I have done the thing where you ask the cashier to run the gift card for the balance amount and then use a different payment source for anything still due, but it's a hassle and I prefer not to do it. Gas, same thing.
What I do is Amazon e-gift cards. I shop at amazon, and they don't expire their gift cards, so it's a good value. But I can also use the amazon gift balance to purchase a gift card to a local store or restuarant, so I'm not even limited to shopping at amazon this way. Amazon lets you enter the exact amount you want to load onto their e-gift-card, so that 3.56 balance on prepaid visa can be converted into a 3.56 amazon credit with no extra fees. I just did this today, and there was no problem with a $1 hold or anything.
if you want to use petroleum by products... go ahead and use suave. There's a reason why it's only $0.79. And if petro chemicals don't bother you, well then, that's just your decision on submitting your biggest organ (skin) to toxicity. Our evolutionary process didn't design us humans to be eating (ie modern food production) and smearing (our modern hygiene market) in petroleum. Which is what we do, day in, day out. And then we wonder why people are dying of cancer.
Oh dear. Oh dear. Please, don't fall for the cholesterol nonsense. Cholesterol is a necessary and indeed, very important substance that you don't want to be too low (and the numbers used as lab cutoffs are artificially set very low - which, ahem, increases the market potential for cholesterol lowering drugs). Simply put, cholesterol is an important structural material. It's found in rich supply throughout the nervous system, particularly in the brain. Cholesterol is a raw material for making hormones and bile salts (to digest fats). Cholesterol is such an important substance for good health that the body will make it if it isn't consumed in the diet.
Despite the cholesterol hysteria of the past couple of decades, there is little evidence that lowering cholesterol will do anything to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, because cholesterol doesn't *cause* CVD. Half of all people who have heart attacks actually have so-called normal or even low cholesterol levels, so just having a low number means little in terms of prevention or prediction.
In fact, for women, higher cholesterol levels seem even to be protective for all-cause mortality. In elderly women, low cholesterol is strongly associated with dementia, cancer, and a number of other poor health outcomes, many of which are feared or considered far worse than CVD. The only thing that worries me about my cholesterol levels is not having enough.
> Include low-fat and fat-free daisy products, legumes, and poultry in your plan.
Change that to "dairy" products and you're gold. Daisy products are mostly sour cream, which I don't think you meant. Delete this comment if you want. It's just a typo I noticed, and it's not meant to be vindictive.
I'm am an anomaly - I'm a fat woman with excellent cholesterol and triglycerides. My doctor tests me every 6 months (I have bloodwork done for checking my thyroid, and he ALWAYS orders the cholesterol too), and I think my high was 180, after I forgot and ate a giant greasy burger and fries (not something I do all the time) the day before a blood draw.
I'm fat because I have a problem with portion control and gotten off my exercise regimen the last few years - not because I eat crappy all the time. I eat red meat maybe once a month, whole grain everything, brown rice, olive oil and LOTS of veggies. Sushi also happens to be one of my faves and salmon and tuna with low-sodium soy sauce is super for raising your HDL. I actually take out about half of the rice from the sushi pieces, since I just want enough to get a bit of soy sauce, and my doc said that is definitely a good idea (white rice being not so good anyway).
My husband, however has battled high triglycerides and borderline cholesterol for several years, (hereditary unfortunately) and we've discovered a few things that have dropped both of them into normal range and kept him from going on prescription meds: daily glasses of red grapefruit juice (regular is okay, but the red has way more benefits and there are several low sugar versions that are quite tasty), and fish oil pills in addition to the above dietary changes. He dropped around 35 points in cholesterol in 2 months and his triglycerides went from somewhere in the neighborhood 200, to the 150s. Apparently the red grapefruit juice is really good for triglycerides...
One of my fave easy recipes lately has been chicken wraps with cucumber:
take 2-3 chicken breasts and cook in non-stick skillet (no oil needed)
slice into strips
use whole wheat tortillas (we get the double fiber ones) and fill with a few strips of chicken, strips of cucumber (not slices - better crunch and coverage if you just make everything strips for this), a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese (or other low-fat shredded cheese), and drizzle with a bit of low-fat ranch dressing. I've also added strips of red/yellow peppers and fresh leaf spinach or whatever other veggie sounds good.
WOW - this is some bad information! You do not collect unemployment benefits from the government
You can collect if you are fired
Where should I start - really poor stuff here and very much not correct
Unemployment Compensation deals only with the reason fro separation from employment - not comments from people praising your work - TOTALLY WRONG!!!!!!
Very interesting article - My company exclusively represents Claimants at Unemployment Hearings and Appeals. I hear both sides - those who complain that they cannot find work and those who clearly want to not work and collect UC Benefits.
