Health And Money | Squirrelers

A Healthy Brain Equals Healthier Finances

Apr 082013

There are many ways to protect ourselves financially. One is insurance – be it home, business, or disability. Another is by being careful with certain risks. Yet another is carefully manage our career. The list can go on.

One of the additional ways to protect ourselves is by staying healthy. Seems obvious, as one needs to be healthy in order to work. If we can’t work, the cash flow stops. Also, medical bills can add up quickly.

The thing is, when most of us think of being healthy, I believe we are generally referring to things such as keeping in shape and making sure we have the physical energy to work. Which, of course, makes sense. But I think that there is another area which perhaps doesn’t get as much attention as it could: keeping our brain sharp.

Yes, I think that we need to at least consider brain health as a long-term investment. Of course for our lives in general, first and foremost. But a side benefit is the impact it can have on our ability to earn money. Just as our capacity to make money can impaired by physical limitations, it could also be impaired by limitations of our brain. A healthy brain = healthier finances.

The reality is that plenty of people suffer cognitive decline and brain issues as they get older. Knowing someone who is dealing with this in old age, it’s very clear to me that it’s a frightening reality that people’s brains can give way sooner than their bodies. If we can’t function mentally, there are severe problems for us. Alzheimer’s and other related issues can be scary conditions that simply destroy lives.

Along those lines - for financial but mostly quality of life reasons – here are 5 things we can do to help maintain our mental functioning:

Exercise

There have been studies that have shown that staying active can help reduce some risks of developing alzheimer’s. Being a couch potato and relatively inactive has other problems, obviously. But apparently it can have potential impacts on your brain as well.

I don’t know about you, but if I go through periods of inactivity, I can get sluggish. After regular exercise, and particularly after a good workout, I just feel more alert.

Eat Antioxidant-Rich Foods

It’s known that antioxidant-rich foods can have a variety of health benefits. One of them might be helping your brain, too. Having a good diet with plenty of these foods might help slow the decline of cognitive ability over time.

Personally, I like to add blueberries to my breakfast every morning. A bowl of oatmeal with ground flaxseed and some fresh berries has become a staple of mine. Now, I unfortunately have made enough mistakes during the lunch and dinner portions of my diet However, at least I’ve gotten breakfast down pretty good.

Doing a quick search for antioxidant-rich foods is a good start to becoming more informed.

Limit Bad Fats

Those bad fats, which can include trans-fats and saturated fats, can potentially cause problems for our brains. Things I’ve read seem to indicate that excess consumption of such fats can increase the risks of cognitive issues, and might even cause actual changes at the cellular level. That doesn’t sound fun!

Again, we know not to eat these things too often. The next time you consider whether or not to eat that greasy burger with greasy fries, don’t just think of your waistline. It might be less than ideal for your brain too!

Check nutrition labels, and do your own research.

Be Social

Not everybody is a social butterfly, and some people tend to be introverted. Others simply don’t care what people think, and tend to have a narrow focus in terms of their inner circle.

Well, from what I’ve read, there is work out there that indicates that having a good social life and a network of friends and family can help delay the onset of cognitive issues. I have no idea if this is partially innate in some people, in terms of their personalities – or if some are more predisposed than others. But it does indicate that being socially active might be a good thing.

Watch Blood Pressure

Hypertension, particularly when we are talking about uncontrolled high blood pressure, can lead to real problems for people. Studies seem to indicate this could be linked to an increase in alzheimer’s risk. Additionally, this can be linked to vascular dementia, where tiny blood vessels in the brain are negatively impacted. Oxygen being shut off, with cells dying, can’t be a good thing for memory.

It seems like it would be a good idea to really watch our diet to make sure that we’re consuming food that isn’t negatively impacting our blood pressure. Additionally, we should probably monitor it regularly.

What it All Means

Well, I think it’s clear that there are plenty of things we could do to help maintain our cognitive function and either prevent or delay future impairment. I’m obviously not a medical profession, so don’t take any of this as medical advice. Do your own research, but I’m just passing along some things I’ve read. This from a person who knows someone afflicted in old age with congitive impairment.

It’s obvious that we can’t do much good for our finances if our brain isn’t working optimally. It hurts the ability to make money, and it impacts our ability to make sound decisions. Additionally, having big problems could lead to catastrophic financial costs for oursleves or our family.

Bottom line is that I think it’s good to actively make decisions that consider the health of our brain.

My Questions for You

Do you ever consider the importance of health in terms of finances?

Do you consider brain health as something to focus on as we get older? If so, how do you approach this?

Have you known anyone older who has had such issues?

The High Cost of Getting the Flu

General, Health and Money 13 Responses »

Jan 152013

There has been a lot of talk in recent days about a huge outbreak of the flu. With this reportedly one of the worst outbreaks in recent years, from what has been noted by some news organizations, it’s understandable that this is getting a lot of attention.

I don’t know about you, but I can remember a few past episodes of the flu even though they were years ago. One time, in particular, was marked by 104+ degree fever and missing 3 days of work. When I returned, it was only out of pressure. The whole experience really served as one great example of why it sometimes takes getting sick to really value your health. I haven’t forgotten that time. I would have given anything at that time to end that temporary misery!

This gets me thinking again about health and money, which I periodically discuss here as you might know. Specifically, in this case, the cost of getting the flu for many of us.

Of course, the most important thing is the actual misery that we go through when dealing with a really bad case of the flu, as well as the impact that has on our responsibilities to others. However, secondarily, there is also the impact on our finances.

Missing Work Due to the Flu

As I mentioned above, many years ago I had to miss 3 days with the flu. I was right out of college, and was known to be a huge sports fan. I happened to miss days right at the beginning of March Madness, which got me some teasing over the phone when I called in. Keep in mind, there was no working from home or smartphones then (yeah, I guess I’m dating myself a bit here). Anyway, the teasing was probably good natured, but I knew by the tone of the conversation that there was a hint of pressure to come back. I’ve shared a story about this place in the past, involving an unpaid bonus, so if you’ve read that you may get the idea of why I might have been a bit concerned.

Companies don’t like dealing with people missing work, that’s the bottom line. I have been salaried, but for some people, it could actually mean hourly wages or freelance work lost. That’s no fun!

Also, if you’re burning your time off, it’s valuable time that’s lost. Those days off can be precious!

Losing Time for Personal Projects

Have a list of things that you need to get done in your life? These could be tasks around the house, or other projects. By getting the flu and being home on the sofa, you’re delaying getting your own things done. Hopefully none of the things being put off cost money, but you never know – they might!

Doctor Visits

For most people, a visit to the doctor isn’t free. Even if it’s just a matter of some kind of copay, you’re still paying. If someone doesn’t have insurance, those costs could be much higher. With health care costs a big burden for many people these days, who wants to spend more money on it? Whether it’s $25, $50, $100, or more – such expenses can add up

Medicine

Perhaps you might just be dealing with OTC products. Or, maybe things get bad enough that you end up needing a prescription for something. Either way, you just might be spending some money on things that may give you some comfort in dealing with the illness or maybe even speeding up your recovery. Perhaps this will be $10, maybe $20 – or it could cost even more.

What to do? Well, I’m no doctor (and no, I don’t play one on TV), but I got a flu shot and have been fine so far. Not sure that guarantees anything, but presumably that gives someone a better chance to avoid problems, right? That and washing hands/using hand sanitizer has been my approach. Not too time consuming, but it’s a small price to pay to ourselves what might be a better chance to avoid getting sick. Not to mention avoid the financial aspects of it!

My Questions for You

While of course health is most important, do you ever think of the financial costs of being sick?

Have you ever had to take a few days off work for a bad case of the flu?

What steps do you take to put yourself in better position to avoid getting such an illness?

Drink Tap Water to Save Money

Health and Money 18 Responses »

Jan 112013

When we go out to eat, a surprisingly significant percentage of the bill can come from just getting something to drink. You might end up spending $2 for that fountain drink with your meal. Or, if you simply grab coffee some morning, it might have nothing to do with your breakfast – and still set you back $2. Or, much more if you get something other than simple coffee.

I recently went 2 straight weeks without getting anything to drink other than water. This meant that I had no coffee, soda, or other drinks during that time. It’s not the first time I’ve gone without such drinks, as I’ve written about giving up caffeine before. Needless to day, I went back to drinking caffeine after that post a couple of years ago.

Anyway, this round of sticking to water found its motivation after recent dental work, where I saved money on a wisdom tooth removal. I thought it would be best to stick to water for a few days, and once I got on a roll, I just kept at it for a few weeks. The results were interesting, both in terms of health and money.

Health Benefits of Drinking More Water

The health benefits I observed were noticeable, and a mixture of expected and unexpected:

More consistent sleep. Meaning, I didn’t toss and turn, or have trouble falling asleep. I just slept, quite uneventfully actually.
Less sleep. This one was surprising. I would have thought that cutting out caffeine and simply having water might have meant more sleep would occur, but not exactly. Perhaps if one sleeps better, less sleep is needed than if you’re not sleeping as well? Who knows, but it was simply a half hour or so less sleep all told anyway.
Steadier energy levels. Not having caffeine or sugar seemed to having a steadying effect
Calm stomach. Not that I had any noticeable trouble before, but water seems pretty easy on the body compared to consuming many other things.

Now, I can’t speak to the specifics of tap water in your community or any other. Just going by how I feel with the local water here

Money-Saving Benefits of Drinking More Water

The money-saving benefits I noticed were fun to see:

Water is free. Okay, maybe not free to the environment, or the water bill. But there is so little incremental cost to getting a glass of water, that it might as well be free.
Cutting out all other drinks probably saved me $40 over the 2 weeks. Seems like a lot, but I think I was spending that amount on coffee each workday, plus a random fountain drink outside and juice at home. If I annualize that, we’re talking about savings of over $1000! For those who have more fun beverages, I’m sure the savings would be much more. Perhaps several thousand dollars?

After the two weeks, I actually stopped at a Jamba Juice and paid $5.02 (yes, $5.02!) for a 16 ounce cup of freshly squeezed orange juice. It was really, really good! But after a long stretch of just having water, it almost seems unimaginable for me to spend this much regularly. Not that I did, but even with other drinks, it’s like guzzling down hard-earned money!

One thing to clarify here – none of this involved bottled water, except for 2 bottles I got for free. Strictly tap water!

My Questions for You

Do you spend much money on other drinks each day – coffee, soda, juice, etc?

Do you ever think about how much money can be saved by drinking water?

What would motivate you more in terms of drinking more water – the health benefits, or money benefits?

Spending More Money to Avoid Dental Pain – And Thankful for Doing It!

Health and Money 11 Responses »

Jan 042013

Going to the dentist isn’t exactly high on the list of fun things to do, for most people. You know when people compare unpleasant life events to being “like getting a root canal”, it’s not meant to be a compliment to the dental procedure!

Having had one of those done before, I know how it isn’t all that fun. Now, the root canal in particular didn’t live up to the hype in terms of being difficult, excruciating, etc. Maybe I have a decent threshold for pain in that way? Who knows, but regardless, it wasn’t fun.

Very recently, I had something done which I thought was a little bit more involved: getting a wisdom tooth pulled. Now, it’s been a while, but I posted on this topic many months ago, when discussing the topic of trying to save on dental care.

In that post, I outlined the options that were provided to me for getting the tooth pulled, from lowest pain relief/cost, to highest pain relief/cost:

Local Injection
Gas
IV Sedation

I had been deliberating whether or not to spend extra to go under, and simply not deal with the pain. However, given that I have handled the root canal experience pretty well, I wondered if I should just save a little money and bypass the more expensive option of IV sedation.

As it turns out, the out-of-pocket costs became lower for me from the last post. Now, I had to pay around $80 for gas, or $117 for IV sedation. To me, that extra $37 expense wasn’t a big deal, and not nearly as much as prior cost difference I noted in the earlier post. It was now a small enough incremental difference in cost that I just thought I would go ahead and agree to it.

That’s exactly what I did, and I have to say, it was one of the best examples I’ve had of getting value for spending a bit more.

When I got in the chair, after some conversation and prep work, they put in the IV and then I very quickly faded away. The next thing I knew, I was waking up and they said it was over. It really seemed like it was just seconds apart. I didn’t feel any pain during the tooth extraction at all!

I really think some of that might be due to not being aware in any way of what was going on, and not feeling the psychological stress of seeing what they’re doing, and even hearing the tooth being extracted. Whatever the case, it was totally worth the $37 extra. Frankly, I think it might have been worth a few hundred dollars extra too!

So, 2 takeaways:

Don’t suffer just to save money. Life is too short, and sometime we can be smarter by being less “brave”
It’s entirely possible to get a wisdom tooth extracted and have it be a totally fine, non-stressful experience, simply by getting IV sedation.

My Questions for You

Have you ever had to trade off any physical pain/suffering in order to save on health care or dental costs?

If so, what happened and how did it go?

Have you ever had a surprisingly decent/painless experience going to a dentist or oral surgeon?

The Fallacy of Sacrificing Health for Money

Health and Money 15 Responses »

Nov 052012

Would you trade health for money?

It’s a crazy question, you might think. The thought of intentionally become less healthy, just to get money, seems dumb. Well, that’s because it is!

However, many people regularly do this. Tons of people, actually. Count me among that group, by the way. The reason I say that is that early in my career, I worked late quite a few nights. There were dozens of times when I worked from 8 in the morning through midnight, focusing on various deadlines that I might have had at the time. It all sure seemed so important at the time.

Now, there are some times when have to do whatever it takes to get the job done. But we should limit those instances to the truly necessary times, and they should be few and far between. Am I suggesting that we get lazy and not work hard? No, of course not. But, it simply isn’t sustainable or sensible to push ourselves to the point of compromising health just to make money.

I got thinking about this whole topic when I heard a quote recently that went something to the effect of (paraphrased) “he sacrifices health for money. Then he sacrifices money for health“. Apparently noted as Dalai Lama-sourced wisdom. Well, I do think it’s wise, and it can get you to think.

If you push yourself to be on the go all the time, what might you be compromising?

Diet – the more harried you are, the more you might be less likely to cook at home and eat a nutritious meal.
Sleep – we’ve talked about this here, where sleep and money are related – you don’t want to trade the former for the latter.
Stress – imagine getting to the point of debt-free living, and think about how that might remove a lot of stress from your life (acute job pressure, bills, etc).

Ultimately, we need to think about the role of money in our lives, and how it is interrelated with the other aspects of it. The irony of the whole thing is captured in that saying I noted above, where we trade off our health to make money but we’ll end up spending more later to take care of the health we previously neglecting!

My Questions for You

When have you sacrificed health for more money?

Is this something you consciously think about?

What suggestions do you have for how to successfully handle this?

Dental Costs and the Importance of Insurance

Health and Money 21 Responses »

Jul 092012

Dental expenses can be quite high. You never know when you’ll need it, which is why it is vital to have dental insurance.

Some time ago, I shared a post discussing my desire to save money on dental care. In it, I outlined the costs of a wisdom tooth removal that I was going to have done. I’m still waiting on that, but that’s another story for another day. Anyway, in giving details on the estimated costs to my readers, I got some varied responses on what people would do.

Well, there is one aspect of dental costs that I find hard to debate: the importance of dental insurance.

Now, I’ve spent some decent money in recent years on dental care, after a lifetime of teeth that held up really well. I suppose at some point, we get problems. That’s the thing that I suppose some folks might not think too much about, is that these problems can up out of the blue without warning.

I was reminded of this in a conversation I had with somebody younger than I, with much less work experience. He shared a story about how he got into an accident a few years ago, and the aftermath of it. One of the problems he encountered was the loss of a couple of front teeth. Yikes!

That’s no fun as it is, as it required major dental work and replacement “fake” teeth to be put in. Beyond that, there’s also the cost factor. You see, this guy had no dental insurance at the time. He made that comment to me, while adding that he was still paying it off after a few years!

He basically stated that the dental bill was significant, and fit into his finances just like another monthly payment that was to be made. In other words, sort of like housing or a car. Not that we want any debt, but I suppose those types of debt seem to be more “mainstream”. But dental debt? Over several years?

It got me thinking how close people could be to losing money in different situations. As we’ve discussed here before when discussing math and money, it can be hard work to recover from money losses based on simple math. In the case of this dental care example, I had 3 quick takeaways:

Keep dental insurance, and don’t just brush it off (lame pun intended) as unimportant because your teeth have always been good.
Review your insurance coverage in general, as we need to take stock periodically to see where we may be underinsured
Remember to protect against losses. This can take many forms, including health care, investing, etc. Bottom line is to not just think about upside and potential, but think about the floor. In other words, consider risks and downsides of situations and not just the upside. I’m all for positive thinking, but realism and caution has its place too!

My Questions for You

Have you or anybody you know gone without any type of health insurance for an extended period of time?

Have you ever been hit by big expenses that could have been prevented?

What do you think about the idea of taking dental care and insurance seriously?

Save Money with these 15 Cheap and Healthy Foods

Health and Money 18 Responses »

Jul 022012

If you were to look at your expenses for a typical month, food is probably one category that wouldn’t exactly be miniscule in terms of the amount spent. This makes sense, as we all need food, and we all like food.

If you look at the personal finance hierarchy of needs, which I put together inspired by Maslow’s work, you can see food as a being a base level need. Along with our needs for shelter and medical care, we most certainly need food in order to get by in life. So, it’s tough to avoid spending money on food altogether.

With that in mind, I thought it would nice to summarize a list of food choices that would be relatively inexpensive to purchase, and would help lower food expenses. This would be in lieu of other more radical ideas, such as those of a former colleague who squirreled away money by getting free food at work :)

Anyway, here are 15 low-cost healthy food choices to help stretch your budget:

1. Water. Is water considered food? Well, whatever classification it deserves, I’ll put it at the top of this list. Drinking water instead of expensive drinks can really help you save a lot over the long term. Keep in mind that I’m talking about tap water here, not bottled water. Also, drinking water can help you avoid damaging your teeth with sugary and/or acidic beverages. As we know, it can be nice to save money on dental care.

2. Oatmeal. I’ve talked about this before, in terms of being a good way to enjoy a frugal breakfast. A serving of oatmeal made at home can cost very little maybe $0.10. A dime for a bowl isn’t bad, right? Plus, oatmeal is reported to have a number of potential health benefits.

3. Eggs. Now, personally I prefer egg whites, as I don’t care for the extra cholesterol with the yolk. Regardless, eggs provide protein and don’t cost to prepare in terms of time or money.

4. Bananas. Nice as an “on the go” snack, or as a part of breakfast, bananas are a great source of potassium and an easy way to get some fruit in your diet

5. Spinach. Now, it may be more expensive if you go the organic route, though whether or not it is important to buy organic is up to each of us. If not, spinach can be an especially low cost source of vitamins C and K, as well as lutein, in the form of a green, leafy vegaeable.

6. Apples. An apple a day, right? Well, that’s no guarantee to keep the doctor away, But apples are a good source of nutrition, and like bananas are easy to take on the go while costing relatively little.

7. Broccoli. A cruciferous vegetable, broccoli is loaded with nutrition what keeping us full on very little calories. Plus, it’s a nice source of fiber.

8. Nuts. Sure, they can be calorically dense – so be careful just how many you eat. However, nuts often have what are described as “good” fats, along with many vitamins and minerals. They can also be a good source of protein. They aren’t always cheap, but some can be very inexpensive – espcially when bought in larger quantities.

9. Beans. These are often an excellent source of both fiber and protein, along with other nutritional benefits. Bought in larger quantities, beans can be quite inexpensive. Plus there is a good variety of choices, including among others: black, navy, lima, pinto, garbanzo, mung, red, and others.

10. Brown Rice. A low-cost staple that is filling, and offers a better nutritional profile than traditional white rice.

11. Greek Yogurt. In particular, I like the non-fat variety for obvious reasons: being lower in fat. But Greek yogurt is higher in protein than traditional yogurt, and creamy as well. If you get the plain non-flavored kind, you’ll also do without the added sugars!

12. Potatoes. Sure, they can be high in carbs. But they also have vitamin C, potassium, and iron. Plus, they can be really inexpensive. At a local store recently, I saw a bag of potatoes that looked like it might have had 15 or so, and it was on sale for $1.99. That’s a lot of food for a low price!

13. Pumpkin. Not your typical choice, right? Well, canned pumpkin can last a LONG time, and when used in recipes, can provide a great source of vitamin A, as well as a good source of fiber and iron.

14. Quinoa. Again, not a standard choice! However, this grain has been getting popular in recent years for good reason. It’s filling while being a really good source of protein compared to alternatives. Buying in bulk can save some money.

15. Popcorn. What? Popcorn? Well, we aren’t talking about the movie theatre variety here. Rather, if you air pop it at home, it can provide a very low cost snack that will leave you feeling little guilt but a fair amount of fiber. Sure seems like a healthier, cheaper snack than many alternatives!

My Questions for You

Aside from water, which we all consume, which of these foods do you like to incorporate as a part of a healthy, low-cost diet?

Do you have any other suggestions to share about other food that is both healthy and low-cost?

The Staggering Cost of Health Care in Retirement

Health and Money 12 Responses »

May 152012

As we get older, health care costs increase. This much, most of us can agree on, right?

That being said, when many of us plan for retirement we think about health care costs as just one part of our future needs. There are other basic needs - housing, food, etc – that we think about. But it’s often tempting to think about things that are wants, rather than needs. For example, traveling, a dream home, and other aspirational things of the like.

However, perhaps it’s time to revisit the personal finance hierarchy of needs, and look at the foundational needs. Did you notice “medical care” noted there? Well, it’s something that we all need, and this need increases as we get older. A recent article on WSJ brought to light some eye-popping monetary figures on the cost of health care in retirement. It’s really quite an expensive proposition!

The article noted a figure of $240,000 as the estimated cost of health care for a couple retiring in 2012. Even crazier, these costs apparently don’t include nursing home care expenses, according to the article.

This is, quite simply, a ton of money. Now, I’m nowhere near 65 or near retirement, but this still jumps out at me as a big deal that many people don’t seem to pay enough attention to. Like I alluded to before, I think that people tend to think about retirement as some kind of promised land of traveling, relaxing, maybe grandchildren, etc. But what about the elephant in the room: health care costs?

When you think about it, there are probably a ton of people here in the U.S. that are 65 or older that have nowhere near $240,000 in net worth. I mean, when you think about how many people can’t cover unexpected expenses, it makes you wonder how many are prepared to handle their health care needs in retirement. That is, if they can ever retire!

I really hope to not be in a position to face such struggles.. This type of situation serves as a financial motivator, in terms of being responsible with health and money, and planning for the future. That planning clearly must take into account the importance of good health, and the financial costs of not having it when older.

Bottom line: Save diligently for old age, no matter how far away, and be aware of the critical need to cover health care expenses.

My Questions for You:

Have you given thought to the high costs of health care in old age?

Does this figure of $240,000 surprise you, or is it in line with what you thought?

Do you ever wonder how people will handle such expenses when they don’t have much in savings to begin with?

Want to Live Longer? Become Wealthier!

Health and Money 22 Responses »

Feb 242012

Do you want some extra incentive to make and keep more money? Here is some for you: more wealth can mean a longer life.

This was among the findings of a study discussed in a recent article on US News. Now, of course there is no guarantee that having money will lead to longer life. However, wealth is seen to be a factor playing a role in longer life. I’ve been a proponent of this line of thought for a while, suggesting that the role of money in each of our lives finds it interconnected with health and relationships. Thus, I was interested to read in that article that some of this was actually studied.

It makes sense that there is a synergistic effect to money and health. As you impact one of these areas, you can subsequently impact the other. The better your situation in one, the better off you will be as a whole. This can help to provide some financial motivation!

Taking a look at one side of this symbiotic relationship – how wealth can impact health – here are some reasons that immediately come to mind to me:

Medical Care – let’s face it, money can buy a lot of things. While it can’t necessarily buy health of course, it allows access to better medical care. With significant funds, you have less worry about expensive procedures, rehabilitation, medicine, etc. Somebody with a net worth of $5 million can do more in this way than someone with a net worth of $5,000.

Access to Quality Food – this might seem silly to some, admittedly. However, there are many people who don’t live in areas that have easily accessible supermarkets or fresh produce. Or, they may have transportation issues in terms of accessing markets. There are even some big city neighborhoods that are supermarket deserts, where people have to go a long distance to reach places to buy good food.

Safety of the Neighborhood – generally speaking, the wealthier one is, the more options he or she has in terms of where to live. If someone is low on funds, these options can be quite limited, and the safety of a neighborhood might be compromised. Plus, some areas offer less opportunities for walking, fewer parks and gyms, and reduced opportunity for exercise and interaction.

Stress – To me, this might be a bigger factor than meets the eye. Back to the example above comparing someone with a net worth of $5 million versus someone with a much lower net worth. Who has more stress of earning money and bringing home a paycheck? Who can live a more relaxed life, with more financial freedom?

Of course, paradoxically, if we push ourselves beyond our limits in order to make money, we might encounter some impact on our health. Balance is important!

My Questions for You:

What do you think of the notion that having more money can lead to a longer life?

In terms of what motivates you to earn and save, is health something that drives you in some way?

Can you think of examples in your life where you’ve seen people have their health impacted in some way by financial issues? This can include either a negative or positive impact.

Is it Important to Buy Organic?

Health and Money, Updates 39 Responses »

Feb 032012

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?

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