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Why use percent of income? Why not use gross contributions?
That happened to be the info that site offered. So probably it does not include variables such as gifting assets not considered income or beneficiary donations upon death, etc. But, again, in looking at the information as a comparison, then what information it leaves out in one area it also leaves out in the other area and what it includes in one it includes in the other so the comparison is probably still pretty accurate outside of, say, a Jones Town cult where everyone has donated their bodies to science, so there will be outliers. But I certainly think Hyde to Longboat is a fairly reasonable comparison, two areas with both wealth and working class, maybe more retirees in Longboat but in comparing affluent areas it's tough to not run into that. And I did look at Hyde to Boca which has lots of working class yet a similar discrepancy shows there as well.
Another reason to look at the percentage of income and not gross, or even not looking at disposable, is that as a measure of self sacrifice for the betterment of society in general, then it would be the ongoing commitment which might measure better the attitude of an area towards helping others or towards being selfish. Even someone who never donates during their entire life but leaves everything to charity at death, has given no skin off their nose. They're dead. So while still a very nice and helpful gesture, maybe not considered as generous as someone who sacrificed during life.
For my own self, I've combined a bit of that. I do give to some causes, particularly to organizations working towards helping what has effected people in my life, I've done volunteer work for much of my life, from when I was a little kid even, and I've willed to organizations which work toward bettering the world. So I might give less than the national average during life but during that time I volunteer time and effort and upon my demise my donations will more than make up for cash I did not part with during life.
And thinking in terms of volunteering in lieu of cash, I'll look to see if I can find stats at a local level but for right now....
And, again, Tampa is not looking good in this regard.... Tampa Profile - Volunteering and Civic Life in America
Overall, in Tampa, FL in 2012: 23.1% of residents volunteer, ranking them 43rd among the 51 largest MSAs.
Miami is the very worst.
But here's Jax
30.0% of residents volunteer, ranking them 15th among the 51 largest MSAs.
So by all that it looks like Tampa's not just stingy in the pocket but also selfish in the shoes. And I think that all does speak to quality of life issues.
Healthy food is cheaper? Since when? Look at the dollar menu at some of these fast food places - you can buy a ton of junky food for a few bucks! Pre-prepared meals loaded with sodium and calories in the grocery store are far less expensive than buying fresh, organic veggies, fruits, and meats. My family and I eat very healthy meals, and our grocery bill is enormous! It would be much less expensive for us to go to McDonald's every night and eat off the dollar menu, but we choose to purchase foods that are healthy and organic because they are better for our bodies.
Gardening isn't cheap either. It takes many long hours to set up a garden, especially when living in Florida where the soil quality is poor. We used to have a hydroponic garden and believe me, that was costly! Now we just grow our own herbs. THAT is actually the only kind of gardening that is pretty inexpensive when you consider how much fresh herbs cost at the grocery store! I've heard of people joining farm co-ops where they are able to get fresh fruits and veggies very inexpensively, but I haven't jumped on that band wagon just yet.
The way I see it, people can either pay up now at the grocery store or pay a far more costly bill later in a doctor's office.
I'm not sure where you buy your groceries from but I suspect " organic " is what makes them so expensive.
For most folk willing to eat ordinary produce it has never been cheaper to eat well.
It just requires a little education and willingness to work at it for the average obese person to be able to produce a week's worth of healthy and varied meals using food staples such as potatoes,cheap cuts,root vegetables,pasta,rice,tomatoes,noodles etc.
Much of the problem is down to lack of education - many of these dumb-asses have no idea how much crap they're shovelling into their mouths and the long-term effect of fat and sugar on their health.
I go to my local Walmart and see them sat on motorized shopping trolleys piled high with pizzas,soda,chips,sugary breakfast cereals and not a piece of fruit or vegetable to be seen.
It's why we call them shopping hearses.
I know we're off subject, but a lot of the blame for obesity goes to those 'dollar menus' at fast food places. Especially true for single moms, tight budget, works hard, kids in daycare or at school. Too tempting to grab a bag of burgers and fries after picking the kids up, rather expending time and effort to make a real meal with real food.
I'm not sure where you buy your groceries from but I suspect " organic " is what makes them so expensive.
For most folk willing to eat ordinary produce it has never been cheaper to eat well.
It just requires a little education and willingness to work at it for the average obese person to be able to produce a week's worth of healthy and varied meals using food staples such as potatoes,cheap cuts,root vegetables,pasta,rice,tomatoes,noodles etc.
Much of the problem is down to lack of education - many of these dumb-asses have no idea how much crap they're shovelling into their mouths and the long-term effect of fat and sugar on their health.
I go to my local Walmart and see them sat on motorized shopping trolleys piled high with pizzas,soda,chips,sugary breakfast cereals and not a piece of fruit or vegetable to be seen.
It's why we call them shopping hearses.
Yes, organic is what makes the stuff I buy so costly. We try to be smart with it, though … I buy organic milk, meats, and certain fruits and veggies. The rest is just regular produce. I will say my 12 year old does not have body odor yet, and my 16 year old is just now getting it. They've been on organic foods since they were tiny, and their pediatrician says their lack of stink is likely due to the lack of added hormones in their diets. Both are super healthy kids … actually, we all are - I can't remember when the last time any of us had a bad cold or the flu. I attribute this to having amazing immune systems because of our healthy lifestyle.
