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Cutting Grocery Costs without Cutting Nutrition
Simple, healthy, and affordable ways to weather the rising price of food
by Karen Collins, R.D., American Institute of Cancer Research
Grocery prices are projected to increase again in 2008 – that’s following 2007’s highest annual increase in 17 years. But surviving these tough economic times doesn’t have to mean sacrificing good nutrition. Some simple strategies can help you cut food costs and eat more healthfully, too.
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Wellness Workbook
How to Achieve Enduring Health and Vitality
by John W. Travis, M.D., Regina Sara R
For more than 30 years, John W. Travis, M.D., and Regina Sara Ryan have introduced thousands to the concept of wellness, a practical whole-self approach to healthy living. From how you breathe to how you view the world, the 12 interconnected elements of the Wellness Energy System affect all aspects of your life: your disposition toward injury and illness, your relationships, your general level of happiness, and beyond. In an optimal state of wellness, you are less prone to disease, stress, and other life-depleting factors. Thoroughly revised, THE NEW WELLNESS WORKBOOK presents a comprehensive self-assessment and hundreds of exercises and ideas to help you take control of your health and happiness.
Top 10 Food Mistakes
Food Mistake #1: You reach for multigrain bread or cereal
Foods labeled 7-grain or multigrain may seem like the healthiest choices—especially with new findings showing that a diet rich in whole grains protects against heart disease, cancer, and other ills.
The famed Nurses' Health Study documented lower rates of heart disease and stroke among whole grain eaters. Experts don't know all the reasons behind the benefits, but they do know that intact grains are rich in fiber and nutrients—including vitamin E, B vitamins, and magnesium—that are stripped away when grains are refined into flour.
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My wellness center – a free and personalized weight-loss and fitness tool
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Where the Bugs Are
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Is there a more potent symbol of purity than the fluffy white snowflake, wafting from heaven and landing--ping!--on the tip of your tongue? Well, along comes the journal Science to spoil the fun, noting that bacteria called Pseudomonas syringe are lurking at the dark heart of many an earthbound crystal of frozen water. And if Frosty the Snowman is a target, what chance do the rest of us have?
A pretty good one, actually-- if you make note of the places where the bugs lie and swat them before they can do harm. Here's an updated to-disinfect list for all the surprising places (and people) contagion clings to.
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Listing of Top Online Schools
Click here to receive a free trial of TrioThin.
More Than a Fridge Filler: Clever Uses for Baking Soda
By Olivia Kuhn-Lloyd of Intent
As elements of spring start to peak through, I’m inspired to freshen up my
beauty routine, which has always been minimal. Winter has taken its toll on my
skin and hair and enough is enough! It’s time to peal back the curtain.
Influenced by these ten beauty essentials totaling seventy-five dollars, I
started to think about glow- and shine-inducing products that I already have
on-hand and, my favorite of the bunch, baking soda.
How can my favorite multi-purpose (beauty) product enhance your grooming
routines? Read on. (More than a dusted off Redbook list, these applications for
baking soda are a compilation of research, polls, and personal use.)
Where to buy? For how much?
Baking Soda is ubiquitous. It does not vary by brand nor fall into different price brackets. It’s reliable and will always come to the siren call of your beauty needs.
It’s available. You can purchase it at supermarkets, bodegas, drug stores, and gas station mini-marts.
The price is right. The average drugstore sells baking soda for less than three dollars.
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Could fat babies mean fat toddlers?
A new study from Harvard Medical School found that babies who gained weight quickly had a sharply higher risk of obesity. The study followed close to 600 babies and found those in the top quarter of weight for their length at 6 months had a 40 percent higher risk of obesity by age 3 than smaller babies.
Question: Should I be alarmed if my baby is very large?
The best course of action is to speak with your child's pediatrician. Your child may be large for her age, but not overweight when taken in the context of her height. Also, some babies may grow rapidly at first, and their growth starts to slow as they get older. What does that mean? Your child may be overweight at 6 months, and be at a perfectly healthy weight by age 3. A pediatrician can put your individual questions in the context of your toddler's specific measurements.
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Americans who have health insurance are more likely to receive preventative healthcare, which is an important part of making sure your future is happy and healthy. Request a free health insurance quote now to get coverage.
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by Amy Allen Clark - founder and creator of www.MomAdvice.com
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Prescription medication is an expense that many families cannot afford. If you do not have an insurance plan that will cover your prescriptions and are a low-income family, then you are not alone. Fortunately there are programs available to assist you with your medications, but finding them can be a struggle.
For many years we went without coverage for our prescriptions and it was a very difficult time for our family financially. Making our six hundred dollar a month health insurance payment was enough to sink us and, to add insult to injury, our prescriptions were not included in this unreal price tag. Not having prescription coverage was not an issue for my husband because he was healthy and rarely needed any medication, but that was not the case for myself and my son. The first year of my son's life was filled with illness after illness and, being his mother, I got just about everything my son had along with him. Keeping the two of us healthy and all of the prescriptions that I took on a daily basis added up to a huge chunk of change that our family just did not have. At times we went without medications or we were at the complete mercy of our doctor and his samples stash.
During this time, I started doing some research on more affordable ways that we could purchase our prescriptions without completely breaking the bank. Through my research I discovered a few options that would help us afford our medicines while still being able to make our other monthly expenses.
Communicate With Your Doctor
If you are without prescription coverage, it is important to have a good relationship with your doctor. Your doctor can truly be your greatest alley and can help you in a variety of ways.
If your doctor starts you on a new prescription drug, there are a series of questions you can ask to make sure you get the best deal.
Begin by asking your doctor if he has any free samples you can have to try the medication. Explain your insurance situation and see if your doctor will offer you the medication for free. If your doctor does not have any samples for you to take home, ask him if if he could call the drug representative from that company to send some samples to you. These drug representatives stop in regularly to restock their supply and are happy to get more clients under their belt. This can be a win-win situation for all the parties involved.
If samples are unavailable, ask your doctor if you can have a "trial prescription" so you can buy fewer of the tablets at first. This can be a good way to find out if a medication will work for you and also to see if you can tolerate any nasty side effects. If the drug does not work for you, you will not have invested in a month's supply that you will be unable to use.
There are also specific questions that you can ask about the medications you are taking. For example, ask your doctor if there is a generic equivalent to the medication you are taking because you are exploring less expensive alternatives. If there are no generic equivalents to this medication, you can also ask about over-the-counter (OTC) medications. Sometimes there are OTC medications you can take that will achieve the same results as the actual prescription drug.
Another question you can ask is if you could buy a double dosage of the medication, in pill form, and split the tablets in half for your regular dosage. There are many prescriptions you can purchase that can easily be halved. This can result in a fifty percent savings on your medication.
Your doctor may also know about specific aid from the drug manufacturer. Many prescription companies have programs to give medications to patients who have no way to pay for their prescription drugs. Programs vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but all require your doctor to submit the application for you. Explore this route with your doctor and see what the company requirements are and if this type of aid is available to you & your family.
Finally, check in yearly with your doctor to see if cheaper versions of your medications have become available. Many of us review our bills and insurance policies yearly, so add this to your agenda and you may reap the rewards of a few dollars saved.
Buy Online
Online stores can offer a lot of savings for their customers, particularly Canadian pharmacies where drug prices are much cheaper (savings of up to half on many prescriptions). Whether you buy American or not, you must make sure that you research the company well to ensure that the company is not a fake.
Examples of things to look for are a toll free number, real operators who answer their phone, a physical company address, and a secure website to do your shopping. You will also want to make sure the pharmacy is approved by the organization that governs the state/country where the pharmacy is located.
State Assistance
Make sure to investigate what your state offers in assisting with the cost of your prescription drugs. These programs are typically available to the elderly, disabled, and low-income families. You can obtain information about these programs through your state's website or by calling the office of your state senator or representative.
Additional Resources:
These are a few sites that you can check for additional information, for free, on medical assistance programs:
• Needy Meds (www.needymeds.com) is designed to provide information about patient assistance programs which provide no cost prescription medications to eligible participants.
• Rx Outreach (www.rxassist.org) is a new Patient Assistance Program developed by Express Scripts Specialty Distribution Services, Inc. (ESSDS). The program provides qualified low-income individuals and families with access to generic versions of brand name medications.
• Helping Patients (www.helpingpatients.org) brings together America's pharmaceutical companies, doctors, patient advocacy organizations and civic groups to help low-income, uninsured patients get free or nearly free brand-name medicines. Its mission is to increase awareness of and enrollment in existing patient assistance programs for those who may be eligible. Through this site, Helping Patients offers a single point of access to more than 275 public and private patient assistance programs, including more than 150 programs offered by pharmaceutical companies
• Partnership for Prescription Assistance (www.pparx.org) brings together America's pharmaceutical companies, doctors, other health care providers, patient advocacy organizations and community groups to help qualifying patients who lack prescription coverage get the medicines they need through the public or private program that's right for them. Many will get them free or nearly free. Its mission is to increase awareness of patient assistance programs and boost enrollment of those who are eligible.
• Together Rx Access (www.togetherrxaccess.com) is a card that has been created to help qualified individuals and families without prescription drug coverage to save on brand-name prescription drugs and other prescription products, as well as save on a wide range of generic drugs. This card is available to those who are ineligible for Medicare, have no prescription drug coverage (public or private), and families who meet certain income requirements. This program is only available to legal US residents.
The sites above are your best bet for finding this information, but do not be afraid to ask your doctor, the drug company, or your pharmacy about assistance programs. You will find there are great savings in simply asking and exploring for cheaper alternatives.
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About Author:
Amy Allen Clark is a stay-at-home mother of a one year old son. She is founder and creator of www.momadvice.com. Her web site is geared towards mothers who are seeking advice on staying organized, living on a budget, and for those seeking work-at-home employment. The author resides in Granger, Indiana and her hobbies include reading, writing, cooking and cake decorating. Please visit her web site for more information on these various topics for mothers and be sure to join the forum where your opinions and ideas count. Please visit her web site for more information on these various topics for mothers.
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9 Cash-Saving Tips That Pay Big Bucks
complaintsboard.com
The expression "a penny saved is a penny earned" doesn't cut it these days. But saving a few dollars here and there can add up...
read
more...
Try out these Thanksgiving recipes from tasteofhome
You May Have Too Much Debt But You Also Have Options
How Life Works
If you feel like you're in over your head with personal debt, you're not alone. Millions of Americans have become overextended, many as a result of easy credit and the recessions. Credit cards, medical bills, personal loans and raising interest rates do not make a good financial mix.
read more...
Suze Orman's Recession Rescue Plan - helps you survive in times of financial crisis
OPRAH.com
Do you know what your family would do if you lost your job - or worse, your home? Financial expert Suze Orman is ready to help you
devise a recession rescue plan to survive - and possibly thrive - during this deepening financial crisis...
read more...
Could fat babies mean fat toddlers?
A new study from Harvard Medical School found that babies who gained weight quickly had a sharply higher risk of obesity. The study
followed close to 600 babies and found those in the top quarter of weight for their length at 6 months had a 40 percent higher risk of
obesity by age 3 than smaller babies.
read
more...
The 10-Ingredient Shopping Trip
By Tara Parker-Pope and Mark Bittman
... In his latest “How to Cook Everything” segment on the Today Show, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman makes it
surprisingly easy to cook a week’s worth of dinners with just a 10-ingredient shopping trip.
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more...
Finding last-minute tuition money
There's still time to find funds for this semester's college tuition. But you'll have to move quickly.
By Gerri Willis
It's only a couple of weeks or even days until school begins. And if you don't think you'll be able to get a handle on your college
tuition bill, here with your guide to last minute money.
read more...
Short-term Payday Loans
econ4u.org
...Which are more expensive, late fees or short-term loans?...
A short-term payday loan can be a better option than overdraft fees, reconnect fees, late payment fees or a damaged credit rating when
the loan is repaid promptly. However, these loans are not suited for longer repayment periods...
Being realistic about budgeting can help avoid the need for short-term borrowing.
read more...
Your Just-in-Case Emergency Plan
by RealSimple
Who do you call if you can't make it home in time to meet the kids' bus? Who do
you trust to take in your mail when you're on vacation? Who do you trust with
the extra set of keys to your house?
read
more...
How to save $10,000 in 2009
By Liz Pulliam Weston
If you were hoping for a list of small tweaks you could make in your spending to save $10,000 a year, sorry. The reality is that
$10,000 is a lot of money. And saving big money usually means making big changes in the areas where we spend the most, such as:
Housing, Transportation, Food.
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more...
The Super, Sexy, Single Mom on a Budget
by Renee Rayles
A quick reference guide designed for the busy, single mom who has
little time to read while running the mom taxi, cooking dinner, helping with homework, and trying to fit in a date night every now and
then.
32 and Counting? Finding Your Happily Ever After Today
by Gi Gi
The author talks about the struggles a single mom goes through and the discovery that you can have HEAT (Happily Ever After Today) just
as you are, being single, taking care of your kids...
read more...
Single Mothers &
Male Role-Models / Mentors
Single mothers carry an enormous load of responsibility, especially those having sole and/or primary custody of minor children. They
nourish, they nurture, they teach, they discipline, they shelter, they protect, and they provide… all without the assistance of another
equally-invested adult.
read more...
