Tag Archives: market research

Consumer Secrets: Household Edition

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As a follow-up to our last post, here is another sampling of Consumer Reports 101 Consumer Secrets. I think many of these tips share a common trait: that we have forgotten common sense, old-timey “home remedies” in favor of the constant need for something to be NEW and IMPROVED! Hey, I’m in marketing. I get it. Anyway, here are some tips. As they say, your mileage may vary.

  • Refrigerator: The area around the vent is the coldest, the shelves on the door are warmest, so store accordingly.
  • Rice: May contain arsenic. So cook it twice the amount of time the package recommends.
  • New and Improved? Maybe not. Moldy oldies like Pine-Sol and Fels Naptha are still tops among cleaners.
  • Coffee: Clean coffee pots with dissolving denture tablets. Weird!
  • Carpets: That super-low setting is great for getting out dirt and sand. For regular use, however, it will really wear out your carpet.
  • Fire! That fire extinguisher under the sink has an expiration date. Learn it!
  • More fire! There are 2 types of smoke detectors – ones that detect fast-moving flames and ones that detect slow-smoldering fires. You might need both, but at least be sure what you are getting.

Of course, not all common sense solutions are created equal. I remember one such piece of advice: “Did you know Coca-Cola will clean your toilet just as well as Comet?” The part they left out: “Did you know Coca-Cola is about 3 times as expensive as Comet?”

More tips at the original article, so check it out. And have a great weekend!

In Case of Emergency…

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emergencyI don’t know…it feels like today calls for a “public service” post instead of the usual consumer fun.

So, this was the week of the Boston Marathon attack and the fertilizer plant explosion in Texas. Still fresh in our memories are the shootings at the school and the movie theater and Hurricane Sandy.

If you happened to know anyone involved – and I have an acquaintance that had been tweeting about running his first Boston Marathon for weeks – you immediately wonder about his or her safety. And you keep wondering, because cellular service instantly crashes and the TV news is completely unreliable.

What’s the solution? It takes some forethought and preparation. We begin with some good news, and it is this:

That doesn’t mean your phone is useless. Text messages are a much better option than calls, because they take up less of a cell site’s resources and because if they can’t get through, they automatically keep trying. If you are connected to the Internet or can find nearby free Wi-Fi, email and Twitter are also quicker, more reliable options.  MoneyTalksNews.com

Now, let’s go worst-case scenario… what if something happens to your physical self, and you can’t communicate? Plan ahead, and remember this acronym: ICE. It stands for In Case of Emergency, and more and more first responders are learning it. Basically, you set up an emergency contact on your phone with the last name ICE, and the first name MOM or HUSBAND or WIFE. If a rescuer finds you unconscious, he will know what to do. Also, if you have a memo or reminder app, you might want to enter some medical history, or at least any medication allergies you may have. Of course, you will have to take off the password protection on your phone.

So, that’s it. Here is some extra reading that explains all of this in greater detail. Again, thoughts and prayers to our friends in Boston and Texas. And please stay safe!!

Cellphone Networks Fail in Emergencies: Here’s What to Do

Five Minute Lifesaver: ICE Your Cell Phone

4 Easy Ways to Get Free Wi-Fi

How to Set Up an ICE Contact

Slash Your Grocery Bill!

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Tip #17: Instead of Hundreds, try eating only Fives and Tens!
Savings Tip #17: Instead of Hundreds, try eating only Fives and Tens!

A while back we talked about stretching your food budget by eliminating food waste. And of course, it’s common sense that cutting back on dining out can save you plenty.

But, what if you have already made these cuts, and you’re still feeling the pinch? Take a closer look at your grocery habits!

There’s a pretty interesting article at Money Talks News called “16 Ways to Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half.”

Here are some highlights:

  • Buy Discounted Meat: If you’re like me, you plan to eat pork chops, and then go buy them. Instead, see what’s on sale, and then plan your menu around that. This might not work if (like me) you can only cook 4 things!
  • Meatless Monday: Not as a moral or political statement, because YAWN. Just to save money! At my house, we have a big salad at least once a week.
  • Only Buy Food: At a Publix or Kroger or whatever, things like laundry detergent can be crazy expensive. Save that for Walmart!
  • Buy Generic: Store brands, yo! You can save up to 30% on things like pasta, salt, etc.
  • Embrace Inconvenience: If it comes in snack size, you don’t want it. Buy the big box of pretzels and some baggies. Cut your own fruit salad. Spend your life combing through circulars for coupons. Convenience is pricey!

There are 11 more tips of varying awesomeness at the original article, so check it out!

Fighting Fitness Myths

Yesterday my new, seemingly 14-year-old doctor said to me in a comforting tone (or so she thought,) “If being in shape were easy, then everybody would be in shape.”

