The Big Book of Girl Stuff

by Bart King

  The first coin ever designed in the United States said “Mind Your Business” on it. Benjamin Franklin came up with the idea.

  The “$” sign originally had two vertical lines running through the S. The two vertical lines represented a U superimposed over the S, which stood for U.S., the United States. Over time, the U lost its bottom and then lost one of its lines. The United States is the only country that used its own name on its money symbol. Today, the symbol means “money” all over the world.

  It costs about two cents to make, print, and cut a dollar bill. Guess how much it costs to print a $100 bill? About two cents!

  Secret Information! Look carefully in the top right corner of a $1 dollar bill. If you stare hard enough, you will see the little owl who lives up there.

  Shopping

  Girls love to shop! You’re already good at it, but now it’s time to get better.

  Shop Smart

  Girls usually spend most of their money on clothing, shoes, accessories, cosmetics, knickknacks, and high-tech items (such as cell phones or iPods). So how can you be a smart shopper and make sure not to waste your money?

  Ask Yourself These Questions:

  1. Why do you want it? Shopping is not always logical. Sometimes you just want something because you want it. But can you figure out why you want it? Is it really cool, or is it just because everyone else has it?

  2. If you want to buy something, can you make yourself wait a little? Try leaving the store, and then shop around to make sure there’s not a better deal at another store. (This also will help you decide if you really want something.)

  3. Does the item you want seem like it’s at a fair price? Stores won’t necessarily charge you a fair price. They will charge the amount people are willing to pay. This is called “charging what the market will bear.” Name-brand items and “in” products usually cost more, because stores can get away with charging more.

  You Don’t Want to Hear This!

  A survey of mall shoppers found that the most annoying thing a sales clerk can say is “That’s not my department.” Other most-hated phrases included “If it’s not on the rack, we don’t have it,” “I’m on a break,” “The computer is down,” “Sorry, this is my first day,” and “I don’t work here.”

  Let’s say that you want a new shirt. If you buy it new at a store, you are probably paying twice as much as the store paid the shirt maker. And if you’re buying jewelry, the store’s markup is even worse! So is it a rip-off? (As long as you’re wondering about this, you’re a step ahead of most people.)

  They’re Watching You! By charting where girls shop inside of stores, researchers have learned that girls spend most of their time on the right side of the stores they go into.

  The Busiest Shopping Days of the Year! The two weekends before December 25th are the busiest shopping days of the year. The day after Thanksgiving is the fifth most popular.

  If you do some comparison shopping online, you can probably find the best deals. Even with shipping costs, you may choose to have an item mailed to your house, because it’s cheaper AND it saves you a trip to the store. And if you really want to save money . . .

  Go Thrifting

  Be smart about spending a little; after all, who said style has to be expensive?

  You Will Need: A desire to save money and to have a good time.

  Where can you buy a skirt, tank top, belt, blazer, and silk blouse for just $20? Try your local Salvation Army or Goodwill stores. If you want to be a smart consumer or just want to find a killer deal, your local thrift shop is the place to do it. Of course, there’s a lot of stuff there that’s “junky,” but just think of it as a treasure hunt!

  “Vintage” clothes definitely have character, and they set you apart from everyone else. Plus, there’s nothing like bragging about the name-brand “find” you scored for $10!

  When you go thrifting, you’ll know you’re not getting ripped off, and we bet you have a lot of fun. BTW, it’s fine to shop cheap, but be careful about buying tube tops, small miniskirts, or short-shorts. Looking cheap is never cool!

  *Thrift shops are great places to find Halloween costumes.

  Clothes

  If you find a pair of pants or a sweater (or whatever) in a style you really like and that looks good on you, buy more than one. Get it in different colors or patterns, because if it’s a winner, it’s a winner! Focus on clothes that highlight your strong points. Once you know what looks good on you and what you like, you’re all set.

  Be sure to check the “washing instructions” on the label of any clothes you’re thinking about buying. (And to leave the tag on any clothes you buy until you’re sure that they fit the way you want them to.) If an item needs dry cleaning, you might want to think twice about buying it. Dry cleaning is sort of a hassle and it can be expensive.

  Hot Tip! If you’re thinking about buying something, try to think of three pieces of clothing you already own that could go with it. If you can’t think of three, you might want to pass on it.

  *If you feel like being a spazz, go into a clothing store’s fitting room and sing out loudly, “I see London, I see France!”

  Buy It on Sale!

  If you’ve ever made a special trip to a store only to find the place closed, you know that timing is important. To have the right timing on some great sales, shop sometime between the middle of January through the start of February. This is when a lot of stores put leftover items from the holiday season up for grabs at good prices.

  Shoes

  This may seem like obvious advice, but make sure to get shoes that fit! About half of all women are wearing shoes that are TOO SMALL for them. (See the “Fashion” chapter for more info.)

  Try on shoes late in the day, because (believe it or not!) your feet widen as you walk around, so they actually get bigger. Also, the odds are that one of your feet is bigger than the other one, so have your feet carefully measured and then always try the shoes on both feet.

