 I'm hungry. What should I eat? I want some new jeans. What should I buy? I need a new bike. I want a cell phone. I need a backpack. So many things we need and want to buy. And so many choices and options out there. That means there are lots of buying decisions to be made. 4-H Consumer Decision Making can help. Right. 4-H Consumer Decision Making gives you a strategy for making objective decisions. And when we make objective decisions, we are less likely to give in to peer pressure, or pressure from advertisers or pushy salespeople. And we are totally prepared to explain our decisions. The 4-H Consumer Decision Making Contest is the place to practice these skills. Let's see how it works. Begin by learning all you can about what you are buying. Just read the 4-H Study Guide that is provided for you. For example, if you want to buy jeans, you'll learn about different fabrics, qualities and styles that are available. Once you have the facts, you are ready for your first class. Wait, what? What's a class? A class is just a short story about someone who's making a buying or consumer decision. Check it out. Monro is shopping for new jeans. He has $25 to spend and he needs a size 18. He prefers a relaxed fit pair of jeans with straight legs. Wait, how do I remember all of that? You can draw a decision making grid. Like this. Did you notice what's important to Monro? $25, size 18, relaxed fit and straight legs. Those are his standards listed in order of importance and they are placed on the left side of the grid. Then the 4 items to choose from are listed across the top. Now we can compare to see which items meet which standards. Oh, I get it. I could use this for buying anything. Absolutely. Tell me what you're thinking. Well, I want to get a new mountain bike. I have $100 and my favorite color is red. Cool. Those are your standards. Now you're ready to go shopping. You have the tools you need to make a wise consumer decision. We make decisions every day. The skills you learn in 4-H Consumer Decision Making prepare you for doing it well. Take advantage of the opportunity. Contact your local NDSU Extension agent for more information about the 4-H Consumer Decision Making Contest.