BusinessVoice News Network

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

You probably have one of the main ingredients for several DIY cleaning products right in your home. Rubbing alcohol combined with dishwashing liquid and ammonia can make an all-purpose liquid cleaner or change up the mix to create a heavy-duty window cleaner. Or combine rubbing alcohol with dish soap and water for a cleaner that tackles the dirt on your granite, quartz or marble countertops. Source Link 

If you’re going to post a screenshot with sensitive information showing, don’t just blur it out. Often the pixilation that creates a blurry look can be reversed with commonly available software. Instead, open your photo app’s editing tools and add a solid black rectangle that covers the spot and can’t be undone. Source Link 

Buying hamburger in bulk can save money and there’s an easy way to store it in the freezer. Separate the meat into one-pound portions and seal each in a medium-sized freezer bag. Now use a rolling pin to flatten it and you’ll have an easy-to-stack package that also defrosts faster because it’s flat. Source Link

It’s tough to be patient when you want to lose weight now, but what’s a safe level of weight loss? People who succeed do it gradually at about 1 to 2 pounds per week, which translates into 4 to 8 pounds a month. Remember that fad diets or highly restrictive eating plans may prompt fast weight loss, but not permanent weight loss. Source Link 

Call it the “Comic Sans” technique for total recall. Research has shown that people can remember something better that’s written in a weird font. You can also use a larger type size or put it in boldface. The harder the text is to read, the more you concentrate on it, and the easier it is to remember. Source Link 

The health benefits of stopping smoking can start just moments after you take that last puff. In 20 minutes, your heart rate and blood pressure begin to drop, and blood carbon dioxide levels normalize in a few days. And in a few weeks, blood circulation improves and lung function increases. Source Link

Using dumbbells, barbells or weight machines are all effective ways to build muscles, but how much you lift and how you do it can determine the results. Lifting the heaviest weights with three to five reps is best for building strength. Weights that you can comfortably lift eight to ten times are best for building muscle size. Source Link

Boosting your credit score can save big money on that next loan and these credit card hacks can help improve your number. Pay down credit card debt and ask for an increased limit but don’t use it. And when you pay your credit card bill, do it before the payment due date and the balance that’s reported each month will be lower. Source Link

Meal prep using some key ingredients is a great way to save time getting dinner on the table. Look for recipes that use roasted potatoes, hard-boiled eggs or cooked spaghetti. You can make smoothie freezer bags with your favorite ingredients to save time for breakfast and consider adding a meatless day with vegetable and pasta dishes that need less cooking time. Source Link