Tag Archives: health

I’m Addicted to Soda (and Spending Lots of Money On It)

Hello, my name is Adam and I am addicted to soda. Believe it or not, that was hard for me to type. Although, as I write this, I have gone 3 days without a drop of soda (or caffeine for that matter) and the headaches have begun. Wish me luck on this tough task!

Where It All Began

I have been drinking soda for as long as I can remember. Both of my grandfathers drank it and I think that is where my addiction began. When I was younger, my one grandfather used to take me to the local distributor once a week to return his empty Pepsi bottles (they refilled them back then). While there, he allowed me to get a whole bottle of Pepsi and some Munchos (does anyone still eat those?) for the ride home. I used to drink Pepsi at both of my grandparents on a daily basis.

This trend continued throughout my life until Monday May 18, 2009. Since that date, I have pledged to stop drinking soda for my health and my wallet.

How Much Did This Addiction Cost Me?

I have never really thought about how much this addiction has cost me over the years, so I figured now was a good time to find out.

Past 5 Years

I would say that I have been paying for my own soda for that past 5 years. Now, let’s assume that the average price over those 5 years was $1.10 per 20 ounce bottle (that is usually what I drink) and I had 1 bottle per day for the entire year. That means I spent $2099 on soda over that time period! Sounds a bit ridiculous right?

Over a Lifetime

How much would I spend if I keep drinking soda over my lifetime? This requires a little time value of money but I will skip all of that and just give you the number. For this example I assumed that the average price of a 20 ounce soda is $1.25 now and it will increase by 3% (inflation) each year. I also assumed that I would continue to drink soda until age 75 (50 more years). Want to know what the final number is? I would spend just over $51,000 on soda alone!

Technically, I didn’t quit drinking soda because of money. I did it because I am starting to focus more on my health. As many of you know, soda is loaded with sugar and all of the caffeine cannot be good for you.  All I know is that this is going to be VERY HARD as I have not gone more than 3 days without soda in over 15 years. 

Anyone else have a costly “addiction”?

Lost Your Job? Get Free Drugs!

Alright, before I get some crazy comments or emails, I am talking about prescription drugs. Today, Pfizer announced that it will provide over 70 of their most popular drugs for free to those who have lost their jobs and health insurance. These prescriptions include some of their more popular drugs like Lipitor, Viagra, Celebrex, etc.

What’s the Catch?

The American drugmaker said that it will give the drugs away for up to one year for individuals who lost their jobs dating back to January 1st AND have been on the Pfizer drug for three months or more. 

Starting Thursday, patients can call a toll-free number, 866-706-2400, to sign up, and those whose drugs are not included in the program will be referred to other company aid programs. Starting July 1, patients can also apply through the Web site, http://www.PfizerHelpfulAnswers.com, which has information about the other Pfizer aid programs.

This may be a ploy to get Washington on their good graces since Congress is starting to discuss the possibility of government run health care. What do you think?

Are you or someone you know going to look into this? Does it sound like they really care or are they doing this as a ploy of some kind?

 

10 Ways to Go Green and Save More Than $500 Per Year

I typically get very random emails throughout the day. I really have no idea where they come from or how they got my email address. However, every once in a while one comes along that has some good blogging material in it. Today I received an email from Humana (a health insurance company) about 10 ways to go green and save more than $500 per year. Ironically, only one of the tips have anything to do with health insurance. In order to save you some clicking, I will list the 10 ways here.

1. Clean Up Your Indoor Air

This is another health savings tip, because indoor air pollution can affect you physically. Learn about where that pollution comes from and how to treat it, including mold, natural gas, and pesticides that you can track into the house.

2. Change Heating and Cooling Filters When You Pay Your Electric Bill

It may sound pretty extreme, but if you have it makes sense. It also saves money – your heating and air units will act more efficiently, and you can save more money by buying filters in bulk. Changing your furnace filters on a monthly basis can save as much as 5 percent on your heating bills – as much as $100 a year.

Our apartment complex automatically changes our filter every 3 months or so. I have seen the old one after a change and believe me, you might want to change yours too!

3. Switch the Light Off

Many people use light during the day. Many times, it’s needed. But instead of leaving the light on when you’re not in the room, just switch it off. Even better, use a energy-saving bulbs: for every five you change, you can save an average of $27 a year. Common sense can go a long way and pay off over time.

