By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist, Blogging at The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

In January, I began blogging for boomer consumers on The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide. In April, I was offered the opportunity to become a reader blogger for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. My blog for the PI is called the Boomer Consumer. In May, I was asked if I wanted to write weekly as a guest blogger for Boomer411. The answer? “Yes, I’d love to.”

My researching and writing about consumer issues for the Boomer Nation has brought many hours of fun and joy. During 2008, I’ve written 500 posts for boomer consumers.

Based on research for my blogs, here are my top 10 tips for boomer consumers for 2008. These tips also will be helpful to boomers in 2009: 

• Research thoroughly any prescription drug you’re taking or a health care provider recommends you take because consumers aren’t often told about the side effects of these drugs. See www.PublicCitizen.com for details.
• Check the Better Business Bureau’s Web site before you select a company to provide major expenditures for goods or services, especially contractors or roofers. See www.bbb.org.
• Simplify your lifestyle by downsizing your home, getting rid of stuff, and using less energy. A new trend among boomers is minimizing, with less emphasis on things and more emphasis on rewarding experiences.
• Consider alternative medicine for solutions to health problems as you grow older, especially if a health care provider tells you that you need to have knee replacement surgery because you have arthritis. See my article “Baby Boomers Should Try Alternative Medicine Solutions Before Opting for Knee Surgery for Arthritis.” Research carefully alternative therapies that could help you and providers as well.
• Stop using your credit cards and pay off your card balances as soon as you can to help stabilize your financial position during the recession and these troubling economic times. Financial adviser Suze Orman is adamant about this.
• Save as much money for retirement as you can and investigate new ways to enhance your nest egg such as buying a smaller home, moving to a less expensive community, or working part time in retirement.
• Reduce food costs by using coupons, buying store brands, eating vegetarian meals, eliminating desserts, reducing the number of restaurant meals, inviting guests for pot luck dinners, drinking less expensive wines, and other cost-cutting techniques. See my article “35 Ways to Cut Your Food Bills.”
• Figure out ways you can assist your children in helping to raise your grandchildren. See my article “How Grandparents Can Offer Loving Support to Grandchildren.”
• Reduce the chemicals you use in your yard, including pesticides, and in your home, including any products containing fragrance. Since companies aren’t required to list the ingredients in fragrance, consumers aren’t aware fragrances often contain toxic chemicals such as benzene and toluene.
• Don’t use anti-aging procedures such as Botox and plastic surgery without undertaking extensive research. See my articles “How Bad Is Botox for You?” and “Why You Should Think Twice About Having Plastic Surgery.”

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I recall very well the first holidays, anniversaries and birthdays alone as a widow. Sometimes you want to be with others and other times you will want to be alone. It’s important not to isolate yourself, but do be kind to yourself during these stressful moments. If you need to cry, do so. If you need support, ask for it. True friends and family that love you will be there to lend support. Sometimes we’re afraid to ask for that support, but on the other side, sometimes those friends aren’t sure what to do for you, even if it’s just listening while you talk or sitting quietly with you for support.

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By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist, Blogging at The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Guest Blogger

Are you considering buying a TV set, camera, or computer for yourself or do you want to get a good price on a holiday gift?

Consumer Reports offers these 10 tips for shoppers on buying electronics in the December issue of the magazine:

• 1. Buying online can be better.
• 2. Be wary of pricy add-ons.
• 3. Don’t buy an extended warranty.
• 4. Look for deals early in the season.
• 5. Consider refurbished and open-box items.
• 6. Ask for a lower price.
• 7. Recognize what each retailer offers.
• 8. Realize that high specs might not ensure high quality.
• 9. Be aware that performance often runs in the family of products.
• 10. Recognize that you might not need top performance.

See the article “Buying Electronics” for details on each of these tips, including which online sellers and retailers were outstanding in price or service.

To read the Consumer Reports’ recommendations on electronics based on testing, get a copy of the December issue of the magazine at your local library. Recommendations are available on the Web for subscribers to the Consumer Reports’ online service.

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Stop Limiting Yourself!
By Judith Auslander
Wise Heart Coaching (http://www.WiseHeartCoaching.com)

This is a message I recently received from The Universe:

“You needn’t worry. There is time. You have all the time in the world. You preceded time and you will exist beyond it. Age is irrelevant; more meaningless than a number. Forever, Judith, you have FOREVER. There is no dream you now have
that you will not manifest. There is no challenge you now face that you will not crush and dispose of. There is no point in spending one more second of your awesome, amazing life, thinking anything to the contrary. Olé, The Universe”

If you haven’t heard of The Universe, it is an online service in which you will receive an inspirational message each day. (It can be reached at http://www.tut.com/)

Why have I thought it is important to share this message? Simple! We allow age to stop us from living life every day to its fullest. I want you to take a second and think how many times you stop yourself from doing something because you say, “I am too old for that!” How limiting!

I believe that there are certain words that must be eliminated from our vocabulary – and the sentence “I am too old!” must be eliminated. It is as if you cut off your legs and try to walk. Why do we do that to ourselves? Who told us we were “too old?” That person must be eliminated from our lives – they are not our friend.

What do you “wish” you could do? What would you do if age were not relevant? Would you go back to school? Would you learn to fly an airplane? Would you travel Europe using Hostels instead of hotels? Would you start your own business?

How do you limit yourself? Are there ways you can do the things you want to do in life? Be creative – you are never too old until you decide you are too old.

What if we live to 105 – then mid life is just 57! My cousin was 65 when she went to school for the first time to follow a life long dream – to earn her Bachelors in Fine Arts. We will be celebrating her graduation next month. What is stopping you from living the life you dream of?

Remember, words have power – chose the right ones.

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