Tag Archives: earn cash and prizes

The Gift of Dining

dining gift cardsDining gift cards… meaningful gift or not? It depends on the recipient. My mother LOVES to go to lunch with her friends. So a dining gift card makes a lot of sense. Used for lunch on Senior Discount Day, even a $25 card can go a long way.

But during the holidays, a dining gift card can go even further. Many restaurants offer bonuses during this time of year, along the lines of “Buy a $50 card, get $10 extra for free.” MoneyTalksNews has compiled a list of several of these deals. Here are the bullets…

  • Bakers Square Restaurant & Bakery: Buy $25 gift card, get $5 bonus card
  • California Pizza Kitchen: Buy $50, get $10 promotional card
  • Cheesecake Factory: Buy $25, get one slice of cheesecake or layer cake
  • Del Taco: Buy $30, get one small-size combo meal OR Buy $100 in gift cards, get four small-size combo meals
  • IHOP: Buy $25, get $5 coupon
  • Olive Garden: Buy $50, get $10 bonus offer
  • Outback Steakhouse: Buy $50, get $10 bonus card
  • Papa John’s: Buy $25 e-gift card, get one-topping large pizza
  • Pei Wei Asian Diner: Buy $25, get $5 bonus card
  • P.F. Chang’s China Bistro: Buy $100, $20 bonus card
  • Romano’s Macaroni Grill: Buy $25, get $5 grazie gift bonus
  • Ruby Tuesday: Buy $50, get $15 bonus card OR buy $25 and get $5 bonus card
  • Souper Salad: Buy $25, get $5 gift card
  • Souplantation & Sweet Tomatoes: Buy $50, get meal pass valid on your next visit
  • T.G.I. Friday’s: Buy $25, get $5 Bonus Bite card

Who’s hungry? Now, almost all of these bonus deals have expiration dates, so be sure to go to MoneyTalksNews to get the details on that, as well as how to purchase the gift cards.

I wish I had read this earlier – I always get my mom a Red Lobster/Olive Garden card. Of course, I bought it at the kiosk at CVS Pharmacy, so no bonus for me! Maybe next year…

How about you? Are you a dining gift card giver? Do any of these sound like good deals? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

Cyber Monday On the Rise

cyber mondayWe have heard a lot of noise about the “Death of Black Friday” this year. Is that true?

I think it’s all relative. It’s still a huge shopping day, but maybe not as big as in the past. Why? I think shoppers are tiring of the hassle, and retailers are tiring of the negative headlines. Stores have taken steps to spread out the deals over a number of days (opening on Thanksgiving has taken a toll), and limit the doorbusters – often flashpoints for inter-shopper conflict.

One thing we can say for sure is that, this year, Cyber Monday has edged out Black Friday for the first time. Apparently, as NBC News cleverly put it: “We would rather be Online than stand IN line!”…

  • 151 million of us went shopping in total this past weekend
  • 103 million of us shopped online,
  • 102 million went to the physical stores
  • 94 million of us didn’t shop at all (including ME.)
  • We spent an average of $299 this past weekend, 2/3 of that on gifts
  • We spent $1.8 billion on Thanksgiving Day
  • We spent another $10.4 billion on Black Friday
  • Sales were down 1.5% in stores
  • Spending per shopper was down 1.4%
  • We spent $3 billion on line on Cyber Monday
  • That’s an increase of 12%
  • This year’s Gotta Have item: big screen TVs!

Read more fun facts here! Personally, I can see the benefits of the Cyber Monday thing. I have participated in the past, but never in gift-giving mode. Typically, I have been needing a new laptop for 3 or 4 months, and Cyber Monday is when I pull the trigger. I have saved hundreds of bucks, for sure, and all from the comfort of home.

How about you? Are your holiday shopping habits changing? Is Black Friday still fun, or is it losing its charm? Are you steering more toward Cyber Monday these days? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

Thanksgiving by the Numbers 2015

thanksgiving spending
One nice thing about Thanksgiving is that, even when times are tight, we still celebrate it. There are years when we have to choose driving over flying, spend less on food than we like, or worry more about the price of gas. But the urge to get together and give thanks amongst family and friends remains strong. Yay, us!

