Category Archives: Uncategorized

How to Spend Your Tax Refund?

MW-BV866_pftaxr_20140304115214_MGThe tax-filing panic has passed for another year. Now, we play the Waiting Game (“I’m SICK of the Waiting Game! I want to play Hungry Hungry Hippos!” Homer Simpson) Anyway, if yours is the average American family, you’re likely to get about a $2,600 refund from Uncle Sam.

What to do with that money? The urge to splurge will always be there. It’s natural to want that big flat screen TV or that getaway vacation. But, how about some more… responsible ideas?

It’s The Consumerist to the rescue. They have an ongoing series of financial self-help articles with the umbrella heading “How Not to S*ck at….” And this week’s topic is spending your tax return. Here are some bullet points highlighting “How Not to S*ck at Spending Your Tax Refund.”

  • Pay Down Debt
  • Emergency Fund
  • Boost Your Retirement Nest Egg
  • Save For College
  • Create a Fund For Anything (pay cash for the thing you want instead of credit.)
  • Give It Away
  • Make Additional Mortgage Payments
  • Do Those Home Repairs

Of course, more tips and lots more detail at the original piece, so check it out! Now, the big question is… how will YOU spend YOUR tax return? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

Easter Basket of Savings!

easterEaster is upon us, and you’ve either spent a bunch of money already or you are about to. Statistics say that we will spend about $140 this year. Coincidentally, about the same amount we spend on Valentine’s Day.

The biggest expense is Easter candy, which almost 90 percent of celebrants will buy, and Easter dinner was a close second with nearly 86 percent of shoppers planning a special meal. Other items shoppers planned to buy included Easter dresses or outfits, gifts, decorations and flowers. GoBankingRates.com

So, with all that spending, where are the deals? We meant to tour around the web and found you a bunch of deals, but this single article has done that work for you, including deals at Target, Walmart, JCPenney, Kohl’s, Dress Barn and a bunch more. So, go there!

Finally, yes, there is a real, sober, serious meaning behind the Easter holiday that has nothing to do with chocolate bunnies and marshmallow peeps. To those who celebrate it, MindField Online wishes you a Happy Easter full of family and fellowship!

Tax Day Freebies!

Merely a serving suggestion...
Merely a serving suggestion…

And now, a tradition not nearly as annoying as those corporate April Fools’ Day pranks we talked about previously: the Tax Day Freebie! Restaurants, bars, hotels and other retailers love to capitalize on our tax day grief, offering various freebies, 2-for-1’s and “$10.40”-themed deals on April 15. And the list grows every year! Here are some samples:

  • Free curly fries at Arby’s
  • “Sing for Your Supper” at Hard Rock Café
  • Dinner for 2 for $10.40 at Boston Market
  • A big ol’ bag of bagels and cream cheese from Bruegger’s for $10.40
  • Free document shredding at Office Depot
  • Free sandwich at Schlotzky’s Deli
  • Half-off fro-yo at PinkBerry
  • Free coffee at Micky D’s
  • Free shave ice from Kona
  • Half-off lunch at Sonny’s BBQ
  • Half-price drinks and slushees at Sonic

…and on and on. Here are some links. What’s your favorite Tax Day deal or freebie? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

Links to Tax Day Deals!

Last Minute Tax Fun

tax-tips-last-mBy the time next Tuesday’s blog post rolls out on 4/15, it will be Tax Day. So, consider this post to be the Last Minute!

All the helpful writers on money matters are quick to point out that there are plenty of things you can do to grab some last minute tax savin’s. So, if you are one of those of those thrill seekers who puts things off, what we call back in Kansas “Thing Put-er Off-ers” then this is the post for you. We have gathered a bunch of helpful links from around the web for your procrastination pleasure! Please to enjoy, “Last Minute Tax Tips 2014”!!