We are working on changing all of our light bulbs to compact florescent. We are kind of bad about switching off lights though!

4. Drive More Efficiently

Take simple and safe precautions . Make sure your tires are inflated properly. Take off your roof rack to cut down on drag. Boost mileage by getting regular tune-ups . Try walking or biking for short trips to help the environment – and yourself.

I have always been very cautious about the way I drive. That means I use my brakes infrequently and start slow. It’s hard to keep up with these habits in Maryland with all of the bad drivers! One way to make sure you drive better is join a program like Progressive’s MyRate. It tracks your driving in order to help reduce your rates (or increase them if you drive bad). It keeps me in line in the car knowing that it’s there!

5. Reuse What You Can

Get reusable water bottles instead of buying bottled water: if you consumed the suggested daily amount of water – eight 8-ounce glasses – the cost would be 5 cents per day. The annual cost would be only $18.25. With the cost of a 12-ounce bottle of water at $1, the daily cost would be $5.33 and the annual cost would total $1945.45. While this number is extreme, it’s easy to spend more than $500 annually on bottled drinks including water, juice, tea, and soda.

This is a hard one for me to break. I am completely addicted to soda and I buy a 20oz bottle every few days. I know it’s bad for me and the environment but I just cannot break the habit! Anyone have some tips?

6. Wash Clothes Only When You Have a Full Load

Two socks or a full load require the same amount of energy to wash. ‘Youll save money on your water bill when you wash clothes less often. Front-loading washers also can save you money: anywhere between $28 and $137 annually. To be safe, we’ll say you save $50.

I have talked about this before in my post on saving money and energy on your laundry.

7. Use Cold Water Whenever Possible

Home laundering can account for as much as 36 percent of your total household hot water use. You can save 90 percent of the energy you use to wash clothes when you switch to a cold wash. A switch to a cold-water detergent may cost a little more per load, but it evens out with larger loads. Also, reduce your water heater temperature to 120° F. It makes no sense to cool water that’s too hot to use. To put in perspective, washing your clothes in hot instead of cold for a year, uses more electricity than leaving the refrigerator door open for a year.

Personally, we wash all of our laundry in cold water expect for whites where we use warm water.

8. Bundle Up

In cold conditions, evaporation can quickly suck away warmth, especially if you’ve been active and then are stationary, leaving your skin exposed. Make sure to wrap yourself in insulating layers. Wear dark colors to absorb outside light and heat energy.

9. Strip Down

Heat-loss through evaporation is needed to regulate your body temperature in hot weather. Wear more clothes in fabrics like cotton and linen that allow your body to release evaporation. Wear white or light colors to reflect light and heat energy.

10. Camp Out Inside

You can dramatically decrease heating costs when you turn down your thermostat at night in the winter. Some people even turn off the thermostat, because they’ve learned how to sleep with several blankets and wear a cap. Even if you don’t go to those extremes, you can save $45 a year by adjusting your thermostat two degrees down in the winter and two degrees up during the summer.

We turn our heat down about 10 degrees each night. When my fiancee gets up in the morning, she turns up the heat. It’s an easy habit to learn and it will save you a bunch of money.

Money Hacks Carnival #51 – The Office Edition

Welcome to the 51st edition of the Money Hacks Carnival! My name is Adam and I am pleased to be your host this week. Please feel free to poke around the site if it is your first time visiting! You can subscribe to the blog using the links on the right or you can follow me on Twitter to stay up-to-date.

NBC’s The Office is my favorite show on TV. I just love watching the office banter and politics. Every week there is a moment that reminds you of something a co-worker did recently. For this carnival, I decided to categorize the topics by some great characters in the show.

Editor’s Picks

Michael Scott is the Regional Manager of the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin. If anyone has the right to pick this week’s best articles, it’s him. He is the glue that holds his team together. Did I really just say that?

Credit Shout tells us to Beware of ATM Scams. Honestly, I really had no idea about some of these. I will be thinking twice about going to the ATM now!

Living Almost Large talks about a family that is in trouble and Their Ship Is Sinking. Looking at this person’s cash flow, it’s hard to believe that they did not see the major problem.

FIRE Finance shares a great story on how Smart Refrigeration Lowers Electricity Bills. Who better to tell you about saving energy on your refrigerator than someone who works with them every day?

