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Father’s Day Spending 2015

fathersday01It seems like the consumer journalists are always trying to paint some kind of social significance around the fact that we generally spend less on Dad for Father’s Day than we do for Mom on Mother’s Day. In fact, it’s something like $21 billion for Mom, and $13 billion for Dad. But, do you know a dad who actually gets upset about this? Me neither.

Still, it’s interesting to look at the stats, as we tend to do around here for the major holidays. So, once again, it’s time for Father’s Day by the Numbers, 2015 edition!

According to the National Retail Federation….

  • 75%: Will celebrate Father’s Day
  • $12.7 billion: Total spending for Father’s Day
  • $115: Average spent per dad
  • 40%: Will buy clothing
  • $1.7 billion: Spent on clothing
  • 43%: Will buy “experience” items, such as ballgame tix or dinners
  • $2.6 billion: Spent on experience items
  • 52%: Buying for dad or stepdad
  • 28%: Buying for husband
  • 9%: Buying for son who is also a dad

If holiday statistics are your thing, then be sure to check out the rest of the NRF survey! How about you? Who are you buying for? What will you give? How much will you spend? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and HAPPY FATHER’S DAY from MindField Online!

Summer of Savings?

summer savingsAccording to money dude Dave Ramsey, summer is a season of savings – or potential savings, if you play your cards right. How so? Well, for families with kids, simply cutting out school means a lot less running around. That’s less gas, and fewer times when you say, “I’m just too busy to cook – let’s pick up Mickey D’s!”

So Dave has a few tips for taking advantage of potential summer savings. Take a look…

  • Home Cooking: No explanation necessary!
  • Gardening: Interesting statistic – one dollar’s worth of green bean seeds yields $75 worth of beans!
  • Simple Entertainment: For instance, you and hubby chilling in lawn chairs, while the young’uns run through the sprinkler. Note: they have to put down their phones first!
  • Local Events: Back home in Cincinnati, there were roughly 200 church festivals every weekend in the summer!
  • Kids Pitching In: Apparently, the number of kids holding summer jobs has fallen about 50% in the past 20 years. Assuming there are jobs to be had, they provide spending money and valuable life lessons!

As usual, these are just the highlights. More info at the original piece. So, how about you? Do you find that summer is a time of savings, or not? Any other suggestions? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

Retirement Planning Pitfalls

ID-100178555Everybody has at least a little anxiety about retirement. Specifically, will we have enough money to get by? Many of us (me) don’t like to think about these things. Many of us (me) put off those icky decisions. But you (I) can’t put them off forever. And the sooner we start making good financial decisions, and taking action, the better off we will be.

And knowing what the right moves are starts what knowing what the WRONG ones are! That’s the topic of a recent Time Magazine article “9 False Moves That Could Derail Your Retirement”. Here are the bullet points…

  1. Raiding Your Home Equity
  2. Unplanned Roth IRA Withdrawals
  3. Failing to Put Away Anything
  4. Helping Adult Kids Financially
  5. Co-Signing for a Child or Grandchild
  6. Failing to Have a Plan B
  7. Poor Investment Choices
  8. Not Making Changes When Needed
  9. Taking Social Security As Soon As You Can

Again, just the bullets. Lots more info at the original piece, so check it out!  How about you? Are you making smart retirement moves, or not? Let us know over at the MndField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend!

Wedding Season Spending 2015

wedding spenidingWe think of June as the beginning of wedding season, though statistics tell us that the number of weddings is spread out pretty evenly throughout the year. June is number one, for sure, but not by a huge margin.

Anyway, let’s just go with it and say “It’s Wedding Season!!” If you are getting married – or you’re paying for someone else to – where will your money go?

In the US, we spend $48 billion every year. Here are some numbers…

  • $30,000: Average cost of a wedding in 2015*
  • $5855: Average cost of an engagement ring
  • $1,973: Average cost of a wedding planner
  • $1350: Average cost of a wedding dress
  • $14,000: Average cost of venue
  • $1970: Average cost of flowers
  • $2550: Average photographer
  • $68: Catering spent per guest
  • Most expensive wedding location: Manhattan at $76,000!
  • Least expensive wedding location: Utah at $15,000

Did you notice the asterisk (*) by that $30K average? That’s because there are theories (like this one) that say these numbers are inflated by some in the industry to get you to spend more. (“But Daaaad…the average is $30K, and I’m only asking for 25!!!”

How about you? Do these numbers seem right? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

Most Trusted Companies, 2015

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number one ribbonThe “most reputable company” each year will likely be a familiar name. In 2013, it was Campbell Soup. In 2014, it was Hershey. And in 2015, the most trusted name is Kellogg’s. How did they earn this distinction?

“Kellogg’s has focused on health and nutrition and creating quality products, but in its conversations with consumers, it also showcases its commitment to sustainable agriculture practices, childhood nutrition and open and transparent labeling.” The Reputation Institute

So, apparently it goes beyond a quality product, and into a lot of important social concerns.

Who made the top 10 for 2015? Check it out…

  1. Kellogg’s
  2. Lego
  3. Fruit of the Loom
  4. Campbell Soup Company
  5. Levi Strauss & Co.
  6. The Hershey Company
  7. Clorox
  8. Kraft Foods Group
  9. Tupperware
  10. Hasbro

There are a bunch more ratings at the Reputation Institute site, so check it out. So, how about you? See any of your favorites? Would you like to nominate somebody else? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend!

Yard Sale Season!

garage saleRejoice! Yard Sale season is upon us! (Of course, if you’re in South Carolina like me, it’s been yard sale season since about February.) If you are thinking about having a sale this year to, you know, sell all the stuff you bought at last year’s sales, it would be helpful to know what items are currently in demand. It’s a drag taking the time to price and display a bunch of stuff nobody wants (believe me, I have done it!) So, what’s en vogue at garage sales this year? AARP.com has some clues, and here are the highlights:

  • Costume Jewelry
  • Like-New Items
  • Clothing by the Bag
  • Vinyl Records
  • Tools
  • ‘Americana’ Home Décor
  • Books
  • Bottled Water and Soft Drinks
  • Beat-Up Wooden Furniture
  • Retro Toys and Dolls
  • Kid and Baby Clothing
  • Antiques
  • Seasonal Items

I didn’t see bicycles on the list. You know how many bicycles I have tried to sell over the years? No interest at all! Anyway, there’s more info at the original piece, including valuable info on pricing your items for quick sale, so check it out!

How about you? Is a yard sale or garage sale in your future? Do you have any success tips to share? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and happy hunting (and selling!)

Advice for Smart Shoppers

smart shopperAny shopping geniuses out there? Ones who know exactly what to buy and when? Ones who know the games some retailers play to make you think you are getting a great deal when you may not be?

Must be nice!

Well, good for you, shopping genius. The rest of us just muddle through, getting good deals only by accident, it seems. But there are ways to improve your shopping game, and resources to turn to. One of many is radio money dude Dave Ramsey. He usually has a tip or two to share, in easy to digest bites.

One of his latest is a blog piece entitled “6 Secrets to Being a Smart Shopper.” Here are the bullets:

  1. Plan your vacations around “off” days. Why are we so locked in to the weekends, anyway?
  2. Purchase end-of-season clothing. You know, bathing suits in September, etc.
  3. Know your environment. The way retail stores are arranged can really affect your buying decisions. Why is milk in the back of the store? So you have to walk past everything else to get to it!
  4. Shop at estate sales on the last day. You know, “everything must go!!!” Same goes for garage sales at noon!
  5.  Take advantage of some free services. Free delivery? Free slicing at the meat counter? Not so much saving here, but rather getting more for the money you spend.
  6.  Don’t buy brand-new technology. Boy, do I know one of these guys! Every new Apple device. Every single time! The bonus is that I buy his perfectly good previous generation old stuff for deep discounts!

There is more info, and more advice at the original piece, so check it out! How about you? Are these good tips? Do you have any others to share? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend!

Memorial Day by the Numbers 2015!

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memorial dayMemorial Day has come and gone for another year. Hopefully, we all took time to remember the fallen service men and women before cutting loose with BBQ, beer and shopping! So how did we spend our holiday this year? Let’s take a look at Memorial Day by the Numbers, 2015!

On the travel beat:

  • $12 billion: amount spent by Memorial Day travelers
  • $330 per person
  • 37 million: the number of Americans who hit the road this Memorial Day weekend – the highest in a decade.
  • $2.66: average cost of a gallon of gas. $1 less than last year, and the lowest since 2010.
  • Top 5 tourist destinations for Memorial Day: Las Vegas, San Diego, Orlando, New York City and Chicago

On the Memorial Day sales beat…

  • $100: the average spent per shopper on Memorial Day sales
  • 34% of shopper bought clothes. 22% bought housewares, and 21% bought shoes.

Finally, on the party beat…

  • 47% plan to buy booze. Most popular: Beer 81%, wine 47%, vodka 23%, whiskey 21%
  • $70: average amount spent on food
  • 51% plan to cook primarily for family
  • 44% plan to BBQ or picnic with the gang

So, how about you? What did you and your family get up to this Memorial Day? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and enjoy your four-day workweek!

Sources: Washington Examiner, Hoosier Econ, US News

Memorial Day Weekend Shopping Tips

mem day saleLike it or not, you will probably spend some time this Memorial Day weekend in a big box store, or at the mall, or squinting at your computer screen while you look for bargains.

So we thought we would share some Memorial Day shopping do’s and don’ts, as presented by US News.com. Here are the bullets:

  • Do: Research
  • Don’t: Forget the basics: (bring the flyer or coupon with you, etc.)
  • Do: Buy appliances
  • Don’t: Buy summer essentials (Wait until AFTER the holiday)
  • Do: Find free shipping
  • Don’t: Get scammed (Memorial Day scams often target military or their families)

There are many more details at the original piece, so check it out!

US News also has another piece, “7 Memorial Day Sales You Won’t Want to Miss“, so check that out, too!

Somewhere in this piece (okay, now) I feel obligated to say that Memorial Day is not about buying a new refrigerator. I mean, a refrigerator IS one of your best deals this weekend, don’t get me wrong! Just try to remember those who paid the ultimate price. Here is a good place to learn more about Memorial Day.

What do YOU think? Are you heading out for some retail combat? Having a cookout? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Financial Tips for Today’s Grads

grad hatIt’s graduation season. It’s a time when our young people are staring out on their own. It tends to be a time of youthful optimism, but it can also be a time when financial mistakes are made. And those mistakes can take a long time to fix. So, as a public service, here are some financial tips for grads, courtesy of the US News Money section. Any of these sound familiar?

  1. Live within (or below) your means.
  2. Start building your credit early.
  3. Prepare for the future.
  4. Monitor your spending.
  5. Pay down debt.
  6. Get educated.

That last one is interesting. The article says that one reason young people get in trouble is that so few have had any sort of personal finance education.

Like I said, screwing up any one of these will cause problems. Trust me, I messed up more than one! How about you? Are you or your kids just starting out? Have any financial tips to share? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!