Back to School: Food and Obesity

Back to school ads are in all the local newspapers.  The grocery store ads have individually wrapped junk food at special prices, and frozen dinners as 2fers.  These are the items that bring shoppers in the doors.   As we head into the season known as ‘back to school’, let’s talk food.

Why are we an obese country?

A Health Economist article’s reasons for obesity:

• Decreased real cost of food-few go without food because of funds.
• Women in the work force leading to fewer meals cooked in the home-fast food here we come.
• Decreased activity-no more playing outside with video games, and a TV in every kid’s room.

The researchers suggested that one way to combat the problem of obesity would be to tax junk food.  But I agree with the author of the article:  who would decide what counted for junk food?  Little Debbie?

FAST FOOD: photo by Chrisian Cable

So we’ve recognized for a number of years that obesity in the developed world, the US in particular, is a major problem.  It is well known that obesity and an increasing body mass index contributes to the risks of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.

Our Kids and Obesity: What to do?

The Government and private industry preventing obesity proposals:

• Washington is requiring body mass index or BMI included in all patient records by 2014-in other words, they want to know how fat we are
• Let’s not forget the folks who want to take the toy out of McDonald’s Happy Meals.
• Retail grocers have developed a nutritional scoring system that ranks thousands of foods on a scale of 1 to 100.  This number will be placed on the shelf label letting consumers know how their choices rank.
• Some food chains are hiring nutritionists to roam the aisles and for a fee offer personalized recommendations on selecting healthier foods according to this article in the Wall Street Journal.

What are you and I going to do about obesity in our own families?

• Buy fresh fruits and vegetables grown locally, they are usually cheaper, more nutritious and taste better.
• If you must buy foods such as potato chips, at least buy the cheapest per ounce.  Stay away from those little packages of individually wrapped portions, just bag them yourself.
• Say no to chips, etc.  Buy an apple to pack in that lunch box.
• If you are going to buy sugary cereal, at least buy the cheapest and go heavy on the low fat milk in the bowl. Pour it up and insist on an empty bowl afterward, with no milk left behind-we don’t get enough calcium on most days.
• Plan.  Plan.  Then plan some more so you don’t find yourself in the drive thru line at a fa(s)t food joint.  Life can be hectic.  Life with a family-brutally hectic.  You have to decide what that means for you, but it’s worth some thought.  On those horrid mid week nights when you can’t face meal prep, drag out the hotdogs and frozen French fries.  Sure, choose the low fat, low nitrite varieties, but have your version of a throw down meal in your freezer at all times.  Make it a party.  You will have saved money, time and you should even give yourself a pat on the back for staying the course.
• Part of that planning mentioned above also involves knowing what you need from the grocer before you get there.  Make a menu for the week ahead.
• Have your own ‘pantry’ list of things you know your family will eat and never run out of those things.

Use these ideas to make your own WAR on obesity!

Reader Questions:

What are you doing to help your family eat more healthily?

What are the ways you do this and be frugal at the same time?

FDL

FDL blogs about organization and home management-FAST at  Fast Declutter Your Home.

Frugal Living is Just a Matter of Managing Your Money Intelligently

Most people waste a lot of money because they don’t think about their spending. Then, when it comes time to spend money on something they really want, like buying a home or a family vacation, they don’t have the money to do it because they’ve squandered so much in their day-to-day lives.

Creating Everyday Savings

If you just change your habits and lifestyle in a few simple ways, you’ll be surprised at just how much you can save in your personal finances by adopting these tips.

Cooking at Home

Don’t eat out very often. If you looked at how much you spend every year eating out, you’d probably be shocked. The average American lays out around $2,000 dollars every year just on eating out. Going to restaurants is an expense most of us can do without, especially when it comes to eating at fast-food places. It’s much, much cheaper (not to mention healthier and better for your waistline) to eat at home.

When you are eating at home, try to stay away from pre-prepared foods and make it yourself with fresh ingredients from scratch. Planning a weekly menu is key, along with take a day like Sunday to cook a bunch of meals ahead of time to freeze and have ready for the following week. You will save not only time and money, but you will also be eating healthier.

Grocery Savings

Plan your food budget in advance before you go shopping – this way you will only get the things you need and not splurge on added, unnecessary expenses. Use coupons from the newspaper or from advertising flyers that come in the mail and buy what is on sale at your local store. Buying in bulk is always cheaper unless you are not going to be able to use it all – if you are throwing away half of a bulk item, you really should look at how a smaller amount is less expensive in the long run.

Eating Out Frugally

If you must eat in a restaurant, plan for it and employ a couple of easy techniques to spend less.

• Drink water instead of ordering soda or an alcoholic drink.
• Instead of ordering two dinners, buy one dinner and an appetizer and then split the dinner. Most restaurant portions are big enough for two anyway.
• If you must have two dinners, start your meal with a salad and the complimentary bread, then eat your veggies or other sides. Start on your entree last. The chances are you may be full by the time you’re attacking that steak or plate of lasagna, so you won’t be able to finish it. This will lead to a nice take-out box for tomorrow’s lunch.

And last, but not least, skip the dessert. Most restaurant desserts are too expensive. Pick up some fresh fruit or frozen yogurt on your way home for a less costly, more healthy dessert!

Smart Shopping


Don’t insist on buying new items from name-brand stores like big name department stores. Go to stores that carry top-quality items at reduced prices. Or, shop at places like Goodwill or used clothing stores and thrift stores. You can often find exactly what you want in decent condition for a fraction of what you’d pay for something that’s new.

You can also help unclutter a friend or family member’s closet or storage room by e-mailing them to see if they have something you need that they’re not using. Garage sales on the weekends are also fun, and it’s good exercise. You can really wind up saving some serious cash, assuming that you don’t get tempted to buy something you don’t really need just because it’s a great deal.

There are also a great websites, like Craigslist and Freecycle, that enable you to share your cast-offs with others or find some no longer wanted items that will also help you save.

If you can change your buying and spending habits just a little bit and learn to manage your money wisely, then you can get into the groove of living frugally and find that you’ll always have the few extras bucks you need to live well without feel deprived.

Your Top Ways to Save

What ways do you save money when it comes to shopping for groceries or other household or personal necessities?

About the Author:

This guest post is by Vern, a student currently studying everything to do with finance for his New York mortgage test this fall.

Lynn at Wisebread recently wrote this list of “21 Things You Should Buy Used” that appeared at Yahoo Finance.

A great list, but I didn’t agree on all the items-I thought I would see what you think.

I Agree-Great used items!

1. Books-used books are cool-I drop by our local bookstore to swap paperbacks-especially when I am taking vacation time.  When digital readers drop in price further-used bookstores may go the way of  newspapers…
2. Exercise Equipment-I call treadmills clothes racks at my office-as that is what 90% of my patients do with them… So buy used until you are sure you will stick with it.
3. Cars, Trucks, and Cycles- Buying used is almost always the way to go-Depreciation, Depreciation, Depreciation.
4. Office furniture-I have an eclectic mixture of office furniture-the new is almost always expensive, but poorly made.
5. Ikea Furniture-back in the dark ages, we called college furniture, cinder blocks, and 1×12′s, a transistor radio, and a bean bag chair.
6. Musical Instruments-Until you have mastered an instrument, no reason to buy new.  Even violin, guitar and piano experts buy used their entire career.  Stradivarius baby!!
7. Video Games-Kids are fickle-they may only play for a day.
8. Home Accents-In South Georgia, we call these knick-knacks-or usually just junk! “Antique-like!”  Yard sales, and Goodwill  stores rule!  But the less the better, according to clutter experts.
9. Recreational toys-boats, RV’s, and other motorized toys. Just make sure you get a qualified mechanic to check ‘em out first.  I once bought a used sailboat.  The engine quit in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico on my way home-thank goodness it had a sail!  My fault for not having it checked out better.  Just needed a flushed fuel tank.
10. Gardening-yard-household Supplies-a good friend has a pressure washer I borrow once a year.  He likes the fact that the  engine gets turned over more than just once a year.  I always leave it filled with gas and oil.  Well, almost always….

Things I personally would think twice about buying used:

1. House-I have bought new and used.  Since I am not much good at fixing up-I have really enjoyed my new home-(now 20 years old).   Many new homes are going at a great discount right now, and construction prices are lower than in many years.   You need to think this one through carefully-for your needs.
2. Jewelry-If I had a reliable source for used jewelry-maybe.  But how do you know you aren’t buying fakes.   Buyer beware-get it appraised before purchase.
3. Timeshares-I wouldn’t even buy a used or after-market time share.  A friend, (a millionaire nurse by the way) bought several a few years ago.  He thought he was an expert, sophisticated purchaser.  It wasn’t the price that got him, it was the yearly maintenance fees and nickle and dime charges over and over…
4. Electronics-if you have techno-skills maybe.  If not save your money, and make a good purchase on  a new one.  Plan your spending and purchase, of course.
5. DVDs and CDs-only if they are pristine condition. I have had no luck with used discs.
6. Hand tools-these are usually so inexpensive-just buy ‘em.  You will spend more on gas looking for good ones at the yard sale, and remember your time has value.  And can you really just walk past that Elvis rug, while looking for that special hammer!!

A caution about borrowing.

I borrowed a large extension ladder from the same friend who loans me the pressure washer.   He came by one day and asked to BORROW his ladder back.

I   looked in the back yard where I thought I left it.  It wasn’t there… I had a moment of panic, thinking it had been stolen, and of course, told him I would repay him.

That’s when he broke into a grin, and told me he picked it up the day before….FRIENDS!!!!  I might have called him a name.

Reader Questions/Comments:

What do you like to buy new, and what used?

Do you think buying used always saves money?

Do you know what  cinder blocks and 1×12′s are for-have you ever heard of a cinder block?

Costco and Sam’s Club make billions yearly on people like you and me.  We want to do everything we can to save money.  We want to be good stewards of our hard-earned dollars.

You’ve worked 60 hours-that overtime was really a bonus-but you hate to blow it at Publix or Kroger-you will be smart and get a warehouse club membership-savings here we come.  The main way to save at a warehouse club is buying in bulk.

Advantages of buying in bulk:

• price
• price
• price

Disadvantages to buying in bulk:

• Waste-Expiration/best used by….. will get you every time.
• Storage space-where you going to put all that crap?
• Overbuying/wasteful spending-”Hey baby, the price on this 42 inch big screen is sweet-how close are we to our credit limit???”
• Price-bulk buying is not always cheaper-you gotta know what your volume/price is-if you are not sure it’s a bargain-don’t buy!!!!

This article at Yahoo finance, discusses ten things not to buy in bulk-let’s look over the list, check it out:

1. Brown Rice-loses flavor over time-due to fat content-(I didn’t know there was fat in brown rice-I thought the fat was from the butter I add.)  Now we have tons-well maybe just 200lbs or so of un-ground wheat kernals-but until you grind, it stays good forever-well almost…
2. Candy-price/waist reward ratio…
3. Paper towels-space issue
4. Toilet paper-space issue
5. Nuts-fat content-unless you eat a lot will begin to have a rancid taste if opened for too long.
6. Mayo-going out of date
7. Vitamins/protein supplements-going out of date, and repetition-who wants the same flavored protein shake every day for a year?
8. Diapers-kids grow fast
9. Bleach-ages, loses it’s effectiveness
10. Ice Cream-I added this one after looking over other items.  Space and who wants ice crystals all over their cream when they need a special reward after a hard day…

My thoughts on the above:

The space issue with the paper goods, may not be a consideration, if you are like me and have a big pantry/lots of storage space.

I agree with the repetition issue on the protein shakes-that same flavor day after day gets old, but I just do it anyway….And I have continued to take out of date vitamins-but I am a Doc-don’t try this at home!

Candy-can you say rapid rise in morbid obesity rates…

Nuts-don’t get old at our house-good stuff!

Now the argument pro and con re shopping at warehouse clubs at all, we will save for another day.   That is almost like religion and politics, the battles can be long and dirty!!!

But they are marketing experts – They have a PhD in convincing you that you need to fill one of their flat-bed carts (that would hold a hospital bed) .

When you go-go with a plan, a list, and a full stomach!!!

The WSJ recently did this review of Warehouse shopping-concluding that frequently prices are just as good at Wal-Mart-but it depends on what and how much you buy….

Other bloggers’ Bulk Buying Warehouse opinions:

Len Penzo tested paper towels, and a warehouse club brand was the winner!

The Mighty Bargain Hunter has this to say about bulk buying-”Watermelon suckers???”

Deliver Away Debt, thinks that with coupons, the grocery stores can beat the warehouse stores!

Not Made of Money has this to say on bulk buying.

One Money Design discusses warehouse shopping here.

Do you have a club membership?  Do you get your money’s worth?

Let me know your screw-ups at the warehouse clubs.  What have you bought, that you couldn’t find space for, or was sick to death of eating before you just said, “to heck with this!” and threw it out?

If you are like me, you reach a certain point with work, work, work, that your mind begins to wander to a vacation place.

I am there now.  Unfortunately my vacation this year will have to be a working vacation.  Now, before you start feeling sorry for me, my working vacation will be in Costa Rica!  One of my properties there has sold-WHOO-HOO!!!, and I have a good bit of other business to handle while I am there.

Now trying to do business while on vacation is a tricky thing.  It takes away from the therapeutic value of my time off.

To combat that, I plan to do the “work” part in the first few days, then turn off the computer, and phone for the remainder of the trip.

If you need me and I don’t respond, then just get over it…….(just kidding!!!)

Where is your vacation place?

You might be saying, “What is Dr Dean talking about?  I thought he was against spending money on vacations?”

Here are 3 reasons to make time for a vacation:

• Relationships -time away together with your partner, can renew the energy and passion!
• Mental health -Downtime helps to heal a worn out/burned out brain
• Physical health-stress causes/aggravates pain, hypertension, diabetes, fibromyalgia, …….

We are going to focus on a study, co-authored by Dr Brooks Gump, an Associate Professor at SUNY-Oswego.  his study, published in the American Psychosomatic Journal, confirms the health benefits of vacations-actually decreasing death rates from cardiovascular disease!

I was able to reach Dr Gump by telephone for this interview:

And for you research purists-here is a link to the original article. (Since I said I liked hard science more than touchy-feely science!)

Other articles that discuss vacations  and improvement in productivity:

This one, in the New York Times discusses several research studies.

This story from NPR, discusses vacation and health

And Expedia has been polling about vacations for years, and reports on the last poll, in 2009 is here!!

The Expedia poll is international, and reports that for ’09 the US had the least paid vacation days of the countries studied at 13.  The US also led the pack in the number of unused vacation days-averaged 2 per person.

And this article in the Atlantic, discusses that many of our unsolved personal or business problems or issues can be clarified during a vacation.  This, due to the freedom from dealing with our work/family stress, allowing our minds to work through complicated issues more easily!  Kinda like a great idea hitting you in the shower!!

How to decide about vacations and your planned spending:

• If  in credit card debt-plan a “stay-cation”.  Cut off the phone, watch movies, walk in the parks with the family, or play board games.  The choices are endless for an inexpensive time off.
• Plan your spending: Make sure you know what your trip will cost before you go.  Cruises are notorious budget-busters.  All the extras, (alcohol, excursions, pictures-the bill has to be signed for before you leave the ship!!)
• Special Savings Account-one of my brothers has always had a “vacation” fund-he puts money into monthly-raises, or other income that was unexpected.  It has worked well for him…..

Links to other articles/posts about vacation planning:

• Cool to Be Frugal, has written about France for 300 bucks!!! Check it out!

• Free From Broke says it is wise to check the hotels website, before you book a room with one of the online booking sites such as Orbitz, Priceline, as you may get a better deal.  Good tip, may save you real money!!!

• Check out these suggestions from Engineer Your Finances about booking a less expensive vacation.

What are you doing about a vacation this year?

Are you going to put it on your credit card?  (if so keep it to yourself, and make sure for punishment you re-read all my posts here for the last 6 months!!)

And that tinkling of ice you here, is my my toasting you, with my Margarita on the rocks, at my southern command post of the Millionaire Nurse Blog in Costa Rica!!!

According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple announced Friday it had sold over a million iPads in 28 days.

It took the iPhone 2 1/2 months to reach that milestone.

I noted in a post a couple of weeks ago, how it would be stupid to buy an iPad due to it’s cost, risk of early bugs, and lack of features.

Well, the public has spoken, when it comes to the iPad.

And I am sure, no one bought it on a credit card that is carrying a balance, bounced the check, suffered an over-draft fee, or opened a store credit card account to make the purchase.

Yea, I believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, too!!

One of the first things you need to do on your journey to become “A Millionaire Nurse” is to improve your cash flow.  You do that by increasing your income, and by cutting expenses.  This is a “cutting expenses” exercise today!

How do you use BillShrink?  Depends on which of the above things BillShrink does, that you need.

BillShrink is a free site, but does require you to give your email address, and opt-in to use their service.  They do allow you to choose whether you want to get on their email list for up-dates on changes, for example if gas prices change at a station in your area-they will shoot you an email.

cellphone plan page

Now to review what BillShrink can do for you:

• Cell phone bill comparison:  Answer a few questions about your current plan-or even upload your current bill-they analyze and come up with potentially cheaper alternatives-In my case, they recommended a pre-paid plan, since I spend so little time on the cell phone-When my contract is up, I will definitely consider that!
• Credit Card analysis: You tell them about your current card use, your credit score (estimate will do) and whether or not you want miles, cash rewards etc, then they come up with alternatives-in my case they recommended an “Alaska Air” card.  Not sure that one helps me a whole lot…..(But to be fair, I didn’t review all the card offerings-who needs another credit card-I am preaching debt reduction here!!!!!)
• Gas prices: tell them your route to work, and they give you alternatives of “cheaper gas!”  If you live in a metro-area with long commutes-this would be a real winner.  As mentioned, they will also update you by email of changes-”Go Gas Wars!!)
• CD rates: I will admit to not checking this out-since I don’t have a CD to compare… But seems straightforward enough-as long as its FDIC insured-why not chase the best rate!

Now, having done a quick Google search, I have not found any real negatives about the site.  They do make money, when you decide to change your card, or cell plan, and click on one of their recommended choices. So there is always a conflict of interest risk.  But if you are making a change because it does indeed save you money-then I think your risk reward ratio is positive!  And we are all ok with people making money,  as long as it is ethical and above board…..

So please check it out.  Plug in your numbers, and if anyone saves any money at Bill Shrink and let us know here.  Help out your extended nurse family and share…..    That is what nurses do!!!!

What is one of the number one recommendations when trying to lose weight??? Writing down what you eat.

You can then figure out your calorie intake, and it also reminds you of all the times  you eat during the day-while busy with other activities.  It is like we think the calories don’t count, because we don’t realize we are eating, !!!

Everyone should, in their planned spending, have money for miscellaneous items, or needs that pop up day to day.  If not, you will never succeed with controlling  your spending. ‘ Cause I don’t care how intense you are about managing your money, you can’t predict the future.  But many of us, plan a reasonable amount, but then exceed it every month.

So try this technique  if you are having trouble keeping up with your miscellaneous planned spending.

Try Write-It -Down- all you spend money on for a two week period. Then-Evaluate (W-I-D-E).

This will accomplish two things:

1. It will make you more aware of the spending that goes on daily, without conscious thought-the soda, or snack you bought because you were tired of working and needed a break.  The gadget, or top you walked by, that caught your eye, and you had to have it.
2. You will help define your spending pattern, which will help you to prevent it.  If you always stop for a beer on Wednesday, because you deserve a break.  You have just had that egotistical doc, look down his long nose, over his readers, blaming you for a mistake HE made, and you just can’t take it anymore….  You can come up with another “reward” system, that doesn’t involve spending.

Analyzing your miscellaneous spending will help you control it.

So go forth and WIDE your way to wealth.

And don’t forget, to sign up for my free e-book, chock full of tips on saving you money today.  It will also be followed by an email mini-course on money management with tips on credit cards, banking, and other ways to save you money. So go here now and sign up-before you forget…

However, there are times when you just have to go above and beyond your planned giving.  This is the reason I recommend planning your spending, so you have a margin for needs/gifts that come out of the blue.  This may be a neighborhood child selling something to raise money for school, or a loss of a home to a fire or flood in town.

This disaster in Haiti qualifies on all fronts as a huge need that we all need to respond.  I will be giving to the Salvation Army on-line, and I challenge all Millionaire Nurses and wannabe’s to do something similar.

Regardless of the political situation in Haiti, these are women, children, elderly who need the basics just to survive.

Doctors without borders is another great way to help.

For actual volunteer opportunities for nurses, check out this site at The American Nursing Association for more links to volunteer organizations.

So take a few minutes to say a  prayer for these people, and give to the organization of your choice.

That’s what “Millionaire Nurses” do!

They expect hiring bonuses, tuition reimbursement programs to all be increasing as nurses’ employers adjust to the aging/increased retirement of the nursing population. This occurring at the same time there are increased number of patients expected to be covered with health care reform.  The aging  baby boomers, the increase in chronic diseases related to obesity, and diabetes will add to expected increased level of care required.

So how does this affect “Millionaire Nurses”?  Well, I’m glad you asked:

• If you plan your spending, have developed goals, and planned your financial year, then you know what you will do with any extra income-you just plug the money into whatever is your next priority in that spending plan.
• If you need to advance your education to get to the next level at your job, then negotiate reimbursement for tuition or whatever seminars are necessary.
• You will not be tempted to move to a new job for a “great signing bonus” unless you have done the math, and know the change is worth it.  You will remember to put new transportation costs, any change in retirement, health or other benefits into the equation-make sure you are comparing apples to apples.

So what happens in a similar situation to a NON-Millionaire Nurse:

• Blow the extra income on a new flat screen, or car with years of payments-that will end up costing three times more than the pay raise.
• You just dream about working in administration, or other non-shift job, but don’t ever plan the necessary educational steps to qualify.
• You jump from job to job, liquidating your 401-k at each step.  Never building up your retirement, and not realizing the change was not worth it until it was too late.

So hopefully you will get the raise and increased benefits predicted by “Monster’s Nursing Link” .  And when you do, you will know what to do with it.   That knowledge will keep you on the path to become: -“The Millionaire Nurse”.

And remember, if you need help dealing with your finances, check out my free e-book, “Emergency Money Resuscitation” , it will be followed by a mini-course on personal finance, with focus on managing credit cards, banking, and other great common sense tools to managing your money.