She cites fear, inexperience, guilt, and shame as common reasons why many women avoid issues regarding money all together. But that behavior does not serve women well: many of life’s most important milestones, like the ability to take out loans for school or to buy a home, for example, and the ability to retire are all ultimately financial decisions.

Importantly, healthy financial habits can be learned. Though earning a paycheck is one element of financial success, making smart decisions with the money we earn is critical, too. Below are some simple tips to get you started.

The Cost of Coffee
The hardest part of understanding how much to save is taking an honest look at what you spend. Every small contribution counts but how do you find out what costs to cut out of your budget to save more effectively? One simple solution is a spending diary. Keep track of every purchase you make for a month, including all cash, credit, debit card purchases. Patterns will emerge of where to stop spending and start saving-your daily latte might add up to over $100 a
month.

Turning FICO from Foe to Friend
Healthy habits start young. Like school report cards, check your credit report annually. A credit report, which assigns you a “FICO” score, is your credit “report card,” providing your financial health status to all potential lenders. Routine checks of your credit report can catch errors that can affect your ability to get a mortgage, credit card, or even a cell phone plan. Even if your FICO score is less than ideal, it provides a concrete goal that tracks your annual financial improvement. The government recently made these reports free at
www.annualcreditreport.com.

Don’t Wait for a Rainy Day
Don’t put off to tomorrow what you should start today, especially when it comes to saving money. It’s easy to convince yourself while young that concerns about saving are for the old. If you believe that, simple math proves you wrong. The sooner you start saving, the longer you have to take advantage of compounding interest. For example, if you are 25 and save just $1000 a year, it would be worth $530,000 at the average retirement age of 65, calculated with the stock markets historical rate of 10%. If you start just 10 years later at age 35, it will only be worth $198,000. When it comes to money, time is on your side.

Say Goodbye to Debt
Offered more widely and at younger ages than ever, credit cards are an unavoidable temptation. Though they are necessary to build the credit history required for loans and mortgages later in life, maxed-out credit cards on which you make the minimum monthly credit raise red flags. Credit cards likely have huge annual interest rates, often near 20%. It’s important to know each credit card’s interest rate. A top priority should be eliminating all outstanding, high-interest debt, starting with the debt with the highest interest rate. In order to use credit cards safely, charge only the amount you can pay off in its entirety each month, unless it’s an emergency. The Hardest Part is Getting Started It’s all too easy, particularly if you have made unwise financial choices in the past, to avoid getting back on track to fiscal health.

Remember that just taking the first step toward financial discipline often the hardest part, so begin by discussing financial issues with someone you trust, rather than avoid your financial situation. Talking about money may be uncomfortable but your relationship may depend on it; money is the number one cause of strife among couples, for example. If confiding in a friend or significant other is uncomfortable, look for alternative resources to get started. Books, online guides, and professionals can provide basic financial advice.

About the Author: Richa Gulati is a freelance writer and attorney based in New York City. A graduate of Harvard Law School, she has studied flamenco dance for the past eight years. Her work is available at www.richagulati.com.

(article first appeared in the Fall 2007 issue)

By Meridan Zerner, MS,RD,CSSD,LD Homemade Gourmet

Does the beginning of the holiday season bring twinges of anxiety and stress instead of delight at the prospect of holiday weight gain; overshadowing what should be the joy in the season? Then please read on.

At Homemade Gourmet we are suggesting a win-win solution the ultimate how to have your cake and eat it too. We are suggesting a different kind of anticipation one that anticipates the fun, the parties, the food and the other dietary
indiscretions.  

Call it the 80/20 rule where 80 percent of the time, we’ll eat really well, maximize our choices and truly nourish our bodies with healthy foods and 20% of the time we’ll indulge a bit and enjoy the merriment and the spirit of the season.

THE 80%
~ First and foremost, do your best to plan ahead.  Not only will you make better choices 80% of the time, you will be less stressed, and stress can lead to last minute bad eating habits.  Homemade Gourmets. 4 meals in 4 minutes is our foundation for planning meals ahead of time.
 
~ Plan meals around leaner meats and vegetables.  The Key to the Kitchen is an amazing resource to help select the meals and sides that include more vegetables and leaner meats. Select from the low fat, low sodium and diabetic-friendly recipes available to you, as well as the 4 meals in 4 minutes options.

~ Portion control.  Being mindful of the portion sizes is a major part of the 80% game plan. Most Americans eat twice the portions recommended by the FDA.  Focus on 4 oz portions of lean meats (about the size of a deck of cards). 

~ Drink water.  Avoiding sugar sweetened and/or carbonated beverages, as well as fruit juices.  This will keep you hydrated better, while saving calories at meal times. 

~ Eat breakfast every morning. Studies show that those dieters who had a lean, higher protein breakfast along with some fresh fruit ate less throughout the day and felt more satisfied. I love the Homemade Gourmet BLT Frittata substituting fat free half and half or skim milk and then adding a small bowl of blueberries on the side for a balanced dose of good nutrition.

THE 20%
~ Enjoy the Party!  Eat what you like at holiday meals and seasonal parties.  Dont deprive yourself of your favorite things or indulgent desserts that are only prepared this time of year. 

