The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Do you save money shopping at Costco or another warehouse club?

Last year, I joined Costco because an article in Consumer Reports suggested you might be able to get a good deal on a computer.

This year I joined again because I wanted to see if I could get a low price on eyeglasses.

So now that I have a membership, what should I do with it? I have a small family, so buying huge containers of food isn’t a practical consumer choice.

The Consumer Reports article, “Costco vs. Sam’s Club: New Reasons to Join or Switch” on ConsumerReports.org was helpful.

It said warehouse clubs make their money on memberships and have a lower mark up than other stores. However, you may find better deals at supermarkets on specials because they’re sold at a loss to attract consumers.

Costco and Sam’s Club buy items directly from the manufacturer to get cheaper prices. That means you won’t find wide variety of brands, for example, there may only be one brand of raisin bran cereal.

Although you may find large ticket items such as sofas and appliances, you can’t count on finding them in the store the next time you shop.

These practices can lead consumers to overspend, the article states.

If you control the urge to spend, the article says, club membership can pay off. Here are tips to help you shop at warehouse clubs:

• Make a list and stick to it.

• Know how to identify super-bargains. At Costco, “.97” at the end of a price generally indicates discontinued or slow-moving products. At Sam’s, a “C” at the end of the item number denotes a canceled item.

• Compare the club’s unit prices to those at your supermarket for heavily discounted staples. Supermarkets might be less expensive.

• For big-ticket items, compare the club price to that of other retailers by going to sites such as PriceGrabber.com or BizRate.

• Consider splitting large buys with friends. Otherwise, don’t buy in bulk perishables or medications with a short shelf life – check the expiration dates. You’ll end up tossing a lot away.

• Try unfamiliar products judiciously. You don’t want to get stuck with, say, a gallon of Brand X Vidalia onion salad dressing.

• Pay with cash; it’s a reality check on how much you’re spending.

• Shop on weekdays, preferably when the store opens or in midafternoon. That’s when crowds tend to be lighter.

• Not sure about joining? In many states you can request a day pass at Sam's Club and pay a surcharge, typically 10 percent over what members pay. Costco used to have a similar program, but discontinued it. Now, only members can purchase there.

Here are other articles to help you evaluate warehouse clubs:

“Does Costco Make Your Wallet Look Fat?” – KOMONews.com

“Buying Bargains in Bulk, Without Breaking the Bank” – The Seattle Times

“Five Ways to Whip Inflation When You Shop at a Warehouse Club” – Kiplinger.com

“A Comparison of Sam’s Club and Costco” – Associated Content.com

“Are Warehouse Clubs Like Costco or Sam’s Club Worth It?” – My Money Blog

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide Recall of the Week: HP and Compaq notebook computer batteries

About 70,000 lithium-Ion batteries used in Hewlett-Packard and Compaq notebook computers are being recalled, reports the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The recalled lithium-ion batteries can overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.

Imported by Hewlett-Packard Co., of Palo Alto, Calif., the batteries were manufactured in China.

The firm and commission are aware of two reports of batteries that overheated and ruptured, resulting in flames/fire that caused minor property damage. No injuries have been reported.

The recalled lithium-ion rechargeable batteries are used with various HP and Compaq notebook computers. Models that can contain a recalled battery include:

• HP Pavilion – dv2000, dv2500, dv2700, dv6000, dv6500, dv6700, dv9000, dv9500, dv9700

• Compaq Presario – A900, C700, F700, V3000, V3500, V3700, V6000, V6500, V6700     

• HP – G6000, G7000   

• HP Compaq – 6720s

The notebook model is located at the top of the service label on the bottom of the notebook. Batteries that can be subject to the recall will have one of the following bar code labels (^ in the code can be any letter or number):
 
62940^^AXV^^^^    65033^^B7U^^^^
65033^^B7V^^^^
65033^^BGU^^^^    65035^^B7U^^^^
65035^^B7V^^^^
65035^^BGU^^^^
65035^^BGV^^^^    67059^^V8U^^^^
67059^^V8V^^^^     

The computers were sold at computer and electronics stores nationwide, hp.com, and hpshopping.com from August 2007 through March 2008 for between $500 and $3,000. The battery packs were also sold separately for between $100 and $160.

Consumers should immediately remove the recalled battery from their notebook computer and contact HP to determine if their battery is included in the recall and to request a free replacement battery, the commission advised.

After removing the recalled battery from their notebook computer, consumers may use the AC adapter to power the computer until a replacement battery arrives. Consumers should only use batteries obtained from HP or an authorized reseller.

