Hello everyone! This post was originally intended to be a recap of January here, with some acknowledgements, but I thought I’d first bring up the topic of buying organic. I’m curious what your thoughts are on the subject.

Buying Organic – How Often is it Truly Important?

This came to mind from a couple of places. First, the notion that seemingly everywhere we go in a grocery store, we’ll see some foods being labeled as organic. Be it fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, or anything else – it appears that there may be a really solid market out there for products sold as organic. The second place this topic came from was a conversation I had recently with someone, who strongly believes in organic as much as possible when it comes to diet, thinking it’s more than worth the extra cost.

Now, I do subscribe the the notion that investing in quality, fresh, nutritious food is a smart move. Obviously, your health will likely be better off with such purchases being consumed. Additionally, taking a financial angle, making smart choices each day can lower health care costs over the long run. It’s clear that choosing good nutrition can positively impact the quality of one’s life.

That being said, my thoughts have been that this more the case when choosing between alternative types of food. For example, choosing a frugal breakfast of oatmeal is likely a better choice than eating a bagel. It’s healthier and likely cheaper too.  However, when choosing between the same food – but one option is organic, and the other regular (non-organic) – the decision gets a bit fuzzier to me.

Here’s an example: if I want buy blueberries, and a container of regular berries costs $2.50, but organic berries cost $4.00, is it worth paying $1.50 for the organic version? Keep in mind that the quantity of berries is the same.

This example can be applied to any type of food, whether fruit, vegetables, dairy, etc. The idea of paying more for the same type of food that looks the same, but has the “organic” label, always makes me wonder. Personally, for the kids, I might get organic milk and cheese. That seems worth it, when I think about hormones and dairy. But I really wonder about some of the other types of foods, and often think that we can wash things thoroughly. I mean, if I buy a non-organic apple, for example, am I really doing something unhealthy? Is there that much of a difference between an organic apple and a regular one that’s been washed?

When you look at the potential volume of food that we can buy organic, the incremental costs could really add up. That gets me wondering how we should pick our spots buying organic, and how important it always is. I mean, I’ve seen cotton being noted as organic!

Feel free to convince me. I’m focused on nutrition now, and would like to hear any thoughts on this topic. If you think I’m wrong, please feel free to tell me why. I’m open to change

My Questions for You:

• Do you place a high value on buying organic, or do you look the other way
• If you do buy organic, what do you purchase in that category and why?
• Do you have any advice or suggestions for others deciding on whether or not to buy organic?

Top Referrers for January

The following are the “lucky dozen” – lucky for Squirrelers, that is. These are the 12 sites that brought the most visitors here in January. Thanks to each of you!

1. The Simple Dollar
2. Festival of Frugality
3. Yakezie
4. The Dog Ate My Wallet
5. Funny About Money
6. Get Rich Slowly
7. So Over Debt
8. Sweating the Big Stuff
9. Budgeting in the Fun Stuff
10. Digging Out and Up
11. Money Relationship
12. First Gen American

Squirrelers in Blog Carnivals

Squirrelers was included in the following blog carnivals in January:

10 Winter Savings Tips was included in the Carnival of Personal Finance at Sweating the Big Stuff

What Do You Think About Gift Cards as Holiday or Birthday Gifts? was included in the Canadian Finance Carnival at Canadian Finance Blog

Squirreling Gone Wild #31: The Surprise 90% Discount was included in the Festival of Frugality at Funny About Money

10 Ways to Save Money on Auto Insurance was included in the Totally Money Carnival at Mother Miser

15 Ways to Grow and Protect Your Net Worth was included in the Carnival of Personal Finance at Diva in Debt

Lottery Coupons: Save Money on Losing Money was included in the Festival of Frugality at The Frugal Toad

Sometimes we Have Rainy Days – Even With Money was included in the Yakezie Carnival at Prairie Eco-Thrifter

Crazy Job Interview Stories was included in the Totally Money Carnival at Passive Income to Retire

Will Less Teens Driving Today = Fewer Expensive Car Purchases in the Future? was included in the Yakezie Carnival at The Amateur Financier

Make Sure to Review Your Credit Card Statement was included in the Carnival of Personal Finance at The Jenny Pincher

How much is avoiding dental pain worth to you?

The cost of dental work can be quite high for many people. For those who do not have insurance, it can be outrageously costly. Even if you do have insurance, dental care can be expensive anyway.

Regardless, it’s something that’s important and we need to take care of our teeth for many reasons. Dental health has been shown to impact our overall health in numerous ways.

With that in mind, I’m facing a dental procedure that needs to get done. I need to get a wisdom tooth removed, which is not something anyone would look forward to. However, it has to happen, so I might as well get the time scheduled and get it over with. The only thing I thought I had to decide was when to make the actual appointment, but I found out that I have a new decision to make: how much to spend on pain relief for wisdom tooth removal!

Frankly, I haven’t really considered this type of decision before. Usually I’ll just deal with the medical care that I have to get, and will put my health above money – within reason of course. If things are truly optional, that’s obviously different. But if I absolutely need medical care or medicine, I’ve just gone ahead with it in the past. What’s the point of saving money if it impacts your health?

As I noted, this procedure must be done, so of course I won’t try to save by avoiding it. However, there are different prices for pain relief for this dental procedure. After getting an initial consultation, the office got back to me with the following 3 options for removing the wisdom tooth.

Local Injection

This apparently involves a shot (or shots) to the mouth and areas near the tooth. The idea would be to numb the area so I don’t feel as much pain as the tooth gets extracted.

Pain Relief: 3rd best out of the 3 options

Cost: $76 – least expensive of the 3 options

Gas (Nitrous Oxide)

This option, from what I understand, is intended to relieve your anxiety so that you really aren’t too bothered during the procedure. Thus, you may not notice the pain quite as much while the tooth is being extracted.

Pain Relief: 2nd best out of the 3 options

Cost: $115 – 2nd most expensive of the 3 options

IV Sedation

In this case, you are actually sedated. You’ll be out of it, and won’t be noticing what’s going on. Essentially, its like you’re asleep.

Pain Relief: best out of the 3 options

Cost: $338 – most expensive out of the 3 options

With all this information provided to me, the first thought that came to mind was this: “give me a shot, get that sucker out of there, and let me save some money!”  Then, I paused and thought about it for a moment.  Do I really want to do that?

The difference between a local injection and the gas is $39. That’s not much, all things considered, for something like this. So, I’m eliminating local injection as an option. The difference between gas and IV sedation, however, is $223.  That’s a little bit more noteworthy. I’m probably going to go with either nitrous oxide, or IV sedation for this treatment.

The decision: is $223 worth spending for a little more pain relief?

It’s money vs. pain? I wonder how many people even think of money in a case like this? I’m guessing there are people on both sides of the spectrum. Some might want pain relief no matter what, and there might be some tough characters that will save a buck at any cost. The things people will do to save money!

This also serves as a reminder of how important it is to have insurance and some financial resources. Some folks have no options.

But for those that do, I wonder how many would tough it out and go with the cheapest options. For some, losing money can be quite painful!

My Questions for You:

Which choice of the 3 would you go for?

Do you think of money in cases like this, or do you just want comfort at any reasonable price?

Have you ever faced a decision on any health care decision that was impacted by cost?

How much is an hour of sleep worth to you?

To me, it’s worth quite a bit. There are probably some who share the same thoughts. On the other hand, I’m sure there are also many others who would say, “show me the money!”.

An short article I recently read, from The WSJ discusses a study that covers the topic of sleep vs. money. In it, there people are asked to choose between getting more sleep and less money, or more money and less sleep. Here were the actual choices:

1. An $80,000 job that has work hours that are manageable, and you end up getting 7.5 hours of sleep a day
2. A $140,000 job that has long work hours, and you end up getting 6 hours of sleep a day

Which would you choose?

I find this to be an interesting question – in terms of how this might be answered by everyone. There are some people that are very focused on health, balance, etc. Then, you have some people that are highly focused on making more money as the top priority.  In between, you have many of the rest of us, who don’t think the two are mutually exclusive.

A big help in the quest to be financially successful is the trait of perseverance. Often times, those who want something badly enough will work extra hard for it – and truly work extra hard. In the setting of a career, this might mean working super late hours and cutting into sleep. If you’re not doing it, inevitably someone else will. There is usually someone out there willing to outwork the next person.

I’ve been one of these people before, who have worked some incredibly late nights. I mean, we’re talking countless times working until well past midnight in the office, only to get up early the next day. Sometimes until 2am or later. There others who do that, and look at it like it’s some type of badge of honor.

Over time, I’ve moved more toward the side of trying to keep balance. I’ve learned that quality of life is important, and it’s important to take care of one’s health. If you do nothing but work, and view sleep as a waste of time, it will catch up to you. Sleep is not a waste of time, it’s really important.

The irony of it is that if people get more sleep, they might be more productive. Could it be possible, as discussed here before, that sleep can lead to wealth creation? Doesn’t that sound good?

Back to the question.  If I could reframe it a bit, and take out the dollar amounts – and focus on the relative percentages – I’d take less money and a proper night’s sleep. Continuing to get 20% less sleep than you need – whatever that exactly is for you – will take it’s toll over the long run.

I like the idea of getting the right amount of sleep and being well rested. Sounds more fun! Plus, you might be more productive and able to get more done in less time, when physically and mentally alert.

My Questions for You

Which would you choose from the options noted above - more money, less sleep – or proper sleep, less money?

Have you ever worked excessive hours like I have in the past?

Do you subscribe to the belief that increased sleep can lead to wealth creation, or do you think sleep is overrated?

In order to make money, we generally have to work. For us to make a lot of money, we generally have to be willing to work more hours. That’s a common view, and one I don’t necessarily disagree with. I’ve been known as someone who’s worked some super long hours at times, includes late nights in the office when need be.

That said, is there a point where too much work can be a bad thing?

It might be perceived as being bad to say, and almost lazy to proclaim. However, forging ahead with tons of hard work to bring in money may be harmful to people in the long term. This appears to be the conclusion of a recent study, which was summarized in this New York Times article.

The specific, noteworthy finding is that those people who work 11 or more hours per day were clearly more likely to develop heart disease over a 12 year period of time than those who work 7 or 8 hours per day. In fact, those working the excess hours were 66% more likely to have a heart attack or even die from one.

There’s something to be said for moderation. For many of us, it’s just not possible to get something for nothing. This applies in many aspect of life, and it looks like that might be the case in terms of working long hours, too. The chronic stressors related to taking on that significant level of work might lead to health problems. For some people, it’s like robbing from Peter to pay Paul.

I know that many people might dismiss this notion of regular 11 hour workdays being unhealthy. Well, hey – that’s what the study does seem to indicate though!

As I said earlier, I’ve had many instances in the past where I worked long hours. I mean, I’m talking stretches of 70 to 80 hours per week. I felt like a warrior doing so, going out to battle and bringing home the prize of a great performance review and a chance at a promotion. The reality is that this is bad for one’s health makes me wonder what I did to myself during those times.  Of course, I have to say that it’s not entirely surprising that this isn’t good for us. It’s just not as sustainable the older you get. Not just in terms of energy level, but family responsibilities as well.

A recent post on Financial Samurai discussed the topic of hard work and the 40-hour workweek. It was a great discussion, and one of my own comments was that nobody is entitled to be be rich. It has to be earned, and expecting riches while not putting in the necessary work is a sign of entitlement.  Many people who complain about having to work a 40 hours week (when younger and healthy) and then complain about not getting ahead financially might be expecting to get something for nothing. Or, perhaps more accurately, they’re expecting to get something of value by not giving enough value in return.

Which is what I said a few paragraphs above about working tons of hours. To do that, and expect the same level of health and family life, may not be totally realistic. Kids do need parents to be present and attentive.