Apparently, the price of gas will be the lowest, and the number of us taking off in the car the highest they have been in many years. Who knows if we are ever going to get back to 2007 levels of “comfort,” but this year seems to be better than last. How so? Let’s take a look at Thanksgiving by the Numbers 2015!

Travel:

  • $2.00 (approximately): average gallon of gas. Lowest since 2004!
  • 46.9 million: people who travel will be driving this Thanksgiving (highest since 2007!)

Food:

  • 248 million: Average number of Turkeys raised in the U.S. each year
  • 51 million: turkeys consumed on Thanksgiving day (same as 2014)
  • 20%: of turkeys raised every year will be eaten this day
  • $1.15: Average cost of pound of turkey
  • $4.37 billion: Total value of turkeys produced in the U.S. annually
  • 16 pounds: Annual consumption of turkey by the average American
  • $56.18: Average household spending on Thanksgiving dinner
  • $2.9 billion: total spent in US for Thanksgiving food

And… this year’s completely random statistic, courtesy of Cracker Barrel:

  • They will serve 1.6 million pounds of dressing that together weighs nearly 4.5 times more than the Mayflower, the ship that brought the pilgrims to America in 1620! Now you know!!

How about YOUR Thanksgiving spending in 2015? More travel or less? Driving or flying? Longer distance or shorter? More food and/or guests, or fewer? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page! Gobble gobble!

Sources:

 

Black Friday Preview

kohls.com
kohls.com

Recently, Walmart announced changes to the way they will be doing Black Friday in an effort to “keep things simple.’ One big change: no more doorbusters. Apparently, they lead to confusion. And, let’s be honest – they can sometimes lead to confrontation (not that this is Walmart’s fault, nor is the chaos limited to Walmart). Instead, they “will offer deep discounts on gift items like TVs, DVDs and pajamas starting at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving at its stores until they are gone.” Frankly, if a redesign leads to fewer fistfights, I’m for it. Proactive!

So, it’s two weeks until Black Friday. What can we expect? Well, several stores have already released, or previewed or teased, their Black Friday mailers. Other stores’ mailers have been “discovered” by something called BlackFriday.com.

Here are some links to some of the more popular national stores Black Friday Ads, or top secret intel…

Lots more at BlackFriday.com, so check it out. So, how about you? Looking forward to Black Friday, or have you changed your habits over the years? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend!

Veterans Day Freebies 2015

VA 15poster_lowresFirst off, a big thanks to our veterans, active military and their families! Now, go out and enjoy your freebies, such as a free haircut at Great Clips, a free Bloomin’ Onion from Outback, or a car wash at Sheetz! The list of participating retailers is long, and these are just the big national chains. There are likely many smaller retailers in your locale showing their appreciation. And you will probably want to call ahead to make sure.

Here’s a link roundup of the bigger deals, along with some links for further information. Enjoy… and be sure to thank a veteran today!

2015 Free Veterans Day Freebies!

  • Applebee’s: Free meal
  • Bob Evans: Free all you can eat hotcakes.
  • Carraba’s: Free appetizer all week
  • Chili’s: Free meal
  • City Barbeque: Free sandwich platter
  • Denny’s: Free Grand Slam
  • Fatz Eatz & Drinkz: Free Calabash Chicken
  • Friendly’s: Free breakfast, lunch, or dinner
  • Golden Corral: Free meal
  • IHOP: Free meal
  • Little Caesars® Pizza: Free pizza or $5 Lunch Combo
  • LongHorn Steakhouse: Free onion and drink
  • Max & Erma’s: Free Cheeseburger Combo
  • Olive Garden: Free entrée
  • On The Border: Free “Create Your Own Combo”
  • Outback Steakhouse: Free Bloomin’ Onion and a non-alcoholic beverage.
  • Red Lobster: Free Appetizer or Dessert, Mon-Thurs
  • Red Robin: Free Double and Fries
  • Shoney’s: Free All-American Burger
  • Sizzler Restaurants: Free lunch
  • Smokey Bones: Free meal
  • Starbucks: Free tall brewed coffee
  • Texas Roadhouse: Free lunch event
  • T.G.I. Friday’s: Free lunch
  • Tony Roma’s: Free half rack Baby Back Ribs
  • Uno Chicago Grill: Free individual pizza or entrée with purchase

And here are your links. Enjoy!

