Tag Archives: consumer panels

Fighting Food Waste

1 Comment
300px-rotting_fruit
Appetizing!

I usually avoid reading articles about food waste, as they are typically written to make Americans feel bad about the rich bounty of our lives. This one, however, puts it in dollars and cents – you PAID for that food! Why throw it away?

First, the depressing statistics:

  • About 40 percent of all food in the U.S. goes to waste.
  • The average American wastes about $28 to $43 in food each month, roughly 20 pounds of food.
  • Broken down, about 17 percent of dairy, 20 percent of vegetables, 15 percent of fruit, 18 percent of the grains, 25 percent of seafood, and 33 percent of the meat you buy goes to waste. Money Talks News

How to avoid throwing food (and money) away? There are several tips and tricks you can use – some a little nuttier than others.  The full list is at the original article, but here are some highlights.

1.     Store onions in pantyhose. (I assume you shouldn’t be wearing them at the time.)

2.     Add rice to your seasonings. (Absorbs moisture, and gives your spices that extra ricey flavor!)

3.     Invest in airtight plastic containers. (Keeps crackers, cereal, etc. fresh for two extra weeks!)

4.     Store bread in the fridge. (I don’t buy enough bread to know if this works or not, but my bagels last up to a month!)

5.     Prep salads in mason jars. (Apparently, you can keep salads for 10 days this way!)

6.     Give fruits and vegetables a vinegar bath. (Removes dirt, wax, and bacteria for longer shelf life.)

7.     Keep an eye out for bad apples. (Despite what the Osmond Brothers say, one bad apple CAN spoil the whole bunch, girl.)

8.     Make frozen buttermilk or cream cubes. (Yes, in an ice tray. Yes, people will think you are crazy.)

At our house, it’s usually bananas and salad fixin’s that seem to get wasted most. How about you? Are these tips useful? Bizarre? Usefully bizarre? Read the original article, and let us know!

Walmart Sneezes

“When GM sneezes, America catches a cold.” This is something people used to say back when General Motors was something more than a pension fund that made cars. Basically it means that when an economic engine like GM is having troubles, it’s a sign of bigger problems.

This came to mind earlier this week, when Bloomberg noted that “Walmart Executives are Sweating Slow February Start”…

“In case you haven’t seen a sales report these days, February Month-to-Date sales are a total disaster,” Jerry Murray, Walmart’s vice president of finance and logistics, said in a Feb. 12 e-mail to other executives, referring to month-to-date sales. “The worst start to a month I have seen in my 7 years with the company.” Bloomberg.com

Worse, this crappy February comes after a crappy January, which had a different Walmart executive asking, “Where are all the customers? And where’s their money?”

So, what’s the deal? Well, the payroll tax went up, tax forms were late going out, and tax returns will also be late going out. Gas prices in my neighborhood have gone up about 35 cents since the New Year. They are still arguing over the Fiscal Cliff in Washington. So, it’s a crisis in confidence, paired with an actual pinch in spending money.

So, looking at the old example, you can certainly see how these negative economic factors would cause people to put off buying an $18,000 car from GM. But Walmart? Where a can of corn is 48 cents and my last pair of shoes was ten bucks? Yikes!

So, what do you think? Are you seeing smaller crowds at Wally’s? Are you tightening your belt? What things are you cutting back on or delaying? Let us know and, despite it all, have a great weekend!

So Long, Saturday Mail!

7 Comments

saturday mail

So, the Post Office has announced that it will no longer deliver on Saturdays. Will you miss it? How will affect you? We will get to that. But first, the sarcasm.

First of all, I don’t hate the USPS. I can only report on what I experience day to day. I actually like my carrier a lot. She’s super-nice, and we even exchange Christmas gifts. No, it’s my local branch that I wish they would demolish and turn into a shabby little mini mart that sells cigarettes, scratch offs and night crawlers – basically, ANY other kind of establishment that would treat me like a customer and not a sworn enemy.

The service at my branch has driven me into the arms of the UPS store, where I pay more for actual service. Or, to the tax preparation place that is an authorized USPS dealer, where the people are super dumb but super friendly. Anything to avoid that den of slack called The Post Office.

