Archive for the ‘Quality of Life’ Category

Vacations: Do You Need One-And Do They Improve Your Health?

Friday, May 7th, 2010

Vacations

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:

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!!!

Improve Your Money Management: Ten Reasons To Start Now!

Monday, April 19th, 2010

Money Management

Please Check Out This Video About Today’s Money Management Post:

Money Management, Personal Finance, Planned Spending

These are all terms for getting control of your money.

Why should you want to????

Ten Reasons on why you should manage your money better:

  1. Margin-Margin means, that if the crap hits the fan, you don’t panic, you have an emergency fund to deal with it.
  2. Giving -you see a need, now you can give.
  3. Better marriage- money problems,  a common cause of marital distress.
  4. Free time-Maybe you think the way to having more money is to work all the time.  The way to having more is usually making life simpler, enjoying your family and friends, while spending much less.
  5. Raising Children-raising children who are not spoiled, expecting life to provide them with their every whim.
  6. Freedom-If you have solid financial pillars in place, and decide to take your life in a different direction, the chance of success will be much higher-Most new ventures fail due to lack of financial capital to get you established.
  7. Serve-similar to give, but of your time-you want to do a retreat, go on a mission trip-you can just do it.
  8. Stress-damages your health, and your relationships-who needs it. Life is tough enough without money problems!!
  9. Independent-those who are dependent on others for their financial support, have lower self-esteem.
  10. Legacy-I don’t mean leaving your children a bunch of money to fight over.  I tell mine, if there is any money leftover, I just didn’t time it right!!!    Legacy means leaving the world a better place.  Fund a scholarship, help build a building at church. Leave something that shows the real YOU!

Housekeeping:

  • Use the share button below generously-thanks!
  • Sign up for my free E-Book “Emergency Money Resuscitation“, and get great money saving tips!  It will be followed by a mini-course on personal finance, with credit card, and banking tips.  All right to your email box.  I also send a monthly newsletter to subscribers.
  • Let other nurses know we are here, send them our web address and encourage their joining you on your journey to financial success!!!!

And thanks again for reading!

Apple’s I-Pad: Buying One is Stupid!

Friday, April 9th, 2010

Apple’s I-Pad

Apple’s I-Pad, the newest electronic device  by Apple, was released last weekend.  Some folks waited in line for hours to be one of the first to buy.

Why do I think buying an I-Pad is stupid.

  1. 500 bucks for a device that has not even found a real use, yet….
  2. Bugs-Bugs  (problems with new devices), are always found in the first 6 months or so after release.
  3. Wireless-if you don’t have wireless capability you can’t get online-and there are already complaints about the wireless signal.
  4. If 3-G is added, you will have to pay more, and only get AT&T’s spotty service and get the privilege of paying another monthly fee.
  5. No Multi-tasking-can’t run two apps  at the same time
  6. Multiple adapters are needed to plug anything into it.
  7. No Camera
  8. No Flash video-which is present on most websites.
  9. Difficult to use the keyboard touchscreen for any significant amount of writing-plus hard to type on a small device on your lap.
  10. 500 Bucks-yes, I know that was number one, but it bears repeating, and repeating.

Now am I anti-apple?  No

Am I anti-technology? No

Am I against spending your hard earned money for a new gadget-You damn right I am.

Who should buy an I-Pad?

  • If you are independently wealthy.
  • If you have everything.
  • If you must own all things Apple.

Am I turning this blog into a high tech review site?  No, I just think it is so tempting for folks who may be struggling to get out of debt, fund their retirement accounts, and otherwise get control of their finances to be moved by the hype.  To spend money they don’t have on a gadget they don’t really need, to do who knows what with ………

Am I the only one with these thoughts?

No, check out these posts at other places:

See this video of the hype at one city during the release frenzy-sorry about the foul language.

A fellow Yakezie, College For 10K- wrote a post, with similar conclusion, but did make the point that buying digital textbooks were cheaper than hardback-so a reader such as  I-Pad or Kindle, can save money on books- I will have to look into that one.

Let me know your thoughts, on the new I-Pad.  Are you going to buy one?  If not, why?

Financial Fraud in The Elderly: Are Your Parents At Risk?

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

Your parents money: Is it at Risk?

Your parents’ money-you saw them work a lifetime to build up their savings.  They now are retired, enjoying their grandchildren and life in general.

