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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