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  • Meal Prep Delivery Services to Try Out in 2019

    Meal Prep Delivery Services to Try Out in 2019

    When you get home from work, do you feel like cooking dinner? Sometimes you might, but usually you’re pretty tired, right? Maybe you just order takeout instead, or you opt, instead, to grab food on the way home. Well, that’s alright, but it can get expensive, and the food might not be as good for you.

    If you want to save some money and eat healthier at home, consider meal prep! There are a ton of meal prep delivery services that can help you get started meal prepping, saving money and eating healthier.

    Meal Prep Delivery Services to Try Out

    Freshly

    The first service on our list is Freshly, a great service for those who love easy-to-prep food that’s ready to rock. Freshly’s food options arrive at your home fully cooked and ready to go! They’re fully insulated and their packaging is all sustainable. The best part is that the meals they offer are all peanut-free and gluten-free, meaning people with allergies can feel safe ordering from them!

    If you’re buying for just yourself, you can get four meals for one person for $50 per week. If you’re looking for a more comprehensive food solution, go with the 12-meal plan that runs $108 per week. In either case, this is a great way to circumvent eating out too much or preparing food that’s bland or bad for you.

    Blue Apron

    The guys who got this whole meal-kit thing going to begin with are still a fantastic choice for people who want to have meals delivered to their very door. If you’re a culinary newbie looking to get a grip on how to cook, or simply like the added ease of having recipes and ingredients delivered to you, this is the service for you. Interestingly, Blue Apron makes sure that cook and prep times for their meals stick to around 45 minutes, making it easier for working folks to make themselves food.

    Blue Apron is based on sustainability. Their main goal is to change the food industry of the US by practicing sustainable farming and shipping directly, as well as eliminating food waste. The chefs and farmers work together to craft their recipes, ensuring that every meal has a story and is as sustainable as possible. It’s hard not to get behind a program that straightforward and responsible!

    If you want to try it out, it’s $60 per week for two people to get three meals. That goes up to $96 for four people, though it keeps the meal count at three!

    Home Chef

    The Home Chef meal kit delivery service makes our list due to how flexible they are with various options available for different dietary needs. For instance, if you’re vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan, avoiding dairy or any other dietary need, Home Chef has got you. Just tell them what your dietary needs are when you sign up, and your meals will be the right mix for you.

    If you’re really new to cooking and want a good way to get started, Home Chef has you covered. They have a basic suite of kitchenware you can buy from their site to get yourself started with cooking from home! This is a great way for beginners to start cooking. Between the detailed explanations and ingredients delivered right to you, this is a great way to begin cooking for yourself.

    Their normal meals are ten dollars per serving, and you can pick your servings. Shipping is ten bucks for orders under forty-five dollars, though any order above that get free shipping!

    Sun Basket

    If you want a meal prep delivery kit with the highest-quality ingredients, this is the one. Natural, organic, antibiotic-free food is the standard for Sun Basket. No added hormones, wild-caught seafood, sustainability and high-quality are all standard for Sun Basket’s ingredients. You can select between vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian or Paleo options if you need to, making this a great service that anyone can try out.

    Nutritionists approve each and every meal Sun Basket ships, meaning you know you’re getting good, high-quality meals for your money. Also great is the packaging: the meals are shipped in packaging that is totally recyclable, compostable and sustainable. It’s really guilt-free when you get down to it!

    If you want to try it, you can get three meals a week for two people for $72, or you can get two meals for four people for $88 per week. There are other plans available, those these are the best for trying out the service.

  • Guide to Starting the Mediterranean Diet

    Guide to Starting the Mediterranean Diet

    When it comes to diets, not many of them are regionally based. However, one diet in particular is based on the relative health of people from a specific region of the world. That region, of course, is the Mediterranean.

    Historically, people from the Mediterranean region have had lower risks of things like diabetes, heart disease and other dietary ailments. In order to replicate this, many dietitians recommend this Mediterranean Diet as one to help you be happier and healthier.

    How to Start the Mediterranean Diet

    The Mediterranean Diet

    The diet primarily took off due to its relative simplicity and evidence-based claims of its health benefits. Studies show that people who eat this diet have lower risk of heart disease, strokes and other premature deaths related to diet. Generally speaking, the Mediterranean Diet is comprised of foods found around the various cultures of the Mediterranean. This could include areas such as Greece, Libya, Spain, France, Italy, Albania, Turkey, and Syria, and many others.