~ Portion Control.  Keep this part of the 80% rule in your 20% plan. You can satisfy the cravings for the indulgent desserts and heavy sauceswithout going overboard! 

In general, have a holiday game plan that includes exercise. If you overindulge one night, get up the next morning and go for a walk. One crazy meal day does not ruin a diet, but beating yourself up over that day unreasonably breaks your spirit. It is the culmination of many days of over-the-top-eating that packs on the pounds. Get right back to eating a healthy breakfast, adding in meaningful snacks and getting some exercise.

Remember to find joy in your journey through the holidays, making the most, health-wise, out of every possible day (80% of the time) will give you the freedom to enjoy the parties and gatherings (20% of the time) that make the  holidays truly memorable.

Homemade GourmetR provides fresh food mixes and meal plans that save your family money and make you a hero in the kitchen. Bringing the family back to the dinner table with great tasting meals that are affordable and easy to prepare is the company’s mission and the foundation of its success. With Americans experiencing rising costs for daily living, family budgets are shrinking. Expensive restaurant, takeout, and fast food meals are becoming less and less viable, yet consumers are as challenged as ever to find the time and energy to prepare meals at home from scratch. Today, Homemade GourmetR provides a realistic alternative. www.homemadegourmet.com  

You can find more holiday articles and shopping ideas in the Holiday Gift-Giving Guide for Women (PDF) here: : http://bit.ly/1Z6LSF

Marina is known for her Billboard-charting record releases and her High-NRG Fitness workouts.MARINA is also co-owner together with her husband of Kamen Entertainment Group, Inc. In 2005, Marina was awarded the first People’s Choice Award in Podcasting for her original musical health and fitness programming. She launched MarinaOnline.com, which offers 1,200+ original downloadable music products.
Marina is also a mother of 3 and she has lost 100 pounds!

http://www.marinaonline.com/marinakamen/marinas_story.php

What do you enjoy most about your profession and why did you choose it in the first place?
I started dance, violin, piano & voice at age 7. Now at age 50 and pushing hard everyday to achieve my goal..I still love the fact that my talent and gift serves to qualify my vocation.

Tell us about the organizations your company supports and why?
With the health issue in terms of obesity & pandemic threat being at the fore front…These following organizations have my support…
Go Red….Obesity.org….GetReady.org…Red Cross…..Students Prep America..

What is the biggest risk you ever took professionally and/or the biggest obstacle you have overcome?
I would say that starting my own business with my husband of now 26 years. We opened Kamen Entertainment Group, Inc. in 1987 with no partners after both working at a mid-town Manhattan recording studio production company. It has been a long hall of learning while raising a family. Many obstacles..In addition…in 1997..I lost 100 pounds in order to get out from behind the glass of the recording studios and go back into live performance and solo video work.

From where do you draw inspiration? Who have been your role models, mentors, etc?
I have drawn inspiration from my mother’s memory. She became sick with an aneurism at the time my first child was only a year old. This has been 22 years without the guidance of my mom’s input…I am inspired by her memory. My husband and children inspire me to Never Stop Movin’!
Role models have included Oprah…Bette Midler…Hillary Clinton….

How is the current economic situation affecting your company/organization?
Being involved in advertising for commercials over the past 25 yeas with Kamen Entertainment Group, I see a down turn in the amount of business. Technology has changed enabling many to record right at home…voice over may now be recorded at your desk. After getting involved in Podcasting in 2005….we turned the corner into Online distribution in the are of Fitness & Music for fitness downloads. The website at www.Marinaonline.com now carries over 1,200 programs. This is more of a penny business…however…growing everyday fullfilling the need that this country has for affordable fitness solutions right at home.

What one thing would you like to learn this year?
Learning patience with finances is something to learn. Staying calm…but focused. Not letting the fear over take the day to day moments of life.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
5 years from now?…mmm…having the life long dream of touching people and helping them though my music and experience. Living a life that has included a weight issue has affected everything I do….Mothering…being a wife…buisness owner….singer song writer for sure. Sharing a problem tha is real for me is wonderful and humbling all at the same time.

What do you do for fun/relaxation/entertainment?
I love what I do in terms of writing…composing music..dancing/choreographing…playing violin and singing. These are my passions for real. Popping on those head phones and listening to great music to digest and draw from…

Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
As woman who has balanced career goals…business…marriage…family and fitness….I feel for today’s young women who are trying to balance it all. What a crazy time…for even though there is more available to young women…the stress of trying to have it all at one time can be a lot of pressure.

Which, if any social networking sites do you belong to?
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1007431130&ref=profile
http://twitter.com/marinakamen
http://www.linkedin.com/myprofile?trk=hb_upphoto
http://marinakamen.livejournal.com/

Two thousand years ago the wisdom, “An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away” fit people’s lifestyle just right. The air clean and crisp without the pollution of industrialization; the earth not depleted and chemically denatured; food back then supported healing.In today’s environment, we would have to eat a basket of apples a day to get the nutritional value our ancestors once got from one apple. But who could eat a mountain of apples every day? Wouldn’t it be nice to find a potent vitamin pill that grows on a tree, is easy to eat and tastes good? Luckily, modern science found such a super food! Here are the findings:1. The super food doesn’t look like an apple but rather like berries – Chinese Wolfberries. The longest lived people on earth eat Chinese Wolfberries every day.