The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Watch out for toxic, dangerous toys, consumer group warns

This holiday season, watch out for dangerous and toxic toys. WashPIRG Foundation’s 33rd annual "Trouble in Toyland" report found toxic amounts of boron in slime products and a failure by Amazon to appropriately label choking hazards. Boron can cause nausea, vomiting, and other health issues.

“No one should worry about whether or not the toy they’re buying is toxic or dangerous," said Elise Orlick, director of the WashPIRG Foundation. "But in 2018, we’re still finding hazards in some of the most popular toys. Toy manufacturers must do better to ensure their products are safe before they end up in children’s hands and mouths.” 

For more than 30 years, Trouble in Toyland has issued toy safety guidelines and has provided examples of toys currently on store shelves that pose potential safety hazards to small children. Key findings from this year’s report include:

USDA needs to identify turkey brands linked to deadly, antibiotic-resistant salmonella outbreak, Consumer Reports says

The U.S. Department of Agriculture should identify the brands of turkey that have been linked to a drug-resistant strain of Salmonella that has sickened consumers across the nation, Consumer Reports said Wednesday. The outbreak in raw turkey products has been going on for a year, but neither the turkey industry nor the USDA has released any information about which brands are making people sick. 

“The USDA should immediately make public which turkey producers, suppliers, and brands are involved in this outbreak – especially with Thanksgiving right around the corner,” said Jean Halloran, director of food policy initiatives for Consumer Reports. “This information could save lives and help ensure consumers take the precautions needed to prevent anyone in their home from getting sick.”

The outbreak of the drug-resistant Salmonella strain, known as Salmonella Reading, has been linked to 164 illnesses in 35 states, including one death in California, and about half of those sickened have been hospitalized. The outbreak has been found in live turkeys and many kinds of raw turkey products, and that it “might be widespread in the turkey industry,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has identified the Salmonella strain in samples of raw turkey products collected from 22 slaughterhouses and seven processing plants but hasn’t disclosed these facilities or the names of the companies that operate them.

Skip illegal ‘Secret Sister’ gift exchanges

The online “Secret Sister” gift exchange and similar invitations are illegal and should be ignored, the Better Business Bureau warns. The campaign, which made a big splash in 2015, is again being circulated on social media sites, especially Facebook. 

The post claims that participants will receive up to 36 gifts in exchange for sending one gift valued at $10. Users are encouraged to invite others to participate in the holiday gift exchange, where they’ll receive information on where to mail gifts. 

However, there’s a big problem with gift chains such “Secret Sister” – they’re pyramid schemes. Gift exchanges are illegal gambling and participants could be subject to penalties for mail fraud, according to the U.S. Postal Inspection Services. Pyramid schemes are illegal, either by mail or on social media, if money or other items of value are requested with assurance of a sizeable return for those who participate.

Will you be going into debt for holiday spending?

The 2018 holiday shopping season, like many before it, will be paid for largely by credit card debt.

After spending more than $1 trillion from November 2017 to January 2018, U.S. consumers began the new year owing more than $1 trillion to credit card companies for the first time. And even though credit card debt levels are going down a little each year, this holiday shopping season could change that.

What are consumers saying about their holiday shopping plans?  Thirty-five percent of people plan to spend more than $500 this year, according to WalletHub’s “2018 Holiday Shopping Survey.” In 2017, 33 percent said they spent that much.

Baby boomers spending time with families and getting ready for the holidays

What do you do in November?  I’ve started getting ready for the holidays. I’ve shipped books to my daughters and nieces and got together with my sisters to give them their holiday presents. Safeway had nice pointsets, so I bought one for my sister’s caregiver who does a good job of helping my sister.

I also found a great book for Lady Elizabeth who runs the bed and breakfast where my sister and I stay when we visit our older sister in Bellingham. It’s called “United Cakes of America: Recipes Celebrating Every State” by Warren Brown. She said she’d bake me a cake on one of our upcoming visits.

This week, I’ll pick out photos for my holiday cards. I’ve got some great ones from a family get-together in August.

It’s the 100th Anniversary of World War I

On the 100^th Anniversary of World War I, a ceremonial ringing of bells will be occurring in communities across the country and the world as 11 a.m. crosses their time zones. 

Veterans Day, which became a national holiday in 1938, is a day to recognize the contributions of the nation’s veterans.

It was formerly called Armistice Day. The Armistice of 1918, ending World War I, was signed on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

In 1954, Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day.

Copyright 2018, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What are the best gift cards for the holidays?

Gift cards are supposed to make gift-giving easier, reducing worry about what the recipient would like and what items he or she may already have. However, gift cards vary, which could explain why nearly $1 billion in gift cards was unused in 2015, despite gift cards being the most popular type of present for 12 years.

WalletHub, a personal finance website, compared the 50 most popular gift cards on several categories: how popular the cards are; how much of a discount you can buy them for; how much you can sell them for; and how much people like the retailer. Here are the top choices:

Watch out for this widely used credit card trick

The holidays are approaching, and the average shopper is expected to spend about $1,007. For many consumers, holidays spending is going to be added to their credit card debt.

One trick sellers continue to use is deferred interest.

Deferred interest is when a retailer advertises a low introductory annual percentage rate or APR – often 0 percent – and gives a consumer the chance to pay for their purchases without interest. However, there’s a catch. If consumers can’t pay off the item by the end of the specified term, they’ll get hit with interest charges as if the regular APR had been in place from the start.

Happy Halloween

Americans will spend $9 billion on Halloween this year. Seven in 10 consumers plan to celebrate, and they’ll spend an average of nearly $90 per person.

If you’re looking for ways to get rid of too much Halloween candy, see “Leftover Halloween Candy: What to Do With It” for suggestions, such as dole it out or donate it to a food bank

Another idea is to donate it to a dentist participating in a Halloween Candy Buy Back program. It reduces the amount of candy kids will eat after Halloween to help prevent cavities. The candy is sent members of the U.S. military.

Happy Halloween. I hope you have a fantastic celebration.

Copyright 2018, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Top Halloween costumes for 2018

Will you be dressing up for Halloween this year like nearly 70 percent of Americans?

Here’s a list of the most popular costumes for 2918 from the National Retail Federation:

Kids

1. Princess
2. Superhero
3. Batman
4. Star Wars character
5. Witch
6. Spider Man
7. Avengers character including Spider Man
8. Ghost
9. Pirate
10. Frozen – Else, Anna