    What to Have

    While you can look to Mediterranean countries for inspiration, there are some rules related to the diet itself. Namely, the things you want to include in normal quantities in your diet include vegetables, fruits, seafood, potatoes, grains, breads, olive oil, legumes, seeds and nuts. Herbs and spices to make your food tastier is all good, too!

    You’ll want to eat cheese, yogurt, eggs and chicken in smaller quantities than normal. That’s not that you can’t have them, just that you should have less of them. Consider having these in smaller quantities or only one of them per day and at only one meal. For instance, consider cutting chicken, cheese and yogurt out of your diet and just having eggs with your breakfast.

    You’ll also want to make red meat a very rare occurrence in your diet. Consider having it once a week or even less. Consuming too much red meat can put you at a higher risk of heart disease and other lifestyle-related diseases.

    What Not to Have

    So now you know what’s alright in the Mediterranean Diet, let’s talk about what you should avoid. Soda, juices and other drinks sweetened with sugar should be cut from your diet altogether. The same goes for refined grains, refined oils, processed meats and foods with added sugars. Generally speaking, if you would call it “junk food” then you should stop eating it.

    That means that candies, white bread, margarine, canola oil, ice cream and the like are all right out. While that might sound restrictive, it’s not as bad as it might sound. You still have a wide variety of great foods to choose from when it comes to making yourself food on this diet!

    Some Specifics

    Now, as for what you can have when on the Mediterranean diet. Specifically, foods from various Mediterranean countries is what you’re going to want to make. Spinach, onions, carrots, tomatoes broccoli and the like are all great vegetables to start with. You can supplement these with nuts like almonds, macadamia nuts, almonds, cashews and hazelnuts. Fruits you should incorporate are grapes, figs, apples, bananas and oranges, among others.

    For tubers, consider adding more sweet potatoes, yams, turnips and potatoes to your diet. These are all great option to base entire meals around! Brown rice, buckwheat, barley, corn and whole-grain pasta and bread are all wonderful options, too.

    Salmon, crab, shrimp, oysters, trout and tuna are all great seafood options to add to your meals on this diet. Remember, try to keep meat options to one meal a day or less. They’re generally not as good for you as plant-based meals!

    If you want to have poultry occasionally, stick to chicken, duck and turkey. For dairy, cheeses and Greek yogurts are okay. The occasional egg, whether it be chicken or duck, is alright, too. Healthy fats, like olive oil, olives, avocados and the like are all great too.

    Spice Things Up

    This is the fun part! Whatever meal you make, you should definitely spice them up with great seasonings. For instance, you can go with nutmeg, garlic, mint, basil, sage, cinnamon, pepper and many more to make your food really pop!

    Remember: this is a big, varied and flexible diet. You’ve got the option to pick from a huge variety of types of food and delicious meals. This diet is a great way to lose weight, get healthier and feel better, all at once. Not to mention, there are surely some delightful Mediterranean restaurants in your area that you can try without guilt on this diet!

  • The Best Moisturizers to Combat Winter Dry Skin

    The Best Moisturizers to Combat Winter Dry Skin

    It’s that time of year when the air is dry and your skin is feeling it. If you get bad Winter dry skin, you’re probably looking for a good moisturizer to fight it. But where do you start?

    It can seem so difficult finding a decent moisturizer that actually keeps your skin from being so dry without feeling greasy or filmy. If you’re looking for a great skin moisturizer, look no further. Today we’re rounding up some of the best moisturizers to combat winter dry skin!

    The Best Moisturizers to Combat Winter Dry Skin

    What to Look For

    What makes for a good moisturizer, though? It can be hard for a lay person to find what kind of moisturizer they need, as the answer is a bit more complex and jargon-filled than you’d expect. What you need is a moisturizer that has a balance of humectant, emollient, and occlusive ingredients. Let’s explain those terms a bit.

    Humectants act like sponges, binding water to the outer skin layer and keeping your skin moist. Ingredients like glycerin are humectants. Emollients are ingredients like natural oils that help smooth your skin out. Finally, occlusive are ingredients like petroleum that help to form a seal around your skin and lock in the moisture, protecting your skin from drying out.

    What to Avoid

    There are also a few ingredients that you’re going to want to really avoid if you can help it. For instance, you should really stay away from exfoliating ingredients like acids or scrubbing beads. These ingredients might sound like a good idea for flaky, dry skin but they will likely result in further drying your skin out. That’s the opposite of what you want!

