Content for Wednesday, November 10
Two in Five Say Owning a Pet is More Expensive than having Children
According to a new poll, the average pet owner spends more than $4,500 on their pet’s basic needs every year. Two in five pet parents agree that having a pet is just as, if not more, expensive than raising a child. 61 percent confirm that having a pet is more costly than they initially thought. Half of respondents spend more money on their pets every year than they do on themselves. Three in five pet parents specifically allocate about $200 from each paycheck just for their pet’s necessities. Food ranks first on the list of both the most repurchased and expensive pet items, followed by toys, flea or tick treatments, and medicine.
Don't Want Your SEX? Single Men Just Don’t Care About Sex Anymore
According to a study published by Match, 81 percent of single men said sex is now less important than it was for them in pre-pandemic times. Sexperts blame a “perfect storm” of biological and societal reasons brought on by COVID. According to Match’s chief scientific advisers and sex researchers, “You can’t shut a planet and expect people’s physiology to remain the same. We all suffered, dopamine plummeted, testosterone plummeted, sex is less important. “The more sex you have, the more you want. The less sex you have, the less you want. These singles were having less sex and were under extreme stress, the two together dampened the importance of sex in their lives,: MORE: It’s not to say that sex is no longer on the mind of single men, but that it’s taken a back seat to newfound priorities in both relationships and love. Men are "taking a moment to value relationships and relationship context of intimate encounters more". Rates of casual sex are down, with "only 11 percent of singles want to date casually. More people are back to the ‘three date rule’ and want to go on multiple dates before first making out or having intercourse.” That’s because many men are now experiencing post-traumatic growth from COVID and are focusing toward “prioritizing well being” along with furthering emotional maturity.
(Would YOU Believe)... Almost a Third of Couples Argue Over Who is Greener
According to a new study, 30% of couples admit to arguing over who is the greenest one in the relationship. 23% say they’ve either broken up or considered breaking up with someone because they’re not sustainably conscious enough. 22% have been called out on their poor eco behavior by their other half, with men more likely to be to blame (32%) than women (14%). Who takes charge of eco responsibilities at home?
69% of women turn off lights in rooms no one is using compared to 56% of men.
59% of women clean out jars and plastic bottles before they go into the recycling, but just 43% of men said the same.
Women are also more likely than men to recycle or donate old clothes, hang washing out instead of using the tumble drier and cook with leftover food.
Americans Have Never Been in So Much Debt
American households are carrying record amounts of debt as home and auto prices surge. Between July and September, US household debt climbed to a new record of $15.24 trillion. That’s an increase of $286 billion from the second quarter of the year. Credit card balances rose by $17 billion, but they're still $123 bullion lower than at the end of 2019 before the pandemic hit. Mortgages, which are the largest component of household debt, rose by $230 billion last quarter and totaled $10.67 trillion. Auto loans and student loan balances also increased, rising by $28 billion and $14 billion, respectively.
Donate Much? One State Is the Stingiest of All
Some locales are more generous than others, and WalletHub has ranked the states with metrics that include not just monetary donations but the volunteer rate and number of food banks. Here are the 10 most generous states (congrats, Utah), followed by the least generous (sorry, New Mexico): Most Generous... Utah, with an overall score of 71.09 Maryland, 67.84 Minnesota, 67.72 Oregon, 65.80 North Dakota, 64.45 Pennsylvania, 62.86 Virginia, 62.73 Colorado, 62.58 Ohio, 62.51 Georgia, 62.01 The least generous states: Hawaii, 52.28 Iowa, 51.37 Alabama, 51.36 Nevada, 51.31 West Virginia, 50.56 Rhode Island, 50.36 Louisiana, 47.88 Mississippi, 45.78 Arizona, 45.11
NFL: Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers, Allen Lazard Fined for COVID-19 Protocol Violations
The NFL has fined the Green Bay Packers $300,000 for COVID-19 protocol violations, while quarterback Aaron Rodgers and receiver Allen Lazard were each fined $14,650. The team was warned that future violations could result in increased discipline, including possible change in draft position or loss of draft choice. The violations included the unvaccinated Rodgers not wearing a mask during his news conferences and because the team did not report that Rodgers and Lazard attended a Halloween party, even though it was away from the team facility. By attending, Rodgers and Lazard violated the protocol that prevents unvaccinated players from gathering in groups of more than three, which was the reason for their fine. The amount of the players' fines were part of the jointly agreed upon fine schedule between the league and the players' union. The investigation began last week after Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. He must isolate for 10 days and is eligible to return to the Packers on Saturday, one day before the team's next game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Will Ferrell's 'Elf' Costume Sells For Nearly $300,000 at Auction
Buddy the Elf's costume from the Will Ferrell movie 'Elf' has sold for $296,702.66 at auction. The outfit worn in the movie was expected to fetch between $27,600 and $41,000. The auction included 1,000 pieces of Hollywood memorabilia which could haul in around $7.6 million. The famous ‘Wilson’ volleyball from the Tom Hanks movie "Castaway" sold for $388,750.