Photo courtesy of aka Kath

Swine flu is spread in similar fashion as other types of flu, but there are some things we can do to prevent, or at least slow, the spread.  Listed below are a few prevention tips from the CDC.gov website.

Swine Flu Prevention Tips

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Hopefully, the known cases of swine flu can be contained and the strain will not be able to spread.  The Department of Homeland Security has declared a public health emergency here in the United States, but it is important to recognize that at the current time, cases of swine flu infection seem to be fairly concentrated, and most have recent travel to Mexico in common.  Still, it is a good reminder that the daily hygiene habits listed above should be used daily to prevent the spread of germs in the event of a global swine flu epidemic.

Susan Boyle was a bit different though.  She seems comfortable in her own skin, and though she isn’t flashy, she certainly inspired me with her attitude and her willingness to put herself out there. In less than two minutes her life has changed forever.

What Life Lessons Can We Learn from Susan Boyle?

Do not let your appearances keep you in the shadows
Far too many people waste incredible talent for fear of being ridiculed in some way by their appearance.  Maybe they are to fat, or too skinny, or too short, or too tall.  Maybe they have acne, or freckles, or funny looking hair.  Don’t let your insecurity of physical traits stand between you and your dreams.  Seek out your own “Britain’s Got Talent” performance and shine!

Carpe Diem - Seize the Day!
What they say is often true; opportunity only knocks once.  And if you aren’t ready to perform at your peak then you just might miss that opportunity.  Susan Boyle was ready. Paul Potts was ready.  Are you ready?

Smile, even when you are quaking in your boots
My mom used to tell me, “Never let them see you sweat.”  What she meant was always look confident even when you are terrified.  Susan Boyle sure looked confident when she belted out the tune “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables on “Britain’s Got Talent”.

Never, ever, ever give up!
We don’t know the entire back story about Susan Boyle yet, but we will.  However, I think it is safe to say over the years she has faced many challenges, many ups and downs, to get to this moment.  So what separates Susan Boyle from the others who came, and failed, before her?  She never gave up. She never lost sight of her dream.  Carry on, Susan!

A recent article from Red Tape Chronicles breaks down the numbers assuming a $1,000 debt payment made at different times during the month:

“A full month’s interest on $3,000 at 29 percent is $74. Make the payment two weeks early and you’ll only owe $33.37.

So by simply moving up your due date a couple weeks you chop your interest payment in half (in this example). Credit card interest accumulates based on what is known as the average daily balance.  Think of it as the average balance on your account over the entire month. 

At the end of each day your balance is recorded and the sum of all those balances is divided by the number of days in the billing cycle (typically around 30).  This figure is then multiplied by your daily periodic rate to get the monthly amount of interest you owe.

By paying your payment half way through the billing cycle you are effectively reducing the amount owed on your credit card balance, and driving down this average daily balance figure.

In case you missed the Superbowl commercial last night, Denny’s is offering a free breakfast to everyone on Tuesday February 3rd, 2009 from 6:00am - 2:00pm.

The Grand Slam breakfast at Denny’s consists of pancakes, bacon, eggs and sausage–and this Tuesday it is on the house!

Avoid walk-up ATM machines.  Most banks are doing away with walk-up ATM machines, opting for the safety and convenience of a drive-thru teller machine.  You are safer in your car with all the doors locked and only the driver side window down than walking up to a machine.

Be alert when approaching the ATM machine.  This is particularly important if the bank is closed at night.  Look for anyone hanging out in the parking lot, or near the teller machine itself.  If you see someone that looks out of place, leave the bank and return the next day.

Be wary of people trying to help you.  And be wary of people asking for help.  People like to hang out at ATM machines and ask for help with their card, or offer to help you with your card, etc.  There efforts are rarely noble.  Chances are they are stalking their next victim.  Don’t let it be you.

Check the card slot on the ATM machine.  Scammers have been know to rig ATM machines with a little sleeve that fits into the machine to capture your card, and a small camera disguised as a security camera to capture your PIN number.  The sleeve eats your card, you punch in your PIN and when you leave because the machine won’t return your card you’ve given crooks your card and PIN information.

Put away cash after withdrawal.  Stash the cash in your purse or wallet and leave the bank premises after withdrawing money.  Don’t dilly dally outside the car counting money or organizing the contents of your purse.

Are you being followed?  If you leave the ATM and notice someone following you, go to the nearest public place and park your car (grocery store parking lots are good, or even better, a police or fire station.  Crooks like to stake out ATM machines and follow people to their next destination to rob them of their cash.

Review statements.  Check your monthly statements to make sure the withdrawal is recorded correctly.  As with any technology, ATM machines can make mistakes and record your transaction in error.  Hang on to your receipt until the statement arrives and you verify everything is recorded correctly.

For those living paycheck to paycheck, or struggling with some other aspect of their finances, a “spending fast” could help break the addictive behaviors costing you money.

The majority of workers are paid biweekly, and spend the weekend between paychecks digging for loose change to make ends meet. We were no exception. Back when I earned very little money, and my wife and I had our first child, we used credit cards to float until the next pay weekend.

This behavior inevitably led to the accumulation of credit card debt which took some time to work off. The answer to our problem, which unfortunately was not obvious to us at the time, was that we were continuing to spend money we didn’t have. And when we did manage to save a little from each paycheck for the next weekend, it was all gone by Saturday afternoon.

We needed to do something radical to break from this cycle.  We started declaring “no-spend” weekends, and putting ourselves on a spending diet from Friday night to Monday morning. The trick to this was to initiate the fast when we had money, beginning on payday. This forced us to learn to delay purchasing things we really wanted, and prepare by only buying things we really needed.

After trying this for a couple pay cycles we discovered that it was a nice feeling to still have cash a week after payday and not have to rely on credit cards. We also found that our unplanned spending decreased as we became more discriminating in our purchases.

Calculating our savings on Sunday evening was the best part!  At the end of our spending fast we reflected on all the things we used to do that took money. Eating out, going to movies, and shopping out of boredom really add up! We started looking for more frugal ways to spend our weekends and discovered that the greatest things in life really are free.

Along with the end of these frugal weekend purchases we also saw a drop in our credit card balances. If you find yourselves currently stuck in the paycheck-to-paycheck routine I highly recommend going on a diet - a spending diet. Use this 48-hour weekend spending fast to get you started.

Motor oil is to an engine what blood is to the human body. Oil lubricates all the moving parts of car’s engine, keeps the engine clean by reducing the buildup of dirt, and even keeps your engine from overheating by reducing friction. If your car’s engine oil levels get too low it can cause permanent damage to the engine’s internal parts.

1. Check engine oil levels at least once a month. This usually works out to every two or three times you fill your gas tank. At this interval you will be able to detect any serious problems that have developed, and keep your engine oil level within the optimal range.

2. With the ignition turned off, and your car parked on a level surface, pop the hood and locate the dip stick. If you have trouble finding it consult your car’s owner manual. Remove the dip stick and wipe it clean with a rag of paper towel. Reinsert the dip stick making sure it goes down as far as it can go (until the top of the dip stick handle is pushed down firmly in place).

3. Carefully pull out the dip stick a second time and note how far up the dip stick is covered in oil. Many dip sticks have two small holes representing the minimum level and maximum levels. If the oil line is within that range, you don’t need to add oil.

4. If the the dip stick registers low, consult your owner’s manual to determine the type of oil suggested for your car and conditions. Most automobiles take 5W 30 or 10W 30. Locate the oil filler cap, usually located close to the dip stick. Unscrew the cap and add about half a quart of motor oil (use a funnel, or the top half of an old milk jug to avoid a mess). Give the oil a couple minutes to make its way to the bottom of the reservoir and then check the oil level again by repeating steps 2 and 3. If the oil level still appears low add the remaining half quart, wait a couple minutes and recheck the oil levels. By now the oil level should be within the acceptable range.

5. Change your engine oil as recommended by your car manufacturer, not the oil change business. Places like Jiffy Lube are good places to get your oil changed, but they have a vested interest in your repeat business and often recommend changing your oil too frequently. Don’t go by their suggested interval, rather consult your owner’s manual to determine how often to get the oil changed.

As mentioned, oil is the life-blood of your engine, so take care of it by following manufacturer suggestions in your owner’s manual. A little maintenance on your part, and regularly scheduled oil changes, can extend the life of your car’s engine many years.

Old man winter is just around the corner in most parts of the country (and in some areas, he had already arrived).  Take steps now to winterize your home and save a little on your heating bills while you are at it!

Prepare Your Home for Winter

1. Install a programmable thermostat. One of the best winterizing tasks you can do is install a programmable thermostat.  They allow you to automatically create a heating schedule for your home.  At night you can allow inside temperatures to drop down a bit, but warm things up just before the alarm clock goes off. Similarly, you can allow the temperatures to drop inside your hours when it is empty during the day, but warm things up before you arrive home from work.

2. Consider a thermal insulating blanket for your hot water heater.  Hot water heaters are often the least-efficient appliance in your home.  This is especially true if your tank is store in an outdoor storage room or garage (as ours is).  When temperatures drop the tank has to work extra hard to keep the contents warm.  Consider adding a thermal insulating blanket for your hot water heat to insulate the water from surrounding temperatures.

3. If your windows are not made of newer insulated glass, consider installing storm windows.  New, energy-efficient windows often two layers of glass with insulating air in between.  Older, single-pane models allow cold air to more easily seep in and make rooms feel cooler.

4. Add insulation to attics and crawlspaces.  Inadequate insulation in attics allows heat to rise up and out of your home in winter, forcing heating systems to work harder to keep your home warm.

5. Have chimneys cleaned and inspected.  Buildup in chimneys can lead to dangerous conditions such as fires and inadequate ventilation.

6. Add some antifreeze to the base of portable basketball goals filled with water.  During winter months the water in the goal’s base can freeze and expand, cracking the base.  Purchase a brand of antifreeze that is safe for kids and animals just in case.

7. If you vacation during the winter months, leave your heat on and set it to 55 degrees.  This will help reduce the chance of interior pipes freezing.

8. Clean gutters.  A clogged gutter can lead to a flooded basement when snow melts and the water has no where to run off.

9. Install fresh batteries in all smoke alarms.  We change the batteries in our smoke alarms twice a year, around daylight savings time changes.  It’s a good idea to periodically test alarms to be sure batteries are still working properly.

10. Inspect fire extinguishers and recharge if necessary.  Replace any extinguishers older than ten years.

11. Insulate water pipes that may be exposed to freezing temperatures.  If water in pipes freeze, chances are the expansion will cause them to burst and you’ll be stuck with a huge bill from a plumber.

12. Caulk around windows to prevent cold air from seeping in around cracks.  If you are not sure your windows needed additional caulking, try the candle trick.  On a windy day, light a candle and place it near your window with indoor cooling/heating systems turned off.  If the flame flickers when a gust of wind picks up it is an indication air is seeping around your windows.

13. Install a carbon monoxide detector.  Gas-log fireplaces and furnaces can give off toxic carbon monoxide gases.  Follow manufacturer recommendations on placement of monitoring device.

14. Drain garden hoses and turn off any outdoor water faucets.  Remove nozzles or sprayers from the end of garden hoses and be sure to drain any water left in the line.

15. Arrange for a professional inspection of your furnace.  Just like automobiles require periodic maintenance, furnaces require servicing by a professional.  It’s worth the cost of a service call.

16. Inspect driveways and pathways.  Patch cracks with a cement or asphalt kit to prevent water from entering the cracks, freezing, expanding and creating even larger cracks.

17. Be sure to close attic windows. Attic windows provide needed ventilation in the heat of summer, but allow warm air insulating your ceilings to escape in the winter.

18. Stock up on firewood.  Store it at least 50 feet away from your home to prevent fire and termites from coming too close to your home.

19. Apply sealant to decks.  Sealant helps prevent wood damage from extreme freezing/thawing cycles.

20. Be sure there are no flammable materials stored close to your furnace.  This one seems obvious, but many fires are started during the winter months because of flammable items being stored too close to furnaces.

21. Inspect fireplace damper to make sure it is opening and closing properly.  One year, in our old home, the damper wasn’t opening properly, but we did not discover it until we lit a fire and the living room filled with smoke.

22. If you installed summer screens on doors and windows, replace them with the glass equivalents stored during the summer.  Adding the extra pane of glass back to storm doors will ad a layer of insulation against colder temperatures.

23. Drain gas from lawnmower and store for the winter.  It’s also a good idea to store the lawnmower or tractor indoors during extremely cold temperatures.

24. Consider a tune-up on snow blowers and other snow removal equipment.  A little preventive maintenance goes a long way for winter equipment.

25. Bleed the valves on any hot-water radiators.  Open slightly until water appears and close again.

26. Move potted plants inside, or closer to the home to prevent damage from freezing temperatures. The temperature near your home’s exterior walls will be a little warmer than out further in your yard.  It also helps to cover outdoor plants with a sheet to insulate them from sub-freezing temperatures.

27. Clean patio furniture and store it away from winter.  In some areas winter storms are often accompanied by high winds.  During these storms, outdoor furniture can be scattered about your yard (and your neighbor’s yard).  Since you won’t likely be using it, look for a place to store it until spring.

28. Check with manufacturer to determine if spare refrigerators or freezers stored in unheated garages are safe to operate at extremely cold temperatures.  Extra refrigerators and freezers are great for stockpiling grocery deals, but if the temperature drops below the inside setting of your refrigerator or freezer it can cause the unit to operate inefficiently.

29. Seal areas around dryer vents, cable outlets and mail chutes with a caulking gun.  Look for cracks or holes around outdoor fixtures such as vents and outlets as these spaces allow cold air from outside to enter your wall space and make indoor heating less effective.

30. Insulate electrical outlets and light switches on outside walls. This can be accomplished by adding a few foam inserts around wall plates. 

31. Make sure you have a snow shovel, rock salt, sand and other tools for dealing with snow and ice on your property.

32. Consider a heated mattress pad. With heated mattress pad, or electric blanket, you can afford to let your thermostat drop lower overnight, saving you money on heating costs.

In just a few short days streets will be filled with little goblins going door to door in search of treats.  It’s a fun time for parents, but it is also a time to keep your guard up.  Unfortunately, Halloween is a holiday for those who might do harm to our kids.  Parents, be vigilant, and remember the following safety tips:

Use the buddy system.  Older kids shouldn’t roam the neighborhood alone.  Always a good idea to trick or treat in pairs, or better yet, part of a large group.  There is strength in numbers, and it helps to prevent anyone being singled out as a target.

Young children should always be accompanied by an adult.  I’m amazed each year at the number of little ones I see running the steets without a parent in sight.  Be sure to stay with younger kids because there are just too many opportunities for them to get hurt out on a Halloween night.

Carry a cell phone or two-way radio. If you do get split up, a cell phone or radio will make it much easier to reconnect and coordinate a rendezvou point.

Emphasize to your kids that they should never enter a stranger’s house.  Only accept candy at the door, and if the homeowner says, “It’s just in the next room,” tell your kids to move on. This is an old trick of those with bad intentions of luring kids into the house.

Visit only houses where the lights are on.  The universal sign of a house participating in trick or treating is a porch light turned on, and or decorations in the yard.  If you see neither, move on to the next house.

Inspect your kids’ candy supply.  Throw away anything that appears to have been opened or tampered with.  Remove anything that looks unsafe for your kids to eat based on their age group (a hard-stick lollipop for toddlers, etc.).

It’s one thing to buy your son a beer on his 21st birthday, but quite another to celebrate his being weaned from the pacifier.  That’s what a Wisconsin dad did at a county fair last week.  According to fair workers, the man ordered a beer for himself and one for his boys–ages 2 and 4.  The woman behind the beer tent contacted authorities and told them she hoped it wasn’t a joke. 

Setting an Example

I don’t personally drink beer for a number of reason. First of all, I don’t particularly like the taste.  Secondly, I’m rarely away from my kids, and I don’t like to drink around them.  Third, when I was in high school, our head cheerleader was killed by a habitual drunk driver, and I think the experience gave me a negative view of alcohol in all forms, particularly beer (which is typically abused).

All that to say I am not a beer drinker, but I don’t begrudge others for enjoying a beer now and then.  However, I could never imagine buying a beer for my underage kids. At 14 and 16 it is irresponsible, but at 2 and 4 it is downright dangerous.  There is no way to know how alcohol could damage the development of the 2 year-old.  With older kids, you never know if normalizing the effects of alcohol will make them more succeptible to having drinking problems in the future.