US News Money: 9 Last-Minute Tax Tips for Procrastinators

TurboTax: Tax Tips After January 1, 2014

Huffington Post: Last-Minute Tax Tips to Maximize Your Savings

Business Week: Last-Minute Small Business Tax Tips for Procrastinators

PC Mag: Tax Tips for Last-Minute E-Filers

Daily Finance: Don’t Panic: 5 Tips for Stress-Free Last-Minute Tax Returns

These look like some bits of sound advice, which is good for you because the only advice I could come up with was either A) Pssh! Blow it off, man!” or B) “You should start panicking, like, NOW!” Anyway, you’re welcome. If you got your taxes done, have a great weekend. If you’re starting tomorrow, have something else!

The Thrill of the Hunt?

saveWhen it comes to groceries, do you experience the thrill of the hunt? Trekking from store to store, tracking down that bargain, snaring it, bagging and tagging it, taking a photo with it, and so on? Whatever, man. No judgment here!

But if you’re like me (i.e., a DUDE) the answer is “No”. I have one store for the weekly haul, and one store for the quick, one-or-two-item grab without the 3-mile walk. I barely think about the fact that there are at least 4 other grocery stores I could visit, not to mention the CVS’s, Dollar Stores and Big Lots that have grocery items now.

They say that people generally only know the prices of 4 items, and I can’t even claim that! So, this news from Walmart is interesting… Starting last month, Walmart began testing the “Savings Catcher” in Atlanta, Charlotte, Lexington, Dallas, Huntsville, San Diego and Minneapolis. You go to the website, enter some info from your receipt, and it scans the prices of the different competing stores near you. If it finds a lower price at, say, Kroger, it sends you an e-coupon for the difference. It may be for 27 cents for one item, but for a $100 receipt, or for a whole month, it could add up.

It’s just a test for now, and only in a few cities but, if you want to learn more, visit the Savings Catcher site. So, what do you think? Would you give up the thrill of the “bargain safari” and let the computer do the work? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

To Cash or Not to Cash?

Yep. All singles. Sigh....
Yep. All singles. Sigh….

Quick question: who still carries cash? I don’t mean that you have a twenty for emergencies, but that cash is your primary way of getting around. My wife is the “20 for an emergency” type, while I am cash. I will whip out the debit card for $80 worth of groceries, or the AmEx for Sunday brunch, but that’s so I don’t use up my precious cash! (Though, at brunch, I almost always leave the tip in cash.)

Is it generational? I worked at a place where I was a good (!) 15 years older than the rest, and NONE of them carried cash. Is it gender? My wife would NEVER carry as much cash as I do. Is it convenience? Our bank has very few branches, and getting to the ATM is a drag, so I never come away with less than $100.

At any rate, money guru Dave Ramsey has compiled a list of the pros and cons of carrying cash.

Pros include:

  • If you’re on a strict budget, and you see your cash dwindling, it helps you spend less.
  • Cash can give you bargaining power on a purchase.
  • Convenience, of course. And others…

As for the Cons of cash:

  • If it gets stolen, it’s GONE.
  • It’s bulky and messy. (My wife marvels at the way a piece of paper with 4 corners and 2 sides can somehow be crammed 97 different ways in my wallet!)
  • It’s useless online, which is becoming a primary way we shop. And others…

So, cash or no cash? What do YOU do? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend!

April Foolishness

google-companies-prank-work-job-april-fools-day-ecards-someecards
That’s the spirit!!

As a writer FOR the web, I spend a lot of time ON the web. For me, April 1st is the most irritating day of the year, and it sneaks up on me every time!! I’m reading something (supposedly) serious like Newsweek.com and I see, “The President then said farewell, boarded the mothership and returned to his home planet.” And I’m like “Grrr! April Fools!” I might as well go play in the street for the rest of the day.

So I guess I can appreciate when businesses try to have a little fun with the concept. I mean, I might as well. They’re not going to stop just for me, and playing in the street is dangerous. So, here are some noble April Fools’ Day efforts from companies trying to get in on the fun and irritation.

See any that didn’t totally irritate you to death? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

April Shower of Savings!

I just said that!
I just said that!

It’s almost April, and time to look at the months best bargains! Here are some highlights:

  • Electronics: It’s the end of the fiscal year in Japan, and everything must go!
  • Seasonal stuff: Spring clothing, Easter candy (after Easter, natch), Mother’s Day jewelry
  • Travel: Book cruises now, even if you aren’t traveling for months
  • Health: The New Year’s Resolution crowd has faded out, so there are bargains on athletic shoes and gym memberships.
  • Tax Time: Many retailers (especially fast food) offer a free cup of coffee here, a donut there. Check it out!
  • Home Improvement: Like we said, spring cleaning and projects, projects, projects!

Again, just the highlights. Here are a couple of helpful links for your Friday browsing pleasure.

ABC News: April Bargains to spend your tax refund on
Best Travel Deals: Best Travel Deals for April
Ben’s Bargains: Waste Not, Want Not: Best Deals to Buy in April
DealNews.com: The Best and Worst Things to Buy in April

Have you got any spending (or saving) secrets for April? Share them over at the MindField Online Facebook page. And have a great weekend!

Today’s Connected Consumer

connected
That’s her!

I found a stack of mildly interesting graphics on the web, describing various aspects of today’s Connected Consumer.

Today, consumers of all ages and lifestyles are connected to the brands and businesses they love via multiple screens and devices. In fact, 90% of all media interactions today are screen-based. This has many implications, especially for online shopping, customer service, and the nature of communication in general. Survey Analytics

There are a few surprises buried under all the bars and pies and percentages, chiefly that the connected consumer ISN’T a “tweeting twenty-something” (not that this is a bad thing...) Instead, the “average” connected consumer is a 40-year-old woman with a household income of around $60K who owns several devices.

Take a look at some of the numbers…

What are we using?

  • In addition to a PC or laptop, 43% own a smartphone and 16% own a tablet.
  • 81% are on Facebook
  • 60% use digital catalogs
  • 87% interact with retailers via websites or mobile sites, but…
  • only 4% use a retailer’s mobile app.

What are we buying?

  • #1 item purchased on tablet or PC: Electronics (about 55% for both)
  • #1 item purchased on a smartphone: Music (42%)

What do we say about ourselves?

  • Connected Consumer’s top-3 answers: Savvy, Frugal and Spontaneous

Interesting note: the #5 way that CC’s describe themselves is “Addicted.” A little self-awareness is a good thing, I guess! There are a lot more graphics with more numbers, statistics and pretty pretty colors colors HERE, so take a look!

So, do any of these numbers sound like you? The trend running through the whole thing is that this connected consuming is on the rise. Have you caught the bug? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

Spring Home Improvement Fun?

Savings Tip #1: Find a bunch of giant $100 bills in the yard
Savings Tip #1: Find a bunch of giant $100 bills in the yard

It’s been a tough winter for just about everybody. And, trust me, I know it’s relative. If I tell you that here in Charleston SC, we had a cold snap where “it got down to 19 degrees one night!” many of you will laugh. But that’s a big deal here! Anyway, as spring finally breaks, we emerge from our caves to find that our lawns, landscaping, patios and home exteriors look decidedly more beat-to-crap than we remember them. Disgusted, we go back inside to the dank grizzly den we burrowed into all winter long, only to see that it has suffered a similar fate.

I’m pretty sure this is where the whole Spring Cleaning thing came from. I believe it’s as much as a psychological need as a physical one.

Of course, that takes money. That is, if you (I) have any left after watching your (my) heating bills more than double over the winter. A lot of folks use their tax refunds and – even in 2014 – over half of us plan to get one.

How will we spend? According to Zillow.com, about 60% will take on some kind of project, but we will only spend $700 on average – which is the lowest since Zillow started their survey. So, since we are being so conservative, here are some links to help you spend wisely!

Also, Walmart and Target are having HUGE home improvement sales this weekend.
How about you? Any home improvement plans? I plan to smash my thumb with a hammer and cuss a lot. Share your plans and savings tips with us over at the MindField Online Facebook page. And have a great weekend!