BusinessVoice News Network

For your next visit to the doctor, be sure to bring some important information on your family. Knowing about conditions like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or cancers experienced by siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles can help your doctor identify if you’re at higher risk and need a special schedule of screenings. Source Link

Your tennis shoes can come clean in the washing machine, with some important caveats. A machine wash works for polyester, cotton and canvas kicks, but leather sneakers should be hand-washed, and any stain may need to be spot-treated separately. And a wash cycle does a better job of killing odor than helping your tennis shoes come clean. Source Link

Using the 20/4/10 rule can reveal how much car you can afford. If you make a 20 percent down payment and take out a four-year loan, your monthly car expenses should be no more than 10 percent of your monthly gross income. That includes the loan payment and the cost of gas and auto insurance. Source Link 

You’re concerned about that next security breach, but don’t be quick to pay for a credit monitoring service. They can cost over $100 a year but aren’t the best protection if your identity is stolen. Putting a freeze on your credit with each of the three national reporting agencies is free and will ensure that no one can use your name to get credit. Source Link

The right way to clean your ears is simple because you don’t really need to do it. Ear wax naturally works its way out and if you see some use a wet washcloth to wipe it away. A few drops of half-and-half mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide can loosen ear wax, but cleaning with a Q-tip can push wax back into the ear canal. Source Link

That expired milk in the fridge doesn’t necessarily have to go down the drain. Sour milk can be used in savory baking recipes and those that call for buttermilk, like crepes, pancakes and waffles. Milk that’s slightly turned is great with sugary cereal and expired milk can be mixed with breading for fried veggies or cheese. Source Link

Behold the lowly bar of soap – it’s a great tool for those home repair projects. Rubbing soap into a nail hole can fill it until you paint and when you’re painting trim next to a window you can rub soap along the glass to keep splatters from sticking. And rubbing a bar of soap on door hinges and even floorboards can silence those squeaks. Source Link 

When you store food in freezer bags, try this tip to make it an easier fit. Slip a zipped bag of food into an empty cereal box and put that in the freezer. Once frozen, take it out of the box and stack your frozen food like bricks. This will also help the freezer operate more efficiently with less air space between items. Source Link

Prices at the dollar store aren’t what they used to be but you can still find bargains by shopping smart. Disposable items like gift wrap, paper plates, napkins and cups are a better buy but avoid breakables that aren’t as sturdy and shy away from electronics that may not last. And come with a shopping list because a cart full of impulse buys even at the dollar store will add up fast. Source Link

Follow this simple rule to reduce clutter in your home – touch it once. Clutter often comes from holding on to things that need action, so stand by the recycling bin with your handful of mail as you sort it or sign kid’s permission slips as soon as they come. This can cut down on paper clutter and take-upstairs clutter. Source Link

A few changes in what you buy can be good for the planet and save you money. Instead of single use plastic water bottles, sandwich baggies and straws, find non disposable products you can wash and reuse. Store documents in the cloud instead of printing them and send e-greeting cards to save money on paper cards and postage. Source Link

Timing is everything if you listen to music as a part of studying. Researchers say listening to music before you start reading can help with recall. But listening to music while you study is a distraction, no matter what kind of tunes you prefer. Reading in silence helps your mind focus on comprehension. Source Link

If elective surgery is on your calendar there are things you can do now to make recovery easier. Aerobic exercise will strengthen the lungs to prevent collapse after anesthesia and learning deep breathing can help calm any anxiety you’ll feel. And a healthy diet of fruit, vegetables, lean protein and whole grains can boost your body’s ability to heal. Source Link 

The 50-30-20 Budget Rule can make it easier to manage expenses now and save for the future. Allocate 50 percent of your take-home pay to necessities like mortgage or rent, utilities and groceries. Use 30 percent of that after-tax income for wants, like a new phone or a fresh outfit. The remaining 20 percent is for savings or paying off debt. Source Link

Breathing is about more than getting air into your lungs. Relaxed breathing can decrease heart rate, reduce blood pressure and allow more blood flow to help with digestion. And deep breathing can improve blood glucose in healthy people, and help anyone lower their stress levels and reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. Source Link

The sandwich is a lunchtime classic, but what if you want to skip those two slices of bread? Try wrapping ingredients in a whole-grain pita or tortilla or lettuce leaves. Scoop the seeds out of a cucumber, zucchini, tomato or bell pepper and stuff with a salad mix or pack hard-boiled egg whites with cubes of meat. Source Link

Achieving financial wellness takes planning and persistence to make it work. Set a budget and review it monthly to see if the spending matches your plan. Make a point to review retirement or investment accounts twice a year, and use automatic transfers from checking to savings and automatic payments on car loans or mortgages to avoid late fees. Source Link

You learned the right way to install a child car seat when your baby was born, but what about when they get older? It’s common for parents to make mistakes attaching the top tether or when using seat belts. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website at nhtsa.gov lets you search by zip code for local resources to help with proper use of child car seats. Source Link