Tag Archives: consumer panels

Americans Wasting Money

I hate it when I get to the counter and I only have swirls in my wallet.
I hate it when I get to the counter and I only have swirls in my wallet.

In a piece entitled “10 More Things Americans Waste Money On,” money guru Dave Ramsey suggests that there are 10 things Americans waste money on. Actually, he says 10 MORE, bringing the list to 20 because we are bad people. Here are some highlights, with bonus dumb commentary®!

  • Purebred Dogs: Sure, because “get my DOG BUDGET under control” was my #1 resolution this year.
  • Lottery Tickets… I always thought the phrase “a tax on stupidity” was a bit harsh. Not wrong, but harsh!
  • Brand-Name Medicine: You hold the brand name in one hand, and the generic in the other, and the difference is $3? Sold.
  • At-Home Parties: Some ladies aren’t going to like this advice. Others will be relieved to be able to say, “Sorry, Dave Ramsey told me to stay home!”
  • Singing Birthday Cards: Mom will enjoy it, but will she enjoy it $7 worth?
  • Up-Sizing Your Order: But, if I get the 72-oz Sprite, the girl behind the counter will like me better. I’m not popular enough to “be different!”

I think the important thing to remember is that Dave Ramsey isn’t against you having nice things (a private education, a new car, etc.) He just doesn’t want you to go into debt for them. Anyway, there are more things on the list, and much more detail at the original piece, so check it out!

How about YOU? Do you agree with the list? Are you “wasting” money on them? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

Consumer Confidence?

confidenceHow would you rate YOUR consumer confidence? Apparently, according to the people who keep track of these things…

The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan’s final reading on the overall index of consumer sentiment came in at 93.6 in December, slightly down from a preliminary reading of 93.8 but up from 88.8 in November. It is the highest reading in nearly eight years as lower gasoline prices drove expectations up. TradingEconomics.com

Highest reading in 8 years… They say that gas prices are a factor. I am certainly in a better mood at the pump these days, paying $1.75 (in South Carolina) rather than $3.50… dang, that’s like HALF price!

As a freelance writer, I look out on the horizon and see more POTENTIAL jobs this year. So far, though, they are still POTENTIAL. I always say, if the year turned out like my rosy January predictions, I could RETIRE. Hasn’t happened yet. But, sure, I  guess I feel a little more optimistic now than in the past few years.

How about YOU? What’s your “consumer confidence” level? Better, worse, the same? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend!

 

Cable Cutting Just Got Interesting

cutcableI have mentioned it a few times…I cancelled cable TV, did the Roku/Hulu/Netflix thing, and have been pretty happy. But that’s just ME. I can tell you that I am not a huge sports fan and, if you are a cable cutter, that’s something you have to deal with. Lack of ESPN has been a sticking point for many folks who consider cutting the cable.

Until now.

This is not an endorsement – heck, it’s not even available yet – but something called SlingTV is promising a decent range of cable content (TBS, TNT, Food, Travel, HGTV, etc.) as well as ESPN and ESPN2 for $20 a month, streaming thru your Roku or other device.

Is it (cable cutting) for you? Here’s a way to find out… Slate.com has published a “cable calculator” that illustrates the ways you might save on your cable bill.

Trust me, I have nothing against cable TV…I just realized I was only watching about 10 of the 200 channels and paying $150 a month (including hi-speed internet, which I kept.) Cutting just made sense for ME. How about YOU?

Watch Out for Falling Prices

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fallingDidn’t Walmart used to say that? Anyway, it’s coming true across our economy, for a few reasons. Gas prices are a big one. We blogged back in November, amazed about gas prices that were around $3.40 in June had fallen to $2.62. Well, today they are $1.89 in my town. This affects transportation costs of just about everything we buy.

So, which items will are likely to cost less in 2015? DailyFinance.com has the 411, and here are some bullet points…

  • Gas Prices
  • TV Content Packages: folks, the “cable cutters” have won.
  • Cloud Storage: I don’t understand the cloud, either. But I like paying less for it!
  • 4K TVs: I just now bought a flatscreen – don’t rush me!
  • Smartphones: Now that everybody already has one, the price drops. Shocking!
  • Video Game Consoles: To quote Grandpa Simpson, “I got down on the floor for THIS?”
  • Kia Forte: Now officially the cheapest car in the US

As usual, these are just the highlights. Much more info at the original piece. So, are you noticing prices dropping. Gas, certainly, but anywhere else. If you started saving on daily stuff, what would you do with the money? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

Gift Card Popularity Keeps Rising

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gift cardDid you receive or give gift cards this holiday season? I was mostly a Giver this year, and mostly for clients. I gave out six 10-dollar iTunes gift cards, two $25 Regal Cinemas, and a $25 Red Lobster. For family, an Olive Garden for mom, and a Sears for my nephew the electrician.

So, while some folks think they are an incredible convenience, and others think they are incredibly impersonal, gift cards are here to stay, and growing in their use.

The retail federation conducted a consumer survey in October and found that 62 percent of shoppers said they would like to receive a gift card, making gift cards the most requested gift item eight years in a row. The average shopper buying gift cards will spend $173, up from $163 last year, the NRF said. Dayton Daily News

Also helping the cause, new rules that make gift cards last longer before expiring. That alone has accounted for the dollar amount of cards going unused from $8 billion down to 1 billion!

So, what are the best ways to get the most out of the gift cards you have received? What can you do if you have a problem using them? Read this article to find out!

