fcs

Holiday Shopping Tips and Spending Triggers!

Le the shopping begin sign

The holiday marketing blitz is on!  Festive commercials, emails and text messages may put you in the holiday spirit but also affects your holiday budget.  The continuous exposure to festive commercials, fantastic bargains or limited-edition gifts encourages you to spend money.

Marketing techniques trigger spending.  During the holidays, retailers will group items together to create overspending.  For example, a sweater will have a scarf displayed by it creating the need to buy both the sweater and the scarf.  An electronic item, a television for example will have two models displayed beside each other.  One television is a great model and the second one is superior and 30% more in cost.  Often shoppers spend the additional 30% without realizing this is a spending trigger.  This will quickly ruin your holiday budget.  Be aware of this additional holiday triggers:

  • Holiday music plays in the stores while you shop.
  • Seasonal scents
  • Gift sets
  • Mark up prices and offer holiday coupons.
  • “Back in stock”
  • Bulk pricing – 2 for 1 deal 

No matter which holidays you celebrate many feel pressured to make them perfect.  Social media images of picture-perfect holidays can create unrealistic expectations that are impossible to live up to. It’s important to focus on what’s important to you and your family. Your decorations, your traditions, and your happiness are more important than photos posted on social media sites.

Make a list-check it twice. Create a holiday spending list.  Include gifts, food, and holiday baking in your spending plan.  Black Friday and Cyber Monday also may be spending triggers.  Often, we forget we are buying gifts and will purchase items for ourselves.  Stick to your gift list.

To effectively manage your money this holiday season, unsubscribe from marketing emails and text messages and be aware of holiday ad triggers. Nothing is a bargain if you do not need it, or it was not on the list. Have a wonderful holiday season!

Written by:

 Beth Stefura, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, OSU Extension Mahoning County, stefura.2@osu.ed

Reviewed by: Margaret Jenkins, Assistant Professor, Family and Consumer Sciences, OSU Extension Clermont County, jenkins.188@osu.edu

References

Dealing With Holiday Depression and Stress – Cleveland Clinic

Holiday Gatherings With Family: Tips for Holiday Stress and Anxiety (webmd.com)

Compulsive Spending: What You Need to Know | Psychology Today

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/blog/five-step-spending-plan-avoid-holiday-debt/

Prioritizing the Work of the Family 2023 & Beyond

Work and family teaching resources from the 1970s: a "Safety in the Kitchen" guide

Photo shows work and family teaching resources from the 1970s. It always helps to “look backward to look forward”.

Earlier this summer I attended the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) 114th Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland.  The four-day conference is a national exhibition convened by FCS professionals to explore the field of study focused on the science and the art of living and working well in our complex world. WOW! What an important profession.

I attended a session at the conference titled “From Home Economics to Home Equity – How Education Can Help Close the Chore Gap’ presented by Elizabeth Kinney, Senior Director Communications, Proctor & Gamble (P&G).  Her presentation included consumer research conducted by P&G Home Care brands during the pandemic that resulted in an educational initiative titled Home Eq[uity].  Elizabeth also provided copies of the book titled Fair Play by Eve Rodsky to further support our understanding of the topic. 

Now for the real purpose of this posting. How do you and your family prioritize the work of your family now and into the future?  As I read the book, I shared my learning and thoughts with my coworkers. The discussion started amongst two of us and has spread throughout the office and beyond into our families. 

I realized that this experiential learning might benefit other individuals and families as we all are challenged by changing family dynamics as we live and work in our complex world.

Let’s launch our own Live Healthy Live Well campaign to explore the Work of the Family and specifically your family.  Follow these steps-

  • Identify the daily tasks that are required to meet your needs and wants.
  • Identify who is completing these tasks currently.
  • Reflect back on the task list and who is completing the tasks.
  • Record what you discovered and your feelings about what you learned.
  • Identify what needs changed and what should stay the same.
  • Plan for sharing with other adult family members.
  • Identify what you have learned about the Work of Your Family.

It is time to share back through the Live Healthy Live Well blog what you have discovered about your family and the work they do. I look forward to reporting back the results of our local Live Healthy Live Well campaign to – Prioritize the Work of the Family now and into the future.

Written by: Margaret Jenkins, Assistant Professor, Family and Consumer Sciences, OSU Extension Clermont County

Reviewed by: Beth Stefura, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, OSU Extension Mahoning County

References:

  1. American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences https://www.aafcs.org/home
  2. Home Equity  https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230124005045/en/From-Home-Ec-to-Home-Eq-uity-PGs-Dawn-Swiffer-brands-partner-with-Hello-Sunshines-Fair-Play-to-Help-Close-the-Chore-Gap-with-New-Curriculum
  3. Fair Play https://www.google.com/books/edition/Fair_Play/cV6IDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover

From Home Economics to Family and Consumer Sciences

A family of four

Today, as Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) Educators, often we are asked what is FCS?   FCS was originally called Home Economics, a study of how to manage a household and its resources efficiently and sustainably. In the 1990’s Home Economics was rebranded to Family and Consumers Sciences which includes  the comprehensive skills, research and knowledge that helps people make informed decisions about their well-being, relationships, and resources to achieve optimal quality of life.  FCS is the only profession that integrates knowledge from the basic disciplines of science, humanities, and the arts.  It also integrates math, reading, communication and organizational skills, and work readiness in each area of study. 

Today’s FCS professionals practice in multiple settings. Academic education in early childhood, elementary, secondary, and higher education.  Community education for adults and youth includes Extension programs, business and industry, government,  and health and human services who address the issues most important to our quality of life.

The value of FCS through education and technology includes the essential knowledge and skills to:

  • Lead better lives.
  • Build strong families.
  • Be work and community ready.
  • Make meaningful contributions to our communities.

Content areas of FCS include:

  • Education and training.
  • Culinary arts, hospitality, and tourism.
  • Food science and nutrition.
  • Health management and wellness.
  • Housing and interior design.
  • Human/child development and family relations.
  • Personal and family finance.
  • Textiles, apparel and retail.
  • Sustainable practices, consumerism, and leadership.

Live Healthy, Live Well Blog is written by a group of FCS professionals addressing the FCS mission of living and working well in our world today.  Our goal is to be effective and make a difference in people’s lives.  In October 2023, the Ohio Association of Family and Consumer Sciences is hosting their annual conference in Columbus, Ohio.  We invite you to learn more about Ohio FCS and join us for this conference.

Here is the link for more information:  https://www.oafcs.org/

 Written by:  Beth Stefura, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, OSU Extension Mahoning County, stefura.2@osu.edu

Reviewed by: Margaret Jenkins, Assistant Professor, Family and Consumer Sciences, OSU Extension Clermont County, jenkins.188@osu.edu

References:

American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences https://www.aafcs.org/home

Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension Home | Family and Consumer Sciences (osu.edu)

USDA, National Institutes of Food and Agriculture Division of Family & Consumer Sciences | National Institute of Food and Agriculture (usda.gov)