Is That Snack Worth What You Need to Do to Work it Off?

After doing some light gardening early yesterday, my daughter and I were hungry for a light snack. I had recently bought a kids 10-pack of Teddy Grahams (graham cracker snacks.) They come in 3 flavors -- honey, cinnamon and chocolate.

My daughter doesn't like the chocolate ones, and opted for the honey flavor. My husband doesn't eat chocolate, so I figured that I'd just eat them.

I noticed on the package that they were promoting the fact that the bag was just 150 calories. I also had a glass of Minute Maid Light Lemonade--an additional 15 calories.

Now, I'm not generally in the business of counting calories, as I consider myself a pretty healthy eater and I regularly exercise.

Anyway, I didn't think anything of it. That is, until later that evening while I was working out on my treadmill.

I usually set the treadmill at a moderate level of 4-- which is not quite a jog, but a quick walk. I also set the incline at 6, which is a bit of a slope. My treadmill workout is usually 20 minutes.

We have so many statistics on our treadmill, that I rarely even bother to look at the pulse rate, fat burned, etc. But this time I did happen to notice the 'calories burned' count as I was walking.

Do you know that it actually took me the entire 20 minutes of walking, to burn off that little package of Teddy Grahams and a small glass of 'light' lemonade?! That's right. I only burned a mere 165 calories.

I could have had a cup of strawberries which would have been quite satisfying and more healthy for a mere 28 calories.

Well OK, no big deal once in awhile. But definitely something I'll take into consideration next time.

Geez! That's an awful lot of exercise, just to work off a small amount of Teddy Grahams and lemonade!

Always Confirm--And Do So Way Ahead of Time

Today I spent the entire morning on the phone with Orbitz and United Airways.

My father-in-law who lives in Portugal is visiting us in a week. We bought his airline tickets from Orbitz months ago, and thought we were all set.

Thank goodness my husband checked the flights today to confirm that everything was OK.

It wasn't.

As it turns out, the original flight was no longer available, and the airline tickets were 'on hold.' We were never informed about this, so of course, it was a bit of an irritation to get it all squared away today.

United Airways apparantly cancelled the original flight which was supposed to be on June 8th. They informed Orbitz, but Orbitz never informed us.

When I called Orbitz, the woman I spoke to began to give us other options -- most of which involved 2-3 additional stops in other airports and one that even included a 7 hour layover.

Since my father-in-law is almost 90 years old, none of those options were going to work.

In the time she spent searching out the flight while I was on hold, I managed to make lunch for us (turkey sandwich for my daughter) and salads for Joe and I. I also managed to answer some email--so the time wasn't completely lost, luckily. If you're ever in a similar situation, it's almost always a good idea to multi-task.

Anyway, after two hours, the Orbitz representative was able to fus a flight on the 10th (2 days later than we originally scheduled) with one stop in Philadelphia, and just a two hour layover.

She then told us to call US Airways to confirm everything. This took another 30 minutes, between getting through their automated voicemail, finding the correct person to speak to (had to go through 4 representatives before finding someone who could assist) and confirming that the flights were set.

It's still not over. My father-in-law now has to get to the Lisbon Airport in Portugal 3 hours ahead of time so he can 'validate' his tickets (which of course have old information on them). I pray he can do this easily without too much trouble.

It would have been terrible if my father-in-law would have been driven all the way to Lisbon (over 2 and a half hours away) just to discover that his flight was cancelled.

The bottom line--even though it was a complete hassel today, Joe and I were very happy that we called to check early enough--and in plenty of time to sort everything out.

Hiring a Teenager to Babysit

One of the ways my husband and I can actually get some focused work done, is to hire a babysitter to entertain our 3 year old for a few hours on weekdays while we work in our home offices.

Since we live in a very new area, many of the families around us have very young children--not many teenagers who are perfect for this type of job.

In light of this, we've taken the route of running ads in our local paper. We've have come up with some excellent babysitters that we've had the pleasure of watching our daughter in the years that we've lived in our current house.

Of course, teenagers move on and find other jobs when they graduate from school. But for the time they are here, they're an enormous help for us, and great fun for Amanda to have around.

Anyway, here are some questions we ask potential babysitters. I found these on the Internet a while ago and they're excellent questions that have given me very pertinent information. Perhaps you can use a similar 'interview' if you find you need to hire a teenage babysitter.

1. Do you have any younger brothers or sisters that you babysit for? What are their ages?

2. Have you had experience taking care of other children? If so, how old were they and over what period of time (and/or how often) did you babysit for them?

3. Have you completed any babysitter training, first aid, or CPR courses?

4. Tell me about school. How are your grades? What activities are you involved in?

5. What do you do in your spare time? Do you have any hobbies or other jobs?

6. How do your parents feel about you babysitting?

7. What do you like best about babysitting and being with kids? What do you like least?

8. What kinds of activities do you enjoy doing with children?

9. Do you know what to do in case of an emergency?

10. What is the most difficult situation you have encountered while babysitting? How did you handle it?

11. How much do you charge and what hours are you available?

12. Do you have any questions for me?

In addition, have them jot down their name, address, telephone number, cell phone number and at least 3 references.

As you're interviewing each candidate, write down the responses you get. This information will help you make the right decision about who you should hire.

Thinking Outside the (Shoe) Box

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Financial guru and my good friend Leo Quinn, who is based in New York, recently came to visit me and my family in Watertown, Wisconsin. What a thrill it was to have him over for lunch.

While we've spoken on the phone and via email many times, meeting him in person and conversing with him exemplified the fact that he is not only an incredible wealth of information in the financial field, but is also a generous, friendly, fun, warm, down-to-earth person. It was a very enjoyable visit and I hope to have that opportunity again in the future.

I decided to include an article that Leo wrote in my blog this week. I hope you enjoy it!

P.S. Yes, Leo is very tall!

Thinking Outside the (Shoe) Box
by Leo Quinn

If you're like most people, your personal financial records are most probably kept in less than 'Good Accounting Practices' standards. For example, stashing old ATM receipts and hanging on to a stub showing what you paid for a pack of mints two years ago (cash, of course), might be filed with your paycheck stubs, credit card statements 'paid and unpaid alike' as well as a few tax forms, a stray paper clip and a penny. Anything from an old shoebox to a toolbox would do you for this method of personal financial tracking but you can do better than that.

Not to worry. Here's how:

1) Plan for a few hours of 'alone time' with your financial records. This is a dandy time to pack the kids off to the mall, put up a pot of excellent coffee and a little snack (preferably chocolate), as a treat when you're done.

2) Supply yourself with ample space, such as a large dining room table. Make sure you have enough organizing supplies close at hand: sticky notes, file folders, a tub to hold them with hanging file folders, large envelopes, a check file, ring binder/s and a three-hole punch if you like, an open stacking file, and an organizer/sorter. A trash can by your side is a must.

3) Get everything from everyplace--shoe boxes, check files, file folders, etc.

4) While enjoying your cup of coffee, make a game plan. Decide what you're going to put where: e.g., checks and statements go in a specific file for checks and statements, credit card statements can be unfolded and placed in a file folder, etc.

5) Start sorting on the table. Checks go here, ATM receipts go there, paycheck stubs go over there, paid bills go on the other side, etc. until all the 'stuff' is divided into neatly organized piles. Use sticky notes to mark what-goes- where on the table to avoid confusion.

6) Put all the 'paid' items away first. Be ruthless--it's perfectly okay to toss the receipt for those mints from two years ago.

7) Put the rest of the inactive items in the envelopes, file folders, check files or other storage devices as are interesting, functional, and readily available from your local office supply store.

8) Have another cup of coffee and tackle the active, or open, items. Decide what you're going to pay and when. If you have an open stacking file, you will find one with four compartments (one for each week of the month), very handy for this purpose.

9) Balance your checkbook. Now.

10) Enjoy your chocolate after putting everything away where it belongs and, oh, by the way, check the calendar for when you'll be doing this again next month.

Of course, next month this will all be done much faster.

I highly recommend using technology to make this much easier and faster. Programs like Quicken and Microsoft Money will help. Really any spreadsheet program will do.

Have a category for each life area you spend money. Once a week or month take your receipts, checkbook records and scribbled notes and record where you spent ALL your money....every penny. One of my students was shocked to find out he was spending $75 per month on orange juice! Legend has it that the Rockefeller boys did this and they turned out alright.

This time next year you'll wish you started today.

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About Leo . . .

Leo J. Quinn, Jr. is a financial educator from the Albany, NY area. He has helped thousands of people get control of their finances and get out of debt in a fraction of the normal time. He can help you do the same.

I highly encourage you to take a few minutes to learn more about how Leo can help you pay off all your bills, including your mortgage, in less than 10 years without having to pinch pennies, get a second job or cut back your spending in any way.

Visit:

http://www.leoquinn.com/cmd.php?af=250440

Don't make it easy for your identity to be stolen

Hope you had a lovely Mother's Day! We spent the weekend in Long Grove, Illinois. The weather was perfect, we did some casual shopping, and ate at a bunch of very lovely restaurants. It was an excellent weekend.

While we were in the confectionary, I noticed a woman was cleaning out her purse--good for her! However, she tossed some health related paperwork that was stuffed in her purse into an open garbage. When I went to toss a napkin into the trash, I noticed it--and what was the first bit of information I saw? Her social security number!

I actually approached her and warned her about identity theft, and why it's not a good idea to toss away paperwork with personal information without shredding it first-- especially in a public place. She was not aware of the problem, quickly retrieved her paperwork and thanked me for the warning.

So, I planned on arriving home from my trip and writing a quick article on identify theft to share with you. Just as I was about to start writing, I happened to land upon the article below which states most of what I would have mentioned perfectly. Here goes . . .

Identity Theft: How to Protect Yourself

by Chemain Evans

Identity theft encompasses a wide range of deception, from a stolen credit card used to charge purchases to an existing account, to stolen information used to impersonate the victim, open new accounts (even ones for utilities), and rack up thousands of dollars in debt.

With over 500,000 new cases each year (and some say upwards of 900,000), identity theft is one of the fasting growing crimes in America. In many states it isn't even illegal, or hardly punishable. Often the perpetrator goes uncaught and unpunished. Worse still is that it takes, on average, 12 months for the victim to realize he is a victim. By then it may be nearly impossible to climb back out of the black hole of damaged credit, costing hundreds of hours and hundreds of dollars to try to fix it.

Sadly, since much of this goes unpunished, companies often write off the bad debt and then charge you and me higher interest rates and fees to cover their losses. So we all are indirect victims of identity theft. The more vigilant we become, the better off we will all be.

What can you do to protect yourself from becoming a victim of identity theft? There is no absolute guarantee, but the more precautions you put in place, the harder it will be for someone to steal your information and use it illegally. What follows below are some ideas that you can use to start protecting yourself now.

1. Check your credit reports annually.

This is your first and foremost line of defense. Contact the three major credit reporting agencies (www.equifax.com, www.experian.com, www.transunion.com) every year to obtain a copy of your credit report. Some websites also offer a 3- in-1 report. Go through them carefully, looking for any inaccuracies. Report any problems immediately. Consider asking them to require your permission to issue new credit lines.

2. Protect your Social Security number.

Many companies ask for your Social Security number (SSN) to use for recordkeeping. Ask if you can substitute a different number. This is especially true of driver's licenses and health insurance cards. Never give out your SSN to anyone over the phone or internet if you did not initiate the contact. Don't carry your Social Security card with you and don't have your SSN preprinted on your checks (or your phone number either).

3. Protect passwords and PINs.

Always protect your passwords and PINs from being seen by others, especially at ATMs. Don't write them down and carry them with you. Do not store passwords on your computer's hard drive. If you need to write them down, store them somewhere else. Passwords should be hard to discover (bad choices: mother's maiden name, birthdates, last 4 digits of SSN or phone number, or a series of consecutive numbers). When possible use a mix of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols.

4. Know your billing cycles.

Know when to expect your bills. If any of them is late, call the company or agency and check on its status. A late/missing bill could mean that someone has stolen your information and changed the billing address, leaving you unaware of the charges that may be racking up.

5. Shred everything with your information on it.

All those credit card applications you receive in the mail and throw away are an open invitation for someone to open an account in your name. Invest in a good cross-cut shredder and shred all documents with any financial information on them, including credit card receipts. Then put the remnants in the yuckiest, ickiest trash you've got to discourage dumpster-divers from stealing them and putting them back together.

6. Make the post office your ally.

Deposit outgoing mail at your local post office or in a locked post office drop box. Thieves actually patrol neighborhoods, stealing mail out of mailboxes. A little acid wash, and voila!, they change the amount and the person being paid. Don't give them the chance! If you're going out of town, have the post office put a hold on your mail. Consider getting a post office box or ask your post office about getting a key-operated community mailbox for your neighborhood.

7. Technology doesn't beat everything.

Don't give out personal information over cellular, mobile, wireless, or cordless phones. (This includes telephone banking.) Their radio frequencies can be easily intercepted, overheard, and hacked.

Surfing the internet puts you at risk from hackers breaking into your system. Consider purchasing a firewall program to protect your computer from outside access. When divulging personal information on the internet (for example, when making a purchase) always look for privacy policies and the little lock symbol that indicates your information is secure.

Don't use your email address for user IDs on websites; there are robots that specifically search for this on sites like eBay to try and trick you into divulging your personal information. You may receive an official-looking email asking you to verify or update your information. Remember that anyone who already has your information will not ask you to verify it. Always be suspicious of such tactics. The same goes for people who call you and claim to be somebody like a bill collector, government agent, utility worker, etc. If in doubt, call the company they appear to be representing.

If you use a laptop computer use a strong password (combination of upper/lower-case letters, numbers, symbols). Don't use automatic login. Always log off when finished. Don't store financial information on it unless absolutely necessary.

When disposing of your personal computer, deleting your personal information usually isn't enough. Use a wipe utility program to render files unrecoverable.

8. Be aware of the opportunities to steal your information.

Think of all the places that store your personal information, such as the offices of doctors, dentists, accountants, loan officers, health insurance, schools, courts, etc. Ask them how they protect your information. Request that they shred anything with personal information on it when disposing of it.

Keep your wallet or purse in a safe place at work. Not all of your fellow coworkers are trustworthy. Be aware of the Good Samaritan scheme where your missing wallet is returned after one of your several credit cards is removed. You may have so many that you may not even notice!). Only carry a minimum number of cards and identification with you.

9. If desired, subscribe to a credit monitoring service.

If you're really worried about identity theft, consider subscribing to a credit monitoring service. They will regularly notify you of your credit status and anything suspicious that might be going on.

10. Make a list and check it twice.

Make list of all your credit card numbers, banking account numbers, and driver's license number with their customer service numbers and keep them in a safe place. That way you'll have a starting place if something should happen to you.

Remember, the more vigilant we all are, the more protected we all are.

For more information regarding identity theft , see the federal government's website

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About the author:

Chemain Evans is a quality control specialist for Simple Joe, Inc., makers of the popular Simple Joe's Expense Tracker PC software.

A Day of Browsing and Planting

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This past Sunday, my daughter, Amanda, and I stopped at Ebert's Greenhouse Village in Ixonia, Wisconsin. Everything was in full bloom.

Some of our perennials from last year didn't quite make it, so we picked up a few replacements. In addition, we purchased a bunch of plants to display in the pots we have out on the deck.

We spent quite some time browsing the many varieties and options. When we got home, I had quite a bit of work to do. First, I wanted to deal with the plants that needed to be switched out in front of our house. I first had to rake our mulch out of the way and then dig and pull the old plants out. The new plants then went in, I gave them a bit of plant starter solution and then filled in the holes. Then, the new plants were watered thoroughly. The mulch was then raked back.

Afterwards, I moved to the deck and prepared the container plants. I actually brought the dirt to the deck and worked right there, so the plants would not have to be moved (very heavy) when filled.

Now that the old plants in the front are replaced, and our pots are completed, we're quite happy with the results. The plants and flowers really add personality and interest to our outdoor quarters--and it only took about 5 hours from the time we visited the garden center to completion. Not much time for all of the visual and emotional enjoyment!

Get Anywhere You Want Without a Map

Joe and I just celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary. Joe gave me a blue topaz necklace. It's so beautiful, I can barely stop looking at it. I purchased a Garmin StreetPilot c550 Vehicle GPS Navigator for Joe.

Now, don't get me wrong. Joe is a master of maps and can pretty much get anywhere easily. But we do travel a lot, and this particular piece of equipment gives you step by step instructions (a woman's voice tells you exactly where to turn), can lead you to the nearest gas station, can search for a restaurant based on an ethnic search, can find the nearest supermarket, and is in a nutshell, an excellent road navigator.

You don't have to pay a subscription service. Once the unit is purchased, you simply mount it on your dashboard, turn it on and you're ready to use it. Type in an address or a location name, and it leads you every step of the way. (For security reasons, remove it, and the mount, from the car when you're not driving. Ours fits right into my purse.)

The maps included with ours includes all of North America, and we could purchase additional map cards if we visit other countries in the future.

Definitely a worthwhile purchase, and saves tons of time. No more searching in an unfamiliar city or state.