June 20, 2008From dinnerware to a camera, some items cost less
Certain electronics, such as digital cameras, along with hotel room rates, women’s clothing and some dinnerware are supposedly priced lower than they were last year, on average. You may find that some of these items still are more expensive comparatively, depending on where you shop. But this is a bit of good news, considering all of the reports that prices for most everything in our lives are higher. Have you discovered anything that’s cheaper now compared with last year? I’m having a hard time thinking of examples, but I’m sure your thoughts will trigger ideas. June 13, 2008Pizza: An economic indicator
The observation is interesting, and I guess it makes sense. "Instead of going out for a sit-down meal during the weekend and ordering pizza for dinner during the week, consumers are scaling back by having an affordable pizza meal on the weekend and preparing more weekday meals at home,” said Darren Tristano, an executive vice president at Technomic, based in Chicago. This year, 32 percent of people reported ordering pizza for dinner during the weekend, while only 29 percent had pizza on a week day. That’s a difference from the year 2006, when 35 percent of people said they ordered pizza during the week, and 28 percent had it on the weekend, according to the Technomic report. So, analyze your pizza ordering trends. Do you or your family fit this report? June 12, 2008Father's Day spending will be downFor many holidays, the National Retail Federation releases a report about what consumers will spend. Lately, these reports have looked nearly the same. For the last several holidays, high gasoline and food prices have been predicted to cut into spending. And Father’s Day appears to be no different. The annual day to honor your dad is Sunday, and according to the NRF, people will spend an average of $94.54, compared with $98.34 last year. Total spending nationally will be $9.6 billion. Most people plan to take their fathers out for a special outing, such as dinner. Other popular gifts are clothing, books, gift cards and sporting goods, according to the NRF. So, what about you? Are high prices for what seems to be everything impacting your Father’s Day budget? May 30, 2008Popping popcorn pricesIt’s going to be a busy weekend for the movies, with today’s opening of “Sex and the City.” If you head to the theater to catch this flick or any others, keep in mind that the price of popcorn is rising. That’s partly the reason why at least one theater chain, AMC Entertainment, has begun charging $1 more per ticket. It also has raised popcorn prices. Check out this story for more details. We don’t have AMC theaters in the Roanoke or New River valleys, but hopefully, we won't eventually see other theaters upping prices as well! May 22, 2008This weekend may cost yaIf you’re like me, you’re already thinking of how you will spend the long Memorial Day weekend, whether it’s hanging out in Southwest Virginia or heading out of town. But no matter what you’re doing, it’s probably going to cost you more than last year. Not to put a negative spin on what is supposed to be a sunny weekend, weather-wise, but prices are rising for basically everything and that will impact all of us, one way or the other. 
--According to AAA Mid-Atlantic, fewer Virginians will travel this Memorial Day weekend. The total travelers will decline by about three percent, and it’s because of fuel costs and other economic challenges. In Roanoke, prices were $3.69 per gallon of regular unleaded gasoline as of Wednesday, a substantial jump from $3.02 last year. --It will cost extra to check baggage onto American Airline flights. Check out this story about the airline’s plan to charge $15 for each checked bag because of higher fuel prices. That’s in addition to your airline ticket. Ouch! --If you plan to grill out, watch your budget. Increasing prices for meats, such as hamburger and hot dogs, will force you to shell out extra bucks. Read this story about how outdoor cooking is becoming more expensive this summer. How do you expect higher costs to impact your plans this holiday weekend or this summer in general? May 13, 2008Kroger cuts prices on more prescription drugsThe battle for cheap prescription drugs continues. Starting today, Kroger’s in-store pharmacies will sell 90-day prescription medications for $10 on generic drugs. This is an expanded drug list, compared with the grocer’s announcement in March that it would charge only $4 for 300 generic drugs in 30-day supplies. Kroger also has increased the number of women’s health medications that it offers at discounted prices. Some of these drugs now will sell for $9 for 30-day supplies or $24 for 90-day supplies. They include tamoxifen, which treats breast cancer, and Alendronate, the generic version of Fosamax, an osteoporosis drug. Wal-Mart is another retailer that has been marketing lower prices for prescription drugs lately. What do you think is the most inexpensive local retailer for prescription medications? May 12, 2008Stamps are up, but you can prepare for next year
Now, these stamps are 42 cents each, if you didn't buy them at 41 cents. But you can start preparing for next May’s postage increase by stocking up on them this year. Here are some other price increases at the post office: --Postcard stamps now are 27 cents. Stamp image: © 2007 USPS. All Rights Reserved. May 9, 2008Preparing for hurricanes? Here's an incentive.Severe weather has been in the news lately, and June 1 marks the arrival of hurricane season. 
