Let go of my Lucky Charms, and listen up! Here’s where all your “green” will go this year on St. Patrick’s Day, according to MSNMoney.com:
Who is celebrating?
55% of Americans will celebrate, up from 48% in 2007
58% of men, 53% of women
77% of 18-24 year-olds
133 million people total
34.1 million U.S. residents claim Irish ancestry
24.1% claim Irish ancestry in the “most Irish” city: Boston
How are we celebrating?
83% will wear green
34% make a special dinner
30% attend a party at a bar or restaurant
22% decorate the home or office
17% attend a private party
2 million – number of attendees at NYC St Pat’s parade, America’s largest
How much are we spending?
$4.8 billion in spending
$36 per person
$255 million spent on beer
How about you? Any special plans for St Pat’s (other than possibly calling in sick on Tuesday?) Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page! Have a good weekend and a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
As much as I love the dollar store, there are some items you probably shouldn’t bother with, as the value doesn’t quite stand up. A relative term, for sure… it’s $2.50 someplace else, a dollar here, but it’s probably only worth 79 cents. Are you actually going to make a trip back to return it? You will spend more on gas!
Nevertheless, value is value, so let’s take a look at items to avoid, as listed by Wisebread.com…
Dollar Store Don’ts…
Anything With a Plug: forging that “UL Approved” label is not unheard of. About the only electrical thing I buy here is lightbulbs.
Food Storage Bags, Aluminum Foil, and Cling Wrap: Sometimes you have to buy 4 boxes to get as many bags or feet of wrap as you would at Walmart, so you aren’t really saving.
Kitchen Utensils: For a college dorm or your niece’s first apartment, maybe. For regular grownups, no.
Vitamins and other drugs: Not dangerous, but sometimes lacking ingredients, sometimes past their expiration and, again, there may be very few in the bottle compared to the grocery store or pharmacy
Toys: There are so many safety regulations for toys, and some of the dollar-store kind come from far, far away, if you know what I mean.
Tools: Been there. Planning to use that screwdriver exactly once? Buy it at the dollar store!
A general note, courtesy of Me: Along the lines of “how many aspirin are in the dollar bottle?” I often consider how much they had to shrink the product to make it possible to sell for a dollar. If you have to buy 3 or 4 of them, are you saving? (I’m asking!)
Also, I am generally wary of anything in the store that costs UNDER a dollar. I think “One Dollar” is a powerful psychological cue. If everything else in your basket costs a dollar, then you won’t mind (or even notice) that the can of peas you are paying 85 cents for is actually 60 cents at Walmart!
So, that’s the lowdown. Again, I LOVE the dollar store. But if you shop it smarter, you can enjoy it even more! What are YOUR dollar store do’s and don’ts? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!
Confession time… for me, the dollar store has replaced Goodwill as my go-to retail therapy option. My main reason? Too many times I have seen an item from the dollar store – one that cost a dollar! – still in the package and for sale at Goodwill for $1.91!
Anyway, love that dollar store! And, let’s get it straight; I refer to the one that has the green color scheme, where everything is truly a dollar or less. But I have learned that there are certain items you can feel comfortable buying there, and ones you can’t.
Gift Wrap, Cards, and Party Supplies: I literally discovered gift bags and tissue paper here. Magical moment.
Glassware, Cups, and Mugs: Fancy? No. But do they hold liquid, and transport said liquid from the table to your face? Done.
Coloring Books, Crayons, etc.: As long as your kids don’t mind that the coloring book is from Iron Man 1 and not Iron Man 3. For some kids, this is really a challenge!
Batteries: Probably my biggest purchase. I would classify dollar store batteries as “half as good for a quarter of the price.”
Holiday Decorations: You’d have to talk to Sgt Wife about this but, yeah, why not?
Most Cleaning Products: I would say mostly the basics. Bleach is bleach, but you won’t find the 14 kinds of bleach that Clorox thinks we need to survive. Another catch… I buy this generic Febreze, but I am convinced it is about ¼ the concentration of the name brand, and I go through it quickly.
Next time we’ll look at the Don’ts. What do you think? Are you a dollar store freak like me? What are your big purchases? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend!
Does it seem like the Do-It-Yourself tax preparation folks are especially aggressive this year? The commercials seem to have changed their tone, from “it’s not that hard, you could probably do it yourself…” to “NOBODY knows your situation better than YOU do, so do it YOURSELF, stupid!!”
So, you may be thinking about DIY tax prep this year and, if so, you probably have some questions. Bankrate.com ALSO has questions that will help you decide whether to DIY or hire a pro.
If you are considering DIY:
Do you know your tax situation – filing status, available tax credits and deductions, changing tax laws that affect you, etc.?
If you have questions or get stuck, will you know where to get answers?
Are you confident that you have kept good records throughout the year?
Are you really private and picky about who sees your financial and personal info?
Why you might consider hiring a pro:
The whole tax thing freaks you out.
You don’t have (or don’t think you have) the time to spend on the preparing your return.
You’ve had a major change in your life (kids, job, bought property, moved out of state, etc.) that’s going to complicate the process this year.
You think a pro will be able to “get you more money back,” which will cover his costs.
Answer these questions honestly, and it should help you make the right choice. Then, read the rest of this article to find out how to proceed, whichever path you choose. Either way, you want to get it right!
So, which have you done in the past? Are you more comfortable one way or the other? Did you go one way, and then switch? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!
Happy Valentine’s Day from MindField Online! (Pause while 30 million dudes realize they forgot all about this.) Relax fellas…technically, you have until dinner to get it together!
According to Forbes Magazine, by way of FTD Florists, the average person celebrating Valentine’s Day is expected to spend $133.91 on the holiday in 2014. And that’s just America! Multiply that by the rest of the English-speaking world, the rest of Europe, South and East Asia and that’s… a BUNCH of money, dude!
So, where does the money go? Check it out!
Total spending in the US: $17.3 billion
Men spend $230, women spend $196.
Marrieds spend $20-30 less than daters or engaged
18% spend NOTHING. Boo!
Practical is not welcome! 37% give flowers, 19% give jewelry
180 million V-day cards are exchanged – 85% bought by women
196 million roses are purchased – 73% bought by men
Percentage of women who would break it off if he forgot V-day: 53%!
Number of babies conceived if it all goes well: 11,000!!
However (and however much) you spend on Valentine’s Day, we hope you get to be with somebody special. If not, there’s always next year! Enjoy the snuggles, and have a great weekend!Source. Source. Source.
Hey gang! Big news about a new type of survey opportunity available right now! But first, do you say “opporTOOnity” or “opporTYOOnity?” Why is that important? It’s NOT!
Anyway… let’s start with a recap. The surveys you know and love have a new name: MindField Premier. With MindField Premier, you will enjoy the same 5 to 10 opportunities per week out of the typical flow of 15 to 20 surveys we have going at all times depending on the various targeting methods such as specific geography, ethnicity, age, etc. Basically, nothing changes – it just has a name now.
Why? To differentiate between a NEW type of opportunity!
MindField Global, as we are calling it, is new. It refers to surveys commissioned by a new batch of clients – clients that could be anywhere in the world, with surveys on a whole range of topics. With MindField Global, we hope to add 100+ opportunities per week on a wide variety of topics across the general panel population. MindField Global is active right now on your Member Home page. Just log in (you may have to complete a few security questions) and give it a try!
What’s the catch? Well, it’s one that you’re used to, on a slightly larger scale. You are accustomed to acting fast and getting in on a survey before the quota fills. Same here but, along with “competing” with other MindField panelists, you are competing with panelists with other survey companies. Also, by offering a far greater number of available surveys, Global opportunities may offer a slightly lower incentive compared to Premier opportunities, which will continue to maintain the standard incentive ratio.
More news, this time regarding Notifications: MindField Online encourages everyone to login DAILY to take advantage of all of these opportunities. Our goal is to limit the amount of emails you receive as more people login. We will then send Survey Cloud updates every 3 to 4 days. We will also be sending mobile and Facebook reminders to login and take advantage in the near future. This will help us – and you – to cut down on the number of emails sent and received. So, now you have your own personal Survey Cloud that has replaced the Live Now! panel on your Member Home page.
The name of the game is INCREASED OPPORTUNITY. You have been hollering for it, and MindField heard you!
So that’s the news. Any questions about MindField Premier? MindField Global? Survey Clouds? OpporTOOnity vs. opporTYOOnity? Let us know, and we will do our best to answer them. In the meantime, enjoy the new surveys!
So, the latest round began with Target. It continued with upscale retailer Nieman Marcus. The latest shoe to drop is that Michaels, the 1000-store crafting outlet, has announced a breach.
But don’t worry. Now that there’s all this attention being paid, it won’t happen any more. Right. So what can you do? Well, your friendly federal government has a few tips (funny how “Don’t Panic” is always number one) in a file you can download HERE.
Here are some highlights:
Don’t panic. (see?)
Monitor accounts for unauthorized charges or debits
Alert your bank or card provider immediately if fraud is suspected
Follow up with the bank or card provider and maintain records
Avoid scams that ask for personal information over email or by phone
Another couple of useful notes:
For credit cards : If your account number, not your physical credit card, has been stolen, you are not responsible for unauthorized charges under federal law.
For debit cards: If an unauthorized transaction appears on your statement (but your card or PIN has not been lost or stolen), under federal law you will not be liable for the debit if you report it within 60 days after your account statement is sent to you.
There’s a lot more at the website, so check it out! How about you? Are you nervous about this? Ever been victimized, or has someone you know? How did you fix it? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!
Now, a brighter look at prices in 2014. While wine, BMWs and the McDonald’s Dollar Menu are all going up (grrr!), there is some good news on the horizon. Let’s take a look at some prices expected to fall this year, as reported by DealNews.com…(with bonus dumb commentary!)
3DPrinters: are you following this? You take a bucket of chuh, pour it into a printer and make things! Like, real things! The possibilities are limitless (and terrifying!)
4KHDTVs: 4K is supposedly SUPER HD. I’m always behind. Just now bought an HDTV, and the next big thing has already happened!
Gold: Yeah, we’ll see about this. Gold only comes down when the economy is doing well.
Crude Oil: Probably the best news on this list.
Off-Contract Smartphones: This is the only way to go. Used, refurbished phone and no contract? No-brainer.
Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3: That is, the OLDER systems. They’re not as sexy, but the manufacturers are promising to support the old tech.
Touchscreen Laptops: Because nobody wants them!
1080p Laptops: See above!
Smartwatches: Because that’s apparently a thing now!
There’s more at the original article, so check it out! So, what do you think? Any of these items sound good to you? Are you planning any big purchases this year? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend!
Prices, that is. The folks at Money Talks News have put out their annual list of items expected to get more expensive in 2014. Let’s check out some highlights (with bonus dumb commentary!)
Going UP in 2014
Wine: Bad weather wrecks the French industry. Will wine snobs stoop to drinking Spanish wine? I’m on pins and needles!!
Getting a GED: In some places, the cost will TRIPLE. (Meanwhile, they cut costs, cut staff and most of it is done on computer now.) They must be pretty confident that you ain’t knowin’ math good.
Chipotle: Well, tree-huggers, you wanted organic, sustainable and locally sourced. Time to pay up.
Milk: Doesn’t it seem like every year they say that “milk prices are going to double or triple this year!?” Not gonna happen, but prices WILL go up.
Stamps: Hilarious. “We have just approved a temporary one-cent increase. And by temporary we mean permanent. And by one cent we mean three.”
Luxury cars: The BMW M5 is going up by $2,000? Guess my 1982 Ford Pinto will have to last one more year…
McDonald’s Dollar Menu: The McDouble is $1.29 now. This made me sooo mad!
The Olympics: You know what’s more expensive than staging the stupid Olympics? Getting killed in a terrorist attack at the stupid Olympics. Pass.
Next time, we will hear some GOOD news about 2014 prices. And of course, MUCH more items and insights at the original article so blah, blah, blah. How about you? We don’t all drive a BMW M5, but we DO all drink milk! What items are going up in your world? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!
Welcome to MindFieldLive’s 300th post! This blog came online on September 11, 2010. A Saturday, oddly. Just a quick hello and an invitation to tour the site – which thousands have done. The various permanent pages describing how the whole MindField thing works have always been the most visited pages.
But we have also talked about a bunch of other stuff, some serious topics and some goofy ones too. We have made note of just about every Facebook milestone. Note this headache-inducing graphic from October 15, 2010…
today: 40,657!
We’ve asked questions like “what makes this product FOR WOMEN when all they did was take the regular product and make it pink?”
Like so.
We have discussed the return of old habits, like layaway. Who would have thought?
We talked a lot about technology changes, and how they affect our shopping habits. Online shopping immediately springs to mind. Other “advancements” include a boatload of smartphone apps that allow you to comparison shop on the showroom floor, make dinner reservations, help you remember where you parked, receive insta-coupons, etc. Where is this trend heading? Will our increasing paranoia about privacy blunt its growth? (I kind of doubt it!)
The sad journeys of some old favorites. JCPenney comes to mind, with the hiring of an old Apple retail exec. He made a bunch of changes (no more Saturday sales, everyday low prices, etc.) that everybody hated, forcing JCP to flip-flop. They continue to circle the drain, and it doesn’t look good for the 110-year-old retailer.
Mom & Pop video stores vs. Blockbuster vs. Netflix vs. Redbox. It has been a wild 20 years in this segment, but it really came to a head in the MindFieldLive blog era. Mom & Pop were already dead and Blockbuster was king – though stumbling. Netflix was killing them with home-delivered DVD’s – until Redbox came along and forced them to change course. Today, Blockbuster is dead (with zero tears shed,) there’s a Redbox at every corner gas station and Netflix owns home streaming
Overall, the major trend has simply been the economy. What decisions have you made in the last 3 years that weren’t colored by anxiety over how things are and where they are heading? Is it getting any better? I honestly can’t say. What do you think?
Anyway, it’s been fun. We’re glad to see you every Tuesday and Friday, and we hope you keep coming around. Thanks to the best bunch of consumer panelists in the business! Have a great weekend, and see you on New Year’s Eve!
A Gathering Place for MindField Online's Valued Panelists!
Let go of my Lucky Charms, and listen up! Here’s where all your “green” will go this year on St. Patrick’s Day, according to MSNMoney.com:
