Preventative care – obviously the best way to save is to need less dental care overall. Brush, floss, rinse, eat healthy – you know the drill I’m sure; but just in case read this preventative dental care guide. Along those lines encourage your kids to have healthy dental habits from birth.

Find a way to pay for regular check-ups no matter what – regular dental check-ups save you money by spotting problems before they become BIG money problems. It’ll cost less in the long run to save extra money now for an annual dental appointment.

Comparison shop – different dentists carry the same services for different prices. Sometimes you can save 100s, simply by choosing the right dentist. Always shop around before having dental work done.

Plan ahead for major work you know you need (i.e. start saving now!) and see if you can sign on for a payment plan – which many dentists offer.

NIDCR sometimes looks for volunteers with specific dental, oral, and craniofacial conditions to participate in research studies, also known as clinical trials. Usually if you participate you’ll get seriously reduced cost care or even free care. To find out if there are any NIDCR clinical trials that you might fit into, visit the NIDCR web site and click on “NIDCR Studies Seeking Patients.”

Dental schools and dental hygiene schools often offer high quality, reduced-cost dental treatment. Also Licensed dentists always supervise the students providing care. To locate dental schools visit the ADA.

There are many sliding scale to free dental programs available through local community health clinics.

The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) does include dental care for kids under the age of 19 but your family will need to meet income requirements.

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What you can do:

• Make a donation.  Even $10 can make a difference.  Get a free pink sweatshirt with a $100 donation.  You can also make a donation in memory of a loved one.  Use the link on the website to donate or call 877-337-3348.
• Instead of using your normal search engine, set GoodSearch as your home page and a donation is made every time you search or shop online.
• Order gift cards.  Gift Cards for a Cause is an easy way to support a non-profit organization throughout the year by shopping for your every day needs like groceries, clothing, and casual dining, or any occasion that calls for gift giving.
• If you use a professional maid service, ask them if they have heard of Cleaning for a Reason.

For more information, visit the Cleaning for a Reason website.

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Grab a Dreamtime Bath Melt or a Waving Not Drowning Bath Bomb from Lush. Grab a book, fill the tub and soak away your stress issues for under $6.

After putting the kids to bed, skip tidying the house, skip the dishes, skip all of it. Put on some warm PJs, grab a pint of your fave ice cream, cuddle up under a blanket and watch the most mind numbing show or movie you can find. Pick something that’s pure entertainment – no educational shows allowed. Splurge for organic ice cream and this chill night will still come in at under $5.

Bundle up and head outside for a walk ONCE A DAY for at least 20 mins. It’s cold, you’re busy, I hear ya. However, studies show that people who exercise are more relaxed and sleep better at night. If you can’t hit the gym as much as you should a daily walk is a must. Trust me, you’ll get into the swing of this habit and it’ll become second nature.

Hit a bookstore with a coffee shop. Grab a book you want but can’t quite afford, grab a latte you can afford and read for an hour while slowly sipping your drink. Bonus points if you go while school is in session – less crowded.

I’m sure you’ve been buying for other people this season and trying hard not to splurge on yourself. That said it’s nuts how a little luxury can help make you feel taken care of. Take $5-$10 and buy a fancy bakery cupcake, a lovely new shimmering lip gloss, hair conditioner that’s not some cheap $2 store brand, or whatever other little luxury you fancy. Feeling a little pampered can help you chill.

Take a drive. The tree hugger in me hates to admit this, but how I chill is like so – grab my car, grab some music, and take a drive in the country. Sure it’s not green, but it does chill me out. I figure I do ok in the green department most of the time so I splurge from time to time on carbon emissions.

How do you un-stress for less?

[image via Lush]

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Most of all being safe can save you medical costs. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) notes that in 2007 there were a whopping 232,900 toy related injuries treated in the ER and 73% of those injuries occurred in kids under the age of 15. Worse the injuries reported were not pretty; consisting of issues like lacerations, contusions, and abrasions to the head and face PLUS there were at least 18 toy related deaths reported for the year.

Bad toys cost you plenty so it’s smart to be aware. Following are some tips for this holiday season.

• Go non-toxic if you can. A surprisingly large amount of toys contain chemicals and toxins you don’t want near your kids.
• Read labels – there’s a reason toys have age limits, it’s for safety. Don’t give a three-year-old a toy for an eight-year-old. Also be aware of kid age differences. For example, if you have a baby and a seven year old with little Lego bricks it’s a recipe for disaster. Make sure your older kids get that the younger kids cannot be around their toys.
• Always fill out toy registration cards. If there’s a recall you’ll be glad you did.
• Read and save the instructions for all toys.
• Be leery of magnet-based toys. The CPSC calls magnets, including the ones found in toys one of the five most overlooked home dangers.
• Avoid all shooting toys. Your child’s eyes are extremely fragile, and eye injuries caused by shooting or propelling toys is a common toy related injury.
• If you’re buying a bike this year also get a helmet and make sure your child wears it.
• Children should be taught to use electronic toys safely; i.e. used away from water sources, they shouldn’t mess with wires or batteries, and if the toy needs to be plugged in or charged, they should be taught how.

To learn more about safe toys visit:

• Leadsafe
• W.A.T.C.H
• Toy Industry Association
• Consumers Union

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1)  Stay in groups.  Never go trick-or-treating alone. 

2)  Teach children to never enter a home without prior permission from their parents.

3)  Teach your children to never approach a vehicle unless they have their parent or guardian.

4)  Carry a flashlight or glow stick and wear reflective clothing.

5)  Never go up to a home that is not well lit.

6)  If possible, go with your children.  If not, go in groups or see if your child can tag along with another parent.

7)  Consider attending fall festivals and community events rather than trick-or-treating.  Usually these are more fun because they have games, bounce houses, and other activities.

8)  Teach your children not to eat any treats without permission.  When they get home, check their candy and treats.

9)  If something seems suspicious, report it to the proper persons.

10)  Take a cell phone. 

I don’t mean to be paranoid, but it’s always best to be safe.  What tips can you add to this list?

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Here are the five most expensive mistakes you can make according to Grad Guard…

1. Not recognizing that your health insurance coverage may have changed upon graduation from college, (if you had coverage) which can often cause them to be dropped from both your school and parents’ policies.
2. Traveling overseas without travel insurance. Anytime you travel outside of the United States, the medical and property and casualty insurance policies that would normally cover you typically cease to work.
3. Purchasing only the minimum liability coverage for auto insurance, leaving yourself unprotected and subject to wage garnishment for uncovered injuries and damage. For example, hitting an expensive car with multiple passengers may leave you on the hook for all damages due after the insurance company paid what could be very low state compulsory limits.
4. “Skipping” or failing to purchase renters insurance to save money, not realizing that it not only covers their belongings, but also includes liability protection for damage or harm to the property or its visitors while
   occupying the space. As an example, if a guest slips and falls during a party, breaking their ankle as their foot goes through the wall, the resident can be sued. Not only would they be responsible for medical costs and wall repair, but also potentially responsible for an expensive settlement from the case.
5. Finally, one of the most expensive mistakes young adults (or older adults) can make is to not realize that they have control over their insurance costs as a result of decisions they make every day. For example, driving safely does more than just protect themselves and others from injury and collision repair. Tickets and accidents can rapidly make insurance cost more than rent.

Grad Guard is an online resource dedicated to the insurance needs of young adults ages 18-25. Offering insurance programs including gap health insurance between graduation and full-time employment, travel insurance for graduation trips or renters insurance for personal possessions.

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Personally I’m on the fence i.e. I haven’t totally made up my mind if a fat tax is a good idea or not, although to be honest I’m leaning toward it being a super idea. I’m not going to discuss that now though, because I have a feeling this post would get very long. Right now I’ll list some of the pros and cons I’ve been seeing around the web and in the news.

Possible pros:

• Could limit the amount of fatty or sugary foods people purchase, which might help curb this major obesity issue going on the U.S.
• Might make people think twice about the actual cost of less healthy foods.
• Could help us to save money on health care costs.
• The cigarette tax, once instated did result in a reduced amount of smoking related deaths – although I don’t think they can prove total correlation. It could be some folks quit smoking for other reasons. BUT in theory, if it’s true a tax on unhealthy foods might cut down on the weight issues in this country.
• Why not? Is it fair to tax unhealthy smoking and people who won’t recycle but not unhealthy foods?

Possible cons:

• Are we going to tax everything? Where will it all end.
• Who decides which foods are healthy vs. unhealthy. Some people think whole milk is terrible for you. Some people frown on soy. I think red meat and pork and non-organic produce is unhealthy. Are chips and soda worse than oatmeal cookies – it’s pretty fuzzy when you start labeling food.
• Ever heard of a little thing called freedom of choice – however, note that the government already doesn’t agree with human freedom of choice to make bad health decisions, hence the cigarette tax and recent ban on cloves.

Above is just the VERY slim tip of what will likely be a huge debate among the government, health organizations, and consumers soon enough.

So far the reason I’m most on board is because I see way too many chubby kids. It’s not healthy and so maybe an unhealthy food or soda or a fast food tax would help. Later I’ll post some more resources and links to information about this debate and as soon as I jump on a side my own opinion. For now, why not tell me what you think…

Fat tax good or bad – tell me what you think in the comments.

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Five Simple Steps to Taking Control of Your Health Care Costs:

What can you do to decrease your health care costs in order to not only save money, but to save yourself (and your family) from the all too common stress associated with money problems which, ironically, leads to health complications which lead to more money spent on health care which leads to…you get the point. This slippery slope is all too common, but there are some things you can do to ward off unnecessary health expenses as much as humanly possible.

O M E N S – Five Simple Steps

1. Observe Preventative Measures
2. Manage Your Prescriptions
3. Educate Yourself
4. Negotiate Doctor’s fees
5. Scrutinize Medical Bills

Observe Preventative Measures: Simply stated, take care of your body and mind. Eat a healthy diet, take daily nutritional supplements, choose the stairs instead of the elevator, and stay away from junk foods, alcohol and smoking. You’ll see the doctor a lot less and feel much better. It’s your life after all, so be in control of it. Make sure your doctor does more than just diagnose illness and prescribe medication. And assuming he/she is helping you maintain a healthy diet, exercise regimen and overall healthy lifestyle, follow the advice (but also use the internet to get a second or third opinion as necessary), and you will have more money to spend on things you enjoy.

Manage Your Prescriptions: Prescription medications are very costly. Be sure to ask you prescribing physician or pharmacist for the equivalent, generic brand of the medication they are ordering. If a generic comparable medication is not available ask your physician if they can find a substitute from your insurance plan’s preferred drug list.

Educate Yourself: The internet is a web of knowledge. Do your own investigating before running to the doctor’s office every time you have the sniffles. When you go to the doctor make sure you bring the information with you and ask questions. Make sure the doctor gives you acceptable answers.

Negotiate Doctor’s Fees: Never assume the first price is set in stone. Call your insurance company and ask for the rates they pay their doctors for the specific procedure you need (hint: it is usually lower than the price the doctor charges the patient). Approach your doctor with this information and ask them to lower their price. You may be surprised at their willingness to negotiate. If the doctor is unwilling to negotiate their fee, find another doctor who will. The same strategy applies when you are seeing an out of network doctor or seeing a doctor while uninsured.

Scrutinize Your Medical Bills: Don’t presuppose that hospital and medical office accounting departments always pay close attention to the bills they send. Be sure to double check everything you receive and if there are any discrepancies, contact the hospital or medical offices to clear up the bill, then send the information to your insurance company promptly.

If you follow these “OMENS” carefully, you will be five steps closer to being in control of your health care costs and to leading a healthier and happier life. The rest is up to you…

Thanks to Dr. Erika Schwartz and Cinergy Health for the tips.

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Key findings from the report note that:

• Nine states do not require children to receive a vision assessment before starting school;
• Thirty-nine states (including D.C.) require a vision screening for children entering school; however 32 of these states do not mandate any follow-up care for children who fail the screening; and
• Three states require all children to receive a comprehensive eye exam by an eye care professional before entering elementary school.

What’s obnoxious is that I can’t find info on the Vision Council site about help for parents that can’t afford eye exams for their kids. They do offer info on Vision Care for Kids Act but that’s more policy related. It’s all good and well to say, “Do this, do that” but if parents can’t afford it, that’s a whole other issue.

That said, I did some searching. If you can’t afford eye exams for your child the following links may be able to help…

• Sight for Students
• Eye Care America
• Vision USA

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The new theory which comes from research conducted in Germany is that .”Overindebted” people were about twice as likely to be overweight as the general population. The study defines overindebted as not being able to pay off your debts within a reasonable time frame. Folks in the study who were overindebted were also more than 2.5 times as likely to be obese.

Socioeconomic status for a long time has been linked to health, but this study takes into account debt, something that hasn’t been looked at before. Individuals in the study who were very much in debt “Were younger, less educated, and less wealthy, and were also more likely to be depressed, overweight, or obese, the researchers found.”

Final results were inconclusive about why this is. One theory is that psychological factors may contribute to a larger risk of being overweight or obese. Researchers note that some folks overeat to cope with stress and depression. Another idea was that healthy foods may be less affordable. Although this is not technically true. As we’ve seen here before at Thrifty Mommy, you can eat healthy for a reasonable or even less expensive cost. The findings also don’t rule out the possibility that overweight or obese people may have a harder time than slimmer folks finding work.

If you’re in debt or having a hard time due to the economy, this study makes it pretty clear that your health should remain a top priority even in time of hardship. Weight gain and being unfit can be a slippery slope, one that results in even more health care costs and thus more debt. To see some tips read:

• How being overweight will cost you
• The cost of being unfit
• Save money on healthy and fast food
• Save Money by Picking Your Own Produce
• Green & Healthy Meals for About $1

Source (Reuters Health)

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