The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

What were your best and worst consumer experiences this week?

Which consumer happenings cheered you this week and which ones made you want to scream or weep?

Here are my best and worst consumer experiences this week:

My best: A sale on card stock at Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts

When I went to Portland to see my daughter who was visiting friends there, I accompanied her and her friend to the fabric store to look for quilting material.

When they headed to the fabric section, I thought I’d check out the card stock. I use it to make greeting cards to sell. Sometimes it’s on sale for 40 percent off.

I got lucky. The sale was on. I bought 225 cards for $30. A good price for white cards and envelopes and various pastel and bright colors, too.

I’m looking forward to making new cards for spring, as well as a series from my trip to Madrid.

My worst: A salad at Starbucks

Starbucks isn’t known for it’s good food, although its desserts are generally tasty. At Starbucks in Olympia, Seattle, Bellevue, Sacramento, Miami, Dallas, and Chicago, it’s all the same, in my experience. Low-quality sandwiches and salads.

When I was checking out the options at Heathrow Airport in London, Starbucks was one of the choices. Since it seemed more familiar than the other store available, I bought a Tuna and Three Bean Potato Salad.

It wasn’t a good decision. The salad wasn’t fresh. It wasn’t tasty.

It’s too bad that Starbucks can’t figure out how to serve its customers good sandwiches and salads to go along with its world-famous coffee. I’ve had occasions when I’ve been in a rush and getting something quickly at Starbucks seemed like a good solution.

This problem isn’t just in the Seattle area. It’s throughout the United States, in my experience, and London, too.

I’ll contact Starbucks about this and see what it has to say.

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What are your favorite winter activities?

 

During the cold winter weather, I like curling up with a good book, drinking a hot cup of tea, or inviting friends to play Pictionary, Pinochle, or Rummy.

When it’s cold, dark, and maybe snowing, what do you like to do?

 Here’s a list of winter’s best traditions from the Huffington Post:

• Hot chocolate
• Chestnut roasting
• Snow forts and fights
• Warm blankets
• Books
• Sledding
• Warm stove warmth
• Snow days
• Sipping soup
• Paper snowflakes
• Ice skating
• Skiing and snowboarding
• Fuzzy clothes
• Games
• Snowmen and angles

Best wishes surviving the winter weather. It was harsh here in the Pacific Northwest in November and the East Coast and California, too, have taken a beating.

            Copyright 2010, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What were your best and worst consumer experiences this week?

Which consumer experiences cheered you recently and which ones made you want to scream or weep?

Here are my best and worst consumer experiences this week:

My best: Selling things on Craigslist

Craigslist worked well once I got the hang of it. At first, I thought you had to wait for the photos to appear after you uploaded them. I discovered that you needed to hit "Continue," then the photo would finish uploading.

I also found that reposting items on Friday brought interest on the weekend. People had more time to come to look at things or buy them.

The people inquiring and who came were interesting. One couldn’t come on the date she said. And, when she did show up, she was late. Another was very organized, bringing two helpers and a pickup for the table and chairs she wanted to buy.

I’ll certainly try Craigslist again. The tip to start two weeks in advance was helpful. It takes a while to find the right people for your items.

My worst: A doctor who wouldn’t help in an emergency

In the parking lot at 5:05 p.m., my granddaughter choked on one of those pieces of hard, red-and-white candy that she got at Spanish class.

She choked, vomited a little, and struggled to breathe. After drinking some water, she said her throat still hurt.

Wondering what to do, we went to a nearby doctor’s office. The receptionist said they were "all closed up" and couldn’t help us. She didn’t say the doctor wasn’t there, but implied that since it was 5:10 p.m., they couldn’t help in an emergency. So much for the Hippocratic Oath.

My daughter talked to her pediatrician’s nurse. The nurse said since my granddaughter was having pains in her chest, we should go to the Emergency Room.

Fortunately, a satellite ER for a local hospital was nearby. The doctor said if she could drink water she was fine.

I'm so happy the choking incident ended O.K. However, the doctor's office that wouldn't help a family in distress gets a "thumbs down" from me.

Copyright 2010, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What are signs that baby boomers will live longer?

As a baby boomer, are you going to live to be 100?
 
The average life expectancy has increased 30 years during the 20th century.  That’s the biggest gain in human history. And the number of people who live to be 100 also is climbing dramatically, increasing 51 percent from 1990 to 2000.
 
Advances in health, education, and disease prevention and treatments are among the reasons for these huge increases.
 
In addition, everyday habits or circumstances in your past can influence how long and how well you’ll live, according to the Prevention magazine article “14 Surprising Signs You’ll Live Longer Than You Think.”
 
Here’s Prevention’s list of science-based signs you’re on a long-life path:

1. Your mom had you young.
2. You're a tea lover.
3. You'd rather walk.
4. You skip soda (even diet).
5. You have strong legs.
6. You eat purple food.
7. You were a healthy-weight teen.
8. You don't like burgers.
9. You've been a college freshman.
10. You really like your friends...
11. ...and they're healthy.
12. You embrace new challenges.
13. You don't have a housekeeper.
14. You're a flourisher

The article also offers a longevity quiz to test your knowledge on 10 items related to aging.

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist