The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

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 March

March can be a slow shopping month, especially if you compare it to February, with its Valentine’s Day and Presidents’ Days sales. However, March isn't totally blank when it comes to sales.

Look for sales on television sets, cruises, luggage, winter sports gear, and seasonal fruit, according to DealNews.com.

On the what not to buy list are android phones, spring apparel, gym memberships, and lingerie.

Copyright 2020, 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.

TV junk food advertising aimed at kids continues to increase, study shows

An analysis of 72 hours of children’s television programming in 2018 found that junk-food marketing hasn’t decreased since 2012, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group. Almost all the food and beverage advertisements reviewed during CSPI's analysis were for unhealthy products, as defined by nutrition standards developed by a federal interagency task force. The lack of progress comes despite the adoption in 2013 of uniform nutrition standards by an industry self-regulatory group.

In 2018, CSPI researchers recorded six hours of children’s television programming on each of the 12 biggest channels that offer it. Twenty-three percent of all the ads during the six hours were for foods or beverages, up from 14 percent in 2012. Restaurants were the top category of food and drink advertised to kids, 35 percent; followed by candy, 22 percent; breakfast cereals, 12 percent; beverages, 10 percent; and snack foods, 6 percent.

Ninety-nine percent of the food and beverage ads – 362 out of 364 – were for items that wouldn’t have met the nutrition standards developed by the Obama administration’s Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Kids, whose voluntary recommendations were abandoned due to intense industry lobbying.

Get prepared for Black Friday with this strategy guide

Black Friday can be an exciting time; however, it also may be overwhelming. By being prepared for Black Friday, you won’t miss the best deals.

Dealnews.com recommends these strategies to help you have a smoother experience:

Make a budget now

The first step is deciding how much you can afford to spend this holiday season. Determine the items you absolutely must have, including gifts and other purchases you've been saving for. And be sure to leave room for incidentals, such as pop-up holiday parties or friendly gatherings. After you’ve made a list, calculate the maximum amount you can afford – and be prepared to stick to it.

Baby boomers keep on changin’

In Washington state, we moved our clocks back as we move toward winter. Now, the sun is setting about 5 p.m. The “fall back” doesn’t bother me as much as the “spring forward.” However, it’s jarring to be in the dark so early in the evening.

As winter approaches and we long for spring, baby boomers are writing about life’s changes:

• The five love languages.
• Senior sex.
• Binge-watching bliss.
• Ways to stretch your money this holiday season.
• Shelter in place when a man has a gun.

Rebecca Olkowski of BabyBoomster writes about these articles on the Best of Boomer Blogs #622. Click here to read the articles. And be sure to join in the conversations. Boomer bloggers love to hear from readers.

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

Baby boomers get ready for fall

Summer is an amazing thing. I love it every year when it so nicely appears here in the Seattle area. However, shorter days and cooler nights remind us that it’s time to prepare for a new season’s activities and learn something new. 

This week, baby boomer bloggers have some ideas to help jump-start your autumn. 

They’re writing about:

Baby boomers embrace June and summer fun

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial beginning of summer, although it officially begins June 21. When the weather is good, people enjoy barbecues, picnics with family and friends, outdoor fun at home, and travels elsewhere.

For Memorial Day, I was in Madrid visiting my daughter and her family. The following day we went to  the Manzanares el Real Castle, 45 minutes from Madrid. Close to La Pedriza at the foothills of Sierra de Guadarrama, the castle was restored three times in the 20^th century.

The boomers in our group have been busy and start the season with ideas readers will find interesting. Articles include:

• How to create a "no" list to get time in your life for what’s important.
• How to cultivate friendships.
• Recommendations for TV shows from among those nominated for Emmys.
• The top 100 most frequently asked questions.

Meryl Baer of Six Decades and Counting writes about these articles in the Best of Boomer Blogs #599. Click here to get the links to the articles. And, be sure to let the boomer writers know your thoughts. We love, love, love to get comments from readers.

Copyright 2019, Rita R. Robison, Personal Finance Writer

Top 100 most frequently asked questions

Recently, when I visited Madrid, my granddaughter called her mom and asked her if the dishes in the dishwasher were clean or dirty. I laughed, but then I thought that the question must be one of the most popular questions ever that is asked over and over and over again.

We began brainstorming and came up with 99 additional questions that must be asked hundreds of times a day in America and throughout the world.

