The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Fourth of July Sales and what to buy and not buy in July

What are your July 4^th plans?

This year, three-quarters of consumers plan to celebrate Independence Day, down from 86 percent in 2019, according to a survey conducted for the American Retail Federation. Much of the decline is because fewer consumers plan to go to traditional celebrations such as a fireworks show. Only 24 percent said they plan to celebrate the Fourth by attending a community celebration, compared with 41 percent last year.

Consumers plan to spend $76 on average, which about the same as previous years. And more than half of consumers expect to plan a cookout or BBQ.

Independence Day sales

July 4^th sales are underway. It’s a good holiday for discounts and brings savings on many items, according to DealNews.com.

Sign up for my newsletter and get 10 helpful financial tips each week

For several months now, I’ve been writing a weekly newsletter called “Helpful Money Tips for You.” If offers the latest information on how you can get what you want for your money.

This week, I came across a most helpful tip. It's to check your rewards cards, especially those related to travel since you might not be traveling now, and see what your balances are and what you can do about rewards.

I checked with one credit card, the one I usually use for airline tickets and travel. I only have about 1,700 points. The credit union redemption center said I’d need 2,500 points to get a $25 gift card. I’ll start using that card for groceries and other purchases to get the cash back. The points don’t expire until March 2022.

On my other card, I have about 36,000 points. That’s the one I’ve been charging my groceries and Amazon purchases on, a lot of Amazon shopping going on during Stay Home, Stay Healthy. It doesn’t have a cash back option. I can get three Visa gift cards for $100, costing 11,000 points each. Or, I can get gift cards for a specific store or Amazon, $350 for 36,000 points.

That’s exciting news. I’ll give some thought on what to spend $300 to $350 on because I’m not traveling to Spain (like in the photo above) and my daughter and her family won’t be coming this time of year to visit from Spain. And we won’t be going to Sacramento to visit my daughter and her family there in July, like we usually do.

So, this is the kind of helpful financial information you can get from my newsletter. Sign up by clicking on this link: eepurl.com/gkZ6JH. Or, fill out the form on the upper right of this page. Thanks. I look forward to getting your feedback.

Copyright 2020, Rita R. Robison, Consumer and Personal Finance Journalist

What to buy and not buy at Memorial Day sales 2020

Memorial Day sales have begun, even though stores aren’t operating like they usually do due to the coronavirus pandemic. Shop online for safety or pick up items you’ve ordered from local retail stores.

Many states have opened retail stores, including Georgia, Florida, Texas, and Iowa. However, I wouldn’t take the risk to go shopping for clothes or other items yet. About a dozen states – Alabama, Arizona, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, North Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, and Mississippi – have opened retail stores even though their coronavirus cases are going up or have plateaued rather than dropping. See this New York Times article on the reopening plans of states.

DealNews.com suggests consumers look for Memorial Day deals on:

What to buy and not buy in May

Depending on where you live, you may or may not be able to go out and shop during the month of May. However, even if you’re still staying at home you can shop from home.

While it’s important to continue to limit your shopping to essential items, because you don’t put a burden on employees who are still required to go to work to handle your order, there are important things going on in May, such as buying birthday presents for May birthdays and Mother’s Day. I mention that because my birthday is in May, and I’d like to get a present to cheer myself up.

Here are tips from DealNews for May shopping:

Star Wars items

Star Wars Day is May 4 — as in "May the Fourth Be With You" — and companies often celebrate by offering deals on different kinds of merchandise.

Even though May 4 is my birthday, I’m not longing for a Star Wars t-shirt.

Mother’s Day

Traditional gifts such as flowers and jewelry will likely jump in price right before Mother's Day, which is May 10 this year.

Watch out for phony florists when you order flowers for Valentine’s Day

If you’re ordering flowers for Valentine’s Day, be careful you don’t fall for a scam as a last-minute shopper. 

The Better Business Bureau has received numerous reports from shoppers who turned to online florists for last-minute orders. They paid for a beautiful arrangement but ended up getting disappointing flowers – or nothing at all. 

How the scam works

Since you can’t get flowers locally, you try the internet. You enter your credit card information and delivery details.

