Tag Archives: consumer preferences

Fun on the Fourth!

Bar none, the least-read post of the year! So, I will keep it brief. Daily Infographic is a cool resource, always laying out topics in a fun, visual, super-readable fashion. You should check them out DAILY, as their name suggests. Here is their take on Independence Day 2014. Click the pic to embiggen, as they say. July-4th-infographic_final

And here’s the mo-riginal: http://dailyinfographic.com/4th-of-july-cheat-sheet-infographic

How about you? Will you be among the 66% displaying an American flag? The 76% getting together with family? The 26% blowing your fingers off with your own fireworks? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Wacky Smartphone Habits!

Today, talking pigs do mobile banking. Soon, pig hackers will have your credit card number!
Today, talking pigs do mobile banking. Soon, pig hackers will have your credit card number!

Recently, Bank of America surveyed 1,000 people about their smartphone habits. They were particularly interested in their mobile banking habits – and they got some interesting answers that you can read HERE. But they found even more fun info about mobile habits in general. Check it out:

  • The most important aspect of daily life: Having a car 91% …Having a mobile phone 91% … Using deodorant 91%… Having a TV 76% … Coffee 60%
  • People who “couldn’t last a day” without their phone: 47%
  • People who would “give up alcohol or chocolate” to get their phone back: 79%. As the saying goes, “I’m like a chocoholic, but for booze.”
  • Mobile habits that bug us in others (but are OK when we do it!): While driving 38%, Sharing too much personal information 15%, While eating 7%
  • Thinking about the future of mobile security: Users comfortable with thumbprint security 60%, Voice recognition 33%, Retinal scans 32%, Pigs doing mobile banking 21%. I made that last one up.

More legitimate mobile banking thoughts at the original piece, so take a look. How about you? I know that every time I post a piece about smartphone habits, I get fewer and fewer people proudly huffing, “I would NEVER own a smartphone!” Do any of these habits sound like you? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to take this call…

Valuable Money Lessons at ANY Age!

financial-knowledgeWhen I got out of college, I immediately got an Elder-Beerman’s credit card (a Midwestern department store – are they still around?) In about five minutes I had already maxed it out – an entire $500! Someone wise (supposedly) told me to get the card, so that I could “start building credit.” I think by “building” they meant “destroying!”

It never got that bad, but I made some key mistakes in my early twenties that took well into my 30’s to straighten out. So, in that vein, we humbly present “10 Things Everyone Should Know About Money”, courtesy of US News Money. Here are the bullets:

  1. You have to earn more than you spend.
  2. Saving early will help you save more.
  3. Higher rewards mean higher risk.
  4. Diversification is your friend.
  5. Protect yourself from scam artists.
  6. Insure yourself against rainy days.
  7. Automate savings.
  8. Minimize your debt load.
  9. Track your credit score.
  10. You’re never done learning.

Sad that SO many of these are totally common sense (I should EARN more than I SPEND?) But kids these days… well heck, we were all kids once. Anyway, a lot more details at the original piece, so you know what to do.

How about you? I told you MY dumb money mistakes, circa 1988, so share some of yours over at the MindField Online Facebook page. And have a great weekend!

States of Happiness, 2014

happymapIt’s time for our annual look at American happiness. Who are the happiest Americans? And how would be know? Well, you interview a BUNCH of people all across the United States – DAILY, for a WHOLE YEAR – and you draw some conclusions!

Gallup rated each state on the following: life evaluation, emotional health, physical health, work environment, healthy behaviors and basic access to services and amenities.  Drum roll please…

Happiest States:

10 Iowa… 09 Washington… 08 Hawaii… 07 Colorado… 06 Vermont…

05 Montana …04 Minnesota …03 Nebraska …02 … South Dakota

01 North Dakota

Unhappiest States:

41 Louisiana… 42 Oklahoma… 43 Missouri… 44 Tennessee… 45 Arkansas…

46 Ohio… 47 Alabama… 48 Mississippi… 49 Kentucky… 50 West Virginia

So that’s the rundown. What do you think? Are you in a “happy” state? An “unhappy” state? Do you agree or disagree with this assessment? Let us know! Check out the whole report, and give us your opinion over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

Grab These June Bargains!

Time-to-buy-sign

Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. Mine was super, but I am a little slow on the uptake today. So let’s keep it simple and take a look at June Bargains!

  • Patio Sets and Barbecues: but wait until the end of the month to hopefully score some 4th of July bargain goodness!
  • Dad stuff: Tools, men’s suits, anything related to Father’s Day, June 15.
  • Gym Memberships: People are out and about this time of year, not in the gym. Time to swoop in and grab some savings!
  • Paint: For some reason, painters hate painting indoors this time of year. There is a big surplus of paint, and prices are low.
  • Dairy: June is National Dairy Month, so buy in bulk and freeze that cheese, yo!

We have a few links for you below, so take a look, and start saving! What are YOUR spending plans for June? Travel? Home improvement? Getting ready for the 4th of July? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

June Savings Links:

Target Data Breach Aftermath

Oh, Bullseye...who could stay mad at YOU?
Oh, Bullseye…who could stay mad at YOU?

Trolling around for blog topics this morning, I came upon this piece, “The Impact of Target’s Data Breach on Consumer Trust.” And I suddenly remembered that I shopped at Target this weekend, AND I paid with my debit card! I guess my consumer outrage over identity theft had a short shelf-life, eh?

As you will recall, Target had a terrible security breach involving their card-readers back on Black Friday….er, Black Friday weekend…um, make that November 22nd to December 15th! Bad security issue, even worse public relations nightmare. Heck, the Target CEO just stepped down!

So, have we changed our habits in the aftermath? Obviously, I haven’t – and I remember saying “I will NEVER shop there again!” But how about you? Let’s look at the stats, as compiled by Bizrate Insights:

  • 35% of Target’s customers have changed their shopping behavior.
  • 22% shop there less
  • 13% have stopped shopping there altogether (22+13=35!)

And it seems that the ones who shop there less are more cautious when they do:

  • 44% now pay only in cash

How about you? There seemed to be a rash of these things during the Holiday shopping season. I remember Michael’s Crafts got hit, too. Are you changing your habits? Being more cautious? Don’t care? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

Prom Season Spending 2014

Recognize THAT face, Moms?
Recognize THAT face, Moms?

We’re about halfway in to Prom Season 2014. And, while the American family’s average spending peaked last year at about $1,140, a Visa survey says:

American households with teens are reining in prom spending this year. The average household will spend $978 in 2014. That’s down more than 14% from the average families spent on items including attire, limousine rental, tickets, and dinner in 2013. PracticalMoneySkills.com

Still, that’s a lot of money. Let’s take a look at some numbers!

  • Industry volume: $4 billion
  • West coast average spending: $1,125 (highest in US)
  • Midwest average spending: $835 (lowest in US)
  • Chipping in: Parents will pay 56% (down 4% from last year), Kids 44% (up 4%!)
  • Old Dad/Young Dad: Parents UNDER 40 will spend $1074, 30% MORE than parents OVER 40!
  • Divorce benefit: Single parents will pay TWICE what married parents are willing to pay!

And, of course…

  • Percentage that feels “we spend way too much”: 84%

So, what’s it like in your house? Spending more, less, the same? Are you trying to teach ancient concepts like “frugality”, or are you “making memories” – regardless of cost? (No judgement here!) Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

Here are some links:

Oh, and by the way… $1150 or $978 might as well be a million dollars to some families. “Community-based programs across the country, like Cinderella’s Closet (here) or the Princess Project (princessproject.org/) offer free dresses to girls who need them. There are also plenty of places for teens to donate their gowns once prom is over (www.donatemydress.org/).” Reuters

Garage Sale Season!

Bad Photoshopp presents: My Mom's Garage Sale!
Bad Photoshop presents: My Mom’s Garage Sale!

Garage sale, yard sale, rummage sale, tag sale… whatever you call it, ‘tis the season! Check out these statistics:

  • Number of US garage sales each week: 165,000
  • Number of people who attend: 690,000
  • Average weekly garage sale revenue: $4.2 million

And my favorite statistic…

  • Profit margin when somebody buys your crap and re-sells it on eBay: 462% !!

This is the time of year when those huge nationwide sales begin. You’ve got the Great US 50 Yard Sale, which stretches from Maryland to California – over 3,000 miles! There are plenty of others like it; we’ll give you some links below.

Just so happens I’m on a trip back home to Ohio, helping my mother organize a big garage sale – so come on by! Here’s a question: in Ohio, sales are held on Friday and Saturday. In South Carolina, they are almost always Saturday only. Why is that, do you think? What’s the tradition where you live? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great garage sale weekend!

Here are some links:

A Sam-tastic Opportunity Just Got Better!

 

sams connect thing 3As Benjamin Franklin once said, “Bro! Why buy a can of Axe Body Spray when you can buy a whole case, Bro?” Buying in bulk can be a great deal, especially if you have a large crew. And Sam’s Club is one of the premier names in the biz. So it’s big news when a giant like that teams up with MindField Online.

MindField Online Announces “Member Connect” with Sam’s Club

MindField Online has been proud to be associated with Sam’s Club for almost two years ago. Now the partnership gets even better with the Sam’s Member Connect Panel!

The Member ConnectPanel is open for MindField Panelists who are also Sam’s Club members. So, if you aren’t a Sam’s member, but someone else in the household is, then that person can participate and get the incentive. So go to the Sam’s Member Connect page at the MindField website and give it a shot!

To take part, head over to the “Welcome Sam’s Club Member!” page at the MindField Online website. First, click the box that says, “I have read and accepted the Member Terms of Agreement, Privacy Policy and Data Quality Statement.” And congrats on being among the 2% of people that ACTUALLY READ the Member Terms of Agreement, Privacy Policy and Data Quality Statement before accepting! Then fill out the required info. Also, do the thing about setting your email privileges to accept MindField emails.

We also want to extend a huge welcome to Sam’s Club Members who are joining MindField for the first time through the Member Connect Panel.   Any questions about the Sam’s Member Connect Panel? Hit us up at the MindField Online Facebook page, and we will try to get you an answer ASAP!

Easter Basket of Savings!

easterEaster is upon us, and you’ve either spent a bunch of money already or you are about to. Statistics say that we will spend about $140 this year. Coincidentally, about the same amount we spend on Valentine’s Day.

The biggest expense is Easter candy, which almost 90 percent of celebrants will buy, and Easter dinner was a close second with nearly 86 percent of shoppers planning a special meal. Other items shoppers planned to buy included Easter dresses or outfits, gifts, decorations and flowers. GoBankingRates.com

So, with all that spending, where are the deals? We meant to tour around the web and found you a bunch of deals, but this single article has done that work for you, including deals at Target, Walmart, JCPenney, Kohl’s, Dress Barn and a bunch more. So, go there!

Finally, yes, there is a real, sober, serious meaning behind the Easter holiday that has nothing to do with chocolate bunnies and marshmallow peeps. To those who celebrate it, MindField Online wishes you a Happy Easter full of family and fellowship!