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Month: August 2022

Budget hotels in Nadi, Fiji

Fiji is a popular paradise island. This South Pacific destination won’t just surprise you with its luxurious Fiji hotels; it will also surprise you with memorable experiences and great activities. Couples are specifically drawn to Fiji as the perfect wedding and honeymoon destination.

Imagine an exciting adventure through whitewater rafting, hiking mountain trails, and ocean surfing. You can also snorkel in some of the softest and most colorful corals in the world; explore the island with fellow backpackers or just mingle with the friendly locals. In this tropical paradise, you can let your romantic fantasies run wild in anything you want Fiji to be.

Fiji’s beautiful unspoiled and yet to be discovered places offer the most private and luxurious escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. As the island is considered by many to be “a little piece of heaven on Earth”, Fiji’s hotels continue to live up to the high expectations of its visitors. Depending on your budget, there is a guaranteed hotel in Fiji perfect for you and your partner.

Contrary to speculation that hotels in Fiji can be quite expensive, there are budget hotels in Fiji as well. In fact, there are other options you can choose from, such as private villas and resorts.

A great place to visit in Fiji is Nadi. It is located along the northwestern section of Viti Levu. It is considered to be the third largest hub in Fiji with the main international airport only 10 minutes away. There are even hotels in Nadi that provide overnight accommodation for guests who are just passing through and heading to other parts of the island the next day.

Nadi, Fiji Hotels

Nadi Bay Resort-Hotel – This resort hotel received the Award of Excellence in 2004 for being the best budget hotel in Fiji, according to guests and locals. Until now, it is the most popular and central meeting place for budget travelers.

The international airport is just 10 minutes from this Fiji hotel. They have standard rooms, shared rooms and even two-bedroom apartments. They can also provide beds to sleep on. In addition to a tropical breakfast that is included in the rate, they have two restaurants: Mango Poolside and Whispers. These dining rooms offer a la carte menus for inexpensive meals and snacks. There is also a third bar located next to the second pool.

The friendly and courteous staff at the Nadi Bay Resort-Hotel can also help you arrange island activities such as sailing, skydiving, rafting, diving, hiking and jumping. They also offer waterfall tours and all-day excursions.

Smugglers Cove Beach Resort-Hotel: This resort-hotel is a new addition to Fiji’s beachfront hotels. In addition to being in the middle of the famous Wailoaloa beach, the International Airport is only 10 minutes away. The hotel is projected as a mix of traditional Fijian and backpacker-style accommodation.

Rooms at this hotel are guaranteed ocean views of Nadi Bay, the southern Yasawa Islands, and the Mamanuca Islands. Apart from these, there is the beautiful sunset that Fiji is famous for. These rooms also offer modern conveniences such as tea/coffee making facilities, air conditioning units, safes, clock radios, hairdryers, fitted wardrobes, private bathrooms and key card door lock access.

Activities offered by Smugglers Cove Beach Resort-Hotel include diving trips, fish and dolphin watching, as well as snorkeling and kayaking. Even the less adventurous types have activities from sunbathing to playing beach volleyball.

Inspiration to Roar – Michelle Obama

Black women have always been an indispensable and foundational bridge connecting the elements and conditions of daily life with purpose, strength, and determination. The Feminist Movement confirmed to working women that it is okay for all women to successfully juggle multiple roles of wife, mother, caretaker, and career while negotiating the barriers of race, class, and gender.

In the last decade, there have been phenomenal achievements by Black women as science entrepreneurs, roles in technology, in the boardroom as executives, in many fields as athletes, world-famous entertainers, TV show hosts, moguls, and actresses despite socioeconomic conditions. indicators showing that black women are still struggling to catch up with their white counterparts.

The role of a woman today can be defined as a stay-at-home or work-at-home businesswoman or working single mother with a high-powered corporate title as a trophy wife, defined as a symbol of success and prowess seeking men of high power. Women have broken down the old barriers of sexism all the way to the White House.

First Lady Michelle Obama will inspire women in many ways to make a new commitment to the way they live. Living life on purpose and not by accident leaves no excuse for being mediocre. Every day for the next four years and many years to come, Black boys, Black girls and Black women will see a positive and honest image of a woman who looks like them explode and redefine negative myths about women in color.

A strong woman who does not make excuses for how she defines herself in the role of individual first, friend/partner of her husband and mother. Mrs. Obama takes all of her roles seriously and you can see it in her eyes, hear it in the conviction of her words when she speaks. She is so lucky to have been able to trust her mother to take care of her children, without a doubt she gave her a sense of peace that no one else could have given her. We know that our mother will take care of our children as we would or better.

There is no misrepresentation of acceptable definitions of black women that I can see when it comes to Michelle Obama. She sends a message to the world that she is more than okay to be dark-skinned, smart, tall, different, and most of all, to be the First Lady of African-American descent in the White House. The tremendous amount of pressure of being in the public eye, constantly having everything you do reported every minute of every day. Constant travel and movement, speaking to thousands of people at once did not compromise the level of care first for her, her husband and her children.

Malia and Sasha were always the priority for the Obamas, with the faithful and loving hand of their grandmother, Mrs. Marion Robinson, mother of Michelle. As a grandmother, she understands the commitment and sacrifice for the safety and happiness of children. A grandmother who protects the legacy of her family line is a force to be reckoned with. I thank you Mrs. Robinson for making it possible for First Lady Michelle and President Obama to campaign the way they did so successfully. Being a family was important enough to show the world that it is the first priority in all things and it didn’t get in the way of winning the election to become the first African-American presidential family in the United States.

The tone of life has changed to a no more excuses vibration of “get your life in order” and “live your life with a purpose”. Couples are showing each other more love and consideration due to the exchanges of affection we have seen between the Obamas. Parents spend more time with their children, people talk and listen to each other more and respect each other because we have all witnessed Barack and Michelle Obama show genuine care and love for each other. Black public displays of affection is exactly what black children and black people need to see more of. Black men and women have blamed each other for everything that is wrong in their lives and experience a significant amount of resentment and bitterness that affects the level of affection in their relationships and the quality of life for their children.

Blacks can now see that marriage can work with genuine commitment and true devotion to each other. In the very recent past, Black women have been viewed primarily as the product of single mothers and the last to marry compared to our ethnic counterparts. We have great hope that the Obama effect will change the way we are portrayed in popular culture.

We haven’t seen families like the Obamas since The Cosby Show, although such families do exist, said Tracy Sharpley-Whiting, director of African American and Diaspora Studies at Vanderbilt. “Too often in the mainstream media, our families are portrayed as broken and we are seen as statistics and not human,” Rockeymoore said. Our families need fixing and winning the election so far has proven to be the stimulus that will turn things around.

Black women across the country say they hope Michelle Obama’s dark complexion will inspire girls and women of color to feel better about themselves. Ms. Obama’s practice of regular exercise and healthy behavior will inspire women to improve their own health. Most of us need to be more aware of our eating habits and create new behaviors that will affect the general state of health with positive consequences. Mrs. Obama couldn’t have survived the campaign if she hadn’t had some great tools to stay focused and stay healthy.

Now it will be great to fight for excellence in education, which can change the way black kids are ridiculed and mocked for being smart by their own peers. Applying yourself in the classroom and paying attention to your studies has been shown to pay off big. See where you’ll go

After high school, Michelle Robinson majored in sociology at Princeton University, graduating cum laude in 1985. From there she attended Harvard, where she earned her law degree in 1988, a year before her future husband, Barack, whom she hadn’t had. They don’t know each other yet, but they attended the same law school.

President-elect Barack Obama and Michelle Robinson Obama moved in the same circles and attended the same school living life on purpose without realizing that the hands of fate were moving and working to bring them together. Although he was an intern when they met and was asked to mentor her, she recognized the qualities of a very special woman and her instincts were correct because they got married three years after they met. Thank goodness he was humble and open enough to learn from her after graduating from the prestigious Harvard Law School. Thank goodness her goals and aspirations for her career were genuine and honest because anything less wouldn’t even have been looked at twice by a woman like Michelle. She could have fired him, thankfully she didn’t, because there is no question of the power behind the throne. President Barack Obama’s accomplishments and accomplishments would not have been possible without the person he refers to as “the rock of our family” and “the love of my life.”

Mrs. Obama has an impressive career as a former associate dean of the University of Chicago; member of six boards of directors; Vice President for Community and External Affairs at University of Chicago Hospitals. In this role, she was responsible for all programs and initiatives involving hospital-community relations, as well as managing the hospitals’ corporate diversity program. This woman was well established and respected in the Chicago business community.

We could learn something from the disciplined practices of going to bed at 9:30 and getting up early enough each morning at 4:30 to run on a treadmill before starting your day. This is the level of discipline and organization that is needed to manage a very public life and balance it with motherhood with grace and love.

Mrs. Obama says that “Barack did not promise riches.” Michelle explains that “just a life that would be interesting. He kept that promise.”

How Often Do Powerball Tickets Roll Over?

Do Powerball Tickets Roll Over

If you play the lottery, you might be wondering how often do Powerball tickets roll over. The reason is that when the jackpot is large enough, the jackpot prize is multiplied by the number of tickets sold. This is known as a rollover and happens when no one wins the jackpot during a draw. In some cases, this can result in a massive jackpot that is three times larger than the original one. This can change the game significantly. The more tickets that are sold, the higher the prize fund will grow, which can reduce the odds of winning.

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One option for claiming the jackpot is to mail the winning Powerball ticket to the state lottery office. You can find the contact information of your state lottery office on the Powerball website. Once you receive the winning ticket, you have 180 days to claim the prize. If you win, you must fill out the claim form to claim the prize.

US Powerball is different from its international counterpart. In the US, there is no jackpot cap and there is no rollover limit. This makes the game appealing to both first timers and loyal players. However, if you win, you need to claim the prize in the jurisdiction in which you purchased the tickets.

How Often Do Powerball Tickets Roll Over?

The Powerball draws are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday evening. The jackpot amount is divided among the winners in the three states that hold a Powerball drawing. The jackpot is paid out in 30 annual payments or in a single cash payment of a reduced amount. In addition, any winnings in other states are subject to state and federal income taxes.

As the jackpot grows, the amount of tickets sold increases. This increases the prize fund. Therefore, it is important to buy more tickets as the jackpot gets bigger. This way, you’ll increase your chances of winning. However, the chances of winning are not high. The prize pool grows until someone wins it.

Despite the fact that Powerball tickets do roll over, it is a good idea to buy more than one ticket to get the most out of your money. The jackpot amount is usually at least $300 million, and the rollover will make you want to buy more tickets. But before you go buying tickets, be sure to read the rules carefully.

In order to win a prize, you must match all six numbers on the ticket. There are two ball machines in the lottery, one with white balls and the other one with red Powerballs. White balls are drawn first. Then, a red ball is drawn from the second machine. If three white balls match three red Powerballs, the winnings will be lower than the other five. A few winning combinations may also occur, but if your ticket does not match all six numbers, you’ll lose.

5 Tips for Achieving Measurable Results from Direct Mail Marketing Campaigns

Effective direct mail marketing brings in new leads and more business; good results and return on investment are possible. While online campaigns are getting a lot of attention, the growth of technology hasn’t hindered direct mail marketing. Instead, now the opportunities are improved. Here are 5 ways you can implement a successful direct marketing campaign that will generate leads.

1. Provide a link to your website

You may be using traditional paper advertising (bulk print or commercial), but that doesn’t mean you can’t integrate it into your online marketing campaigns. Not only should you provide a link to your website in your direct mail piece, but you can also provide an incentive to do so, such as a coupon placed on a specific page that the URL links to. This page may also include a signup form for your email list, which offers future company news, coupons, and discounts.

Keep in mind that modern consumers are more likely to find your business through an online search. Anything you put in print advertising can be duplicated online to reach a different audience.

2. Improve the presentation

With email marketing, you’re limited to only a single sentence in the subject line, and no matter how strong your headline is, it can still come across as spam and end up never being seen. In a print ad, you can incorporate bold logos or images, or use your company colors to make the piece stand out, all visible at a glance. A compelling message and graphics make it less likely that your ad will end up in the recycle bin.

You can mix your ad with fonts of different sizes and styles to show the particular areas of graphics and text that you want to emphasize. Depending on the piece and packaging, you could even offer a small promotional item that would come in handy, such as sticky notes, pens, letter openers, and anything else the recipient might use when they’re most likely to think of your product.

3. Make content personal to the consumer

Take the time to study and get to know your target customer, and then personalize your message with offers and information that specifically appeal to them, right down to the packaging. Your content should directly address their needs, wants, and concerns. You can even further segment your recipients and send different pieces (with fine-tuned content) based on each segment. Don’t forget to include a powerful and compelling call to action, as well as an easy way to get more information and/or contact you.

4. Work with other companies

Consider product placement on television and in movies. The provider of the product is paying for the opportunity to “star” in a television show. They do this not only for increased visibility, but also for direct access to the audience, an audience that already uses similar products and already has a set level of loyalty to the show.

Company associations surround us everywhere, from a movie premiere (and subsequent merchandise) to the box of brownie mix you buy that shows another company’s branded chocolate syrup on its box.

Small businesses can do this too. The purchase of a product or service may result in a coupon or discount for a partner company that, in turn, provides the same or a similar service for the parent company. This helps promote both businesses while saving ad dollars on both sides in the long run.

5. Connect with your other marketing campaigns

Combining your direct mail marketing program with other channels like social media or email marketing allows for multiple “touches” and an expanded audience. A great example is the mailers you receive that are full of coupons. Many of these companies simultaneously advertise these offers on social media and via email to stimulate interest. A potential customer may throw away the paper coupon but notice the business email and take action (or vice versa).

Another option is to use custom URLs (PURLs) in your direct mail pieces. Your printed piece provides a link to a web page (and/or a QR code) that would be set up specifically for that person (or segment). When the recipient visits this page, they see a personal greeting and information personalized specifically for them.

For your cross-media marketing campaign to be most effective, make sure your message is consistent across all channels, meaning all offers and claims about your business are the same in every “location.”

There’s no doubt that email promotions and online marketing have their benefits, but direct mail marketing isn’t just a thing of the past. It is still a rewarding strategy to reach a broad customer base and draw attention to your products and/or services. Consider these tips to make your direct mail marketing efforts more productive.

Uses of tiles in the home

Tile is one of the most versatile building materials for your home. They are not just for walls and floors, you can use them for decoration, protection or other less common applications. Since they are lightweight and easy to install, anyone can work with mosaic for a wide range of home improvements. Here are five places around the house that can benefit from tile applications.

Worktop: Ceramic tile is one of the most common materials for kitchen countertops. Because it is hard and waterproof, it holds up extremely well to the damp and often humid environment of the kitchen. If you’re busy, you’ll also like its low-maintenance nature; a quick clean from time to time is usually all it takes.

splash guard: The backsplash protects your walls from spills coming from the sink and counter. Almost all backsplashes are made from tile due to its natural resistance to water. Some people prefer stone or marble, but since it’s more of an accessory, it’s not practical to splurge on expensive materials. You can use the same tile design as your countertop or choose a contrasting color for a stronger effect.

Flat: Tile is one of the cheapest flooring options, especially when compared to popular materials like hardwood and marble. Most tiles can withstand heavy use in living rooms and the heat and humidity of bathrooms. Best of all, it’s easy to install—you don’t need a lot of prior experience to lay a tile on your own.

wall accents: Small decorative tiles are great accents for walls, counters, and floors. They typically come in stronger, deeper colors and feature interesting patterns, often to complement the color of larger mosaics. Use them to dress up large walls or to create patterns on your tile floor.

Outside: Some tiles can be used on the exterior walls of your home. These are usually decorative ones made to resemble natural materials, such as wood and stone. They are great alternatives to exterior paint as they do not fade and can withstand most exterior elements. Since you won’t be stepping on them, you can use larger, lighter tiles to make installation easier.

Be a pragmatic dreamer

Many people give up on their dreams too quickly, under the guise of being pragmatic. It’s not that pragmatism is wrong, but it should never be taken out of context. Pragmatism is not an escape route to avoid the hard work that creating dreams requires. It is an essential dream-making process, helping us recognize what is important, valuable, and fulfilling in our dreams. It is pragmatism that separates the fanciful from the feasible, then plans the best available route to success (realization of the dream). Whether it’s Mother Teresa, Bill Gates, or Oprah Winfrey, dreams remain dreams until the pragmatist wakes up in them.

However, people still avoid their dreams under the guise of pragmatism. I hear people say, “I will become (fill in the blank), because it gives me (fill in the blank). It is usually a practical pursuit based on sound reasoning, but it lacks heart, vision, or People, circumstances, and experiences trick us into becoming doctors, engineers, or entrepreneurs, because it sounds practical and pays well, rather than pragmatically examining our dreams and gifts for clarity of execution. , Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey).

Thousands, perhaps millions, are experiencing a great emptiness in their existence, because they have taken pragmatism out of context. They may even look at the stars and ask themselves, “Why am I dissatisfied?” The stars comment, “Because you left your hopes and dreams up here. Instead of distilling your dreams and gifts into a workable plan, you abandoned them for a practical life of servitude that provides you with nothing but a safe, joyless bubble.” of almost meaningless activity floating in the stagnation of life. Wake up pragmatic and give structure to the dreams that will give you life.”

When you think about it, many of today’s inventions were built by pragmatic dreamers. Consider the services and products that we regularly consume that bring us joy, comfort, or satisfaction. They all started out as fanciful, silly, or risky endeavors, like flying, electricity, cars, etc. Dreams are the essence of life. However, a dream is just a dream without a healthy dose of pragmatism as well. As the nursery rhyme goes, “…Jolly, merry, merry, merry, life is but a dream.” Become a pragmatic dreamer and give substance to your dreams.

Could computers and the Internet REALLY replace TESOL English teachers?

a controversial question

At ELT English TESOL seminars, workshops, and conferences, a question I am often asked is whether I think computers will eventually replace English teachers. I go back to the movie “Matrix”. In one of the first scenes, our neophyte hero “Neo” is learning Kung Fu while being connected to a computer. A few hours later, he opens his eye, sits up and announces, “I know Kung Fu!” The following scenes show how an older and more experienced mentor (also known as a teacher) continues to evaluate the “ability” of the young Neo. “Show me,” the teacher asks in typical fashion. Now, if you have been following me until now, you already have a clue as to my answer to these teachers’ question.

Are computers replacing a human English teacher?

Are you kidding?

“No way, Jose.”

But English teachers, don’t totally relax yet. What I think we DO have to do is “reinvent” a part of the concept of “school”. This is what I mean.

Reinvent the concept of school

Schools, at virtually any level, will need to be linked virtually and interactively to a wide range of external resources. This means that the “traditional” whiteboard, markers and rear projection will have to give way to additional integrated resources that extend the classroom environment to an almost limitless degree. I mean the works; audio, video, Internet, webcams, instant messages, text messages, chat, email, RSS, even real-time multimedia input sources. The classroom and its students would be linked to additional resources such as:

• Corporations

• Libraries

• Museums

• Government facilities

• Science, technology and medical centers

• Industry

• Laboratories

• Other learning institutions

In this way, students would normally use learning activities such as web searches, interactive dynamics, and virtual tours to expand and deepen their understanding of principles and concepts. Students would no longer be limited to the knowledge, resources and facilities available at the institution where they attend classes. Instead, the world literally is your classroom.

Impact on learning

How would this directly affect learning? Well, if you’re learning about computers, wouldn’t having direct access to Microsoft Corp. materials and training be a real help? Technology majors would certainly benefit greatly from direct links to MIT (http://web.mit.edu/), Cal Tech (http://www.caltech.edu/), or Lucent Corp. (http:/ /www.lucent.com/) Engineering students would thrive with access to NASA found online at: (http://www.nasa.gov/home/index.html), Boeing (http:// www.boeing.com/), Westinghouse (http://www.westinghouse.com/home.html), Dupont (http://www2.dupont.com/DuPont_Home/en_US/index.html), or a host of other technology corporations.

Law, Government, Human Rights, and Political Science students would be at the top of their game connected to federal, state, and local government databases, or to the FBI (http://www.fbi.gov/), the London Metropolitan Police (http://www.met.police.uk/), CIA (http://www.cia.gov/) and ATF ([http://www.atf.treas.gov/] ) databases with their corresponding local, regional and national resources. Health majors could stay up to date with real-time events in pathology, epidemic research, natural disaster response resource information, and population health threats through the CDC (http://www.cdc. gov/), health and medical networks, or the UN. (http://www.un.org/). The possibilities are almost endless.

Therefore, I agree that “traditional” approaches to teaching and learning, not only English and other foreign languages, but many other fields as well, will continue to evolve to meet the needs of students, businesses and organizations. educational institutions. With CBL (content-based learning), well-prepared TEFL English teachers, armed with ever-evolving knowledge, skills, and technology, have nothing to fear from computers. Technology is another powerful tool to promote the acquisition of new knowledge and skills, now and in the future.

What do you think?

Get out of the paycheck to paycheck trap

Different studies have shown that between half and two thirds of people live paycheck to paycheck. That’s a pretty alarming statistic! This can be explained in part by the results of the current economy, our own attitudes about money and the lack of adaptation to a changing world.

change your attitude

The place to start is with your mindset. When it comes to life from paycheck to paycheck, you may well think “that’s the way it is” or “everyone does it,” which are false. Maintaining these attitudes will ensure that you will never improve your situation.

Take some time to think about what brought you to your current situation. In a Celebrating Financial Freedom article titled “4 Steps to Escape the Paycheck to Paycheck Life for Good,” the author identifies the following mental and behavioral impediments detrimental to financial health.

• You’ve come to the realization that debt is just a part of life: Contrary to what some may think, you don’t have to be in debt to survive in today’s world. You must decide to make paying off your liabilities your number one priority!
• Luxuries have become necessities: Certain luxuries, such as cable television, an expensive car, and eating out, have often gone from extras to necessities. These extras will bleed your budget.
• You’re not earning enough: You may be underemployed and putting too little effort into maximizing your employment status.
• You’re spending too much: You could also be spending more than you earn, a common trap for some people. This needs to be controlled.
• You have no plan – you basically spend your money until it runs out with no idea where it’s going. You really need a plan.
• Money is so easy to spend – Those credit cards feel so easy to swipe and sign — it doesn’t feel like cash. However, it is, and then comes the interest.
• You have a problem with spending: You have no self-control when it comes to spending, and may even be a shopaholic.
• The labor market has changed: Certainly, the labor market has changed and continues to change. You must learn to deal with those changes. On this topic, the author recommends a book by Dan Miller titled “48 Days to the Work You Love: Preparing for the New Normal.”

With a greater awareness of how you got to where you are, are you ready to begin your journey to financial health? Here are some specific steps to follow along with some helpful links.

Get out of debt

You must realize that debt is a choice. Interest and fees depleted the money you’ve earned. Eliminating your debt is the best place to start to turn your situation around.

Here are some areas where you can save money.

1) Food: Reduce the number of times you eat at restaurants. Pick up some healthy ingredients at a market and pack your lunch. This can result in significant savings for you. More food saving tips for you. Use coupons.
2) Car: another category of expensive expenses. If you can, download your car payment. Maybe even trade it in for a used car. Other ways to cut care costs include changing your oil less often, signing up for the Automobile Club for roadside assistance, researching repair costs, and delaying your car trade-in. Consider carpooling to work. Evaluate your auto insurance needs. If you have an old car that’s paid off, consider foregoing comprehensive and collision insurance. Maintain a clean driving record and be aware of low mileage discounts, bundling multiple lines with other types of insurance, and group auto insurance plans from employers, professionals, alumni, and other groups.
3) Entertainment: Consider ditching your cable TV for Netflix or Hulu. Here are some fun things to do for free. Go to the library for books and DVDs. Take advantage of free music and museums.
4) Clothes: You don’t need fancy clothes if you’re in debt, buy on sale, go to thrift stores and discount racks, buy second hand, order clothes for gifts, take care of the clothes you have, and sell clothes you don’t wear any longer.
5) Eliminate credit card debt: Start by calling your credit card companies to see if they’ll lower your interest rate. The average interest rate for credit cards is around 15 percent, but some can be as high as 30 percent. A study was done in 2002 that found that half of the participants who asked for a lower interest rate received one. Consider transferring that debt to a lower-interest account or taking out a loan to consolidate your debt. If these options aren’t feasible, prioritize your debts to pay off those with the highest interest rates first.
6) Medical Debt – You can start by offering to pay cash, if you have it, while you are still in the hospital or doctor’s office. This can save you 5, 10, or 25 percent up front. If you end up paying more than the full bill, you’ll get a refund. If it is less, you will be responsible for the rest. When you get a bill in the mail: The part of your bill that says you “may (should not) owe” can be negotiated. Compare what the bill says your insurance didn’t cover with what your insurer’s policy says it does cover. If there is a discrepancy, call the doctor’s office to have it resolved. Your provider may also put your bill on hold for 30 to 60 days to prevent you from going to a collection agency. Notify your provider of any secondary insurance you may have. If you already have medical debt, ask about any partial forgiveness programs or request a payment plan with 0 percent interest. Sometimes you can get a payment plan for a year or more.
7) Student Loans: There is a Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program that can allow those in the military, teachers, nonprofits, or public service jobs to get full forgiveness on their loans. There are other programs, such as Income-Based Pay, that will allow you to pay less than your regular payment if you don’t earn enough income. If you want to pay off your balance faster, start making biweekly payments.
8) Mortgage and IRS debt: Reduce your mortgage debt with biweekly payments. For IRS debt, try to arrange an installment plan with them.
In an article titled “The #1 Way to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck” by Alex Thomas Sadler, he offers three helpful apps for getting out of debt. They are Pay Off Debt, Ready For Zero, and DebtTracker Pro.

Increase your income

Even with cutting your expenses as much as possible, you still may not be able to cover everything. Now you need to change your focus to earn more money. Think about improving your current situation and income at your current job, getting a part-time job or an additional job, or some combination of these. Take some job-related classes and possibly earn a certificate to increase your income. Your job will often finance your tuition and books. Some other ideas for you: You can do freelance work (and that doesn’t include just writing), become a virtual assistant, bookkeeping, design, and more. You might enjoy being tutored in a subject that you enjoy. Sell ​​items you don’t need on eBay and Craigslist. Some more ideas to earn money for you.

Prepare and stick to a monthly budget

By preparing a monthly budget, you can keep track of where money is coming in and going out. Start by looking at your expenses from the previous month for necessary items like your mortgage or rent, car insurance, groceries, gas, etc. Then calculate how much you want to spend each month. Post that number somewhere, pay cash whenever you can, and even consider starting automatic deposits from your paycheck that will go directly to reducing your debt. Do this so you won’t be tempted to buy unnecessary luxury items.

The following is a link to more valuable budgeting articles: http://www.cfinancialfreedom.com/budgeting-budget-excuses-overcome/

Here are five apps that can help you create a budget and track your spending/savings goals.

• Level Money tracks your spending and gives you an idea of ​​how you’re doing. It’s free and will probably work best for those who have relatively simple and linear financial lives.
• Mint is a very popular app that helps you create a budget and then tracks your spending, monitors your credit score and stays up to date on potential fraud by automatically downloading transactions from bank accounts, credit cards and investment. The service allows you to combine all your finances in one place, giving you a constant overview of your financial status. You can also set up alerts and automatic bill payment.
• Budget Boss is a highly visual application that uses graphs and charts to track your budget and goals. It also calculates your future account balances, based on your current spending habits.
• HomeBudget (iPhone only) is an application that allows you to manage account balances, budgets, and bills. You can set up credit and debit accounts and keep track of balances, and it syncs data with other iPhone users and can export it to a desktop computer. Users can take a photo of the receipt and associate it with a “family sync” feature that allows household members to exchange information and work together within a single budget.
• Wally is a tool that shows you what comes in, what goes out, what you have saved and what you have budgeted. Wally helps you gain a better understanding of exactly where your money is going and then helps you set, track and achieve various financial goals.

Make a plan

In addition to making a budget, come up with a more macro-level plan for how you can stop living paycheck to paycheck. Find out what your top priorities are for your short-term and long-term future. These might include buying a house or car, taking a big vacation, creating an emergency savings fund, or saving for retirement. Remember that paying down debt will improve your credit score for those larger purchases. Stop spending money on the little things you don’t need so you can buy the bigger things you need later. Make your goals realistic so you don’t get discouraged. Spend time with similar people, people with a prudent and responsible mindset; spendthrifts can put you off. Finally, celebrate your successes in eliminating your debt!

Eight tips on how to increase your fertility

The month of October is National Infertility Awareness Month. Understandably, we appreciate the opportunity to educate the public on current issues and developments in this field. The 2009 annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine will be held in Atlanta from October 18-21. You can follow us on Twitter to see some of the topics that will be discussed by going to #ASRM09 on those days!

I would like to share some tips on how to improve your fertility. This problem affects about 7.3 million women and men in the United States, which represents 15% of couples in their prime reproductive years.

AGE
I want to start with age, because it is one of the greats. Women are born with 1-2 million eggs and at the age of 37 they have 25,000 left. How well it reproduces depends on a number of factors, but one of the most important is the factor of age. The quality of those eggs begins to deteriorate after age 30, and more significantly after age 35, due to poor egg quality. There is no way to change the quality of the egg. Consider trying to start your family sooner rather than later. If that’s not possible, continuing birth control pills could extend the viability of eggs in a woman’s ovaries by putting the ovaries at rest. Seek help for infertility problems early instead of putting it off. If you are over the age of 35, develop a well-defined, aggressive treatment plan with a set schedule. Don’t let your doctor assure you that “everything is fine and you just need to wait it out.” Basically, I advise my patients over the age of 35, if there is no pregnancy after 6 months, see a fertility specialist for a complete and thorough evaluation (which should only take 1-2 months), create a treatment plan in a set amount of time and move through that plan sequentially. For example, if you start with ovulation induction and intercourse, use for 4-6 months, then go to IUI for only 4 attempts, then go to IVF. As time goes on, your chances are getting smaller and smaller, even with IVF.

HEALTH
The key ingredient here is good health and exercise in the years leading up to trying to conceive. It is recommended to exercise for at least 5 hours each week. Good habits start early, but it’s never too late to start! Weight can also affect your ability to get pregnant, in some cases, and being too above or below your ideal BMI (body mass index) can be detrimental. Check the National Institutes of Health website to calculate your BMI: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/. Try to have an ideal BMI, however, do not postpone pregnancy to lose weight if you are over 35 years old.

diet
A good diet before you begin your efforts to conceive is also important. It makes sense to eat lots of fruits and vegetables, but did you know that dairy products and yogurt have been found to be equally important? A Harvard Medical School study suggests that full-fat, not low-fat, dairy products are responsible for protecting against ovulatory infertility. Another interesting finding has been that folic acid improves ovulation in women and, in men, sperm quality! It can be taken as a multivitamin and found in foods like oranges. Eliminating trans fats in women with diabetes also seems to help. Moderate intake of caffeine and alcohol is also important. Once again, the ideal weight is beneficial. No matter what anyone else says, there are no diets or foods that “enhance” fertility, but a healthy diet can help in general.

TIMED SEXUAL ACTIVITY
Many couples trying to conceive use over-the-counter ovulation kits. However, there are a few things to keep in mind. Most women ovulate 14 days before their next period. For example: If your cycles are 25 days long, you will most likely be ovulating around cycle day 11. Your fertile window would then be CD# 9-13. Those are the days I would recommend having sex. You must stop intercourse at CD #7 and wait until CD #9 to begin. Have sex once a day in those five days, only one ejaculation per day. Start using your ovulation kit on CD #9 (counting back 16 days from the end of your average cycle). Remember, once the egg is released from the ovary, it is only receptive to sperm and can be fertilized for about 12 hours. If you have irregular cycles you may have another problem and need to see a specialist to determine what is going on. But the absolute bottom line over time is this, make it fun NOT scientific! Her husband will become a reluctant participant if he is forced. Don’t tell him, “Honey, it’s my fertile time again, we need to have sex,” he shouldn’t even know. You just need to set the stage for him to get interested, excited and “warmed up”. That way, both of you will enjoy the experience and it won’t be too much of a chore to try.

PATA THE TUXEDO DRESS
Virtually all studies show that smoking impairs fertility. In women, 10 or more cigarettes a day reduces the quality of the egg. Smoking after conception has been linked to miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies. In men who smoke, there is a problem of lower sperm count and lower sperm motility, which means less functionality of sperm. The worst is smoking marijuana. Any chemical that enters your body enters your bloodstream, your cells, and your sperm and/or eggs. This is an absolute no no! The same goes for other forms of recreational drugs, including large amounts of alcohol. My rule of thumb is that if it affects brain cells, it also affects reproductive cells.

RELAX
Couples trying to conceive can get stressed, especially if they’ve been trying for more than a few years. Yoga, acupuncture, massage and meditation tapes made specifically for infertility patients are of great help. My patients are encouraged to use relaxation techniques. It helps them get through the emotional ups and downs of the IVF process. Patients approach the day of the procedure in a much calmer and more relaxed manner and it can make a difference in how well the recovery and transfer goes. Going to see a therapist for massage therapy or meditation therapy may also be covered by insurance, if an anxiety disorder can be shown. As mentioned above, make it fun and enjoyable, not homework.

EXAMINE YOUR DOCTOR
You want a doctor who knows fertility from start to finish. Most of these types of doctors will be able to offer ALL levels of infertility treatment. Just as you don’t want a doctor who only does Clomid, you don’t want a doctor who only does IVF. You will be pushed into the only thing Clomid or IVF can do for you. It is easy to spot this. . . just ask, “what levels and types of treatment can you do for me?” Most importantly, infertility should be diagnosed and treated by a specialist physician, not by general practitioners, nurse practitioners, PAs, or physician assistants.

IF ALL ELSE FAILS…
If your fertility journey is running into too many obstacles, you may need to explore other options. Keep in mind that if you don’t get pregnant naturally, that’s NOT the end of the road. I advise my patients: “Nowadays, we can get almost anyone pregnant, it just depends on what you have to do to get pregnant.” There are many reasons why a woman or man may be infertile and a visit to a good fertility specialist will certainly narrow down or pinpoint where the problem lies. Treatment often varies from person to person, so don’t expect to find the answer in a forum or chat room. Blocked fallopian tubes, high FSH levels, abnormal sperm count or low motility, all these and more explain the infertility problems in many couples.

A diagnosis by a physician is necessary to effectively identify the best course of action for the couple trying to conceive. But don’t let your doctor prescribe Clomid for no good reason. Clomid is NOT a miracle drug. It has a specific purpose, which is to induce ovulation in women who do not ovulate. If you have regular cycles, it is a sign that you are ovulating. That means the problem is something else and Clomid won’t change that. Make sure the treatment you are receiving is treating a specific problem. Ask your doctor to explain his strategy, why you’re using the treatment he recommends, and what he’s treating. Treatment without a specific reason is a waste of time and money, as is treatment without completing a full infertility evaluation. I can’t tell you how many patients I have seen who have been on multiple cycles of Clomid or IUI only to find out their tubes are blocked!

Above all, stay positive, we are here to help!

The New Cougar Dating Trend

After more than 20 years of formal international research on the topic of young men dating older women, I see that the Cougar dating trend is changing. I am excited to see the last barrier to male/female relationships finally dissolve and find its own level towards permanence. There are still older women who want a child’s toy or a no-strings-attached relationship. They may be permanently fed up with pursuing something long-term, don’t want to remarry, and enjoy the freedom of having a friend with benefits where there is limited or no drama. And that’s fine. As I often say on my Cougar dating site, “There’s a lid for every pot.” But what I notice and hear from men and women on my site is that younger men who are not “thrill seekers” or inexperienced in cougar dating and women who have had positive experiences dating younger men and they don’t want to go back to dating men their own age or older who are looking for something more lasting, meaningful and, dare I say it? Permanent.

Yes, the statistics on my site show that around 90% of women are looking for love and maybe even marriage with a younger man. The BBC reported in a documentary that 25% of our neighbors across the pond are happily married to younger men. 30% of older women are open to dating younger men in the United States. Although there are plenty of newcomers to Cougar dating, 45% of women who have dated younger men before don’t plan on dating men their age or older again. I am finding that older Cubs, primarily mature young men in their 20s and 30s and older, are interested in long-term relationships, especially if they have dated or been married to older women. The Boy Toys (which is what I call the ‘serial players’) tend to be 18 year old men in their mid to even late 20’s who have no experience with women, working under what I have termed “The Myth of the Stiffler’s Mom,” or thrill-seeking. with as many women as can be prey to them. Yes Virginia, 30 year old male virgins do exist, and many of them are looking for an older woman to show them the ropes. The interesting thing is that once they experience a full relationship with an older woman, they are much less inclined to suffer from the immaturity, selfishness, and lack of life experience of a girl their age or younger. This is when many Boy Toys become Cougar dating devotees. As a young cub from Atlanta told me, “I wasn’t looking for love. I wanted to hunt as many cougars as I could and just have fun. And then I met this wonderful woman from New York.” old ladder to fall headfirst into heels with the cougar woman on it. I love when people meet and, as I often say, “there’s a lid for every pot.”

Since Cougar dating is becoming more common in the United States, more and more women are coming out. I see more women from the Midwest and Southern states joining the site this year compared to last year when most members were from larger cities like Los Angeles. The UK and Canada have historically been ‘out’ and you’d be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t heard the term ‘Cougar’. Hate it or love it, it’s here to stay, which is why women are beginning to embrace it and define it for themselves. It is losing its derogatory connotation and men are realizing that there is no single definition for Cougar. As myths of leopard print wear, the female predator give way to soccer moms, secretaries, bank tellers, lawyers, the everyday woman replaces the teenage male fantasy, and women are more comfortable looking to men 7 years or more younger than them. saying “why not?” And more and more young men are telling me they are falling for their Cougar women.

The addition of Cougar dating is leading to worldwide acceptance of this intergenerational dating trend; a trend that is here to stay. My members are coming out to their friends and family. Actuaries will even agree that, statistically speaking, it makes sense for an older woman to meet, date, mate, and marry a younger man. I recently spoke with a retired Harvard-educated physician who told me that biologically it made more sense for a woman in her sexual prime to date and marry a man in her sexual prime. Women enjoy being with a man who is caring, loving, energetic, vital, protective, funny, and has less baggage than his older male counterpart. Men love being with an affectionate, mature woman with a perspective on life, who knows what she wants, who is not needy, insecure or superficial. The pots have found the lids of it. Tapas have found their pots!

It’s just a natural transition and an easy look into the Cougar crystal ball to see the obvious: More long-term relationships and marriages between Cougar and Cub are just around the corner. Thrill seekers, however, do not need to apply.