PF Credit Cards shows you How to Beat Priceline and Get a Winning Bid. Personally, I have been using Priceline’s Name Your Own Price for over a year now. I will never go back to paying full price again! You really have no say in the brand of your hotel, but you still get to pick the star level. I have yet to be disappointed in the hotel I end up getting.

Career

To me, no one seems more focused on their career than Dwight Schrute. He is constantly reminding everyone about his position with the company and how he is the top salesman. He is also good at sucking up to the boss. Watch the show and learn from Dwight if you are searching for a new job!

Tom at The Strump gives his opinion on How to Translate Employment Ads.

FMF at Free Money Finance lets you know How to Waste Money on a MBA.

Debt and Credit

Kelly is really into fashion and fancy things. Only working at Dunder Mifflin, I can imagine that she has some major credit card debt. Hopefully, some of these articles can help her get on the path to becoming debt free.

Jim at Bargaineering has a Review of MyFICO ScoreWatch. He says it’s perfect for credit score junkies!

Tyler from CreditCards.com talks about how Credit Card Regulation is Brewing for College Campuses Again. Personally, I have never signed up for a credit card at a table at college, sporting event , airport, etc.

Looking for a new rewards credit card? Credit Addict tells us about the Pentagon Federal Visa Rewards Card.

Shaun from Learn Financial Planning gives his 5 Principles for Getting Out of Debt. Some great insights here!

Mr. Banker at Best Interest Rate Banks gives us his review of High Interest Savings Accounts.

Studenomics Breaks Down Student Loans in a non-confrontation manner.

Chris at StumbleForward gives you some tips on Becoming a Blogger to Get Out of Debt.

Housing

Jim just recently bought a house from his parents. I bet he wishes that he could have had some of these great articles to read!

Len Penzo provides us with A Layman’s Guide to Mortgage Application Junk Fees.

Passive Family Income talks about The Recession in America and Home Foreclosures.

Frugality and Saving Money

If anyone on the show is frugal, it’s Pamela. She dresses simple, religiously watched her money while going to college, and was thrifty while planner her first wedding.

Silicon Valley Blogger at The Digerati Life has a Valentine’s Day Tip on Using Ebates to Get Cash Back.

Pete at Bible Money Matters reminds us that Small Decisions Equal Big Results.

J Money at Budgets are Sexy says The Budget is Back, Baby!

Lisa from Greener Pastures presents Economic Collapse-R-Us: 22 Lifestyle Changes of Middle Class America.

The Writer’s Coin presents Am I a Thief or an Entrepreneur? The overwhelming majority of the comments suggest a thief. Head over there and give your input. He has even written a response post to the naysayers.

Matt at Stupid Cents gives us Five Simple Ways to Buy Everything Cheaper and Save Money.

The Shark Investor gives us Strategies for Raising Savings.

Mr. Tough Money Love show us how Arming Ourselves to Save Money on Car Repairs can be a good thing.

Patrick at Money Saving Deals has some Godaddy.com Coupon Codes to share.

David at Personal Finance Analyst gives us The Best Free Budget Worksheets on the Internet.

Dana at Not Made of Money tells us How Her Family Keeps the Breaks on Spending.

The Smarter Wallet shares some delicious Cheap Meals You Can Cook at Home to Save Money.

Debt Kid shows us Why Budgets Don’t Work for Everyone.

Hank at Own The Dollar wants to know Is Three to Six Months of Expenses Enough Money For Your Emergency Fund?

Aryn at Sound Money Matters shows you The Pros and Cons of Homemade Yogurt.

Taxes

When I think of someone who would evade income taxes, I think about Creed. Hopefully some of these articles will help him file his return this year. His first return ever?

Money Tipper lets us know about TurboTax Discounts for Vanguard Customers.

Nickel at Five Cent Nickel gives us Ten Common Income Tax Credits. Head over there to make sure you are getting all the money you deserve.

Thinking of buying a new house? Madison at My Dollar Plan talks about the Possibility of a $15,000 Home Buyer Tax Credit.

Patrick at Military Finance Network answers a question about What You Need to Do If Your Stimulus Check Was Lost of Stolen.

Christian Personal Finance found some places that have Free STATE e-file Online! Living in Maryland, I know that we have free e-file for the state return. It makes it nice and easy!

Insurance

If I had to guess which employee had the greatest amount of insurance, I would say it was Andy. I’d bet he has whole life, term, universal, two health policies and a deferred annuity. He also seems to be the most likely to be a insurance salesman. He just has that way about him!

Mr. GoTo at Go To Retirement gives you an idea about Fixed Annuities and Financial Risk. I think fixed annuities are a great thing to have in retirement. It’s unfortunate that they get such a bad rep from many mainstream media types.

Junior Boomer from The Consumer Boomer talks about Women and Long-term Care Insurance.

Economy

Now honestly, who cares more about the economy than Stanley? Just look at that face!

Kathryn at Out of Debt Christian tells us about The Importance of Shopping Local.

PFR at Personal Finance Reviews tells how the FDIC Plans to Restrict Interest Rates of Troubled Banks.

Curt at Penny Jobs presents The Fiat Money System is Failing.

Money Blue Book Finance wants to know is there a Second Stimulus Check for Obama in 2009?

Investing

Toby is the head of human resources at Dunder Mifflin. If anyone was maxing out their 401(k) there, it would be him.

Sun at The Sun’s Financial Diary alerts you to a Free Stock Analysis Tool.

The Financial Blogger shows you some Options to Secure Your Investment Portfolio.

The Intelligent Speculator wants to know if Super Bowl Ads are Really Worth It?

The Investor at Monevator gives their 10 Reasons to Be Cheerful as an Investor.

Jeff from Good Financial Cents has 7 Things to Know About the 2010 Roth IRA Conversion.

Dividend Tree shows us how Everyday Life Teaches us Dividend Investing.

Other

When I was thinking about what character would be good for the category other, I thought of Ryan. He definitely had some ups and downs with Dunder Mifflin!

MoneyNing presents What Everyone Ought to Know When Applying for Free Stuff.

Patrick at Cash Money Life has some $25 Sign-up Bonuses from Lending Club. You even have 2 chances to win $100!

Mara Rodgers at Secrets for Money gives some great Tips To Teach Kids About Money.

Chris at Financial Reflections lets you know How Identiy Thieves Sell Your Data Online.

Mighty Bargain Hunter gives you Some Great Sources for Free AudioBooks.

Miss M at M is for Money shares with you Deliverance from Debt: Budget Basics.

Mike at Money TLD shares with us 10 Places to Click for Cash. There are quite a few things on this list that I have never heard of. I think I will check some of them out!

Health Insurance: Part 3 – COBRA Coverage

This is Part 3 of a series on health insurance. Part 1 discussed deductibles. That post discusses  how they affect your plan and costs. Part 2 discussed stop-loss provisions and co-insurance.

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 or COBRA, is a set of provisions that require some employers (those with 20 or more employees) to continue health insurance coverage for employees after termination of employment.

Termination of Employment

Under COBRA, the employer must offer continued health insurance coverage for 18 months from the date of termination or demotion to part-time.  If the employee was fired due to “gross misconduct”, COBRA benefits do not have to be offered. COBRA coverage can be terminated before the 18 month period if any of the following occur:

  • the employer terminates the health plan for all employees
  • the employee neglects to pay the required premium
  • the employee becomes covered under a new medical plan (however, if pre-existing conditions are excluded on the new plan, the employee must be allowed to continue COBRA)

The employer is allowed to require the employee to pay for some of the costs of COBRA coverage. However, they are not allowed to charge more than 102% of the cost of the insurance.

Disability

If termination is due to disability, coverage must be allowed to be continued for up to 29 months. All of the requirements set above are still applicable.

Other Options

There are several other events where an employer must offer 36 months of continued coverage to an employee or their beneficiaries. These events include:

  • death of employee
  • divorce or legal separation of the employee
  • employee’s entitlement to Medicare
  • bankruptcy

Recommendations

COBRA can be a very beneficial for many individuals, especially in these tough times. If you lose your job, check with your previous company about COBRA coverage. The coverage may be more expensive than you are accustomed to, but may be considerably less than if you were to purchase individual coverage. It also allows you to avoid the possibility of having pre-existing conditions placed on your new policy. For example, if you were recently treated for cancer, your new policy may not cover you for those related expenses. COBRA coverage may help ensure that those expenses are covered for a period of time.

Has anyone had a specific COBRA experience they would like to share?