My takeaways are:

1. Life is clearly about choices. If you don’t want to work, don’t expect wealth. Of course, if you want to push your mind and body by working long hours to get even more wealth, you might be trading some health for it. Sleep is important for wealth creation, as we’ve discussed here before.
2. Maybe it’s all really about time management. Instead of regular 60 hour weeks, perhaps it’s better to learn to be efficient with regular 45 hours of work.
3. If one is doing what he or she truly, absolutely loves to do and has some flexibility in where and when work can be done, maybe the work will cause less stress. Thus, the impact might not be the same as with other jobs. Who knows, maybe there’s something to that?

Please share: what do you think?

Health care costs can be a big part of one’s expenses. As one starts to get older, this becomes more and more apparent.  Once additional dependents get in the picture, this becomes a category of expenses that merits much more examination.

While we might spend all kinds of time trying to save money at the grocery store, restaurants, and other places – what about spending some time trying to save on health care?

Well, here’s a list of things you can do that could help you with that. Below are 10 ways to lower health care costs:

1. Choose generic drugs instead of brand name. Generic drugs are generally equivalent to branded drugs, with the same efficacy and side effect profiles. The difference: they’re often much cheaper.
2. Use mail order for prescriptions. You can obtain multiple months of a prescription through the mail, for a discounted price.  Though I’ve never had the reason to try it, I most certainly would if I had a chronic condition that required continual refills. Why pay more on a monthly basis?
3. Ask for samples.  Perhaps you can get a product sample that will help you get started on a particular therapy – thus saving you money in the process? This happens all the time. Why not ask?
4. Utilize a flexible spending account (FSA).  If you have the opportunity to take money, set it aside and not pay tax on it, why not do it? As long as it’s used for qualifying expenses, this one’s an easy choice. Make sure not to overestimate expenses, so you don’t lose what you set aside – or scramble at the last minute to use funds like I did last year.
5. Stay within your network.  Going out of network for doctor visits and for procedures can cost significantly more money.  Take advantage of the lower prices that have been negotiated.
6. Participate in wellness assessments.  This may not be an option everywhere, but I once got involved in a wellness program through a past employer, and got a financial benefit.  If offered, might as well take the opportunity for easy benefits.
7. Review your bills thoroughly.  Billing errors do happen. When they do, doesn’t it often seem like they’re in the favor of the entity doing the billing? Taking the time to scan through each bill can be a good use of time, particularly if you end up catching a mistake.
8. Negotiate your bill.  Ultimately, bills might be negotiable in some cases. A prior post I did on negotiating your medical bill illustrates how it could potentially be done. One way is to offer to pay up front, a lump sum that’s  less than the full amount owed. They just might take it. It doesn’t hurt to ask. Remember, simply asking can in some cases help a person avoid potential money problems.
9. Avoid the emergency room.  OK, sometimes you just have to go the emergency room and there are no two ways about it. We all know that. However, there are other times where you just might have an alternative. An urgent care center can often provide fast care for some problems that occur, without an appointment, during business hours – and sometimes beyond. If your doctor doesn’t have an appointment for another week, and you need care, you could consider such centers. It beats the high cost of the ER!
10. Make smart choices every day.  Eat well, get plenty of sleep, exercise, take care of your teeth, and make good choices every day. Lifestyle can play a big role in determining our health conditions, so it’s imperative to make smart decisions with the long-term in mind.  One trick – picture yourself older and in poor health, as a direct result of today’s bad decisions. That tends to  help motivate me and get me more disciplined, though I’m I work in progress!

My Questions For You:

Do you employ any of these strategies?

What other tips do you have for saving money on health care?

Doctors are service providers.

Remember this discussion, from about 3 weeks ago? It got some interesting comments and dialogue going, and people had opinions across the board.  You can read through it for reader feedback, but essentially my position was that when I visit a doctor, I expect some semblance of customer service. After all, a doctor – in my view – is a service provider like a waitress, plumber, electrician, etc.  We pay, and we expect service in return. My post illustrated an example of questionable customer service I received from a doctor I had recently visited.

Keeping that prior discussion in mind, you may not be surprised that I was happy to come across this article from US News detailing when you should replace your doctor.  I like the thinking! Again, as service providers, their job is to help you and treat you like a customer. Since you’re a customer, you should be listened to and treated with at least a basic minimum level of respect.

