GeekSugar

Five Ways to Keep Yourself Organized This Year

GeekSugar — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:00:46 PST

Although I'm organized all the time (yeah right), I can appreciate a little bit of help from my gadgets to keep me on track. Between work, play, and home life, there are a ton of appointments and meetings that can slip through the cracks with a busy schedule. So if you are a teensy bit unorganized yourself, I've come up with five ways for you to utilize your flashy (and not-so flashy) essentials to keep you in line and check one New Year's resolution off your list. Check out what I came up with in this highly organized slideshow.

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5 Surprising Health Benefits of Being a Sports Fan

Prevention — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:19:15 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

By Cristina Goyanes, Prevention

It’s no wonder your friends aren’t available to hang out on Sundays in the Fall and Winter - according to a 2005 Gallup Poll, 64 percent of Americans claim to be professional football fans, and as of 2010, women make up 44 percent of the NFL fan base.

Being a sports fan doesn’t mean you’re expected to know all the players and stats of your hometown teams and destined for a beer gut - it’s about coming together in the name of good times as part of a community.

“Bonding over sports - the highs and lows of the game - strengthens ties, helps us feel supported, and makes it easier for you to open up about personal things,” says Renee Clauselle, PsyD, who runs a private psychology practice in Long Island, NY.

Seventeen Unexpected Side Effects of Exercise

Rooting for the same team creates an immediate sense of family, says Daniel Wann, PhD, a Murray State University professor who has been studying the psychology of sports fans for over 20 years. “If you identify with a local team, you build an instant connection to others around you,” he says.

Beyond the bonding aspects, watching sports can motivate you to pump up your own workouts - and even burn a few extra calories when you jump, cheer, and clap during the highlights of the game. Find out more ways being a sports fan is a winning situation for your health.

Keep reading to learn how being a sports fan benefits your health.

Sugar Shout Out: Surprise Your Little Ones With Sweet Treats!

Katie Henry — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:55:38 PST

6 Tips to Start Your New Job Right

Kiplinger — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:08:12 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

I learned some valuable lessons about how to succeed in the "real world" while starting out at my first full-time job, and you can, too.

I never expected my social circle, at age 22, to use the phrase "I feel so old" so much. We know we still have our whole lives ahead of us, but making the transition from college to career can really make you feel like you've aged 20 years. For example, unlike in my college years, convincing myself to go out on a Friday night these days takes almost as much work as getting out of bed on a Monday morning. And I never thought I would be spending my beloved lazy Sundays running whatever errands I didn't get done during the week. Even four internships, including one with my current full-time employer, the Kiplinger Washington Editors, hadn't fully prepared me for this whole professional-life thing.

To help you make the adjustment and overcome common obstacles you might face when you're just starting out, here are some lessons I learned in the first few months of my first job. I hope these tips will help you feel as young as you are. SEE ALSO: Our Quiz on Navigating the First Weeks at Your New Job

Read on for tips.

10 Low-Risk Ways to Earn More Interest on Your Savings

Kiplinger — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:15:30 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

If you need a safe place to park your money now, you have a surprising variety of options to consider - even if the returns on some of them aren’t pretty.

Don’t expect rates to move up anytime soon. In response to the still-sluggish economy, the Federal Reserve has announced that it will keep short-term rates near zero through mid 2013 - and maybe longer.

We’ve listed the top spots for eking out interest on your savings, depending on your tolerance for risk and how long you can tie up your money.

Money Market Deposit Accounts

For your emergency fund - at least three to six months’ worth of living expenses - and any other savings that need to be safe and immediately available, look to accounts insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., such as money market deposit accounts. Each account is insured up to $250,000.

Money market deposit accounts generally provide checks and an ATM card for withdrawing cash or to use for purchases. You can also transfer funds electronically to/from a linked checking or savings account. You are limited to six transfers per month, not including cash withdrawals at the ATM. With yields on money market deposit accounts as meager as they are -- the average account pays less than 0.3% - rate-shopping is essential.

BEST PICKS NOW: With a $2,500 deposit, you can earn 1.10% in a money market account at Incrediblebank.com, although you’ll trigger a $10 maintenance fee if your balance drops below $2,500. Other banks with good rates include AmTrust Direct ($500 to open an account) and MyBankingDirect ($5,000 to open an account). Both are affiliated with New York Community Bank, and both pay 1.15%, but at AmTrust Direct you need to maintain a $10,000 balance to qualify for that rate.

Read on for more.

15 Smart Things You Can Do With $100

Business Insider — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:15:47 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Business Insider story here on Savvy!

At first blush, $100 is only $100. It's so easy to fritter away on eating out, entertainment, or booking a trip online.

But you should never underestimate how far $100 can go, even in this economy.

"It's smarter to put that money away because once it's in your pocket, it's pretty much gone," says Joel Larsen, a certified financial planner based in Davis, Calif.

No matter where you are in your financial life, we've compiled 15 tips to help you stretch that Benjamin.

Open a college savings account

"A lot of people will say, 'it's only $100,'" says Larsen, but if you were to save $100 a month over 20 years at a 7% rate of return, you would amass $52,092.67. Impressive, right?

Depending on your financial picture, you'll need to shop around to find the right plan based on investment performances, expenses, and tax exemptions.

Andrew Schrage, founder of the personal finance site, Money Crashers, recommends looking into a 529 College Savings plan set up by governments or colleges to help parents save.

