Now ever since I saw and experienced one of these at some mall somewhere, it have coveted them and wanted them and desired what they could do for a pair of aching and suffering feet. It is a calf and foot massager that I speak so covetously of. Now this one massages your calves and feet, squeezing and vibrating like a pair of loving hands and feels wonderful! I can vouch for this. The intensity and the speed of the massage can be varied as one wants. I found that the foot and calf massager was cheapest on Amazon, where it was down from the list price of 300 dollars to just $163. A 46% discount always sounds good to me!

Something else that sounds wonderful is a neck & shoulder massager – just imagine what it can do for you after a hard day hunched over a PC! Now this shoulder and neck massager comes equipped not only with the usual massaging and vibrating options, it heats up to offer even more relief. This is not a very big or bulky object so it may make sense to take it to office and use it there too.

If you are not content with treating individual body parts to such massage treats, then you want one of these massage chairs – they can be heavenly I tell you – each part of the body is massaged and looked after and some of these chairs even have this wave like effect that undulates below your back that feels quite amazing!

There are plenty of options for a full body massage chair at next tag, some of which are basic; some which offer the works! Also some are refurbished because these whole body massage chairs can be prohibitively expensive – they cost about three thousand dollars and up. So pre-owned may be a good idea or one may well think it prudent to simply use the one at the gym!

I am reading up a lot about alternative therapies and complementary medicines and so on and also speaking to a lot of people who have chosen to go the natural way rather than use pharmaceutical medications for their ailments. This got me thinking and made me realize that there is a lot of be said for complementary and alternative medicine or CAM therapy as it is also known, for a number of reasons, some of them very sound economic ones as well.

Consider why CAM therapies can help save you money –

Medicines Cost Money – Quite simply, it can be an expensive proposition to buy and have medications over a longer term. Consider for instance, if you had high blood pressure and had to go on medication to control that. Rather than medicines however if your doctor prescribed certain nutritional supplements, dietary changes and a strict exercise regimen this may have a beneficial effect on the blood pressure without the medicines and will also have the added benefit of a fitter healthier you without the expense of medicines. Another example – if you learn about the basic acupressure points, you may be able to self heal a headache without having to take a pain killer!

Fewer Side Effects – The fact is that pharmaceutical medications are a bunch of chemicals that we willingly put into our bodies which are bound to cause some or other side effects. Now these side effects can cause future problems or complications that you will probably have to spend more time and money on. CAM therapies tend to use more natural or herbal remedies, so that there are fewer side effects and fewer long term economic repercussions. Consider the fact of homeopathy for instance. The medications are in the form of sugar pills with extremely dilute medications added to them. With homeopathy, there are never any side effects and the medications themselves may be quite economical.

CAM Therapies are more ‘Holistic’ – CAM therapies look to cure the entire being and not just address symptoms of a disease. So if you are troubled by, say constipation, a holistic approach to the problem will not be a laxative or a purgative, which would be a short term solution, a sort of band aid for the problem. A CAM therapist would rather go into the problem to see what causes the constipation and try and redress that imbalance in the system. Who knows there could be other beneficial impacts of the therapy as well.  For instance if you undergo acupuncture for the constipation, you may find some pleasant secondary benefits from it, such as increased energy levels and so on.

I think CAM therapies can make a lot of economic sense, don’t you? 

Image courtesy Homeopathy, Wikipedia

According to this Reuters article, between $33 billion and $55 billion is spent annually on weight loss products and services, including medical procedures and pharmaceuticals, with weight loss centers garnering between six percent and 12 percent of total annual expenditure in the United States alone.

The fact is that only an actual change in lifestyle will give you results if you are trying for weight loss. There is no substitute for healthy eating and exercise in your daily life; that is a fact. However the weight loss industry flourishes on promoting the idea of quick fat loss, of weight loss without effort; of easy methods of losing the inches. These short cut methods are never permanent, no matter what the infomercials tell you. They may give you some results to begin with, before the body builds up resistance to it, and then you are back to square one. How stuff works explains it if you want to have a look.

That ‘Sauna’ belt or ‘Vibrating’ belt which promises to make you lose the inches without effort; by ‘melting away the inches’, as you go about your daily activities; pretty much useless unless you supplement that with other exercise and a low calorie diet. They even say so in the disclaimer in the tiny print for just a second at the end of the infomercial!

According to the FDA, many of the weight loss pills in the market actually contain undeclared, active pharmaceutical ingredients that may put consumers’ health at risk. The undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients in some of these products include sibutramine (a controlled substance), rimonabant (a drug not approved for marketing in the United States), phenytoin (an anti-seizure medication) and phenolphthalein (a solution used in chemical experiments and a suspected cancer causing agent). For more information, look here.

