How Much are your Vices Costing you Every Year?

A pair of In-N-Out cheeseburgers. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We all have bad habits of different types. You may think its okay to indulge in the occasional vice; you work hard, you need to let off steam and have some fun. So what if you have a few drinks after work or buy another pair of shoes. If you have so many shoes that you keep them boxed under the bed because you have nowhere to store them or if your few drinks after work have become a daily ritual, this means that your vice has become habitual and you may need help to reverse your ways. 

Fast food

We all love the convenience of fast food, especially if you don’t have to get out of your car! With many fast food outlets open 24 hours, it is so easy to order, then drive through and collect your order. As an occasional treat, this is okay but if you find yourself eating fast food on a daily basis, this could have a detrimental effect on your health and your wallet. 

Daily coffees

It is so nice to start the day with a freshly brewed cappuccino or latte. The true coffee aroma is intoxicating and grabbing one of the way to work plus having one at lunch time is only loose change. Well, that’s how it feels but add up two coffees a day and see how much you’ve spent on coffee or energy juices in a month. 

Cigarettes

The price of cigarettes has risen dramatically over the past few years. Government taxes on cigarettes are exorbitant. If you total how much you would spend on cigarettes per week, you would then see how much your smoking vice is costing you per year. For smokers, insurance policies are also more expensive. 

Impulse spending

Unfortunately, the euphoria you experience after purchasing the must have item, is short lived. The reality check happens when you first sight your credit card statement. You must keep track of your spending and put a stop to unnecessary impulse buying. 

Alcohol

A Kranz (wreath) of Kölsch beer. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You can buy a bottle of wine at a reasonable price and a whole bottle of liquor can last for ages. This may give you false reassurance that you are not continually outlaying money for alcohol. Add up your weekly spend and then work out how much a year your drinking vice is costing you. Social drinking is acceptable but excessive drinking can lead to many health issues, such as liver damage. Heavy drinking can also cause inability to drive a motor vehicle or inability to focus. This may also have an effect on your employment and your close relationships. 

Research has shown it takes approximately two months to break a bad habit. Once that has been accomplished, it is important not to replace the old vice with a new vice. Vices can cause havoc with your pay packet. Adding up how much you spend on cigarettes, alcohol or impulse shopping can be quite a shock. If you need help with a budget plan, Fox Symes can assist you, click here to check out their website. Fox Symes offers solutions to individuals to help reduce credit card debt and can provide valuable advice on consolidating your debt.

Economic development of Canada's East Coast

Lighthouse of Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Without a doubt, Natural resources have obviously seen a dramatic change and increase in Canada, especially within the east coast areas, as more and more skilled labour continue to influx the country, certain areas within the east coast area continue to stand out with regards to economic boom, real estate investment and industrial growth. These select areas have definitely shown their prowess with regards to the way forward. In this write up, highlight will be given on three specific areas that have shown tremendous growth with regards to development over the years in the areas of industrial growth, real estate and economic increase; these provinces include Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Halifax.

Nova Scotia, first of all is a very beautiful province located within the eastern coast of Canada. The breathtaking landscape that can only spell the word “prosperity”. 

Without a doubt, this alone is the first attraction the province gets with regards to continuous movement of people, goods and services. The presence of natural resources have also affected the price of real estate in such a way that vacant lands as well as commercial buildings are now priced at a competitive low and affordable rate just to signify a considerable growth and consistency within the real estate industry. 

Secondly, due to the continuous rise in industries and on-going rise in technology innovations, the province is also witnessing a good number of increase in job offerings, hence the need for more skilled labour into Nova Scotia. The presence of natural resources has put Nova Scotia on the world map, so if you are thinking of a province with a lot potential growth in every area irrespective of the world's economic recession, land for sale in Nova Scotia sure has a chance of coming out on top and being a good investment.

Fishing Boats in Yarmouth, NS (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Another rising area within the eastern coast of Canada equally having a great impact on the economy of the country with regards to natural resources is New Brunswick. The province has also witnessed own fair share of downgrading, due to an unsustainable long term plan for economic growth which affected the province as a way back in June 2011, when a data research was carried on the province in terms of economic growth prediction. 

Presently, as the province continues to strive in the influx of goods and service; the natural resources possessed by the province has had a good impact with the step up of the economic growth. Today, New Brunswick is seen as a place with a considerable amount of potential with respect to jobs availability, future economic stability and a good location for real estate and property investment. Technology wise, the province has also been able to sustain its technological growth as there is more research conducted just to improve the standard of living of the residents. 

Property availability is also on the increase on a gradual basis due to the competitive growth of the real estate industry in surrounding cities; this has equally affected the cost of properties within the province, making it low and competitive. With this in mind, you can then ask the question, is investment of land for sale in New Brunswick a viable option? The answer is a clear yes; as long as there is potential, and then there is room for profit.

City Hall, Halifax (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Halifax is another city that has equally shown proper growth with regards to economic growth as a result of the city's natural resources. Real estate in the city has known tremendous increase so much that the situation promises the availability of more jobs as well as a competitive price in the cost of property acquisition. 

Research has also shown there is a rise in the construction of apartment buildings as well as single family homes, a lot more than it used to be about 50 years ago. This growth has definitely proven the city a good spot for property investment and if you are keen on making an investment soon on real estate, then you should give Halifax city a good consideration.

Five Reasons Term Life Insurance Is Right For You

Many people often confuse the different types of life insurance available and opt for the most common option that includes whole life insurance and permanent life insurance, hoping that it will work as an investment to acquire wealth overtime. Unfortunately, these types often have poor returns with inaccurate projections. Term life insurance is most recommended by experts due to the affordability each month and customizable plans. 

1. Affordable Rates

Whole life insurance can often cost an average of $100 a month, making it difficult to obtain for most households for an annual cost that adds up to thousands of dollars. Term life insurance costs as little as $7 a month, making it a more viable option that still has large payouts with a $100,000 policy. This makes it easier to purchase enough to cover all of the needs instead of getting the bare minimum since it's so affordable. Don't be afraid to shop around at SelectQuote.com or an easy online marketplace to obtain the best rate available for a long-term or short-term investment.

2. Simple Plans

The ins and outs of permanent or whole life insurance can often be difficult to understand, a risk for those who are inexperienced with the requirements that can be easy to get stuck in. Term life insurance is often more simple for basic coverage that can be easy to manage for those who may be new to life insurance.

3. Customizable Plans

Term life insurance is often considered a better option because the coverage can be customized by the individual, between the different term lengths of 10 to 30 years, to the different coverage amounts.

4. Invest Yourself

Instead of having another party invest your money, you can do it yourself for a better chance of earning more money and monitoring the investments more closely. It can also be easier to find better investment opportunities doing it yourself than trusting someone who may be less careful or wise with the money.

5. Coverage for Short-Term Needs

Many people do not realize that life insurance does not need to just be purchased for long-term purposes, but can also be used for a child's college tuition or to pay the mortgage after passing.

When choosing the best term life insurance coverage, it's better to obtain the plan when in great health at a younger age for more affordable rates. Most people choose to have coverage that is five to 10 times of their annual income to prevent a financial crises if an accident occurs. Although term life insurance offers extremely low rates, it's still crucial to shop around at SelectQuote and other online resources to ensure an ideal plan is chosen.

How to Keep Your Baby Safe at Home

September is the National Baby Safety Month when caregivers and parents are educated on how to  keep their baby safe. During this month, parents and the caregivers are taught how to tighten up the safety belts that are around the house. The following are some of the tips that you might be able to use.

The first one is the car seat safety. You should check if it is correctly installed by referring to the installation instructions as well as the manual of the vehicle’s owner. You should place it in the center of the back seat if possible and never in the front passenger side if there is an airbag. Your child should remain in the car seat till they are 4 years old and weigh 40 or more pounds. You should also lower the level of the music in the car.

We always look around the house searching for items or places where a child can be injured but what about the security of your home when you are at home or away. Investing in home security systems that watch your house while you are home or away can be an important part of keeping you and your child safe.

The next one is the health of the baby. You should always ensure that before allowing someone to touch your baby, he or she should wash hands. You should not allow anyone who is sick to touch your baby. 

Your baby’s crib is also a place for safety. It's best to place your child on his or her back in order to sleep. The mattress should be firm with no holes for the safety of your baby. You may keep the crib at the lowest level in order to prevent falls. Make sure that you keep the crib far away from the windows and it should be free of heavy blankets, pillows or stuffed toys.

Other things that you should do in order to keep your baby safe at home include the condition and sturdiness of toys, baby’s pacifier, stroller, baby’s food, and baby’s bath as well.  Keeping the toilet lid down in order to prevent access to water. 

Top Financial Advice to Help You After Graduation

Being a graduate may seem all rosy on the surface; however, it is certainly just the beginning of a rat race wherein you need to struggle for a good couple of years to prove your mettle. Needless to say, your first task is to get yourself a decent first job. This, in itself, is a challenging feat with thousands of other graduates vying for a spot that only can enjoy. However, at a certain point, after acquiring your very first job, you may have to pay careful attention to your finances for several reasons. Although the sound of being independent may seem like music to the ears, you need to realize that there is immense responsibility on your shoulders as well. To make sure that you make the best of your financial resources from your first job after graduation, this compilation of financial tips will help you in the process.

