Paying with plastic, buying in bulk can wreck your budget
By Jodi Helmer
It happens all the time: You go to the supermarket for a gallon of milk and come home with four bags of groceries, or you plan to order a single book from Amazon.com and end up with a $78 bill at checkout. You're not alone.
Read on to discover the top eight reasons you overspend.
1. Paying with plastic
Takeout or dine in? Paper or plastic? Cash or credit? Of all the choices you make at the checkout counter, the decision to pay with a credit card has the biggest impact on your bottom line.
Multiple studies, including this 2008 study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, have found consumers are willing to spend more when they pay with a credit card instead of cash.
"Credit cards allow consumers to focus more on what they're getting, or buying, than what they're losing, or spending," explains Kit Yarrow, a professor of psychology and marketing at Golden Gate University. Credit cards "buffer the reality of spending because they leave more cash in our pockets and purses and provide a delay before payment is required."
2. Listening to music
Listening to music is perfect for increasing motivation during a workout. It also increases the motivation to spend. You're more apt to give in to impulse purchases in shops where instrumental or classical music is playing, according to one study.
Experts believe that loud music also impacts spending.
"Louder music in restaurants pushes people to eat faster, order more and consume more food because they can't talk to each other over the noise," explains Paula C. Peter, assistant professor of marketing and consumer behavior at San Diego State University. "Being overwhelmed by music also interferes with our ability to think clearly, which can lead to spending more money."
3. Buying in bulk
Before you stock up on a 280-ounce bag of chocolate chips, consider this: You're more likely to overspend when you buy in bulk.
A case of paper towels might cost less per unit than a single roll, but it'll add a bigger lump sum to the total bill, which could lead to blowing the weekly grocery budget. There is another reason that buying in bulk adds up at the checkout counter.
"Having large quantities on hand actually increases consumption," Yarrow says.
The more you consume, the more you'll spend.
4. Dieting
If you're watching your weight, you should be watching your wallet, too.
Dieting depletes what Kathleen Vohs, associate professor of marketing at the University of Minnesota, refers to as regulatory resources, which are a more sophisticated form of willpower.
"When regulatory resources are low, people feel stronger urges to buy impulsively, are willing to spend more money for a product, buy more items and spend more total money," notes Vohs. "Being on a diet is a big depletion endeavor." When those urges are present, "people are less able to restrain their impulses, so whatever they are tempted to do — like spend on needless trinkets — will emerge."
5. Tracking exact costs
Keeping track of purchases right down to the last dollar will keep spending in check, right? Wrong. New research found that consumers who try the hardest to budget are the ones who end up overspending. In fact, shoppers who attempt to calculate the exact total price of their purchases spend an average of 19 percent more than consumers who estimate an approximate total price. According to the study, "shoppers consistently underestimate the total price of shopping baskets, which puts them at risk for spending more than they budgeted."
If calculating the exact total is important, consider shopping with a calculator.
6. Buying clearance merchandise
There is nothing wrong with getting an item on sale. The problem with the clearance rack is the items are limited.
"It leads to the idea that if I don't get it now, it won't be there later," says Yarrow. "The fear of missing out tends to make us much less rational about evaluating our purchases, so we end up spending money on things we didn't want or need."
To avoid overspending on unnecessary sale items, Yarrow suggests applying the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared.
"Tell yourself that you're going in to buy a specific item and you won't get caught up in the frenzy of the crowd," she says.
7. Shopping without a list
It's one of the most oft-repeated mantras of maintaining a budget: Make a list and stick to it. You're more likely to buy only the things you need if they're written down in black and white.
"If you struggle with self-control, bring cash instead of a credit card," Peter advises.
You can't overspend if you're limited to the cash in your pocket.
8. Falling for clever pricing tactics
In his book, "Priceless: The Myth of Fair Value and How to Take Advantage of It," author William Poundstone points out that marketers have a clever approach to making shoppers think they're getting a good deal.
"There are places where there's a $150 hamburger," he writes. "The first thing everyone does is shake their head. But then you go down the menu, suddenly the $50 steak doesn't seem so outrageous."
You've overspent while thinking you're getting a bargain.
8 reasons you spend too much
Do You Eat Petai?
Little did you know ...... after reading THIS, you'll NEVER look at petai in the same way again!
Petai contains three natural sugars -sucrose, fructose and glucose. Combined with fiber, petai gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proved that just two servings of petai provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute wor kout. No wonder petai is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way petai can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.
Depression:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND among people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating petai. This is because petai contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
PMS(premenstrual syndrome):
Forget the pills - eat petai. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Anaemia:
High in iron, petai can stimulate the production of haemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anaemia.
Blood Pressure:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the petai industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain Power :
200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating petai at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert. Understand that bananas contain lot of potassium too so eat more banana. Just look at those monkeys, they are really active, alert, smart and cunny too!!
Constipation
High in fiber, including petai in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a petai milkshake, sweetened with honey. The petai calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
Heartburn: Petai has a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating petai for soothing relief.
Morning Sickness : Snacking on petai between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
Mosquito bites : Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of the petai skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
Nerves: Petai is high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
Overweight: Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report
concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.
Ulcers: Petai is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
Temperature control : Many other cultures see petai as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Holland, for example, pregnant women eat petai to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.
Seasonal Affecti ve Disorder (SAD) : Petai can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan.
Smoking: Petai can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium petai snack.
Strokes: According to research in 'The New Engla nd Journal of Medicine, ' eating petai as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%'.
Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of petai and place it on the wart. Carefully hold the petai in place with a plaster or surgical tape!
So, as you can see, petai really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals.. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A Petai a day keeps the doctor away'.
Aphorism
Aphorism: A short, pointed sentence expressing a wise or clever observation or a general truth
The nicest thing about the future is that it always starts tomorrow.
Money will buy a fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his tail.
If you don't have a sense of humor, you probably don't have any sense.
Seat belts are not as confining as wheelchairs.
A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you're in deep water.
How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night?
Business conventions are important because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without.
Why is it that at class reunions you feel younger than everyone else looks?
No one has more driving ambition than the boy who wants to buy a car.
There are no new sins; the old ones just get more publicity.
There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4 AM. It could be a right number.
No one ever says 'It's only a game" when their team is winning.
I've reached the age where the happy hour is a nap.
Be careful reading the fine print. There's no way you're going to like it.
The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket.
Do you realize that in about 40 years, we'll have thousands of old ladies running around with tattoos. (OMG)
Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Mercedes than in a Smart Car.
After 60, if you don't wake up aching in every joint, you are probably dead!!
Always be yourself because the people that matter don't mind, and the ones who mind, don't matter.
"Occasionally let your mind wander; it knows how to get home."
Activated charcoal lowers cholesterol
Charcoal lowers the concentration of total lipids, cholesterol, and triglycerides in the blood serum, liver, heart and brain. In one study on patients with high cholesterol, reported in August, 1986 in the British journal, The Lancet, two tablespoons (8 gms) of activated charcoal taken three times a day for four weeks, lowered total cholesterol 25%, lowered LDL cholesterol 41%, and doubled their HDL/LDL (high-density lipoprotein/ low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol ratio. Kidney International Supplement (June 1978) demonstrated that activated charcoal is able to significantly reduce serum triglycerides (up to 76%) in severely hyperlipidemic patients, and suggested that "charcoal may find applicability in the management of azotemic diabetic and nephrotic hyperlipidemia."
These findings were again confirmed in a Finnish study reported in the European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology in 1989. Seven patients were fed 4,8,16, or 32g of activated charcoal per day. "Serum total and LDL-cholesterol were decreased (maximum 29% and 41%, respectively) and the ratio of HDL/LDL- cholesterol was increased (maximum 121%) by charcoal in a dose dependent manner." In another study of ten patients with severe hypercholesterolaem ia the effectiveness of activated charcoal was compared to cholestyramine (Questran®). Activated charcoal was found to lower total serum cholesterol, and raise the HDL/LDL ratio on a par with cholestyramine and also reduced serum triglycerides, whereas cholestyramine raised serum triglycerides!
Activated Charcoal
What is Activated Charcoal?
Activated charcoal is type of carbon made from wood, vegetables and other materials. It looks like a fine black powder. Activated charcoal is believed to have a large adsorptive capacity, making it able to bind with unwanted substances and toxins in the gut.
Activated charcoal may help to lower cholesterol by interfering with enterohepatic circulation of bile acids. It has been found to lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.
Why Do People Use Activated Charcoal?
Detoxification
Bloating and gas
Malodorous gas
High cholesterol
Poisoning / overdose – under medical supervision. If poisoning or overdose is suspected, go immediately to the emergency department of a hospital.
Activated charcoal is also used in air and water filters.
Dosage Information
Activated charcoal is available in liquid or powder form. It is a popular ingredient in colon cleanse products.
Activated charcoal should be taken with plenty of water to avoid intestinal obstruction or constipation.
Side Effects and Safety
Pregnant or nursing women and the elderly should avoid activated charcoal.
Activated charcoal should not used concomitantly with medication or nutritional supplements.
Activated charcoal can cause stools to appear black. Other side effects of activated charcoal include nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, or constipation.
Although there haven't been adverse effects in amounts used in nutritional supplements, there are no studies on the long-term safety of activated charcoal in humans.
Australian Prime Minister does it again!!
This man should be appointed King of the World. Truer words have never been spoken.
It took a lot of courage for this man to speak what he had to say for the world to hear. The retribution could be phenomenal, but at least he was willing to take a stand on his and Austrilia's beliefs.
Whole world Needs A Leader Like This!
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd - Australia
Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks..
Separately, Rudd angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote:
'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians. '
'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom'
'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!'
'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.'
'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.'
'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.'
'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.'
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