    Another pair of ingredients to avoid are retinol and retinyl palmitate. These are both known to further dry out skin in people who already have dry skin. If you’re curious about which moisturizers are the best for you, we’ll give you a few examples of brands you could try.

    Aveeno Positively Radiant MaxGlow No-Mess Sleep Face Mask

    A highly-rated face-mask moisturizer, this one comes highly recommended by users. User reviews rave of the soothing, hydrating properties. If you wake up with dry skin on your face in the winter, consider using this face mask. It’s a great way to keep your complexion hydrated, youthful and glowing!

    You can find this product for sale on Amazon for roughly $18.

    St. Ives Cocoa Butter and Vanilla Bean Hand and Body Lotion

    Cocoa butter is well-known for its great softening properties and makes for wonderful skin moisturizing and protection. This particular product is a great example of that! The natural scent is wonderful and soothing, while the ingredients are great for your skin. The natural emollient properties are wonderful and remarked upon by many user reviews.

    This product is available for sale in many retailers, including in-store and online. For instance, you can grab it on Amazon for around $3. That’s a great price for a product that works this well!

    Boots No7 Beautiful Skin Night Cream for Dry/Very Dry

    This face cream is a great option for many who suffer from dry skin. According to user reviews, it’s a wonderful product and well-worth the price. This night cream includes ingredients like shea butter, glycerin, and ceramides, making it a great example of the types of things you want in a moisturizer. This product will replace your skin’s lost moisture and lock it in so the dry weather has a lessened effect on you.

    You can find this one online for around $34 if you go through Amazon. It’s a bit pricey, but according to the review it’s well-worth the price.

    CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream

    Niacinamide, one of the main ingredients in this night cream, is a great way to help even out skin color. This is a skin cream that is considered excellent for seasonal winter dry skin. That’s because it packs all the ingredients you need to replenish your skin’s moisture, repair damaged skin cells and lock in the moisture throughout the day. This is a product that helps you not have to use it anymore!

    If you’re looking to pick up some of your own, then you can go through Amazon and get some for $12.

    Other Options

    Other things you can do to help your skin during the winter is to take shorter showers and use less hot water during your shower. Very hot showers have been shown to dry out skin, and could be working to counter the moisturizer you’re using to re-hydrate your skin.

  • Best Deals on K-Cups for 2019: Get Your Caffeine Fix

    Best Deals on K-Cups for 2019: Get Your Caffeine Fix

    If you’re anything like us, you really want your coffee in the morning. It’s hard to get going without your morning cup of Joe! It’s also much more convenient to use Keurig K-Cups when you make your morning coffee.

    Why brew a whole pot when you could just use the single-serve K-Cup style for your morning cup? The only drawback is the price. How can you find the best deals on K-Cups?

    Where to Find the Best Deals on K-Cups

    Why Are K-Cups a Good Deal?

    Before we get into where the best deals can be found, let’s talk a bit more about K-Cups themselves. They’re a very convenient and handy delivery method for coffee, and they make it really easy to stock up on some of your favorite flavors and blends of coffee.

    Originally there were only a few flavors of coffee available through K-Cups, but as they’ve grown in popularity there are now many, many more. Coffee shop-style, Seattle-style, light, medium and dark roasts and many more are all commonly available. The best part is that K-Cups are so widely available that you can find them in most grocery retailers without any trouble.

    If you want to try out new flavors, you can even try sample variety packs that let you try several different new flavors at once! This all makes Keurig one of the easiest ways to taste many different types of coffee in the most economical way possible. Who doesn’t love saving money while trying new things and getting their morning pick-me-up all at once?

    Shopping Online

    When it comes to saving money, a great place to start is online shopping. There are a few options when it comes to saving online. The first, and most obvious, would be to simply go through Amazon. Amazon Prime members get free shipping on most things they buy, and K-Cups are no exception. If you’re looking to buy in bulk and save, then this is the way to go. You can even set up your Amazon account to reorder your favorite flavor of K-Cup when you get low!

    If you’ve got a smart home hub like Alexa, you can even reorder on the fly with your voice for certain things. K-Cups, for instance, can be reordered as easily as calling out for Alexa to put it in your cart and check out. That’s about as easily and painlessly as you can shop!

    Other options for online savings include Keurig’s own auto-delivery service or subscription sites like Coffee Cargo. Both of these options allow you to periodically reorder your coffee and get fantastic savings. People who utilize these services have reported savings of up to 25% off when they reorder. If you’re going through a lot of coffee, or simply want to save money when you buy in bulk, these options can really help your wallet!

    Shopping Retail

    If you prefer shopping for your coffee in person, there are still plenty of ways to go about saving in store. The first way we recommend would be through warehouse-style retailers like Sam’s Club or Costco. These retailers require you to have a membership card in order to shop with them, but don’t let that scare you. For buying in bulk (and generally saving money) these are fantastic stores to shop in. Bargain hunters can always find great deals on K-Cup coffee, too!

    If you’re looking to really keep the costs down but don’t want to shop for large quantities of coffee at once, there are some other options. You can opt to shop in normal grocery stores and simply wait for when the K-Cups or coffee go on a weekly sale. Additionally, you can keep on the lookout for bargains that are tied to coupons. If you come across a good sale coupon then you can likely save a ton on K-Cups!

    Similarly, shopping at smaller retailers like Walgreens and CVS can be great for bargain-hunting. Not only are these stores smaller and easier to navigate, they often have great sales. As they are primarily pharmacies, they tend to offer great deals on groceries when you look to save. Weekly deals and coupons, much like with traditional grocery stores, are excellent ways to save.

    Finally, don’t overlook convenience stores. These stores will often have great deals on K-Cups as they try to compete with larger retailers. While it can be harder to find universal deals this way, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth checking in to see! We hope this helps you to find (and save) on coffee!

  • Best Ways to Get a Great Deal on a New Roof: Don’t Overpay!

    Best Ways to Get a Great Deal on a New Roof: Don’t Overpay!

    This is the time of year when rough weather patterns and constant precipitation can cause serious damage to the roof of your home. When this happens, it’s best to address it quickly so you don’t have to deal with leaks and high power bills.

    However, you really don’t want to overpay. Here are some of the best ways to find a great deal on a new roof without spending an arm and a leg!

    How to Get a Great Deal on a New Roof

    Get an Inspection

    This should be your first order of business if you think something is wrong with your roof. If you’ve noticed a few missing shingles after a storm, it’s hard to tell if the issue is relatively minor or might be evidence of major problems. You may notice a leak following heavy rainfall, though this is also hardly conclusive. You want to make sure you understand what you need. That’s where an inspection comes in.

    On average, you’ll pay roughly $200 for a roof inspection. This will give you valuable information about the kind of damage you’re dealing with and how much you should be paying to have it fixed. It’s hard to put a price on knowledge, but this price is quite reasonable.

    Check Your Warranty

    Do you have a home warranty? Maybe you got one when you bought the house, or took one out yourself in case such an event arose. If you can’t remember, double check your records. Even if you don’t have a home warranty, it’s possible that the roof itself is under warranty from the manufacturer of the materials.

    If this is the case, you can find out through your inspector. They’ll likely be able to tell you who provided the materials for the roof, and if you call the manufacturer you can ask about the roof’s warranty. If your roof is still under warranty, you could save a lot of money on repairs!

    On a related note, you might also not be on the hook for repairs to your roof. If you live in a townhome community, for instance, it might be the Home Owner’s Association’s job to repair any damaged roofs. If this is the case, you should contact your HOA and have them get a contractor on the job to repair the damage right away. That’s what you pay HOA dues for, after all!

    Consult a Few Contractors

    If you have to foot the bill for the repairs yourself, you’re going to want to keep your options open. Consult a few different contractors and get a couple of quotes before you decide on who you’re going with. You can ask your inspector for a few recommendations and then compare prices once you get back the quotes. It’s also a good idea to ask for recommendations from friends, family or colleagues who may have had roofing work done. It helps to get opinions from people you know and trust.

    Make sure you know how much it would cost to simply repair the damage versus just replacing the whole roof. If the damage to your roof is severe enough, you may well need to replace the entire thing. While this will certainly cost much more, it will increase the overall value of your home and could be preferable if the damage is severe enough.

    Generally, a big factor in whether or not you’ll replace could come down to how old the roof is. If it’s nearing the time it would need to be replaced anyway, maybe now is a good time to get that work done.

    Don’t Procrastinate

    The sooner you pull the trigger on finding out what’s wrong with your roof and getting the repairs scheduled the better. If you leave your house with a damaged roof for an extended period of time, you could end up with a significantly higher bill for the repairs. A damaged roof naturally leads to more damage, as water and wind cause more and more shingles to blow away and more leaks to enter your home.

    The sooner you act, the less you’ll spend on the repairs. If you’re worried about the price, consider various financing options such as taking out a loan or a finance plan through the roofing company. If you act quickly, you can keep your home from incurring further damage. This not only guarantees that your home will be much safer, it also means it won’t lose more value: in fact, it’ll only go up in value with a new roof!

  • Top Password Managers for 2019

    Top Password Managers for 2019

    If you’re anything like us, you’ve got a ton of passwords to keep up with. Whether it’s social media, work-related sites or entertainment, you’re going to need to keep up with a large number of logins. When it comes to memorization, we can barely remember our own birthdays, let alone complex logins. And writing it down is right out: we’re just as likely to lose the paper it’s all written down on, or be unable to read our own handwriting. The best option is to use one of these awesome password managers!

    Top Password Managers for 2019

    Why Use a Password Manager?

    Even if you’re not a forgetful type like we are you’re going to find a lot of great uses for a password manager. For one thing, password managers will generate very strong passwords that hackers are unlikely to guess or happen upon. Further, most password managers protect your info behind a powerful wall of encryption software.

    Another strong upside to using a password manager is that it can also help streamline your online experience by storing your payment information. This is hugely helpful for frequent online shoppers, as it keeps you from having to constantly re-enter your credit card number. This frees up not only your time but also your worry. As these services are encrypted, you don’t need to worry about a hacker stealing your card info.

    What Makes for a Good Password Manager?

    Ideally, you want a password manager that is easy to use, gives you lots of security options, and uses multi-factor login. Also, generally, the best password managers are going to include encryptions that work locally as well. This means that if a hacker gets into your device without providing multi-factor login, they’re going to end up with jumbled, encrypted and unusable gibberish instead of your personal information. Likewise, the best password managers will have their central databases encrypted in this same way.

    Blur

    One of the most all-inclusive and affordable password management options comes in the form of the Blur product. This product is also a suite of protection software for users, insulating them against the worst of hackers and malicious online thieves. They offer a robust suite of online protections for passwords, credit card numbers and more.

    One of their more appealing features is the way that Blur can store your information locally, via an encryption, over the cloud or both. It can autofill passwords for you, avoiding keystroke detection, and it can also generate strong passwords with one click. Further, the service is capable of generating throwaway, single-use credit card numbers and phone numbers, keeping your real numbers safe from prying eyes.

    This password manager will run you around $40 per year for the full version, though a free version also exists.

    Sticky Password

    The odd name belies this excellent password manager’s great strengths. Sticky Password also, interestingly, donates a portion of its license fees to the Save the Manatee foundation. So, if you’re a fan of manatees, this is the password manager for you!

    As for features that you might find useful, Sticky Password is full of them. While the app doesn’t provide any virtual wallet features, it more than makes up for that with its strong form-filling capabilities. If you’ve ever loathed filling out forms online, you’ll love how intuitive and quick this app’s auto-fill is. You’ll rarely find yourself entering your personal info: Sticky Password has you covered.

    These guys offer a low license fee of around $30 per year. That’s not too bad!

    Keeper

    Another great option, Keeper works on iOS, Mac, Android and Windows. It has Duo integration, allowing for one-tap authentication, as well as the single sign-on enterprise feature. It also supports biometric logins from phones, such as fingerprint scanners and facial recognition software. These encryption methods are very difficult to hack into, making them ideal for people who want to keep their passwords as safe as possible.

    Interestingly, Keeper allows for a legacy contact to inherit your passwords. In case you’re worried about what will happen to your data after you’re gone, Keeper has you covered. This feature would see your data being passed to a trusted legacy contact, ensuring your information isn’t forever sealed behind a passcode that can’t be determined without you around.

    Additionally, Keeper can import saved passwords from built-in browser-based password managers. These includes the ones found in Chrome, Firefox and Opera, meaning your existing password storage gets to stick with you! This manager will run you around $26 per year.

  • How a Plant-Based Diet can Save Your Life

    How a Plant-Based Diet can Save Your Life

    Keto, paleo, Atkins, Starch Solution: they all have one thing in common. They’re all geared to help you lose weight, feel better and live healthier. Here’s the problem: none of them work in the long-term. That’s right, nutritionists agree that these diets can be helpful in the short term, but they’re just not feasible as long-term dietary lifestyles. However, one enduring dietary lifestyle has stayed around for centuries and remains one of the best things you can do for your body: the plant-based diet.

    What is a Plant-Based Diet?

    Plant-Based Diets are Simple

    The best thing about plant-based diets is just how simple they are. In essence, the only thing different about a plant-based diet is that you’re focusing your diet primarily on things like fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans and mushrooms. Okay, we know mushrooms are fungi, not plants, but they still make the cut. However, while many people think this diet might sound prohibitively limiting, that’s far from the truth!

    There are hundred upon hundreds of plant-based meals you can prepare. From stir-fried vegetables to rice and beans, tacos with black beans to healthy, plant-based pizzas. You can prepare delicious pasta dishes, hearty salads, and much, much more. The only limit to a plant-based diet is your imagination and creativity.

    Why Plant-Based?

    Switching to a plant-based diet can be a great way to watch out for your health, and there are numerous reasons for this. If you focus on plant-based foods instead of processed foods, you’ll cut a number of harmful things from your diet. Processed sugars, trans fats and fatty oils are all very high in processed foods. If you opt instead for fresh vegetables and fruit, you avoid these potentially harmful items!

    Similarly, by choosing to eat plant-based you will eat many more healthy vitamins and minerals. Many people don’t get nearly enough of the vitamins they need and rely instead on multivitamins, or simply go without. However, with a plant-based diet this isn’t the case. Your iron, B vitamins, vitamins A and C, and many more are all more than covered with a balanced plant-based diet.

    For Your Wallet

    As anyone who has been to a grocery store recently will tell you, meat is expensive. Likewise, junk food and processed foods are also rather pricey. On the other hand, produce tends to remain quite affordable. Rice, beans, vegetables and fruits all tend to stay rather low on the scale of grocery food prices. As such, opting to eat more plant-based food items can be much, much easier on your wallet. While you might find yourself missing some foods, your wallet will certainly thank you.

    This goes for when you go out to eat, as well. You’ll often find that ordering vegan or vegetarian menu items can often result in you spending less overall on your meal. It also means you’ll get outside of your comfort zone and try new foods you might have not considered previously.

    For the Animals

    The less meat you eat the less animals have to be killed to feed you. This might sound like a very harsh way to put it, but it’s true. The animals that are killed to create meat products live short, miserable lives in harsh conditions with inadequate nutrition. Even people who are okay with the idea of killing living creatures with emotions and personalities for the sole purpose of eating them tend to take issue with the factory farming industry’s abhorrent practices.

    For the Planet

    Even if you’re not concerned about animals on an individual basis, the effect of factory farming on the planet is undeniable. Nearly one-fifth of all greenhouse gasses on earth are produced by the beef industry alone, an that’s not all they do. Feeding such large animals requires a huge supply of grains, which in turn requires millions of gallons of water. For each pound of beef, farms must go through dozens, if not hundreds, of gallons of water to provide food for the cow that yielded it.

    The Bottom Line

    If you want to help yourself, your wallet, the animals and the very planet you live on, it’s worth pursuing a plant-based diet. Few people expect you to stop eating meat altogether right away, though if you do your body will thank you.

    However, even among many people who prefer plant-based diets, they may still have some fish or chicken with their meals occasionally. However, as long as you begin making plants the focus of your meals, you’ll begin to see a change in your health and well-being.

  • Best Changes to Make for Healthy Finances in 2019

    Best Changes to Make for Healthy Finances in 2019

    No one wants to be broke, whether it’s the start of the year or the end of the year. You’re probably making a ton of resolutions this time of year about how you’re going to have healthy finances in 2019. There’s good news on that front: it’s not hard to get into better habits when it comes to your personal finances. In fact, we’re going to show you some of the best changes you can make this year to help your finances become that much healthier!

    Best Changes to Make for Healthy Finances in 2019

    Make one Extra Mortgage Payment This Year

    It might sound difficult, but if you save towards it, you can make an extra mortgage payment once each year. If you do this every year you could shorten your mortgage’s length by as much as four or five years! When you have your house paid off half a decade ahead of schedule you’ll be rather pleased with your finances. There’s no time like the present to start saving towards this goal!

    If you start now, you can save a bit here and there towards this goal. Alternatively, if you have a sudden burst of money, such as a bonus, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go ahead and pay towards your mortgage with it.

    Save $1,000

    Odds are pretty good that you don’t even have a thousand bucks stashed away. If you do, that’s awesome! If not, don’t feel bad: three out of four Americans don’t have $1,000 in their savings. This is something you can fix if you start saving now! When it comes to saving, the first thing you need is a $1,000 emergency fund. You never know when you might need money for something like your car breaking down or an appliance going belly-up.

    Set a Personal Shopping Ban

    Go ahead and get out your calendar and mark off two weeks out of the upcoming year. These are now Shopping Ban days. During these two weeks, don’t spend a single dollar on anything that isn’t a literal necessity. Groceries, gas and lodging are all fair game, but everything else is off-limits. No going to the movies or out for dinner, no buying video games or makeup. No new clothes, new shoes or new toys.

    This will give you insight into just how much money you spend that you don’t have to. After the two weeks are up, take all the money you didn’t spend and invest it into your savings or retirement.

    Start a Retirement Fund or Continue Your Current One

    If you haven’t started saving for retirement yet, now is the time. The sooner you start saving, the better! Every dollar you put into a retirement savings account begins accruing interest. The dollars that those dollars generate also accrue interest. This compounding, snowballing effect is awesome when it’s working in your favor. Get on the right side of compounding interest and start saving today with your retirement account!

    If you already have a retirement account, awesome! Check on it and see how much it’s grown for you. Then, start thinking about how much you can comfortably contribute to it each paycheck. The more you save now, the more you’ll have back when you retire.

    Make a Budget

    Stop putting this off! You know you need a budget, and there’s no better time than right now to make one. When you get your paycheck, you need to know ahead of time where that money is going. There’s no excuse for frivolous spending when you have a budget set up. Make sure every dollar has a job: whether it’s going into savings, retirement, towards bills or to your small “fun money” pile, you need to take control of your finances.

    Remember: you control your money, it doesn’t control you. Don’t have a negative relationship with your wants and neglect your needs. A budget is a great way to get in control of the money you’re trying to save.

    Declutter

    Speaking of taking control, sell your old stuff. Take a bunch of the old junk you have lying around that you don’t need anymore and have a yard sale. Not only will this help you to clean out your space and make more room for healthy living, it’ll also line your pockets! This way, you can cultivate a healthier relationship with your possessions. Remember: you own these things. Don’t let them own you. If they’ve outlived their usefulness, sell them and pocket the profits!

  • Get Prepared for Tax Season with These Easy Steps

    Get Prepared for Tax Season with These Easy Steps

    It can be a little daunting to start thinking about taxes but remember that it’s important to get the ball rolling sooner rather than later. You’ve got until April to get your taxes in, but that doesn’t mean you should wait until then to start filing. The sooner you start thinking about tax season the sooner you can respond should unforeseen conditions arise. After all, you don’t want to get a nasty surprise and not have time to respond to it!

    Easy Steps to Get Ready for Tax Season

    Choose a Method of Filing

    First, you’re going to want to choose a method of filing. Are you going to file your taxes yourself or are you going to use a tax preparer? Generally, we advise that you file your taxes yourself unless they are particularly complex. If you have a very complex tax return that you need to fill out, consider going with an inexpensive tax preparer.

    When choosing a tax preparer, make sure they have a PTIN, or Preparer Tax Identification Number. If they do, it means they’re qualified to fill out a federal tax return. Before choosing this person, ask about any fees that they may charge to prepare taxes. The more complex your return, the higher the fee you can expect to pay. However, stay away from anyone who wants a percentage of your return: stick to flat fees only.

    If you choose to use a tax preparer, make sure you set up an appointment with them as soon as possible to begin discussing your tax returns. This goes double if you expect a tax refund. The sooner you get the ball rolling on getting your return in, the sooner you can get your money!

    Gather Your Files

    Get ready to start gathering your personal files. By the end of January your employers should have provided you with various documents relating to your tax returns. Typically these documents are W-2’s, which employers provide to employees and indicate your income from your job. Self-employed individuals get a different form, however, and there are many other types of documents you may receive.

    However, whatever your forms of income may be, you should have all of the documents related to your taxes in hand by the end of January. Make sure you carefully file these somewhere you won’t lose track of them! It’s very important to have these on hand while filing your taxes.

    Other files you may need to gather could be receipts from various purchases or charitable contributions you made this year. If you think you’ll get a bigger deduction by itemizing, then you should opt to gather your relevant receipts. However, the standard deduction can often be larger than an itemized deduction, so keep that in mind when you set about filing your taxes.