Here are the article’s 9 signs of when it’s time to move on from your current doctor:

1. You don’t mesh
2. He doesn’t respect your time
3. He keeps you in the dark
4. He doesn’t listen
5. The office staff is unprofessional
6. You don’t feel comfortable with him, or wonder about his competence
7. He doesn’t coordinate with other doctors
8. He’s unreachable
9. He’s rude or condescending

All good reasons to move on. Actually, they used the phrase “fire your doctor”, which is really what you’d be doing.

What’s interesting about this list is that many of these could be applied to other service providers. These could be a checklist for evaluating a plumber. Or, maybe a mover. Perhaps even a lawyer.

I’ve experienced all of these at one point or another. I’ve also dealt with doctors that were great, and didn’t fail on any of the factors above, or maybe just one.

Bottom line is that when we are spending our money, we have the right to expect at least the most basic service. The same rules apply to doctors or any of the aforementioned professions. Sure, you may have fewer alternatives to your current doctor as opposed to the wide selection of choices for other professional needs. However, it doesn’t change the notion that you’re the customer. A well meaning customer should always be treated with at least a minimum level of decency, right?

If you’re spending money, and if service is horrific, don’t just take it. Rather, take action!

The article makes great points about how one’s health could actually be affected by some of these issues. It’s actually moreimportant for a doctor to provide good customer service, as the downside to it could be far worse than it would be with those other service providers. In particular, competence is extremely important!

My Questions for You:

What do you think of this list?  Have you ever experienced any of these issues?

Have you ever flat out fired a doctor for such reasons, and moved on to another one?

Note: I really do like and value doctors, despite these last 2 doctor-related posts. It’s the bad apples and arrogant/entitled ones that are just unbelievable. Good doctors out there, no offense!

Doctors can be great. They help us when we’re in need of medical attention, and can truly impact our lives in incredibly positive ways.  Just think about where we would be without them?

That being said….why do some of them offer such poor customer service?

Like I mentioned, some doctors can be great and have visited a few of them since childhood. Great, caring, bright people who can help you when you need their services. However I’ve visited a few others over the years who have clearly forgotten their people skills. These exceptions seem to think that they’re elite, ultra-important individuals whose time and energy are too valuable to worry about customer service.

I visited one of these physicians recently for a minor health issue, and was stunned by the level of service I received.  Ok, maybe stunned isn’t the right word at all, since some (not all or even most, but some) other doctors are like this anyway. Rather, I was disappointed by the lack of attention I received as a paying patient.

There’s undoubtedly been infinitely worse customer service examples, but here’s the lowdown on my experience:

The Doctor Visit

First, I showed up to the appointment just a few minutes late. Now, I strive to be places on time but in this instance I was just a few minutes late. No big deal, right? Well, the receptionist made a big production out of it, saying that they’d let me in though if people are late past a certain amount of minutes they cancel appointments.  I was within that acceptable window, but still – talk about strong-arming a patient!

Second, despite getting there within minutes of my appointment, I had to wait nearly 1 hour to see the doctor. Keep in mind this was an early morning appointment – could the doctor already be that far behind schedule? Come on.

Third, the diagnosis he offered me included no opportunity to ask questions. Just a brief statement, a comment that they’ll email the script to the pharmacy, and a brief comment to see him in 6 weeks.

Seriously?

The Pharmacy Visit

Then, as I went to the pharmacy to pick up the script, there were more issues. The pharmacist didn’t understand the dosing on the prescription that came through, as it was far greater than the normal dosing. He thought the doctor’s office made a mistake. Along those lines, he quite understandably wouldn’t issue the medicine to me without clarification.  So, he called the office to get clarification, and was told that he’d get a call back, and it was implied that it would be the same day.

They never called him.

I followed up with my own call that same day, and they told me that the doctor was out for the weekend and actually won’t be back in until Tuesday. Thus, I would have to wait to get my prescription until the following Tuesday.

