The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

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

Watch out as Valentine’s Day approaches for online romance scammers

Valentine’s Day is a day for romance, but it can also be a time for scammers to take advantage of those looking for love online

The Better Business Bureau is urging consumers be careful before letting their hearts – and their money – get stolen.

Don’t be a catfish.

In a documentary “Catfish” and a MTV reality show with the same name, a catfish is someone who pretends to be someone they’re not by using Facebook or other social media to create false identities, especially to pursue deceptive online romances.

The BBB and Western Union offer consumers tips on how to avoid relationship scams.

Be on your guard

Only send money to people you have met in person. Be cautious with people you meet online, even if you correspond with them via e-mail or phone. Be wary of anyone who asks you to leave the dating website immediately to continue your conversation through e-mail or instant messaging, as this allows fraudsters to carry out their scam without the dating site having a record of your encounter.

Be cautious if someone claims to be local but is currently out of the country

Fraudsters could be operating from overseas, making it more difficult for authorities to track them down. Never give your banking information to people that you have not met in person or businesses that you don’t know.

Always verify every emergency situation before sending money

Fraudsters can trick their victims in a variety of ways. Sometimes they instantly express feelings of love and other times they lead their victims on for a while. No matter how much your relationship might seem like the real thing, you should be suspicious if someone starts asking for information such as credit card, bank, or government ID numbers or requesting you to send money.

For more information on scams, check out the BBB Scam Stopper at www.bbb.org/scam.

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

Facts and figures for the 2012 holiday season

I was certain the world wouldn’t end Dec. 21. So now that all that negative news is passed, it’s time to write about the holidays.

Spending

Consumers will be spending more during the 2012 holidays.

Sales this year will increase 4.1 percent to $586.1 billion, according to a National Retail Federation survey.

In a first-time analysis, Shop.org predicts online sales will increase 12 percent over the last holiday season to as much as $96 billion.

U.S. consumers predict they’ll spend an average of $770 on Christmas gifts this year. That roughly matches the $764 they estimated at this time a year ago that they’d spend, according to a Gallup Poll survey.

Travel

On travel, AAA projects 93.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the year-end holidays, an increase of 1.6 percent over the 91.8 million people who traveled last year.

Ninety percent of travelers, 84.4 million, will travel by automobile, representing 26.7 percent of the total U.S. population.

Holiday air travel is expected to increase 4.5 percent to 5.6 million travelers, up from 5.4 million in 2011.

Celebrations

Eighty-eight percent of American adults say they celebrate Christmas, and 81 percent of this group celebrate it as a religious holiday, according to a 2012 Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Just 16 percent of those celebrants regard it as a secular holiday.

Another Rasmussen Reports survey finds that 88 percent of American adults celebrate Christmas with their family.

Other holiday activities reported on as part of the survey include:

• Sixty percent plan to attend a Christmas party this year.

• Fifty-four percent will send out Christmas cards.

• Nine percent will go Christmas caroling.

Holiday stress

A third Rasmussen Reports survey finds that 46 percent of American adults consider the holiday season joyous. Nearly as many, 42 percent, find the season stressful instead. Twelve percent aren’t sure how they feel about the season.

Hanukkah and Winter Solstice

I wasn’t able to find any statistics for 2012 for estimates of the number of Americans celebrating Hanukkah and the Winter Solstice.

However, a 2007 Rasmussen Reports survey found 3 percent said they would celebrate Hanukkah and 3 percent said they would recognize the Winter Solstice.

Kwanzaa

The celebration of Kwanzaa, created in 1966 by professor Maulana Ron Karenga as a way for African Americans to honor their culture, is declining.

Karenga estimates a half-million to two million people in the U.S. celebrate Kwanzaa.

Whatever your tradition, I hope you enjoy your holiday celebrations.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Relationships, holiday costs, health, and midlife are topics for this week’s Blogging Boomer Carnival

Laura Lee Carter of the Midlife Crisis Queen is the host for this week’s Blogging Boomer Carnival #290.

The carnival is a collection of like-minded blogs cooperating to share their best stories of interest to the Baby Boomer Generation.

As the solstice approaches, boomer bloggers are writing about spending time with adult children, ways to cut holiday costs, colonoscopies, relationships, and boomers at midlife.

Our new blog carnival member Sara Cornell writes a blog, Life After Married, where she explores the complicated emotions of being a boomer in and out of complex relationships.

In addition to my blog, other members of the Blogging Boomer Carnival are: The Midlife Crisis Queen, Sightings From 60, Arabian Tales and Other Amazing Adventures, So Baby Boomer, and Vaboomer.

Tune in next week for another installment of the Blogging Boomer Carnival.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Gratitude is the topic for this week’s Blogging Boomer Carnival

John Agno of So Baby Boomer is the host for Blogging Boomer Carnival #287.

The carnival is a collection of like-minded blogs cooperating to share their best stories of interest to the Baby Boomer Generation.

For this carnival, baby boomer bloggers write they're thankful for daily gratitude, good thoughts, carnival visitors, people to share life with, and having food, shelter, and health care insurance.

I'm thankful for my family, pictured above.

Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, are leading corporations, serving as governmental officials, heading up non-profits, worrying about retirement, and experiencing layoffs at a higher rate than younger workers. They’re also reinventing themselves in trying economic times, with some looking for their dream jobs to keep them happy in retirement.

At each stage in their lives, boomers have changed things. They’re continuing to make America different as they begin entering into their retirement years.

In addition to The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide, members of the Blogging Boomer Carnival are: The Midlife Crisis Queen, Sightings From 60, Arabian Tales and Other Amazing Adventures, So Baby Boomer, and Vaboomer.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Happy Thanksgiving 2012 to you all

The big day is finally here.

I’m looking forward to a fantastic dinner with my daughter and her family.

I’m thankful for my family and having a house to live in and a car to drive. I’m also thankful I have health care insurance.

Best wishes to you on this day of celebration. I hope your stress level is low. However, if you need stress reduction tips see “How Baby Boomers Can Reduce Thanksgiving Stress.”

If you have relatives that cause problems, see “How Baby Boomers Can Survive Thanksgiving Day With Their Relatives.”

I hope you have a good Thanksgiving Day.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist