The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Looking for bargains? What to buy and not buy at dollar stores

By Rita R. Robison

Consumers can find many brand name products, especially grocery items, at big bargains in dollar stores.

The September 2012 issue of ShopSmart magazine, from the publisher of Consumer Reports, shows how much shoppers can save on name brand and private-label items at dollar stores, plus which products actually cost more.

“Dollar stores are no longer the junky outlets they used to be, and there are big savings to be had, even on brand name products,” Lisa Lee Freeman, editor-in-chief of ShopSmart, said in a statement.

In a ShopSmart poll, 76 percent of women said they shopped at a dollar store in the past year, and three out of four of them said they were going to these retailers more often than they used to. One reason is dollar stores have gone mainstream and offer a wide selection of national brands.

At Dollar General, the largest of the big three chains, the brands carried include Crayola, Folgers, Hanes, Huggies, and Tide. At Family Dollar, consumers can find L’Oreal, Maybelline, Nabisco, and Pepsi. And at Dollar Tree you can buy Ajax, Dial Soap, Reynolds Wrap, Scope, and Softsoap, among other brands.

ShopSmart sent secret shoppers and shopping experts out across the country on dozens of shopping trips to mostly big-chain dollar stores such as Family Dollar, Dollar General, and Dollar Tree. Here’s what they found:

• Not every product costs a dollar. Most dollar stores sell merchandise at various prices. At Dollar General, about 25 percent of the items are $1 or less. Most items cost less than $10. But you’ll find exceptions, often on specialty or seasonal goods, such as an $85 inflatable swimming pool or $35 fan.

• They’ll save you money. ShopSmart compared prices on 38 items including food, cleaning supplies, paper products, drinks, and other everyday staples and found that Dollar General had the lowest prices on many items.

• You can shop online. All of the big dollar-store chains have a retail website, but many products are only sold by the case. Ordering large quantities of products you use regularly, such as toilet paper, can be an economical way to shop.

What to buy and what to avoid at dollar stores

• Consider private-label or store brands. Store brands are great bargains, but no retailers beat dollar stores when it comes to these low-budget alternatives, according to ShopSmart’s price scan. Buying a dollar store’s private-label brand can save shoppers 29 percent on average over national store brands; a better deal than the 25 you can save from Walmart and the 15 percent from Target.

• Avoid off-brand vitamins and electrical products. In 2009, ShopSmart found lots of worrisome products on dollar store shelves including expired infant gas-relief drops, lighters that looked like toys, and tiki torches that caught fire. Today, all four dollar store chains have safety information and recalls on their websites. And even though some stores sell closeouts, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are of inferior quality. Dollar General and Family Dollar sell only first-run products, most purchased directly from the manufacturers. However, ShopSmart doesn’t recommend buying off-brand vitamins from dollar stores. Also, watch out for electrical products without UL labels, or with fake ones.

• Check expiration dates on food and medication. Be sure to check the date when buying food or medication in a dollar store to make sure the product hasn’t expired. Items with expiration dates, such as perishable and frozen foods, topped ShopSmart’s poll respondents’ list of things that they never buy at a dollar store.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Baby boomers: How much are you spending on anti-aging remedies and procedures?

By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

On Saturday, instead of a big banner headline on The Huffington Post screaming about political squabbles or the latest war report, baby boomers were featured.

The article, “Boomers Will Be Pumping Billions Into Anti-Aging Industry,” said spending on anti-aging products would rise from $80 billion to more than $114 in 2015.

Boomers, who want to be “forever young,” are expected to spend these funds on wrinkle creams, plastic surgery, supplements, hormone replacement therapy, workout regimes, and other remedies and procedures.

In the article, the National Institute on Aging advises boomers to eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and don’t smoke rather than spend money on anti-aging products.

The pros and cons of supplements, hormone replacement therapy, plastic surgery, and wrinkle care were discussed.

I don’t think the cons of plastic surgery were emphasized enough. I’ve written about the possible side effects. They aren’t pretty. See “Why You Should Think Twice Before Having Plastic Surgery” for details. In addition, take a look at “How Bad Is Botox for You?”

The article did a better job on wrinkle creams. It quoted the Consumer Reports tests that show there is little, if any, benefit from using the creams. See my articles “Wrinkle Creams Widely Used, But Don’t Do Much Good” and “You Can’t Erase Wrinkles With Cream” for details.

What are you doing to combat aging? Botox? Workouts? Walks? A face-lift? Eating organic food? Are you spending a lot of money?

Let me know in the Comment section below.

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Top 10 gifts to avoid giving the woman or man in your life

When I was doing Valentine’s Day research, I ran across an article on the worst gifts to give the woman you love.

One of the items I’d recently purchased for myself: the St. John’s wort tea, which the box says “Encourages a positive mood.” I’m using the herb in poultices to help my arthritic fingers.

The following top 10 list worst gifts for women, by disaboom, made me chuckle:

10. Bathroom scale

9. Breast enlargement snacks

8. Spicy dice, a game where you roll for choices such as “Kiss,” “Tickle,” “My feet”…

7. Feather duster

6. Video game for your game system

5. The book “He’s Just Not That Into You"

4. Skinny-leg jeans

3. Good mood dietary supplement, such as St. John’s wort tea

2. Moluccan cockatoo, birds that shriek loudly and can live 80 years or more

1. Bikini wax kit

See the article “Top 10 Worst Valentine’s Day Gifts for Your Girlfriend” for details on why these gift ideas are bad.

On the flip side, here’s a list of gifts that most men wouldn't appreciate:

10. Video games

9. Regifted gifts

8. A picture of you in a frame or on a coffee mug

7. Clothes that don’t fit

6. Self-help books

5. Flowers

4. Gift cards

3. Fitness products

2. Mouthwash

1. Sex-related products

See “10 Bad Gift Ideas for Men on Valentine’s Day” on Factoidz for information on why these gifts most likely wouldn't be appreciated.

My next post will be "How to Have a Fantastic, Fun Valentine's Day."

Copyright 2010, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Baby boomer alert: Watch out for household products that could injure or kill your child or grandchild

Each year, poisonings from consumer products found in the home kill about 30 children and result in more than two million calls to poison control centers across the nation.

More than 90 percent of the calls involve poisonings in the home. Every year an estimated 80,000 children are treated in hospital emergency rooms for unintentional poisonings.

March 15 to 21 is National Poison Prevention Week, which aims to help prevent childhood poisonings.

Children younger than age 5 account for the majority of the non-fatal poisonings. A recent review conducted by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found that 70 percent of poisonings involve children 1 to 2 years of age.

Oral prescription drugs, non-prescription drugs, and supplements were involved in more than half of the incidents.

“Awareness and action are the keys to preventing unintentional poisonings,” said Nancy Nord, acting chairman of the commission. “Children act fast. So do poisons. That’s why we urge parents, grandparents, and caregivers to have layers of poison prevention protection in the home.”

The commission recommends that parents, grandparents, and caregivers immediately take these three steps.

1. Keep medicines and household chemicals in their original, child-resistant containers.
2. Store the potentially hazardous substances up and out of a child’s sight and reach
3. Keep the national toll-free poison control center telephone number, 800-222-1222, handy in case of a poison emergency.

Additional poison prevention tips to check during National Poison Prevention Week are:

• When hazardous products are in use, never let young children out of your sight, even if you must take them along when answering the phone or doorbell.

• Keep items closed and in their original containers.

• Leave the original labels on all products, and read the label before using.

• Always leave the light on when giving or taking medicine so that you can see what you’re dispensing or taking. Check the dosage every time.

• Avoid taking medicine in front of children. Refer to medicine as "medicine," not "candy."

• Clean out the medicine cabinet periodically and safely dispose of unneeded and outdated medicines.

• Don’t put decorative lamps and candles that contain lamp oil where children can reach them. Lamp oil can be very toxic if ingested by young children.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

If you're a baby boomer who takes erectile dysfunction medications, read this warning

Baby boomers who take three well-known erectile dysfunction medications should be extremely careful if they also take any of 56 other drugs, including many commonly prescribed anti-angina and certain blood pressure medications, grapefruit juice, and St. John’s Wort, warns Public Citizen.

The three erectile dysfunction drugs are Viagra, chemical name sildenafil; Cialis, chemical name tadalafil; and Levitra, chemical name vardenafil.

The 56 drugs fall into three categories: (1) those that can cause a life-threatening drop in blood pressure when taken with erectile dysfunction drugs; (2) those that prevent the body from eliminating erectile dysfunction drugs, thereby leading to an overdose; and (3) those that speed up the metabolism of the erectile dysfunction drugs, thereby reducing their effectiveness.

Grapefruit juice also is listed in the second category because it acts like a drug in this circumstance.

"Those who take erectile dysfunction drugs are generally older men, who are more likely to be taking other medications as well," said Sidney Wolfe, M.D., director of the Health Research Group at Public Citizen, in a statement about the drugs. "It is critical that they be aware of the potential for dangerous interactions."

Erectile dysfunction drugs cause blood vessels to dilate, an effect that is magnified when taken with blood pressure medications, which also dilate blood vessels. Men who take blood pressure medications such as Flomax and Cardura should avoid erectile dysfunction drugs, Wolfe said. The combination can cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure that could lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Other drugs, such as erythromycin and nefazodone, inhibit an enzyme that metabolizes erectile dysfunction medications, thereby causing a build-up of the erectile dysfunction drugs to higher levels. Other medications, such as nafcillin, phenobarbital, and 13 other drugs, increase the activity of the enzyme, rendering the erectile dysfunction drugs less effective.

St. John’s Wort, an herbal supplement, also is included in this third category because it has a negative, drug-like effect when used with erectile dysfunction drugs.

The complete list of 56 drugs is at Public Citizen’s WorstPills.org.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

 

Celebrate what's working in comunities at Seattle's Green Festival

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, be sure to take in the Green Festival April 12 and 13 in Seattle.

