How to ditch your debt before the holidays - WTOC-TV: Savannah ...

By Andrew Housser

Picking out the perfect holiday present for loved ones can fun. Yet, it's painful if the sting of holiday overspending lingers into the next year. If you still remember (or feel) the financial pinch from charges you racked up during last year's Black Friday, follow these strategies and ditch that debt before this holiday season is in full swing.

1. Come up with a payment plan.

It feels great to pay off a debt, regardless of how small the amount. Start by putting as much as you can toward your smallest debt while making minimum payments on all others. Once that small debt's gone, add the amount you were paying on it to the minimum you have been paying on the next smallest debt until it is paid off. Repeat this process until you are debt-free. Research has shown that this method?-- "the snowball method"?-- can be the most effective way to pay off debt for many people, because it feels great to close out a balance. But if you are carrying debt with a sky-high interest rate, you might wish to focus on paying it off first to prevent overpaying in interest (the "avalanche" method). Whichever method you choose, making a plan can make it happen.

2. Dip into your savings.

It is smart to have extra cash in reserve, and you should not deplete your emergency savings fund. Yet, it also is senseless to have money in the bank earning a return of less than 1 percent while credit card companies are charging 15 percent interest or more on your debt. In these circumstances, using a portion of your savings to pay off a high-interest card can be a good move.

3. Reduce expenses.

Comb through your monthly expenses and look for ways to save dollars. Can you split the cost of gas and carpool to work? Make your coffee and lunch at home and forego the drive-through? Scrutinize your utility bills to see what extra services you can live without, such as caller identification or specialty cable channels. Start differentiating wants from needs, and the savings can add up dramatically.

4. Negotiate with creditors.

Talk to your creditors about your financial situation to see if you can reduce your interest rate, minimum payment or both. See if they will match any lower-interest offers that you may have received from other credit card companies. Most creditors would rather work out payment plans than lose money completely. They also don't want you to take your business to another creditor.

5. Get help if you need it.

If you realize you absolutely cannot pay your debt by yourself, now is the time to get help. Depending on your individual situation, you might benefit from a consumer credit advocacy firm that can advise on the debt relief options.?

- Debt management plans, which credit counseling firms offer, speed up the time it takes to get out of debt by lowering interest rates, but there are some drawbacks. You will no longer be able to use the credit accounts. You will most likely pay an enrollment fee and monthly fees. These plans do not lower total principal due.

- Debt settlement plans reduce principal balances due. They can sometimes reduce total unsecured debt owed by almost half. But because you do not make payments directly to creditors while you go through this process, delinquencies can appear on your credit report, which lower your credit score. You also may receive calls from creditors. Reputable firms should not charge you a fee until after they have finalized a settlement for you, and should help you through the process.

- Bankruptcy, generally viewed as a last resort, may be helpful for those in very serious debt situations for whom debt relief services cannot be of help. Be sure to discuss with a bankruptcy attorney licensed in your state.

If you cannot wipe the financial slate clean before the start of the New Year, you can feel better knowing that you are on the right track. Keep it up. Do not allow yourself to get so caught up in the holidays that you revert back to bad spending habits. This is the best gift you can give yourself.?

Source: http://www.wtoc.com/story/19797442/how-to-ditch-your-debt-before-the-holidays

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How can meditation assist in pain management ? Health ? Bangor ...

Meditation as a practice is considered to have begun over 6000 years ago, and is a practice that takes many varieties of form in the present. Some meditation techniques involve focussing on the breath, such as Vipassna , while other practices advocate chanting of a mantra such as Om to focus the mind and keep it in the present.

These meditation practices are passive and take a lot of practice, although the benefits of mastering these specific types of meditation are long lasting and profound. These types of meditation are usually considered more spiritual than other types, although you can certainly practice these methods without a spiritual inclination.

Other types of meditation are more activity based ? my sister meditates every day while washing dishes at the kitchen sink, as she allows her mind to de-focus and relax and finds this very soothing. There are also practices such as dynamic meditation, which involves shaking the body vigorously and making spontaneous sounds, which is said to release deep buried emotions and will ultimately benefit the physical and mental health of the individual.

And then there are guided meditations which take the individual on a guided imagery journey with the purpose of achieving deep relaxation without the danger of being sidetracked by the ego. If you?ve ever tried to meditate and found yourself making shopping lists or to-do lists you?ll know why this type of meditation might be useful.

Regardless of which type of meditation you choose, the practice itself has enormous health benefits ? improvements are typically experienced with heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, adrenal gland function, immune system function, and so on. Other benefits of meditation include a clearer mind, becoming more aligned with one?s life purpose, improved presence (or being in the Now) and increased feelings of wellbeing.

And unlike other Chronic Back Pain Treatment and Chronic Back Pain Management for stress, like medication, meditation has no side effects to speak of.

Article Source: http://simplepainmanagement.com/index.php/articles/item/how-can-meditation-assist-in-pain-management

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Source: http://bangordailynews.com/community/how-can-meditation-assist-in-pain-management/

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Whenever Fixing Up Your House Don't Forget The Outside | Home ...

A lot of people like to make their home a comfortable place to be, especially with the decorating of the inside. However that does not mean that you need to quit there, and not also express yourself with the outside of your house as well. In the same way your kitchen is the heart of the inside of your house, finding ways to add your personal mark to your garden and porch are also important. Depending on where you reside, the outside decor can be more complicated, because of the weather. Think about the best way you would like to spruce up your courtyard and your outside porch area.

Do you prefer to invite other people over for cookouts and/or pool parties? However, you may enjoy the solitude of relaxing alone while reclining in a lawn chair. A person might not possess a pool but most likely you have an outdoor grill that you can plan everything else around. Backyard furniture has several options these days, and many are weatherproof, so you won?t need to be too concerned with them on bad weather days. Your available choice of exterior furnishings is considerable, so there shouldn?t be a problem finding the right style or comfort level.

To achieve the correct outdoor lighting would once require the services of an electrical contractor, but now there are easy ways to light up your yard. A particularly very cost efficient method is to utilize solar lights that you can place in different locations so that they are going to be exposed to sunlight which charges them. These items work very well in many situations although during certain seasons of the year when there is less sunlight they may not provide light all night long. Picking out things to plant in your yard could be the hardest part of planning your outdoor decor. A nice green yard always looks good, but to express your own style, you will want to pick out some of the the appropriate plants. You?ll be able to locate these plants in planters or even in the soil. Decorative planters can be used by growing flowers, and the containers can be a component of the decor by themselves.

It is great to have plenty of places to sit down in your yard, so think about putting a stone bench. It?s going to be long lasting, and fit in with the natural parts of your yard. You might even want to put in statuary, as an additional touch. A fountain is an additional tranquil but preferred option. A solar-powered fountain is often an low-cost useful option. This is often something as elementary as water flowing from a container creating a simulated waterfall. There?s nothing quite so calming as to sit in your yard experiencing the sounds of water which block out other neighborhood sounds.

?

ast agreement ?When you decorate your home?s interior, be certain that you also take into account the outside appearance. Whenever people come around your home, the first thing they notice is what your property looks like on the outside. Whatever they see externally can give them a preview of what they?ll see once they cross the threshold.

Source: http://www.niutranslations.com/whenever-fixing-up-your-house-dont-forget-the-outside.html

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Great Tips You Should Consider If You're Going To Buy Real Estate ...

A lot of people think they know what they are doing in real estate, but what do they actually know? Many of these so-called experts are the very people that are responsible for the market crash. If you are planning on buying real estate, be sure to read this advice.

During your search for an agent that might assist in you buying a home, inquire as to just how many years they have been in the community. If they have only been around for a short while, they are not going to know as much about the roads, community restrictions and neighborhoods as someone else. Agents who have lived in the locale for ten years or more will be able to provide you with information that is of particular importance to where you?re planning to buy.

Plan ahead of time which questions you are going to ask your real estate agent. Ask them not only the number of homes they have sold in the past year, but also, how many were the type of home you are looking to buy. A good agent will be able to answer all your questions.

TIP! Hire professional inspectors to inspect the house that you are planning to buy. Home inspectors are trained professional who will thoroughly inspect every aspect of the property you are wanting to purchase.

You should think about utilizing the services of a real estate lawyer when you are working with foreclosure properties. Because problems can occur during pre-foreclosure or foreclosure deals, a legal representative is a good person to have on your side. It is possible that you are going to avoid a lot of headaches and money down the line.

If your job security is at any level of risk, then you need to think twice before buying a home. As soon as you have signed the mortgage papers, you are guaranteeing to keep up with your monthly payments, regardless of any changes in circumstances. In case of an interruption in your job, you will need to have a few moths of payments saved up.

Look for parking areas near the home you are considering buying. If the home has no driveway, good street parking is essential. If you don?t have enough parking you will end up walking good distances.

TIP! Before you put an offer on a home, measure it yourself. This is important because you cannot compare public records with the actual square footage unless you measure.

Canvas neighborhoods you like, getting to know the variety of home types in the area. This helps make sure you do not buy the largest, nicest home in the area. It will be hard to sell a larger home, because the property value will go down due to homes in the area that are smaller.

When considering a home, do not forget to research the entire neighborhood the home is in. If the neighborhood does not fit your living needs, you will be greatly disappointed with your home in the long run. You need to know the neighborhood you are moving in so you know what you are getting yourself into.

Real Estate

TIP! Some banks do not require you to do a house inspection, but this is not a reason to skip it. You should hire a home inspection pro so that you will know exactly what sort of condition your potential home is in and what sort of problems you can expect.

Before you buy any real estate, make sure you do your research. Lots of people try to participate in the real estate market too fast. They end up making terrible purchases, and lose a large amount of money. Check into factors that impact value like its age, crime in the neighborhood, and even the neighbors.

Get an agent or a broker to help you if you want to invest in property. They have resources that you don?t have at your disposal. Many brokers will use special software to sort through MLS and other listing services. You could do an MLS search on your own; however, using these tools will enhance your search and help you avoid missed opportunities.

Ascertain that any real estate appraiser that you hire has a a minimum of five years experience. Avoid hiring appraisers that are recommended by the real estate agency. There may be something behind that. The appraiser that you hire must be state-certified or state-licensed.

TIP! Purchase a warranty for your home. Anytime you purchase a new or older home, ask the builder or previous owner for a warranty.

Rental Property

Do your homework before buying a property. When you are looking to purchase a piece of rental property, you must be aware of several key factors. The first one being sustainability. Is the property currently in a solid, clean, manageable state and will it continue to be without a lot of maintenance? The second feature is the property?s location. If you wish to attract and maintain new tenants, make sure that the location of your investment is ideal. You want to have a rental property located near centers of activity, such as popular retailers, restaurants and other service providers for your future tenants. You should consider the income in the area in which you are buying. This is very important due to the fact that a higher rental amount can be charged for an area of higher income. Residents in high rent areas may not be as concerned about the precise location as residents in communities that demand a lower rent.

You must have the minimum amount required by your mortgage company. If you do not, you may be stuck paying more through PMI, or Private Mortgage Insurance. This can cost a lot more than you?d need to pay than if you went for a conventional mortgage.

TIP! Prior to beginning your house search, you should secure a pre-qualification document from a lender. You don?t want to end up coming across the house of your dreams to be told that you can?t get a large enough loan to buy it.

When considering the purchase of a new home, it?s very important that you look at the long-term and not just the short-term. For instance, ask yourself if you want to have children. If you do, look for a home located in a good school district.

Look for homes that carry pre-foreclosure notices. If you can wait to make a purchase, many pre-foreclosure properties offer an excellent investment opportunity. Properties classified as pre-foreclosures are simply homes that are delinquent and at risk of going through the foreclosure process in the near future. You can find a list of the potential pre-foreclosures from a lender, or you may create an ad that you will buy any homes for cash. However you find owners of pre-foreclosures, find out what the owner owes, and make an offer that is a couple thousand dollars above that amount. You could find some excellent home bargains, since many people owe less on their loan than the home?s market value.

Take all the ?expert advice? you read online with a grain of salt. If they were so informed, how come the market collapsed? Avoid people who act like they know everything. Make sure you stick with what you?ve learned from tips like that in this article and apply it as much as

TIP! Request a checklist from your Realtor to put yourself in the best position before buying. Get a home buyers checklist from your real estate agent to keep track of all the tasks you need to complete when purchasing a home.

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Source: http://www.maynaseric.com/great-tips-you-should-consider-if-youre-going-to-buy-real-estate-2

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FDA: Fungus in tainted steroids and patients match

NEW YORK (AP) ? Health officials have confirmed that a fungus behind a meningitis outbreak has also been found in unopened vials of steroid medication.

The Food and Drug Administration said the fungus was in one lot of vials made in August by the New England Compounding Center of Framingham, Mass.

The specialty pharmacy has been at the center of a national investigation into more than 250 fungal meningitis cases, including at least 20 deaths.

Health officials said this week that 40 of 42 patients were infected with a fungus called Exserohilum rostratum.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2012-10-18-Meningitis%20Outbreak/id-ef410abca41d41158c314bd3c882ae7e

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Hemorrhoid Removal Surgery ? Health & Fitness

Laura asks…Can you get a hemorrhoid from tooth removal surgery?i heared this can happen answers:No, you cannot.Maria asks…Hemmorrhoid removal surgery?I will am considering hemorrhoid removal surgery. I have been struggling with hemorrhoids for a few years already. Will I be able to have anal sex with my boyfriend after recovering from the surgery? Will I still feel sensation? answers:YIKES! This is something you need to talk to your doctor about. Don?t be shy, they hear a lot of

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Source: http://healthfitnessbloginfo.wordpress.com/2012/10/18/hemorrhoid-removal-surgery/

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Younger people lax on password choice: study

7 hrs.

Devin Coldewey , NBC News

A recent poll suggests that while many people are learning to use "strong" passwords online, younger people are less likely than their parents to do so.

The poll was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of ESET, a security software company. When respondents were asked whether they used"a combination of numbers, letters and symbols"?in their passwords, a?surprising?84 percent?responded "yes."

That may come as a surprise to many, given the generally low quality of passwords evident whenever a large cache of them is leaked. Thousands of Yahoo! passwords were leaked a few months ago, and a huge number of them were simply "password," "123456," or something similarly insecure.

People have apparently learned their lesson, according to the study, though more stringent requirements when choosing a password may also deserve some credit. But interestingly, the lowest-scoring group wasn't, as some might expect, seniors, but rather those ages 18 to 34. Yes, students and young folks of all stripes appear to be rather more cavalier about their security.

In fact, compared with people 55 and older, younger people were less likely to use a complex password, multiple passwords?or have different PINs for different devices and services.

The reasons for this weren't explored by the survey, but people?ages 18 to?34 are more likely to be using and logging into dozens of sites rather than just two or three, which could?lead to a greater tendency to repeat passwords.?Stephen Cobb, ESET's Security Evangelist and author of the post describing the survey results, agreed that there could be some behavior like this that's leading to lackluster security measures.

Younger people do excel in another area, though: using a password manager. Those ages?18 to?34?were much more likely to use an application to store and manage their passwords, or to use a Web?browser's built-in capabilities to that effect. Men especially (twice as many as women) stored their passwords in their browsers.

More statistics and analysis can be found at ESET's blog post on the poll.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC?News Digital. His personal website is?coldewey.cc.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/younger-people-lax-password-choice-study-1C6554820

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