell! haha...I think I really got myself on this one as I can usually answer these would you rathers pretty confidently.

It wouldn't be fair though if I asked you what you'd pick w/out doing it myself though, so here goes...now keep in mind that it really depends on my mood at the time. Like many ADHD'ers, I get into spurts of excitement, sadness, craziness, hyper, sluggish, you name it on a flip of a switch (although I tend to be pretty positive). So if someone catches me in la la land right after I downed my morning hazelnut coffee - like right now for example - then i'm much more likely to sway one way over another.

But anyways, if i were to be asked that question RIGHT NOW, I'd have to go w/ giving $1 million dollars to my friends and family! I can't believe i just said that! haha...it's not like they really NEED the money all that much, well maybe my brother and sister and one of my friends do, but i think i'd sleep a lot better once things calmed down, ya know? I'm sure i'd second guess myself throughout my life, but at least i'd die knowing i've done a huge a$$ deed.

Now, ask me during a time like when my paycheck bounces and i'm freakin' out, and I'm 95% sure I'd take the $500k instead! I could always find non-financial ways to help my family, right? So yeah i kinda copped out on this answer a bit, but at least i'm honest!

What about you? Could you firmly answer one way or the other? I know we have some $500k takers out there ;)

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Here are some previous would you rathers:
- Would you rather default on ALL loans, or...
- George Bush gives you $2million, but...
- Would you rather take $500k now, or...

Labels: would you rather

I know some of you can't sleep without a "would you rather" question every now and then (that someone being me), so figured i'd throw one out there to celebrate this glorious Friday. That, and I'm also trying to procrastinate here at work....only 12 more minutes to go ;)

I came up with it when i was commenting on Mrs Micha's "question and answer" post:

"Would you rather have $500k now (no taxes, fees, etc) OR would you rather get 1 million ten years from now (no fees again)?"

You're welcome.

Labels: would you rather

I know i just did one of these last week (the George Bush deal), but they're so much fun! And plus it's Memorial Day - which means it's a holiday, and I can do whatever i want ;) That, and it's also my blog. haha...

Since I won't be up bright and early like usual on a Monday morning, I was sure to plop this one up at 1a.m., just for you!

Please to enjoy:

"Would you rather... Default on all loans, credit cards, mortgages, etc for 5 months straight (no payments allowed at all, no matter what even if you have the money) - OR would you rather give Uncle Sam a one time $20,000 check to avoid it all together?"

And you have to pick one. It'll suck either way, but which would be better? That's the tricky part. I'll post my answer later ;)

Labels: would you rather

One of my favorite games EVER is playing "would you rather" - especially on long road trips with all of my friends. While most of the questions end up turning out pretty graphic and need censorship (sorry, can't post those here!), they always start out nice and thought-provoking like, "would you rather be super hot but smell horrible, OR would you rather be ugly but smell incredible 24/7?". Then there's the "If you had to lose a limb, which one would you choose?" type questions that ensue.

Fun, right? haha... while the majority of the questions center around good looks and/or just really really childish stuff, they almost inevitably go down the money route as well, like the famous, "What would you do with a million dollars?" one. Not EXACTLY a "would you rather" question, but nonetheless interesting ... and thus the reason for this post ;)

So the other day when i came across a questions and answer posting by Frugal Dad, I thought to my self - what better way to participate than by submitting my own wild question?

And here's what i came up with:

“George Bush offers to give you $2 Million in exactly 3 years from now (signed contract and all), BUT in order for you to get it, you have to give up EVERY PENNY you have right now - all savings, retirement, etc. Would you do it?”

Before you answer it yourself, keep in mind the following:

1. All savings, home equity, brokerage, 401(k), etc are all wiped out to a zero balance, both for you and your spouse/partner - so as of today, you'd have $0.00 to your name.
2. BUT, you'd also still have your current salary, part-time jobs, etc., so money would flow in.

Basically, you'd be somewhat screwed in an emergency (as your emergency fund would also have been wiped clear), BUT you'd be all set 3 years from now! If you're already in debt and don't have much saved anyway though, then the answer is easy. But what if you have a family to feed, or have amassed quit a bit over the years? Is it worth the sacrifice?

Well, here's how Frugal Dad answered it (w/out my further clarification) -

"Creative question! Well, you didn’t mention my income - would I have to give that up, too? If not, I suppose we could continue to live on my income and put off saving and investing for the future windfall. However, if I had to completely give up all forms of money and income, then my answer would be no deal. Maybe if I was a single guy I could just float though life for the next three years, but as a husband and father with mouths to feed I need to maintain a certain quality of life for my children. No amount of promised money in the future could cause me to sacrifice their well-being, even temporarily."!

Smart man ;) I can only *hope* to make the same money-related decisions if/when I become a dad! As it stand right now, i'd have to take the $2 mil in 3 years for sure. Even w/ my super savings plan , I still have 15 years or so to go until I reach the $1mil mark anyways, so it's an easy call. This, of course, is without running it by Mrs. Budgetsaresexy though! haha ... I'm not sure she'd want to start out married life flat broke ;)

Either way, I always enjoy hearing how others would handle such questions. It certainly makes life more interesting!

Labels: george bush, randomness 3000, would you rather