Tag Archives: earn cash and prizes

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!

Fun at the Return Desk

returnsSome comic once had a bit about gift-giving (or “gifting” if you hate the English language.) Your mom hands you a terrible gift and says, “I included the receipt so you can take it back.” And you’re like, “Great, a bad gift AND an errand!”

This year, I’m guilty of that, though my intentions were good. A couple of my wife’s wish list included a tracksuit and a bolero jacket, size medium. I found the tracksuit, but they only had large pants. I bought them, and then later found medium pants. So, that’s return #1 for wifey. Later, I found two boleros and couldn’t decide between them, so I bought both. Return #2! Sorry honey, I love ya, but I have done my mall duty for the year (two trips!!)

So, returns. It’s big business.  It’s a prime reason that 12/26 is the second-biggest shopping day of the year. In general, retailers aren’t thrilled, because there is so much room for fraud.

The retail industry will lose an estimated $3.8 billion to fraudulent returns this holiday season, up from $3.4 billion last year, the retail federation said. Dayton Daily News

So it’s no surprise that retailers have rules for returns, some naughty, some nice. In fact, that’s the title of every other article on the subject appearing today (mostly because they are reprinting the list from Consumer Reports.) So, here’s a link that article! Finds out which retailers are naughty and/or nice this year!! Enjoy, and have a great weekend at the mall!

Makin’ it Rain (Holiday Edition): Meet the Winners!

Back in October, MindField Online announced the launch of the new SurveyCloud mobile app. We also announced our latest prize drawing, “MindField Makes it Rain for the Holidays!” Prizes include one $500 grand prize winner, two $100 2nd-place winners, and six $50 3rd-place winners.

Well, it’s time meet the winners!

** $50.00 Third-place winners! **

Lou Marie B. of Cape Coral FL

Rebecca B. of Logan UT

Rebecca H. of Cleveland OH

Kent R. of Raleigh NC

Chelsea G. of Placerville CA

Pat C. of Chicago IL

** $100.00 Second-place winners! **

Jocella H. of Jonesboro GA

Christina B. of Arlington TX

And finally…

** $500 Grand Prize winner! **

Starlah R. of Rialto CA

Congrats, Starlah!
Congrats, Starlah!

A married mom of two, Starlah has been a MindField Online panelist since 2006. She enjoys taking the surveys, formerly on her PC, and now with the “simple to use” SurveyCloud App on her mobile device. More than once, she says, a 12 or 15-dollar payout has come in handy for expenses around the home.

So, what’s it like to win the $500? Starlah says, “It was a big surprise – I don’t win things! I saw the notification in my IN box, which I don’t automatically check regularly. But something told me to open that email – and I’m glad I did!” And what to do with $500? “When you have kids, they always need something! But also, we’ll have a little extra for the holidays, and a little extra to put in reserve.”

Sounds like a plan, Starlah! Thanks to you and all of our winners for your many years of membership. Thanks for downloading and using the SurveyCloud mobile app. And Happy Holidays to you and yours!!!

Who will MindField “Make it Rain” on next? It could be YOU! Another drawing is coming, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Stay tuned!

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!

Black Friday 2014

blfridayOnce again, the Black Friday blog post – the Least-read Post of the Year!®

The Holiday shopping season begins! This year: “The National Retail Federation forecasts holiday sales will grow 4.1 percent to $616.9 billion — the biggest jump since 2011…retailers get 20 percent of their annual sales during the holiday shopping season.”  Associated Press

Scanning the news, it seems like business as usual. There are some notes of improvement, though. Instead of the old days, where the doors flew open and Death Race 2000 broke out to get to that one pile of Cabbage Patch kids, stores are spreading out the bargains throughout the store. Stores are hiring crowd control officers. The Early Bird Thursday shopping trend is easing things, as well, but a day later, some Black Friday shoppers are facing empty shelves.

As for the “open on Thursday” thing – what do YOU think? AP quotes a young adult shopper: “It’s ruining the spirit of Thanksgiving,” she said Thursday. “But … the best deals were today.”

So, what’s YOUR best bargain of the shopping season so far? Did you witness any craziness? Did you PERPETRATE any craziness? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and Happy Black Friday!

“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!

The Best deals for November 2014

NOV SAVINGSNovember is the month when those “here are the best deals for the month of X” articles start to get serious! In a few short weeks, the madness known as Black Friday begins the 2014 holiday shopping season. Just like last year, Black Friday is coming rather late (last year, 11/29; this year, 11/28) so the retailers are already panicking, and working a few new angles. Walmart, Amazon, NewEgg and others are offering some form of Black Friday savings for the entire month of November. So, if you want to get a jump on things, here is a list of links to tell you where the deals are this November. Enjoy!

So, are you ready to rock? Do you know of other good deals? Let us know at the MindField Online Facebook page!