The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

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For more than a year and a half, I’ve been writing about consumer issues on The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide. I want to know if I’m covering the topics that are important to you.

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Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Getting the retirement you want in these tough economic times

These difficult economic times are changing retirement plans for many baby boomers.

Some boomers are delaying retirement. Others are looking at options for retirement that they hadn’t considered before, such as moving to a lower cost community or working part time.

Regardless of your situation, it’s more important than ever to set retirement goals, study options, visualize scenarios, and come up with the best workable plan that you can devise.

Here are ideas to help you with retirement planning:

Where to live

“Best Places for Baby Boomers to Thrive in U.S.” – A list of 20 towns based on criteria such as health care, dining out, low crime, cultural activities, weather, active lifestyle, average cost of living, and a range of home sizes and prices.

“How to Pick the Best Place to Retire” – Items to consider to select the best community for your retirement.

“15 Great Places to Reinvent Your Life” – A list of 15 appealing places selected by AARP for you choose from, then look for a way to earn a living there.

“The Dream of Retiring Where It’s Warm in the U.S.” – Basic steps for determining if you can afford to retire where the weather is better.

“The Dream of Retiring Where It’s Warm Abroad” – Things to consider if you want to retire overseas.

Employment

“AARP’s List of Best Employers for Workers Over 50 Offers Helpful Information for Baby Boomers” – A list of firms that may hire retired boomers.

“Boomers Looking for Jobs With Meaning in Retirement Years” – Encore jobs combine income and an opportunity to make a difference.

“Baby Boomer Women Looking for Options in Retirement” – How boomer women can have periods of work and leisure in retirement.

“Five Things Baby Boomers Need to Do Before Starting an Internet Business” – Tips to think about before you take the plunge and become an Internet entrepreneur.

“Boomers Head for Exotic Locations to Work Instead of Retire” – A job overseas offers a way to travel and earn money.

“Job Hunting Tips for Boomers” – A list of articles and Web sites to help boomers find jobs.

Housing

“What Are the Housing Needs of Baby Boomers as They Grow Older” – Different types of housing that will help boomers age in place.

“Plan to Age in Place, But Consider Backup Options, Too” – The benefits of being able to stay in your own home as you grow older and the importance of thinking through other options.

Retirement planning

“10 Top Retirement Tips for Boomers” – Important items to think through in preparing for retirement.

“Familiar Retirement Planning Techniques Fit This Financial Crisis, Analyst Says” – Steps to take to help prepare for retirement.

“New Retirement Ideas Shake Old Beliefs” – A new way look at retirement because people are living longer and are healthier and more vigorous in old age.

“Baby Boomers Putting Their Retirement at Risk by Helping Adult Children” – Why it’s important to take a look how much you’re helping your family financially.

“Life Coaches Are Helping Baby Boomers Create Better Lives” – How a life coach can help you figure out what you want to do in retirement or improve your retirement living.

Health

“How’s Your Health? Study Says Boomer Health Worse Than Previous Generation at Same Age” – Why taking care of your health is important to the quality of your retirement.

“Optimizing Your Retirement: Health, Financial Tips for Boomers” – What boomers can to do about their health and finances to have a better retirement.

These are the retirement topics I’ve been writing about since January 2008. Are your boomer consumer retirement challenges covered here?

If not, let me know what retirement information you’d find helpful.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide Recall of the Week: Philips Senseo one-cup coffeemakers

About 155,000 Philips Senseo one-cup coffeemakers are being recalled, reports the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

An electrical fault and the build-up of calcium from hard or medium water can cause an obstruction in the coffeemaker. If this happens, the boiler can burst, posing a burn hazard to consumers, according to the commission.

The firm has received 17 reports of incidents in Europe, including six reports of minor personal injury involving first-degree burns to the hands, arms, and abdomen.

Distributed by Philips Consumer Lifestyle, of Stamford, Conn., the coffeemakers were made in China and Poland.

This recall involves Senseo one-cup coffeemakers with model numbers HD 7810, HD 7811, HD 7815, HD 7820, HD 7832, and HD 7890.

Model numbers are located on the bottom of the coffeemaker. Date codes are printed on the bottom of the coffeemaker.

Coffeemakers made in China have date codes 0727 through 0847; coffeemakers made in Poland have date codes 0627 through 0847.

The coffeemakers were sold at Wal-Mart, Target, and Safeway stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com between July 2006 through March 2009 for between $60 and $140.

Consumers need to immediately stop using the coffeemakers and contact Philips for instructions on receiving a free replacement unit, the commission advises.

For additional information, contact Philips toll-free at 866-604-0051 between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, and 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sundays.

Consumers can also visit the firm’s Web site at www.senseoexchange.com.

For information on other recent recalls, see www.Recalls.gov.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Olympia marches for the species and the earth

The sun came out today for the Procession of the Species, the 15th time residents of Olympia, Wash., have gathered to draw attention to endangered species and our relationship to the earth.

A group of citizens in Olympia was looking for a way to recognize Earth Day’s 25th Anniversary and to mark action in Congress to renew the Endangered Species Act in 1995. They created a community celebration now attended by thousands of people every year.

More than 100 volunteers take on the various jobs needed to make the procession happen.

A studio opens before the parade where people can make huge puppets, floats, masks, headdresses, and banners. Recycled materials and arts and crafts supplies are available. Workshops are offered.

In addition to costumes representing species, musical and dance groups, which this year included a Zebra Band, add a lively beat to the parade. Participants and spectators are encouraged to bring two cans of food for the local food bank.

The Procession of the Species has grown from 800 people participating in the parade to more than 2,500. About 25,000 people watch the parade.

The procession will be featured in the July issue of Reader’s Digest in a story about the best things in America, Procession founder Eli Sterling said in an article in The Olympian newspaper.

For details on the event, see Procession of the Species Celebration.

If you’d like to plan a Procession of the Species celebration in your community, see Start a New Procession.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Pesticides are harmful to you, your children, grandchildren, pets, and the environment

Since I was a child, I’ve been concerned about pesticide exposure.

Growing up in Central Washington, I was sprayed with pesticide drift from airplanes when I was walking down the road. I also thinned apples as a teen in trees that were dripping with pesticides.

My dad, Minor H. Slingsby, died in 1990 at age 80 from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a lymphatic system cancer. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is linked to pesticide exposure. My dad was an apple farmer.

I learned about this link from a story on National Public Radio a few months after my dad had been diagnosed. A story reported increasing numbers of farm worker children, who were in the fields with their parents, were developing the disease.

If you’re currently using pesticides on your yard, you need to be aware of the possible harmful effects. In this article, the term pesticide also refers to herbicides and fungicides.

Pesticides are harmful to humans

In addition to causing short-term health effects, long-term effects of pesticides that are known are cancers, birth defects, reproductive harm, neurological and developmental toxicity, immunotoxicity, and disruption of the endocrine system, according to the article “Pesticides and Human Health” on Californians for Pesticide Reform.com.

Some people are more susceptible than others to pesticide impacts. For example, farm workers and pesticide applicators are more vulnerable because they receive greater exposures. Infants and young children are known to be more susceptible than adults to the toxic effects of pesticides.

For example, a recent study found that children who live in homes where their parents use pesticides are twice as likely to develop brain cancer versus those that live in residences in which no pesticides are used, reports Environmental Health News in the article “Pesticides Blamed for Some Childhood Brain Cancers.”

It’s well established that many pesticides cause cancer in animals, the article states.
 
People think that because the brightly colored boxes of pesticides are allowed to be sold in stores that they’re safe. Only a minimum amount of tests have been conducted on pesticides since they came into use after World War II.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the first time will require pesticide manufacturers to test 67 chemicals contained in their products to determine whether they disrupt the endocrine system, which regulates animals' and humans' growth, metabolism, and reproduction, The Washington Post reports in the article “EPA Will Mandate Tests on Pesticide Chemicals.”

Pesticides are harmful to lawns and gardens

Treating plants or controlling garden pests with chemicals often makes the situation worse because the chemicals damage the soil's natural defense system by killing off good organisms and bacteria along with the bad, reports the King County article “Chemical Use: Get Your Yard Off Drugs!”

Healthy soil is full of beneficial bacteria, fungi, and other organisms that work together to keep disease and pests under control and protect the health of plants.

Building healthy soil by using compost, growing plants that resist plant diseases in your area, and planting a variety of plants, especially plants native to your area, will help you have healthy gardens and lawns.

Pesticides are harmful to the environment

Pesticides drain into streams and injure and kill fish and wildlife. Through these environmental exposures, pesticides accumulate in the food chain.

Pesticides also damage forests, farmlands, deserts, and beaches.

These are three good reasons to stop using pesticides. They’re harmful to (1) your health and the health of those in your household, (2) your lawns and gardens, and (3) the environment.

To find out about the health effects of the pesticides you’ve used, see the Pesticide Action Network’s Pesticide Info Database.

Here are other resources to help get your yard off pesticides:

“Using Native Plants in Your Gardens Saves Time, Water, Money” – The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

“A New Way to Think about Lawns” – The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

“Green Gardening, Lawn Care Promotes Good Health” – The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

“Lawn Care: For Truly Green Turf” – Sierra Club.com

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

How to buy eyeglasses

Since I’ve been in the seventh or eighth grade, I’ve been wearing eyeglasses.

Buying glasses is a difficult consumer problem for me. Perhaps it’s because you need to wear them for several years and if you make a mistake you just have to live with it.

I’ve had friends help me. In the top photo are my current glasses, which are rose-colored metal. A friend thought they looked good. They’re O.K., but I was disappointed because they’re flimsy, not sturdy.

I’ve tried having a drink or two to make the selection process easier. That wasn’t helpful.

I looked through my photo albums and scanned photos of my glasses choices through the years. The second photo is the one I remember as being the worst glasses I ever had. Looking back on them, they aren’t that bad.

Neither were the others I reviewed. The third photo is my high school graduation photo. I think those are fine.

The fourth photo is from the late 1980s when big glasses were in fashion. This pair is metal, so they look O.K. for that era. I also had a plastic pair in that big size.

I need new glasses, so I thought I’d try something different. I read Consumer Reports magazine and followed its recommendations.

I know that glasses are getting more and more expensive and you need to compare prices carefully.

Price was the biggest complaint in a survey of 92,000 eyeglass buyers, reports the article “Eyeglasses: Score Spectacular Savings” on Consumer Reports.com. Though 75 percent of respondents said that they were very happy overall with their purchase, only 54 percent said they were pleased with the price they paid.

In the survey, Consumer Reports found that Costco, the nation’s fifth-largest seller of eyewear, offered low prices. Those surveyed also said Costco’s service was good. It scored almost as well as private medical offices and small independent optical shops, which continue to top all categories but price.

So I went to Costco and ordered a pair of glasses. I’ll get them in about two weeks. I’ll report back on how I like them.

I paid $210 for my glasses. The frames were $40. I also paid an additional $50 to renew my annual membership.

Here are the tips Consumer Reports has for eyeglass shoppers:

• Select the lenses. CR-39 lenses are the best choice, but you may need stronger, thinner polycarbonate lenses if you participate in sports activities or have a strong prescription. Make sure you understand what different coatings are for and what they cost.
• Pick out the frames. Plastic frames break more easily than metal frames. Titanium and titanium-based flexible metals stand up well to most abuse. Look for frames that complement the shape of your face. It may help to take a friend with you. Picking out glasses is a challenging task.
• Look for a store that offers lower prices. Start by looking on the Internet to get an idea of what prices are. You can order from the Web, but if there’s a problem, you have to mail the glasses back. If price is a consideration, Consumer Reports suggests trying BJ’s, Costco, or Sam’s Club. Davis Vision Center, For Eyes Optical, and Wal-Mart also offered satisfactory prices, according to the Consumer Reports survey.
• Finalize the purchase. Find out about return policies and warranties. Ask if you can exchange the frames if they aren’t comfortable. Be sure to go back to the store if something isn’t right with your new glasses. Having well-fitting, comfortable glasses is important for busy boomer consumers these days.