And what of the ‘super foods’ such as the Acai Berry (Acai Berry Juice, diet etc.) and Bromelain or Pineapple extract that are supposed to be super fat burners? Supposedly the pineapple extract supplement, when taken with a meal of 1000 calories is like consuming only 100 calories. So when an extravagant claim like that is made, I am immediately skeptical. From what I read around the net written by those who have used these foods, I have come to the conclusion that these are probably good for health and well being: they have antioxidants and other health giving properties; but to label them miracle foods for weight loss would be a stretch; even a misleading claim.

So the next time you decide to buy a diet or weight loss supplement, pill or food, read the fine print, do your research, read a few reviews and save yourself a bunch of money!

]]> http://www.greatpriceshere.com/2009/06/15/weight-loss-pills-and-supplements-do-you-need-them/feed/ 14 http://www.greatpriceshere.com/2009/06/09/belated-gift-for-mother%e2%80%99s-day/ http://www.greatpriceshere.com/2009/06/09/belated-gift-for-mother%e2%80%99s-day/#comments Tue, 09 Jun 2009 09:41:19 +0000 Nicole Price http://www.greatpriceshere.com/?p=374 I’ve gone and forgotten Mother’s Day completely, and now remembering it a month later there is no hope for redemption! My mother has a birthday coming up soon, luckily, so I am going to get her something nice, a sort of combined Mother’s day and birthday gift.

Now we all know grandparents who whip out a wallet or even a photo album at the least provocation and proceed to show even strangers their beloved offspring’s even more beloved offspring, so it goes without saying that anything that features grandkids photos is bound to be a big hit. So this picture tote here, would be an excellent idea in my view. Available in black, khaki or red, it made from cotton canvas with leather trim and has three built-in, round photo frames. Then you can get a few pics developed; the kind she will enjoy, (get a whole bunch done, so that she can change them as and when she wants) and you have a really memorable gift!

I am wondering about the wisdom of getting a blanket for Mom in the middle of summer, but a personalized blanket, I think she would enjoy! For $46 I can have it personalized with her name; choosing to have it done in block or script and choosing between royal blue, navy or green.

Now one thing that I have been meaning to get Mom for a while now, and this is something she really needs and stubbornly refuses to get for herself, is a blood pressure monitor. I could get her one of these old fashioned type blood pressure monitor kits that also features a stethoscope and everything: I thought it was a good deal for $109, but then I thought she is never going to use something that seems so complicated.

I would be better advised to get one of those digital thingies that you strap onto your wrist such as this one for just $39.88, but then a friend told me that they aren’t the most accurate of monitors. Anyone out there have any experience of these? Would appreciate some feedback.

As for what I ultimately decide to get her, the safest bet would be to just ask her, as I now know from some past experiences.

Do you really need an expensive antibiotic?

It would seem that doctors are prescribing a lot more medications than they used to: in 2007 pharmacists filled 3.8 billion prescriptions, up from 3.3 billion in 2002 and according to at least one doctor it’s because “It’s easier and quicker than explaining to a patient why they don’t need an antibiotic,” How scary is that! So next you’re sick, be sure to ask your physician what he is prescribing and why you need it at all.

Use Coupons

Doctors are given coupons by pharmaceutical companies which they can sometimes pass on to you. Ask for those coupons. Some coupons offer rewards for transferring a prescription: many pharmacies offer $ 25 to $ 30 bonus cards for each prescription transfer.

Don’t use dietary supplements

Dietary supplements are not regulated, so you have no idea if what you’re seeing on the label is really what is in the bottle. It says ‘Herbal’ or ‘Absolutely safe’ or ‘no side effects’ on the label but anything can be potentially dangerous if taken in conjunction with other medications with which they can react. Herbs get sold as dietary supplements and foods, but they are drugs. And all drugs have interactions.

Buy in Bulk

If you are on medication for high blood pressure or a heart ailment or diabetes, or in fact any other long term ailment which requires medication over a long term, then it makes sense to buy several months worth of drugs together which will entitle you to a discount. This could also be done by pregnant or lactating women who know that they may have to take iron, calcium or folic acid supplements over a period of many months.

However take care not to get so much medication that it may actually become stale and reach expiry before you have had a chance to actually use it. It is always a good practice to check the date of expiry of any medication that you buy, either over the counter or prescription.

I found here, a really useful resource about the 10 things that your pharmacists won’t tell you. It’s an insightful resource and made for some very interesting reading.

Energy Savings

Whenever possible, turn off the Air con at home and in the car. Air cons are extremely power hungry. And when you do use the AC, make sure your filter is not clogged because that increases consumption of electricity. Don’t use your dryer, line dry your clothes. It won’t take long in the summer sun. Grow trees. Not only are they wonderful for the environment, they are beautiful and they offer cooling shade as well.

