"The spirit in which a thing is given determines that in which the debt is acknowledged; it's the intention, not the face-value of the gift, that's weighed." - Seneca

SavingAdvice.com Blog

Bridging the gap between saving money and investing

Kendra Smith

Plan Your Feast With This Thanksgiving Dinner Printable Shopping List

By 3 Comments

Thanksgiving Shopping List

If you haven’t already finished your Thanksgiving shopping, waiting for great deals might be high on your list. With all the possible choices and places to shop, it may be confusing and difficult to decide where to find the best deals. Be sure to take along our Printable Thanksgiving Shopping List (PDF) to ensure you don’t forget anything.

What Is the Cost of Thanksgiving Dinner?

The good news is there hasn’t been a large increase in the price of a traditional Thanksgiving meal. According to the American Farm Bureau’s 32nd Price Survey, you can prepare a traditional Thanksgiving dinner serving 10 people for just $50, and for the most part is the same as compared to last year. The survey found that the average price for a Thanksgiving feast in 2017 is $49.12 which comes out to less than $5 a person. There are a number of ways to save money on Thanksgiving.

So, how would one score an excellent price on a Thanksgiving feast?

Go Brick and Mortar

Meijer offers a turkey at $0.37 per lb (limit one per transaction) which is a great deal and among the lowest available. This year, there is no spending requirement for the turkey deal, unless you live in Wisconsin, where you’ll need to purchase $25 worth of groceries. Kroger offers turkeys at $0.47 per lb (limit two) with an additional $25 in purchases.

Essentially, all major chains are selling turkeys at a loss. Why? Because the turkeys get discounted only if you purchase more merchandise from the store. Vegetables are down in price too, with Aldi leading the country in the lowest priced vegetables overall.

Although you may not find as much local produce as most people prefer these days, you should still consider Walmart when you shop. They offer low prices on Libbys and Double Lucky brand canned vegetables, and their prices on fresh vegetables are nothing to scoff at.

Look For Your Thanksgiving Shopping List Items Online

In recent years internet retailers have made a bigger push for holiday-related food sales. Companies like Amazon, Netgrocer, Shopfoodex, and MyBrands are all offering seasonal discounts on fall food orders, so you might be able to get some good deals on bulk non-perishable items. Of these retailers, Amazon is the 800-pound gorilla. Its got the biggest selection of organic and hard to find foods. You can also get free shipping if you sign up for a free trial of Amazon Prime. There is a bit more work involved, but you can sign up for the trial, buy your stuff, then cancel to avoid the shipping fees.

You may have to purchase a little more to get your turkey at a discount, which could increase the overall cost of your meal. Be sure to weigh the pros and cons of spending enough on groceries with the regular cost of the turkey.

What’s on your Thanksgiving shopping list? Share with us in the comments below!

Read More

Save Money With This Frugal Thanksgiving Menu
12 Ways to Get a Free Thanksgiving Turkey
Recipes for Cutting the Costs on Thanksgiving Dinner

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Gives Terrible Career Advice to Women

By Leave a Comment

Satya Nadella gives bad career advice to women trying to get equal pay

As the first male keynote speaker of the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, Satya Nadella, CEO of the world’s largest software maker Microsoft, was hoping to continue revamping the company’s image. While he admitted he “was petrified” to the crowd of 8,000 (7,500 women and 500 men), it was for a good reason. The tech industry itself has been under fire for the gender gap that can only be described as a void of women. The CEO was interviewed by Microsoft director Maria Klawe. While the interview started out friendly and fun, an ill-fated comment about women’s wages and raises took the conversation into an awkward turn.

Nadella shared a story about his rise to CEO in tech world. While trying to manage his career, he was told by a female boss to “Settle down. Believe in the system and the right things will happen.” He needed to stop pushing so hard to get promoted. The question on the table was the tactful approach for women to ask for a raise. He repeated the sage advice given to him by a superior. This was not met with a very positive response.

Klawe tried to salvage the moment by asserting that she left $50,000 in salary on the table when taking jobs at Princeton and Harvey Mudd because she didn’t negotiate hard enough for the salary she deserved, or that a male counterpart would receive. She urged women to get what they are worth and to think they are worth as much as males in their field.

Later, Nadella tweeted, “Was inarticulate re how women should ask for raise. Our industry must close gender pay gap so a raise is not needed because of a bias.” He also posted a statement on the Microsoft’s web site that he had answered the questions wrong. “Without a doubt I wholeheartedly support programs at Microsoft and in the industry that bring more women into technology and close the pay gap. If you think you deserve a raise, you should just ask.”

Although the interview did take a rather awkward turn and led to a very uncomfortable exchange, it did start and end on a good note for the company. Klawe started the interview stating that she adored Nadella, and he joked that she had to twist his arm as a director of the board to get him to appear, which started the crowd off chuckling. Nadella’s miscued responses seemed to have been out of character for his progressive views, and Klawe sought out to end the interview as well as it had begun. She ended it with a hug. “I’m not sure you’ll ever let me interview you again,” said Klawe. “Can we have a hug on stage?”

(Photo courtesy of Bhupinder Nayyar)

FAA Drone Regulation

By Leave a Comment

4487469_0e38f62c
According to Fortune, there may be 1 million more drones (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)) in the sky by Christmas. With Cyber Monday about a month away, FDA regulations need to be set in place. It appears that although the technology is here and now, the regulations regarding the technology have yet to be put in place.

It has been suggested that drone planes and helicopters are well suited for work from spraying fields with pesticides to delivering your packages and all kinds of forms and functions between.

The Federal Aviation Administration has yet to release guidelines for commercial use of drones and without their involvement, there would be no one to police all the tiny drones in the sky. And while the FAA has released statements stating they are close to releasing a draft of proposed regulations, officials are quick to point out that the finalization is probably over a year away.

“The No. 1 responsibility of the FAA is to protect U.S. citizens. We have to allow them to do their jobs,” State Representative John Torbett said. “There is frustration they are taking a very long time, but we hope that is because of the precision of the agency.” Precision or inefficiency, you decide.

Torbett is the chair person of the interim committee of the use of unmanned aircraft technology or drones. As of today, the commercial use of drones if regulated by the FAA. Therefore, drones are now being used for many applications: real estate, aerial photography, agronomy and others.

Torbett says he reviews a new use idea about once per week despite the federal prohibition on use. As will all government regulated issues, one would assume that there would be more than one agency would want a piece of the action.

But in this case, the National Transportation Safety Board was the first entity to step back and give all the responsibility to the FAA, citing unmanned aircraft are exactly that – aircraft. Despite others appealing to them, they admit to having no place in the argument.

The biggest issue – air space. When new technology like this comes around, the FAA wants to gradually work their way into undisputed regulation and approval because we only have so much space in the sky. Much progress has already been made.

In response to the new technology, North Carolina has already started laying the ground work with regulations on how commercial and government used drones will operate within state lines. California has as well. So, with the future, North Carolina is the most poised to take a leading roll in the drone revolution. California is doing its part as well.

It is projected that drones, over a million having been sold so far and a million more by Christmas.

Perhaps the FHA isn’t releasing drone regulations quickly because it’s not that high of a priority. True, drones are becoming more and more common but are they that dangerous? The scariest reports are drones impeding firefighting efforts, drones flying too close to aircraft’s and noise pollution. With the exception of aircraft’s, these are all pretty small potatoes being the FHA is in charge of the world’s most complicated transportation infrastructure.

 

Gluten Free Diets Are More Difficult Than You Think and Can Be Unhealthy

By 2 Comments

Gluten free diets are difficult and can be unhealthy
While diagnosis of Celiac Disease can be hit and miss leading to high costs and sometimes the need for painful procedures for verification, it can be diagnosed in other ways such as eliminating foods and waiting to see the results. The reality is only around seven percent of the population actually need to be on a gluten free diet for Celiac disease or other forms of gluten intolerance.

Even so, there are many others who view the gluten free diet as a healthy way to eat even if they don’t meet the medical parameters of being gluten intolerant. While many people feel gluten free is healthy, the fact is that it can be even less healthy than eating gluten depending on how you eat. Here are some facts you need to know if you decide you want to go gluten free.

In this fast-paced world, we rely heavily on processed products and going gluten free requires a lot of time and effort in the kitchen. Cooking from scratch is becoming a lost art and with such changes, it is logical that anyone who wants to go gluten free may blindly follow a label.

Living a gluten free lifestyle goes beyond the kitchen. For starters, the gluten protein is used as a binder. It is found in cleaning formulas, laundry detergent, shampoos, soap and toothpaste, just to name a few places.

If you’ve not lived a gluten free lifestyle before, remember that gluten is also a protein that embeds itself in almost everything with pores – granite counter tops, ceramic tile, plastic storage bowls etc. One cannot truly be gluten free without sanitizing their entire lifestyle. If a person wants to be on just a gluten free diet, there are some things everyone needs to know before proceeding.

A gluten free diet can remind you of eating cardboard when it comes to replacing foods that usually have gluten in them. So make sure that in an attempt to make it more tasty that you don’t over salt or over season, which can cause other health issues.

In the beginning, you’ll want to track your intake of vitamins and minerals to make sure you’re not losing anything in the mix. If you are, don’t forget to find a way to supplement those missing necessities.

You will have to learn how to really cook mostly from scratch to be truly gluten free. Trading in over-processed and preserved foods for other over-processed and preserved foods with a gluten free label does no one any favors, it may increase a person’s sodium levels, and it can actually be more unhealthy than having gluten in your diet.

Gluten free food is less sustainable and requires more preservatives if it’s prepackaged for the consumer. This causes higher overhead for shorter shelf life. High overhead for manufacturers increases the cost of these foods. Manufacturers also know they can charge a premium price for gluten free food.

Meats, in general, are gluten free. If for example, the pigs are fed wheat bread however, there can be some contamination. So it’s good to know where you’re buying from and their practices on additives and diet for their products. In reality, this is something that should be advocated for any meat purchase, not just to certify that it is gluten free.

Be sure to read product labels. There is actually no certification to prove something is gluten free and some products you may think are gluten free actually aren’t. Chances are you are going to have to spend long hours in the store reading the labels on everything before you buy it. Note the following examples. Potato flakes used for making instant mashed potatoes can include wheat flour or gluten. Many products made with oats say they are gluten free but they do not have a dedicated gluten free facility for processing, which means there is a high chance of cross contamination.

Fresh fruits and vegetables should become your new favorite snack. It’s a healthy alternative and a gluten free one that can satisfy almost any craving.

You may want to switch to lower fat dairy products because you’ll probably find that you will eat more of them to balance out your diet. Don’t go overboard though. Science has shown that you can make your body intolerant to foods by eating too much of one thing.

Gluten free living is a process, and it can be time consuming. Weigh your options and make one of them just eating healthier – the information above can be used for that as well.

(Photo courtesy of Paul Swansen)

Tourists Throwing Coins Changing the Colors of Yellowstone’s Hot Spring Pools

By 6 Comments

Tourists throwing coins into hot spring pools changing their color
Have you ever wondered what type of impact tourism can have on the natural environment? Researchers at Montana State University, in a joint effort with researchers from the University of Applied Sciences in Germany, have done just that. Using a simple mathematical model, scientists have reconstructed the original colors of Yellowstone’s hot springs — before we polluted them.

The two universities have constructed mathematical models to show what the springs looked like prior to the 1940’s. Why that time frame? Because that’s prior to the “invasion” of tourists on the natural habitat who have decided to use the springs as wishing wells, tossing in coins or even worse, not taking care of their garbage or tossing it intentionally into the springs. Prior to this study, there has been no mathematical model developed to measure the physical and chemical variables related to iconic pools and springs, such as those in Yellowstone National Park.

They constructed a one dimensional model to reproduce the stunning colors of the springs. Their tools of the trade – digital SLR cameras to see all the stuff visible to the naked eye, long-wave thermal imaging cameras to get readings on the temperature of the water itself, and hand held spectrometers.

“What we were able to show is that you really don’t have to get terribly complex – you can explain some very beautiful things with relatively simple models,” said Joseph Shaw, a professor at Montana State University and director of the university’s Optical Technology Center. Shaw, along with his Ph.D. student Paul Nugent and German colleague Michael Vollmer, co-authored the new paper.

The study did confirm that the change in water color is related to lower water temperatures in the springs. It is directly linked to the microbial mat composition located within the springs themselves. Items such as coins and trash, along with natural debris like rocks, are also contributing to the color change.

While the researchers are not experts in thermal pools, they initially set out to study the optics and the color spectrum of the pools and springs themselves and what may affect their over all appearance. All the leaders involved in the study are actually members of the Optical Society. During their study, the research revealed more than they had originally bargained for and answered some questions no one has ever bothered to ask.

So what did these pools likk like in the past? They were much more blue in color without the other colors that we have grown used to seeing in any of these, such as the Morning Glory hotspring pool. They reported their findings in the journal Applied Optics.

(Photo courtesy of Frank Kovalchek)

Low Glycemic Diet Not Important Unless You’re Diabetic

By 1 Comment

good carb bad carb diet only helps diabetics
It has been out there for years – the glycemic index. We’ve been told the glycemic index is important, but how important is it in reality? We’re told we should keep an eye on it because it affects the blood sugar levels of every human. A new study suggests that people with diabetes are the only ones who should be worried about the glycemic index of foods, and simply being overweight or obese isn’t a factor by itself to go on the diet.

Some have even argued all people should stay on a diet which keeps their sugar levels down, and that the glycemic index should be printed on food packaging as nutrition information. While a low glycemic diet can be nutritious and healthy if done properly, it may not be the most effective way to keep your blood sugar levels even.

With that said, the new study authored by Dr. Frank Sacks, of Brigham and Woman’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, looked at 163 participants over the course of two years, from 2008 to 2010, to see if the glycemic index can make a significant difference in the diet of an overweight adult.

The study was broken up into four groups:

  • High carbohydrate/high glycemic foods
  • High carbohydrate/low glycemic foods
  • Low carbohydrate/high glycemic foods
  • Low carbohydrate/low glycemic foods

Sacks explains, “A higher glycemic diet would have more bananas and instant oatmeal. A lower glycemic index would have dried apricots and steel cut oats.”

Over the course of the study, the researchers did not find much of a difference in the hormone insulin and no particular improvement in other health point indicators. There was also no change or improvement in the systolic pressure of the participant or a decrease or change of fat cells found in the blood.

Prior to the study researchers suggested that the different diets may not make much of a difference, since breads and fruit are both healthy, but they are on opposite ends of the glycemic index. For the most part, the researchers’ hypothesis has proven correct. However, Sacks was very quick to note that those with type 2 Diabetes or adult on-set diabetes should pay particular attention the the index when making dietary choices.

The final conclusion was a diet that includes fruit, non-fat dairy, fish, poultry, vegetable, nuts, vegetable oils and whole grains was the best ones for all adults, not just those struggling with weight issues.

Ultimately, the study has proven that while the glycemic index is important, it is only important in relation to diet change if you are not on a heart healthy diet, or if you are a diabetic patient.

(Photo courtesy of daBinsi)