The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

This week’s Best of Boomer Blogs offers information on dementia, suicide, travel, sleeplessness, consumer issues, and food

Katie Foster of Arabian Tales and Other Amazing Adventures is the host for this week’s Best of Boomer Blogs #293.

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

For this installment, boomer bloggers are writing about staving off cognitive decline, suicide as a taboo topic, sleeplessness, President Obama’s support for consumer issues, travel, and Thai food.

In addition to my blog, other members of The Best of Boomer Blogs are: The Midlife Crisis Queen, Sightings From 60, Arabian Tales and Other Amazing Adventures, So Baby Boomer, Blue Blinds, and Life After Marriage.

Be sure to stop by again next week to see what our baby boomer bloggers are writing about.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Great vegetables are my best consumer experience this week, while airline service disappoints

Unusually fine vegetables make my happy, while putting up with airlines makes me cranky.

My best consumer experience: Wonderful green beans and Brussels sprouts

Often during the winter, the organic green beans at my local food co-op look like they have rust or something else on them and the Brussels sprouts are moldy.

This week, both looked amazing. I bought them and cooked them when I was hungry for a snack.

My doctor told me to eat more vegetables because I’m getting close to being in the pre-diabetic category, a concern because diabetes runs in my family.

My worst consumer experience: Airline customer service

I have a respiratory problem, and it works best if I sit in the front of the airplane by the window.

American Airlines does a good job of referring me to a special department and arranging for the seat I need. However, when another carrier operates a leg of my trip on American, things become difficult.

I started out my recent trip to Spain on British Airways. Its planes are configured so that the coach seats are all behind the wing. The agents just tell me nothing can be done, unless I want to pay a lot more for business or first class.

Then there’s Iberia. I tried without success to arrange the seat I needed before my flight because the seat I was assigned was behind the wing for my trip from London to Madrid. The reservation agents I talked to said they couldn’t assign seats in advance. I called six times. They told me to ask at the ticket counter. Often ticket agents say to ask at the gate. Neither one of these options works very well. Most agents just don’t care.

Due to a mix up about the time in London, I was one of the last people to get on the flight to Madrid. There wasn’t time to ask for a different seat. It was quite frustrating. Fortunately, the trip was short, so I didn’t have many problems.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

This week’s Best of Boomer Blogs focuses on investments, communication, health, travel, organization, and midlife challenges

Laura Lee Carter at the Midlife Crisis Queen is this week’s host for The Best of Boomer Blogs.

Formerly called the Blogging Boomer Carnival, our blog roundup now has a new name, The Best of Boomer Blogs. It's the #292^nd offering of the boomer blogging group.

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

This week’s offerings include links to articles on investment myths, what boomer guys talk about, the effects of soda on health, travels in Dubai, getting organized, and the search for meaning in midlife.

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 Life After Marriage.

Be sure to stop by again next week to see what our baby boomer bloggers are writing about.

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

Watch out for common holiday travel scams

People love traveling during the holidays.

It’s likely AAA's 2011 estimate, about 91 million people traveling at least 50 miles during the holidays, will be topped this year.

The Better Business Bureau serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington is reminding consumers who are traveling to watch out for common scams:

• ATM skimming: When paying at the pump for gasoline, keep an eye out for unusual-looking card readers, false keypads, and suspicious cameras.

• E-mail chain letters: Inboxes are flooded with free or cheap offers for five-star accommodations, airline tickets, or cruise passes, but clicking links may install malware or viruses. Avoid unsolicited too-good-to-be-true offers.

• Front desk calls: Hotel guests receive calls from “the front desk” asking them to verify payment information, but the callers are actually scammers.

• Sketchy cab drivers: Be wary if drivers claim that certain hotels or motels are closed and “suggest” other locations. There may be incentives for drivers to create business for less-than-ethical companies. Check bbb.org to find reliable taxi services.

• Social engineering: Swindlers use social media to obtain personal information about travel plans. Avoid posting specifics that entice thieves to loot temporarily vacant homes. Also, be wary of sudden calls or e-mails regarding flights or vacation packages. Never provide personal information or credit card numbers to unsolicited inquirers.

Best wishes for your holiday travels.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Last-minute Thanksgiving information you can use

How are your Thanksgiving plans shaping up?

Here are some last-minute tips you need to know:

Cooking mistakes

What should you do if you make a mistake when you’re preparing Thanksgiving dinner? If the gravy is lumpy, use a potato masher to smash the lumps or strain it. Don’t leave the potatoes in water. It will make them sticky. Keep your smartphone, iPad, or laptop handy and look for articles such as “The Five Biggest Thanksgiving Turkey Mistakes and How to Avoid Them” and “Top Five Thanksgiving Cooking Mistakes.”

Black Friday duds

Be sure to compare prices. While Black Friday often offers the lowest deals of the year, you might not be able to get one of the doorbuster items. Gift sets, holiday products, private label merchandise, and specially-created bundles can be filler items, merchandise that is fluff compared to the real deals. See dealnews.com’s “Watch Out for Black Friday Filler Deals” for more information.

Black Friday precautions

Bring coupons and ads to the store with you, read the fine print about limitations, be sure the deal doesn’t change at the cash register, and ask about the refund policy. If you have problems, ask to talk with the manager. Visit the Better Business Bureau's “Black Friday Bargains: Good Buy or Bust?” for details

Winter car tips

If you’re taking a trip, you might want to get a new pair of wiper blades and carry jumper cables with you. See shopautoweek.com’s “Prep Your Car for Winter Weather” for details.

Cyber Monday scams

Watch out for extremely low prices, blurry photos, little product information, no contact information, unsecured web pages, and bad reviews from consumers and the Better Business Bureau. Go to the BBB’s “Cyber Monday: Counterfeit Sites and Sales” to learn more about computer shopping traps.

Best wishes on Thanksgiving. I hope you have a good day.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Food, positive living, longevity, space, and expat living are topics for this week’s Blogging Boomer Carnival

Katie Foster of Arabian Tales and Other Amazing Adventures is the host for this week’s Blogging Boomer Carnival #286.

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, boomer bloggers are writing about the Hubble Space Telescope, federal grants to connect school cafeterias with local agricultural products, ways to live comfortably with uncertainty, longevity zones around the world, and the challenges for expats living overseas.

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

Facts and figures for Thanksgiving 2012

What are your plans for Thanksgiving?

Celebrations

Most Americans will be spending Thanksgiving with relatives this holiday weekend, with 89 percent having Thanksgiving dinner with members of their family, according to a Pew Research Center survey.

A majority of Americans who say they will be spending Thanksgiving with family members, 62 percent, think that 10 or more relatives will be attending the festive meal.

More than a quarter expect to be enjoying turkey and pumpkin pie with 20 or more family members. Fifteen percent are planning for a small family affair, hosting one to five relatives for dinner.

Overall, the average Thanksgiving party will host 12 relatives this year.

Travel

AAA projects 44 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, an increase of nearly 1 percent over the 43 million people who traveled last year. This increase marks the fourth year of growing holiday travelers since 2008 when Thanksgiving travel fell by 25 percent.

Ninety percent of travelers or 39 million plan to travel by automobile, an increase of nearly 1 percent. Holiday air travel will decline to 3.14 million travelers from 3.2 million in 2011.

Median spending is expected to drop 10 percent to $498, compared to $554 last year.

Average distance traveled will decline to 588 miles from 706 miles, due in part to a decrease in the number of air travelers and Americans desire to economize budgets.

“Thanksgiving travel hit a decade low in 2008 when only 37.8 million Americans traveled,” AAA President and CEO Robert Darbelnet said in a statement. “Since that year, we have seen a steady increase in the number of travelers taking to the roads and skies for the holiday. Americans continue to find ways to economize their budgets so they can gather around the holiday table to carve the turkey.”

Shopping

Up to 147 million people plan to shop Black Friday weekend, a slight decrease from the 152 million who planned to do it last year, according to a National Retail Federation survey. About 71 million said they’d shop and another 76 million said they would wait and see what retailers have in-store that weekend.

To stay up-to-date on sales throughout the holiday season, half of shoppers will use advertising circulars and three in 10 say they’ll use TV advertisements. The number of Americans who prefer to see advertisements digitally is increasing; 27 percent will follow retailers’ websites and 31 percent will track emails from retailers.

Whatever your plans, best wishes to you all for a great Thanksgiving celebration.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

The Great Recession, food, travel, election results, and an early snowstorm are topics for this week’s Blogging Boomer Carnival

Virginia Cornue of Vaboomer is the host for this week’s Blogging Boomer Carnival #285.

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, boomer bloggers are writing about Veteran’s Day, boomers and the Great Recession, traveling in Istanbul, chocolate cake, election results for consumers, and surviving a snowstorm after Hurricane Sandy.

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 Accidental Locavore, 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

Communication, exercise, food, fall yard work, and travel are the topics for this week’s Blogging Boomer Carnival

Tom Sightings of Sightings from 60 is the host for this week’s Blogging Boomer Carnival #281.

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

This week, boomer bloggers are writing about the importance of: communicating with others, exercise for boomers, aging cheese, getting your yard ready for winter, and enjoying travel.

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 Accidental Locavore, 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