Category: Health

Learn ways to stay healthy and to save money on healthcare costs

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The Battle of Your Bulges: Weight Loss Programs

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Whether you’re truly overweight like me, or you just think you need to lose a couple of pounds, you’ve probably been sucked into the diet phenomenon at some point in your life. After all, you’ve seen the TV commercials, maybe read some reviews, or even known people who’ve lost a bunch of weight with one of the many weight loss programs. Or maybe, like me, you’ve tried one, two…or ten of them in an attempt to improve your health and your look. So what’s wrong, if anything, that a not-so-small percentage of customers complain about failing with them? Can you actually succeed long term with any of them?

Losing weight can be difficult, but weight loss programs aim to make it easier, at a cost. I review 3 popular programs, and what it takes to lose long term.

Hey Mr. and Mrs. America, You’re Fat!

As a country, America seems to have a real weight problem, greater now than ever before. You may be or may not be actually fat, but you are still often feeling the pressure of losing a few pounds because of health or the ever-present social pressure we all live with to be thin and look “good”. As if you can’t really look good with a little meat on your bones! Continue reading

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How Your Money Obsession Can Hurt You

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Got money on your mind? That’s not surprising, considering it affects so many aspects of our lives. It’s almost impossible not to think about money since we are bombarded every day with all kinds of talk about spending it, earning it, and well even just worrying about it, like your retirement planning or paying off your debts. Money obsession is real. There is almost no way to escape it except perhaps by pulling the blanket over your head and sleeping a little more, but even with that you do risk the potential of dreaming about it!

While planning your finances is important, thinking about them too much may mean you have a money obsession, and that can hurt you in many ways. Here are just some of the ways obsessing over money can have a negative effect on you.

Of course, thinking about money can be beneficial if it does lead to actions that can improve your finances and your life. But, and it’s a big but, when it becomes a preoccupation or obsession with your finances, it can also be very harmful, and I am not just talking about its mental effects either. How can your obsession with money hurt you? It can actually hurt you physically, financially, and emotionally! Continue reading

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The Cost of Hearing Aids and How to Save

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For today’s guest post on the cost of hearing aids, please welcome Josh from DoctEar.

As we age, many adults find they are having problems hearing. In fact, Sarah Sydlowski AuD. Ph.D., Audiology Director of the Hearing Implant Program at the Cleveland Clinic stated in an article she published that, “Approximately 17 percent of American adults (36 million) report some degree of hearing loss, a condition in which a person is partially or totally unable to hear in one or both ears.” The good news is that most people who suffer hearing loss can be helped by using small devices commonly known as hearing aids.

The cost of hearing aids causes some folks to delay using them, but some types are more affordable than others and there are ways to save. If you or a loved one is suffering from hearing loss, it's important to look into hearing aids.

Unfortunately, there are many reasons people put off purchasing hearing aids, even after they notice they hear others speaking in an indiscernible mumble or misunderstand what is being said.

One reason for waiting may be the misconception of what it is like to be a hearing aid user. They believe that hearing devices are ugly and highly noticeable. However, hearing aid technology has improved tremendously in recent years, with devices becoming smaller, more sophisticated and easier to use. Continue reading

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What You Need to Know: 5 Key Medicare Questions Answered

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Understanding all of your choices and getting the most out of Medicare can be overwhelming. According to the National Council on Aging, more than half of Baby Boomers ages 60 and older find the program and its alphabet soup of Parts A, B, C and D very confusing. Today I’m going to answer 5 key Medicare questions to help clear things up.

Healthcare is confusing, and none are more confusing than Medicare. Here are 5 key Medicare questions answered so you know what to do to be covered.

Before we get to those questions, here’s the details you need on getting started. Continue reading

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The Drug Habit I Just Can’t Kick

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I have a serious drug habit. I’ve had it for the past nine years and I am not able to quit it. No, I’m not breaking any laws by taking drugs nor am I robbing any bank or committing any crimes to get them. All I have to do is see my doctor regularly and get a prescription and I’m in business. Unfortunately for me and my wife, filling those prescriptions each month is costing a small fortune and puts a serious dent in our personal finances. On top of that, the problem of prescription costs only increases from year to year. But then again, what choice do I really have about it all? I need the drugs.