So anyway, how does this affect you (and by YOU I mean ME)?  That is spelled out in this USNews.com article that outlines some of the changes we can expect. For example:

  • Medicines by mail: Are considered Priority Mail, and will still arrive on Saturday.
  • Social Security/Welfare/Veterans/etc.: Today, most benefits come by direct deposit to your bank account, or EBT. If yours DON’T, you have until March 1 to make that happen! (visit godirect.org)
  • Bill-payers: You may have some cause for concern. Generally, the credit card companies give you 21 days before you are late. You might lose some days because of this. You might want to switch to electronic pay!
  • PO Box holders: No change. You see, while the carriers lose a day of pay, the hard(ly) working folks that work in (my) branch will still be cramming your PO Box with bills and junk mail. So…yay?

These changes are expected to save the USPS $2 billion each year. Ironically, the solution for some of the inconveniences seems to be “going electronic,” which is likely going to cost them even more business. I suspect this isn’t the last time we will be addressing this issue.

So, read the original article, and have a great weekend! Tomorrow, give your Saturday mail a hug, and appreciate the time you have left together!

Love, Debt and Gender

2 Comments
love-my-debt
(photo credit: creditcards.com)

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, a reminder that tying the knot with someone means taking on his or her debts. And, according to a survey by CreditCards.com, how we feel about that seems to be a gender-specific thing.

About 70% of women would break it off if they found out their partner had lied about their ability to pay routine bills. That’s the same percentage of women who would stop seeing someone with a criminal history. 66% of women find secret credit card debt a relationship deal-killer, and 55% would cut it off if they found out a partner was heavily in debt.

For whatever reason, guys seem more…forgiving? Those same numbers for men are 50% (vs. 70), 50% (vs. 66) and 37% (vs. 55).

Other fun statistics?

  • 57% of women, and 48% of men, say that a partner with debt is a turnoff.
  • 57% of women, and 47% of men, think it’s OK to ask for their partner’s credit score before taking the plunge.  (ooh, sexy!)
  • 68% say that sharing money attitudes is important, BUT…
  • 73% say that money causes the most arguments.

Why the gender differences in attitude? Totally unscientific but, with the wage gap, I imagine women are more worried about their future security, and that of their kids. There’s also the depressing notion (and everybody knows someone who has said this) that “we can never begin OUR lives because half of his paycheck goes to the Ex!”

SO… girls, guys –what do you think? Do these things matter to you? Have you ever jumped in blindly and later regretted it? Or did you work through it? What did you learn? Read the article, and let us know!

Super Bowl Economics!

2 Comments
BTW, I love it when companies who haven't paid millions of $$ to the NFL have to call it "The Big Game" in their commercials!
BTW, I love it when companies who haven’t paid millions of dollars to the NFL have to call it “The Big Game” in their commercials!

Quick quiz! Who are the two teams competing in the Super Bowl this Sunday? The answer is “Who cares?” This annual tradition is bigger than San Francisco. It’s bigger than Baltimore. It’s bigger than ALL of us!

In bars, basements, living rooms and even churches (like mine – complete with chili contest and a 102” screen!) we will gather. And whether we are interested in X’s and O’s, team rivalries, funny commercials or simply drinking a buttload of beer, we are all a part of something – the biggest night of consumerism in the U S of A!

  • 180 million of us will watch the game
  • We will spend $12 Billion on snacks
  • We will eat 79 million pounds of guacamole!

To put it in graphic terms, 79 million pounds of avocados is enough to cover a football field – end zone to end zone – 30 feet deep. The San Diego Source (to quote 30 Rock’s Liz Lemon: “I want to go to there!”)

  • We will eat 1.23 billion chicken wings
  • Papa John’s drivers will travel 300,000 miles
  • Domino’s will deliver roughly double the number of pizzas for a typical Sunday

As to whom I am rooting for (as you’re DYING to know,) I am torn. San Fran beat my Cincinnati Bengals in 2 Super Bowls. Baltimore is both a constant thorn in Cincy’s side and the remnant of the old, pre-expansion Cleveland Browns. As they said during the Iran-Iraq War, it’s a shame they can’t BOTH lose!

Also, what terrible TV show will debut right after the game?  That weird, modern Sherlock Holmes thing with Lucy Liu! “Elementary, my dear Watson – the British version is better!”

