Category Archives: Uncategorized

Social Media Done Right

1 Comment

Listen-Up-Consumers-Social-Media-Matters-More-Than-You-Might-ThinkYou may be hearing from friends and family about “social media fatigue.” It’s a vague term, but I think it has a few causes. First, the technology; it’s hard to keep up with the latest and greatest platform. It used to be just MySpace and Twitter, now there are a million of them. Second, human nature. I don’t know why, but people seem to bare their deepest selves, from the sugary-sweet (I know a girl who posts “I love my husband!!!” EVERY SINGLE DAY) …to the inane (“hit LIKE and we can end poverty!”) Finally, corporate intrusion: about half of my Facebook news feed these days consists of advertisements!

It’s enough to make you want to log off permanently. But wait…

Consumers say they’re tired of receiving useless information through the latest and greatest social network and wary of giving up their personal data. But here’s one good reason you shouldn’t delete your social media accounts just yet: Companies are paying close attention to what you say. Closer than you can imagine. Mint.com consumer Blog

Because it’s SO public and SO immediate, companies are doing everything they can to keep up with social media. A complaint that used to sit for days in the email IN box is addressed tout-suite (that means NOW) on a Facebook page.

So, who is doing social media right? Here’s a partial list, courtesy of OnlineMBAPage.com:

  1. Google
  2. Starbucks
  3. Coke
  4. Disney
  5. Intel
  6. Nike
  7. Lowe’s
  8. H-P
  9. Ford
  10. Target

…and 40 more!

So, do you visit a lot of corporate social media sites? Which ones? Who do YOU think does it well? Let us know at the MindField Online Facebook page! And have a great weekend!

A Time to Spend, A Time to Save

3 Comments

6870888815_24c39c51f3It’s an age-old consumer dilemma: price vs. value. Should you spend more for better stuff, or Just Save? The answer is Yes. It depends on the item. Some, you shouldn’t fear paying more for. Others, you shouldn’t bother. Here, consumer warriors MoneyTalksNews.com sorts things out!

Don’t Fear…

  • Furniture. Built well, it will eventually pay for itself in comfort – and in not having to go back to the furniture store for a long, long time!
  • Electronics. Just because you CAN buy a DVD player for $30 doesn’t mean you should!
  • Paper towels. This makes sense. When you use the good ones, you use fewer of them and get the job done faster!
  • Shoes. As with all things shoe-value related, it might help to be a person who is not shoe-obsessed, i.e., a dude. Anyhoo…I have a $95 pair of shoes I bought in 2005 that are still going strong. You just have to maintain them.
  • Swimsuits. Buy 3 cheapies at the beach store, and 2 will be dead by Labor Day. Or, spend a little for value!

Don’t Bother…

  • Food staples. There are all kinds of foods people just feel better spending more for. Milk, sugar and flour shouldn’t be on that list. Just get the cheapest, and use your coupons!
  • Basic clothing. I had this weird epiphany when I was walking into Walmart and I realized that everything I was wearing came from there. Then, I got over it.
  • Books. Remember these? Even though I like books, I have never in my life paid $30 for a new hardback. Garage sales baby!
  • HDMI cables. I made this mistake. This is the cable that connects things like Xbox and Roku to your HDTV. They WANT you to get the $25 cable, but the $7 one will usually suffice.

There is a lot more rationale at the original article, so check it out. How about you? Will you spend for some things and not for others? Let us know at the MindField Online Facebook page!

Conspiracy at the Return Desk?

1 Comment

2391.mdaThe next time you return something to the store, just know that the all-seeing Eye of Sauron is watching you! It’s up to you to decide if that’s a bad thing or not.

Returns account for almost 10% of all retail items purchased each year, over a quarter-trillion dollars a year in the US! And while the majority of people doing the returning are average upstanding Joes and Janes like us, there are some whose practices aren’t so wholesome, and the retailers are pushing back.

Many retailers are tracking you, too — or at least your merchandise returns. The companies say it’s all in the name of security and fighting fraud. They want to be able to identify chronic returners or gangs of thieves trying to make off with high-end products that are returned later for store credit.  Salt Lake Tribune

They pass this info along (mostly in secret) to companies, almost like credit agencies, who collect your return information and create “profiles” of your habits.  Naturally, the retailers say they are trying to protect the bottom line and prevent fraud. Just as naturally, shoppers are getting worked up about profiling and transparency.

What do you think? Necessary evil in the name of Low Prices, or one more intrusion in a life that already has too many? Read the original article, and tell us your opinion over at the MindField Online Facebook page. And have a great weekend!

Online Privacy?

online-privacyDoes it seem like we all know at least one person who has been hacked or had identity-theft problems? Heck, in South Carolina (where I live) the entire Social Security Department got hacked. Hundreds of thousands of SS numbers were exposed. They had to give free privacy software to EVERYONE in the state!

Now, with that guy running around in exile in Russia, hacker “vigilante” groups like Anonymous, and growing questions about what the government does with the info it collects, people are getting more interested in online privacy. WAY more interested.

In recent days, American Consumer News reports:

  1. Online privacy firm Abine said that downloads of its free DoNotTrackMe browser add-on, which blocks commercial web tracking, increased by 42 percent.
  1. DuckDuckGo is a search engine that, unlike Google, Yahoo and Bing, doesn’t collect or store the data of its users. They got a mention on CNN and Bloomberg, and business went through the roof. Four days in a row of record-breaking traffic, up 33% over the previous week.

Why the focus on commercial web traffic? Because, regardless where the information ends up, commercial traffic is where info-gathering begins.

So, how about you? Are you being more careful? What are you doing? Do you feel safer? Let us know at the MindField Online Facebook page!

BTW, be sure to check out the privacy section of the MindField Online official website!

Facebook Fans Speak (August 2013)

megaphone-kid-croppedIt’s time once again to feature comments from satisfied MindField Online panelists, collected from our over 36,000 Facebook fans.  You will find them at our “Panelist Feedback” page. Here’s a sample from Lorna Marie …

Just want to say hello to everyone! Love MindField! I look forward to each survey opportunity! It is FUN and it makes me feel like I am making a difference in helping Companies provide quality products to American consumers.

Thanks Lorna Marie! So take a look, and have a great weekend!

(photo: southerncrescentsolutions.com)

The MindField Online Nickel Tour – Revisted Again!

200141357-001Over at the MindField Online Facebook page, we commonly hear, “I’m new—how does this whole thing work?”  That’s a pretty broad question, so we usually answer, “There’s plenty of info to be found at our website, www.mindfieldonline.com -check it out!”

But exactly what you will find has been a mystery, wrapped in a riddle, wrapped in an internet – until now!  So, keep your hands and feet inside the tram as we take an informative, exciting (but mostly informative) tour of the MindField Online Internet Panels website. And please, no flash photography!

Member Home

A really useful portal that gives you a quick look at announcements, surveys available (“Live Now!”), membership details, payout options, referrals, member profile survey status, payout balance progress… and more!

Account Settings

Here is where you can update or change your user preferences, email or street address and your password.

History

This is a detailed list of your survey activity, with a link to your payout activity, as well.

Policies

How do you register? Who is eligible? What are the rules? Here is where you find out!

FAQ

Check out the answers to some frequently asked questions HERE. Then, take a moment to realize “So THAT’S what FAQ stands for!”

IQD

Other than farm fresh ingredients, what steps does MindField Online Internet Panels take to ensure the quality of our data? Find out HERE.

About

Because corporate histories are so darn exciting, click HERE to learn more about MindField Online and parent company McMillion Research.

News

Much of the news you will have seen on our Facebook page, but you will get more detail here.

Winners

MindField Online has regular cash drawings and sweepstakes. Here is where you can see the winners.

Wireless Savings!

1 Comment

Mobile phone and dollar bank notesMy first mobile phone plan (they didn’t call it wireless then) was 15 minutes a month for $8. I kept the phone in the glove box in case of emergency. I mean, who was there to call in 1993?

It’s been a long road from there to today’s “$79 a month 200 meg unlimited text 450 anytime minute nights 4G mocha caramel latte weekend rollover” plans. One thing that hasn’t changed is that the carriers never stop trying to sell you 10% better service for 20% more money!

However, there are savings to be had, according to financial guru Dave Ramsey. Here are some tips from his newsletter:

  • Use Wi-Fi: For email, surfing and texting. I do this every chance I get, it’s free vs. 3G or 4G
  • Skip the insurance: Dave logic – if you can’t afford to replace your phone, you can’t afford the phone to begin with.
  • Negotiate: If you have the patience, fine. I find the phone store too depressing to stretch out the experience by haggling.
  • No contracts: I have done this twice, and it truly is the way to go. If you know somebody who is ditching their iPhone4 for a 5…buy the 4 from him. Used phone = no contract!
  • Read the menu: That is, your phone bill. If you see something that costs money and you never use, get rid of it!

There are more tips at the newsletter (and many other kinds of financial common sense) so check it out.

How about you? Are you happy with your wireless bills? Have any other savings tips? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page. And have a great weekend!

Simplify Your Finances

yoga at sunset #9Go on the web and you will find that there’s an official day, week or month for just about everything. “Talk Like a Pirate Day” (Sept 19) comes to mind.  This week, though, the Official Thing seems pretty useful – or has the potential to be. August 1-7 is “Simplify Your Life Week.”

As Thoreau said, “Simplify, simplify.” Personally, I have always thought it would be…simpler to say it just once, but what do I know? Anyway, you go to one of the semi-official Simplify websites and you will see gems like, “Place an artificial rose on your desk to remind you to stop and smell the roses.” Umm, yeah.

How about some real advice?!? Here you go… Woman’s Day offers “20 Moves to Simplify Your Finances.”

How can we possibly make our finances simple? By knowing the right tricks. Choose to become accountable, and then use every tactic you can to streamline—and destress— your financial life. If you can pare things down in the following areas, you’re well on your way. WomansDay.com

The article has a ton of ideas on simplifying and taking the stress out of Spending, Banking, Bill Paying, Taxes, Credit Cards, and much more. I won’t even excerpt it here.. you MUST check it out.

Do any of these tips speak to you? Got any of your own to share? Let us know at the MindFieldLive Facebook Page!

Sales Tax Summer Savings!

1 Comment

taxfreeWe talked previously about gearing up for the grind of back to school sales. But some folks in certain states – and ones nearby – will catch a break in the form of the annual sales tax holiday.

Forty-five states, the District of Columbia, and Guam impose sales taxes on the sale or lease of many goods. Of those forty-five states, just under half offer some sort of break on sales tax for school supplies, energy efficient appliances and hurricane preparedness. Most offer their holidays at the end of July or the beginning of August in order to attract back to school shoppers.  Yahoo Finance

So, where and when are the savings? Check it out:

  • THIS WEEKEND (7/26): Mississippi
  • Weekend of August 2: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia
  • Weekend of August 9: Georgia, Texas
  • Aug 11-17 (Sunday-Saturday): Maryland
  • Aug 18- 24 (Sunday-Saturday): Connecticut

MUCH more detail at the original article!

When I first moved to SC from Ohio, many moons ago, was the first time I had heard of the tax holiday. (Note that Ohio is not on the list!) I have heard of big savings over the years, though. So, if you live in one of these states – or next door to one – saddle up for summer savings!

Have you done the tax holiday for back to school? Have any tales of big savings? Leave a comment at the MindField Online Facebook page. And have a great weekend!

The Ways We Save

Unfortunately, that penny was dropped from the roof of the Empire State Building
Unfortunately, that penny was dropped from the roof of the Empire State Building

Unless money truly is no object in your family, then you have cut back like the rest of us in the past 5 years. The things we do or buy and places we go are a little more modest.

It’s no surprise that in a thriving economy, consumers don’t watch their spending and budget as closely. They splurge on…getting their hair done frequently…vacations and redecorating their home. When the economy took a turn for the worst, consumers cut back on those extra expenses and became determined to save on daily expenses such as grocery shopping and gas. The JaneDough.com

So, how are we doing it?

  • Postponing (indefinitely!) that dream vacation, that elective surgical procedures (get used to the crow’s feet!) And, the oddest item: not getting divorced. (Staying together because it’s cheaper…yay?)
  • Investing in energy-efficient appliances and home upgrades, security systems and… get ready… pregnancy prevention products. (No comment – read the article.)

And last but not least:

  • Thievery. Ask my wife the commercial property manager about the relentless Copper Wars. On second thought, don’t get her started. Other popular items include feminine hygiene, toilet paper and dogs. (Again, read the piece.)

Of course, your mileage may vary. In our house, it’s not a matter of cutting OUT certain things; we seem to do the same NUMBER of things, but each thing is scaled back. Except for thieving. Don’t touch my thieving! Anyway…how are you getting by? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!