  Newsflash! Most men and boys don’t ever look at anyone’s feet, and they don’t care how big a girl’s shoes are.

  If you are planning to actually walk much in your new shoes, the heels shouldn’t be more than an inch high. And remember that shoes with heels should be almost as cushy and comfy as sports shoes. If they’re not, don’t buy them!

  Cosmetics

  Many companies that sell makeup price their products way too high, and they know it. This sounds crazy, but their sales are better when they overprice the makeup! Helena Rubenstein made millions of dollars in the makeup business, and she said, “Some women won’t buy anything unless they can pay a lot.”

  In other words, the makeup is so expensive it somehow makes it seem worth it. Reverse psychology! How dumb is that?

  High-Tech

  You’re the expert. Your parents may not even have had phones when they were growing up, and if they had computers, it was something like an abacus with an electric plug. A portable music device was a kazoo, not an iPod. Since you are probably more of an expert on electronic gadgets than most adults, use your wisdom wisely.

  Are Your Eyes Sensitive? Teenage girls buy twice as many sunglasses as boys do. (Maybe this is because sunglasses make your eyes seem big, and they help you hide from the paparazzi.)

  Wacky Product Warnings

  It’s good that companies include safety information with their products. But some companies are so worried about safety (and getting sued), that their product warnings can get a little ridiculous. A group called Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch has a contest to find the nation’s “wackiest” directions. Read the product warnings below and ask yourself: Is the company incredibly stupid or do they think we are? All the warnings are taken from real products!

  On a folding baby stroller: “Remove child before folding.”

  On a toilet brush: “Do not use for personal hygiene.”

  On a TV remote control: “Not dishwasher safe.”

  On a scooter: “This product moves when used.”
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br />   On a CD player: “Warning—dangerous warning inside.”

  On a thermometer used to take a person’s temperature: “Once used rectally, the thermometer should not be used orally.”

  On a wheelbarrow: “Not intended for highway use.”

  On a blender: “Never remove food or other items from the blades while the product is operating.”

  On a nine-by-three-inch plastic bag of air used for packing: “Do not use this product as a toy, pillow, or flotation device.”

  On a robotic massage chair: “Do not use massage chair without clothing . . . and, never force any body part into the backrest area while the rollers are moving.”

  On a snowblower: “Do not use snowthrower on roof.”

  On a dishwasher: “Do not allow children to play in the dishwasher.”

  On a three-pronged fishhook: “Harmful if swallowed.”

  On a bottle of drain cleaner: “If you do not understand, or cannot read, all directions, cautions, and warnings, do not use this product.”

  On a smoke detector: “Do not use the Silence Feature in emergency situations. It will not extinguish a fire.”

  On a can of pepper spray: “May irritate eyes.”

  Top Secret Shopping Information!

  Only use the following advice if you really, really, really need something when you are out shopping with one or both of your parents. (This will probably work better with your dad.)

  Here’s the situation. You see something that you want. A solar-powered sundress? I must have it! You know if you just ASK for the dress, you will probably get “No” for an answer. Try hanging out near the item you want and start a conversation like this. (Try to look very wistful and pitiful while you speak.)

  You: Dad, do you ever get sad thinking of all the lonely people?

  Your Dad: Why are you worrying about that, honey?

  You: I don’t know. I just look around sometimes and think about how unfair life is.

  Dad: Wow, my daughter sure is a thoughtful person.

  You: Not really. I just wonder why some people have such sad lives. (Look very sorrowful now.)

  Dad: Take it easy! You need to cheer up!

  You: I guess so. (You give a weak smile.) Say, this solar-powered sundress is sort of cute.

  Dad (reaching for his credit card): It’s yours!

  Obviously, this is not a strategy you should use a lot, because it is wrong. So just try it once a year!

  While we’re on the topic, many girls (and boys) use whining on their parents to get them to buy “stuff.” We hope you know whining is unworthy of you. It’s so lame and babyish! However, if you calmly give evidence as to why you should have an item, you are not whining. You are making a reasonable suggestion.

  Advertising

  “Imagine a mousetrap set up with a piece of cheese. The TV ads are the trap, the programs are the cheese, and you are the mouse.”

  —Shari Graydon

  Ads are supposed to persuade a girl to spend her money. And advertisers are really smart. As a matter of fact, they think they are smarter than you! Even though advertisers know that girls don’t have as much money as adults, they try extra hard to sell things to girls.

  That’s because girls do a lot of shopping. American girls will spend over $100 billion next year. And amazingly, 76 percent of teenage girls go to the mall for about four hours a week. So the odds are pretty high that a girl will soon be in a spot where she can buy something.

  The advertisers do their research, and they know that most girls are impatient. If a girl wants something, she often just goes out and gets it, sometimes without waiting to see if she really needs it. This is called an impulse buy.

  How to Avoid Impulse Buys

  One good way to avoid impulse buys is to make a list at home of what you need and stick with it!