Best Deals for November!

NOVEMBER DEALS
freedigitalphotos.net/Keattikorn

When it comes to November’s best deals, your mind probably heads straight for Black Friday and/or Cyber Monday. Those are both good bets for finding savings on your holiday shopping lists, but they aren’t the whole story.

Consumer/lifestyle sites DealNews.com, Lifehacker.com and Coupons.com all have a stack of the best – and worst buys for your November shopping pleasure. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights.

Go For It!

  • Kitchen cookware and gadgets: “The absolute best time to buy.”
  • Major appliances: November is your moment!
  • New iPad mini 4: Likely released by Black Friday
  • Android and Windows Tablets: Crazy low prices
  • Apparel: 50 to 80% off
  • Game consoles: And look for free games with purchase
  • TV’s: The bigger the better
  • Laptops: Common doorbuster item on Black Friday

Maybe Wait!

  • Roku Box: December is better
  • Travel: November OK, December better

There are tons more tips in the following articles, so check ‘em out! How about you? What’s on your shopping list? That item you have been waiting for the perfect moment to buy? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend!

Links:

Halloween Safety 2015

"Let's go to THIS house - there's a grownup who's WAY too unto it!"
“Let’s go to THIS house – there’s a grownup who’s WAY too into it!”

As we reported last month, Halloween spending is down this year. Overall, we will shell out about $7 billion in 2015, down from $7.5 billion last year. That’s about $74 per household, down from $77 in 2014.

However, as you pinch your pennies, don’t forget to invest in safety for your little goblins! In that vein, here’s a classic bit (as if) from years past, “Halloween Safety for Nerds and Other People.” This is not so much a consumer piece, other than the fact that you are spending $75, and you would like to get your kids home in one piece.

When I was a kid, Halloween safety consisted of my dad telling me not to accept any apples, because hippies were hiding their drug needles in them. “That’s it! Now go run in the night streets in your dark gray Batman costume!”

So, to pay it forward, I will share a few Halloween safety tips from the National Safety Council.

Motorists: BE COOL! Seriously, I don’t even have kids, but I spend half the night screaming at the idiots driving 45mph on my street!

Parents: Basically it’s your job to suck all the fun out of it. Make your kids tell you their precise route. Give them a curfew time. And make them wear bright or reflective clothing, even if it ruins their Zombie costume.

Kids: Use some common sense! Don’t go to dark houses. Don’t eat your stuff until mom inspects it and steals the Kit Kats. Carry dad’s best flashlight, which you will surely break. And stay out of the abandoned mill, even if they dare you!

OK, enough sarcasm. You should download the list. There are tons of great tips to keep Halloween safe. The alternative is a “Trunk or Treat” in the middle school parking lot…and nobody wants that!

Be sure to check out the rest of our Halloween 2015 coverage:

And have a safe and happy Halloween!

 

 

Avoid Halloween Ripoffs!

HALLRIPOFFSWhat’s scarier than ghosts and goblins at Halloween? Getting ripped off by unscrupulous Halloween vendors! That’s the gist of an article entitled “Don’t get tricked when shopping this Halloween.”

…spending on Halloween festivities, including candy, costumes, and decorations is expected to reach $6.9 billion. 157 million Americans are expected to celebrate Halloween this year, making Halloween the second largest shopping season of the year. The Better Business Bureau advises consumers to spend Halloween shopping dollars wisely.

In particular, the article advises you to be cautious around two types of Halloween vendor: the popup store and online.

A popup store is one that one space in the strip mall that used to be a Marshall’s or Ross but is now empty. Around mid-September, it suddenly turns into HALLOWEEN HEADQUARTERS! Next month, it will be Santa’s Workshop or something. So, unlike a regular store that will still be there next month when that giant, air-fed jack-o-lantern in your yard breaks, or some weird charge shows up on your credit card statement, these guys are long gone.  (And no, this is not to malign all popup stores. Just be careful, is all.)

Some tips for dealing with popup stores are…

  • Check the company’s Business Review at BBB.org before doing business.
  • Buy from companies that have been around long enough to have a clear track record.
  • Stores with a spotty past may change their name from year to year.
  • Ask the store how long it plans to occupy the building. If you cannot get an answer, ask to speak with a manager.
  • See if they have a website in case you need to contact them later.

They also say to shop closer to Halloween for lower prices (and a way worse selection!) As for online Halloween vendors…

  • Check the company’s BBB record at BBB.org.
  • Use your browser to search for the company’s customer reviews by typing their name plus the word “review.”
  • Services like Pay Pal are useful because they do not disclose your credit card number to the seller.
  • With reputable retailers, pay by credit card.
  • Know the return policy and read it carefully.

And, in all instances, save your receipt! There are a lot more useful Halloween shopping tips at the original piece, so check it out! How about you? Have you had success with seasonal vendors? Any horror stories to share? (I got ripped off by some 4th of July dudes once!) Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend!

Flu Economics

flu shotOnce I worked in a small shop, just me and another dude. We shared a lot of things, including doorknobs, telephones, computer keyboards…and every virus his toddler brought home from daycare! So I know a little bit about workplace-spread illness and how it affects morale, productivity and take-home pay.

Today, 20 years later, I am still religious about getting my annual flu shot. In fact, today I am heading all the way across town to get a free one at my wife’s work.

Now, I’m not looking for a debate about immunizations (is the flu even part of that controversy?) I am talking about how the flu affects your company’s bottom line and how, if you are an hourly employee or a freelancer like me, the flu cuts directly into your income. So let’s take a look at Flu Season by the Numbers!

In General:

  • 5-20% of us will get the flu this year
  • 100 million days of bed disability
  • 22 million visits to healthcare providers
  • 200,000 hospitalizations
  • 3,000-49,000 will die, depending on a lot of factors

At Work:

  • 75 million days of work absences
  • 200 million days of diminished productivity
  • $6.2 billion in lost productivity
  • $10 billion in direct medical costs
  • $87 billion in “total estimated economic burden”

What Are We Doing About It?

  • 180 million flu shot doses are being distributed
  • 44% of adults get vaccinated
  • 60% of kids get vaccinated
  • 70% of employers offer flu vaccine programs
  • 15% of employees actually take advantage of these programs

How about you? Are you getting a shot this year? Have you done it in the past? Or do you think it’s a waste of time? (They do say that the shot is 50-60% effective. Is that good enough for you, or not?) Speaking just for myself, I usually think it’s worth the $20. And, as I said, this year is free so I am definitely taking advantage. Share your thoughts at the MindField Online Facebook page…and stay healthy this year!

Source, source, source, source

With Money, Act Your Age

savepiggyIt’s no secret, we think of money differently at age 20 than we do at 40 or 60. Of course, at 20 we are bulletproof. Retirement is a million years away, and we will worry about it later. Of course, “later” always seems to come too soon. At 40, we wake up, and start to panic a little. At 60, well…

Anyway, before “later” catches you by surprise, here are some spending, saving and investing tips from money dude Dave Ramsey, in a piece entitled “Your Age, Your Money: How to Spend, Save and Invest Right Now.”  . These are tailored for folks at various ages. Here are the bullet points…

  • 20s — Build a Solid Foundation: Avoid debt when you can, and pay off those student loans!
  • 30s — Shift to a Family Focus: Start budgeting for the millions of things kids need. Start saving for a house. Buy life insurance, etc.
  • 40s — Shovel the Savings: That’s me, and boy, am I shoveling into the ol’ IRA! Maintain your home and avoid big repair bills (they will happen anyway!)
  • 50s — Look Forward But Stay Focused: Keep investing, at least 15%, in retirement. Pay off your mortgage.
  • 60+ — Enjoy the Fruits of Your Labor: But buy long-term care insurance. A nursing home can wipe out your savings.

Are you a little freaked out by the whole spending/saving/investing thing? That’s natural, but there are steps to take, so be sure to read the original piece. Where are you on this timeline? Are you “keeping up?” Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!