The emphasis is on how green means safe, healthy communities and a strong local economy.

More than 150 authors, leaders, and educators will speak and offer workshops. There're also be films, activities for kids, organic beer and wine, great vegetarian food, and live music. More than 300 eco-friendly booths will offer natural personal care products, organic cotton clothes, and fair trade gift items.

Among the personalities attending will be Amory Lovins, Amy Goodman, Frances Moore Lappe, Gifford Pinchot III, Thom Hartmann, Caroline Casey, Jim Hightower, Jerome Ringo, John Perkins, Riane Eisler, David Korten, and Eric Liu.

For information, see SeattleCAN.org. You can get a coupon for free admission at the this site. The price of admission is $10 to $12.

Health benefits of green tea

Is green tea good for your health?

I hope so. Since I'm allergic to coffee and black tea gives me headaches, I started drinking green tea a few years ago. Now I drink one or two cups a day.

Opinions vary on the health benefits of green tea.

Amazing Green Tea.com, written by a Tibetan buddhists Julian Tai and Hongquan, offers these possible benefits, along with summaries of research studies about each claim:

• Acts as an antioxidant.
• Prolongs life.
• Prevents and treats cancer.
• Rejuvenates the body after heart attacks and strokes.
• Keeps arteries clear.
• Reduces high blood pressure.
• Prevents and treats diabetes.
• Burns fat and helps people exercise longer.
• Protects the lungs from smoking.
• Protects the liver from alcohol.
• Fights off flu and colds.
• Prevents tooth decay and cures bad breath.
• Builds bones.
• Rehydrates the body.

On the other hand, federal agencies and American cancer organizations don’t support such green tea health claims.

The National Cancer Institute states:

• The antioxidants found in tea -- called catechins -- may selectively inhibit the growth of cancer.

• In laboratory studies using animals, catechins scavenged oxidants before cell damage occurred, reduced the number and size of tumors, and inhibited the growth of cancer cells.

• Human studies have proven more contradictory, perhaps due to such factors as variances in diet, environments, and populations.

Institute researchers are investigating the therapeutic and preventive use of tea catechins against a variety of cancers.

On May 10, 2006, the federal Food and Drug Administration rejected the petition of a Japanese company requesting permission to state on labels that green tea reduces the risk of heart disease. The FDA concluded that the evidence it examined, the 105 publications submitted with the petition, is supportive, but not conclusive for the claim.

The American Cancer Society states:

• Large East Asia studies generally haven’t found that green tea drinkers have a lower risk of breast, stomach, or colon cancers than non-tea drinkers.

• One study found that Asian-American women who drink green tea regularly have a lower risk of breast cancer than those who don’t.

• A Chinese study found that green tea drinking was linked to fewer cancers of the esophagus for people who didn’t smoke. But a 2006 Japanese study showed that those with cancer of the esophagus were more likely to be green tea drinkers than those who didn’t have the cancer.

• Other studies of green tea’s ability to prevent or treat lung, prostate, bladder, or other cancers have yielded similarly mixed results.

The society believes more human studies are needed, and studies are underway.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is supporting studies to learn more about the components in green tea and their effects on conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Tomorrow's post: What is green tea?

Lack of vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, may increase the risk of cancer, other disorders

Living in the rainy Pacific Northwest, I've often wondered about getting enough vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin.

People who live in northern climates may be deficient in vitamin D and may be at an increased risk of certain diseases and disorders, recent studies show.

In a Feb. 13, 2008, article, "Does Our Lack of Sun Put Your Health in Danger?" The Seattle Times reports that low levels of vitamin D can:

• Raise your risk of cancer.
• Increase susceptibility to heart attack, diabetes, and other disorders.
• Partially account for higher rates of multiple sclerosis in northern areas.

Because people use sunscreen, a seasonal shortfall of vitamin D has become  a year-round condition for many. A 15-minute exposure to the summer sun to your arms and legs only can generate 5,000 international units of the vitamin. One expert, quoted in The Times article, recommends sensible sun exposure that shields the face and stops far short of sunburn.

Vitamin D, long associated only with its role in bone formation, is actually active throughout the human body, powerfully influencing immune system responses and cell defenses, according to an article in Scientific American, November 2007.

Vitamin D supplements could address the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in temperate zones, but how much people should take is still being debated. See page 5 of the Scientific American article for suggestions.

If people take too much vitamin D, it can trigger dangerous calcium deposits in kidneys and blood vessels, according to The Times article. However, it takes a significant amount for this to occur: more than 10,000 IU a day for a year.

How does your city rank in the amount of sunshine it receives?

Here is a listing of the top 101 cities, with a population of 50,000 plus, in the U.S. that have the lowest average amount of sunshine.

My next three posts on The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide will cover cover warm weather topics:

• Retiring where it's warm in the U.S.
• Retiring where it's warm abroad.
• A great vacation treat in Florida, art in a botanical garden.