Do you read product reviews?

The amount of information the Internet brings us is pretty amazing, I'm one of those that takes the time to research products and large item purchases before I buy. Sometimes the consumer reviews on products makes me decide a product is for me, sometimes it makes me have second thoughts. Sometimes it helps me talk one of my daughters out of buying a product they've seen advertising on...Either way, from apidexin reviews to zicam reviews, it can pay off to take just a few moments to research before you buy...

It's electric...

A few months back, I was supposed to review an electronic cigarette, but apparently one of my neighbors either received my package by mistake and decided to keep it for themselves or some other postal mishap happened since I never received the package. Hence I've still wondered if that or any of the electronic cigarette usa brands out there actually do work and how. I've heard anecdotal stories from friends of friends, but not anyone directly yet as to the electric smoke experience compared to the traditional cigarette.

So, if you've actually tried it? Let me know. Yes, I know smoking is not considered healthy, so lectures on my vice are not necessary.

:-)

Text books online

College text books can be expensive, my bunch that is and was in college always tried to find their books online, used whenever possible to save money. Then when they had completed a course, if it was one a friend or a sibling was not going to take in the very near future they'd sell books from those courses online instead of back to the college bookstore. Most times they ended up with enough money from their old text books to buy the books needed for the next semester.

Extended warranties and product insurance...

I have a mixed view when it comes to buying extended warranties or product insurance, my basic formulation is to weigh the cost of the item, the predicted lifespan of the item against what the price is either for the warranty or some other additional product insurance. I also look at the price of the deductible that's required, if you've paid $300 for something and the deductible is over $150, chances are within a year that product costs less than that with the way technology is changing. For larger ticket items it can at times be worth it, which is why things like an ipad warranty or pc insurance are being marketed.

As always, read the fine print, especially when it comes to how and when the warranty or insurance would be paid and what limitations exist...

Wrap your credit cards in tin foil...

Technology is great, but it can at times have unintended consequences, there has been a growing concern when it comes to radio-frequency-identification (RFID) technology and security. The new ePassports and millions of credit cards use this technology, rather than having to swipe your card? You tap it and voila, your purchase is complete.

There are things you can buy to protect your credit card or your passport, like a rfid blocking wallet or RFID sleeves or even use tin foil (if you want to get some real looks at the store when you unpeel your credit card).

While card issuers say sleeves aren't necessary and claim the newer RFID cards no longer have the cardholder's name and say it would be more difficult for a thief to use the card number without a name or security code, it's still something you should be aware of. Especially since there is no "off" button and some credit card companies don't give you an option as to an RFID free card...

Why you should think about your furnace in the summer...

Right now with it being over 90 degrees outside in most parts of the country, the last thing you are probably thinking about is your furnace. Yet, summer is a great time to have your furnace checked out and if it's time to replace more than those furnace filters -- there are usually some great discount deals before the weather gets cold from a variety of furnace manufacturers and local businesses. You should also check with your local energy provider, sometimes they have rebate deals for replacement of furnaces or other high energy use appliances.

Ferrous Sulfate interacts with Synthroid...

To help combat my severe anemia the doctor put me on a megadose course of Ferrous Sulfate (iron) - the normal dosage is 325 mg a day - I am supposed to take it three times a day for a total of 975 mg per day. While my hemoglobin count - which is supposed to be at least 12 (it was almost 8) has been slowly increasing, I wasn't feeling better. I was feeling worse.

I've been taking Synthroid for about 15 years and I asked as I normally do, will the Ferrous Sulfate interact with it and was told no when it was prescribed. There have been a few previous times when the doctor has said no and the pharmacy has let me know that there was an interaction. Nothing was said when I got the script and I was given a higher dosage of Synthroid at the same time the Ferrous Sulfate was prescribed.

Normally I search out drug interactions myself just to be safe since once in the past decade the doctors and the pharmacy missed one drug interaction but with this supposed wonderful new computer system that our pharmacy touts, I'd lulled myself into a false sense of security. Today I was searching Ferrous Sulfate to see if perhaps the reason I wasn't feeling better was because of the high dosage I'm on. It was then I discovered that the FDA website had a warning about a possible drug interaction. I did some further searching and discovered:

14 patients with hypothyroidism who were taking a stable long-term regimen of levothyroxine demonstrated an increase in mean serum thyrotropin (thyroid-stimulating hormone, or TSH) level from 1.6 to 5.4 mU/L following the addition of ferrous sulfate (300 mg administered simultaneously with levothyroxine 30 to 60 minutes before breakfast) for 3 months. A total of 11 patients had increases in serum TSH at week 12 compared to baseline, including two that had levels above the upper limit of normal for the assay, indicating the presence of hypothyroidism. Nine of the eleven also had an increase in signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism based on subjective evaluation using a clinical score.

What does that mean? The combination of the Ferrous Sulfate and the Synthroid appears to be creating a scenario where it's increased my hypothyroidism.

Moral of the story? You can't trust the medical profession or apparently the drug interaction computer system. What makes this situation more frustrating is I had talked with my physician's staff yesterday and told them I was feeling worse not better and with the rising hemoglobin levels I should have been feeling at least a bit better. Their suggestion was to "pop another iron pill" which I did not do since I was already on three times the normal dosage. It's too early to tell if I've discovered what is going on and I know this will not impact most of my readers but could help those searching for information at a later time.

I'll update this thread either way.

Supplements online...

It's pretty amazing how many different types of supplements you can find to purchase online. From hgh for sale to a nutritional supplements, it's out there. Research is something I always recommend but I also always recommend asking your health professional first. It is fairly clear most people don't take that extra step and in some cases may not really get a benefit from a product that for their particular situation, may not be needed...

Should you take vitamins?

Your first response may be, "no - I don't need to take vitamins I eat a healthy diet" but statistically chances are you don't. The USDA has reported only 10 percent of Americans actually eat a good diet. One cited example, only 17 percent of people consume the recommended number of servings of fruit per day.

For women it's especially an issue, the USDA’s Continuing Survey of Food Intakes
by Individuals (CSFII) revealed adult females failed to meet the recommended daily intake (RDA) for five nutrients: calcium, vitamin E, vitamin B6, magnesium and zinc.

I've been monitoring my diet, which has led me to discover how difficult it is to try to increase B6, as an example, through food sources.

Oil spill predicted to raise insurance rates

Just as if you have too many accidents or speeding tickets your insurance rates can increase, making you start thinking about searching out insurance reviews to get a better deal, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to increase insurance costs.

While it's not the fault of the other oil companies, experts predict the higher premiums that will result could force some of the smaller oil and gas companies out of business.

"The experience is that insurance goes up in areas where there have been large claims," Devon President John Richels said at the Reuters Global Energy Summit, noting that rates always rise after big hurricanes.

While BP did not have external insurance, it's seeking up to $700 million through a policy held by Transocean. It's also been reported that Lloyd’s of London has estimated that net claims from the Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico stood between $300 million and $600 million as of last week.

Google and your employment future...

There's been a lot of attention recently as to Facebooks changes in their privacy controls and some people who have been with Facebook since the beginning when they felt they had more privacy feel betrayed. Yet the reality is even years ago when Facebook was only accessible to college students, colleges were checking Facebook for information on prospective students and interns. Now, it's really not uncommon at all for Google to be used as part of the employment screening process where what is out there about you (or someone with the same name as you) can be a factor in your future career moves.

Deleting something does not always make it go away, which is the most important less on people seem to never learn. One thing in particular people should be paying more attention to is the Facebook groups that they "like" (yes, that used to be "fan"). Joining controversial groups if you are job hunting is not smart as that group you "liked" in fun could give potential employers the wrong idea about you...

Is a health savings account for you?

Depending upon your personal situation a health savings account may be an option for you to have more control over your health care dollars and in some cases save on health care costs. Industry wide it's stated that HSA's reduce health care costs long term by one-third for most people but they don't immediately create savings. For those with pre-existing medical conditions who need regular medical care and treatment, an HSA might not be for you though there is the added benefit not having to have pre-authorized providers of treatments.

Some employers are very proactive when it comes to HSA's others are not so it's important to do some research. There are a variety of companies out there that offer HSA's which also means the terms are not automatically the same and there are different plans in different states. Currently the IRS allows you to contribute up to $6,150 for a family and $3,050 for one individual per year.

Backing up is not hard to do...

I have an external harddrive that I use to back up the information on my computer, I try to do this every week or so, just in case something were to happen to my computer. I learned the hard way after losing everything several years ago. There are people that prefer to use an online backup system, which does has some advantages, especially if some sort of natural disaster or other disaster such as a fire happened, your information would be stored somewhere else. Whether you opt for the way I do it or using an online system, I recommend doing something. Most of us store quite a few important pictures and documents on our computers that would be very hard to replace...

Bureaucracy creates jobs...

No where is that more evident than when it comes to the government benefit system, especially related to the disability appeal system. Companies have been formed specifically to try to help people navigate a system that has become at times too complex for the average person to try to work their way through. Companies like Allsup have helped more than 130,000 people, which while it's great they have found a way to not only help people but to employ people, makes you wonder as to the larger issue of how things got that complex in the first place and what the real solutions are.

Digging into 990's reveals...furniture

I've been doing a research project into local non-profits in our area to be able to do a comparison on how much the top executives/board of directors make. What's been interesting on top of the difference in the salary numbers is one thing that seems to be a constant in almost all of them, large and small, every year purchases of office furniture, which could make one wonder why so many furniture items are being bought when the employee numbers don't increase, in some cases decrease. I've had the same computer desk for ten years, I've had the same computer chair for three, so it's been kind of surprising to see how much is spent on office furniture that in some cases seems like with what it cost, it should last longer than my originally priced $80.00 computer desk...

Protein powders and endorsements...

My son decided a few years ago that he wanted to increase his ratio of muscle to body fat and started a weight lifting program. He's been rather successful at meeting his personal goals and at one time he was using some of the different protein powders out there on the market. When he got to where he wanted to be, he quit using the products and focused on training, though I know some out there continue to use these products. One was Stemulite which recently was in the news because former all-star college and pro running back, Roger Craig signed on as an endorser of this product.

Most times it is wondered if this is something that the athlete or star really uses as a product, but it appears in the case of Roger Craig that he not only uses the products made by True Healthy Products but his children also use it, two of them are also athletes. I always recommend people take product endorsements with a grain of salt that they use as one deciding factor when looking at a product but not just buy something because of the names attached to it. I also recommend reading all of the material on a product, as in case with Stemulite, if you are allergic to mushrooms it's not advised that you use the product and you shouldn't use the product if you are on blood thinners...

Credit card rates and the government...

The next big battle involving banks and the government is related to credit card fees and other charges. I recommend this USA Today article from April that covers some of the basic points being raised by both sides.

An earlier post on the White House blog also provides additional details:

Almost half of American families currently carry a balance, and for those families the average balance was $7,300 at last check in 2007 (the median was $3,000). Meanwhile, penalty fees on credit cards are around $15 billion annually, an estimated 10 percent of total credit card industry revenues -- one-fifth of those carrying credit card debt pay an interest rate above 20 percent.

Then the Presidential address from today which also focused on credit card reform.

This doesn't have bi-partisan support, Republicans favor prosecuting predatory lenders and requiring issuers to more fully disclose agreements in language that consumers can easily understand instead of the plan currently being discussed by the President and Democrats in Congress.

The buy American mantra when it comes to laptops...

There has been quite a bit of discussion related to why you should buy American when it comes to a car, yet there is very little discussion ever about buying other items made in America. Let's take computers as an example, if you are looking for laptop deals the reality is it is almost impossible to find a laptop that is made in the US or even contains a majority of parts made in the US.

In 2006 it was reported that factories in or near Shanghai make nearly 83 percent of the world’s portable computers, and that figure is expected to increase within a couple of years. It was predicted that by 2008 90% of all laptops would be made in China. When you try to google "Laptops made in US" you don't get very far, so I wasn't able to easily discover if there even are any laptops that are made in the US anymore all that you can easily find is laptop cases advertised as made in the US...

Identity theft and consumer tips...

Consumer Federation of America released a report in March entitled, "To Catch a Thief: Are Identity Theft Services Worth the Cost?" that I found to be an interesting read. Last year, nearly 10 million people became victims of identity fraud, according to a Javelin Strategy & Research annual survey. The number of companies out there marketing identity theft protection has also grown.

There's a common sense aspect to protecting your identity but it's not always possible, which means no matter if you do it yourself or use a identity theft protection program, do your homework. Read what is included and make your decision based on that as opposed to letting the headlines in the media on the most recent identity theft story make you respond.

Pondering Payday Loans

With the focus on the economy and so many people facing budget issues, it stands to reason that the payday lending industry is going to be one that people turn to. While there has been a great deal of controversy over this at times, in my opinion, there is a simple logic to it. The reality is the ability to access a cash advance is a market that this industry fills. If it didn't? They would not exist. Those that have a less expensive option, take it.

When this was a hot topic in Ohio, I couldn't get past the fact that bouncing a ten dollar check could create more fees and net end result of a higher interest rate than a payday loan for several hundred dollars. It's easy to give people advice when it comes to money management, and there are clear horror stories out there about people who have not used the concept of a check advance the way it was intended. Or who have assumed this was free money and gone to more than one lender knowing that they had no real ability to repay it.

It's rather ironic to me that a whole industry is blamed for the few scenarios where the real blame would be more one of personal responsibility. If we truly do believe that this is a free market society, then while there does need to be certain protections in place, there should be the natural competition of the market place without bias towards or against one industry. Here in Ohio, it was the credit unions who stood to gain the most from limiting the amount of money a payday lender could charge. There was very little discussion as to what would happen to those who relied on the cash advance industry, just an assumption that by somehow trying to run these companies out of business it would magically make things better.

There have been times in the past when my family used a check advance because circumstances beyond our control made our budget go out the window. The trick is to only borrow what you know you can repay, that seems to me to be what the focus should be on. As the economy continues to impact us, I think it's a discussion that should be taking place...