Save Money On Dental Care

Even with health insurance, dental care costs can add up fast. Dentists will sometimes discount your bill if you ask (especially if you don’t have insurance), and if you’re over 55 there may be a senior discount program. Here are four more ideas to help you save: 1.Use a dental school. You can find accredited schools for most dental work, where a student will perform the work overseen by an experienced instructor. Find schools here: ADA.org/dentalschools 2.Consider a dental discount plan. Sometimes using a dental plan may save you more than actually having dental insurance. You generally pay a yearly fee to join a discount plan and use dentists that are members of the plan to get lowered rates on services. To find a plan available in your area visit: www.dentalplans.com or www.dentalcareadvantage.com 3.Choose a dentist with a payment plan. Many dentists will work with you to set up a payment arrangement if you don’t have insurance. There are also special credit accounts you can get just for dental and medical bills, which allow you to make payments instead of having to pay the sum in full before you can be treated – check with your bank or at: unitedmedicalcredit.com or carecredit.com 4.Low-income dental care options. For low-income patients, there are many options that vary by state. Find locations that provide free or low-cost health and dental care in the U.S. at the following website: FindAHealthCenter.HRSA.gov. Dental Lifeline at DentalLifeline.org provides free dental work to elderly and disabled patients who otherwise couldn’t afford to pay.

How Interest Rates Affect You

Interest rates can have a huge impact on your finances, especially if you carry a lot of debt. Here’s some important information that can help you manage your money more successfully: 1. Credit cards. When the Federal Reserve raises rates, expect to pay more. It’s best to pay off your credit card debt, or switch to a card with a lower interest rate, Go to www.cardweb.com for credit card rates. 2. Home-equity line of credit. You can use your home-equity line of credit if you can pay off the amount you borrow within three years. If you’re unable to pay off the amount in three years, obtain a home-equity loan with a fixed rate. Go to www.bankrate.com for bank rates. 3. Mortgages. If you have an adjustable-rate mortgage you may pay more as rates go up. Financials advisors recommend an adjustable-rate loan with a five or seven-year fixed period. 4. Bonds. When rates go up, generally the yields on most bonds go up. For your protection, invest in funds that hold Treasury and high-quality corporate bonds.

Are You Hopelessly Disorganized?

Can’t find your keys? Missed an appointment? Still looking for that file you misplaced? Well, if you’re like thousands of people, searching for simple solutions to a big organization problems can be a problem! There may be hope. Here are five quick tips to get (and stay) organized: 1. Keep an errand basket by the door for returning books, videotapes, dry-cleaning, etc. 2. De-clutter your junk drawer using plastic cutlery trays that come in a variety of sizes. 3. Keep a donation box in your laundry room or garage. Add unneeded clothing, books, toys, or small appliances and drop off monthly. 4. Do one small chore each day (dust, straighten one room, vacuum). 5. Have a key rack near the door with two sets of car and house keys. Remember the adage, a place for everything and everything in its place!

Kindness Is Good For You!

When was that last time you noticed you were grumpy, then, out of the blue, someone does or says something nice to you? Didn’t it make you feel better…even a lot better? When you are kind to other people, it also makes you feel good about yourself. And it’s good for your health. Researchers have found positive people have fewer health problems. In his book, It’s a Meaningful Life, it Just Takes Practice, author Bo Lozoff writes about the importance of being kind and building a better community. That community encompasses family, friends, co-workers, and the people you meet in your daily life (the bank teller, cashier, the parking lot attendant). So as you go about your day, be kinder to your spouse, your kids, your co-workers, and wherever your travels take you. Then see if adding a little more kindness to your daily diet makes a difference in how you feel, how other people respond to you, and how others feel when you are kind to them. It’s a worthwhile experiment!

7 Steps To Happiness And Success!

Albert Schweitzer once wrote, “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” Here are seven steps you can take today. 1. Believe In Yourself. Identify your natural talents and abilities. Do what you enjoy and what you do best. Truly successful and happy people find joy in their working lives. Invest your time in what you do best. Focus on your strengths and not your weaknesses. 2. Develop a Vision. First, define your path and start working your plan. Write down a vision for yourself and your life. Be specific. What do you want to accomplish? What do you want your life to look like in 5 years, 10 years? 3. Develop Good Habits. Happy and successful people choose good habits. If you’re watching too much TV, chronically late, or eating poorly, make a commitment to change your bad habits into habits consistent with your goals. 4. Show Gratitude. The happiest people are also the most grateful people. Count your blessings frequently and you’ll quickly start seeing a change in yourself and the world around you. 5. Take A Chance. Seize opportunities! Success and happiness does not come to those who sit and wait for it to be brought to them. Take risks and take a chance! Single? Ask him or her out even though you might get rejected! Ask for that raise you deserve! Buy stock in that company you love! Move to another city to get that big promotion! 6. Give to Others. Studies reveal that the happiest people are also the most generous. Do, say, or give something nice to another and see how your own life improves. 7. Take Responsibility. You hold the key to your future. Take responsibility for your actions. Choose the work you like to do, and do it well. Ultimately, you are the master of your fate. You choose your own future by the decisions you make and the actions you take.

How To Invest As You Age

Financial investments should change as you move through the stages of your life. Consider these strategies to make better use of your hard-earned money. During your 30s and 40s: These are years of increasing income and increasing demands for your money, particularly providing for your children. • Life insurance is relatively inexpensive at this stage of your life. Buying a policy also is a way of providing for your family’s future. • 529 plans offer tax-advantaged savings for your children’s education. For details, which vary by state, go to www.savingforcollege.com. • Annuities can be a good addition to an IRA or 401k retirement account, and usually have tax-deferred options and guaranteed life income. During your 50s: Prepare for a well-funded retirement during these years. • Remove all risks from your retirement plan. Think about a retirement date and your ability to meet that date. Reduce investments in such things as your employer’s company. • Take advantage of slowing expenses. You are at the top of your earning power, and big expenses, like children living at home, are likely reduced. Consider paying off your mortgage or increasing your investments. During your 60s and beyond: This is a time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. • Test living on projected income before stopping work. If your expected retirement income will be 70 percent of your current paycheck, set aside 30 percent now and see what it’s like to live on the rest. Apply for Social Security and Medicare. Visit these sites to help you make important decisions about these programs: www.socialsecurity.gov and www.medicare.gov.

What You Eat Can Profoundly Affect Your Sleep!

Your daily diet can have a great impact on your night’s sleep. First, be sure you are getting enough calcium and magnesium. You can get it by eating milk, yogurt, beans, dark green vegetables, or a taking vitamin supplement (1,000 mg. to 1,300 mg. are recommended as a daily target for calcium consumption). Along with calcium, pay attention to consumption of these foods before bedtime:  Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Of course caffeine is a stimulant and even though alcohol is a relaxant, it will switch gears in the middle night and wake you up when it wears off.  Choose a good evening snack. These would be yogurt, bananas, figs, nuts, turkey, tuna, and whole-grain crackers. These foods are rich in trytophan, an amino acid the brain uses to produce the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is critical for a normal night’s sleep.  Evening snacks you definitely should avoid. Bacon, cheese, chocolate, ham, potatoes, sugar, sausage, tomatoes, and wine are the foods to skip if you want a restful night’s sleep. They all contain high levels of tyramine, which increases release of the stimulant norepinephrine into the brain.