Ask Nichele
rubber suit, I pull out my CPR card and get ready to hit 911 on my cell
phone. Sweating is good. I sweat early, often and everywhere.
Evaporating perspiration cools us off. That’s what it’s for.
reducing your daily calories and upping your physical activity to
create a calorie deficit each day–calories in versus calories out.
That’s the only magic there is. If you start your program today, you
can safely set your goal at four to 18 pounds by August 1. Involve your
bridesmaids and family. Set up a little healthy competition and
support. Have a wedding day 5K walk and fun run.
water. Your body won’t work so hard to hold on to it if it’s getting a
regular and plentiful supply.
Skip the Bird’s Eye View
flights increase your risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a potentially
deadly blood clot that usually starts in the legs. But did you know
that where you sit on an airplane also could affect your risk of
developing the condition?
Journal of Haematology. Researchers compared 80 DVT sufferers with 108
control subjects who’d recently flown for at least four hours. They
found that passengers sitting in window seats doubled their risk of
DVT; no increased risk was found for those in middle seats. Weight
appeared to increase the danger: Obese passengers in window seats were
six times more likely to develop DVT than those in aisle seats.
cramped in window seats. Another is that passengers fall asleep by a
window. In fact, sleeping for several hours at a time during long
flights is known to increase one’s risk of a blood clot, which can be
deadly if it travels from the bloodstream to the lungs, causing
pulmonary embolism.
risk by about 30 percent. They also found that standard advice from
clinicians and airlines for preventing in-flight DVT–drinking water,
exercising, wearing compression stockings and avoiding alcohol–was
inconsequential or had an opposite outcome.
preventive advice for passengers. The study sample was just too small.
Affordable Birth Control
Remember the good old days when you paid between $3 and $5 for
birth control pills? If you get your contraceptives at a health clinic
or on a college campus, affordable birth control may be back. President
Obama recently signed the Affordable Birth Control Act, a provision in
his $410 million 2009 Omnibus Spending Bill, making contraceptives more
affordable.
the price of birth control to spike for clinic patients, college
students and Medicaid-eligible women, to the tune of $30 and $50 per
month. Many women found they had to make a choice between paying for
food and their birth control. While many pharmacies and clinics started
offering lower cost, generic versions, several contraceptives,
including NuvaRing, were unavailable in a generic form.
savings at the pharmacy for several months. Most clinics on college
campuses will have to sell off their existing supply at the current
higher pricing before they renegotiate lower-priced contraceptives next
year. Check with your health center or pharmacy to find out when you
can expect to see the savings. –Andrea Collier
Power Player
0unique business that helps African Americans lower their heating bills
and purchase more energy-efficient green products at discounted rates.
the free service by logging onto blackEnergy.com, and the company uses
its relationship with gas providers in Georgia to works its magic
negotiating rock-bottom rates. “We also arrange for the energy company
to make a small charitable contribution in the customer’s name to a
non-profit of their choice,” says Ebron, 45, of the company she
established in 2001. “It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”
deregulated utility markets–cities and towns where multiple service
providers are available to customers–across Georgia, but Ebron
eventually hopes to branch out nationwide. The company’s other
offerings seem well-timed with the country’s ongoing economic
challenges.
request several times a year to help African Americans learn ways to
improve energy efficiency in their homes. And through its Web site,
blackEnergy sells environmentally friendly products, such as low-flow
shower heads, programmable thermostats, weather stripping and attic
fans–often at lower prices–which help customers lower their home
utility bills. blackEnergy’s services are marketed to African
Americans, but are open to all.
African Americans tend to pay more on their utility bills and we tend
to know less about energy efficiency,” she says. “Many of us are
wasting up to 80 percent of our energy because we don’t know how much
money we could save by making simple changes, like changing out the
light bulbs and filters and caulking windows.”
an agent of change for “the belief that environmental and social
consciousness can create satisfaction in the soul and the wallet” and
as a “Super Woman” of 2008 by the Atlanta Tribune magazine. A senior
fellow of the Environmental Leadership Program and a member of
Engineers Without Borders, Ebron has also earned “non-traditional
business” kudos from the Atlanta Business League.
labor of love. She says the concept of her business was inspired over
the 20 years she spent “teaching, studying and researching” energy
systems. During that time, Ebron, who has a Ph.D. in electrical
engineering, says she gained insight into the inner workings of utility
companies, particularly as it relates to small-scale residential
customers.