One thing that most people miss is that Unemployment is an insurance policy - just like your car insurance. You pay your premiums which are taken as a deduction from your paycheck - the employer also pay a portion of those premiums
I would guess that a good chunk of America's obesity problem is directly related to pop and other un-needed drinks. We have a free drink in our country that is safe to drink from the tap.... WATER.
Well, as a student in Canada attending university we are given an unlimited debit transaction amount. But even with that I tend to loose track of my trans, so I'm still stuck with the question debit or credit? Debit is free for me so I take out cash while using the debit, but credit really worries me. Which one is really beneficial?
I absolutely love everthing about Farmers Markets. The stalls, the stall owners all from different parts of the country. The different foods and they all seem to be better than what you would buy in the local shop or supermarket. The atmosphere is always great with all the banter and the different smells. I know all of the produce comes direct from the farms and all fresh. I would recommend to anyone that has not been to a Farmers Market to search them out, I know if you are a lover of old fashioned good food you will love it.
Love the drug store article! It can be tempting to buy things when you're at the drug store, just for convenience. It's a good reminder that some items there are VERY expensive.
When a payment slips through the cracks, calling the company is key. I've been able to get most fees waived (especially with companies that I've been doing business with for years). It's always helpful to leverage a bit of that consumer power in tight spots. Great article!
Paying the lowest balance first is ridiculous unless you like give extra money to your credit card banks in return for a long payback period. It just make no sense. The only way to do this is high interest first--the end! http://www.debtsmart.com/pages/hm_snowball_040407449.html
Becoming debt-free and only having normal household bills to pay. With that goal met, the next thing I look forward to is making a trip to see some friends in Scotland.
I love people who waltz in with their comments presenting completely incorrect information as fact. In the Unites States, it is completely legal to inquire about an applicants political views or party afilliation during an interview. Although there are numerous references on the web from supposed people of authority that state otherwise (like the fools on About.com) as a Senior Partner specializing in employer/employee law at one of the largest law firms in the country, I can 100% assure everyone that this is a legal question. Very simply, party afilliation is NOT a protected class.
I think that's good advice whether you're in a leadership role or not. After all, you never know how things would have turned out if you'd chosen something different; the best you can do is your best, and then accept accept the consequences with grace.
You can do it, Karen! I got my B.A. degree at age 52.
I have done the thing where you ask the cashier to run the gift card for the balance amount and then use a different payment source for anything still due, but it's a hassle and I prefer not to do it. Gas, same thing.
What I do is Amazon e-gift cards. I shop at amazon, and they don't expire their gift cards, so it's a good value. But I can also use the amazon gift balance to purchase a gift card to a local store or restuarant, so I'm not even limited to shopping at amazon this way. Amazon lets you enter the exact amount you want to load onto their e-gift-card, so that 3.56 balance on prepaid visa can be converted into a 3.56 amazon credit with no extra fees. I just did this today, and there was no problem with a $1 hold or anything.
I'm most looking forward to starting medical school in 2012!
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/12/ff_causation/all/1
Long, but very good article worth reading for perspective.
if you want to use petroleum by products... go ahead and use suave. There's a reason why it's only $0.79. And if petro chemicals don't bother you, well then, that's just your decision on submitting your biggest organ (skin) to toxicity. Our evolutionary process didn't design us humans to be eating (ie modern food production) and smearing (our modern hygiene market) in petroleum. Which is what we do, day in, day out. And then we wonder why people are dying of cancer.
I liked you on Facebook.
Great list but water the plants is on it twice :)
Oh dear. Oh dear. Please, don't fall for the cholesterol nonsense. Cholesterol is a necessary and indeed, very important substance that you don't want to be too low (and the numbers used as lab cutoffs are artificially set very low - which, ahem, increases the market potential for cholesterol lowering drugs). Simply put, cholesterol is an important structural material. It's found in rich supply throughout the nervous system, particularly in the brain. Cholesterol is a raw material for making hormones and bile salts (to digest fats). Cholesterol is such an important substance for good health that the body will make it if it isn't consumed in the diet.
Despite the cholesterol hysteria of the past couple of decades, there is little evidence that lowering cholesterol will do anything to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, because cholesterol doesn't *cause* CVD. Half of all people who have heart attacks actually have so-called normal or even low cholesterol levels, so just having a low number means little in terms of prevention or prediction.
In fact, for women, higher cholesterol levels seem even to be protective for all-cause mortality. In elderly women, low cholesterol is strongly associated with dementia, cancer, and a number of other poor health outcomes, many of which are feared or considered far worse than CVD. The only thing that worries me about my cholesterol levels is not having enough.
> Include low-fat and fat-free daisy products, legumes, and poultry in your plan.
Change that to "dairy" products and you're gold. Daisy products are mostly sour cream, which I don't think you meant. Delete this comment if you want. It's just a typo I noticed, and it's not meant to be vindictive.
I'm am an anomaly - I'm a fat woman with excellent cholesterol and triglycerides. My doctor tests me every 6 months (I have bloodwork done for checking my thyroid, and he ALWAYS orders the cholesterol too), and I think my high was 180, after I forgot and ate a giant greasy burger and fries (not something I do all the time) the day before a blood draw.
I'm fat because I have a problem with portion control and gotten off my exercise regimen the last few years - not because I eat crappy all the time. I eat red meat maybe once a month, whole grain everything, brown rice, olive oil and LOTS of veggies. Sushi also happens to be one of my faves and salmon and tuna with low-sodium soy sauce is super for raising your HDL. I actually take out about half of the rice from the sushi pieces, since I just want enough to get a bit of soy sauce, and my doc said that is definitely a good idea (white rice being not so good anyway).
My husband, however has battled high triglycerides and borderline cholesterol for several years, (hereditary unfortunately) and we've discovered a few things that have dropped both of them into normal range and kept him from going on prescription meds: daily glasses of red grapefruit juice (regular is okay, but the red has way more benefits and there are several low sugar versions that are quite tasty), and fish oil pills in addition to the above dietary changes. He dropped around 35 points in cholesterol in 2 months and his triglycerides went from somewhere in the neighborhood 200, to the 150s. Apparently the red grapefruit juice is really good for triglycerides...
One of my fave easy recipes lately has been chicken wraps with cucumber:
take 2-3 chicken breasts and cook in non-stick skillet (no oil needed)
slice into strips
use whole wheat tortillas (we get the double fiber ones) and fill with a few strips of chicken, strips of cucumber (not slices - better crunch and coverage if you just make everything strips for this), a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese (or other low-fat shredded cheese), and drizzle with a bit of low-fat ranch dressing. I've also added strips of red/yellow peppers and fresh leaf spinach or whatever other veggie sounds good.
WOW - this is some bad information! You do not collect unemployment benefits from the government
You can collect if you are fired
Where should I start - really poor stuff here and very much not correct
Unemployment Compensation deals only with the reason fro separation from employment - not comments from people praising your work - TOTALLY WRONG!!!!!!
How can you mislead people like this?
Very interesting article - My company exclusively represents Claimants at Unemployment Hearings and Appeals. I hear both sides - those who complain that they cannot find work and those who clearly want to not work and collect UC Benefits.
One thing that most people miss is that Unemployment is an insurance policy - just like your car insurance. You pay your premiums which are taken as a deduction from your paycheck - the employer also pay a portion of those premiums
It is not welfare, not even close
Keep up the articles please!
Vince
UCHelpCenter.com
I would guess that a good chunk of America's obesity problem is directly related to pop and other un-needed drinks. We have a free drink in our country that is safe to drink from the tap.... WATER.
Well, as a student in Canada attending university we are given an unlimited debit transaction amount. But even with that I tend to loose track of my trans, so I'm still stuck with the question debit or credit? Debit is free for me so I take out cash while using the debit, but credit really worries me. Which one is really beneficial?
Or stick to the credit and build a good report?
I absolutely love everthing about Farmers Markets. The stalls, the stall owners all from different parts of the country. The different foods and they all seem to be better than what you would buy in the local shop or supermarket. The atmosphere is always great with all the banter and the different smells. I know all of the produce comes direct from the farms and all fresh. I would recommend to anyone that has not been to a Farmers Market to search them out, I know if you are a lover of old fashioned good food you will love it.
I have a TV with an integrated DVD player, is it still possible to hack it??
Love the drug store article! It can be tempting to buy things when you're at the drug store, just for convenience. It's a good reminder that some items there are VERY expensive.
When a payment slips through the cracks, calling the company is key. I've been able to get most fees waived (especially with companies that I've been doing business with for years). It's always helpful to leverage a bit of that consumer power in tight spots. Great article!
What a great article - good point about being grateful for having a choice in the first place.
Paying the lowest balance first is ridiculous unless you like give extra money to your credit card banks in return for a long payback period. It just make no sense. The only way to do this is high interest first--the end!
http://www.debtsmart.com/pages/hm_snowball_040407449.html
They forgot to add Cherimoya's, they are in season now!
Becoming debt-free and only having normal household bills to pay. With that goal met, the next thing I look forward to is making a trip to see some friends in Scotland.
I love people who waltz in with their comments presenting completely incorrect information as fact. In the Unites States, it is completely legal to inquire about an applicants political views or party afilliation during an interview. Although there are numerous references on the web from supposed people of authority that state otherwise (like the fools on About.com) as a Senior Partner specializing in employer/employee law at one of the largest law firms in the country, I can 100% assure everyone that this is a legal question. Very simply, party afilliation is NOT a protected class.
Thanks much, Thad P.! Appreciate the encouragement. Happy New Year to you!
I think that's good advice whether you're in a leadership role or not. After all, you never know how things would have turned out if you'd chosen something different; the best you can do is your best, and then accept accept the consequences with grace.