From here, the scam can take a few different routes. Your flowers are delivered, but they don’t arrive on time, are damaged, or look nothing like the picture. Your attempts to get a full or partial refund go unanswered or are flatly refused. In other scams, your flowers are never delivered, and the online florist shop becomes unreachable. Other consumers have reported that after paying, they’re contacted by the florist shop and forced to upgrade their purchase, paying extra for something they don’t actually want to buy.

Facts and figures for the holidays 2019: Shopping

How are you doing with your holiday shopping? Have you overspent your budget? 

Consumers say they'll spend an average of $1,047.83 this holiday season, up 4 percent from the $1,007.24 they said they would spend last year, according to the National Retail Federation. Total spending is expected to reach between $727.9 billion and $730.7 billion. 

One in five Americans will owe holiday credit card debt into February, at least, according to a survey by WalletHub, a personal finance website. Fifty-eight percent will pay in full by the due date, 19 percent will pay in full by New Year's Day, and 12 percent will still have a holiday balance after January. 

Another WelletHub survey found the top two financial resolutions for 2020 are: (1) repay 20 percent of credit card debt, and (2) add one month’s pay to an emergency fund.

Here are other facts on holiday spending this year, according to the WalletHub survey: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Return policies for 48 stores this holiday season

Not every gift is going to be perfect for its recipient. You may need to return some items after the present exchange.

Return policies

Stores have varying deadlines for returns. You need to know about them so you don’t try to return an item months later and find out you’ve missed the deadline.

Retailers often give consumers at least 30 days to return an item, and some allow more time. Certain stores give you 60 or 90 days, but there's usually a cutoff for getting cash back – after that, you’ll probably receive a gift card.

Some stores extend their return deadlines during the holiday season. Look for special return dates for purchases made in November and December. Apple, for example, usually gives you 14 days for returns. However, if you order your items online between Nov. 15 and Dec. 25, you’ll have until Jan. 8, 2020, to return them.

Receipts

Hopefully, your Christmas delivery will come with a receipt. Or, you’ll keep your receipt if you buy the gift in a store. If you don't have a receipt, you may be able to return an item and get store credit. However, some retailers will reject your return if you don’t have the receipt.

No returns

Retailer have varying policies, but really exclusive items, used items, and final sale products probably can’t be exchanged or returned. Remember to read the fine print or check the return policy before you ask for a return for these items.

Identification

Some retailers request a valid ID when you ask for a return. That’s because shoplifters are less likely to return an item for cash if they have to give their names. Plus, it helps retailers track irregular return patterns.

DealNews, a comparison shopping website, offers the following return policies for well-known stores:

Attorneys generals ask FTC to protect consumers from bogus ‘free trial offer’ deals

Twenty-three attorneys general urged the Federal Trade Commission Tuesday to adopt regulations to prevent consumers from being tricked by negative option marketing schemes. In a letter to the agency, they argue that the FTC should use its rulemaking authority to expand existing regulations. 

“We’re urging the FTC to take action and use its power to protect consumers from the harm of predatory marketers,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James.

With negative option marketing, a marketer makes an offer and the consumers’ silence or failure to respond is considered acceptance.

What to buy and not buy in December

Black Friday and Cyber Monday have come and gone, but there are still deals to be had. Watch the sales, and you can find bargains. However, there are some items you want to avoid buying in December. Here’s what Dealnews.com recommends you look for and avoid in December:

What to buy before Christmas

• DVDs and blu-rays
• Gift cards
• Jewelry
• Headphones

What to buy after Christmas

• Toys, but particularly video games
• Holiday decor

What not to buy in December

• Exercise equipment
• Bedding
• Winter clothing

For details, see “The Six Best Things to Buy in December (Including After Christmas Sales).”

Copyright 2019, Rita R. Robison, Consumer and Personal Finance Journalist

Tips for shopping on Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday has a reputation for being the leftovers from Black Friday. However, it can actually have the better deals. Americans spent an estimated 27 percent more money online on Cyber Monday than on Black Friday last year. One reason is probably it’s more convenient to order deals on Cyber Monday than fight the Black Friday crowds.

Tips for shopping on Cyber Monday include:

Make a plan. You need to have a holiday budget for spending. Don’t let possible deals on Cyber Monday lead you to overspent.

Do research. Know what the prices are for the items on your list. That way, you won’t be fooled by deals that really aren’t deals.