Tag Archives: consumer panels

Facebook Hope and Hype

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Have you been following Trading for Dummies, i.e., the media trying to explain the Facebook IPO to the rest of us?  Head scratcher, right? Yeah, well, don’t look to me for assistance!

So they open at $38 a share, it goes up, it goes down, it closes with a gain of 23 cents – when anything less than a $50 close would be UTTER HUMILIATION! (News media hype.) And Monday it was at $34 bucks.

As Wall Street’s Gordon Gekko might say, “Oh well. So I only made 10 million bucks today.”

Dumb Guy Explanation!

Apparently, two things are at work here. Facebook gets a good chunk of its revenue from advertising on the desktop site. Unfortunately, the news came out in the days before the IPO that General Motors was suspending its Facebook ads, unsure of their effectiveness. That shook some investor confidence.

Second, many FB users are migrating more and more to mobile use on their smartphones. And Facebook really hasn’t figured that realm out quite yet – the advertising, that is. So, they have been buying up mobile players left and right, like Instagram, Lightbox as well as geo-location service Gowalla and mobile gift-card app Karma.

The Outlook! (dumb guy version)

Day One may have been a black eye, but nobody seems to be panicking just yet. One thing is certain…Facebook knows EVERYTHING about its members. Once they figure out how to leverage that info into mobile advertisement, it’s total world domination, baby!

What do you think?  Check out this article, “Facebook stumbles, but still has time to prove itself” to learn more.

(photo: gadgets.ndtv.com)

Poller Bear has a Winner!

Ever seen this guy in your MindField travels? The Poller Bear is a special internal poll that MindField Online uses to find ways to improve our services and company, to make it a better experience for members like you. We also use it to get insights on how to get new business and new clients, so that we can get more survey opportunities for our members.

So, once in a while you will receive a Poller Bear invitation, or see it on Live Now! And regularly someone wins a nice incentive. The latest winner is:

Diane Z. of Spring Hill, Florida!

Diane won $50! She said, “Thank you! I never win anything so this a nice surprise!”

REMINDER: The Cinco de MindField drawing for $50 is tomorrow, Sat May 12! We will announce the winner as soon as we contact and hear back from them! Good Luck!! And have a great weekend!

Cinco de MindField Celebration!!

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Did you know that May 5th is the official birthday of MindField Online Internet Panels? We just turned eight years old! And to celebrate, we have another giveaway opportunity! But first, let’s look at a MindField snapshot…

Today, MindField is honored to have 1.4 million active panelists, and we are pleased to have paid out almost $4,000,000 (four million!) member credits.

Lately, we have made vast improvements to the panelist experience including:

  • The Facebook merge
  • No-limit Amazon cash-out
  • PayPal cash-out
  • LiveNow! Listings of active surveys
  • Annual holiday “Make it Rain” drawings,
  • Live moderator for Facebook and MindfieldLive.com and specialized research community sites,
  • And so much more!

And we are keeping it up! Very soon, we will be expanding our targeting and pre-screening capabilities to make the live user experience even better and hopefully eliminate (to the best of our ability) the disappointment that comes with disqualification for MindField hosted surveys.

New Corporate Partner merge opportunities will include linking your membership and rewards information at the places you shop at everyday with your MindField Online account to increase your experience at both MindField and the merchant you are already purchasing from.  It’s only getting better . . . and better.

So, anyway, you’ve been patient. What’s in it for YOU? Well, after this week-long fiesta, some lucky member is going to win $50 on May 12!

To earn entries, all you have to do is:

  • “Like” this blog post, and
  • “Like” and “Share” the Facebook post (it will be re-posted every day.)
  • And re-tweet (RT) the Twitter post (same deal.)

You can only like the blog once, but with the others, you can enter up to 3 times a day!

Vamos, amigos! Help us celebrate Cinco de MindField, all week long!!

Legal High?

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“but mom, it’s TOTALLY legal!”

Hey, moms and dads! Got teenagers or kids in college? Then rush right over to YouTube and search “salvia.”

Salvia Divinorum – a type of synthetic marijuana, often known as “K2” or “Spice,” and bath salts products are often sold in legal retail outlets as “herbal incense” and “plant food,” respectively, and labeled “not for human consumption” to mask their intended purpose and avoid FDA regulatory oversight. Synthetic marijuana consists of plant material that has been laced with substances that users claim mimics the primary psychoactive active ingredient in marijuana, and are marketed toward young people as a “legal” high. ConsumerAffairs.com

Hey what could be wrong about buying fake drugs from a shady convenience store? Well, as I said, watch the videos. From my observation, when it goes bad, it looks like the user experiences a wave of mind-bending terror. Seems to only last about 10 minutes, but who knows what permanent damage might be going on?

So, obviously the law is cracking down. States are suing the manufacturers and distributors, and they are trying to educate the masses. It’s kind of like those pharmaceutical commercials with the annoying list of side effects at the end. Only these side effects include “…agitation, extreme nervousness, nausea, vomiting, racing heartbeat, elevated blood pressure, tremors and seizures, dilated pupils, extreme paranoia, hallucinations, and violent behavior, which causes users to harm themselves or others.”

Anyway, I didn’t mean to go all “ABC After School Special” on you, but these are the types of things busy working parents can miss. There’s more info at the original article. And now that you’re completely terrified, have a great weekend!

(photo: blogs.villagevoice.com)

Saving on Groceries!

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Last week, we fished around for some blog ideas from our MindField family. One idea seemed particularly popular: rising food prices.

A big factor in rising food prices is rising gas prices. With diesel fuel at $4.00 a gallon, it just takes more resources to get your food from the field to the table. What can we do about that? In the short term, not much.

So, what can you do to save some money and STILL eat well, without switching to Vienna sausage and Kost Kutter Kanned Kreamed Korn? WebMD has listed 10 tips. Here, as we say, are the bullets:

  1. Buy produce in season. Ever grow a tomato plant? You wait and wait, and then BANG! You have more tomatoes than you can give away. Same deal here. In season, they are priced to move.
  2. Use sales and coupons. You know how you (and by You, I mean Me) mock that lady in the store with her thick binder of coupons? Stop doing that.
  3. Brown-bag it. Ever go to Panera or Atlanta Bread for lunch and, no matter what you order, you spend $9.00? Stinks, right?
  4. Think frozen, canned, or dried. You may not know it, but most of these items are processed at the peak of their freshness and nutritional value.
  5. Save on protein foods. To quote Modern Family, “I AM spontaneous…‘eggs for dinner’ was MY idea!”
  6. Waste not, want not. Did you know that Americans produce over 30 million tons of food waste every year? We are awesome that way!
  7. Go generic. Remember what I said about Kost Kutter Kanned Kreamed Korn? Forget it.
  8. Buy prepackaged only if you need it. That pre-washed Bag o’Salad is convenient, but you’re paying for that convenience.
  9. Buy and cook in bulk. Sam’s? Costco? If you have a big family, it might be worth the $100/year to join.
  10. Plant a garden. And plan on shooting squirrels. I hate how they take one bite of a tomato, ruining it, and then remember that they don’t like tomatoes!

There’s a lot more information at the original article, so check it out! What about you? Any suggestions?

(photo: dreamstime.com)

Financial Compatibility in Marriage?

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Shadow-people have problems just like the rest of us.

How well do you and your spouse sync when it comes to handling money? Do you agree, or agree to disagree – or just plain disagree? Did you and your honey have to come to an understanding when you tied the knot? Did you manage to do it before you got into trouble?

Maybe that’s all in the rear view mirror, but what about your kids? Are they grown and ready to get hitched? Do you worry about them or their prospective mates? Well, you might have good reason to be but, fortunately, there are some steps you can take to avoid disaster.

Even though research suggests that married couples are more likely to accumulate wealth and meet certain financial goals than their single peers, disagreements over money can derail those plans. Before tying the knot, experts recommend that couples have a series of talks about money to prevent conflicts later.   USNews Money

Here are the bullets, but be warned: some of them are not terribly romantic!

  • Know each other’s credit histories. An uncomfortable discussion now avoids surprises later. Trust me, a friend got a big surprise when she learned her new husband had previously failed to pay child support and was having his wages garnisheed FOR THE REST OF TIME.
  • Separate or joint accounts? There are good arguments for either one.
  • Long-term goals. Save for a house or retirement – or party like it’s 1999?
  • Spending styles. More often than not, you will be opposites. But that can be a good thing! You can learn from each other… or just fight a lot.
  • Who does what? Somebody has to take charge of writing the checks, licking the stamps, etc. Thankfully, it’s not me.
  • Dealing with relatives. What happens when your broke sister-in-law’s car breaks down? That could get really hairy if you don’t plan ahead.

Personally, my wife and I get along fine in this area because we pretty much addressed each of these items early on. How about you?

Anyway, it’s a good article, so check it out.

(photo: stefangauciscicluna.com)

E-Coupons Popular and Growing

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According to a survey in the marketing publication eMarketer, over 92 million of us will use online coupons in 2012. Not only do we use them to save money, but to research and compare products as well.

Here are some stats:

  • 27% of us prefer to receive digital coupons instead of cutting them out of the newspaper.
  • 80% of e-coupon fans like their convenience, especially those that arrive by email.
  • 70% say that e-coupons are easier to manage, and help with product research and comparison shopping.
  • E-coupons are particularly popular with PC users, compared to tablet or smartphone users. 37% of PC users pull the trigger on a sale, compared to 17% of tablet users and 13% of smartphone users.

That last one is mildly interesting. Personally, I don’t consider myself a cutting-edge technology user. I don’t have a tablet but I can tell you that, as far as pre-shopping research, the PC is so much more convenient. High-speed internet, a big screen, nothing compares. On the ground, standing in the aisle at OfficeMax comparing printers? Then yes, the smartphone is awesome. But I tend to go to the store having done all my research.

Anyway, 92 million of us are e-coupon users. That sounds like a lot but, as a percentage of all coupon users, that’s still only about one-quarter. That is still second place to print coupon users. So, as the younger, more tech-savvy population grows and ages, you can count on that percentage to grow, and more and more retailers to jump on board the bandwagon.

Are you an e-coupon user? What are your thoughts?

(photo: info.opas.com)

This Year’s Prom Theme: Going Broke

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Times are tough, and we are all tightening our belts. One area we aren’t cutting back on is our kids’ high school prom.

Despite continuing economic sluggishness, when it comes to high school proms, Americans are partying like it’s 1999. This year, families with teenagers will spend an average of $1,078 each on the prom, a 33.6 percent increase over the $807 spent in 2011. Consumer Affairs

Speaking as a guy whose girlfriend had to drag kicking and screaming into the tuxedo place to spend $50 on a rental (it was that long ago) I guess I can’t relate. But apparently this prom madness is everywhere. Here are some regional statistics on prom spending:

  • Northeastern average: $1,944
  • Southern average: $1,047
  • Western average: $744
  • Midwestern average: $696

And, it seems that the brokest among us spend the most. Families earning $20,000 to $30,000 spend an average of $2,635 on a dress or a tuxedo, limousine rental, flowers, food, accommodations, and parties after the party.

It’s madness. I see two culprits: TV shows like “My Super Sweet 16”… and parents that can’t say “No.” What are your thoughts?

BTW, the article also explains ways to cut some of these outrageous costs, so check it out!

(photo: lipartyrides.com)

Last Minute Tax Fun!

no-stress-tax-tips-600

Homer Simpson does his taxes at the last minute…

Homer: “Quick! We need more deductions! OK Marge, if anyone asks, you require 24-hour nursing care, Lisa’s a clergyman, Maggie is seven people, and Bart was wounded in Vietnam!”

Bart: “Cool!”

Later, 5 seconds to deadline, he tosses his return into a mail cart as the cage doors are slamming shut. The cart is marked For Severe Audit.

There’s a lesson here folks, and it’s that the Simpsons used to be really funny.

Also, it’s tax time, and getting late in the game. The deadline for filing your return is April 17th.  So here, courtesy of the money page at USNews.com, are some last-minute tax filing tips:

  • File an extension. This has always confused me. They say you can put it off for 6 months, but you still have to pay by 4/17. If you don’t do your return, how do you know how much you owe?
  • Make tax-deductible IRA contributions. Right up until 4/17.
  • File electronically. With my luck, my broadband would go out that night!
  • Even when rushing, do a careful review.  Duh.
  • Don’t forget this year’s newest forms. If you need any of the new forms, you should have started earlier!
  • Get organized for next year. Or just marry someone organized, like I did.
  • Enjoy tax-day freebies. Companies like Bruegger’s are giving away tax-time treats that day. So Google that!

So, even at the last minute, there are ways you can avoid mistakes, penalties and audits. Check out the info behind the bullet points at the original article. And happy tax time!

Gender-neutral Toys?

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An article (more of an editorial, really) at USNEWS.com, entitled “5 Reasons Not to Buy Your Daughter Pink Legos,” begins like so:

Gender segregation starts early these days, with color-coded diapers, blankets, and binkies. Most of us seem happy with this arrangement, spending some $22 billion on toys every year. But when one company recently went too far, the response was swift.

I was immediately reminded on the ONE “Cathy” cartoon I have read in the past decade (I swear.) Cathy is determined to find a gender-neutral toy for her niece. Combing through the toy store, she finally gets an idea: plastic dinosaurs! Unfortunately, they only have two kinds – Dinosaur Commando Squad and Dainty Dino Beauty Shop.

I knew she would say that.

Anyway, Lego did a bunch of research, found that girls were playing with Legos, and figured they might play with them MORE if they were building little kitchens, beauty shops, etc. As a result, a petition protesting the idea went up online, and supposedly has 50K signatures.

This author lays out her case. Here are the bullets:

  • Girls are already surrounded by gender stereotypes wherever they turn.
  • Girls love Legos, even without the new line for girls.
  • Classic children’s toys that stand the test of time are usually gender-neutral.
  • Buying the new Lego line will lead to more gender-specific toys.
  • Strong girl role models abound, and they don’t have to look like models.

That’s her view…what do YOU think?

(photo: classictcj.com)