Hard to blame the pharmacist on this one. Rather, it was a continuation of a pattern seen in the doctor visit.

My Assessment

The doctor and his office have horrible customer service. And that’s the point which seems lost on them: customer service.

You see, in my view, a doctor is a service provider. Not necessarily any ordinary service provider, but a service provider nonetheless. Thus, customer service should be an important part of a doctor’s business.

Can you imagine if a restaurant made you wait 1 hour for a table, just because you showed up a couple of minutes late for a reservation? Or, could you imagine a car mechanic quickly telling you the problem with your car then ending conversation before you have any chance to discuss?

I wouldn’t go back to those places unless they were really, really good.

This doctor seems really good, I grudgingly admit. Very good.  That’s why he can get away with this type of service for now.

Lesson: When you’re really, really good at something, you might be able to get away with more than someone who’s not as gifted.

However, you better believe that I would switch doctors immediately if I had a better one readily available.

Second Lesson: When you’re no longer the best or only option, you can’t get away with things anymore and might be “punished” by your customers through their decisions to move on.

This leaves me wondering: why don’t doctors see themselves as service providers just like anybody else? Surely, if one is bright enough to get through medical school and beyond, it should be apparent that they need to provide good service.

Sure, insurance companies play big role in determining where people go, but in many areas there are plenty of choices. Thus, the ultimate customer is still the patient.

Additionally, people can review their doctors online and share their stories much easier than in years gone by when a doctor’s reputation was based primarly on word of mouth. Now, search engines can help provide feedback on a doctor much easier. It’s tougher for bad service to hide these days.

Like I said, there are many great physicians out there. I’m not jumping on the whole profession here by any means. However, there are enough who find it perfectly acceptable to make patients wait forever and then give them scant attention when their time arrives. It just makes good business sense to treat your customers well if you want them to come back.

Let’s not forget an important word from the last sentence: business.  Doctors don’t work for free, they want to be compensated for their work.  If you’re compensated, you should provide service. That is, if you want your business to flourish.  A physician’s practice, even if part of a large group practice, is still a business.

So, just like if we visit a restaurant, get a car fixed, get a haircut, have home repairs done, or other services – a visit to a doctor is no different. We’re paying for a service. A doctor who really treats patients like important customers can truly stand out these days.

Want any ideas on how to go the extra mile to provide great customer service? Read this story on the best customer service I’ve ever received.

Any good doctors reading this – no offense, I realize many of your are there:)

My Questions For You:

Have you ever received poor service from a doctor? What happened and how did you handle it?

Do you view this the way I do, that conceptually a doctor is a service provider just the same way a waiter, hair stylist, or plumber might be?

Improve your health, improve your wealth.

Well, maybe it isn’t that easy, but it’s easier to become wealthy if you keep your health. As many of you who regularly visit Squirrelers know, I’m a big believer in the notion that health, wealth, and relationships are interrelated. My post discussing the role of money in our life outlined the concept of how succeeding in one area of life can help enhance one’s prospects in another area of life.  Health impacting wealth is an example of this.

Along those lines, here are 5 healthy habits that can lead to increased wealth:

1. Sleeping More.  It’s often a badge of honor for some people to burn the midnight oil, so to speak, and work late into the night. Well, this warrior mentality may show some determination, but perhaps it’s misplaced. I’ve done it before countless times, even recently, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that there’s a price to pay for doing that. We don’t get something for nothing.  If you get proper rest, meaning enough sleep, you’ll likely be much more productive and creative when awake.  Productive and creative equals better work, which could translate into more money. Late nights working might work in a bind, but are not a sustainable strategy. Try to avoid them. Yes, that includes you bloggers, too!
2. Eat Well.  The key thing that comes to mind here is avoiding the tradeoff of paying up front for food, or paying later.  By this I mean that we can spend a little bit of money to buy fresh food, or we could spend less initially by purchasing low-cost processed or fast food. It’s not worth the savings. I’ve struggled with this over the years, but have finally understood this later in life. Cheap, junk meals will result in greater healthcare costs down the line. Plus, if health declines, working may become much more difficult or even impossible.
3. Get Exercise.  Get regular exercise, and it will be easier to stay in shape. Being in shape helps us have the endurance and energy to work effectively. Plus, much like with nutrition, if we have bad habits, we might also end up spending quite a bit on health care costs. Who wants that to happen? 
4. Avoid Vices.  It goes without saying, but there are some things we just shouldn’t do, in consideration of our health. One is smoking. With all the overwhelming evidence against smoking, it’s truly beyond me how anybody can start smoking these days. I realize quitting can be incredibly difficult to do, but those who start smoking have very little excuse.  Anyway, besides smoking, there are other vices that can be harmful to one’s health as well. A seemingly benign one that can impact health is the caffeine habit. I’ve detailed my efforts to give up caffeine here on Squirrelers, and have felt better since giving it up. Plus, it’s saved me money on coffee and diet sodas.
5. Take Care of Your Teeth.  This may seem a bit out of place, but I just got a root canal the other day, so dental health is on my mind:) All those diet sodas I drank in the past came back to haunt me. The root canal, taking into account all the steps involved, requires multiple appointments and fairly significant out-of-pocket costs. If we keep good dental habits (regular brushing, flossing, fluoride rinse), and avoid giving our teeth the phosphoric acid wash from sodas – or excess sugar for that matter – we’ll ultimately help our bank account. When you consider that dental health can impact heart health, it even further emphasizes the importance of taking care of teeth.

Ultimately, not everything comes down to money of course. Most of us want good health just for the sake of living a high quality long life. That said, by focusing on good healthy habits, we just might help ourselves financially as well.

My Questions for You:

Do you think you’ve saved yourself money by keeping healthy habits?

Are there some improvements that you can make in your approach to health that you think might also help you out financially?

Giving up caffeine can be quite energizing.

Yes, that’s right. The drug that’s supposed to provide a boost of energy is actually drains it, based on what I’ve re-discovered.

So, it’s now been two months since I haven’t had any caffeine. I tried this before, as I shared last year in my post about a caffeine-free month. That trend lasted a few months, before I ended up getting back into caffeine. However, since the New Year, I’ve stopped caffeine consumption altogether.

My drink of choice was Diet Coke, but had also included some coffee as well as tea. No quick energy drinks were consumed, just the aforementioned beverages.  It became a habit once again.

The thing is, I noticed the same “blah” feeling again after getting hooked on caffeine. It’s easy to get into a cycle of feeling that way, but it’s good to stop and reflect what things were like without it.

Compare life with the habit and life without the habit.

With the habit, I would generally get a drink in the morning. Often this was a Diet Coke, but sometimes coffee or tea. In the afternoon, I would skip coffee, but have a Diet Coke or tea. Maybe I’d have one in the evening too. Three drinks in a day is quite a bit, I think. Even when I would have two, it might not be a single serving. For example, if I was at lunch and there were refills, I might get one.

So, I confess: my 2010 caffeine-free move ended up giving way to the old habit again. And the ups and downs in energy level came back.

We can always try again, right?

Yes, we can keep on trying. Thus far this year, I haven’t had any caffeine. It’s been two months, and I’ve consumed nothing. It was a bit of a challenge at first, but the New Year’s resolution was so strong that I was able to get the momentum going and keep it going. There have been a few weak moments where I’ve felt like having a soda, or a cup of hot tea – especially during this cold weather where I live.

However, I’ve made substitutions, which I recommend as alternatives:

• Instead of Diet Coke – Try sparking water with natural flavors (orange, lemon, etc)
• Instead of Caffeinated Tea – Try herbal tea
• Instead of Coffee – Try decaffeinated coffee

These days, I have been having 2 herbal teas a day, and maybe a sparkling water or decaf coffee every other day.

The costs savings have been present, as I’ve cut my beverage costs by over 50%. That said, the substitutions have not been perfect. Water would probably be beverage perfection….healthy and free!

What about health and well-being? I’m telling you, I feel more energy again. When hooked on caffeine, I noticed ups and downs in energy levels. Spikes up, then a mini-crash. When you combine a poor night of sleep with excess caffeine, you’re not operating at anywhere near optimal capacity.

Without the ups and downs of caffeine, I feel more alert and can sleep better. Those spikes in caffeine aren’t a part of a long-term strategy to improve personal productivity.

What’s interesting is that I’m convinced that people that get hooked onto something don’t realize just how good they would feel without the vice.  As I compare now vs. then, there’s a noticeable positive difference.

Is this permanent?

Realistically, a total personal ban on caffeine shouldn’t be necessary, unless there are medical reasons for that. I can’t imagine that an occasional glass of tea or cup of coffee would be so bad for most of us. Sodas…well, we could probably do without those.

Really, I’m thinking a better longer-term strategy is moderation rather than total avoidance when it comes to caffeine.  If one really fights and takes control of our weaknesses, and develops the discipline to do things in moderation, it can go a long way.

The next endeavor: reintroducing the right caffeinated beverages in moderation.  The key will be to have the occasional tea or whatever when I feel like it, without letting that first one get me on the path to overconsumption. That’s the big challenge, now that I know I can give up caffeine for months at a time.

With moderation, balance, and discipline, we can develop healthy habits that save us money too.

Questions for You:

Have you ever thought about reducing your caffeine intake or giving it up altogether?

Also, importantly: how have you successfully managed your dietary habits to successfully conquer such cravings over the long term? It could be caffeine, carbs, meat, etc. Have you generated monetary savings in the process?

This past New Year’s Eve was really laid back for me.  We didn’t venture out, after being out of town until that evening. Had a good mini-trip, but the real fun occurred upon getting back in town.

You see, I did not use up my entire FSA allocation. Because of time constraints and really some procrastination as well, I did not make a few appointments I needed to make. The money allocation was only slightly excessive, but it just didn’t get used. The good news is that I didn’t desperately need medical care for anything, which is nice.  The flip side is that it left me with about $300 to spend on health care items – or else I would lose the money.

Lesson to Everyone: Make and follow a plan to use up all of your flexible health pre-tax dollars, and get the process started early in the year.

To use up the money at the 11th hour, I went to a local Walgreens drugstore and bought as many relevant OTC items I could purchase. Here’s a sampling of my last minute finds:

• Contact lens solution – 5 bottles
• Contact lens cleaner
• Ibuprofen bottle
• First aid kit
• Bandages
• Burn gel
• Antiseptic cleaner
• Gel foot soles
• Cough drops
• Children’s cough medicine
• Tooth pain gel
• Antibiotic ointment

You name it, I was buying it! It was sort of like a shopping spree, where you have a matter of 3 hours to buy things or the money’s gone. The difference is that money was already mine:)

As odd as it may seem, the reality is that most of the things there were things I needed. Well, maybe not the gel soles, and not the tooth pain gel. But they couldn’t hurt to have:) Otherwise, the other things are items that I could probably use anyway.  Besides, I thought it made sense to stock up since many OTC products may not be eligible for pre-tax savings in 2011 (but hey, at least we have the 2011 payroll tax holiday to even it out!). That’s right – FSA eligible expenses are different in 2011. In the end, all was not lost, and it ended up being kind of fun.

A funny moment was when my daughter, getting caught up in the buying frenzy, asked if a singing stuffed animal counted as a medical purchase because laughter is good for the heart. I LOVED THAT! I have to say, since it was on sale for like $8 I bought it for her.

Interestingly, there were many others there who were in the same boat when it came to using up their funds. I had two people approach me asking if I was doing the same thing they were and trying to use up funds. It was like a bonding experience, as we ran into each other in the various aisles, trash talking with each other about how many more band-aids each other would purchase. One guy said that he and his wife had over $1,000 to spend! He was apparently calling family and friends asking if they needed anything at all. Anything.

I guess this is New Year’s excitement as you get older, eh?

We’ll have things planned out better this year, though I have to say, it all worked out pretty well in the end.

What about you?

Do you successfully plan out your pre-tax health care expenses (as best as possible, of course), or do you find yourself catching up at year end?