Either way, let’s celebrate, friends. I can’t think of a more American event than Super Bowl Sunday. Whichever team you support, have a blast!

(photo credit: employmentandthelaw.com)

Your Favorite Brands!

9 Comments

a992-cup-man-trophy-1292-pOf 2012, anyway. Every year, polling firm YouGov does their Brand Index. Here are your favorite consumer brands of 2012, with dumb commentary by yours truly:

1. Subway: #1 for the 3rd straight year, it’s believed that Subway’s use of NFL stars and Olympic champs in the ads led to their top ranking. I wonder if the ridiculous footlongs-that-are-only-11-inches-long “controversy” will hurt their score next year?

2. Amazon: As we noted a few posts ago, my only complaint about Amazon is that they ship your item in a box big enough for 15 of that item. Otherwise, they offer a good product, decent price, and on-time delivery. As for their high rating, the Kindle’s popularity – and the fact that Kindle is basically an Amazon-delivery device, has certainly helped.

3. Cheerios: Cheerios moved up 2 spots from last year, possibly based on the addition of 2 new flavors: Dulce de Leche and Peanut Butter Multi Grain. Next year’s flavors include Barbecue, Sour Cream ‘n’ Chive and Habańero X-Treem.

4. History Channel: History Channel – I’m sorry – “History!” always seems to make the Top 10. This year, “Hatfields and McCoys” with Kevin Costner seems to be the driver here. Sorry, but I soured on History after sitting through a “Swamp People” marathon at my mother-in-law’s house at Thanksgiving. So, a title card at the beginning that says “People have been making their living in the swamp for 300 years” makes it History? Pass.

5. Lowe’s: I hate having to walk 2 miles to buy a pack of screws, and it annoys me that they have dedicated IN and OUT doors so that there is never a truly convenient parking spot. Other than that, great store. Lowe’s moved up a spot this year, believed to be due to the fact that their people all carry iPhones and iPads, and can answer your questions, like, NOW.

6. Ford: Interesting. The Ford Focus is so strong right now that Ford is advertising them as the Focus – without “Ford.” Personally, I cheered Ford when they ran the ad that said, “We didn’t accept the bailout!” …only to see them pull the ad 10 minutes later. There’s no politics in car ads, apparently 🙂

7. Target: With remodeled stores and a strong rewards program, Target moved up from #9 last year. Good for them, but I felt the big grocery expansion was only so-so, with prices that Wal-Mart beats every day. And I HATED their Christmas ads (the guy and girl carolers shaming the dad. Blech.)

8. Kindle: Yep, when your 74-year-old mom has a kindle, it’s officially arrived. Kindle has the #1, 2 and 3 best-selling products on Amazon worldwide.

9. YouTube: Two words: “Gangnam Style.” The most-watched internet video of all time. Thanks, Korea! (hashtag: #killmenow)

10. Google: Still Top 10, but a big stumble from #4 last year. Worries about user privacy, and the fact the Google+ is kind of lame, have hurt. But they have gone all-in with Android, and Google Maps for iOS was a big hit, so they are strengthening their presence across a variety of platforms.

What do you think? Are some of your favorites here? Who did they miss? Who shouldn’t be here? Let us know, and have a great weekend!

Free Stuff for Free!

3 Comments

free2

Do you want stuff but don’t want to pay for it? Well, there’s a lot of that going around. There’s a fun article at MoneyTalksNews.com that gives you the lowdown on a wide variety of goods and services that can be had for free or durn near.

1. Free cars

2. Free lodging

3. Free audio books

4. Free birthday presents

5. Free food for kids

6. Free samples

7. Free TV

8. Free software

9. Free anti-virus

10. Free Speech

11. Free foreign language lessons

12. Free everything

That last one is pretty intriguing! Admittedly, most of these require a little imagination and a bit of patience – for instance, “Free TV” means not paying for cable, but you still have to buy an HDTV set. “Free Speech” means starting a blog (yuck!)

Check out the article for explanations, examples and websites where you can learn more. So stop paying for stuff like a sucker, and start living the free life!

CES Show Underlines Smartphone Dominance

613-9967-02

The big Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas has come and gone. What are some trends that emerged or continued?