For a list of all exempt items and other guidelines, click here. Also, keep in mind that retailers can choose to eliminate the sales tax on any merchandise during this period. But they’re still responsible for paying that tax to the state. May 6, 2008What are you spending on mom?Mother’s Day is Sunday. Have you started thinking of what gift you'll buy for your mom? The National Retail Federation says that you won’t be spending as much as last year. Though not a huge decrease, consumers will spend about $138.63 on average this year, compared with $139.14 last year, based on an NRF survey. “Consumers will be very cautious with their wallets this Mother’s Day, heeding mom’s advice that she really doesn’t need much,” said Phil Rist with BIGresearch, which conducts the survey for NRF. “Gas prices and other economic issues will still be at the forefront of people’s minds as they shop around for the perfect gift for mom.” Share your ideas for Mothers’ Day gifts if you’re already thinking of them. I would tell what I’ve bought for my mom, but she sometimes reads this blog, so I could ruin the surprise. April 25, 2008More on check spending incentivesHappy Friday! This story in USA Today gives more examples of retailers that are luring consumers with incentives to spend their federal tax rebate checks. I've blogged about a few of these examples, but some others in this story are Home Depot and Staples. Also, another story discusses how the travel industry is rolling out different promotions in time for the mailing of the rebate checks on May 2. With many people planning summer vacations right now, using tax rebate money for extra funding sure is tempting! April 23, 2008The call for your checkYou better watch out. Now is when retailers are beginning to entice you to spend your federal stimulus checks. Planning to spend all of your check on groceries? Kroger is encouraging consumers to shift their stimulus checks onto its gift cards. Beginning on May 2, when the first checks are sent, if you load your money onto a Kroger gift card, the grocer says it will add some value to it. For example, loading a $300 check will total $330 on a Kroger card. Putting $1,200 on the card will give you four $330 cards for a total of $1,320, according to Kroger. This will last until July 31. The push isn’t only happening at retailers. This morning, a radio station that was raising money for its operation encouraged people to pledge a certain portion of their stimulus checks to the cause. Have you heard of other promotions like this? April 16, 2008Cheap gasCorrection: A colleague pointed out that the link to the cheap gas Web site doesn't take us to same page as it did when I blogged about it. Here's a better suggestion for finding local gas prices: GasBuddy.com
Now through Saturday at the Daleville fuel center, you can receive 10 cents off the gallon price of gasoline or diesel if you use a Kroger plus card. And with the purchase of $100 in groceries at Kroger, customers can receive a 15 cent discount off the per gallon price of gas or diesel through Saturday. There also are free giveaways all week if you’re one of the first 300 customers to fuel up each day. There’s more. Next week, beginning April 21, you can receive a 5 cent discount off gasoline by using a Kroger plus card at this same Daleville fuel station. The 15 cents off promotion with a $100 grocery purchase also continues next week. Kroger estimates that consumers can save 3 cents per gallon of gasoline on a regular basis by using a plus card at the grocer's fuel centers. Several people have told me that they regularly consult www.cheapgas.com, a Web site that reveals which gas stations in an area sell the cheapest gas. It compares prices for regular unleaded gasoline after you search by zip code. April 14, 2008Best times to shop with kids and save moneyMost moms and dads would agree that shopping isn’t easy with children in tow. Best time to eat out with infants, toddlers and preschoolers: Best time to grocery shop with kids: Right after breakfast or lunch on weekdays. It’s when the aisles are not as crowded with after-work and weekend shoppers. Best time to find baby products on sale: Best time to find good deals on grocery items: The day after the supermarket’s ads come out, when there are plenty of items left in stock. Feel free to comment on some of your own strategies as well. March 26, 2008How will you spend your tax rebate check?Federal tax rebates have been springing to many people's minds, because the checks are coming soon. The payments, that could range from $600 to $1,200 or more, under the economic stimulus plan are supposed to be rolled out in May. Some states have considered creating a sales tax holiday to coincide with these rebates. Read more about it here. Tax holidays are periods when certain purchases are tax-free. Virginia is not one of these states, according to the state's department of taxation. But there is a spring sales tax holiday for hurricane preparedness that's set for May 25 to 31. It will include portable generators priced at $1,000 or less and other items that apply that cost $60 or less. Of course retailers can choose to absorb the sales tax on any merchandise during this period. Here’s more detail about the holiday. Back to the stimulus, I’m curious about how you plan to spend your federal tax rebate check. Have any ideas so far? A survey by the National Retail Federation says that people will spend 40 percent of their checks. And of the $105.7 billion distributed through the tax rebates, at least $30 billion will be used to pay down debt, according to the survey. March 18, 2008Easter spending and Wal-Mart's commercialThis year’s early Easter may have impacted what many consumers spent on St. Patrick’s Day supplies. With the annual green holiday falling on Monday and Easter coming up this Sunday, retailers likely haven’t had enough shelf space to fully market products for both celebrations, reports the National Retail Federation. For that reason, the federation predicted that St. Patrick’s Day sales would be lower this year, at an estimated $3.64 billion, compared with $3.76 billion last year. Still, Easter spending is predicted to be about the same as last year. The average person will spend about $135.03, which practically is flat compared with last year’s $135.07 in Easter expenditures, the NRF reports. Consumers plan to spend more on Easter meals and related foods than on candy and stuffed bunnies, according to the survey. Speaking of Easter spending, what do you think of a recent Wal-Mart commercial where a mother talks about filling her children’s Easter baskets with candy from the discount retail giant? On a Wal-Mart blog , some mothers are blasting the retailer, claiming that the commercial has caused their children to question the Easter Bunny's existence. February 28, 2008Speeding up airport securityHow much would you pay to get through airport security fast? This news isn’t retail- related, but it’s an interesting consumer topic. For $100 to $200 a year, Verified Identity Pass’s Clear service helps people literally fly through the airport security lines, or at least speed up the process of having your bags scanned and showing your ticket and ID to security agents. It’s authorized by the federal Transportation Security Administration, and it’s offered at select larger airports, such as Washington Dulles International Airport and Orlando International Airport, according to the Wall Street Journal. Roanoke Regional Airport isn’t one of them, but since many of you likely have flown at a larger airport at some point, you might be interested in reading this article about the service. February 26, 2008Online auctions may sell tainted health and beauty productsI can’t recall purchasing many health and beauty items from online auction sites, but if you have, heed a recent warning from the National Retail Federation. The industry group says that some common household items sold on online auction sites have been stolen and tainted. Retail crime rings often steal these items to resell for a profit. But they may not keep them in temperature-controlled environments, so the merchandise is in danger of spoiling. This warning comes after a bust of an organized retail crime ring in Florida. The ring stole more than $100 million in health and beauty supplies over five years. To keep from encountering these products, buy health and beauty items from legitimate retailers, inside stores or on a company’s Website, the NRF says. Read on to see a list of some of the top health and beauty products stolen and resold by criminals. Continue reading "Online auctions may sell tainted health and beauty products" » February 14, 2008Check the date on Valentine's chocolateSince last week, we’ve discussed Valentine’s Day spending and chocolate. Many of you mentioned a local chocolate shop, Chocolatepaper, as your favorite place for unique candy finds. But you might want to check the expiration date on any box of chocolates that you plan to give to your sweetie tonight. There have been reports of stale chocolate on some retailer’s shelves in New York. Apparently these stores were recycling boxes of chocolates from last year. Here’s an article about it with the gross details. Tell me what Valentine gift choices that you have made--if you’ve already made your purchase. You might be among the many who will make a mad dash for the grocery store tonight to snag a last minute gift for your sweetie. Don't worry, I don’t expect you to divulge large detail about your Valentine's gift in case the recipient happens to read this blog! January 16, 2008Reflecting on the holidaysThere’s a lot of looking back in the retail industry, so I thought I’d reflect on some sales numbers that came out Tuesday from the National Retail Federation and the Commerce Department. In the next month, you likely will see an increased number of sales and promotions at the nation’s retailers that are aimed at moving items off stores shelves quicker. It’s because holiday sales weren’t too bright in 2007. The NRF said sales in November and December rose less than the organization forecasted. It expected sales to jump 4 percent during the holiday, compared with the year earlier. But sales only rose 3 percent to a total of $469.9 billion. Economic pressures from a variety of sources, such as housing and high energy costs, are some reasons that consumers spent less, the NRF reported. December’s retail sales reported by the Commerce Department also were down, finishing off the weakest year for sales since 2002. Consumers cut back on spending by .4 percent in December, compared with November. If you were to wrap up the holiday spending season from your own perspective, what would you say about it? October 23, 2007Tips for curtailing holiday debtThis month we’ve discussed holiday shopping. Now, let’s talk about holiday spending. An educational Web site, LivingWithBadCredit.com, recently reported that based on a survey, 67 percent of consumers who opened a store credit card during the 2006 holiday season still have not yet paid off the debt. Some people still are paying for Christmas from last year, and we're only about a month away from the start of this year's holiday season! The Web site urges consumers to be wary of opening store credit cards because they have high interest rates. The initial savings typically are not worth what you might pay in the long run. The survey also reports that women are more likely to have three or more store credit cards. Here are some tips to avoid ending up with long-lasting holiday debt, from LivingWithBadCredit.com: 1) Don’t take out too many lines of credit at one time. This raises a red flag, and it can lower your credit score. New credit accounts for 10 percent of your total score. 2) Don’t jump into offers that have no interest or payments for 6 to 12 months. These offers could negatively impact your credit score, because they appear as maxed out lines of credit. 3) Know your card’s billing cycle. Don’t make a large purchase if it falls near the end of your billing cycle. Give yourself an extra month before interest accrues. Let me know your tips for regulating credit card purchases during the holidays. October 11, 2007Virginia stores pull pot piesIf you purchased Banquet chicken or turkey pot pies recently, check the package label. Certain ConAgra-made pot pies have been linked to salmonella outbreaks in 31 states. These products are carried by some Virginia grocers, including Kroger and Food Lion stores, which are in the Roanoke Valley. Most stores have pulled the foods from shelves. Consumers should discard Banquet brand pot pie boxes with a P-9 printed on the side of the package. You also can request a refund from ConAgra or some grocers. For more information, visit www.conagrafoods.com or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov/. |
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