Healthy food, fast and cheap (USA Today)

The usual January diet drill has an unusual proponent in 2010: the fast-food industry. Many of the nation's largest fast-food chains — better-known for their often fatty, high-calorie foods — are loudly touting diet and low-calorie offerings. Familiar brands from Taco Bell to Starbucks to Dunkin' Donuts are rolling out new products and ad campaigns in an attempt to lure calorie-conscious consumers during the month when the $170 billion fast-food industry typically sees sales slide. USA Today reports.

Living large in lean times

Mens Health Magazine brought together a roster of contributors and peered into the pocketbooks of more than 1,000 men in their largest-ever financial survey to help readers find ways to live better, for less. Read on, and start reaping the rewards.

Happy New Years!  

Cavities, tap water & fluoride (WSJ)

From the WSJ: The prevalence of cavities in children aged 2 to 5 decreased steadily through the 1970s and 1980s, thanks largely to the expansion of water fluoridation and to advances in treatment and prevention, dental experts say. The trend appeared to hit a low around the mid-1990s, when about 24% of young children had cavities, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.But tooth decay then began heading higher. A CDC survey found that 28% of small children had cavities in the five years ended 2004, the latest data available. The reasons for the increase aren't entirely clear. But dental experts suggest it may be due to children drinking more bottled water that doesn't contain fluoride, and to changes in dietary habits. You can read the rest of the article here: Link. And, an article I wrote about water consumption for this blog here.

For Your Budget, Your Planet and Your Behind

Improve personal hygiene, be environmentally friendly and save money.

Let's be honest, toilet paper is not a hygienic solution. Yet, we find novelty in the bidet.

The average American uses 60 sheets of toilet paper a day. Ladies, credit your men...we're bringing down the average! This amounts to over 37 billion rolls of toilet paper every year. If we assume a 24 pack of Charmin costs $10, we're talking about a $15 billion/year industry. The environmental costs are equally astonishing, according to sustainlane.com toilet paper production consumes 15 million trees and over 473 billion gallons of water annually.

What can you do?

I'm not advocating the elimination of toilet paper. I'm pro-T.P., but I'm also pro-hygiene and pro-environment. As a compliment to toilet paper and a means to limit its use consider these solutions.

• A bathroom sprayer is easy to install, costs less than $50 and will pay back in just a few months. Home Depot sells this model.
  
• For gadget geeks, a high tech bidet (if you've ever seen one, they're pretty cool) can run anywhere from a couple hundred dollars on up. Toto, a Japanese manufacturer, is just one firm launching a campaign to push awareness.

Go Green!

Access to Health Care: A Survey

Your health and what it will cost you are critical safety needs. With that in mind, I recently read this article regarding patient wait times by Katie Connolly of Newsweek: Link.

According to the Commonwealth Fund, Americans wait longer to see primary-care physicians than patients in Great Britan, Germany, Australia, the Netherlands and New Zealand - all countries with public health systems. Nearly one quarter of Americans report waiting six or more days for an appointment with their doctor. Canada came in below the U.S. with a third of respondents waiting six or more days to see their physician. Note: Both the U.S. and Canada came in last for ability to make a same day appointment.

But...

When it comes to elected surgery, America came out on top. Only 8 percent of respondent had to wait more than four months while 62 percent waited less than a month. The worst was Britain where 41 percent had to wait four months or more.

The cause for this disparity is the shortage of primary care physicians in the States. The U.S. produces more specialists because they earn a lot more than primary care. Source: Newsweek.

Chime In: Without getting into a political discourse, what are your opinions of health care in your country?

Haggle Your Way to Savings

Haggling does not come naturally. Fortunately, I’ve had the pleasure of travelling to places where the first price is rarely the final price. Having seen this process at its finest, I’ve compiled a list of best practices to help you haggle your way to a better deal.

What is Negotiable
Haggling extends beyond garage sales, open air markets and your next car. You can haggle to improve your situation on a variety of items: phone, cable, gym membership and home improvement jobs come to mind. While there are many things we can haggle on, it’s important to temper expectations if a product or service is non-negotiable. This could be the case at national retail outlets, dining establishments, etc. A strategy in these situations is to ask if the seller offers specials or is planning to have a sale soon.

Start by Asking for a Better Deal
Competition, especially in highly competitive industries dominated by independent business owners, is fierce. Start the process by asking for a better price. Smart Money Magazine even suggests that medical costs are negotiable: http://www.smartmoney.com/spending/deals/how-to-cut-your-health-care-costs-14650/.

Do Your Diligence
It’s common for businesses to beat a competitor’s price. This is especially true in situations where many sellers offer the same or similar product. Craft markets or touristy places are classic examples. Walk around and get a feel for the going rate of an item before you haggle with a vendor.

