Saturday, November 15, 2008

Major expenses to prepare for the next 9 months of pregnancy



Pregnancy is a wonderful time in woman’s life but it can be very costly. Of course, you can never put a tag price on your child. But for the whole nine months it be would helpful if you were ready not just emotionally and physically – but also financially. Just remember that you’re not just spending on yourself, but on your baby’s well-being too.

*Pre-natal consultations

Regular visits to your Ob-gynecologist are needed to monitor both you and your baby’s condition. Your doctor wants you to visit the clinic once a month until sixth month of pregnancy, once every two weeks during seventh and eighth month, and once a week during the ninth month.

*Ultrasound Examinations

The cost of ultrasounds depends on the kinds of ultrasound and where it is done either hospitals or laboratories. Some prefer to go to hospitals because they believe the staffs there are better trained, but those in reputable laboratories can be just as efficient.

*Other medical examinations

Most pre-natal examinations include blood tests. Pregnant women will be asked to undergo a comprehensive blood test to check for Hepatitis B, other infections like venereal diseases and anemia. Urinalysis will also be done to test for the presence of sugar or protein in urine. Frequently of urinalysis depends on the doctor.

*Food and Nutrition

Being pregnant it not just about eating more, it’s also about eating right. Pregnant woman are advised to eat healthier foods like vegetables, fruits and fiber rich foods. They are also advised to increase folic acid, calcium, iron intake.

*Maternity Wardrobe

Expect to start wearing maternity clothes at around forth to fifth month of pregnancy. Most of them can be worn throughout pregnancy, and are styled to expand as your belly grows. You also have to get a new under wares, brassieres as well as shoes.

*Hospitalization Fee

Remember nothing is free in a hospital. All the materials and equipments used during delivery, from the medicine and intravenous solutions to the cotton swabs and cotton balls will be charged. The major expenses like, professional fees, mom’s hospitalization fee and baby’s hospitalization fee expect to shell out a larger amount.

Monday, November 3, 2008

You and Your Nails


The most forgotten part of the body I guess is the nails. Most of us spend a great deal of cash with skin or hair treatment but not with our nails. We may not be aware of the simple yet so beneficial function of the nails in our body; they assist with fine touches, serves as protection for our fingers both on toes and hands and they too help us hold onto small objects. Lack of Vitamin A would cause dryness and easy breakage of our nails (ouch!) and carrot juice would be a perfect source of such vitamin.


For healthy nails, include in your diet food rich in sulfur and silicon like fish and onions. For people who just love wearing long nails, it would be recommendable to use the tip of a pen or pencil when dialing the phone to avoid your precious nails from breaking. And most important of all, it would not hurt your budget if you treat your feet and hands with nail treatment (pedicure, manicure) every now and then to take off those dead cells on and around our nails. Next time you go for a beauty treatment, please don’t forget your nails.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Organize your bills, file with ease



Paying and filing bills can help you track your expenses, monitor you investments, check the money you save and avoid missing some due dates. Having this kind of system will help you from massive headache of paying penalty for the delayed payment. Here are some tips to organize your bills and files properly.

*Open bills as they arrive. Don’t leave your bills unopened. Once you get your bill open it (sometimes we tend to forget a bill lying around somewhere) and put all the pending bills in a bill holder or in a long envelope. Mark the payment dates on log it on your calendar.

*Use an “IN” Box. Track your expense by placing paid bills, receipts, or non-recipe cash payments in an IN box before filing them. Set a time and day to record these expenses in a notebook.

*Find Space and time to prevent misplacing your bills, find a space for theme together with other materials you need like pens, papers, calculator and checkbook. See when bills are due, budget them, and pay your bills on time.

*After paying your bills, record them immediately before filling them separately. This enables you to accurately track all your expenses.

*You may use white folders and label them on a monthly basis. You may also clip the receipts according to their category such as meals, clothing, gasoline, groceries and other expense. Keep your record according to the type and do the trick. Don’t put too many items in the miscellaneous category to avoid hiding expenses.