Young Or Old: It’s Time To Think Retirement
Published May 18, 2012
The clock is ticking. Are you ready?
A couple of recent articles from CNN Money caught my attention for both offered startling statistics. The first, “American’s Buried Under Debt,” reports on a University of Michigan Study. According to CNN, the study found that, “About one out of every five U.S. households owe more on credit cards, medical bills, student loans and other debts not backed by collateral than they have in savings and other liquid assets.” The second article, “American’s Saving Zilch For Retirement” reports that, “49% of all Americans…aren’t contributing to any retirement plan.” Hello? Is anyone listening? Continue reading
Great Savings 13: Cut The Cost Of Rent
Published May 17, 2012
It may not be a villa, but as cheap rent goes it has a pool.
How much of your income should you spend on rent? 20%? 25%? 35%? The trouble with any formula that gives a specific guideline is it rarely takes into account differences in lifestyle or other considerations like location. For example, it’s far more expensive to rent in a big city than out in the country, yet if your work is in the city living in the country may not be an option. Still, as rent eats up a significant portion of most family budgets even a relatively small reduction in the monthly total spent can add up to tens or even hundreds of thousands over the years. Continue reading
Chickpea Salad
Published May 16, 2012
Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans if you prefer, are loaded with protein and important nutrients like molybdenum, manganese, folate and iron. However, like most legumes they are valued for their high fiber content. In fact, just two cups of chickpeas provide an entire day’s recommended dose of fiber. Even better, there are now studies that show the fiber in chickpeas is better for lowering levels of LDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides that other dietary fibers. (Source: WHFoods) Still, any food that doesn’t appeal to taste will do nothing to improve health if you end up avoiding it. That’s why I like this Chickpea Salad so much. Not only do I know I’m eating a really healthy salad, but it tastes terrific. Continue reading
Posted in Bob Anderson, Lifestyle, Recipes, Zero-Based Living | 
food, health, quality of life, Recipe | 
1 Comment
Brain Food: Another Reason To Eat More Fish?
Published May 15, 2012
Will eating certain foods like fish or nuts prevent Alzheimer’s? While no one can yet lay claim to the perfect Alzheimer’s prevention diet, researchers are increasingly focused on the effect of consuming more Omega 3’s—fatty acids found in fish and plant oils. The hope is consuming more of these essential nutrients can prevent or reduce the risk of this mind-crippling disease. Continue reading
JB Exposes The Mrs.
Published May 12, 2012Posted in Bob Anderson, Javabird, Just For Quacks | Comic, family, for fun, Laughter | Leave a comment
Kids and Money: Setting Clear Expectations
Published April 27, 2012
When your kids are old enough to talk back to you, it’s time to start teaching them about money and finances. Don’t wait until they graduate from high school and head off to college. By then, you’ll have missed an incredible opportunity. Our saving and spending habits begin in early childhood. That means building a better future is all about equipping kids with the right tools from the get-go. Continue reading
Great Savings 12: Eating For Health And Wealth
Published April 24, 2012
In our original Great Savings Tip 12, we suggested you can stop drinking soda and save almost $200 a year. It’s actually much more than that and we’ll break the numbers down for you in a moment. However, the real issue here goes far beyond saving a few hundred bucks on pop. As we recently learned in Rules For Healthy Eating: Cutting Added Sugars Americans diets contain far too much added sugar. It’s not just in soda, either. Added sugar comes in many forms including candy bars, sugary snacks, desserts, breakfast cereal and many so-called “healthy” or “natural” foods like granola bars and low-fat yogurts.
Think "All Natural" is good for you? Before saying yes check out the added sugar. This protein bar has 25 grams of sugar. That's a lot.
Here’s the kicker: Cut out some of this added sugar and not only do we save a few bucks this year, but we’ll save thousands over the long-term. Even better, we’re bound to gain far less weight over the years, and that means less medical care and all the anguish associated with being overweight. Continue reading
Spring Is In The Air
Published April 23, 2012
I can’t help it. I love spring. The flowers are blooming, the leaves are popping and there’s hope for summer right around the bend. I took these shots while I was out walking this past weekend. Click on the pictures to expand them and use your browser to come back. Enjoy! Continue reading
Posted in Bob Anderson, Lifestyle, Photos, Zero-Based Living | for fun, greener planet, peace of mind, quality of life | Leave a comment
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