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Eight Easy Ways to Start Saving Money This Year

Eight Easy Ways to Start Saving Money This Year

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The goal most Americans should be striving for is to put back 20% of their earnings into savings – but research shows that the average American is only saving 5.5% and many save none at all. How can you increase your savings and still maintain the lifestyle you want?

  1. Meal planning is one of the best ways to save money. By creating a plan for your week, shopping according to a strict list, and only allowing yourself to eat out when planned, you can save hundreds of dollars each year. Instead of driving through for fast food three time a week for lunch, brown bag it and treat yourself to one nice meal at a real restaurant twice a month. You’ll enjoy it more, and still save money.
  2. Cut the cable cord and go wireless instead. With even channels like HBO now available a-la carte, there’s no excuse for paying for packages with 50000 channels you never watch. Pick up a Netflix subscription and catch your shows online with an Amazon Fire Stick.
  3. Ditch your single gym membership. Using a ClassPass or picking up classes through discount online programs like Groupon will keep you motivated and let you switch up your workout. You can try cycling, yoga, Pilates, barre, strength training, boot camp, dance and more without multiple memberships.
  4. Host a potluck party instead of going out for drinks with friends. If everyone agrees to BYOB plus a dish, you can all eat, drink, and watch a movie and have just as much fun for a fraction of the price, Take turns hosting.
  5. Travel cheap. Vacationing can be inexpensive when you find a place to stay on Airbnb, Travelmob or Housetrip. You can often find a place that has a kitchen so you can cook instead of eating out, and visit local sights and museums in the locale where you are staying for a vacation that is fun and relaxed.  
  6. Make your own coffee. While visiting coffee shops and dropping $4 to $5 on coffee every day feels fun and special, it adds up tremendously. Invest in a high grade coffee maker and high end thermos, and learn to make your own gourmet coffees.
  7. Stop and wait before you buy. Click and buy options online make it easy to overdo with instant gratification. Imposing a 48 hour stay on any new purchases over a certain $$ amount can let you reconsider if you really need the item.
  8. Use VIP Savings when you do shop. 2BenfitU’s VIP Savings Benefit can let you save money every day on things you would be buying anyway, so don’t miss out on the chance to take advantage of this benefit!

Every time you save money, take the dollar and change amount and deposit it in a savings account, at the end of the year, you’ll be amazed at how much you saved!

12 Savvy Entrepreneur Tips for Businesswomen

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Women make up a massive percentage of small business owners, leaving the oppressive workforce to set their own hours and do what they love. These tips for businesswomen can be invaluable.

  1. Dream big! If you have something in your life that inspires you, figure out how to turn it into a profitable pastime. There is always room in the world for one more passionate woman looking for a way to be her own boss.
  2. Network, network, network. Join women’s business groups, look for meetups in your area, and sign up for conferences that focus on women helping women succeed.
  3. Go social – media! Social media is now one of the fastest growing ways for networking online, and you can expand your reach exponentially when you network with other female entrepreneurs seeking to connect.
  4. Get a mentor. Having someone who has already fought and won the battles ahead of you can be invaluable when it comes time to fight your own. Having a mentor can teach you to learn and grow via constructive criticism.
  5. Be a mentor. You can also learn by teaching, so take another woman under your own wing and share what you have learned. Women helping women creates a culture and environment of strength and happiness.
  6. Learn to delegate. Doing it all yourself is fine at first, but as you grow you have to learn to let go. Surrounding yourself with smart people you can trust and handing off tasks that speak to their individual strengths is the best way to grow your business and not fall apart just as things are taking off.
  7. Use experts for important stuff. Things like accounting and taxes can only get you in trouble when you do it yourself without proper knowledge. 2BenefitU’s Tax Advice Benefit can give you access to experts, so don’t ignore this valuable help.
  8. Find balance. Being a workaholic can leave you depleted and burned out at a critical moment, so make sure you make time for other things outside of work.
  9. Practice self-care. You can’t help anyone else if your own oxygen mask isn’t firmly in place, so take care of your emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual needs.
  10. Seek inspiration everywhere. Your home life can inspire your work life and vice versa. You can see hope and inspiration in everyone around you and expand your mind. Never stop growing.
  11. Keep searching. There is always something new to learn, to try, to be. Don’t let yourself stagnate. It’s ok if the thing that drove your passion a year ago is something different today. Embrace change as long as there is growth.
  12. Rejoice! There’s nothing quite as amazing as being your own boss, so don’t forget to practice gratitude and joy for your new station in life.

Are you achieving your goals as a businesswoman? Send yourself a bouquet and give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done!

Rabbit

Pet Rabbit Care Tips for a Happy, Healthy Bunny

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A rabbit is a great pet, but proper care is what will keep your pet bunny happy and healthy. These tips can make rabbit ownership easy and fun!

Build a diet plan. Contrary to popular belief, rabbits can’t live on carrots and iceberg lettuce. Carrots are meant to be given as a side dish, among other fruits and veggies, and iceberg lettuce is actually dangerous for your rabbit. Try deep greens like spinach and romaine lettuce instead, or even a cheaper alternative such as kale. For the most part, your bunny’s diet should consist of hay and grass, so be sure to give them lots of crunchy munchies!

Get a friend! Bunnies are a social species, so without proper companionship, your bunny may become depressed. Guinea pigs can sometimes suffice as a suitable house-mate, but nothing can really fill the void only a bunny can fill. Try pairing two females together, or get a fixed bunny of the opposite sex.

Provide a proper living space. While cages and hutches may provide a suitable sleeping quarter for a bunny, this is no way to live. Bunnies need space to run and play, as well as regular adventures outside their hutches or homes. Make sure your bunny can hop a few strides in their cage or hutch, and purchase a halter or a rabbit run for their outdoor play.

Groom your rabbit. While rabbits do not require as much care as a short-haired cat or dog, every pet needs some TLC from time to time. Purchasing a brush and some nail clippers will usually suffice, but you should avoid bathing your rabbit too often, as bunnies can easily fall prey to hypothermia if they get too cold.

Clean up after your rabbit. A bunny is only as clean as their living space, so be sure to dump hutch-pans and replace bedding regularly. Your bunny will appreciate the gesture more than you know, and it will smell much better too.

Provide entertainment and exercise. While a good dash in the grass can brighten any bunny’s life, no animal is happier than a rabbit with toys. Bunnies love toys, from rattle-balls to treat-toys. Just make sure nothing can pose a hazard to them, such as small pieces or toxic substances.

Give them veterinary care. Just like a cat or dog, bunnies need the vet sometimes. 2BenefitU’s Pet Care Benefit provides discounts at the vet for bunny care, too.

Plan ahead. A rabbit is not a fair weather pet. Just like a dog or a cat, a bunny is a commitment, and you should think about your future and where they will fit into it. Treat them gently, feed them right, and love them, and a rabbit can become a steadfast companion for many years!

What are the Differences Between CT Scan and MRI-

What are the Differences Between a CT Scan and an MRI?

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Ever been told you needed an MRI or a CT scan? Wonder what the difference is? If all you know is that the MRI is the big machine that goes RRR RRRR RRRRR and the CT is the other one, be prepared to learn!

CT Scans

A CT scan or Computed Tomography uses a combination of X-rays and computer technology. It can take the data and create a detailed, cross-sectional image of the body, including tissues, organs or tumors.

  • CT scans are used to get a closer look at the bony structures, soft tissues and organs in your body, to diagnose infections, and to identify masses and tumors or reach the right area during surgery or biopsy. CT scans can also be utilized to study blood vessels, and can be used with contrast in soft tissues.
  • CT scans take diagnostic images quickly; you normally won’t spend more than 5 minutes to take an image. As the scanner has a fast imaging speed, it offers images with high resolution and low motion artifact, or “jitter”.
  • CT scans involves radiation, which is usually the same amount you usually receive from background radiation in 3-5 years. You should not have a CT scan performed if you’re pregnant.
  • CT scans are less expensive than MRIs, are good for patients with claustrophobia (since you don’t have to be in an enclosed space), and are the only option if you have metal in your body.

MRIs

MRI or Magnetic Resonance Imaging is another diagnostic imaging technique used to produce cross-sectional images of your body. It uses a sophisticated computer and magnetic fields to take high-resolution images of your soft tissues and bones.  

  • MRIs are usually ordered to diagnose abnormalities such as tumors and brain aneurysms. If a CT scan is inconclusive, the next step is often an MRI.  MRIs are less detailed than CT scans, but provide more soft tissue details; useful for brain scans in particular.
  • MRIs generally take an average of about half an hour to take an image, though it can be as quick as 15 minutes or as long as 2 hours. You may be given a calming sedative if you are nervous, or music may be played for you. You have to be perfectly still during the MRI procedure.
  • MRIs don’t involve any ionizing radiation and thus are considered “safer” than CT scans. If contrast dye is used, there is a small risk of allergic reaction, so inform your doctor of any allergies or sensitivities so they can cross check ingredients.
  • Remember to always tell your doctor if you have metal in your body, as this precludes an MRTI. Also remove any metal such as piercings, jewelry, etc before your MRI.

Remember, if you have to have an MRI or a CT scan and the insurance will not cover it, you can use your 2BenefitU Imaging Benefit for deep discounts at participating providers.

Considering Becoming a Multi-Dog Household- Be Prepared with these 9 Tips

Considering Becoming a Multi-Dog Household? Be Prepared with these 9 Tips

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Dogs can be amazing companion animals, and it’s easy to want more than one. However, adding a new dog to a home where another already rules the roost should be done carefully. These guidelines can help you safely introduce a new dog to your existing one!

  1. Consider your current dog’s temperament. Does he get along with other dogs? If you aren’t sure, try taking her to a dog park to play. If that goes well, ask a friend who owns a dog to bring theirs over to visit so you can see how territorial your own is. If that goes well, your dog will probably accept another dog.
  2. Consider the kind of dog you are going to get. If you have a rowdy Labrador, a tiny Pekingese might not be the best second dog – she’d be outmatched even in a playful game of roughhousing. If you have an older dog, a high energy puppy might not be appreciated.
  3. Consider your time. It’s not fair to your existing dog to ask him or her to share you if you are already only around a few waking hours of the day. Make sure you have the time as well as the emotional reserves to handle dishing out love to those under your roof!
  4. Once you’ve decided on your new dog, plan on bringing her home early on a weekend or during a few days of vacation so you’ll be around to ease the transition.
  5. Choose a neutral space for the initial meet, like a park, or – if you are adopting from a shelter – see if they have a socialization room you can bring your dog to in order to meet his prospective new roomie.
  6. Feed both dogs before you introduce them, and spend some time petting each one so they can feel loved and safe. Go back and forth between them in separate rooms so they can smell each other on your clothes.
  7. When you bring your new dog home, bring your current dog outside to meet her before taking them both inside. This will cut down on territorialism.
  8. Make sure your current dog has a safe space of their own they can retreat to and not be bothered, and prepare to help them defend it if necessary against the newcomer.
  9. Give your dog a few days to get used to the new dog in the house, and be sure to provide plenty of love, pats and treats so he knows he’s not being supplanted.

Remember that if the worst happens, and your two dogs get in a scuffle, that your Pet Care Benefit from 2BenefitU covers all of the pets in your household. You can always bring your new pet in for her shots and any other needs, and she’ll get the same great care and discount. They’ll be best of pals in no-time!

9 Tips for Lowering your Medical Bills

9 Tips for Lowering your Medical Bills

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Even with the ACA in place, medical bills can quickly spiral out of control. How can you lower your costs? These tips can help.

  1. If you have a PPO, always double check to ensure that your doctor is in-network. This is particularly important when you receive a referral from your primary care physician, who may not be able to keep every insurance plan committed to memory. Before you leave the office, have them call and ensure the specialist is in-network. Our Health Advocacy Benefit could save you hours by helping check on these potential issues.
  2. Ask about options. If the cost of the treatment prescribed is overwhelming, find out if every test is strictly necessary. If test A could confirm or rule out a problem, perhaps getting it first instead of bundled with test B,C, and D is the smart move. Our Lab Testing and Scans Benefit could also seriously cut down on these costs.
  3. For items which are more expensive to pay your co-pay on, ask what your doctor’s office cash discount price is. You might be surprised at the difference. The Medical Bill Saver Benefit can often save you up to 60% off of services – better than your insurance company!
  4. Speaking of pharmaceutical costs, ask about generics. Sometimes it’s cheaper to pay out of pocket for a generic than to pay the copay for a 2nd or 3rd tier drug. There might even be an OTC option you can use some of your pre-tax health savings account dollars for. Our Discount Pharmacy Card Benefit can provide deep discounts even on generic drugs.
  5. Look at your medical bills. A whopping 9 out of 10 hospital bills have overcharges that are missed by the patient. Ask for an itemized bill and look for errors. Insurance companies incorrectly handle claims as well, so don’t be shy asking for an audit of your bill by your claim manager. Medical Bill Saver can be a lifesaver here, finding savings up to 60%.
  6. Make sure you are up-to-date on what is covered and not covered. You might be surprised that you have unused coverage you could be benefiting from, and you also might discover that there are certain areas you’d do better negotiating on your own for. Better yet, use our Health Advocacy Benefit to negotiate on your behalf and save yourself the hassle!
  7. Talk to your doctor’s office staff and make friends with them. They’ll be more eager to help you watch for errors and to help you with any discounts the office offers if they know you appreciate it – a basket of fruit or a box of homemade cupcakes or muffins can really mean a lot.
  8. Ask about payment schedules if you know a co-pay is going to be hard to manage. Have a number in mind that your budget can bear and go in asking for a slightly lower number so you have wiggle room. Medical Bill Saver can come to the rescue if you need a negotiator.

Obviously, if you have 2BenefitU plan, you can always use the mentioned benefits to help track down areas you are overpaying in and lower your healthcare costs. These are just several of the many money-saving benefits you get when you have a subscription!

Five Simple Ways to Improve your Health and your Wealth!

Five Simple Ways to Improve your Health and your Wealth!

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Are your health and wealth really connected? Yes they are! 2BenefitU has the Health/Wealth Connection Benefit to keep you looped in to all of the latest advice from those in the know, but here are some simple things you can start doing right away to help keep your physical and financial wellness at peak.

  1. Exercise! It doesn’t matter where you start as long as you start. Get a walking or jogging buddy, sign up for a class at the local YMCA, join a gym, and enroll in classes at a boutique fitness center and make some new friends who are also focused on fitness. A cycling class works when you can’t get out of doors, and Pilates is great for a low impact workout that won’t stress your joints.
  2. Pick a bad habit and quit it. This can be something big like smoking or that twice daily triple espresso, or something smaller like that wasted hour every day surfing Facebook. Trade the bad habit for a new one – buy a blender and start trying out healthy smoothies, or spend 15 minutes in meditation daily instead of online.
  3. Change your mindset! Keep a journal and write down three positive things every day – something good you did or that happened to you, something you are presently grateful for, and a goal or dream you are working towards in the future.
  4. Budget for self-care. Everyone needs some extra help, book that weekly massage, spend that hour curled up in a reading nook at the library, and indulge in those healthy organic snacks when you stop by the store.
  5. Start saving. It doesn’t have to be a lot – start with all of your loose change, and work up to a dollar a day, or $20 a week. Eventually your nest egg will be enough to make a tangible difference in your life.

By implementing these five simple steps you both become more aware of your health and your wealth, and you start to safeguard both. Since your health expenses can affect your wealth, it makes sense to stay as fit and healthy as possible – in body, mind, and spirit. Likewise, your wealth can affect your health – both in being able to provide for your needs and reducing stress from worrying about your financial situation.

Finally, take advantage of the Health / Wealth Connection Benefit you get as part of any plan from 2BenefitU. Even if you just add one piece of good advice a week to your life, it will make a huge difference!

Save that Smile! Oral Hygiene Tips to Help you Keep your Pearly Whites

Save that Smile! Oral Hygiene Tips to Help you Keep your Pearly White

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More and more Americans are finding dental care hard to afford. You can get a big discount on dental visits with 2BenefitU’s Dental Benefit, and you can help prevent more serious dental issues (and corresponding big dental bills) by taking great care of your teeth.

Cleaning Tips

Your toothbrush needs to be replaced at least every 2-3 months, and after any episodes of flu or strep throat. Same goes for that electric toothbrush head.

You should also never brush with a hard bristle toothbrush. Try holding your toothbrush like a pencil to prevent yourself from brushing too hard. Scrub gently from a 45 degree angle in a circular motion.

Clean your tongue by brushing gently or using a tongue cleaner. Tongue scrapers are the most effective way to clean your tongue, and you can also use mouthwash after tongue cleaning for fresh breath that lasts.

Nutritive Tips

Crisp apples will help clean your teeth between meals and cut down on sticky plaque. Raw carrots and celery are also good, and plain popcorn with a dash of salt can help as well.

If you can’t brush right after a meal, such “detergent foods” can keep your teeth cleaner until your next date with your bathroom sink.

Gargling with apple cider vinegar cuts down on bacteria in your mouth, and if you swallow a little it’s not bad for you.

Cosmetic Tips

Brush with baking soda once a week for a brighter smile. You can mix it with some very fine grain salt for a little abrasive action and an extra bright smile. Be sure to rinse well with water afterwards.

Stay away from dark juices, wine, cigarettes, and coffee or tea – or at least brush as soon after imbibing as possible to cut down on staining.

Dark lipstick will make your teeth look whiter, so go for bright red and deep corals over washed out pinks. Avoid wearing makeup with any yellow tinge.

Gum Disease Prevention Tips

Practice flossing blindfolded so you can floss anywhere. Flossing can help prevent gum disease

Brush when rising from and going to bed. This takes the plaque off of your teeth and prevents bacteria from creeping down below the gum line.

Visit your dentist twice a year – or at least once if you can’t manage twice. The 2BenefitU Dental Benefit is designed to make going to the dentist more affordable, so you can keep your annual or bi-annual visits and prevent dental issues from becoming big, painful, and expensive problems!

You need an Advocate in your Corner – Especially when it comes to your Health!

You need an Advocate in your Corner – Especially when it comes to your Health!

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Sometimes it just gets to the point where you are sick and tired of being sick and tired. Managing your health care issues when you feel like giving up can be agonizing. All you want to do is get better – why does there have to be so much paperwork?

If you have medical care issues that require constant trips to the doctor, visits to the lab, and hours on the phone with insurance companies trying to figure out how much you actually are going to owe, an advocate is exactly what you need.

With our Health Advocacy benefit, you get a Personal Health Care Advocate to step in when you just can’t deal with another 30 minutes on hold. Each advocate is trained to understand complex medical issues, knows the right things to say to insurance representatives, can explain the difference between generic and brand name drugs to you, and be your guide while navigating the increasingly confusing world of the healthcare system.

When you have an advocate, everything gets easier! They can:

  • Untangle messy insurance and medical billing issues
  • Locate the right doctors, specialists, hospitals, dentists and pharmacies to deliver the best possible care
  • Research treatments and inform you about your options
  • Provide medical explanations you can understand
  • Coordinate your care among multiple providers
  • Arrange second opinions if you feel you are being misdiagnosed
  • Transfer medical records and get copies for you
  • Assist with eldercare and related healthcare issues
  • Negotiate payment arrangements with providers and find options for non-covered services
  • Provide information about generic drug options and prescription refill services

Whether you are seeking a new doctor, fighting over coverage, striving to make sense of lab results, or struggling to comprehend piles of bills, a Health Advocate can help you. When you are sick, paperwork and red tape is the last thing you should be concerned with – it simply adds stress and make you feel worse – so getting a pro to walk you through the processes so you can get feeling better is just common sense!

This benefit is huge – even if you only use it a few times each year, you could save well over what it costs as part of your subscription package. Best of all, Health Advocacy is only one of up to over 20 benefits you could be using, starting at just $15.95 per month. You could save five or ten times that amount in just one revised medical bill!

Are you a VIP- You should be! Make These VIP Savings Work for you. (1)

Are you a VIP? You should be! Make These VIP Savings Work for You!

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Our parents clipped coupons, but today a pair of scissors and the Sunday paper isn’t enough. We’ve been conditioned to expect savings in all kinds of formats: from the shopper cards we scan at the grocery, pharmacy, and pet shop, to the various membership clubs we belong to, to the deals that pop up on our cell phones in text form or with a handy QR code, we want all the savings we can get!

However, remembering and keeping track of all of our customer rewards, loyalty discounts, and member benefits can be tricky. It can be time consuming and boring to spend hours before each purchase going through all of the different options. Wouldn’t it be great if something were invented to do that for us?

Enter VIP Savings. This benefit combines dozens of sources into one easy to access destination that keeps you up to date on where to find the best savings – whether it’s at your local market, the mall up the highway, a Groupon, or a sale on bulk items you just can’t miss.

With VIP Savings, you never have to settle for full price again! Shop using this functional saver, and you get cash back on all purchases made through a convenient online mall, plus savings of up to 80% when you factor in the promo codes, special member deals, and free shipping offers that are automatically collated for your perusal.

The VIP Savings benefit provides access to savings in many ways:

  • The online mall, with over 3,000 familiar stores participating
  • Cash back every month on your purchases
  • Early alerts for Groupons and other online deals that can be grabbed and downloaded to your phone or other mobile device or printed out for use at local retailers and service providers
  • Free shipping on thousands of items every month
  • Access to special deals and discounts
  • A virtual “coupon clipper” for your favorite stores with a “print now” option
  • … and more.

When you shop like a VIP, you can cut down on time, money, and gas spent driving from store to store and enjoy the benefit of cashback that can be collected every month (for balances of $15 or greater.)

This is one of our customers’ most beloved benefits, as they can often save the cost of monthly membership to our largest benefits package just off this one feature. When you sign up at the $24.95 per month level, you get this benefit plus Teladoc, Pet Care savings, Roadside assistance, Health Advisor and more – it’s a bottomless well of savings for your whole household!