How about you? Did you give or receive? Are you using gift cards more or less often these days? Are they convenient or too impersonal? Let us know at the MindField Online Facebook page!

Good News on the Financial Front

Looking for some good financial news? Well, the stories are out there, and Yahoo Finance dug up a few of the better ones.

Most of these folks got into debt in ways you would recognize. Student loans, sudden changes in health, unemployment…and plain ol’ bad decision making. We’ve all been there. So it’s good to see that people can climb out of the hole if they make a plan, make some sacrifices, and stick to it.

The headlines include:

  • Single mom retires $5000 of debt in a year while only earning only $21K
  • Family of five pays off $100,000 of debt in just four years
  • Woman eliminates $50,000 worth of debt in two years, despite six months unemployment
  • Retired couple cashed it all in to travel the world
  • Couple pays off $118,000 worth of debt in four years – on $70K annual earnings

These are just the headlines. There are some pretty inspirational stories behind them, so check it out!

How about you? Ever been in the hole? How did you make it out? Do you have an inspiring story? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend!

Bad Gifts 2014

badYesterday, we posted a little piece on Facebook, wherein Miss Manners threw some serious shade on people who make and hand out Holiday gift wish lists. What did you think? Personally, I’d rather have some idea of what to give. Gift shopping is stressful, and I want to get it right. On a selfish tip, I would also like to RECEIVE the right thing, as well.

Apparently, the things we DON’T want to receive are common enough that Consumer Reports has compiled a list, based on a survey of 1500 adults. What do we NOT want this year? Here are the top 5:

  • Hard liquor: 25%
  • Flowers or plants: 23%
  • Home décor: 13%
  • Books: 8%
  • Kitchen items: 7%

Interesting that booze is so high on the list, while wine is much farther down. Anyway, there are more details in the original, so check it out!

What do you think? Is making a list of what you want a bad thing? Is making a list of what you DON’T want even worse? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page – because there are only 9 days left!!

Holiday Shopping Thru the Ages

xmas shoppingThat is, OUR ages. Advertisers have done the research, and it seems that our attitudes and shopping habits during the Holiday season depend on our age. Check it out!

First, the terminology: Millennials are age 18-34, Gen X is 35-54, and Boomers are 55-plus.

  • How much do we spend on gifts? Millennials $307, Gen X $299, Boomers $262
  • Where do we shop? Millennials online, Gen X online, Boomers in-store
  • Where do we learn about this year’s popular gifts? Millennials online, Gen X online, Boomers on TV
  • Favorite Holiday Activity? Millennials gift-giving, Gen X decorating, Boomers entertaining
  • Holiday dislikes: Millennials spending, Gen X spending, Boomers crowds

More info at the original piece, so check it out!

So, do you see yourself in this picture? Has your attitude about Holiday shopping changed over the years? How so? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend!

Holiday Shipping Blues

shipping1The other day, I’m standing in my kitchen when I hear a loud THUD at my front door, almost like someone had kicked it. Followed by a single ring of the doorbell. I look out and see a US Mail carrier slouching away, talking on his phone. I pick up my package and scream at him, “That’s a $700 laptop! Maybe slam it to the ground a little softer?” His classic reply? “Aw man. My bad.”

Welcome to Holiday Shipping Blues!

Consumer Reports conducted a survey of 1,000 people regarding their thoughts on Holiday shipping. See if any of these findings sound familiar…

  • Biggest complaint is cost. UPS and FedEx can cost up to 5 times as much as regular mail.
  • More than half complain about valuable packages left at the door (or, in my case, slammed into the door!)
  • Related, about 40% of people have had the package stolen from the porch.
  • 55% complain about late delivery.

So, what to do? Pay the high cost to UPS and FedEx? Sacrifice your sanity and time by going to the Post Office? Use one of those USPS-contracted places where they don’t know what they’re doing half the time? You tell me!!

On a constructive note, here are some tips for getting your holiday packages to their destination in one piece, and on time! USPS… FedEx… UPS

Any shipping horror stories to share? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend!

“Dangerous” Toys Named

Is it wrong that I still want one of these?
Is it wrong that I still want one of these?

Remember when all the cool toys were dangerous? I remember something called the Monster Maker. Sort of like the boy version of the EZ Bake Oven. You melted plastic in these aluminum forms to make little rubber monsters. Oh, and you also melted your fingertips. Good times.

Well, toys are a lot safer these days. There are a few, however, which are still iffy. So, some professional do-gooders called “World Against Toys Causing Harm, or W.A.T.C.H., issued the “10 Worst Toys” list to remind parents and consumers of the potential hazards in some toys as the holiday shopping season gets underway.” …NY Daily News

Some highlights:

  • Catapencil: a pencil with a miniature slingshot-style launcher on its end. Yes, you could put an eye out!
  • SWAT Electric Machine Gun: Looks too real
  • True Legends Orcs Battle Hammer: presents a risk for blunt impact injuries
  • Alphabet Zoo Rock and Stack Pull Toy: has a long string you might choke on
  • Air Storm Firetek Bow: Shoots projectiles up to 150 feet. Again, potential eye injury

And just so we don’t leave out the girls…

  • Lil’ Cutesies Best Friends Doll: parts break off, presenting a choking hazard.

You can read the rest and get all the details at the WATCH site.  My two cents? As always, there are legitimate concerns on the list, some that seem kind of a stretch, and some that are a little silly. What do you think? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend!