The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

The best gifts for Father’s Day may not be found at the store

Do you want to make Father’s Day extra special? Instead of cards, a gift card, or dinner out, how about something remarkable and differen

Paula Pugh, author of the book “Celebrating Beginnings and Endings,” has spent years studying and capturing life’s most meaningful moments. Her book describes more than 100 different ways people can connect with family and friends in new ways and create meaningful moments in their lives.

The first thing to do is ask, what does my dad really want? You’re searching for ideas that will lead you to a special way of telling him how much he means to you. You could even ask him yourself.

Pugh book describes ways to turn events or situations into memories that last for lifetimes. One example: 

For Father’s Day, one man took his 87-year-old uncle fishing, as a thank you for teaching him how to fish when he was a little boy. His uncle caught his first king salmon, a bright shining silver fish that weighed more than 25 pounds. He still carries the photo of the fish sitting on his lap with him everywhere he goes.

Instead of taking your dad out to dinner, how about cooking a nice meal for him with leftovers he can put in the freezer and eat later.

Or help in the yard or garden. Plant some perennials that will bloom for years and remind your dad of you. And, if you really want to make a lasting impression, plant some trees.

Best wishes on finding that unique moment with your dad for this special holiday honoring dads.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Facts and figures for Mother’s Day this year

The driving force behind Mother's Day was Anna Jarvis, who organized observances in Grafton, W.Va., and Philadelphia on May 10, 1908.

As the annual celebration became popular around the country, Jarvis asked members of Congress to set aside a day to honor mothers. She succeeded in 1914, when Congress designated the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

What’s happening for Mother’s Day this year?

Consumers will spend an average of $168.94 on mom, up 11 percent from last year’s $152.52, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation. Total spending is expected to reach $20.7 billion.

While traditional gifts such as flowers, clothing, and gift cards will still be popular, many consumers will stretch their budget this year and treat mom to a tablet, smartphone, or necklace she’s had her eye on.

The survey found 14 percent – the highest in the survey’s history – of shoppers this Mother’s Day will spend more than $2.3 billion on electronics, up from $1.6 billion last year. More than one-third of gift givers will buy jewelry, spending a total of $4.2 billion, up from $3.7 billion last year.

In addition, gift givers will spend money on a special outing, such as brunch or dinner, $3.5 billion; flowers, $2.3 billion; gift cards, $2 billion; clothing or clothing accessories, $1.7 billion; and personal service gifts, such as a day at the spa, $1.5 billion.

Here are facts and figures from the U.S. Census Bureau on moms for Mother’s Day this year:

How many mothers

4.1 million

Number of women between the ages of 15 and 50 who gave birth in the past 12 months.

53%

Percentage of 15- to 44-year-old women who were mothers in 2010.

81%

Percentage of women who had become mothers by age 40 to 44 as of 2010. In 1976, 90 percent of women in that age group had given birth.

2,449

The fertility rate or estimated number births per 1,000 women in Utah in 2010, which led the nation. The state with the lowest fertility rate is Rhode Island, with 1,630.5 births per 1,000 women.

20%

Percentage of all women age 15 to 44 who have had two children. About 47 percent had no children, 17 percent had one, 10 percent had three, and about 5 percent had four or more.

89.7%

Percentage of all children who lived with their biological mothers in 2012. About 1.2 percent of all children lived with a stepmother.

Recent births

3.954 million

Number of births registered in the United States in 2011. Of these, 329,797 were to teens 15 to 19 and 7,651 to women age 45 to 49.

25.4

Average age of women in 2010 when they gave birth for the first time, up from 25.2 years in 2009.

29.2%

The percentage of mothers who had given birth in the past 12 months who had a bachelor's degree or higher and 84 percent of mothers have at least a high school diploma.

Jacob and Sophia

The most popular baby names for boys and girls in 2011.

Stay-at-home moms

5 million

Number of stay-at-home moms in 2012 – about the same for 2009, 2010, and 2011 – down from 5.3 million in 2008. In 2012, 24 percent of married-couples with children under 15 had a stay-at-home mother, up from 21 percent in 2000. In 2007, before the recession, stay-at-home mothers were found in 24 percent of married-couples with children under 15 households, about the same for 2012.

Employed moms

62.1%

Percentage of women age 16 to 50 who had a birth in the past 12 months who were in the labor force.

Single moms

10.3 million

The number of single mothers living with children younger than 18 in 2012, up from 3.4 million in 1970.

5.9 million

Number of custodial mothers who were owed child support in 2009.

36%

Percentage of births in the past 12 months that were to women age 15 to 50 who were unmarried, including divorced, widowed, and never married women.

In 2011, 407,873 mothers who had a birth in the past 12 months were living with a cohabiting partner.

So best wishes to moms everywhere on this important holiday. There’s no job more difficult or rewarding than being a mom. What mom’s do every day in caring for their children contributes to the health and wellbeing of our society.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Think sustainability for Mother’s Day this year

Mother’s Day is a holiday where food plays a central role as a token of appreciation or a gesture of love.

This Mother’s Day, Danielle Nierenberg and Ellen Gustafson, co-founders of the Food Tank, offer tips for how to create a better, more sustainable celebration:
 
1. Buy local.

Consider cooking your a mom meal at home instead of going out to a restaurant and trying to buy as many ingredients as possible from local farmers . 
 
A study by the Natural Resources Defense Council about the environmental impact of food transportation in California showed that importing food products into the state released nearly 250,000 tons of greenhouse gases. That’s the equivalent amount of pollution caused by about 40,000 vehicles. Also, shipping food from far away also means that it's not as fresh, or tasty, when it reaches consumers. 

Local Harvest has a search feature that allows consumers to find area farmers markets’ and farms in their communities.  
 
2. Dine responsibly.

If Mom wants to go out for dinner on her big day, do some research and find a restaurant that follow best practices for sustainability.

Use the The Green Restaurant Association’s search feature that allows diners to locate the most environmentally friendly places to eat. In addition, make sure to eat leftovers. The NRDC reports that consumers eating in restaurants leave an average of 17 percent of meals uneaten, and that more than half of that is thrown away. 

3. Learn something new.

Understanding why it’s important to eat locally and to support sustainable operations is vital. Documentaries such as Food, Inc., What’s on Your Plate, and Food Chains can provide great conversation topics for Mother’s Day dinner.
 
Also, these books are worth reading to learn more about food and agriculture: “Cooked” by Michael Pollan; “VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 to Lose Weight and Restore Your Health . . . for Good” by Mark Bittman; “Bet the Farm: How Food Stopped Being Food” by Frederick Kaufman; “Foodopoly: The Battle Over the Future of Food and Farming in America” by Wenonah Hauter; “Behind the Kitchen Door” by Saru Jayaraman; “The Perfect Protein: The Fish Lover's Guide to Saving the Oceans and Feeding the World” by Andy Sharpless and Suzannah Evans; “Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us” by Michael Moss; and “Full Planet, Empty Plates: The New Geopolitics of Food Scarcity” by Lester R. Brown.
 
4. Make a donation.

Instead of buying another gift for Mom that she doesn’t need, find an organization that supports a food- and agriculture-related issue and make a donation in her name.
 
About 17.2 million U.S. households didn’t have enough food to eat in 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In New York City, City Harvest collects food from restaurants, grocery stores, and other food businesses for donations, and also supports educational programs about nutrition in low-income communities. Oxfam America also has a gift section where you can donate a vegetable garden for a family in need.

5. Help out in the community.

The latest U.S. census report shows that 46.2 million people were living in poverty in 2011, and poverty is the leading cause of hunger. 
 
Share a meal with those less fortunate on Mother’s Day by lending a helping hand at a food bank or a soup kitchen. Food Pantries has a website to locate food pantries and soup kitchens in your area. Sharing a plot in a community garden is another great activity. For example, Chicago’s Green Network offers a map showing area community gardens and information on how to get involved. 
 
6. Buy fair trade.

Chocolate, fresh fruit, coffee, or flowers are often given as Mother’s Day presents. These are all items that can be purchased from fair trade producers. Fairtrade International helps support smaller producers and farmers who may have a difficult time covering their costs while remaining competitive in the global market. Fair Trade USA offers a global reach map that shows organizations involved in fair trade. 
 
Food Tank co-founder Ellen Gustafson recently launched the Apron Project. The first collection of aprons is handmade in Rwanda by Indego Africa, a nonprofit organization supporting women-owned businesses in Rwanda. It helps businesswomen build economic independence through access to markets and education.
 
7. Plant a garden.

Planting a vegetable garden at home is a fun Mother’s Day activity that will help make sure mom has fresh produce available throughout the summer.
 
It’s also a money saver. The National Gardening Association estimates that the average return on the investment of a home garden is $530. For the urban gardener with limited space, these tips from Inhabitat are a good place to start.

Happy Mother's Day. I hope the tips are helpful. I'll be thinking about my mom as I plant my garden this week.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Guns, living life well, parenting, health, sports, finances, and charities are topics for this week’s Best of Boomer Blogs

I’m the host for this week’s Best of Boomer Blogs #307.

As spring is finally underway and May is bringing us flowers, baby boomer bloggers are writing about what’s on their minds as summer approaches.

While on vacation, Tom Sightings, of Sightings Over Sixty, saw a billboard advertising a shooting range ... and suddenly realized “Why Men Love Guns.”

What is one off the greatest loses for American Expats? Watching an American football game. Arabian Tales Katie Foster finds an American football league in the deserts of Dubai.

Laura Lee Carter, the Midlife Crisis Queen, has been taking a week off and doing some reading for pleasure. Here is her assessment of the new Debbie Reynolds memoir: ”Unsinkable.”

 With Mother’s Day nearing, Lisa Garon Froman, of Tao Flashes, offers an honest portrayal of her time as a Helicopter Mom in “An Ode to Motherhood.” It’s a bittersweet account of her memories and regrets.

Karen D. Austin, of The Generation Above Me, describes dystextia, a new stroke symptom established by doctors. Her post examines the four documented case reports of dystextia. In most cases, the inability to text properly was the only sign of stroke.

This week, John Agno, of So Baby Boomer, gives a primer on annuities: With a typical annuity, a customer hands over her retirement nest egg to an insurance company in exchange for a promised future stream of payments. The insurer invests the money and gets to keep any earnings beyond what’s guaranteed to the policyholder. If the bets backfire and the insurance company fails, some losses may be borne by customers and state guarantee funds, which puts boomers at risk.

My tips for baby boomer consumers this week are on giving donations to help others through crowdfunding. While these websites are established to allow solicitation of money for a variety of purposes, the organizations or individuals who get the funds aren’t necessarily charities. Some contributions may not be tax deductible, the websites usually take a percentage of the donation ranging from 5 to 20 percent, and you may pay processing fees.

Be sure to check back next week to see what baby boomer bloggers are writing about.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What consumers need to know about crowdfunding

Within days, crowdfunding websites reportedly raised more than $2 million to support victims of the Boston Marathon bombing tragedy. 

While online giving provides a quick and easy way to support those in need, donors should ask questions and know what to expect when contributing through crowdfunding websites.

Crowdfunding websites are established to allow solicitation of money for a variety of purposes. The organizations or individuals to which the funds are given can be, but aren’t necessarily charitable, according to the Better Business Bureau. Some contributions through these sites may not be tax deductible as charitable donations.  

Donors should know that crowdfunding websites usually take a percentage of the donation ranging from 5 to 20 percent and may also deduct payment processing fees in addition. A few of these sites may allow the donor to cover all such fees but, in many cases, the recipient may not receive the full amount given.  

Crowdfunding websites can raise money for legitimate charities.  However, if you want to be sure that the charity receives the entire amount given, it’s a good idea to go to a charity’s website and make a direct online contribution, the BBB advises. 

Giving through established charities has advantages including the requirement that they register with state government authorities, must report on use of funds, and are subject to the oversight of a board of directors.

Only certain types of tax-exempt organizations are eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable gifts, according to the Internal Revenue Service. 

Crowdfunding donations made to support a specific individual or family are considered a “personal gift” and not a charitable contribution. If charitable tax deductibility is important to you, be sure to donate to an eligible organization as defined by the IRS.

Additional tips from the BBB:

• Make sure the crowdfunding websites you use to donate securely encrypt all transactions using Secure Socket Layer technology. Look for https at the beginning of the website address.

• Read the crowdfunding site’s statement about its policies –  including its terms, conditions, and privacy policy – to understand how your donation and your personal information will be handled before giving.

• Check out charities through www.bbb.org.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Happy Valentine’s Day

I hope you’re having a great Valentine's Day so far.

If you still need help with ideas for your partner or love interest, see my article “Top 10 tips for Valentine’s Day 2013.” Of the 10 articles listed, readers especially like “Five Steps for Wowing Your Favorite Female on Valentine’s Day.”

If you’re single, you can look forward to Friday, Feb. 15, which is Singles Awareness Day. This is a day for single people to stand up and show that it’s O.K. to be single. Singles are encouraged to have celebrations and get-togethers and exchange gifts with their single friends. Single people who felt left out on Valentine’s Day established the day.

There are more than 30 million single older Americans and the 50-plus segment is the fastest growing group of subscribers for online dating.

So, here’s to love on Valentine’s Day. Best wishes to you and your special loved one and good luck if you’re looking for love.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Consumers spending slightly more on Valentine’s Day this year

The average person is planning to spend $131 on Valentine’s Day on candy, cards, gifts, and more, up from $126 last year. The total spending for the holiday will reach $18.6 billion, according to the National Retail Federation.

A mix of traditional and non-traditional Valentine’s Day gifts will be popular with consumers this year, the federation said in a statement.

Slightly more than half of gift givers will buy candy, spending $1.6 billion in total, and another one-third will give flowers, with total spending expected to top $1.9 billion.

Others will treat their special someone to jewelry, 20 percent, spending more than $4.4 billion on diamonds, gold, and silver. An additional 16 percent will buy clothing, spending more than $1.6 billion. Gift cards will also be on the top of shoppers’ lists; 15 percent of gift givers will buy gift cards for their loved ones, totaling to $1.5 billion.

The average male will spend more than the average woman this year, the federation said. Men will spend an average of $176 on jewelry, flowers, a romantic evening out, and more, while women will spend about $89.

There will be a lot of last-minute deals, so be on the lookout for promotions on chocolates, flowers, and dining.

Whatever your plans, have a terrific Valentine’s Day celebration.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Five steps for wowing your favorite female on Valentine’s Day

How will your 2013 Valentine’s Day be remembered?

Ernest Quansah, relationship specialist and author, offers these suggestions for wowing the special woman in your life.

1. Anticipation

Before the big day, drive her wild with anticipation by telling her that you have the most amazing surprise for her. This promise will keep her guessing and make her think about your evening

2. Flowers

Know her favorite flowers. If you don’t, don’t panic. You can find out by making a comment such as, “I’ve noticed plants blooming early this year …” and steer the conversation from there. In a beautiful vase, arrange an exotic bouquet and hide it somewhere in your home on the special day. She’ll like that you created the presentation.

3. Chocolate

Go to your local chocolate shop and select her favorite kinds of chocolate. Have it boxed and nicely wrapped to prevent her from knowing what it is when you present the chocolates to her.

4. Dinner preparation

Create a dish and name it after her. For example, if her name is Anne, you might call the dish “Tournedos Princess Anne.” This step is the most important. Food that is named after a person is a special honor. And women love it when their partners do the cooking. To be organized, cut and precook the vegetables, and make the sauce beforehand. Leave everything in the fridge. Then, on Valentine’s Day, set the table before you start the cooking. On both plates, place a fresh red rose. The single rose is just part of making her think that that is all the flowers she will be getting. When she gets home, make sure to get her to promise you that she’ll stay out of the kitchen so you can surprise her.

5. Dinner and gift giving

When everything is ready, plate the food, cover it and take it to the dining table, and then ask her to come and sit. Before you uncover the lid, have her close her eyes. Retrieve the hidden bouquet, place the flowers on the table, and ask her to open her eyes. Tell her what you’ve named the dish. After the meal, take her by the hand, walk her to the living room, and sit her down. Bring out the boxed chocolate, go on one knee and tell her, “This is for you,” or, “You make me feel whole,” or, “You are the most beautiful woman in the world, and I love you.”

Overkill? Not at all, Quansah says, adding it really works.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Are there any Valentine’s Day deals out there?

It’s almost Valentine’s Day. If you’re still shopping and want a good price for your sweetheart’s gift, here are some suggestions from dealnews.com:

• Avoid price increases on jewelry by finding a coupon or credit.

• Check department stores for lingerie rather than lingerie-specific stores.

• Don’t expect discounts on high-end chocolates.

• Look for deals on fragrances.

• See if you can find clothing bargains still on sale from January clearances.

See “What to Expect From Valentine’s Day Deals” for more information.

Good luck with your shopping.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What do Americans like most, least about the holidays?

A Consumer Reports poll shows that the holiday season is a happy time for most Americans, but there are still some things about this time of year that people don’t like.

Americans’ biggest holiday dreads, according to the poll, include:

• Crowds and long lines (58 percent)
• Gaining weight (41 percent)
• Aggressive or thoughtless driving in store parking lots (40 percent)
• Getting into debt (30 percent)
• Gift shopping (20 percent)
• Seasonal music (14 percent)
• Disappointing gifts (13 percent)
• Seeing certain relatives (12 percent)
• Traveling (10 percent)
• Having to attend holiday parties, gatherings, or events (9 percent)
• Having to be nice (4 percent)
• Holiday tipping (3 percent)

When asked what they wished they could do differently from how they expected to spend their time during the holiday season, 22 percent of Americans said they’d like to change their holiday activities. Thirteen percent wished they could alter their holiday food menu, and an equal amount said they wished they could celebrate with a different group of people. Fifty-three percent wouldn’t change a thing.

The Consumer Reports Holiday Poll also showed that 60 percent of shoppers would rather receive cash as a present than a gift card. And eight-in-10 would rather receive something practical over something expensive or showy as a gift.

More results of the Consumer Reports Holiday Poll are available at ConsumerReports.org.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist