Tag Archives: consumer panels

Help for Shopaholics

Is this you? I’m asking because I can’t see your face.

Spending addictions can rear their heads at the most inopportune times. They also know no socioeconomic boundaries. This is a problem that can affect wealthy people, low-income people and pretty much anyone living between those two extremes.  MSN.com

Even now, when we really don’t have the money to spend, some of us do it anyway. Hey, I’m no different – when work is slow, and I get anxious, I go to Goodwill! A two-dollar piece of junk is often the perfect pick-me-up!

So how do you recognize a spending addiction, and what do you do about it? Well, there’s a pretty good article on MSN.com today. Here are the bullet points:

  • Understand the phenomenon
  • Know thyself
  • Reflect on how you feel when you shop
  • Think about the time involved
  • Take control of the situation
  • Start writing things down
  • Steer clear of unnecessary temptations
  • Find healthy alternatives
  • Expand your possibilities
  • Know when to get help

So like I said, I am no stranger. How about you? Care to share? And please read the original article, there’s lots of helpful info!

(photo: mainstreet.com)

Hitting the Glass Ceiling of Income?

Did you know that, statistically speaking, we hit a “glass ceiling” of income at around age 40? Age 45 for men, 37 for women.  Why is that? What can we do about it?

USNews.com has an article about a recent Payscale.com survey that tracks our earnings across the years:

Click to embiggen. That's a word, right?

As you can see, there’s a steady climb, you hit 37 or 45, and then it stays flat for the rest of your career. Why is that? The article has a few suggestions. For one thing, when you take a job, they give you a list of responsibilities and a salary range. The longer you stay at the same job, doing the same things, the closer you get to the top of the range.

What to do about it? It’s no big secret… take classes, get more training, take on extra responsibilities, angle for that promotion, use your skills to do consulting work on the side, get paid to do surveys online from MindField, etc. None of this is as easy as it sounds (except MindField Online) but the solutions are out there.

How about you? Are you stalling out? Have you already? What did you do about it? Seriously, if you have figured it out, let ME know! Anyway, there is a lot more at the original article, so check it out!

Great news for our 50+ Panelists!

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Feel like you get fewer surveys as you get older? You’re not alone. But MindField Online is doing something about it! first, some background…

From time to time on the Facebook page and the MindFieldLive blog, we hear from older folks who suspect that they are receiving fewer survey invitations due to their age. Almost always they add, “This doesn’t make sense! Seniors have money, they buy things – don’t their opinions matter?”

Well, the situation may seem frustrating right now. But we are confident things are going to change. The Baby Boomers are aging, and the number of older folks is growing. The need for consumer research in the older segment is only going to increase. And that change just might be coming sooner than you think!

And, on that note….

Mindfield recently entered into a partnership and conducted two pilot tests combining product intent questions for eight different companies/manufacturers who have particular interest in this segment of the population. If continued efforts are successful, you should begin seeing renewed energy resulting in surveys for the mature market segment.

So, it’s a pilot test. An initial success we hope to build upon. In other words, a step in the right direction. We hope you agree, and we thank you for your membership, your participation, and your PATIENCE.

Never Retire?

Retirement stirs up a range of images and emotions. Some can’t wait to punch the clock for the last time. Others dread being shuffled out the door. Some fear they can’t afford to retire. But a new article asks: why do we have to retire at all?

Retirement is, quite frankly, often a default choice that we’ve been brainwashed into accepting. Saying that it’s time to retire becomes less and less relevant with each passing year. Not only are we living longer, but the quality of our lives in older age can also improve. Physically taxing jobs are disappearing. Knowledge jobs can be done quite well by older people.  USNews.com

Says the article:

  • There is no physical reason to retire.
  • Working can support healthy better physical and mental aging.
  • Challenging, meaningful work boosts well being and happiness.
  • A chance to share experiences and mentor younger workers.
  • Bottom line: shorter retirement means less chance of outliving your money.

Demographically speaking, we are getting older, and there will be fewer younger workers to replace us. If you want to stick around, you should have more opportunities to do it. So, if the old bones haven’t given out yet, and you don’t WANT to retire, staying on the job could have a lot of benefits! What do YOU think of non-retirement retirement?  Read the article!

Brand Nostalgia is a Thing Now

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In recent years, there has been renewed interest around the world in branding that evokes nostalgia. There are probably hundreds of long-gone or hard-to-find brands, products and businesses that trigger happy memories and remind us of “back in the day.”    Mainstreet.com

Some examples?

  • Woolworth’s: Died in 1997. Are you old enough to remember eating at the Woolworth lunch counter? Sure you want to admit that?
  • McCall’s Magazine: 135 years as a ladies publishing institution until Rosie O’Donnell drove it off a cliff in 2005.
  • Tab Diet Cola: Launched in 1963 to tremendous success. Then in the early 80’s, the saccharin cancer scare (later debunked) hurt sales, and Coca-Cola concentrated on launching Diet Coke. Tab is still around but really hard to find. There is a fan site that can help, though.
  • Pan Am Airlines: Gone for over 20 years now, Pan Am practically invented “classic” air travel. The jumbo jet, computerized reservations, and serving meals (now known as a bag of peanuts.) Given what an unbearable pain in the butt it is to fly these days, this particular bit of nostalgia is easy to understand!

So, the moral here is that whether they go out of business, or shrink to insignificance, these brands never truly die. Nostalgia keeps them alive in our consciousness. And sometimes that can lead to rebirth. For instance…

Amiga PC’s: Launched in ’85 and eventually driven out by Microsoft and Apple. But geeks loved ‘em so much there are still a half-million in use. Some super nerds have even started a company to produce brand new look-alike machines with all new software!

So, which brands do you remember? Which would you like to see reborn? There’s plenty more in the original article!

Planning Your STAYcation?

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Yesterday we did a fun little exercise; asking what you are paying for gas. We had over 160 responses, which was our biggest turnout ever on Facebook. THANKS! In the end, I believe the “winner” was $4.75/gal in East Los Angeles. So, um, congrats…?

With prices like that (and heading higher) and Spring Break around the corner, an old family standby is back: the Staycation. Basically, it’s where you find interesting things to do in your town or within a couple hours from home.

I found an old Consumer Reports article online. It’s from 2009 but I figured hey, it’s still the same recession! Here are some ideas:

  • Behind-the-scenes tours: Police and fire stations, movie theaters, TV Stations, etc.
  • Museums, observatories, planetariums
  • Scenic train rides
  • Water parks
  • Zoos and aquariums
  • Sporting events (as well as stadium tours)
  • Camping (hiking, biking, wilderness viewing areas, state parks)
  • Regional amusement parks
  • City festivals
  • Family fun centers (with bowling, miniature golf, go karts, laser tag, etc.)
  • Community theater and touring Broadway productions
  • Historic home tours
  • Concerts
  • In-town Bed and Breakfasts

Depending on where you live, your mileage may vary when it comes to finding local fun. But if you have more time than money (and there’s a lot of that going around) you may find excitement at your doorstep. Good luck! Here is that article again.

Extreme Measures for Extreme Couponers?

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We talked a while back about the Extreme Coupon trend currently sweeping the land. Now, it seems like retailers are tightening their policies.

Supermarkets have a delicate balance to maintain: They don’t want to alienate their coupon-loving customers, but they also don’t want to disappoint non-extreme shoppers who can’t buy sale items because some (extreme couponer) has just emptied the entire shelf. Time.com

What are the stores doing to frustrate Extremes? Well, one lady figured out a way to get chocolate milk for free – plus an 11-cent bonus. So she bought 34 of them! Wal-Mart made her purchase all 34 individually. 34 transactions, 34 receipts, 34 hands full of pennies! Meanwhile, Kroger’s is moving to prevent you from “stacking”…that is, combining paper and online coupons for the same item.

So, are you an Extreme-r? Have you experienced any pushback from the retailers? Tell us about it! You can read the original Time article here.

Does Money Equal Happiness?

That’s a good question. The short answer is No. But using money wisely and creatively to brighten up your life can improve your outlook considerably, according to Laura Vanderkam, the author of “All the Money in the World: What the Happiest People Know About Getting and Spending.”

Her research says that:

People who are “happiest about money” feel like they have enough (even if they aren’t wealthy), could get more if they needed it, and that they have full control over how to earn and spend their cash.

Some tips to “get happy” include:

Sweating the big stuff and splurging on little things: Yes, definitely pay your bills. But spend a few bucks on something nice like a bouquet of flowers for your dining room table.

Travel: It’s a triple-treat! You plan and anticipate your trip, then you enjoy your trip, and then you have the memories afterwards.

Take a class: Anything that stretches your mind is worth the money.

In short, spend to buy experiences. Spend to expand your social network, and spend to buy time.

What are your suggestions? Read the article here.

Nutty but Legitimate Tax Deductions

yoink!

Tax time approaches, and there is often little to smile about. But if you’re a whaling captain or an accused criminal, and you’re looking for some last minute deductions, you’re in luck! From TurboTax:

Whale Tale: You can claim up to $10,000 for repairs to your whaling ship. The catch is you must be a Native American!

Orthodontic clarinets? A 1962 ruling said that clarinets were helpful in correcting a child’s overbite. So, if you have a prescription clarinet, claim that sucker as a medical expense!

The Dog Paddle Deduction: I have a brother-in-law with a bum knee who has been told by his therapist to swim every day. If that’s you, you could claim your swimming pool as a deduction!

Butts for Bucks: The various tools, tricks and prescriptions for kicking the smoking habit are often deductible.

Volunteer for the Wrong Reasons! If you have to hire a babysitter when you do volunteer work, that’s deductible!

Deductible Defense: Crime doesn’t pay, but sometimes your legal defense is deductible!

Bow-wow Bonus! The cost of a guard dog may be deductible from your taxes. Enough to offset your higher homeowner’s insurance premium? Probably not!!

There are more goofy deductions here. Have you heard of any other weird deductions? And aren’t you glad our tax code is so delightfully simple?

20k Facebook Fan Revealed!

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At last, meet the winner of MindField’s 20,000th Facebook fan giveaway:

Sara P. from Sartell, MN!

Sara P. and her $50 smile!

Sara says: “I am a stay at home mom of 3 of the most wonderful kids!  I live in Sartell, Minnesota have been a member since 1/30/12.  My favorite part so far is being the 20K fan!! Thanks so much!!”

For being lucky number 20K, Sara received a $50.00 Amazon.com gift card!

So, that’s the wrap. Like we said, it’s just an example of the kind of fun and surprises our members have here at MindField. Stay tuned, there’s always something around the corner! Thanks again to the rest of our (now) 21, 250 Facebook fans!