The most frequently asked questions are:

1. How are you?
2. How’s your family?
3. What’s new?
4. Do you know ____________?
5. Is this seat taken?
6. What would you like to drink?
7. Would you like cream or sugar (in your coffee)?
8. Who won the game?
9. Do you remember ________________ (a person from the past)?
10. Who will be there?
11. What do you do (for work)?
12. Are you dating anyone?
13. Where are you from?
14. Can I buy you a drink?
15. What’s your phone number?
16. Would you like to have coffee?
17. What’s your favorite song?
18. What’s your favorite movie?
19. Who’s your favorite star?
20. When’s your birthday?
21. What would you like to do?
22. Do you want to come in for coffee (after a date)?
23. Have you been tested for STDs?
24. Do you have a condom?
25. What are your hobbies?
26. Where did you go to school?
27. Will you marry me?
28. Where would you like to live?
29. Who was that?
30. Where are you going to go to college?
31. What are you going to major in?
32. What do you want to do (for a career)?
33. Have you read _______________ (a book)?
34. Who said __________(quote)?
35. Where are you going?
36. Can you come to the party?
37. Is she (or he) your friend?
38. Do you work here?
39. How much will I be paid for the job?
40. When's the meeting?
41. Where's the meeting?
42. Is the boss in a bad mood?
43. What's he (or she) like to work for?
44. How was work?
45. Will you take out the garbage?
46. Did you take out the garbage?
47. How was school?
48. When are you going to clean up your bedroom?
49. Where have you been?
50. Why were you late?
51. Do you know what time it is?
52. Are you ready?
53. What would you like for dinner?
54. What time is dinner?
55. Is a minute (or two minutes) in the microwave enough?
56. Would you like a sandwich?
57. Is this too old (to eat)?
58. Who’s coming to dinner?
59. When will the repairman be here?
60. Are we out of toilet paper?
61. Where are my _______________ (shorts, dress, shoes or other items)?
62. What’s on TV?
63. Did you let the dog (or cat) out?
64. Did you mow the lawn?
65. Do you remember when we _____________ (took a trip or did an activity)?
66. Is it broken (object or body part)?
67. Are we there yet?
68. How far is it to ______________ (place or town)?
69. Is that a _______________ (brand name)?
70. Where did you get that _____________ (shirt, dress, or shoes)?
71. How much does it cost?
72. Does this make me look fat?
73. Do you like this?
74. Does this look good on me?
75. Did you get a haircut?
76. Will you pick up my suit from the dry cleaners?
77. Can I speak to your supervisor?
78. Where are my keys?
79. Where are my glasses?
80. Where’s my cell phone?
81. Where did I park my car?
82. Is that a parking spot?
83. What’s the weather?
84. Do I need a coat?
85. Do I need an umbrella?
86. Have you voted?
87. Is the plane on time?
88. Can you recommend a restaurant?
89. Do you have any vacancies?
90. Do you mind if I smoke?
91. Have you met the new neighbors?
92. How are the schools (in that neighborhood or city)?
93. What’s that bulldozer doing down the street?
94. What’s the population of _______________ (city, town, or country)?
95. Why are you giving me a ticket, officer?
96. Can I see your new car?
97. Would you call me an Uber?
98. How many likes did I get?
99. Am I oversharing?

That’s my list. Did I miss any?

Copyright 2019, Rita R. Robison, Personal Finance Writer

Vizio, Element, RCA, and Hisense TVs get low marks from Consumer Reports, while Apple, Samsung, OnePlus, and Google cell phones receive praise

Vizio, Element, RCA, and Hisense are no longer being recommended by Consumer Reports due to new information that shows that those brands have lower reliability compared to other TV manufacturers. In addition, survey data from the testing organization also showed that smartphones by Apple, Samsung, OnePlus, and Google are among the most reliable and most satisfying.

For the first time, brand reliability and owner satisfaction are being factored into Consumer Reports’ overall scores for televisions and smartphones, along with the data gathered during the organization’s lab testing. For reliability, Consumer Reports surveys its members about the products they own, then uses that data to make projections about how new models from brands will hold up over time. Brands that rate “fair” or “poor” for predicted reliability aren’t eligible for Consumer Reports’ recommended lists of products.

“As we incorporate reliability into our overall score for more product categories, we continue to see discrepancies in how products perform in our rigorous lab tests versus how well they hold up over time,” said Liam McCormack, vice president of research, testing, and insights at Consumer Reports. “But we know that consumers want products that both perform well in their daily lives and are reliable. Products that earn our recommendation are more likely to offer consumers the performance they demand and the longevity they expect.”