"One of the primary benefits of a 529 savings plan is that it offers tax protection from the federal government," he says. "Also, you may be eligible for tax protection from the state government."

Read on for more.

4 Toxic Foods That Should Never Cross Your Lips

Prevention — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 03:37:36 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

Is your food loaded with toxins and chemicals? Here, simple swaps to protect yourself
By Anne Underwood

Clean eating means choosing fruits, vegetables, and meats that are raised, grown, and sold with minimal processing.

Often they're organic, and rarely (if ever) should they contain additives. But in some cases, the methods of today's food producers are neither clean nor sustainable. The result is damage to our health, the environment, or both. So we decided to take a fresh look at food through the eyes of the people who spend their lives uncovering what's safe - or not - to eat. We asked them a simple question: "What foods do you avoid?" Their answers don't necessarily make up a "banned foods" list. But reaching for the suggested alternatives might bring you better health - and peace of mind.

The Best Packaged Foods to Shop For

1. Canned Tomatoes

Fredrick Vom Saal, PhD, an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A, gives us the scoop:

The problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people's body exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. "You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that's a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young," says vom Saal. "I won't go near canned tomatoes."

The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, like Trader Joe's and Pomi.

Budget tip: If your recipe allows, substitute bottled pasta sauce for canned tomatoes. Look for pasta sauces with low sodium and few added ingredients, or you may have to adjust the recipe.

Low-Sodium Alternative Dinner Options

Keep reading to three more foods to avoid.

Should You Move Your Money to a Credit Union?

LearnVest — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:15:03 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

You wouldn’t normally think of credit unions as sexy or hip.

They don’t have glossy ad campaigns and beautiful branches on every street corner. Even their basic definition-non-profit financial co-ops - sounds boring.

But these days, more and more Americans are clamoring to join the club of credit unions because of their low fees, higher interest rates on savings accounts and lower interest rates on loans.

Because they are non-profit, credit unions are the only financial institutions that go out of their way to serve low-income clientele. But you’d be wrong if you think that’s the only group they serve. Anyone can benefit from the low-fee, low-rate products that credit unions specialize in. And in fact, many more people are.

After a furor erupted over new debit card fees announced by several commercial banks in September, 650,000 customers have switched to credit unions, depositing $4.5 billion in new accounts. (That’s the same amount as existing credit union customers across the country had been depositing in an entire month.) Those bank fees have since been rescinded, but the bad taste in many Americans’ mouths remains.

Read on for more.

How Can I Get Rid of Love Handles?

Shape — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 04:14:40 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to personal trainer and strength coach Joe Dowdell for some help!

Q: How can I get rid of love handles?

A: There isn't just one secret to losing love handles - it's a combination of factors. It's true that the typical answer of total-body strength training, high-intensity cardio intervals, proper nutrition, and sound recovery strategies are the keys to long-term success, but there are more secret strategies for burning belly fat.

You've probably heard that cortisol, the "stress hormone," is responsible for excess abdominal fat, but that's only part of the story. Your body produces cortisol in response to stress—physical, mental, or emotional. This may include extremely low-calorie diets (fasting or starvation), infection, lack of quality sleep, emotional trauma, or intense exercise, as well as daily stressors such as job pressure or relationship trouble.

Top 50 Fall Dit Foods for Weight Loss

Stress and cortisol alone do not make you fat, but research has linked high cortisol levels with storage of body fat, particularly visceral belly fat. Visceral fat is packed deeper in the abdominal cavity and around the internal organs, whereas "regular" fat is stored below the skin (known as subcutaneous fat). Visceral fat is particularly unhealthy because it is a risk factor for heart disease and diabetes. Therefore, the key to avoid storing excess fat around your middle is controlling your cortisol response, or the amount of stress on your body.

Learn the top tips for getting rid of love handles after the break!

Save Money on Groceries Without Coupons

Kiplinger — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:00:14 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

I usually spend less than $100 a week buying groceries for my family of four. And I don't use coupons - ever.
Yes, there are some extreme couponers out there who manage to spend next to nothing at the grocery store. But I don't have the time it takes to be that sort of coupon pro - nor would I benefit from the effort because coupons usually aren't available for the items I regularly buy.

So I've found other ways to keep my grocery costs under control. One reason I'm able to keep my weekly spending low is because I don't live in a large metropolitan area, where prices are higher. However, these ten tips should help you score savings wherever you live.

Choose the right store. The bulk of my savings come from shopping at Walmart rather than Kroger (the main options where I live). On average, my grocery bill is 20% less when I shop at Walmart. I compared the prices at both stores on 15 items I regularly buy and found that I paid $10 more at Kroger ($53.87 versus $43.50). The bigger the shopping list, the greater the savings. Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine writers conducted a similar experiment and spent nearly $20 less on the same basket of items at Trader Joe's than at Whole Foods (Get the Best, Spend Less).

It might seem a little time-consuming to actually run this experiment yourself. But you only have to do it once - and the savings could be substantial. Think of it this way: If you were buying a big-ticket item, such as a TV, you'd probably invest some time to shop around and research prices. Although your weekly grocery bill may not seem like a major expenditure, you're shelling out $10,400 a year if you're spending $200 a week. That's a lot more than most TVs - which you could easily afford to buy if you cut your weekly grocery bill in half.

Read on for more tips.