I totally agree that it is a lack of education (and possibly a lack of willingness to change) that is contributing to America's obesity issue. I have a couple of friends who are overweight and they eat HORRIBLE food constantly - fast food nearly five or six times a week and sugary drinks like colas and sweet teas. They are sick several times a year, and then they run off to the doctor and load up on all kinds of antibiotics. No one in my family has had antibiotics in years!
And yes … Wal-Mart is a prime spot to see obese folks loading their motorized carts down with junk food. It really aggravates me because everyone's health insurance rates get jacked up as a result of these people's unhealthy choices.
I know we're off subject, but a lot of the blame for obesity goes to those 'dollar menus' at fast food places. Especially true for single moms, tight budget, works hard, kids in daycare or at school. Too tempting to grab a bag of burgers and fries after picking the kids up, rather expending time and effort to make a real meal with real food.
Oh my word … don't get me started. I hate the dollar menu thing! I haven't eaten at McDonald's in about 15 years, but last I checked, their foods were packed with artery-clogging fat and calories.
Both my husband and I work full-time and have very busy schedules carting our kids around to various functions and dealing with our own busy social lives. It isn't easy to eat healthy with this kind of schedule, but we make it work because it is important to us. I certainly don't get home and cook up a gourmet meal or anything, but I find in less than an hour, I can usually get a meal of baked chicken breast, veggies, a salad, and some kind of potato ready. If I know we have a busy week ahead, I can usually cook ahead of time and have several meals ready to be heated up at a moment's notice.
Healthy food is cheaper? Since when? Look at the dollar menu at some of these fast food places - you can buy a ton of junky food for a few bucks. Pre-prepared meals loaded with sodium and calories in the grocery store are far less expensive than buying fresh, organic veggies, fruits, and meats. My family and I eat very healthy meals, and our grocery bill is enormous! It would be much less expensive for us to go to McDonald's every night and eat off the dollar menu, but we choose to purchase foods that are healthy and organic because they are better for our bodies.
You are comparing the most expensive way to cook with the least expensive way to eat out. That's not a fair and honest comparison. Sure, if you insist on spending a lot on ingredients, you can. America is full of highly-motivated entrepreneurs looking for ways to empty the wallets of the rich. That's why Whole Foods exists.
But a poor person just scraping by can easily cook healthy, cheap meals for a family.
Quote:
Gardening isn't cheap either. It takes many long hours to set up a garden, especially when living in Florida where the soil quality is poor. We used to have a hydroponic garden and believe me, that was costly!
Hydroponics? This is the same as above. It is cheap to grow tomatoes, peppers, etc. It isn't that much work either, but of course if you want to make a hobby out of it it can be time consuming.
That leads to my other point: unemployment is sky-high among the poor. Many of these people have tons of free time on their hands. Not all have time to garden, but many do and yet it is rare to see a vegetable garden in the ghetto.
You are comparing the most expensive way to cook with the least expensive way to eat out. That's not a fair and honest comparison. Sure, if you insist on spending a lot on ingredients, you can. America is full of highly-motivated entrepreneurs looking for ways to empty the wallets of the rich. That's why Whole Foods exists.
But a poor person just scraping by can easily cook healthy, cheap meals for a family.
Hydroponics? This is the same as above. It is cheap to grow tomatoes, peppers, etc. It isn't that much work either, but of course if you want to make a hobby out of it it can be time consuming.
That leads to my other point: unemployment is sky-high among the poor. Many of these people have tons of free time on their hands. Not all have time to garden, but many do and yet it is rare to see a vegetable garden in the ghetto.
I agree that there was an apple and orange comparison there.
When people think unhealthy food they only think the McDonald but in fact most restaurant foods are unhealthy--full of fat and salt--that's how they make it "tasty." One could buy a grilled chicken Cesar salad at McDonald and probably eat healthy than a fat laden 16OZ steak in one of the named place--bad for your body as well as the pocket.
When you cook yourself, not only it is healthy but you exercise too, , cutting, n chopping smashing and so on..easily 300 to 500 calorie you burn right there...no need to pay for a gym to burn the extra calories you just put in your body at a premium .
Yes, if you think short-term it is an apples to oranges comparison. But in the long run, if you consider the long-term ramifications of an unhealthy diet, a person could end up spending more money in doctor visits than they would have on healthy foods. (Although if a person is on Medicaid, they may not see it coming directly out of their pockets.) My husband is a health care provider and he sees it all the time. People who abuse their bodies with bad eating pay the consequences eventually. We're both in our early 40's and aren't on medication of any sort, nor do we visit the doctor for anything beyond routine care. I attribute this to a healthy lifestyle of wise food choices and exercise.
And we rarely shop at Whole Foods. That place robs customers blind! You can get quality produce and organics right at your local Publix and certain farmer's markets for a whole lot less.
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, cutting, n chopping smashing and so on..easily 300 to 500 calorie you burn right there...no need to pay for a gym to burn the extra calories you just put in your body at a premium 
.