Prescription costs can take a huge bite out of your budget. This is just one reason why it's important to take care of your health before there's a problem.

My Medical Condition Heads South

In case you don’t know all the details as to why I am in this situation, dependent on prescription drugs to maintain my health and prevent my deterioration any further, let me give you a brief medical history as to how I got myself into this mess. Continue reading

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5 Ways to Make “Healthy” Easier and More Convenient

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You’ve heard me say it before: staying healthy is an important way to save money. But how do you get or stay healthy when you’re busy and stressed? I’m sure we all start each day thinking that today is the day when we will try really hard to cultivate some of those healthy habits into our lives. Unfortunately, way too often, convenience wins out over our good intentions. I have to plead guilty as charged right here!

When you're busy it can be difficult to stay healthy, but there are new services and technology that will help you cultivate those healthy habits.

While we all realize that shopping for fresh ingredients at the supermarket to make a meal at home is far healthier than stopping at the drive-thru at McDonald’s, it’s so much damned easier, quicker, and convenient! But guess what, there is some good news on this subject. New business services and technology are making it easier than ever to incorporate healthy habits even into the busiest lives! Continue reading

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The Chances of Living to 100 and Why You Should Care

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You may be wondering “Why should I be reading about living to 100 and what does this have to do with me and my personal finances?” Interestingly enough, you do have a good question there. You might be in your 20’s, 30’s or 40’s and thinking, “Please Gary, I have so much to worry about, why that subject now?” Well, truth being told here, you probably won’t live to be 100. But what if you do?

Your chances of living to 100 are increasing as time goes by. Here's how to make the best of those chances and the most of your older years.

How many people are living to 100?

Centenarians, once a rarity, are the world’s fastest growing age group. Since 2000 when there were 50,281 of them here in the US, the group has grown by 44% to 72,197 (as of 2014). That makes this age group just about 0.003% in the United State, yes still small, but almost three times as many as there were in 1980 according to a report by CNN in 2016. Continue reading

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What is Disability Insurance and Why Do You Need It?

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Super Saving Tips aren’t only about saving money by clipping coupons or knowing when the best times of the year are to shop. They’re also tips or “words to the wise” about what you can do in advance about issues that can affect your life, which of course can affect your money. That’s why I am writing today about disability insurance.

What is disability insurance? If you don't have it, then it's time to consider it. I'll help you understand what it is and why you need it.

What is Disability Insurance?

You may think disability is unlikely to happen to you, but 56 million Americans, about 1 in 5, live with disabilities.  And for today’s 20-year-olds, more than 1 in 4 of them will become disabled at some point before reaching retirement age. If your disability leaves you unable to work, how will you provide for yourself (and your family)? Continue reading

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7 Lifestyle Changes That Don’t Cost Much But Have Big Benefits

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For today’s guest post on affordable lifestyle changes, please welcome back fellow blogger Anum Yoon.

We all want to change our lives for the better, but it’s hard to know how to do that without spending a bunch of money. Eating organic and having gym memberships is great, but it starts to add up. Consider the following lifestyle changes. They might seem small, but they have major benefits. The best part? They’re affordable.

If you want to improve your health, you don't necessarily have to spend a lot. Check out these 7 affordable lifestyle changes to boost your well-being.

1. Drink More Water

You probably hear this all the time, but it seriously does make a difference. Drinking it from the tap is insanely cheap. Even if your water isn’t the best, an investment in a Brita filter or pitcher is an infrequent buy that pays for itself in the long run. Bottled water creates too much waste, and they’re way more expensive. Continue reading

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15 Ways To Get Your Money’s Worth from Doctor Visits

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There is so much talk these days about medical care, medical insurance, and medication costs, that no matter who you are or what stage of life and health you may be in, you have to think about those things. If you are ill of course it becomes a huge priority in your life. If you are healthy, you want to keep it that way. If you have a family, you think about your spouse and your kids and what kind of care and expense that all means to keep everyone as healthy as possible.

No matter what you spend on healthcare, you want your dollars to count. Here's how to get your money's worth from doctor visits and get the best healthcare.

If you are a young person on your own, you may not worry all that much about your medical care. That happens sometimes because with youth often comes a feeling of invincibility. When you have been active and healthy all of your life, you may even take that fact for granted. That’s not really a good idea. Continue reading