1.) Ensure that you save more and spend less:

This is the most important rule that every recent college graduate must swear by. Although you have landed your first job after graduation, your career can take a turn for the worse if you do not handle it with care. The first step to ensure this is by saving all the money you earn instead of splurging it on things that you do not require. Although you have finished your graduation, you must continue living like a student by being far more frugal than you may want to. By doing this, you stabilize your career for the near future. Essentially, you must save a lot more than you actually spend. Besides, you must make sure that you spend only for what is an absolute necessity. The rest of your money should be transferred to a savings account. You will be surprised at the interest you will receive in the coming years. it is an excellent way to add value to your savings.

2.) Avoid using a credit card; save up for emergencies instead:

A credit card may seem like the only means of salvation but you must realize that it can cause more harm than good. While it can take care of an emergency situation, it can lead to horrid financial troubles later in life. Therefore, it is best that you do not resort to this means for providing for an emergency fresh after your graduation. Instead, you could save up a small amount every month to build up an emergency fund that can be used if you meet with emergency situations like an accident.

3.) You should be prompt in the payment of your student loan:

It goes without saying that paying for college can be a daunting task and therefore, most of the students prefer to opt for a student loan to get them through graduation. Some students prefer waiting it out before repaying their loans. However, you must refrain from doing so. Being prompt is the key and therefore, you must ensure that you start paying off your student loan immediately to avoid being hit by interest rates that will cause your overall balance payments to rise. You must meticulously plan out the time that you will require to pay off your debts in order to be on the safer side.

4.) Take advantage of your employee benefits:

If you are an employee of a reputable firm, you will avail of impressive employee benefits that will help you save an enormous amount. This is particularly helpful for you since you have only just recently graduated and are not completely equipped to handle every financial situation well. Therefore, employee benefits like health insurance, life insurance and other such benefits can help you immensely when you are just starting out.

Author’s bio:Patricia Wilkinson is an employee with a well known firm. She graduated 3 years ago and has a professional degree in finance with the help of graduate schemes. Besides, she is also a blogger of http://www.graddiary.com/ and loves to eat. She also loves reading extensively on finance and always stocks up on the latest financial journals and magazines.

Unsustainable Cost of Cancer Drugs

This year, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved several cancer treatment drugs such as Afatinib, Denosumab, Trametinib, Dabrafenib and Lenalidomide capsules among many others. This may be a breakthrough development in the field of medicine, considering the fact that more and more drugs each day are being developed in order to treat cancer. 
Unfortunately, all things come with a price. And when it comes to Cancer drugs, nothing comes cheap.

Why Cancer Drugs are so expensive

The high cost of cancer drugs is among the major issues in the healthcare industry. However, there are several factors related to the development of a single drug which makes it expensive. 

• The cost developing the drug itself, from preclinical research to generation of data and testing, is very high.
• Since most cancers are incurable, each patient is treated with an approved agent either sequentially or in combination, thereby creating a virtual monopoly.
• Because of the development of new drugs, the ‘older’ drugs are viewed as a substandard treatment.
• The very nature of cancer makes patients and physicians more willing to pay the price of treatment.
• There is an incentive or reimbursement when chemotherapy and more expensive drugs are resorted to even if there are cheaper alternatives available.
• Certain agencies are prevented from taking economic and cost-effective considerations when approving new cancer drugs. 

Cancer medication and expenses

Cancer drugs can hurt a lot of people’s pockets. A treatment for Kidney cancer called Afinitor cost $3,995.00 – and that’s just one drug! According to a paper signed by 120 leukemia experts from all over the world, there has been a dramatic increase in the price of cancer medications. In Sweden alone, drug therapy is supplied to patients at no cost resulting to 80% survival rate in 10 years. This is opposed to the United States or any other countries where patients will shoulder the expenses. 

Because of the costs involved, around 10% of the patients fail to take their prescribed drugs simply because they cannot afford it. As a result, their chances of survival are greatly reduced.

What can we do about it?

There are many ways that can help alleviate this situation. It is important to maintain a balance between autonomy on physicians prescribing a treatment and costs incurred by the society. This can be done by improving national guidelines that allows both patients and physicians to choose the most cost-effective methods available to them. By providing transparency on the cost-effective options available, people can make better treatment decisions.

Also, price regulation is necessary. In terms of funding the development of a new drug, a lot of money is also spent on marketing the product. Why should the public shoulder these costs when it won’t benefit them at all?

Another solution would be the creation of nonprofit generic companies. As long as companies for profit exist, expect cancer drugs to be at a higher cost. By having philanthropic foundations fund the manufacture and distribution of life-saving drugs, expenses for medications will be greatly reduced. At the end of the day, harmonizing health care affordability and profits will provide greater benefits in the long run.