For details, visit the HP Battery Replacement Program Web site at www.hp.com/support/BatteryReplacement or call 800-889-2031 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT Monday through Friday.

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

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Silvers Summit addresses technology needs of baby boomers as they grow older

Among the throngs of thousand attending the 2009 International Computer Electronics Show to ogle the latest electronic gadgets, one group will be focusing on how technology can help baby boomers as they age.

At the Silvers Summit tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, speakers will offer information on products and services for the boomer generation. The keynote speakers will be Lynn Mento, senior vice president of membership for AARP, and Eric Dishman, director of Intel’s Digital Health Group.

Other speakers include:

• Majd Alwan, director of the Center for Aging Services Technology

• Mary Furlong, Boomer entrepreneur and visionary

• Don Jones, vice president of health and life sciences at Qualcomm

• Dr. Gary Small, professor of psychiatry and co-author of “The Memory Bible”

• Peter Cullen, Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing Group

• Mike Takemura, director of the Accessibility Programs Office at Hewlett Packard

• Jerry Shereshewsky, CEO of Grandparents.com

• Curt Stone, director of the QoLT Foundry and Industry Liaison at Carnegie Mellon University

• Howard Byck Sr., senior vice president of lifestyle products and services for AARP Services

The Silvers Summit Showcase and display area, offering exhibits of a variety of technologies for boomers to use in the digital age, is underway at the Sands Convention Center through Sunday, Jan. 11.

Among the exhibitors in three categories are:

Brain and Body Fitness

HeartMath. Offers an em-Wave device to reduce stress, a special variation on biofeedback techniques.

Dakim. Helps people of any age keep their brain stimulated and active.

Posit Science. Takes a different approach to brain exercise by targeting auditory processing, memory, and visual processing.

Generation One. Offers hardware with features to deliver reminders, care, and other medical and care-giving functionality.

Accessibility

Clarity. Offers a Life phone, a special cell phone built for senior needs.

ClearSounds Communications. Provides a variety of sound-enhanced and high dB gain products for boomers, seniors, and caregivers.

Hewlett Packard Accessibility. Offers products for the boomer home of the future, with a senior PC and innovative-touch panel PCs.

Living at home longer

Continua Health Alliance. Certifies telehealth products.

MedSignals Pill Phone. Helps seniors stay in touch with caregivers by providing a variety of services such as medicine notification.

On the Horizon. Develops products such as special GPS services and a screen that adjusts its type to an individual’s eyes.

For more information, see the Silvers Summit Web site.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Are baby boomers shopping on Black Friday?

What draws people to Black Friday, the big shopping extravaganza the day after Thanksgiving, and are baby boomers among those getting up in the middle of the night, standing in line, and looking for huge savings?

Baby boomers – 36 percent – and the silent Generation – 18 percent – are less likely to shop on Black Friday than Gen Y – 53 percent – and Gen X – 46 percent, according to a Martiz Poll on consumer opinions.

Forty-one percent of those responding to the poll said they would shop on Black Friday, compared to 37 percent who said so in 2007, the Maritz poll reports.

The boomers who indicated that they’d be shopping on Black Friday said they’d be going to these stores:

•  Walmart – 57%

• Target – 47%

• Best Buy – 34%

• Toys R US – 23%

• K-Mart – 27%

• Kohl’s – 27%

• Sears – 29%

• Macy’s – 17%

• Circuit City – 18%

• Victoria’s Secret – 13%

• Apple Store/iTunes – 6%

What’s the attraction for Black Friday, which seems to become more intense each year?

People are looking for deep cuts in price. They’re willing to wait in line in the cold for hours and push their way through the crowds. They often have in mind specific items they want to give for Christmas gifts such as toys, iPods, and videogames. Or, they’re looking for a big ticket item for their households such as a flat-panel TVs, laptops, and digital cameras.

For a number of shoppers, beginning their seasonal buying on Black Friday helps them to complete it early or to make good progress toward finishing it.

Black Friday shoppers often check ads for prices, and make lists of the items they want to buy. They’ll dash through the first store, buying items, then move on to other stores. This year, since the economy is in a recession, Black Friday shoppers are more cautious about their spending than in previous years.

In many stores, only a few of the deeply discounted items are available. As a result injuries and even deaths have occurred due to shoving and trampling by shoppers.

The day is called "Black Friday" because of its importance in determining a store's profitability for the year.

My next post will be on “Why Baby Boomer Women Aren’t Spending Money on Themselves This Holiday Season.”

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Laptop secured: Will it be the right choice?

Well, I did it. I bought a Sony VAIO VGN-FZ220U/B Widescreen Notebook. It has:

•    Vista Ultimate; Wireless-N support
•    15.4 Inch WXGA XBrite-Econ LCD
•    Intel Core 2 Due Processor T5250
•    1.5 GHz, 2 MB L2 cache, 667 MHz FSB
•    2 GB PC2-5300 DDr2 memory
•    200 GB 4200-rpm SATA hard drive
•    Windows Vista Ultimate
•    DVD+/-RW-RAM Double Layer Drive
•    10/100 Ethernet; 56K V.92 Modem
•    802.11 a/b/g Draft-N wireless
•    3 USB 2.0, 1 FireWire, 1 S-video

I paid $699.99 plus tax. I also bought an extra Gig of memory for $29.95.

The salesman thought I might be able to put my mini-DVD in the drive and edit a movie. That sounds simple. I hope it works.

The customer service I received from Office Depot wasn’t good. I had to wait more than a half hour for the office manager to come and unhook the laptop from the security devices. It was the last Sony of that model, so I just couldn’t take one in a box and leave.

It took another half hour to get it unhooked from the security devices. The office manager had to throw all the laptop carrying cases under the laptop display on the floor before he could get to the place to remove the security items. He had trouble finding the place to turn down the brightness on the display and putting the battery in. I was exhausted by the time I left.

The display seems much less bright than the i-Mac. I hope, I hope.

I have two weeks to try it out. If it bothers my eyes or has other problems, I’ll return it.

I’ll be sure to save my receipt.

Another day spent on the computer trail

Today I went to the Apple store in Tukwila, Wash., to see what could be done about reducing the eye strain I'm experiencing from my i-Mac.

The mac "genius" made my I-Mac screen a medium to medium-dark blue. He also said not to use the computer in front of a window and to buy a glare protector for $35 that you apply over the screen.

The plain, darker screen color seems to be helping.

I may try dimming the lights in my office as well to reduce glare.

I was really tempted to buy the least expensive Apple laptop to use in my travels, but I just can't stand the thought of having another computer that will cause me serious eye strain.

I'm also working on figuring out how to edit video on my new i-Mac. I have a Panasonic mini-DVD camcorder that I bought about three years ago. Unfortunately, the information the camera puts on the DVD is analog.

I knew when I bought my i-Mac that it wouldn't read the files from my camcorder and that I'd need to find a "work-around."

The Apple store gave me a credit for the USB cable they sold me earlier because it didn't work with the analog converter I'd purchased from Fry's Electronics.

The Mac genius I worked with send me down to the Panasonic warehouse in  Kent to get the right cable.

Fortunately, I got there just before they closed the door for the day. I was able to get the cable. I appreciate the Panasonic employee who helped me when he could have walked out the door instead.

Thanks also to the Mac genius for pointing me the right way. I hope to be editing a movie of my wonderful grandchildren tomorrow.

I was disappointed to learn in all of this that the quality of my movies will decrease using the converter. I hadn't planned to upgrade my camcorder for a while, but I may need to do that sooner rather than later.

I'll be making the decision tomorrow about the laptop. A Sony model I saw at Office Depot is about an inch bigger than the HP I reported on yesterday. It cost $50 more but has more omph than the HP, so it may be the best choice.

Should I buy this laptop?

After shopping around, I think the HP Pavilion DV2718US Widescreen Notebook might be a good choice for me. It has:

• 3 GB memory; HP Quick-Play
• 14.1 inch WXGA BrightView LCD screen
• AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core TL-62 2.1 GHz
• 1 MB L2 cache
  
• 1600 MHz FSB
• 160 GB 5400-rpm hard drive
• Windows Vista Home Premium
• LightScribe SuperMulti DVD drive
• 802.11 b/g wireless LAN; Ethernet
• 3 USB 2.0, 1 FireWire, 1 S-video
• 5-in-1 memory card reader
• Weight, 5.25 pounds

Office Depot sells this computer for $649.99.

When I tried to compare prices on the Internet, I couldn’t find anyone selling this computer but Office Depot. Maybe this model is one that Hewlett Packard makes for Office Depot only.

Interesting.

I’m certainly learning about this techie stuff.

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison,  Consumer Specialist

Laptop quest continues

Today I went on a price-comparison shopping spree for a new PC laptop.

It’s amazing. There're so many PC laptops to choose from.

I found some good prices at Office Depot. They just received some new models, so several sale prices looked good on older stock. I liked the HP Pavilion DV2718US: 14.1-inch screen, 3 GB of memory, and 5.25 pounds for $649.99. The smaller size would be good to carry through airports when I’m also lugging my camera, video camera, and tripod.

Home Depot also had:

• Sony VAIO VGN-FZ22OU/B: 15.4-inch screen, 2 GB of memory, and 5.75 pounds for $749.99.

• Gateway T-6321: 14.1 Inch screen, 3 GB of memory, and 5 pounds for $579.99.

Unfortunately I can’t use my 20 percent off Office Depot coupon on electronic equipment.

Best Buy had a good selection, but their prices were generally higher. I liked:

• Gateway T-1628: 14.1-inch screen, 3 GB of memory, and 5.5 pounds for $599.99.

• Dell 11525-100B: 15.4-inch screen, 2 GB of memory, and 6.5 pounds for $499.99.

Costco was a disappointment. I bought a membership in January when I was mulling over buying a desktop. Their PCs lost out as I was swept away by an iMac.

The only laptop I saw at Costco that I would work was: HP DV6753CL: 15.4 inch screen, 2 GB of memory, and 6.14 pounds for $799.97.

I considered several Toshibas, but then ruled them out. I’m not as familiar with the brand, and one shopper I talked with said he had a bad experience with one.

I received good customer service at all three stores. Salesmen took the time to point out features and answer my questions.

At Office Depot, the salesman wouldn’t take a couple of the laptops out of the security devices so that I could test the weight. However, he said I could come back in the evening when the store had fewer customers. Someone could help me then.

I can see why Consumer Reports said to go to the store and try out the keyboards and evaluate the screens. It would be disappointing to order one off the Internet and find you didn’t like the touch of the keyboard or the brightness of the screen.

What has your experience been buying a laptop from a retail store in your area? Were you satisfied? Disappointed? Upset?

Tomorrow I’ll check the Internet to compare prices on these models.

How has your experience been shopping online? Any great companies? Any poor ones?

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Do you like your PC laptop?

When I made the decision recently to update my computer, I bought an i-Mac. I decided on the desktop model because I was concerned about misplacing my computer and losing all my valuable consumer research and writing – not to mention my two screenplays, one play, and about two dozen short stories.

I really like my i-Mac. It meets my needs as a blogger very well. I want to do clips for YouTube, and I’m looking forward to editing video on it.

I travel several times a year and occasionally might want to go to the coffee shop and work on an article. Since you can get a PC laptop for $600 to $800, I thought I might buy one.

I’ve just started to do the research.

I’ve found the following articles:

• The Best Laptops Under $1000 -- PC World

• Before You Choose a Notebook PC -- About.com

• Laptop Reviews -- Viewpoints

• Product Reviews -- CNET.com

• Back-to-College Laptop-Buying Tips -- Consumer Reports

Do you have a PC laptop? What do you like about it? Did you make a good decision? What features do you like? Do you hate your PC laptop? Why? Did you buy on the Internet? Did it help you get a good price? What information helped you the most?

Let me know what’s working for you.

I’ll keep you posted on how the research is going.

A PC or Mac for boomers?

After putting up with my 10-year-old PC, updated five years ago, it was time for a new computer. I wanted a Mac, maybe a laptop, but I just couldn’t decide.

Right before the Comcast technician came to install my high speed Internet connection, I decided getting the new computer was a must. I was worried that there might not be enough room on my old computer for the Comcast software. If my computer crashed, I’d lose years of valuable writing -- articles, short stories, and screenplays.

A friend, also looking for a computer, mentioned if you lose your laptop, you’ve lost your files. Yikes! I decided on a table top.

I researched PCs and Macs on the Internet. I read  Consumer Reports. It said that more software is available for Windows computers than for Macs, but Apple repeatedly scores best in technical support and has been consistently reliable for desktops.

That did it. I’d had some trying technical assistance with AOL, so good technical support sounded like a plus. I headed to the nearest Apple Store, an hour’s drive away at Seattle’s South Center, and bought an iMac. I received great customer service.

Things are going pretty well. It’s great to be technically updated; being able to be on my computer and have the voice mail pick up my business calls is a big plus.

However, learning the Apple will take a bit of time. I think I’ll buy Windows for the Apple, since I’m used to using it for word processing. Pages is strange, although I’ve had a PhotoShop class and an InDesign class and finally remembered you can go back with Command X.

I did Internet research to find some articles on PCs versus Macs for this post. I found the Helium Web site, which has writers rate articles. And I saw discussions on Photo Talk Online and the Shelbyville (Tennessee) Times-Gazette.

Although everyone says this topic has been hotly debated, I had a hard time finding effective, up-to-date information. Have you seen any articles or reviews on PC versus Mac that you think are helpful to those debating what to buy? 

As to what’s best for boomers, it depends on a person’s needs and pocketbook. Thorough research is needed.