You are busy with your career-haven’t visited in a while. When you do make time-you run in the home you were raised in, expecting a hug and laughter,  but what you find shakes you to the core.

Your Dad is sitting at the table, holding his head.  Mom, whose memory has been gradually deteriorating, has trouble remembering your name.

“What’s wrong?” you ask.

Your Dad looks up, “She spent it all!!!!!, Every penny-I know she didn’t mean to.  But we have lost it all…”

It is difficult to watch your parents health deteriorate,  but even scarier is watching them lose their memory and judgment.

When that happens to YOUR parents, they are at risk of mismanaging their money, but also of being the victim of evil folks who prey on the elderly.

You know you want to prevent your folks from being scammed, but don’t want to seem nosy,  interfering know-it-all!!!! The news is full of stories about elderly people who have been taken advantage.

Bankrate has reported that financial fraud on the elderly costs them over two billion dollars per year!!!

TWO BILLION!!!!

Here are just a few of the frauds directed at senior citizens, according to the FBI:

Senior Citizen Frauds:

  • Counterfeit prescription drugs
  • Cemetery and burial frauds
  • Telemarketing frauds-especially contests, and sweepstakes.
  • Internet schemes
  • Investment Schemes
  • Reverse mortgage frauds
  • Identity theft

Why are the elderly vulnerable to this sort of fraud?

According to the FBI:

  • The elderly are  trusting.
  • They may be looking for an anti-aging or get rich scheme.
  • They are less likely to report fraud due to embarrassment.
  • They may have a nest egg-making them a great target!

What Can You do?

What can you do to prevent these fraudulent activities as the child of elderly parents?

  • Begin the conversation early-before your parents mental faculties  deteriorate.  Get them used to talking about their finances.  Discuss what is in the news-clip out articles on the subject, send them links if they are computer savvy.  The quickest way to shut their minds is for  the one whose diaper they changed, trying to tell them what to do.
  • Make sure your siblings are all on the same page-there are so many stories about families being split because one sibling took advantage of Mom and Dad.
  • Stay part of their lives-visit, spend time with them-they deserve it. As you get older you will cherish those memories-so slow down, and give them your attention.
  • Freeze credit-if their credit is frozen, it is more difficult for scams to occur.
  • Identity theft protection-self explanatory-see this post for more information.  Offer to buy it for them, or get it for a birthday, Christmas, or anniversary present!  (Better than a tie!)
  • Ask them to review your financial situation- ask for an opinion on your finances, which can naturally lead to a conversation about theirs.

The Lean Life Coach @ Eliminate the Muda, (great name huh) has written a post on helping elderly parents with their money-read his take here. Let’s honor our parents, and keep an eye on them.  It is the least you could do!  And remember, the elderly are not the only ones who are at risk for financial fraud. There are thousands of crooks out there trying to take your hard-earned money.  As the old police sargent on Hill Street Blues used to say-”Let’s be careful out there!!!”

Haul Videos-An Evil Trend-Or Harmless Fad?

Friday, April 2nd, 2010

Haul Videos

First, what in the heck are haul videos?

Haul videos are the video documentation of your most recent shopping spree, that is then uploaded to YouTube-mostly limited to teens, and early twenty-somethings….

What has that got to do with personal finance?

Well, great question.  My first impulse was that Haul Videos were showing two horrible trends affecting our youth:

  1. Consumerism/materialism-most of the videos seem to be about cosmetic and clothing purchases, and seem to glorify Maximum Volume.  In other words, the amount of stuff was more important than the stuff, or price.
  2. Celebrity Culture-The videos seem to be a cry for attention-hey look at me.  I am a worthy person, you can tell, by all the stuff I bought.

Haul Video for your review-shortest one I found:


But after viewing several of the videos made this year, I found what seemed to be a trend.   Many of the videos, had the items and prices pop up as they were showing their purchases.  Talking about the 70%  off table.   How they got free shipping from Sephora, at their clearance section on the web.

Let’s face it, kids view video, as folks my age viewed comic books, and newspapers (depending on the kids age).  They also take the place of “talking”.  When we found something we wanted to share with our friends, we jumped on our bikes, and rode to their home.  Young folks now, with urbanization maybe aren’t able to hang with their friends as easily.

Technology has also changed -video was just coming out when I was young-and required huge expense, reels of video tape, and watching taped boring family gatherings-watched over, and over, and over……

Now, our cell phone has as much or more video capability, CHEAP.

Marisa Meltzer, in Slate Magazine, describes “Haul Videos” in a recent article, and decided she would make her own.

So what would my recommendations be for my children (mine are grown, so this is an example) before they made a haul video:

  • Planned Spending-only buy what you had planned to spend
  • Best Price-when you decided what you need, make sure you get the best price
  • Utility shop, not entertainment shop-In other words, don’t shop to relieve stress, or just to be shopping.  If that is your only form of entertainment-then go without credit cards or money-and just LOOK!
  • Stress value-If you must post a video of your purchases for all the world to see, stress the value you will get out of each purpose-nothing wrong with it being cute, or cool or rad!!-hey, I am down with all that! (trying out slang-usually doesn’t work.)
  • Saving and Giving need to be in proportion to your spending.

Would they listen to me-probably not.

So just like my parents thought long hair and bell-bottoms were going to be the end of the world, my initial reaction with “Haul Videos” were negative.  But after reflection-they are probably a harmless fad.

Maybe I will make a “Haul Video” the next time I go buy scrubs, or hit the sporting goods store for new fishing lures-I am sure you will all want to check it out on YouTube!

Have you guys had any experience with haul videos?  What do you think of the trend?  Go to YouTube-search haul videos, and see for yourself what is out there.

Housekeeping:

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Homemade Yogurt: Saving Money, and Being Healthy,The Millionaire Nurse Way

Friday, March 12th, 2010

Ingredient list

A guest post by Danielle, The Frugal Lawyer

Making Homemade Greek Yogurt

Around the holidays, I was finishing some last minute shopping at Tuesday Morning and I saw a Yogurt Maker for $29.99.  Since I try to limit my sugar intake and use agave nectar syrup whenever possible, I bought it as a gift for myself.  I assumed I would make my own yogurt with agave nectar.  When I made my first batch of yogurt, shortly into 2010, I learned that my husband was quickly becoming addicted to the plain yogurt.  I was thrilled with this turn of events for a few reasons.  My husband’s former favorite yogurt was our grocery store’s generic fruit on the bottom brand.

Until recently, they were using high fructose corn syrup instead of sugar.  Awful.  My husband and stepkids ate tons of this stuff.  High in calories and sugar.  I also hated how much waste it produced that we couldn’t recycle.  My husband isn’t on the green bandwagon, but I am.  (Yes, I will dig something out of the trash and put it into the recycling bins in the pantry.)  Hearing that he liked the homemade yogurt was very happy news indeed.

The plain yogurt recipe in the recipe book that came with my yogurt maker is so simple to make.  I need milk, dry milk and starter yogurt.  (Note:  I could use starter yogurt from the previous batch, but my husband tends to eat it faster than I can save it, so I buy a larger container of plain yogurt and we can reuse the containers for storage.)

homemade yogurt ingredients

homemade yogurt ingredients

First, I heat 4 3/4 cups of milk to 185 degrees.  (Note:  After I ruined three of my husband’s thermometer’s after the holidays by putting them in the dishwasher, I bought him this fancy one from Kohl’s.  I think it is the greatest digital thermometer ever.)

After it heats to 185 degrees, it must be cooled to 110 degrees.  I am impatient, so I use an ice bath.

ice bath

After it reaches 110 degrees, I ladle it into the containers that come with the yogurt maker and they go into the machine for ten hours.

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Yogurt Machine In Action

After ten hours they get their lids and go into the fridge for another three hours.  If we are making Greek yogurt we take the yogurt out of the fridge immediately.  It is still a bit soupy, with a lot of whey.

Fresh yogurt

A strainer with some cheesecloth is placed over a bowl and the draining begins.

Straining the yogurt

After it’s done, the yogurt is very thick.

My husband still likes fruit on the bottom, even though he said it is extremely hard to mix with the Greek yogurt.  We use reduced sugar preserves from Trader Joe’s (his favorite), frozen fruit, and other fruit preserves.

Fruit to be added if desired

Fruit goes into the mason jar, then the yogurt.

From this batch, we got five jars.

The Finished Product-Yum!

Yes, he already had one by the time I took the picture.  Compared to the cost of Greek style yogurt at the store, I think it is cheaper, although I am not sure by how much.

If we do not make Greek yogurt, we let the yogurt stay in the fridge for at least 12 hours, sometimes up to 24 hours.  This usually reduces the “soupy” quality that you see in the photo above.  Then we get about 9 jars when the fruit and preserves are added.  This is my husband’s favorite treat now.  If he craves sweets, this is what he goes for.  This has so much less sugar than the yogurt that he was eating from the grocery store, particularly when we use the reduced sugar preserves.

Oddly, I still haven’t made myself a batch with agave nectar syrup.  One of these days…..

Danielle, The Frugal Lawyer

New Marriage/New Financial Plan:The Millionaire Nurse Way!

Monday, March 1st, 2010

You married the love of your life.  Everything is seen through the “rose colored glasses” of bliss.  Getting to really know a new person.

A few months later, many couples find crumbs in their bed…

What do I mean?   Well, the credit card bills start to come in, and they are way more than one spouse is expecting.

How bout this scenario:   “What is this bill from  John’s Sporting Goods?”

“Oh, they had a new 300 magnum with walnut stock, been looking for that rifle for several years for my collection.”  “Let  me show it to you, it’s a beaut ain’t it…”

“But is was 500 bucks, and we hadn’t talked about a new gun, you already have 25 stuffed  in various closets-I don’t hardly have room for all my shoes!!!!”  Or you can tell the story the other way around, substituting shoes for the gun….

So what do most couples do when they get married, when it comes to money?  Nothing. Nada…

So how do you keep from making these mistakes?  Mistakes  that over time, become resentments, that keep the divorce lawyers in gravy.

First-and sometimes most difficult, is having discussion about finances before the marriage.  Financial counseling should be  a big part of pre-marital counseling.

What do you talk about?

  • amount of debt being brought into the marriage, if you have an old uncollected debt that will catch up to you when you are trying to buy your first home-get it all out on the table.
  • your money habits-do you normally pay your bills on time, how organized are you, how often do you pay over-draft or late fees?
  • Do you have life insurance, health insurance, what benefits are available in your company vs the new spouses?
  • Do you have hobbies that require ongoing investments-and how flexible are you about changing if that hobby doesn’t match the budget.
  • If you have an ex, have all the financial ties been settled.  Does your ex still have access to any of you accounts-is your name still on any of her cards, or vice versa…..
  • Make sure you talk about common goals, and how you will reach them-such as buying a home, saving for college, amount of savings for retirement.

The secret  for financial compatibility, is to get on the same page if possible-or at least in the same chapter.  If one of you is reading a financial fantasy novel, and the other a non-fiction spreadsheet-then trouble looms ahead, unless you talk it out.

Being married can provide you with money savings, tax benefits-so make sure you check on things like changing your car insurance, health insurance, beneficiaries on life, health and disability policies.

I think most couples need to jointly participate in planning their monthly spending-take an hour each month to decide what is coming in, and where its going.  I think joint accounts are better-so there is less chance for surprises when it comes to money problems.

So don’t let money mess with your marriage.  Talk about it, plan about it, make your money work for you.

And if you need help-that is what we are here for.  Get started on your financial marital counseling service today-by signing up for our newsletter-”The Millionaire Nurse Money Letter” . You will get a free e-Book on “Emergency Money Resuscitation” and a mini-course on financial management.

And if you have any marital money stories you can share, let us hear from you.  We all need to keep learning.

Moving Forward, The Millionaire Nurse Way!

Saturday, February 20th, 2010

The Muse RN’s post in Change of Shift, hosted at INQRI got my attention today.  It is a post about “squatters”.  Now, being a OB-GYN, squatters had a particular meaning to me.  But it was no surprise,  The Muse’s definition was different than mine.

She  basically had a rant going about nurses who get to a certain position in their career, and then begin to coast.  They also clog up the system, become middle managers who just go to work everyday with no passion for their job.

I would say that the same thing occurs to most of us.  After a while, we get decent at what we do.  It doesn’t require a lot of thought, or challenge.  When we are not excited about what we are doing, it is human nature to just “mail it in” as they say.

So how do we keep from doing that?

  • Just knowing that it occurs, and watching for it, will help.
  • Always be on the lookout for a new challenge.  Whether that is a job change, promotion, transfer, or a new field completely.
  • Go to conferences-I always learn something at a conference-if you can’t go, because of money, then save for it.  In the meantime, connect with others over the net-that share your passion-(no not porn!).
  • Become a mentor to others, as the Muse suggests.  Take new grads under your wing.  Show them that not all the folks who have been around awhile are shriveled up, snarky,……….’s
  • Get Excited….
  • Work on being HAPPY!  Yes, there are always going to be things that could be better.  Richer, healthier, more good looking, more attentive spouse, children that could behave/appreciate you….. I could go on, and on, and on, and on!  But you are alive, you have a brain-or you wouldn’t be reading.  So smile a little, it won’t hurt-much!

So thanks Muse, for a thoughtful post.

Getting Things Done: The Millionaire Nurse Way!

Friday, February 19th, 2010

I have been in the business of health care since I started medical school in 1977-yes before many of you were born.  I am old.  It is funny to think about, but my first two years of practice, I had several patients, say-”you can’t be my doctor, you are too young!”   Welllll, that hasn’t happened in a while.   No one, has so far, said to my face, “you are too old to be my doctor, but some probably think that….

After spending tens of thousands of hours trying to motivate people to lose weight, quit smoking, exercise more, eat less, I have now added-”pay attention to your finances” to my to-do list.

Now, I don’t do financial counseling/coaching at my medical practice-but on this site, and in my speaking engagements, my job is to motivate nures to take their finances seriously, and make changes to become more successful managing their money.

And it is funny, the response I get in the office dealing with healthcare issues is the same, when dealing with financial issues.

“I DON’T HAVE TIME!”

TIME-by John Morgan

Of course, I have heard that before.  Those who don’t have time to exercise, focus on their diet, or work on their finances, have plenty of time to watch television.  Or read the latest romance, go to the 3-D Avatar experience, hang out with their friends, go shopping at the mall, play video games, facebook-”farmville- can I get help with my barn???”

I am all for a little down time.  We all need to get away from our responsibilities occasionally, especially in a stressful profession like nursing.  But, sometimes you have to set aside time for what is most important.  You have to act like a GROWN-UP!

How many times have you seen that smoker in the ER with pneumonia, or COPD complications, that you didn’t think, “Why has he not quit?”  “Doesn’t he want to be around to see his grand kids grow up?”  Or the alcoholic, or the diabetic, who can’t seem to quit drinking or eating sweets excessively.

So, turn that around.  Are you spending quality time thinking about how to improve your finances, get out of debt, maximize your retirement, automate your savings account, make sure your will, insurance, and college savings are all set up?????

What are you waiting for?  Catastrophe, bankruptcy.  You know you need to.  Don’t put it off.  Get into the habit of spending an hour or two a week, planning and thinking about your future.  It will be a great investment-then go build your barn!

And if you want to join our team, at “The Millionaire Nurse” please sign up for our newsletter-by hitting the beautiful E-B00k on the left side “Emergency Money Resuscitation”.  We will send you the free E-Book and sign you up for our mini-course on personal finance.  We also will deliver out monthly newsletter-full of money saving tips and suggestions.

Make Time!

Uninformed, Clueless, or Frightened-The Three States Preventing You-From Being the Millionaire Nurse!

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Seth Godin, the internet marketing guru’s blog post today, is asking, “Are you uninformed, clueless, or frightened?”  And, bang, I thought, that is what many of my readers are.

Uninformed-you know you need to learn how to manage your money better, but just aren’t sure how to get started.  The first step, is just- Take the first step.  Read my blog, read the other personal finance blogs listed on the right, download the free e-book, Emergency Money Resuscitation.   Read my book, The Millionaire Nurse. Out soon I promise!  Go to the library, an investment in learning about your finances is a bargain!

Clueless: This is not judgmental.  This just means there are many folks, who need help with money management, that just haven’t realized it yet.  They have been living paycheck to paycheck for so long they think it is normal.  They have always had a car payment- so what?  They don’t understand the freedom it can bring to your life to have a financial cushion called savings and the Super-Duper Emergency Fund. All their friends are broke, so why should they be different.

Frightened- These are the people desperate for help, but are frozen.  The recently divorced single mom, trying to keep the lights on and food on the table.  The couple who just got their first collection call ever-”I have never been late paying my bills, but my husband just got laid off!”  Or, ” I don’t know why I bought that, I didn’t need it, but I have been working so hard-I deserved it!” Then you get home, and wonder, “Why in the hell did I do THAT?????

So where are you?  Let us know how we can help.  Let us know what your questions, fears, concerns, and needs are.

And thanks Seth!  And by the way, Linchpin-great read!