Tag Archives: online consumer panels

Free Stuff Friday!

free stuffEverybody likes stuff. And we like it even better when it’s free. I do, anyway! If you like stuff and you don’t want to pay for it, then check out this timely article at Kiplinger.com entitled, “Fabulous Freebies — Valuable Things You Can Get for Free.” The list of 69 things carries the disclaimer, “We don’t allow any useless junk on our list, only quality goods and services that you would happily pay good money for (or perhaps you already are.”)

Here are some highlights:

  • Baby Stuff
  • Beauty Stuff
  • Sample Stuff
  • Pet Stuff
  • Medical Stuff
  • Diet and Fitness Stuff
  • Travel Stuff
  • Cultural Stuff
  • Recreation Stuff
  • Hobby Stuff
  • Entertainment Stuff
  • Education Stuff
  • Computer Stuff
  • Financial Stuff
  • Retirement Stuff

…and on and on (and on!) If you have some “Free” time, check out the original article. And if you don’t have any free time, then make some…it’s free! How about you? Have you tripped across any valuable freebies? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a nice weekend!

Haggling Over Your Bills?

pay billsThe opening line of this article is a direct hit (for me, anyway.) “Does the thought of haggling over your monthly bills make you break out in a cold sweat? You’re not alone…”

Man, do I hate to haggle. I only do it once every six years or so when it’s time to replace one of the cars. At a yard sale, if they want $3, I pay it! So, the idea of calling up your cable company, the landlord or the wireless provider and negotiating monthly bills is a no-go for me.

But your mileage may vary. And that extra 10 or 15 bucks here and there can add up to real savings. So, this article in GoBankingRates.com, “6 Basic Bills You Should Always Negotiate,” may appeal to you. Here are the bullets:

  1. Medical Bills: I have heard of taking extra time to pay these, but actually cutting the price? There are online resources that tell you the average or “fair” cost of procedures, to give you a haggling starting point.
  2. Wireless Phone Service Bill: Do your research, know your provider’s competition (and their plans and prices) and you can almost always save money.
  3. Cable or Satellite TV: My mother’s favorite haggle! You got a sweet deal when you signed up. Now, it’s about to expire. Tell them you’re going to switch if they don’t play ball. They usually will.
  4. DSL Internet Service Bill: See Cable/Satellite TV
  5. Rent: Didn’t expect to see this one. If you are a long-standing tenant, solid record, good credit – and it’s a renter’s market – go for it. There’s a rule in renting: It’s easier to keep a tenant than find a new one.
  6.  School Tuition Bills: Another surprise. More than one kid attending? Ask for a group rate.

As usual, these are the highlights. You’ll find valuable online resources (and a bonus 7th tip!) at the original piece, so check it out!  How about you? Are you a haggler? Have you tried any of these? How did it work out? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

Getting Out of Debt

debtDo you have what it takes to get out of debt? The answer is probably yes, even if you don’t know how to go about it – yet. I have been there: student loans, credit cards, youthful “living it up.” And then the bill comes due.

So, there are plenty of people who were in the same boat, and taking on water. They were able to turn it around, but how? How did they change their behavior? We turn to money dude Dave Ramsey for hints about the characteristics of debt-free people, in an article conveniently titled “7 Characteristics of Debt-Free People.” Here are the bullets:

  1. Wisdom: Acknowledging the problem, as they say, is the first step.
  2. Patience: Learning that there are very few things we actually have to have NOW!
  3. Confidence: Having faith that we’re doing the right thing, even if our friends ride us for being a cheapskate!
  4. Goal-driven: And, equally important, having a plan to get there.
  5. Responsibility: Seeing that shedding debt is a necessary step to getting our lives together.
  6. Non-materialistic: Giving up our addiction to stuff.
  7. Sacrifice: Dining out constantly, the top-shelf cable package, etc. These aren’t bad things, but they are if we can’t afford them and we don’t stop indulging.

Those are the highlights. Be sure to check out the whole piece. I think one thing to remember is that you didn’t get up in debt overnight, and you won’t get out quickly either. It takes time and patience. The most important thing is to STOP DIGGING! The second is get that debt going in the right direction, which is DOWN. How about you? Have you been there too? Did you get past it? How? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

How We $pent Our Labor Day 2015

labor day spending

The last bash of the summer has come and gone. Now, it’s back to work and school with barely a break until Thanksgiving – though Columbus Day and Veterans Day certainly help!

So how did we spend our precious final summer weekend? Here are some stats:

Travel: The LA Times says that 35.5 million of us traveled at least 50 miles for the holiday weekend, and we spent an average of $380.

U.S. travelers spent an estimated $13.5 billion, a 2% increase over last year.

Gas Money: We spent an average of $2.45 per gallon of regular gasoline, the lowest gas prices for Labor Day weekend since 2004. (It was $1.84 in Charleston SC!)

Yahoo Finance says that overall, we have saved over $1 Billion at the gas pump this year.  BUT… that hasn’t translated into a bunch of extra spending. One estimate says that for every dollar we save, we are putting one-third toward our credit cards, ne-third into savings, and one-third into new spending. Good news, right?

Movies: Labor Day weekend is never the biggest money-earner, as everybody is doing other stuff. But, according to Rotten Tomatoes, this year was terrible – the worst in 15 years. The top 20 films earned $79 million, down from a typical $90-110 million. This weekend’s winner was the religious-themed War Room.

So, how did you spend Labor Day 2015, and how much did you spend doing it? At my house, we bought a tank of gas for a 200-mile day trip, spent $60 on clearance items at Kmart, $30 on food…and that’s about it. How about you? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

Shopping: Online vs. In-store

shop online
photo credit: freedigitalphotos.net/sixninepixels

The mix between online vs in-store shopping continues to evolve. As of now, in-store is still the preferred method. One survey of 19,000 consumers worldwide says that 40% of us buy something in-store once a week, while 27% buy something online.

Pros and Cons:

Of course, in the store, you can touch and feel the item. You take it home right now. And returns are much easier. Online, if you pretty much know what you want, it’s a matter of picking the right make and getting a good price. Enter your card number, and the item shows up at your door!

Showrooming:

We talked about this previously. Showrooming is going to the physical store, getting that “touch and feel” experience, and then going home and ordering online. Even this has evolved. Today, we are just as likely to research a potential purchase online, and then go buy it at the store!

To Buy or Not to Buy?

Consumer Reports offers advice on good online deals vs not-so-good. Here are the bullets:

Buy Online:

  1. Electronics
  2. Small Appliances
  3. Pet Supplies
  4. Theme Park Tickets
  5. Baby Supplies

Don’t Buy Online:

  1. Paint
  2. Office and School Supplies
  3. Drugs From Overseas

Why these items? You’ll have to read the article! How about you? Are you buying more online than you used to? Why or why not? Do all the identity theft scares have you spooked? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend!

Changing the Way We Shop?

shopcart 02So, has the years-long economic downturn forever changed the way we shop? Maybe so. For years now, people have been tightening their belts. At the grocery store, things like “big national name brand loyalty” have taken a big hit, while store brands and generics have prospered.

Now, with a perceived (!) improvement in the economy, things are thawing out a bit. But, again, it may be that these past years have changed the way we think about grocery shopping. That’s the gist (or one of them) of the latest Deloitte Pantry Survey 2015:

A key finding is that eight in 10 Americans believe “the American economy has fundamentally changed and that thriftiness and challenging economic conditions are the new normal.”  The Tennessean

They surveyed 4000 shoppers, and found that they seem to split up in 4 categories. Do you see yourself in any of these?

  • Super Savers(26%): You focus on coupons and loyalty programs. You will switch brands to save. Tracking down the lowest price is fun.
  • Sacrificers(23%): You are the most affected by the economy. You are younger, lower income and less educated. You avoid higher-cost items.
  • Planners(21%): You also save with coupons and loyalty programs. You also save by not buying prepared foods.
  • Spectators(30%): You were least affected by the recession. You are younger, more educated, higher income. You buy store brands, less prepared foods and you buy in bulk.

Personally, I don’t see myself in any of these categories, not neatly anyway. I do steer away from prepared foods, though. How about you? Have your habits changed? How so? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page! And read the original article…tons more consumer insight!

September Savings!

best dealsSo, the kids are back to school. You’re picking through the rubble they left behind in your home, and you’re wondering what’s next. How about some September savings? We have compiled this list from a few sources around the web. Here’s a sample, and links are below. Happy savings!

September Savings:

Anything Summer: It may still be 90 degrees in Charleston SC on September 10th (and it will be) but summer is officially over. So, anything summer or outdoor-related must go, including:

  • Bicycles
  • Lawnmowers
  • Sunglasses
  • Grills
  • Patio furniture
  • Swimwear
  • Summer apparel

Travel: The season is over, and deals are to be had. Time Magazine says Florida’s Emerald Coast (along the Panhandle) is a great deal in September

Otherwise, airline tickets and vacation packages in general are good bets.

Odd ‘n’ Ends:

  • Appliances (but November might be better)
  • Broadway tickets
  • Wine
  • Ceiling fans
  • Apple products: Next-generation models are coming, so look for deals on previous generation models.
  • Mattresses: Usually an April-May purchase but, for some reason, experts say September is also good – this year, anyway.
  • Coffee: 9/29 is National Coffee Day, so look out for freebies at your favorite fast food place.

Here are your links:

So, see any good deals? Did we miss any? Let us know at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend!

Men, Women and Shopping

his her shop2
Somewhere lost in the thumb-drives of history, I have this great photo I took at the greeting card counter at Walmart on Mother’s Day, and it’s just what you’d expect – 50 dudes elbowing their way to the front, trying to buy the last 3 terrible leftover cards for their wives.

Apparently, I must have imagined that. The Christian Science Monitor says that most of the clichés we be believe about men and women and shopping are just myths. So, let’s play a little True or False!

  • Men Are Last-Minute Shoppers. FALSE. Apparently, 75% of men buy at least 2 weeks before the holiday.
  • Women Do the Grocery Shopping. FALSE.  Men go to the grocery 8.2 times per month, women 7.5 times
  • Women Spend More Time Picking Out Gifts. FALSE. An odd way to measure this, but 46% of women simply ask what you want for a gift. 40% of men do that.
  • Men Don’t Shop for Grooming Products. FALSE (?) I’m not so sure. Just because “90% of men use a grooming product” doesn’t mean they are buying them.
  • Men Research, Women Impulse Buy. FALSE. People do their research these days, men and women equally.
  • Women Buy More than Men. MAYBE. Women still do the majority of household shopping in the stores, but online men and women spend pretty much equally.

Ehh, I don’t know. If you change the way you measure each item, you can reach any conclusion you like. Overall, though, it really does seem like the reality is outgrowing the myths. What’s it like at your house? Do you recognize these old clichés? Has the “balance of power” changed in your “his/hers” shopping habits? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

How About More Money Saving Tips?

ID-100178555Time for the ol’ Friday standby: Money saving tips! There’s a realy good piece at The Simple Dollar called “How to Save Money: 100 Great Tips to Get You Started.” Lots of common sense – and otherwise – ideas, some straight out of everyday life, some that require making some changes. Let’s take a look at some highlights.

  • 51. Don’t fear leftovers: I had an ex-brother-in-law who would dump whatever was left after the meal into the garbage – like, two more meals! Apparently this was some declaration of independence from his crappy childhood. It’s your money, man.
  • 52. Go through your clothes: You know how they say “shop from your pantry?” Avoid buying things you already have? Same thing. You probably have a new pair of pants in the closet you have never worn. (I know I do.)
  • 53. Brown bag your lunch: My wife does it every single day. It takes planning to keep from being boring, but you really save.
  • 54. Learn how to dress minimally: Mix and match to make several outfits. Or, do like me and keep shirts for 20 years!
  • 55. Ask for help and encouragement from your inner circle: I don’t know…it would have to be my SERIOUSLY inner circle. The hardest thing to admit to friends is that you may have money problems.
  • 56. Try to fix things yourself: My dad was a construction worker. I am a writer. So that’s my handicap. But I HAVE taught myself things, and I have saved over the years.
  • 57. Keep an idea notebook in your pocket: for me, it’s on the nightstand. I am forever bolting awake with some idea. If I don’t write it down, it’s gone.
  • 58. Invest in a deep freezer. BUT…only if you use it. That seems like a big IF for me.
  • 59. Look for a cheaper place to live: I knew a couple that moved to Kansas. They realized they were saving so much money that they started traveling extensively. So, I guess they didn’t actually save, but they got to do something fun that they wouldn’t otherwise.
  • 60. Check out free events in town: Excellent idea, but you have to keep up. I am always discovering that cool thing that happened yesterday!

As always, just the highlights. More ideas, and more detail, at the original piece, so check it out! How about you? See any good money savings here? Have you tried them? Do they work? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend!

Retail Winners and Losers

we are openIt’s a mixed economy, of course. There are winners and losers in the retail world. How can you tell which is which? According to National Real Estate Investor, it’s a matter of which retailers are opening stores, and which are closing them.

It’s a mixed bag in 2015. The number of big national retailers planning to expand their operations and open new stores in the next year or two is pretty encouraging. At the same time, there are also big bankruptcies and store closings.

Winners:

  • Craft stores, specialty apparel sellers and salons/spas.
  • Bed Bath & Beyond will open 140 stores in the next 2 years.
  • Urban Outfitters will open 120 stores.
  • Cosmetics…Sephora will open 100 new stores, Merle Norman opens 300
  • Furniture… Aaron’s will open 300 new stores. Isn’t that one of those Rent-to-Own places?
  • Fast food and dollar stores

Losers:

  • Toy stores and book stores
  • A&P Supermarkets (bankruptcy)

Any of your favorites on the list? Do you see the economy improving or still struggling? Probably a little of both. Anyway, drop us a line at our Facebook page, and have a great weekend MindField-ers!