    Get Personal Info Together

    Make sure you have information like your social security number and the numbers of all dependents you’re claiming this year. If you own any vacation homes or rental properties, make sure you have the documents relating to them together and ready to go in time for tax time. Addresses and deeds will be helpful to have on hand! Additionally, the amount you paid, the amount you’ve made on them if they are rental properties and the dates you purchased them will all be needed.

    Get a Copy of Last Year’s Return

    You’re going to want a copy of your prior year’s return on hand. If you need information you may have forgotten, you’re going to need the previous year’s return. While the information held within might not be the most critical, it’s still good to have things like charitable donations from last year and payors of interest and dividends on hand to refresh your memory.

    Decide What to do With a Refund

    If you expect to get a tax refund, be thinking about what you’re going to do with it once you get it. Many people prefer to simply have the funds deposited straight into their checking accounts, and while this is straightforward, it might not be the best plan. Consider saving the money, instead, or applying it to next year’s tax bill!

    For instance, you could have the funds allocated to your retirement account or invest it in stocks after it’s deposited into your checking. Whichever route you choose, just keep in mind that the sum you get may be better served being saved than being used to get a new tattoo or game console! Just don’t spend it all in one place.

  • Best 2019 Resolutions for Women’s Health

    Best 2019 Resolutions for Women’s Health

    If you’ve ever made a list of overly ambitious and ridiculous New Year’s resolutions, you’re probably familiar with the cold feeling you get when you abandon them in February. However, there’s good news: there are more reasonable resolutions you can make and stick to. Today we’re going to look at some of the best 2019 resolutions for women’s health. These are the resolutions you’re finally going to keep. Just don’t forget: you do these things because you want to, not because you have to!

    Best 2019 Resolutions for Women’s Health

    Walk 1,000 Steps More

    Every day you should be adding another 1,000 steps to your current step amount. If you don’t have a fitness tracker yet, it’s time to get one. They’re a great way to keep track of your workouts, steps and calories burned. Once you have one you can keep a close track of how much you walk on a given day. Now that you have that information, you should now be adding 1,000 steps to each day’s walk.

    If you normally take a short drive to the corner store after work, walk it instead. If you don’t already, start taking walks around your neighborhood. Stand at your desk, take a walk around the office. Just walk. Steps are great for you! They get your blood pumping and help you stay in an active mindset for when it’s time to really work out.

    Take it Week by Week

    Bust out your calendar and start planning your workouts. You’re going to want to take things day by day. It’s much easier to plan as little as two or three weeks ahead and take things at your own pace. Make a habit of opening your planner, adding workouts to the weeks ahead, and then executing what’s on your calendar. This will help you not only manage your time but also stay motivated to keep hitting your fitness goals.

    It’s often good to execute this resolution with a workout buddy. Find someone who already has a fitness routine or is trying to start one. Then, working with them, plan out workouts the two of you can do together. It’s way harder to give up on your fitness goals if you’ve got a buddy keeping you accountable!

    Target Your Core

    Rather than vaguely resolving to get in shape, make a real plan. Target your core, as it’s a great place to start. Many women loath their bellies, so this is a good place to begin your focus. Your core is your center in more ways than one: it’s also the center of your movements. You should start by really locking in your workouts that focus on the center of your body and musculature.

    You can do this by focusing on exercises like crunches, curls and planks. Get used to doing these exercises at home every day before work. If you get in the habit of forcing yourself to wake up and do core workouts, you’ll find more fitness goals coming into clear focus. It’s not hard to get a handle on your fitness, you just need to focus.

    Morning Workouts

    When you first wake up, do you lay in bed for a few minutes waking up? Or do you begin your day with a workout? While we’re not saying you need to run a marathon before work, waking up and getting physical is a surefire way to get in the right mindset for the day. Wake up and do a few home workouts, like incline pushups or squats. We already mentioned core exercises, and those apply here too.

    If you live in an area that’s safe to jog in, consider getting a morning jog in before work. A brisk, ten-minute run around your street can be a great way to wake your body up and set you up for fitness success!

    Eat One Meatless Meal per Day

    Try eating one meal with only plant-based foods every day. This might sound tough at first, but make it fun! You can make tons of delicious meals with plant-based ingredients. No only will you save money on food but you’ll also increase your personal fitness. Not to mention, plant-based diets are more sustainable for the planet in the long-term, and they’re largely more ethical.

    It’s not easy to dive head-first into a new lifestyle. Take these resolutions a day at a time and make your health a top priority throughout your day. Remember, you’ve got to start somewhere. So, start here. You’ve got this! Just take your fitness and health seriously and make it a priority.