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Showing posts from December, 2011

5 Hair Conditioners You Can Make at Home

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You might think of beer, bananas, and coconut oil as the main ingredients to an awesome banana bread, but to use in a natural hair conditioner? According to Cristi Nunziata — The Herbal Education Coordinator at City Market in Burlington, VT — there are many items from your kitchen that you can use to make natural beauty products. And aside from saving money, there are many reasons to make your own, including taking better care of your skin and hair.  I have picked out five easy recipes for homemade hair conditioners that treat dry or damaged hair, along with some excellent general advice from Nunziata's natural hair care workshops. While these are simple recipes, Nunziata does say it takes practice to get it right and that there are some important things to remember about using conditioners: Conditioning lubricates the hair shaft, causing softness and preventing breakage and tangles. Most are applied after shampooing, but some are used prior and left on f...

15 Ways to Exercise in Under 5 Minutes

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You've probably heard of interval (or circuit) training — it has to do with interspersing regular workouts with short, intense bouts of activity, and getting better results. Interval training can be helpful even for people who aren't highly athletic. Pressed for time? Hate going to the gym? That shouldn't keep you from engaging in basic interval training. You don't need to buy expensive equipment, or spend hours every day, to get fit through short workouts. In this article, I've outlined several basic, equipment-free exercises that take under five minutes. You can do them at home, or even at work, to burn fat and build muscle tone and improve your balance. Although the following exercises themselves are quick, you should never attempt them without first adequately warming up and stretching. Of course, a healthy adult should participate in at least 30 minutes of exercise per day, so if you want to try some of these quick exercises as your daily workout,...

Best Money Tips Make Christmas Shopping Simple

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Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some awesome articles on making Christmas shopping simple, financial moves to consider for 2012, and mythbusting extreme couponing. Top 5 Articles Make Christmas Shopping Simple — Make Christmas shopping easy this year by finding a hobby you can give away. [Thousandaire] Five Financial moves You Might Consider in 2012 — In 2012, consider saving more money for retirement. [Bargaineering] Mythbusters: Extreme Couponing — It turns out extreme couponing isn't quite as awesome as it appears on TV. [Budgets Are Sexy] 6 Signs It's Time to Quit and Move On — If your job is affecting your health, it may be time to quit. [Careful Cents] Top 5 Things Newlywed Homebuyers Need to Know — Newlywed homebuyers must remember that they must do their homework. [20 and Engaged] Other Essential Reading Budget-Friendly Gifts a Holiday Hostess Will Love — This holiday season, get your hostess Chinese Checkers. [SavvySugar] ...

The Best Deposit Savings Account

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If you're the type of person who stashes his money under the mattress, it's time to put your money to work. By depositing your money into a bank's savings account, you help keep it secure -- the federal government provides automatic insurance should your bank shut down -- and also earn interest on the money you deposit.    With dozens of banks available, finding the best savings account can stress you out. Don't worry; financial experts have identified some of the best bank accounts out there, whether you want a traditional savings account or a checking account that lets you save and spend wisely.   Evantage Bank The "Kiplinger" financial magazine called Evantage Bank the best bank for those who want a high-yield savings account. Although it's based in Oklahoma, its services are available nationwide thanks to online banking. As of March 2011, its checking and savings account offers 3.75 percent interest, ...

How to Avoid Paying Bank Fees

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As a banker, I have the honest and inside track on how to avoid paying bank fees, potentially saving you hundreds of dollars! It is easy to drain your bank account, one fee at a time, with overdraft charges, checking account "maintenance" fees, "per check" charges and even various service fees assessed for assisting customers with balancing their checkbooks. Banks have the legal right to charge you these fees for legitimate services and may change them at any time. However, they are also legally obligated to inform you of their fees and any changes to them, which usually come in the form of a small leaflet tucked inside your statement that they are hoping you will throw away before actually reading. Typical banking fees can range anywhere from as little as $5.00 for transferring funds from a savings account to cover an overdraft in checking, or as high as $39.00 for an actual overdraft that the bank may or may not pay in the event you don't have ...

How to Advice for Minimizing Small Business Debt

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Business debt comes from many sources, including non-paying clients, the cost of space, inventory and equipment, and loans. Acquiring too much debt can be the downfall of a business, preventing growth and the ability for a business to sustain itself.  Whether you own a service, wholesale or retail operation, managing debt is essential to the continuing success of your venture. Fortunately, there are many things a small business owner can do to minimize debt.   Instructions 1 Negotiate with suppliers to get a better bulk discount whenever possible. Avoid buying more inventory and equipment on net or credit terms than you need for the upcoming season. 2 Defer end-of-the-year payments from clients until the new year, if possible, to reduce the taxes you must pay. For example, if a client pays you on December 31, that income would be taxed when you file your return. However, if that same client ...

11 Things That Are Worth the Money

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Tough times have made us all a bit more cautious about whipping out our wallets on a whim. When it comes to spending with discretion, it's important to have priorities about things you think are worth the money, and those items or services that are not. Here are 11 things that I think are worth it. 1. Insurance We need insurance to protect us from paying even more money should the unexpected occur. At the very least, car, homeowners (along with certain incidentals like fire and earthquake), and health insurance are well worth their premiums. However, keep in mind that not all insurance policies are worth the money. Check out these seven insurance policies you can live without . 2. Culture Excursions like visiting museums and monuments serve as entertainment and they give you a dose of culture. It's easy to get trapped in your own little world, but observing other people's accomplishments can open your eyes. 3. Going to the Doctor Your co-pay is no...

31 Great Gifts That Keep on Giving

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If you're wondering what kind of gift to buy for the person who already "has it all" this holiday season, you're not alone! It's hard to come up with new and creative ideas for that special someone. But don't fret. If you're looking to buy a gift this year that won't fade away once the newness wears off, then you've come to the right place. Take a look at these gifts that keep on giving! 1. Cooking Classes What gift could give back more than cooking classes? Classes are fun and a great way to either brush up on existing skills or learn new ones. 2. Perennial Flowers Why not give the gift of beautiful flowers that continue to bloom each year? No worries if you're not much of a green thumb, here's some advice on how to choose perennials . 3. A Charity Donation If you're looking for something that surely won't get returned or re-gifted, consider giving a donation on someone's behalf to their favorite charity. Two sites...

Cool Christmas Gifts for Friends

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Friends listen when you're down, encourage when things don't go well and provide support when you need it most. At Christmastime, you want to give gifts that express how you feel about your friends and the special friendship you share. The coolest Christmas gifts for friends come more from the heart than the bank account.   Evening Out If your friend enjoys an quiet evening out, purchase a gift card for a favorite restaurant. If you are both single or like to spend evenings together, give a coupon of an evening out for the two of you. If your friend is part of a couple or has a family, your friend might enjoy a gift card for a night out with spouse and/or family.   Baking If you enjoy baking, bake something for your friends. Some friends might enjoy cookies. Others may enjoy loaves of homemade bread, such as banana, zucchini or other specialty bread. Add cookies to a Christmas plate, either a plastic one that can be thrown away once th...

Health Benefits of Yoga

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General Overview Yoga is a type of physical exercise consisting of various poses that build muscle strength and endurance. Yoga originated in India as a way to discipline the mind and body, and eventually gained popularity throughout the Western world as an effective method of exercising and staying in shape. The practice of yoga presents many mental benefits as well as physical. Traditionally, yoga practitioners in India relied on the exercise to help them attain Moksha, a type of spiritual and mental enlightenment.   Physical Benefits Yoga has many physical benefits including flexibility, strength, muscle tone, pain prevention and better breathing. The various poses of yoga are extremely demanding, and over time result in increased flexibility in all the muscles of the body. The majority of yoga poses demand that the body support its own weight for long periods of time, which results in increased strength in the abdominal, leg, ...

Legit Ways to Make Money Online With Free Startup

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At no other time in history have there been so many options for the low-budget entrepreneur to build his own start-up business at very low or even no cost involved. The facilitator to this new business climate is the Internet. While scams and shady characters still inhabit this venue, there are several legitimate ways to make money online. Keep in mind that, generally speaking, the less money invested in the start-up, the more effort will be required to make it successful.   Affiliate Marketing Affiliate marketing is now a fully developed industry with millions of dollars being paid to affiliates each month. For those not completely sure how it works, an affiliate is simply a person who signs up to promote a product or service for someone else. You are paid a percentage of the sale, sometimes as much as 75 percent. You will be given a unique hyperlink to place on your sales page that lets the publisher know where the visitor came from. Once you're signed...