Other resources to help you with your selection of eyeglasses:

“How to Buy Eyeglasses” – About.com

“Buying Eyeglasses Online: A Good Idea? Not Necessarily” – All About Vision.com

“10 Tips for Buying Kids’ Eyewear” -- All About Vision.com

“How to Get an Unbelievable, Thrilling Deal on New Glasses” – Slate.com

“Costco Is a Good Place to Buy Eyeglasses?” – The Consumerist.com

“Buying Eye Glasses? Don’t Overpay!” – WebMD.com

“Save Bundles of Cash by Buying Eyeglasses Online” – Lifehacker.com

Update: See the post, "Do You Like My New Glasses?" to see the glasses I bought and what I thought of Costco's customer service.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Organic Consumers Association offers tips on Earth Day for greener baby boomer living

I caught Ryan Zinn, 34, national campaign coordinator for the Organic Consumers Association, just before he was headed out the door on Earth Day to help a school class in his neighborhood organize a vegetable garden.

Zinn said the association is seeing encouraging trends in the organic food movement and baby boomers are an important part of that trend.

“In the last nine to 12 months, we seen consumers incorporating more ecological choices in their shopping,” Zinn said. Sales of hybrid cars, organic food, and socially conscious products are up.

Grocery outlets, such as Safeway and Costco, are selling organic food. “Safeway has its own line of organic products as well,” he said. “That’s really positive.”

Consumers, including boomer consumers, have demanded more organic products and supermarkets have responded.

Another new trend is a huge spike in the purchase of seeds and garden supplies, Zinn said. Whether it’s growing vegetables in a container or a more ambitious garden, people are interested in growing their own food.

Zinn has these tips for baby boomers who want to make more environmental-sound choices in their lives:

• Set up a compost bin or worm box for vegetable scraps.

• Leave the grass clippings on your lawn for fertilizer.

• Buy organic food at your local Farmers’ Market.

• Find out if any local, organic farmers offer a subscription plan for produce or meat and sign up for weekly boxes of food during the growing season.

• Work at the local, state, and national level for healthier food choices, such as the serving of locally grown, organic food in school lunchrooms and the labeling of genetically modified food.

He recommends the association’s weekly newsletter, “Organic Bytes,” as a way boomer consumers can learn about organic food issues and actions that are need to foster the organic food movement.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Top 10 Earth Day top 10 lists

For Earth Day, I thought I’d review Earth Day top 10 lists and see which ones I thought were tops.

1. “Top 10 Earth Day Campaigns You Can’t Miss” – Takepart.com.

I liked this list best because it describes actions and activities from a wide variety of organizations – from Greenpeace to National Geographic to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

2. “Top 10 Cities to Celebrate Earth Day” – NBC.com.

This list is fun. Seattle is described as “Where the folks are green and the plastic bags are taxed.” Among the other cities included are Austin, Texas; Boston; Ashville, N.C.; Portland, Ore.; and San Francisco.

3. “Top 10 Earth Day Songs” – Y! Music.

Robert the Radish picked these songs, but many of those leaving comment thought “Earth Song” by Michael Jackson should have been included.

4. “Top 10 Things You Can Do to Reduce Global Warming” – Earth Day Network.

This is a standard to do list for Earth Day. I selected it because it includes “Plant a tree.”

5. “Top 10 KBB Green Stories of 2009 – Early Edition” – Kelley Blue Book.

