10 ways to save on your birth control

Some brands of the Pill can cost as much as $50 a month. What if you could throw that $600 into something way more fun this year?

A recent survey of more than a thousand women by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists found that many women are doing just that: Of those who switched their birth-control method in the past year, 14 percent did so in order to save cash.

Here’s how to save your dough.

Go Generic
Ask your doctor or pharmacist for a generic version of the Pill, or do some research by looking at an online drugstore. Generic drugs are much cheaper than their brand-name counterparts, and they have the same rate of efficacy.

For example, the price of Ortho Tri-Cyclen is $41.99 on the Walgreens website, but its generic equivalents, TriNessa and Sprintec, cost only $27.99—nearly 30 percent less.

“Generic drugs have the same makeup as brand-name drugs,” says Nancy Cossler, M.D., an ob-gyn at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. “They’re all the same, so there’s no reason not to go generic.”

Be Straight with Your Doctor
Talk to your doc about your financial constraints. She’ll make sure to prescribe you a pill that has a generic version or talk to you about other cost-effective methods. Also, your doctor might have free samples available, but be warned: According to Cossler, drug companies only manufacture samples of brand-name pills like Yaz to fool you into getting a prescription for the expensive stuff once you do sign on. Make sure that when your doctor writes you a script, it’s for the generic version.

Bargain Shop
You scour supermarkets for the cheapest shampoo and the best deal on laundry detergent, so why shouldn’t you look for a bargain when filling your prescription? Call around and research your pill online to price your drug at the big pharmacies. Bonus: Walgreens, Walmart, CVS, and most of the others have prescription savings clubs. You can get a 90-day supply of the drug for $12 on some of the plans.

“There could be a very large variation in that cost, especially if you’re not on insurance. The variation can be as much as $100 a month from pharmacy to pharmacy,” says Scott Chudnoff, M.D., a gynecologist at Montefiore Centennial Women’s Center in the Bronx, New York.

Stick with Condoms
If you’re really pinching pennies, talk to your doctor about going off the Pill and protecting yourself with condoms. “If you’re not in a serious relationship and you’re going to have sex fewer than 10 times a month, it might be cheapest to go with condoms,” says Chudnoff.

Plus, since the Pill doesn’t protect you from sexually transmitted infections, you’ll want to use a condom anyway if you’re not in a monogamous relationship.

Make a Long-Term Investment
It’s a lot of cash up front, but the IUD is considered the cheapest form of birth control because it lasts the longest. Mirena (the hormonal type of IUD) lasts three to five years, and the copper IUD can last up to 10 years.

“From a purely financial point of view, the IUD is the best option,” says Chudnoff. “You can get one in the $300 to $400 range—and you might even be able to get it cheaper from different family-planning clinics, like Planned Parenthood.”

If you figure the average pack of pills costs around $10 a month, by the third year of your IUD, the cost has already balanced out.

Go Mail Order
Ask if your company has a long-term prescription plan, which allows you to mail order a 90-day supply of the pill for a lower co-pay. It also cuts down on trips to the pharmacy.

Ask for a Three-Month Prescription
Instead of going to your pharmacist and paying for a refill every month, see if your doctor will write you a prescription for three months at a time. “If your doctor will give you a three-month prescription, you might get away with paying only a single co-pay for it,” says Chudnoff.

Get Your Pills from Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood’s prices may be cheaper than the pharmacy’s--and you may even be able to get birth control for free. Check with them or a local family-planning service in your area.

Use Pretax Dollars for Birth Control
If you know you’ll be spending a given amount every year on your pills, and you have the option available with your company, put aside that amount in a health savings account so it is paid with pretax money.

Homemade Facial Mask for Dry Skin

Why spend a ton of money on products when you can do the same things at home for much less? Here’s one of my favorite recipes for when my skin feels parched, which is usually around this time (when the cold weather starts to kick in!).

Here’s What You’ll Need

2 oz/60g ripe avocado flesh
1 oz/25g orange juice
1 tsp/5g pure acacia honey
1 tsp/5g molasses
5 drops chamomile essential oil

Start by mixing all the ingredients in a blender. You can also mash them in a bowl if you fish. If you see that the consistency is too thick, add a little bit of orange juice. Apply to your face and neck using your fingers and leave on for 30-40 minutes. Once time is up, gently remove the mask using lukewarm water or a warm washcloth.

This homemade facial mask is great for dry skin because it cleanses the skin but moisturizes it at the same time, leaving your face feeling nice and soft. If you don’t use the entire mixture, you can store it in the fridge for about a day or two.

3 Tricks to Getting Gorgeous Eyebrows

Going to get your eyebrows done on a regular basis can empty out your wallet pretty fast, but if you know how to do them right, why spend a fortune and get them done by someone else? Here’s how you can do your own eyebrows in just a few simple steps. No money, no fuss, no pain

1.Start by brushing your brows upwards using a brow brush. Then snip off the long ends of any hairs that might stick out using a pair of brow scissors and continue brushing downwards. Doing this will ensure that you trim off the bulk of the hair, plus will reveal your natural brow shape.

2.Hold a pencil parallel to the side of the bridge of your nose: that’s where the inner edge of your brow should start. To determine the highest point of your arch, place the pencil parallel to the outside corner of your iris. To find out where your brows should end, just hold the pencil diagonally from your nostril to the outside corner of your eye. You can also just look in the mirror and find the highest point of your brow. From there, you can tweeze right underneath the high point to maximize the

3.Using a brow pencil, mark the spots you just found and begin tweezing accordingly. Be sure to remove no more than 2 rows of hair so your brows still maintain a natural shape and look. You may need to remove just a few hairs from the top of the brows to make them look neat and shaped.

Get the Perfect Manicure

Getting the perfect manicure can be a bit nerve wrecking, especially if you’re willing to do it yourself. The nail polish color never matches your outfits, and you always find yourself with chipped polish.

The answer? Simple. Use an off-white nail color on both your nails as well as your toe nails. It looks extremely elegant, it won’t chip off that easily (just make sure to use a base and top coat), and it just looks perfect.

Before applying the polish, make sure to clean your nails, get rid of your cuticles and hang nails, as well as file your nails to your preferred shape

How to Clean Your Room

Some people are just naturally good at keeping their rooms tidy, while some of us need to be reminded or told to do it a thousand times, whether by a frustrated parent or roommate, or by not being able to walk through our room without tripping over something. The problem is that if your room is a mess, the prospect of cleaning it can seem like an overwhelming task. But if you approach it in "layers" as described below, it'll be much less intimidating and, who knows? You might even have fun if you're lucky!

Close all computer programs but this, but first bookmark important sites you have up if you have to. Sign off from any chat programs and put up an away message. The temptation to chat or browse can be a major pitfall. If you are doing something, then turn off your screen or save what you are doing and shut down the computer. Also turn off your cellphone to avoid talking or texting so that you won't get distracted.

Put on an album that you enjoy singing or dancing along with. Stay away from mellow, relaxing music--you need motivation. Turn it up as loud as you're allowed to put it so you're not thinking of anything else. Make a game of seeing how much you can get cleaned up during one song.

Open all of your curtains or blinds and, if appropriate, the windows themselves to let some light and fresh air in. If you're cleaning at night, just turn on all of the lights. This will allow you to see everything and brighten your cleaning process. If you have a ceiling fan, turn it on. There's a good chance you'll work up a sweat.

Remove all big stuff out of your room. That way the room looks a little bit more tidy already

Sweep out everything from under the bed and dressers. You may be surprised to find just how much junk has accumulated there, much of which is probably stuff you'd thought you'd lost or may have simply forgotten about. Separate all of it into four piles: One is trash, the second is give away, the third is recycling, and the last pile is things that should stay in your room

Gather the trash and throw it away. Then recycle the recycling. Keeping a garbage bag in the room will help. Pull stuff out from under and behind the rest of your furniture like desks, dressers, end tables, nightstands or bookshelves. Your only concern right now should be trash and recycling so don't put anything else away, and don't start organizing just yet.

Put everything in your room that you need to put away in a big pile on your bed or in the middle of the floor. When stuff is all over the room it is easy to avoid, but when it's all right there in a big, tall pile, it is almost impossible to leave it there. As you're building up your pile, set any dirty clothes aside in a hamper or in a separate pile.

Fold or hang your clean clothes and put them away, while throwing the dirty ones in the laundry pile. If you come across something that you haven't worn in quite some time, try it on. If it doesn't fit you or isn't in season, give it to charity or put it in a container as long as it's not dirty or torn. Organize your closet and dressers. Close all drawers and doors; make sure nothing is sticking out.

Put everything in its place - don't just shove everything under the bed and call it a day - but don't organize yet. For example, put all the books where they're supposed to be, like on your bookshelf, but don't get caught up in organizing the bookshelf just yet, or else you'll lose momentum. Just keep grabbing an item from the pile on your bed, put it in its place, and move onto the next item. If you find something that doesn't belong anywhere, either consider giving it away, or make a place for it. Continue putting everything away (stuffed animals, photographs, purses, shoes, and so on) until your bed is cleared.

• If you find things that need to be put in another room (like dishes that belong in the kitchen) grab a laundry basket or box and put those items in there. When you're done putting everything away that belongs in your room, you can go and put the rest of the things away that belong in other rooms. Individually taking the items to their spots in other parts of the house is a big waste of time

Time for the bed. Strip it bare. Take off all the bedding and use this opportunity to rotate the mattress. Flipping over your mattress not only increases its lifespan, but it will also feel great to sleep on the under-used side. Now, get out some fresh bedding and change the sheets. Then, finally make your bed. An unmade bed will make any room look messy by itself.