  So basically, advertisers think girls are suckers. An ad executive who specializes in selling clothing to girls put it this way: “The key to selling our product is to make the teenaged girl feel that she will be a loser without it.” L So if an ad makes you believe that you won’t be “pretty” or “cool” unless you have the product, the ad wins! The advertiser is hoping that you’ll make a “clone buy,” which is a purchase that you make to be like everyone else.

  Here are two examples of “clone buy” ads: A Candie’s shoe ad read, “She was the only girl in high school that didn’t own Candie’s . . . maybe that’s why she never had a date.” How horrible is that? Another ad for Sun-In hair products showed a picture of a pretty girl. The ad read, “Four out of five girls you hate ask for it by name. Stop hating them. Start being them.” This ad manages to play on hatred, jealousy, and clone buying all at once! [15]

  Target Practice: Advertisers call girls “targets,” as in “We want our targets to talk about our brand without even knowing they’re doing it.”

  So advertisers do not see you as the cool, unique person you are. They see you as a target they can trick out of some money. But if you buy what you want, and not what someone else says you should want, you’re not a target or a sucker. You’re a cool, unique person who uses her brain!

  Not Me! Even though ads work on everyone, most people don’t think ads affect them. Many experts, like ad researcher Jean Kilbourne, think these might actually be the people ads affect the most!

  Test Your Ad Knowledge

  How far do you think an advertiser will go to get into your purse? Let’s see if you can judge which of the following ad strategies are real and which ones we just made up.

  A. A popular clothing company gave free clothes to “popular” kids who the company thought were “trendsetters.” The idea was that the less-popular kids would copy the trendsetters’ style and buy the clothes.

  B. Companies hire people to enter Internet chat rooms and write comments about how great a movie or CD or soft drink is. Anyone else in the chat room assumes it’s a young person giving his opinion about a product, when it could be some strange person who’s paid to pretend he’s a teenager.

  C. An ad agency paid college students to walk around for three hours in public with the logo of a company temporarily “tattooed” on their faces. (Another company sells ad space on the sides of cows.)

  D. A group called the Girl’s Intelligence Agency (GIA) organizes slumber parties. They then give girls gifts for filling out questionnaires and looking at products. The girls then recommend the products to their friends. The GIA tells girls they are “spies saving the world . . . from lame stuff for girls. You talk, IM, e-mail . . . we listen and . . . help companies go from LAME to SWEET.”

  E. A business has been researching how to beam commercials directly into a sleeping person’s dreams. The idea is that the dreams have ads in them, and when the person wakes up, she’ll want to buy the product.

  F. One advertiser set up movie websites that were designed to be easily hacked into. Hackers then “stole” footage from upcoming movies and e-mailed the “top secret” scenes to friends and family. By doing this, the hackers were giving free advertising for the movies without realizing it.

  Look to see how you did! [16]

  They Are So SNEAKY!

  If you ever see a specific product in a movie or TV show, that’s an ad. (For example, a character goes to the refrigerator and pulls out a can that obviously says Coca-Cola.) This is a sneaky kind of ad called Product Placement. Companies pay the television or movie studio to place their product into the story. (If you have a soft drink machine in your school, it’s the same thing!) And we don’t even realize we’re watching an ad unless we’re careful.

  Another sneaky ad you may not notice is the label slave ad. Anyone who pays for clothes with visible logos is giving free advertising to that brand. And that’s what a label slave is!

  Hit the Mute Button

  If you’re not using TIVO, hit the Mute button when commercials come on. This reduces noise pollution (ads are set at a higher volume level than TV programs). Muting ads also reduces brainwashing. And fin
ally, by hitting Mute, anyone who’s with you can now talk and think, which experts agree is good for us.

  Of course, advertisers know about the Mute trick, which is why more and more ads are being made with messages that are told with images, not words. Oh well!

  Telly Tax! Just to own a television in England, you have to pay a license fee of about $230.

  When you see any ad, remember that there’s a reason for everything. It’s almost fun watching advertisers try to trick you. But to do this, you have to stay alert. A lot of people disengage their brains when they watch TV. Have you ever asked someone what she’s watching on television and she doesn’t even know? She’s in a TV coma!

  The average American girl spends four hours and twenty-five minutes each day watching television. (Japanese girls spend four more minutes a day watching TV.) And 30 percent of girls admit that they have dieted or dressed so that they could look more like a character on TV.

  There’s a reason for everything. Stroll through a supermarket, and you’ll see there’s a reason for the way it is laid out. For example, the bestselling items in supermarkets are milk, bread, and meat. Are these conveniently located in the front of the store? Of course not!

  By making you walk all the way to the back of the store to get your milk, bread, or meat, the store owners are hoping that you’ll see something else you want along the way. To make sure this happens, they might cleverly put the cereal aisle right in front of the milk section. See? As you walk toward the milk, you think, Mmmmm, Cap’n Crunch. And the kid’s cereals with lots of sugar are usually on the second or third shelf up from the bottom, right at a little kid’s eye level.