Uh, thanks, Bones. Can we be done now?

Anyway, with news like we highlighted yesterday (“Get healthy or pay more for your employer’s health insurance,”) and with the continuing mystery of what our health care system is going to look like in the coming years…

Like this, I fear...
Like this, I fear…

…people are starting to see “getting in shape” as a sort of hedge against the unknown, instead of a goal in and of itself. Hey, health is health, but using the wrong motivation can lead to mistakes like using ancient, outdated diet advice (you know, more than 3 months old!)

So, the good housekeepers at Good Housekeeping have rounded up some dieting myths for us to ponder…

  1. Carbs bad. CARBS BAAAD!!! Carbs are fuel. While the white grains can be trouble, the browns are less so.
  2. Fresh fruits and veggies are always more nutritious than frozen. Unless you pull them out of the ground yourself, there’s no real difference.
  3. Egg cholesterol BAD! It’s not great, for sure. But you can probably still eat 1 or 2 a week. Or switch to egg whites, and have as much as you want.
  4. Skipping breakfast? Don’t do it, man!!
  5. It’s all in your GENES. Actually, they say that weight is 25% genes, 75% behavior.
  6. Creative combinations. I did this once. Something with cottage cheese and beet juice. You see, the CHEMISTRY of the foods in certain combinations means that your body reacts by burning more… yeah, it was all nonsense.

There’s your top 5. For further explanations, as well as a list of Exercise myths, check out the original article. And have a great weekend!

Walmart Sneezes

“When GM sneezes, America catches a cold.” This is something people used to say back when General Motors was something more than a pension fund that made cars. Basically it means that when an economic engine like GM is having troubles, it’s a sign of bigger problems.

This came to mind earlier this week, when Bloomberg noted that “Walmart Executives are Sweating Slow February Start”…

“In case you haven’t seen a sales report these days, February Month-to-Date sales are a total disaster,” Jerry Murray, Walmart’s vice president of finance and logistics, said in a Feb. 12 e-mail to other executives, referring to month-to-date sales. “The worst start to a month I have seen in my 7 years with the company.” Bloomberg.com

Worse, this crappy February comes after a crappy January, which had a different Walmart executive asking, “Where are all the customers? And where’s their money?”

So, what’s the deal? Well, the payroll tax went up, tax forms were late going out, and tax returns will also be late going out. Gas prices in my neighborhood have gone up about 35 cents since the New Year. They are still arguing over the Fiscal Cliff in Washington. So, it’s a crisis in confidence, paired with an actual pinch in spending money.

So, looking at the old example, you can certainly see how these negative economic factors would cause people to put off buying an $18,000 car from GM. But Walmart? Where a can of corn is 48 cents and my last pair of shoes was ten bucks? Yikes!

So, what do you think? Are you seeing smaller crowds at Wally’s? Are you tightening your belt? What things are you cutting back on or delaying? Let us know and, despite it all, have a great weekend!

So… How Was Your Cruise?

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Tonight's special at the Carnival buffet
Tonight’s special at the Carnival buffet
(credit: anhourinthekitchen.com)

Ah, the Carnival Triumph cruise debacle! Jon Stewart dubbed it the Ship of Stools (it’s funny ‘cause it’s GROSS.) CNN treated it like the worst humanitarian disaster since Hurricane Katrina. At least one bystander (me) wondered how an onion sandwich would taste. And, on cue, the first lawsuits are rolling in.

But, do the passengers have a case? Well, according to the fine print we ALWAYS take time to read, it would seem not…

Carnival shall not be liable to the passenger for damages for emotional distress, mental suffering/anguish or psychological injury of any kind under any circumstances, except when such damages were caused by the negligence of Carnival and resulted from the same passenger sustaining actual physical injury, or having been at risk of actual physical injury, or when such damages are held to be intentionally inflicted by Carnival.  Marketplace.org

To make amends, Carnival is offering up a buffet of refunds, consolation money, free cruises and onion sandwiches. Personally, I can’t imagine signing up for another cruise after this experience, can you?

So, what do you think? Is Carnival’s gesture enough? What more could they do? Are we too lawsuit-happy? What would you do in this situation? And, most importantly, have you ever had an onion sandwich? Let us know!

Free Stuff for Free!

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free2

Do you want stuff but don’t want to pay for it? Well, there’s a lot of that going around. There’s a fun article at MoneyTalksNews.com that gives you the lowdown on a wide variety of goods and services that can be had for free or durn near.