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For tips on a wide-range of money matters, visit this GivingGrinch.com recommended site: www.moneyreallymatters.com
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Be Even Keeled & Not Afraid to Smile
Have fun with the haggling experience. The best hagglers I’ve seen have a price in mind and a strategy to achieve their objectives, but they also maintain a pleasant disposition. This allows them to be persistent without being unpleasant.

Grease the Wheel

• Offer to pay in cash
• Offer to purchase on the spot
• Offer to recommend shop/service to your friends and colleagues

Work the Variables
Often there are several variables inclusive or exclusive of the final price. If you are unable to reduce one area try to improve your situation in another. Earlier this year while on a trip we walked into a hotel without a reservation. After chatting with the front desk manager and determining that the hotel was only 70% occupied, we asked for a lower rate than was quoted. The manger was not willing to reduce the rate, but we were able to secure a larger room and a welcome basket with snacks and beverages at no extra cost.

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Business owners, hiring a virtual assistant can save time and money: www.integrityofficesolutions.com
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Be Willing to Walk Away
If you don’t get the price you require and are able to make due leave your information with the seller, ask them to contact you if they are willing to meet your terms.

Don’t Walk Away After You Agree on a Price
It is bad etiquette and a waste of time to negotiate in bad faith.

Reader Tips
Bartering or swapping goods is a bit like haggling and another way to save money. There are a bunch of websites that offer these services. Here are a few:

• HomeExchange.com
• Craigslist.com (barter section)
• MakeupAlley.com
• PaperBackSwap.com
• SwapThing.com
• TargetBarter.com
• TextSwap.com
• BarterBee.com

Submitted by Shefali in NYC

Share Your Haggling Tips:
Share your haggling tips and success stories with our readers. You can post a comment on our blog or send me an email: advice@givinggrinch.com.

Gifts for all Seasons and Reasons

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Blog: http://givinggrinch.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.givinggrinch.com/
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Gifts for all Seasons or Reasons

Gift giving, in this country, is a social norm and therefore a social need in our hierarchy. We’ve all received gifts for which we have little or no use. Unknowingly, we may have given gifts like this as well. For many of us gifting can be time consuming and expensive. With the holidays behind us, now is the perfect time to get this year’s gifting in order – GivingGrinch style.

Imagine always having the perfect gift – something personal that anyone would appreciate – on hand. I have three gift ideas you can make today, but first the criteria I came up with:

1. Something personal (preferably homemade)
2. Something anyone can use
3. Ability to make and store in bulk
4. Economical to make, but not something others will find cheap
5. Long shelf life

Spices and Rubs
There are tons of spice and rub recipes available on the web. One you can buy at the store is Emeril’s Essence. Instead, make your own and “spice it up” as a gift. Mr. Lagasse provides this recipe on his website, http://www.emerils.com/. Adjust the ratios to make in bulk.

• 5 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 1/4 cup salt
• 1/4 cup garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 2 tablespoons cayenne
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons dried thyme

Spice/Rub Shelf life: Dried leafy herb mixes will last 1-3 years, ground or powdered herbs retain freshness up to a year.

Homemade Herb Infused Olive Oil (for drizzling or dipping)

1. Choose your herbs. Popular choices are rosemary, basil, mint, tarragon, thyme or marjoram. Another option, whole garlic.
2. Wash and thoroughly dry the herbs. Slightly tear or bruise the herbs so that they release their aroma and flavors.
3. Heat olive oil over a low flame until warm (not hot). Use a pot or pan with a wide base, like a sauce pan, to evenly warm the oil.
4. Stuff herbs into bottles. A little goes a long way.
5. Pour oil into bottles.
6. Let the bottles sit for a while until cool.
7. Place cork or rubber top on bottle and set in a cool dark place for about a week. If you use garlic, refrigerate the oil to avoid botulism.
8. Strain out herbs or garlic and you’re ready to consume or gift.

Storage: Cool, dark place

Homemade Jam

My family picks berries every year to make jam. I asked my Mom to send me a starter recipe. Here is her No Cook Strawberry Freezer Jam Recipe:

1. Measure 1 1/2 cups sugar into bowl.
2. Add contents of one Ball Company Fruit Jell Freezer Jam Pectin pouch (available at large grocery stores)
3. Stir until mixed
4. Crush fruits, 4 cups (crushed) and add to pectin mixture.
5. Stir 3 minutes
6. Ladle jam into clean jars leaving half inch headspace; apply lids.
7. Let stand until thickened (about 30 min.)

Yield: Five 8 ounce jars. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze for longer storage - up to one year.

So there you have it - gifts with personality and utility without tasking your mind or breaking your bank.

Reader Tip: Fill a brand name prescription medication for free. Even with insurance, brand name drugs are expensive. In order to get people to try their medicine, pharmaceutical companies often offer a free or discounted trial. The best place to check is their website. For example, Vesicare has a free 30-day prescription form you can print out. If you prefer, they can mail you the form.