Well, one thing they have been saying for a while is becoming truer by the day. Single-use devices are dying. A machine that just plays Blu-Ray discs? A GPS-only device? A phone that’s just a phone? Forget it. Whatever it is, it’s got to do ten things and have room for whatever fab invention comes up next.

Like a smartphone. I know plenty of people (not necessarily old, but grouchy) who take pride in that fact that they don’t own a smartphone. To which I reply: “With a 70% penetration rate, what are you waiting for – and engraved e-vite?”

What’s obvious to me after this year’s show is that your smartphone is going to become a universal remote control for your life: connecting to your house, car, HVAC, media center, SmartTV, fitness regimen and just about every aspect of your life. I’d suggest you think about getting a second battery for your smartphone if you plan on participating in this connected revolution. The Data Doctor

If you are a smartphone resister, I know where you are coming from (the PAST!  j/k) I used to feel the same way. I only got an iPhone because I worked for a company that made accessories for them (and I could get them for free.) Also, right at that time a free phone became available. But once I got on board, I got used to the features and convenience. A smartphone doesn’t have to turn you into an zombie with your face glued to your screen. That’s Facebook’s job!

Anyway, there are a bunch of other, non-smartphone developments we will tell you about next time!  Here are some links if you want to read further!

Fun with Shipping and Handling!

7 Comments

This past Christmas, I ordered a pogo stick from Amazon for my nephew. It arrived in a box suitable for a 60-inch flatscreen TV, as shown in this TERRIBLE photo:

IMG_0997[1]

No big deal. I thought it was kind of funny. I actually cut down the box and made three more boxes for gift wrapping because I’M CHEAP.

It turns out that oddball shipping like this is pretty common, as evidenced by pics like these:

Bubble wrap shipped in bubble wrap
Bubble wrap shipped in bubble wrap
A gift card shipped in a box you could fit a bowling ball into.
A gift card shipped in a box you could fit a bowling ball into.
And… whatever this is.
And… whatever this is.

According to the confessions of a shipping guy as told by The Consumerist, “…there is actually a perfectly legitimate reason why that SD card got put into a box that could accommodate a pair of winter boots.”

Basically, it comes down to money, regulations, and productivity measurements. For instance, you’d think they could send the gift card in a mailer envelope. But bubble envelopes are expensive, and they go straight into the landfill if you don’t separate the bubbles from the paper, which we all have time to do, right? Didn’t think so. And landfill equals regulatory hassle!

As for the BIG boxes, they do their best to keep as few sizes of box in stock, to save on inventory costs. Or, they may have the right size of box but, during peak times, they just run out of them. At any rate, making all these boxing decisions when they are trying to ship 35,000 items a day really slows them down, and they get dinged by the head office for poor output.

In other words, RELAX ABOUT THE SHIPPING. There, I feel better. Check out the original piece for many more examples and the reasons behind the madness. And have a great weekend!

PS… Can you believe this is our 200th blog post? It doesn’t feel a day over 195!

Restaurant Job #1: a Clean Restroom?

3 Comments

restroom-sign-21-e1339002457546-300x252

An interesting question…

Of course, you have visited the restroom in Target. Have you ever noticed the paper on the back of the door, charting when the potty was last inspected? It says that “J.B.” cleaned and inspected the facility only 20 minutes ago. (I think they do this at Kohl’s, as well.) Does this inspire confidence, at least somewhat? Not that you don’t douse yourself in Purel anyway! But still…

Well, Some expert is claiming that Clean Bathrooms Are “Most Important Marketing Job” For Restaurants.

“Clean bathrooms might be the most important marketing job in your restaurant,” he writes. “Consumers consistently site dirty bathrooms as the primary reason for not returning to restaurants.” The Consumerist

I admit it: I am a (mid-level) germophobe. Whenever a store offers the wet wipes, I go for it. On my honeymoon cruise, you weren’t even allowed to enter the ship’s dining rooms until you had taken a blast of Purel—and I LIKED that!

Earlier, I worked in this small town with a country club. In the lobby they had a bowl of unwrapped mints on the hostess desk, across from the restrooms. The health department did their thing and, you guessed it, trace amounts of urine in the mints!!

What about you? Are you preoccupied with cleanliness, or do you think it’s silly? Let us know!