It was encouraging to see this list of green stories about cars.

6. “World’s Top 10 Eco-hostels” – Travelbite.co.uk.

This list made me dream – Ireland, Hawaii, Singapore, England, Iceland. I’d love to spend Earth Day at any of these hostels.

7. “Earth Day 2009: Top 10 TV Shows on Planet Green” – Examiner.com.

These TV shows looked interesting and may be worth a look after Turnoff Week is over.

8. “Happy Earth Day – 10 Environmental Films You Can Watch Online for Free” – Urlesque.com.

The films highlight the impact people have on the environment, and the responsibilities they share for the planet's future.

9. “Top 10 Greenest Celebs” – Metromix/Detroit.

Here’s what 10 stars are doing for the Green Movement.

10. “10 Environmental Disasters to Remember on Earth Day” – AlterNet.com.

I put this one last because it’s discouraging to think about events such as species extinction, mountaintop removal, Love Canal, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Hurricane Katrina, and the Great Dust Bowl of the 1930s.

But that’s what Earth Day is about – to recognize all the environmental destruction that has occurred and to develop policies and projects to develop a greener world.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Say ‘no’ to your TV, computer for Turnoff Week

For years, I’ve been concerned about the amount of time people spend watching television.

There’s so much that can be accomplished, including community-enhancing projects, but instead Americans are glued to their TV sets.

Now with the emergence of the Internet and video games, the American obsession with the screen continues.

On average, people watch four hours of TV daily and then spend another four-plus hours with computers, games, video, iPods, and cell phones. 

The average World of Warcraft gamer plays for 892 minutes per week, reports a Nielsen poll.  The company that owns Second Life – a virtual world – claims that its users spent over one million hours on line. 

Children six and under spend an average of two hours a day using screen media, about the same amount of time they spend playing outside, and well over the amount they spend reading or being read to – 39 minutes.

Screen time cuts into family time and is a leading cause of obesity in both adults and children, reports the Center for Screen-Time Awareness. Excessive use of screens for recreational purposes leads to a more sedentary and solitary lifestyle, which is unhealthy mentally and physically.

In the U.S. and other industrialized nations around the world, screen time use continues to increase every year. The average daily usage for all screens, in some countries, has reached nine hours per day. This is for recreational use of screens and doesn’t include work time. 

Turnoff Week, formerly called TV Turnoff Week, is April 20 to 26. People are encouraged to not watch TV, use their computers, or use other screens during the week, or at least cut down on usage of screens.

Millions of people around the world participate in Turnoff Week, with many taking part through schools, churches, or community groups, as families or individuals, or at work.

When they turn off their screens, people have time to relax, think, read, create something, or catch up on things they haven’t had time to do. Opportunities to spend time with families and take part in community activities also emerge.

Turnoff Week is supported by the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, National Education Association, and President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide Recall of the Week: Fitness balls by EB Brands

About 3 million Bally Total Fitness, Everlast, Valeo, and Body Fit fitness balls are being recalled, reports the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Manufactured by EB Brands, of Yonkers, New York, the fitness balls, if overinflated, can unexpectedly burst while in use, causing the user to fall to the floor.

EB Brands has received 47 reports of fitness balls unexpectedly bursting, including reports of a fracture and multiple bruises.

The recall involves rubber fitness balls sold in 55-, 65-, and 75-cm diameter sizes. The fitness balls were sold with a pump and inflation instructions. The fitness balls were sold in various colors with the Bally Total Fitness, Everlast, or Valeo logo printed on the ball.

Manufactured in China, the fitness balls were sold at department stores and fitness retailers nationwide from May 2000 to February 2009 for between $15 and $30.

Consumers should contact EB Brands to receive a copy of the updated instructions on how to safely inflate the ball, the commission advises.

For additional information, contact EB Brands at 800-624-5671 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.ebbrands.com.

For information on other recent recalls, visit www.Recalls.gov.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison