Everyone is always looking for ways to improve their health. However, if you’ve ever looked into it, you’ve likely discovered that some solutions for doing so can cost a lot of money. You don’t necessarily have to fork over a mountain of cash to improve or maintain your health, though. Look at these useful ways to get healthier without going broke.
Go to the Doctor Regularly
Did you know that each year around 100,000 people die from medical conditions that could have been prevented? There’s a reason why it’s suggested that you go and see your doctor at least once a year for an annual checkup. Physicians can often uncover conditions early and treat them before they become life-threatening. Sure, it might seem like a hassle, and who wants to deal with the stress and anxiety that goes along with walking into a doctor’s office? However, it could prevent serious illness or even death. It’s definitely worth making those regular appointments.
See Your Dentist Every Six Months
Tooth decay is a major health problem among adults. About 96% have some form of it by the time they reach the age of 65. However, that number would likely be reduced significantly if people went and visited a dentist every six months as recommended by professionals. This is generally covered by health insurance as well, as long as there are no additional services needed. If you have coverage, there’s no excuse. Make an appointment now and continue with them regularly to stay out of that high percentage dealing with tooth problems.
Visit an Orthodontist
Usually going to see an orthodontist is considered more of an elective or cosmetic decision. In some instances, there is a medical reason why you may need braces or other orthodontic care. Adult orthodontic patients come in at a ratio of one out of three, so it’s never too late to go and get treatment. It could be to help with jaw issues, biting problems, grinding of the teeth, the way your teeth have grown, or you can’t properly clean them, which results in a hygiene issue. This is one of the options that cost a little more money, but if your dentist recommends it, it’s a good idea to go and get a consultation.
Eat Plenty of Fruits and Vegetables
You’ve probably heard this since you were a little kid. You need to consume plenty of fruits and vegetables to stay healthy. That’s because it’s true! There’s plenty of research that proves people who get more fruit and vegetables daily are overall healthier and feel better. While it may seem like an unnecessary expense, especially if you don’t like fruits and vegetables, it’s an investment in your health that’s worth paying the money for.
Make Sure to Sleep
Getting enough sleep is just as essential as getting the right nutrition and the proper medical care. Your body is a plethora of moving pieces, and it burns through a ton of energy throughout the day. The only way to keep yourself healthy and your body charged is by giving it enough rest. Recommendations vary and this is one situation where you really have to do some experimenting and figure out what’s best for you. On average, adults should get between six and eight hours a night, while others require a bit more or a bit less.
As long as you follow these guidelines, you will make vast improvements to your health. The benefit of these solutions is that most won’t cost you much money, and some are even free! If you could take simple action to improve the way you feel without paying a penny, wouldn’t you do it? Take action today, and you’ll soon realize what you were missing out on.
Stress is a factor in any job. However, some careers are much more demanding and interfere with personal commitments. Even if you love what you do, an imbalance in your work and personal life could take a toll on your relationships. In the past, my husband and I both held demanding positions that required travel and long hours. So, there were times we became completely absorbed in our work and ignored the needs of our relationship. Luckily, we made some lifestyle and career changes before they consumed the relationship. Unfortunately, this isn’t always possible. Based on statistics compiled by LendingTree, these are the 5 worst types of jobs for your relationship.
A military position comes with inherent risks and stress for both service members and their families. Many are fully aware of the life they are choosing. But, it doesn’t make it easier to cope with these difficulties.
First of all, there is constant danger, and you never really know where they are or what life-threatening situations they may face. Then, you have the deployments and long tours of duty that can take people away from their loved ones for months or even years. Unfortunately, you have no choice but to continue on with life while they are away.
Don’t forget that reassignments also cause people to uproot and move frequently. It’s stressful for service men and women to pack up their lives and leave friends and family behind. The strain of finding new housing and coordinating the moves can be overwhelming. But, it’s even harder when spouses are on deployment or kids are involved.
Some people feel the benefits are worth the added stress. However, others feel differently, especially since newly enlisted personnel make around $20,000 a year. Not every relationship is strong enough to withstand these stressors which is why 3.09% of military marriages end in divorce.
2. Health Care
When you are dealing with matters of life, death, and people’s health, there’s no doubt that your job will be incredibly stressful at times. However, people often forget the long hours of studying and training it requires. And then, there is the financial pressure and accruing student loan debt as you complete your education.
For most people, the high salary eventually offsets the time and energy invested. But, health care is changing since the entire medical field has been turned upside down with the pandemic. In particular, the nursing staff has been hit hard with new demands. Staffing shortages have left many departments and hospitals shorthanded. This translates to longer hours and a heavier patient load, which adds more stress. Many healthcare providers are experiencing high levels of burnout and are choosing to leave the profession altogether.
According to divorce statistics, it is also one of the worst types of jobs for your relationship. There is a divorce rate of 2.65% for people in health care support.
3. Food Prep and Service
The food service industry is fast-paced and exciting, but it can also have grueling time demands. There are odd hours for several different positions including split shifts, nights, and weekends. This makes it hard to have a social life since it doesn’t coincide with the average work schedule.
Furthermore, food prep and service come with inconsistent wages. When you have a full house, you can earn hundreds of dollars in a single shift. But when things are slow, you may be scraping by to hit minimum wage. And, many people don’t understand that there is a loophole in the food service industry that allows employers to pay much less. Although the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, where I live, servers make a base pay of $2.13 an hour since they expect you to make up the difference can through tips. And, many restaurants also require staff to share tips with kitchen staff.
This can lead to financial struggles and additional strain on your relationship. Between the fluctuating hours and wages, it’s no wonder that people in the food prep and service industry experience a divorce rate of 2.49%.
4. Extraction
Extraction workers are those who work in the oil, gas, and mining industries. These jobs are very labor-intensive, but people who are willing to work hard and travel are well compensated. While this is good for your financial status, it can negatively affect your relationship status.
Similar to those in the military service, extraction workers often travel far from home and spend long periods away from their families and spouses. Those they left behind must continue to deal with the daily demands of their lives and families. There has also been less job security as job layoffs sweep across the industry. These uncertainties are an additional layer of stress and a large factor in the 2.47% divorce rate among extraction workers.
5. Protective Services
Those who work in protective services share many of the potential risks and dangers as those on active military duty. Although they are closer to home, they can still find themselves in dangerous or life-threatening situations. They often have to work long or overnight shifts as well. With that in mind, you can see how police officers, security guards, and firefighters have stressful jobs that can compound issues at home.
Salary can also be an issue since the median income for security guards is around $30,000. For some families, it becomes too much to bear. Therefore, workers within the field of protective services experience a divorce rate of 2.15%
Balancing the Demands of Your Job and Relationship
While these jobs report the highest divorce rate, that doesn’t mean your relationship will fail if you choose one of these careers. You can still have a happy and healthy relationship. But like all things worth having, it will take work.
Be aware of the stress factors and the toll it takes on your partner. Your job may be stressful, but sometimes it can be even worse for your partner. They have no control over the situation and usually have to adapt to your schedule. Be aware of the toll and strain it can add to your relationship.
Make time for each other. Be intentional about how you spend time together. Don’t answer work-related emails and texts at these times. Be present with your partner, and turn off the background noise of daily life for a few hours to be together.
Prioritize your relationship. Many people say their spouse is the most important person in their lives, but their actions speak otherwise. In addition to making time for each other, you also need to follow through with your promises and commitments. If you continue to neglect your partner’s and relationship’s needs, there may be nothing left to save.
Jenny Smedra is an avid world traveler, ESL teacher, former archaeologist, and freelance writer. Choosing a life abroad had strengthened her commitment to finding ways to bring people together across language and cultural barriers. While most of her time is dedicated to either working with children, she also enjoys good friends, good food, and new adventures.
When we got married last year, I faced a dilemma that more and more women are calling into question. Although in the past it was normal for a married woman to take her husband’s last name, it has become a more contentious issue in recent years. Since I didn’t marry until later in life, I have felt more hesitant to give up my maiden name. In addition to the time and hassle to go through the whole process, there are some fees associated with it as well. As I wrestled with this decision for a few weeks, I decided to start by figuring out exactly how much it would cost to change your name.
The Hesitancy to Make the Change
After 35 years, I have grown quite attached to my maiden name. Since it is unique, it creates a strong familial bond and an easily identifiable way to recognize more distant relatives. And after losing my dad this year, I have an even greater attachment to my name.
In addition to all my personal feelings, there is also a professional cost to change your name. Over the years, I have published many things under my maiden name and made several important business contacts. A part of me feels that giving up my last name is also giving up an important piece of my identity.
The Logistics to Change Your Name
Despite my conflicting emotions on the subject, I decided to go on a fact-finding mission to find out what it would take to formally change my name.
Luckily, I had made a list of all the things that required me to update my contact information from my last move. So, I had a good idea of how many places I would need to call to change my name as well. However, I knew it would not be nearly as simple as changing my address or phone number. Each organization and financial institution is different and will have its own process you need to follow.
Checking the List
Making a to-do list always makes large tasks seem more manageable. So, I reviewed which legal, financial, and personal accounts I would need to change. All in all, there were about 25 documents and accounts that would need to be updated:
driver’s license
Social Security card
passport
Foreign Residency card
W2s and tax documents
banking and investment accounts
credit cards
digital wallet
health and car insurance
car titles
phone plan
memberships and subscriptions
Starting with the Easy Ones
Once I made a few initial phone calls and went online to see what would need to be done, I started by tackling the easy one. Fortunately, many of my accounts would allow me to do it online. All they needed was a digital copy of our marriage license and my new ID to update the accounts.
And much to my surprise, a new ID was relatively easy to get. I just needed to schedule an appointment online with the DMV and bring a certified copy of the marriage license with me. All it would take is about 15 minutes and a $16 fee to get it changed. The process was about the same to change your name with the Social Security office as well. However, they take care of it free of charge.
Saving the Worst for Last
Unfortunately, some of the more important documents and financial accounts require you to jump through more hoops.
The most time-consuming ones would be my financial accounts. Each bank requires you to visit a branch in person to make the change with a banker. For security purposes, they wanted to make photocopies of your ID and marriage license, and get your signature on the paperwork. Although my credit card would let me do it by mail, they would also require me to send a certified copy of the marriage license along with the photocopies.
The final piece would be to change my passport. Since they have recently changed the process, you can now renew online. So, I went online to find the forms to change my name on my passport. You can complete it online for about $60 and then wait for them to send it in the mail.
Tallying Up the Cost to Change Your Name
When I tallied up the final cost for the documents and fees to update my information, here’s what it came to:
marriage license – $25
3 certified copies – $27
ceremony with the justice of the peace – $150
driver’s license – $16
passport – $60
The grand total to change my name after marriage was $278. However, it costs more money if you decide to legally change your name for any other reason. This will require you to file a petition through the local court and publish it in the local newspaper for four consecutive weeks. Both these actions come with additional costs.
The Final Decision
From the onset, I had my doubts about giving up my name because I felt like I would be giving up a piece of myself. In addition, it is a huge time commitment to make all the necessary phone calls and in-person visits to change your name. And grieving the loss of my dad made it even harder.
However, my husband made a good point that I wasn’t losing my identity, just evolving. Sharing a surname would create a sense of cohesion within the new family and life we are trying to build together.
So in the end, we compromised by hyphenating my name. Although I plan to continue using my maiden name professionally, I’m okay using just his socially After a year of being married, I finally made the formal change. Now, I am waiting for the last of the documents and confirmations to be sent by mail before I can mark the task complete. I feel like it’s the best of both worlds and I am at peace with the decision.
Jenny Smedra is an avid world traveler, ESL teacher, former archaeologist, and freelance writer. Choosing a life abroad had strengthened her commitment to finding ways to bring people together across language and cultural barriers. While most of her time is dedicated to either working with children, she also enjoys good friends, good food, and new adventures.
