Category Archives: Health

If you want to get your finances in line, step one is “buy less,” but how do we go about doing that? It can be hard to decide what’s worth spending money on and what is worth cutting out, especially when under the influence of an estimated 5,000 marketing messages a day.

It all comes down to the difference between “want” and “need.” You may feel like you absolutely have to have those hot pink satin pumps with the bow, but you certainly won’t keel over without them in the closet. Same thing goes for ice cream sandwiches or a solid gold umbrella holder.

Don’t worry; we would never tell you that you should live in an empty apartment with nothing but sacks of rice and a pair of Birkenstocks. You can still live the good life, as long as you give your purchases some thought.

Read on for ten things we think the modern, savvy women “needs” instead of “wants.”

Want: Exotic and Engineered Health Foods

Need: Healthy Basics

From the way the media and advertisers talk, you would think we would all keel over and die without a daily infusion of acai berries, coconut water, and Guatemalan dark chocolate. These foods certainly have health benefits, but so do blueberries, apples, and – gasp – plain water from the tap. As long as you keep your plate colorful with a variety of whole, fresh, local produce and proteins, you can get all your daily vitamins and minerals.

Just don’t go too far and buy cheap, processed food, as it will cost you in the long run.

Want: Cable TV

Need: A Way to Unwind

It may seem like you just can’t get by without a healthy dose of high-quality TV at the end of a long workday. Who doesn’t want to veg out in front of the TV sometimes?

The thing is, cable is expensive, and in the long run, not that great for your health or mind. You probably won’t look back on your life and say, “I wish I had caught every episode of Real Housewives!”

If the idea of going cold turkey on your favorite reality television show scares you, try unplugging the TV for a week or even a month. You’ll find that during the time you would have been watching TV you could be reading that hot new novel, trying your hand at cooking dinner, or finally getting a full night’s rest.

And to be honest, most good TV shows come out on DVD later anyway.

Want: The Latest Clothing Trend (Harem Pants Anyone?)

Need: Beautiful Basics

Who says you need to throw out your wardrobe and break the bank every spring? Oh right, the fashion industry.

Thing is, the crazy new trends coming out every year are the fashion industry’s ploy to get you to spend more money. Case in point: one intrepid lady, Cynthia Closkey, tried wearing the same six items of clothing for a month. While she did get many compliments on her style, no one noticed that she was wearing the same thing over and over again. Shocking, we know.

Instead of buying ten crazy pieces that will make your grandchildren giggle when they look through your photo album, try investing in one classic, well-made pair of pants, black pumps, or a silky-soft sweater that will carry you through three seasons. You’ll gain a reputation as that always-pulled-together woman in your workplace.

Want: A Huge House

Need: A Place to Live Your Life Well

Ah, the American dream: a three-story mansion in the suburbs with a hot tub and a sub-zero refrigerator.

Maybe it’s time to rethink the American “dream” a little. In reality, true satisfaction comes from relationships with the people you love, and it’s hard to hold a conversation with your significant other when you’re in the upstairs study and he’s in the TV room in the basement.

When you’re looking for a place to live, try to avoid the siren call of a grandiose, never-used living room, or a separate playroom for the kids, and think about having just enough space to share with your family.

Want: Fancy Kitchen Gadgets

Need: Your Grandmother’s Basics

It’s slices, dices, minces and chops! It’s… a knife.

Yes, those infomercials call out to you, with special countertops chicken rotisseries, shrink wrap machines, and hydroponic tomato gardens. But the best cook you ever knew – your grandmother – put a yummy dinner on the table every night without any of these newfangled gadgets. Some people claim that even a microwave is superfluous.

If you want a great place to spend your money, try a knife skills class, which will make a Slap Chop entirely unnecessary. Otherwise, you can get by with just a few kitchen staples, no fancy bread maker necessary. Start with a pot, a pan, one knife, a cutting board, a mixing bowl, and a wooden spoon, and add on as you see fit.

Want: A Gym Membership and Personal Trainer

Need: A Pair of Tennis Shoes and the Internet

Sometimes we just want someone to solve our problems for us, and the personal trainer fits the bill. Perhaps if we pay someone to yell at us, we can finally get off our butts!

But when it comes to getting in shape, all you really need is some enthusiasm, a pair of tennis shoes, and a little bit of advice from a reputable fitness website. Going for a jog outdoors and doing sit-ups on your floor is always free.

Even if you decide that you need some weight lifting to round out your regimen, you can find lots of exercises that use your own body as resistance, or require only a resistance band.

Want: A Car to Take You Everywhere

Need: Some Form of Transportation

According to a poll by ABC News, six in ten Americans have public transportation available; yet just ten percent use it regularly, and even less use it for their daily commute. This seems counterintuitive when you factor in the cost of gas, car insurance, and the car itself, plus the emotional toll of getting stuck in traffic on a daily basis. If you have the ability to use public transportation, why not try it? You’ll have more time to catch up on your reading or prepare for meetings, at least.

Even for those of us without the advantage of a subway system, at the very least many of us could save a lot on gas if we just rethought our car trips. With more than a quarter of all car trips in metropolitan areas being less than a mile, it’s clear we aren’t taking full advantage of our ability to walk or bike. Not only will you save money, you’ll get some much needed exercise, no gym needed. Also, have you tried riding a bike lately? It really is a happy pill on two wheels.

In the long run, you might want to consider buying a home that is closer to your work. According to one study, the activity most injurious to your happiness is a long commute: if your commute is an hour, you have to earn an average of 40 percent more income to be as satisfied with life than if you could just walk to the office. That’s true even if you have a larger house outside of the city with a backyard.

Do you agree with these suggestions? Are there other things you’ve discovered you just don’t need? Let me know in the comments.