Consumer Habits of Underprivileged and Older People

Topics: financial support by family members; type and amount of planned expenditures; frequency of vacation trips; shopping habits; reasons for the selection of shopping place; price comparisons; expenditure planning at the start of the month; creating shopping lists; purchases in health food stores; perception of special offers; possible reasons to change regular store; purchases with mail-order firms; attitude to name-brand articles; participation and purchases at so-called ´sale demonstrations´ in restaurants; purchases from salesmen at the door; conduct with complaints; attitude to consumer education; information need with certain products; missing product offering; information and purchase behavior with larger acquisitions; utilization of consumer advice centers; comparison of personal consumer behavior earlier and today; critical consumer consciousness (scale); cost of living and savings habits; savings goals; attitude to installment purchases and purchases on credit; conduct with financial difficulties; economic restrictions at retirement of spouse from professional life or death of spouse; assessment of the economic situation of pensioners in the FRG; satisfaction with income; source of income and financial support by family members; leisure activities and media usage; paying attention to advertisments and advertising broadcasts; attitude to advertising (scale); purchase of unnecessary articles; judgement on personal condition of health; contact with doctors; confinement to bed; health insurance and life insurance; monthly expenditures for medication and medicinal preparations; Demography: age (classified); sex; age of spouse; marital status; school education; income; household income; sources of income; household composition; degree of urbanization; state; personal occupational situation and that of spouse; housing situation and size of residence; residence furnishings; rent costs; length of local residency; contacts with one´s children; attitude to age and non-involvement.

Interviewer rating: shopping opportunities in vicinity of residence, willingness of respondent to cooperate, presence of other persons, length of interview; time of ending interview; city size; social class of respondent; number of contact attempts.