The US Department of Energy has a long list of do’s and don’ts with regard to energy saving which you can see here.

Save money while travelling

If driving your car, make sure it is as fuel efficient as possible. Unload unnecessary stuff, check tire pressure. When buying gas, pay attention to the price of gas it is lower during some parts of the day than others.

If amusement parks are where you are headed, something that will save you a lot of money is buying admission tickets on line because many parks have an online discount. Sometimes membership of certain clubs or associations can entitle you to discounts, so try and get whatever you may be entitled to.

If camping is what you have planned, keep in mind that sending children to day camp could be a tax write off.

Clothes Shopping

Hit the end of season sales for up to 75% discounts. Have children’s clothes swap with friends, family and neighbors. Check out garage sales and second hand shops and consignment shops for summer clothes.

Swine Flu

This is the latest thing to be hitting the headlines and scaring everyone and there are a lot of ‘Swine flu kits’ out there that promise to offer protection against the potentially deadly disease.  But do you really need a $40 Swine Flu Pandemic kit that includes a full-body Tyvek suit, safety goggles and plastic sheeting to “shelter in place”? All that you actually need is some common sense and the same basic precautions that you would take to avoid the common flu as well: soap, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes and, for more worried consumers, gloves and a particulate mask.

So gear up for the summer with a few smart tips that should save you a bunch of money.

]]> http://www.greatpriceshere.com/2009/05/05/save-money-this-summer/feed/ 9 http://www.greatpriceshere.com/2009/04/09/pamper-yourself-at-a-discount/ http://www.greatpriceshere.com/2009/04/09/pamper-yourself-at-a-discount/#comments Thu, 09 Apr 2009 19:34:36 +0000 Nicole Price http://www.greatpriceshere.com/?p=345 Really it seems as though long relaxed sessions at the salon getting myself a bit of pampering is relegated to the past. Going for periodic hair sessions or getting that French manicure seems rather out of reach these days. I have been doing a bit of thinking to come up with some ideas to pamper myself without burning a hole in my pocket recently.

Now at the end of a hard day I would like something like this heat massager for a bit of indulging of myself. This one promises to get rid of the tension, aches and pains as well as the fatigue and loosen the knots for you. The massager fits into the chair and the mechanism travels up and down the back in three programs.  This massager is available on eBay for $65.95.

These days I seem to have neither the time nor the inclination to go for pedicures. This is something that I find really relaxing so I think I should have this Bubble Spa Footbath. You don’t even have to give yourself a full pedicure, just a bit of scented oil or even some fave shampoo into the footbath and you feel nice and your feet feel great!  A good bargain for $28.50 I thought.

Aroma therapy may sound like a lot of new age mumbo jumbo to a lot of us, but the truth is that I find good fragrances very relaxing, soothing and even rejuvenating. The smell of lavender for instance actually makes me feel happier.  So I think a full works spa treatment at home with oil, candle, salt and massage brush may be a good idea such as this collection which is available for the price of $39.95.

Vanilla is another of my fave fragrances and liked the look of this spa kit which includes a Bottle of After Spa Hand & Body Lotion, a bottle of After Spa Body Mist, a votive Spa Candle, an exfoliating Loofah sponge, a 11 oz. jar of inspiration Spa Pearls and a bottle of Cucumber Melon Spa Fragrance. Comes in a vinyl tote bag.

So I hope I gave you some ideas and some inspiration to pamper yourselves and look after yourselves with some ‘me’ time!

At this online tea store I found some lovely tea gift sets, including samplers of different kinds of tea: green, white, black etc., and tea hampers that include a unique tea pot that strains tea for you.

This gourmet green tea set I found very interesting. It includes a 16 oz. tea pot and 4 1 oz sample tins of citron green, hojicha, green pekoe & white monkey gourmet green teas. As for the tea pot, when tea is ready, simply place it atop your cup. This will cause a valve at the bottom to release: clear tea flows down, while the mesh filter retains all the leaves. Easy to clean and dishwasher safe too. For $19 it is a good deal I thought.

This tea chest with an assortment of some 80 teas, I especially liked because it is available for a discount: $24.99 down from 56.99. These are kosher, Made in Israel teas which include 10 Nana (mint) teas, 10 Lemon teas, 10 Cherry teas, 10 Raspberry teas, 10 English Breakfast teas, 10 Earl Grey teas, 10 Chamomile teas and 10 Wild berry Nectar teas. And it comes in this rather smart looking wooden chest too.

This Ceylon tea chest in faux leather is also on sale down from 59.99 to just $19.99. Includes 108 teas, such as English Breakfast, Strawberry, Raspberry, Earl Grey, Apple Cinnamon, Cranberry, Ginger, Orange Spice, Tropical Delight, Peppermint, Lemon Spice, Green Tea etc.

They say iced tea retains its health benefits when it is brewed and then chilled, so I liked this sample pack of flavored teas.  The set includes 4 packets each of China Mist Traditional, Fiesta Fria, Mango, Passion Fruit, Raspberry and Blackberry Jasmine Green for you to fresh-brew at home. For $30, this was an interesting set I thought.

So go have yourself a tea party.

]]> http://www.greatpriceshere.com/2009/03/24/tea-a-gift-of-warmth/feed/ 8 http://www.greatpriceshere.com/2009/03/20/how-to-cope-with-the-recession/ http://www.greatpriceshere.com/2009/03/20/how-to-cope-with-the-recession/#comments Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:32:27 +0000 Nicole Price http://www.greatpriceshere.com/?p=317

The recession, the global meltdown, the slowdown, and a myriad other terms are being bandied about these days to describe the fact that basically everyone is feeling the pinch in their pocket these days. We are no longer anticipating a recession; it is upon us and no mistake! We all have less money than before to spend, we are doing without some things that we may have taken for granted earlier, we are all taking a sharp look at our expenditure to see what we can cut down on and what we can do without. I thought of some of the ways that one can cope with recession and here are my thoughts:

Do your job: The single most scary prospect in times of recession is a looming layoff of even a chance that one may be fired. What is important to remember here is that the people you work for are most likely to fire those with the lowest productivity; those that are least likely to matter by their absence. Remember this and just do your job so well that when an employer thinks they have to cut costs by retrenchments, yours is not a name that occurs to them. So the single most important insurance against being fired is, JUST DO YOUR JOB THE BEST YOU CAN.

Be Positive: I know this is an obvious cliché, but think about how easy it is to get bogged down by your troubles and your tribulations. Take time out and count your blessings: for instance if you are in good health, think about how much worse off you would be if you were not in good health. There would be medical expenses and low productivity! Surround yourself with positivity and positive people, take time out and do worthwhile things.

Take care of yourself: Make a conscious effort to lower stress levels. Cook food at home (it is healthier and far cheaper) and eat food high in nutritional value. Keep yourself active, keep your brain active. They say mental exercises like puzzles, crosswords, quizzes etc that challenge your mind are important not only to keep your brain healthy and agile, they can also keep dementia at bay! So while you exercise your body for fitness also do the same for your brain.

Read my old posts: All my posts are about money and how to get a great bargain, but here are some you may find particularly useful given the current financial scenario:

1.      Help with your taxes

2.      Small steps to big savings

3.      Tips to save gas

4.      Hypermiling

5.      Save money on medication

6.      New Year resolutions

]]> http://www.greatpriceshere.com/2009/03/20/how-to-cope-with-the-recession/feed/ 11 http://www.greatpriceshere.com/2008/11/11/save-money-on-medication/ http://www.greatpriceshere.com/2008/11/11/save-money-on-medication/#comments Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:44:37 +0000 Nicole Price http://www.greatpriceshere.com/?p=187 Supposedly all men are created equal but that is not true for drugs and medications. Different brands of the same drug will offer you the same formulation at different prices and under separate brand names. It all tends to depend upon your doctor and how he prescribes your medication. It is a bit of a secret of the medical profession that generic (read cheaper) drugs will do the job as well as their more expensive branded counterparts.

In fact generic medications are required by the FDA to have the same formulations, strength and efficacy as branded drugs. The reason that generic drugs are so much cheaper is because the manufactures of the generic varieties did not have to undertake the expense of research and development and as such can afford to sell the drugs cheaper. Or generic medication is that which has been imported from a country which has lower manufacturing costs. I found some useful FAQs about generic drugs if you want to take a look.

I actually got the idea to do this post from a post on a blog that I read regularly, okdork.com, where the blog author talked to the founders of the site pharmahelper.com, about their startup story, which is aimed at providing a safe way for people to find significant cost savings on their medications. According to the home page of the site, they are not a pharmacy; what they do is “compare licensed, trusted pharmacies that enable you to purchase with peace of mind and save big on your prescription medication.”

Here as well, you can compare drug prices for over a thousand medications. Say for instance you want to check the prices for Lipitor, you can type that into the search box and you will get a chart showing you the comparative prices offered and your potential for saving.

This is also a useful site which tells you more about generic drugs and helps you compare costs between commonly prescribed branded drugs and their generic equivalents.

So while we all hope that we enjoy perfect health, we certainly do require medication from time to time; so let’s save some money while we’re at it.