1. Free cars

2. Free lodging

3. Free audio books

4. Free birthday presents

5. Free food for kids

6. Free samples

7. Free TV

8. Free software

9. Free anti-virus

10. Free Speech

11. Free foreign language lessons

12. Free everything

That last one is pretty intriguing! Admittedly, most of these require a little imagination and a bit of patience – for instance, “Free TV” means not paying for cable, but you still have to buy an HDTV set. “Free Speech” means starting a blog (yuck!)

Check out the article for explanations, examples and websites where you can learn more. So stop paying for stuff like a sucker, and start living the free life!

CES Show Underlines Smartphone Dominance

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The big Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas has come and gone. What are some trends that emerged or continued?

Well, one thing they have been saying for a while is becoming truer by the day. Single-use devices are dying. A machine that just plays Blu-Ray discs? A GPS-only device? A phone that’s just a phone? Forget it. Whatever it is, it’s got to do ten things and have room for whatever fab invention comes up next.

Like a smartphone. I know plenty of people (not necessarily old, but grouchy) who take pride in that fact that they don’t own a smartphone. To which I reply: “With a 70% penetration rate, what are you waiting for – and engraved e-vite?”

What’s obvious to me after this year’s show is that your smartphone is going to become a universal remote control for your life: connecting to your house, car, HVAC, media center, SmartTV, fitness regimen and just about every aspect of your life. I’d suggest you think about getting a second battery for your smartphone if you plan on participating in this connected revolution. The Data Doctor

If you are a smartphone resister, I know where you are coming from (the PAST!  j/k) I used to feel the same way. I only got an iPhone because I worked for a company that made accessories for them (and I could get them for free.) Also, right at that time a free phone became available. But once I got on board, I got used to the features and convenience. A smartphone doesn’t have to turn you into an zombie with your face glued to your screen. That’s Facebook’s job!

Anyway, there are a bunch of other, non-smartphone developments we will tell you about next time!  Here are some links if you want to read further!

Restaurant Job #1: a Clean Restroom?

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restroom-sign-21-e1339002457546-300x252

An interesting question…

Of course, you have visited the restroom in Target. Have you ever noticed the paper on the back of the door, charting when the potty was last inspected? It says that “J.B.” cleaned and inspected the facility only 20 minutes ago. (I think they do this at Kohl’s, as well.) Does this inspire confidence, at least somewhat? Not that you don’t douse yourself in Purel anyway! But still…

Well, Some expert is claiming that Clean Bathrooms Are “Most Important Marketing Job” For Restaurants.

“Clean bathrooms might be the most important marketing job in your restaurant,” he writes. “Consumers consistently site dirty bathrooms as the primary reason for not returning to restaurants.” The Consumerist

I admit it: I am a (mid-level) germophobe. Whenever a store offers the wet wipes, I go for it. On my honeymoon cruise, you weren’t even allowed to enter the ship’s dining rooms until you had taken a blast of Purel—and I LIKED that!

Earlier, I worked in this small town with a country club. In the lobby they had a bowl of unwrapped mints on the hostess desk, across from the restrooms. The health department did their thing and, you guessed it, trace amounts of urine in the mints!!

What about you? Are you preoccupied with cleanliness, or do you think it’s silly? Let us know!

Express Lane to Frustration!

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Seriously, don't get your hopes up.
Seriously, don’t get your hopes up.

There’s a study at LifeHacker.com that says using the 10-items-or-less express lane really doesn’t save you any time. I can tell you that, at (my) Walmart, I have found this to be true. Their express limit is 20 items. I once rolled up with 24 items, all apologetic and whatnot. The girl told me that they are not allowed to refuse anyone, even if you rolled up with two carts full like some X-TREEM Coupon weirdo. If you can deal with the hateful stares, loud sighs and epic eye-rolls of the shoppers behind you, then go for it!

The time-sucking culprits are called Line Stoppers…people who bring weird, special circumstances with them. You get them all at Wally’s…the guy trying to cash a payroll check. The college kid using three different gift cards, but only taking certain amounts from each. The woman with 30 items making three separate transactions for herself, mom and grandma.

They left out my favorite, though: Extremely Old Dude! This happened to me a couple of days ago at a Publix Market. I get in the express lane behind an E.O.D. He kept mumbling things that sounded like questions, forcing the cashier to stop and ask him to repeat himself. He did and, though she now understood the English words coming out of his mouth, she was stumped. Call a manager? Call a manager. Time to pay, so he writes a check. That is, once she was finished ringing him up and gave the total, only then did he pull out his checkbook and begin to write. “P…U…B…L…I…X…” Then he wanted $50 cash back. She gave him two 20’s and a ten. No, he really wanted all fives. Transaction finished… but time for one more joke. In all, not an “Express” experience!

Anyway, read the article and tell us, do you think you save time in the express lane?