BusinessVoice News Network

It’s easy to find ways to save money when you’re on vacation. Don’t eat out for every meal. Pick up groceries for a few days. Don’t buy overpriced treats at theme parks or tourist attractions. Instead, eat a big breakfast and drink water. Don’t bring home silly souvenirs that will become clutter, and don’t buy expensive plane tickets if you can drive to the location in less than a day. Source Link

Smart items in your home need extra steps to ensure that they don’t invade your privacy. Select a unique password and use an option for two-step verification, and know how to turn off cameras and microphones on devices. Enable auto-delete of your commands for a voice assistant and check smart phone apps for the latest updates. Source Link

You want a healthy drink without sugar or artificial sweeteners but don’t like the taste of plain water, so add some natural flavor. Infuse it with real fruit, or try naturally-flavored sparkling water. You can even add a teaspoon of honey or plant-based zero-calorie sweetener like stevia to your drink. Source Link 

There’s more to the cost of buying a car than the sticker price. Paying it off in the shortest term you can afford will save on interest charges and don’t forget sales tax if you have it in your state. Consider insurance premiums for the make and model of car and get several estimates and look at gas mileage for the most economical driving for years to come. Source Link

Beware of the risks of sharing your bed with your baby. A study found that bed-sharing did nothing to boost mother-infant bonding and increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, even when parents are careful. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends room-sharing with an infant but not bed-sharing. Source Link

They call it a “junk drawer” but it still needs an occasional cleanup. Start by removing everything and only keeping what’s useful, like scissors, tape, pens and markers or extra house keys. Get rid of whatever you don’t need and then use drawer organizers for big things and half an egg carton to get 12 pockets to hold those small items. Source Link 

Not all debt is created equal. A mortgage lets you build wealth through rising home values and a student loan for an education to get a good job will pay off with much more in lifetime earnings. But debt from credit card balances you can’t pay off every month or an auto loan or lease every few years will have you spending more instead of living within your means. Source Link

A specific way of breathing might help keep your stomach from feeling the effects of stress or anxiety. Try taking deep breaths from your diaphragm that expand your abdomen. This activates the autonomic nervous system and makes your GI tract less sensitive to stimuli that could cause an upset stomach. Source Link

It can be tricky to know what to say to a grieving friend. Don’t say, “I can’t imagine what you’re going through.” Instead, acknowledge how difficult it must be and say you’re there to help. Do say, “I don’t have the right words” to show you aren’t avoiding a talk. And never start with, “At least they’re in a better place” or “no longer suffering” because that minimizes the loss. Source Link

When you’ve always got your mind on your money, give yourself a break by automating your budget. Experts say you can manage your money without the headaches by using direct deposit of your paycheck with automatic bill payments and automatic transfers to savings. And if you budget correctly what’s left is money you can spend any way you’d like. Source Link

It’s an old debate – should aluminum foil’s shiny side or dull side be on the outside when wrapping foods for cooking? Experts say it doesn’t matter because heat conducts through the foil the same for either side. There’s a dull side because aluminum foil is manufactured with two sheets together and the sides that touch don’t get a shiny surface. Source Link

Using an old telephone tool may be the best way to help stop today’s scourge of scam calls. Unless it’s a number you know, let the call ring through to voicemail. Even declining a call can tell a scammer that it’s a live number with a possible target. If it’s a legitimate call, the person will leave a message that’s more than a few seconds long. Source Link

Can the formula “20 over 40” help keep you out of the hospital? In a seven-year study of people over the age of 40, those who got 20 minutes of daily exercise cut their risk of hospitalization for things like pneumonia, stroke, diabetes complications and severe urinary tract infections. The numbers line up with recommendations to get 150 minutes of moderate activity each week. Source Link

Teaching your child healthy eating habits when they’re young can pay lifelong dividends. Help them understand the body’s cues for hunger or fullness and not to eat because you’re bored or doing something else like watching TV. Use child-sized plates to gauge how much food they need for a meal, keep junk food out of the house to avoid temptation, and have them get 60 minutes of physical activity each day. Source Link

That new TV you bring home to your young family should have a life-saving accessory. A tip-over kit lets you anchor the TV to the wall so it won’t fall on a small child if they climb up. And avoid displaying or storing items like toys and remotes near a TV where kids might be tempted to climb up to reach them. Source Link

Falls are a leading cause of injury in the home and you can avoid this by looking, lighting and laddering. Watch your feet when walking and don’t multitask while using the stairs. Install nightlights or illuminated wall plates to see better when you’re walking in the dark and use a ladder or step stool for reaching things on high, but never stand on the top step or rung. Source Link

Adding more vegetables to your diet isn’t as hard as it seems. Blend cauliflower or spinach into a smoothie or bake egg muffins with vegetables for an easy grab-and-go breakfast. You can even spiralize vegetables like zucchini, sweet potatoes or beets to mix with your favorite pasta sauce for a tasty meal. Source Link

It’s time to wake up and debunk some sleep myths. It matters what time of day you sleep because your body is built for rest when the sun is down. Being able to fall asleep almost instantly isn’t great and could be a sign of sleep deprivation. And your body needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, so don’t make a habit of getting significantly less. Source Link