speaking engagements I start off by asking the audience if they think
they’re not paying enough for their monthly utility bills. I tell them
‘if you’re not being energy efficient in your home, you’re just sending
these utility company executives on yet another ski trip!’”
environmental blog targeted to African Americans, says efforts like
Ebron’s are critical for the black community. “Her efforts are very
timely because more African Americans need to be involved in the
environmental movement,” contends Ware, a Cleveland banker. “From an
economic standpoint what she’s doing makes sense. Our community tends
to be affected disproportionately in a crisis, primarily due to
economic disparities, so it makes sense to make the investment now to
better manage our resources.”
commitment to environmental initiatives. She hopes this year to expand
her business to include a “green team” that would dispatch trained
technicians to African-American homes to assess and implement
energy-saving tactics. “Small changes,” she says, “can save you some
change in the long run!”
Change the Color of Your Nursery
It all started with our hospital tour. My husband and I, as wide-eyed
with excitement as first-time expecting parents can possibly be, followed the nurse leading the tour. We
dutifully took notes about where to check in, what paperwork to bring
and, as we stopped by the nursery where tiny bundles of newborn life
lay in innocent sleep, we began to imagine how we might feel when the
life tumbling inside me pushed into the world. Then, breaking us out of
our sentimental reverie, the nurse told us we’d have to select our
pediatrician and start making decisions about our baby’s vaccination
schedule with the doctor before our due date. All my calm joy
disappeared in that hospital corridor, and my wide eyes no longer
signaled excitement, but a growing sense of dread.
mercury-laced vaccinations began to grip us. News reports about lead in
children’s toys surfaced. Suddenly, every purchase of a Teddy bear or
playmat required a burdensome meticulousness. I had to negotiate a
twinge of fear with every trip down the baby aisle. That twinge grew to
an impossible-to-ignore twang when we headed out to register for our
baby showers.
My college friend and mother of two young boys, Aisha Salmon,
volunteered to help us register. I figured Salmon would be an excellent
source of information for things like which stroller is best for the
subway and which baby carrier would enable me to nurse with dignity as
I negotiate the crowds of New York City. I got more than I bargained
for when she warned me to register only for bottles labeled Bisphenol A, or BPA, free.
e-mail. Carter’s (yes, Carter’s!) fall 2007 tagless clothing line,
including onesies, had produced second-degree burns on the backs of
about 400 newborns. Though the company’s official site calls the
reactions “allergic” not burns, I saw Internet pictures of baby’s backs
that made me shudder as hard as a Braxton-Hicks contraction.
mother go gray. And now I also had to second guess Carter’s, the
clothing I grew up wearing! Exactly what kind of world will I be
bringing my child into?
possible on our average American budget, we are going to create a green
nursery. Conflicting information didn’t make this easy. I received an
e-mail from Kimberly Seals Allers, author of The Mocha Manual to a
Fabulous Pregnancy, that said: “A few months ago the FDA tried to tell
us we were just hysterical moms with nothing to worry about when it
stated Bisphenol A was safe at the levels where it appears in most
consumer products…. Another government agency, the National Toxicology
Program, concluded there is ’some concern’ that BPA alters development
of the brain, prostate and behavior in children and fetuses.”
credible, authoritative information regarding vaccines and autism. And
Carter’s never actually recalled those tagless clothes, as it claimed
the items affected less than 1 percent of its customers. And what
happened to the big hullabaloo over lead in toys? Allers has helped me
negotiate this maze of contradictory information. “As black mothers,”
she says, “we know better than most not to rely solely on the
government to tell us what’s safe.”
So we registered for organic products, from crib sheets to infant
soft books to chlorine-free diapers to Seventh Generation cleaning
products like detergent and dishwashing liquid. We look forward to
having a frank, informed discussion about vaccinations. We’ll use
BPA-free bottles, and when I shop, I read labels to check where
products are made. We’re also checking out NexGen Cosmetics African
American Baby Care organic product line (africanamericanbabycare.com).
I can breathe deeply and not inhale a load of toxins knowing I’m buying
green products for our baby’s nursery while also supporting black-owned
businesses.
–Eisa Ulen
Easy Green Wedding
Weddings are typically exercises of excess. On top of the exorbitant
budget and details, the average wedding of 150 people produces 600 to
800 pounds of waste. With an average of 2 million weddings a year in
the United States, the amount of wasted knick-knacks, centerpieces and
displays sitting in landfills is astronomical–and devastating to Mother
Earth. When you start planning your big day, consider opting for a few
green elements to do your part for the planet. In addition to helping
the environment, green weddings can cost up to 40 percent less than
your average extravagant ceremony. Kate Harrison, author of The Green
Bride Guide, says, “You can have a luxurious wedding, save a ton of
money and decrease your impact on the environment by borrowing, renting
or purchasing pre-owned items.” Need to know how? The eight following
tips will make your wedding day green and easy:
1 Wear a pre-owned dress. The first step to going green might begin
with your wardrobe. Jennifer Bernstein, who married her husband, Scott,
in July 2007, found her A-lined beaded dream dress from
an20Oregon-based nonprofit called Brides Against Breast Cancer, which
sells thousands of new and used wedding gowns to raise money for breast
cancer research. Bernstein says, “My dress was recycled; I bought my
veil off of craigslist!”
Mireya Navarro, author of Green Wedding: Planning Your Eco-Friendly
Celebration, adds, “For my book I interviewed brides who didn’t want to
spend thousands of dollars on a dress they’d never wear again. One
borrowed a Vera Wang gown from a friend, and others bought second-hand
from vintage stores.” Also go online and see what you can find on
auction sites like www.ebay.com or wedding recycling cyberstops like www.bravobride.com.
If the thought of a pre-owned dress makes you queasy, consider wearing
a frock made of environmentally friendly fabrics like hemp. Hemp not
your thing? Buy something special, then donate it to charity so it gets
some use after your big day.
2 Consider a vintage ring. Popping on a pre-owned rock cuts down on
waste while distancing you from the blood diamond controversy
surrounding jewels mined in war-torn African countries. If you’re more
new school, Alex Lluch, president of WeddingSolutions.com, says, “You
can have an old piece of jewelry melted down and made into a new ring,”
or “buy a new conflict-free diamond from a certified dealer.”
3 Acquaint yourself with E-vite. Save trees and paper by going digital.
Judy Allen, author of Your Stress-Free Wedding Planner, says, “Use
your20wedding Web site to invite guests, receive RSVPs and to thank
wedding guests.” If you’re more traditional, simply use the Web to
alert guests to wedding-related events such as bachelor or bachelorette
parties, bridal showers and rehearsal dinners. For the actual wedding
invitations, “use organic or soy ink on recycled paper,” Lluch says,
“and choose paper alternatives such as bamboo, hemp, banana stalks or
even cotton.”
4 Pick a central location. You may want to have an ultimate destination
wedding in Ibiza, but the carbon dioxide emissions from the plane
travel alone are not good for the ozone layer! “With friends and
families so dispersed these days, it is important to pick a location
that is convenient for the majority of your guests,” Harrison says.
“Not only will it decrease their travel costs (for which they will be
grateful), but it will also decrease the carbon footprint of your
event.” Do your relatives a favor and have your bash at a local church,
museum or public garden. Save the snazzy tropical locale for your
honeymoon.
5 Keep it small. If you truly want to reduce waste, maybe you shouldn’t
invite all your long-lost cousins and aunties. “The easiest way to keep
emissions and effects on the environment low is to have 20 guests
instead of 200,” Lluch says. Though it might be difficult, consult with
your future husband and see where you can trim the guest list. Once
you’re set, have your wed
ding and reception in the same place to avoid wasting energy and
natural resources on transportation.
6 Take it outside. If you plan your nuptials during a bright gorgeous
day, it’s most likely cheaper and more energy efficient to take the fun
into the sun. “With an outdoor wedding, you can utilize the natural
beauty of the site–and have fewer wasteful decorations,” Lluch says.
You’ll also save electricity on lights and air conditioning.
7 Go organic. If your whole menu can’t be organic, opt for one or two
organic items. “Ask your caterer about including a few seasonal,
organic elements in your menu,” Harrison says. “For the cake, see which
vendors are willing to substitute organic flour, sugar, eggs and milk
(all of which are easy to get at most large supermarkets).” Also look
into organic wine or beer, recycled napkins and table linens, and
organic bug spray.
8 Donate. Give any uneaten food to a local homeless shelter, and offer
your wedding décor to a community organization, nursing home or
hospital. Opt for potted plants as centerpieces and offer them to
guests as lasting wedding favors. They’ll be constant reminders of your
gorgeous green day.
–Claire Sulmers
Simple Steps to Zero Debt
bills? Then follow these simple steps to having zero debt.
The first step in becoming debt-free is
knowing exactly how much credit card debt you owe. Don’t
“guesstimate” about your bills. Get honest about your situation and list all
your bills in black and white. Use whatever method works for you. But do get
everything on paper, by either writing it down or using a spreadsheet
Web site resource: www.AnnualCreditReport.com
Equifax for a complete listing of all your credit accounts, including
mortgages, student loans, car notes and credit cards.
Have you tried calling your credit card companies and requesting a lower
interest rate? You might be surprised at how readily you can get a “yes.” A
study from Synergistics found that 75 percent of all consumers who asked for a
lower rate got it. If you’ve been paying on time, and a creditor won’t budge on
a sky-high interest rate, consider switching cards.
CardRatings.com lets you comparison shop online for the best available credit
card rates.
A windfall is any “extra” lump sum of money that comes your way. It could be a
year-end job bonus, an income tax refund check, a stimulus payment from the
government or even life insurance proceeds or money from a divorce settlement.
Don’t blow this money! Use it to knock out debt.
Instead of getting a big tax refund check each year, adjust your W-4
withholdings at work, so you get a bigger paycheck. The IRS Web site has
detailed instructions–see IRS Publications 505 and 919–on how to adjust your
withholdings.
4
) Get free, quality financial helpDon’t allow shame and embarrassment to keep you from receiving professional
help. Being in debt doesn’t mean you’re a bad person, nor is it a knock against
your intelligence. Unfortunately, most of us simply didn’t learn about managing
credit and debt wisely at home, or even in school.
Web site resource: www.NFDM.org
The National Foundation for Debt Management is a
reputable non-profit agency that helps people struggling with debt. Their
HUD-certified credit counselors negotiate with creditors to lower your interest
rates and can create a plan for you to quickly eliminate debt.
The #1 rule of proper budgeting is to spend less
than you earn.It sounds simple enough. But 70 percent of all Americans don’t have a working
budget. And even most of those who do create a budget can’t stick to it–even
though a well-made budget can help you avoid going into debt
online budgeting Web site with tools to help you track your spending and stay
out of debt.
Protect Your Identity
anxiously prepared to start a new chapter of her life in Florida, where
she was relocating with a new job and home. The furniture had been
shipped, her Virginia home placed on the market. Everything seemed to
be going smoothly, that is, until she received an alarming phone call
the evening before her departure. It was from a furniture company,
threatening to garnish her wages if she didn’t pay more than $3,000 in charges made in her name. The problem: Lewis never made
those purchases.
what to make of it,” recalls Lewis, who now works as an attorney in
Washington, D.C. “They verified that it was my Social Security number
and my name.” With that personal identifying information, the
perpetrator left a trail of ruined credit that Lewis is still dealing
with more than a decade later as yet another victim of identity theft.
“I will feel violated until I find this woman, if I ever do,” she
admits.
her struggle. An estimated 9 million Americans are victims of identity
theft each year, according to federal government statistics, a figure
that isn’t surprising to experts. “This is the fastest growing
financial crime in the nation,” says Tanja L. Darrow, an attorney for
Littler Mendelson in Los Angeles, who regularly advises employers on
identity theft.
know who stole her identity, most victims of this type of fraud can’t
say the same. In fact, Darrow says that “more than 50 percent of the
time, it’s somebody you know,” like a friend, neighbor or family
member. Whether the thief is known or unknown, that person is still
stealing someone else’
s personal information–such as a name, Social Security number or credit
card number–for use in committing fraud.
technology reigns supreme, connecting the dots of someone’s life is not
that hard. Just check out social networking sites like Facebook and
MySpace, which have become increasingly popular for people of all ages
to reconnect and network on both a personal and professional level. “It
would shock you how much personal information people expose about
themselves because they are not in the mindset that everybody’s out to
get you,” Darrow says. “People just need to be more cautious.”
information can also be gleaned from stolen purses or mail, which may
hold credit card offers or other sensitive financial information.
Thieves may resort to dumpster diving, where they dig through trash
searching for bills and other documents rich in personal identifying
information. And anyone who has received e-mails from imposter
companies or financial institutions requesting personal information,
like confirming a banking account number online, has witnessed
“phishing” firsthand.
through phone or written correspondence,” explains Darrow, who warns
against opening e-mails from unknown people or clicking on to un
known hyperlinks. “Do not do it!” she insists. Instead, Darrow urges
computer users to make smart investments in personal firewall and
anti-spyware software to protect against information hijackers. Most
experts agree identity theft is a crime without prejudice, striking
regardless of race, creed, color or economic status. So is there any
way to avoid becoming a target?
way to prevent identity theft completely,” says Harrine Freeman, a
personal finance expert with H.E. Freeman Enterprises in Bethesda,
Maryland. But there are ways to reduce the risks of victimization. However,
most of those steps require individuals to do something that is often
easier said than done: become their own best advocates.
anyone your Social Security number unless they have a good reason. And
the two questions to ask to find out if it’s a good reason are: Why do
you need it? And what will happen if I don’t give it to you?” stresses
Linda Foley, who founded the Identity Theft Resource Center in San
Diego after a former employer stole her personal information and
“within two days bought a cell phone and within three weeks had started
applying for credit cards.”
- Shred, shred, shred! The biggest mistake people make is not
shredding credit card offers and other confidential information before
tossing them into the trash, Darrow says. Invest in a crosscut–cuts
vertically and horizontally–paper shredder that can be picked up at
your local office supply store.
- Put personal information on lockdown. Keep mail safe and out of
the wrong hands by having a locked mailbox. And don’t carry your Social
Security card in your wallet or purse. Instead, stash it away with
other sensitive personal information in a locked, fireproof safe.
- Be a savvy online shopper. When shopping online, look for the
VeriSign seal, a lock symbol or changes in the browser’s address bar
from “http” to “https” or “shttp” as clues that the site is secure.
Also, look for a contact number and a physical address on Web sites.
“An e-mail address only is a red flag,” Freeman warns.
- Request credit reports. Don’t get caught up in companies
offering credit reports as a perk for signing on for their fraud
monitoring services. Under federal law, consumers have the right to
check their credit reports for free once a year and can click on to annualcreditreport.com or call (877) 322-8228.
- Get your eagle eye on. Closely monitor monthly bills, bank and credit card stat
ements for any irregularities. “I go through line by line of my credit card statements every month,” Darrow shares.
It’s Inexpensive Living Green
your part to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle,
advertisers only serve to confuse you. But experts say there are quick,
easy tricks to living a more cost-effective green lifestyle. “Green
living is more important when considering health care costs and the
impact to our planet,” says green living expert Amy Todisco, who runs greenlivingnow.com from Vermont. “You have to do your research.”
- Switch to nontoxic cleaning products. “Advertising tells us that
we need 10 products to clean our homes, but the truth is we need maybe
three,” she explains. Bon Ami cleanser, which costs less than a dollar
at most stores, cleans well and is nontoxic, Todisco says. Or make a
mixture of 50 percent distilled white vinegar and 50 percent water to
clean your home.
- Change to compact fluorescent lighting bulbs. These are major energy savers and will pay for themselves.
- Turn down your hot water heater to medium or 120 degrees.
- Run full loads of laundry or dishes. “It takes the same amount
of energy to run a half load as to run a full load,” Jensen says. - Turn the thermostat to 78 degrees in summer and 68 degrees in winter. “Better yet, get programmable thermostats so you are not heating and cooling your home while you are at the office,” she says.
- Buy an insulation blanket for your hot water heater. They cost about $25, and it’s an easy way to save energy.
- Install low-flow shower heads, which can save 3,000 gallons of
water per person per year. Also, install similar attachment to your
sinks. - Get a low-flow toilet, which can save 10 gallons of water per day.
- Freecycle: Reuse or swap unwanted items with others to save from
filling landfills. ”Look on Craig’s List and eBay when you want to buy
something or get rid of stuff,” Jensen says. “It will save you tons of
money and save the environment at the same time.” - Air dry your clothes. It will make your clothes last longer and saves money.
Continuous Care
If a layoff is imminent and the time left on your health insurance
is short, be selective about what medical care you have performed.
Follow these tips:
- Do schedule screenings, like teeth and eyes, but don’t have every
test under the sun performed. Some tests (i.e., mammograms) might turn
up something that will make it difficult for you to get reasonably
priced insurance in the future if you’re diagnosed with a pre-existing
condition. Hold off on elective tests or screenings that could show a
serious illness until you have a new job with health insurance, advises
Delia Chiaramonte, M.D., a Baltimore, Maryland, patient advocate.
- Do get immunizations–for you and your children. Take care of this
while your insurance is still paying. Check with the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov/vaccines) about the correct adult immunization schedule.
- Do talk to your doctor about paying lower fees. In this economy,
this isn’t unheard of or rude. Just make sure to negotiate with the
correct person, says Michelle Katz, author of 101 Health Insurance
Tips. Talk to the person who makes the decisions at your physician’s
practice.