Your 5-minute guide to protecting your identity
20 steps to protect yourself from identity theft, and seven ways to clean up things if you become a victim.
read more...
TheOnlineMom.com offers parents and consumers a guide to the top-rated, age-appropriate, kid-tested and parent-approved tech toys and gifts.
read more...
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
by Jeff Kinney
For those wondering why tween boys don’t read very much, the answer is that more books aren’t like this...
read more...
10 Superfoods That Should Be in Your Daily Diet
Supercharge your diet with these doctor-approved upgrades
As Told to Max Alexander, Best Life
My interest in what is now known as integrative medicine began many years ago when I was a teenager and witnessed my grandmother battle a breast-cancer recurrence. In those days, it was typical for patients receiving chemotherapy to be confined to a hospital bed. Nothing was done to stop her decline—not nutritionally, not physically, not really medically—and she eventually wasted away and died in her bed.
read more...
The Twenty Healthiest Foods for Under $1
By: Brie Cadman
Food prices are climbing, and some might be looking to fast foods and packaged foods for their cheap bites.
But low cost doesn’t have to mean low quality. In fact, some of the most inexpensive things you can buy are the best things for you. At the grocery store, getting the most nutrition for the least amount of money means hanging out on the peripheries—near the fruits and veggies, the meat and dairy, and the bulk grains—while avoiding the expensive packaged interior. By doing so, not only will your kitchen be stocked with excellent foods, your wallet won’t be empty.
Read more about the great nutritional value of these twenty healthiest foods under $1: Oats, Eggs, Kale, Potatoes, Apples, Nuts, Bananas, Garbanzo Beans, Brocolli, Watermelon, Wild Rice, Beets, Butternut Squash, Whole Grain Pasta, Sardines, Spinach, Tofu, Lowfat Milk, Pumpkin Seeks, Coffee...
How to eat healthy on the cheap
TODAY diet and nutrition editor Madelyn Fernstrom talks with TODAY host Meredith Vieira about some ways to cut down your grocery bill, while still buying nutritious foods.
read more...
10 Reasons You're Not Losing That Weight
If losing weight were simple, Spanx would be just a screen name in an S&M chat room. But dieting is complicated: There are even ways to screw up without realizing it. For instance, who would ever think that working out in the a.m. or cranking the AC might be the reason you're not slimming down? Luckily, once you've ID'd these flubs, fixing them is nowhere near as hard as pulling on a pair of control-top hose.
read more
Take Your Licks
Icy treats for 160 calories or less — how cool is that?
by Loren Chidoni, Women's Health
When you're squeezing into last year's tankini, the dessert end of the freezer aisle seems taboo. But what would summer be without popsicles and fro-yo? Sucky, that's what. To find frosty goodies that won't test the limits of Lycra, we sampled 27 kinds. The result: these eight amazing, guilt-free indulgences — and one mother of an ice-cream headache.
read more...
How to Be a Budget Organic
What's worth the extra cost, what's not, and how to save in other ways
by Cynthia Sass, RD, Prevention
With all the news about rising food costs, you may be wondering if the organic milk you've been putting in your cart is worth the extra cash. It is. Organic food is more expensive, but when it comes to the staples of your diet, organics are a worthwhile investment, with payoffs that might surprise you. The benefits influence your health today—and long-term.
read more...
Eat your way to less stress
Whether you're anxious, irritable, angry or suffering from insomnia, Dr. David Simon discusses which foods can help.
read more...
10 things your hospital won't tell you
by SmartMoney
"Oops, wrong kidney."
Treatment errors are common, finding someone in charge can seem impossible, and patients sometimes wind up sicker than when they arrived. And here's a tip: Try to avoid hospitals late at night and in July.
In recent years, errors in treatment have become a serious problem for hospitals, ranging from operations on wrong body parts to medication mix-ups.
At least 1.5 million patients are harmed every year from being given the wrong drugs, according to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. That's an average of one person per U.S. hospital per day.
One reason these mistakes persist: Only 10% of hospitals are fully computerized and have a central database to track allergies and diagnoses, says Robert Wachter, the chief of medical service at UC San Francisco Medical Center.
But signs of change are emerging. More than 3,000 U.S. hospitals, or 75% of the country's beds, have signed on for a campaign by the not-for-profit Institute for Healthcare Improvement to implement prevention measures such as multiple checks on drugs.
read more...
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