Now take a break. 10-15 minutes should be plenty

Stack your books and magazines neatly, even those on the floor. Stack the by height, biggest on the bottom shortest on the top. Organize your bookshelf if you have one. Dust the books and the shelf surfaces with a feather duster or a moist cloth

Clean up your desk, organizing and dusting as you go along. Even a simple dusting can make your desk look more inviting to sit at again.

How to Save Money on Kid's Clothes

It's no fun to spend a fortune on children's clothes and watch them outgrow them overnight. It's a blow to your budget and your time! There are ways to make kids look terrific for very little with a little time and planning.

Instructions

Step 1

Check out the consignment stores for bargains. Don't miss their end of season sales to save your clothes budget! If you need party dresses or suits especially--the ones you use a few times that are real budget crunchers, look here first. Other kids don't wear these much either before they're outgrown so there's lots of stuff that looks brand new. Dress up shoes are also often like new. They often have toys and books as well. Be warned -- saving money this way can become a habit!

Step 2

Don't turn up your nose at yard sales - there are often really pricey items for amazing prices. Baby furniture, riding toys, and decorator bedroom sets also sell for peanuts. Don't forget to look for play clothes here. You can sometimes get tees and pants or shorts for a dime or a quarter that have lots of wear left in them.

Step 3

Try the thrift stores as well. Cheaper than consignment, but pricier than garage sales, there are still some super buys found at these. Ask if they have sale days. Most have one day a week where a certain color tag is reduced to one dollar and they sometimes have buy one get one free sales when they're overstocked. Books, toys, and other incidentals can also be picked up cheaply.

Step 4

Shop end of season sales for the best buys. Some clothes can be worn all year or nearly all year depending on where you live. Look for tee shirts and pants and sneakers and accessories. If you are pretty sure what size your little one will wear next year, stock up now, but don't go too crazy. Kids have a way of surprising us.

Step 5

Buy clothes that 'grow with' your kids. Tube socks can be worn longer than footed ones, and so can those made like women's trouser socks. Shoes with laces or velcro closures have more wiggle room generally than slip ons do. Buy smock type dresses or jumper styles which can later be worn over slacks. Buy two piece pajama sets a little big which can be worn longer than gowns.

Step 6

Buy the best you can get, wherever you get them. Buy boys pants in unisex colors for boys and girls to get sturdier clothing. Buy good quality undies and pajamas if they'll be passed on to others. Avoid plastic snaps which break easily, socks that only match one outfit, trendy clothes that will look dated too soon, and clothes with beads, baubles, and other items that usually fall or tear before the garment is worn out.

Step 7

Iron patches inside the knees and elbows of play clothes. Buy pants with long hems that can be let down if needed--lighter colors don't show hem marks as much. Cute patch pockets and appliqués and even some creative tie dying (you can still buy this now, too) can salvage clothes with small tears or stains. Think of these especially when buying second hand clothing. Many repairs can be made with just an iron or an iron and fusible fabric tape.

Step 8

Don't forget to swap out with friends and family members. If you have good clothing you can't use, bring it to a consignment store to help pay for newer clothes. They take books, shoes, belts, hats and toys as well as clothes.

Yet Another Hamburger Goulash Recipe

"Goulash" comes from the Hungarian word that means "cattlemen" or "herdsmen." In Slovakia it means "mishmash." Either meaning gives people an accurate description of what this meal is comprised of.

This is a recipe is yet another variation on goulash. If one were to search the term "beef goulash recipes" on the Internet, literally dozens of different recipes will come up. This recipe is not necessarily the best one out there, but it is quite good for many reasons.

First of all, it is a meal in and of itself - maybe add a slice of French bread or garlic bread on the side if one chooses to go that route. However, this meal is already high in carbohydrates, so a low carb side dish may be in order.

Second, this meal takes little time to prepare, as it can be ready in less than half an hour. This is a great meal to prepare on a weeknight when time is a bit of a crunch after work, school or soccer practice.

Finally, this meal is a money saver. It is inexpensive to make, allowing money-conscious cooks a great way to feed their families for the tough economic times we live in today.

Ingredients For Hamburger Goulash

• 1½ pounds of ground beef


• one medium yellow onion, diced


• 2½ cups of elbow macaroni


• 1 - 28 ounce can of stewed tomatoes (do not drain)


• 1 - 14½ ounce can of diced tomatoes (do not drain)


• one 14½ ounce can of tomato sauce


• salt, pepper, garlic powder


• Worcestershire sauce to taste

Instructions

1. Put macaroni into a pot of boiling water - let boil until macaroni is tender and then drain in a colander.


2. While macaroni is cooking, cook the ground beef and diced onion in a large skillet until onion is tender and hamburger is no longer pink (garlic powder to season). Drain the mixture.


3. Put the meat and the remaining ingredients into the pot that held the macaroni. Heat the mixture until it is just to boiling.


4. Remove pot from heat and add the macaroni. Stir all of the ingredients together until all is mixed together well. Add salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce to taste. Serve and enjoy!

Tips for Hamburger Goulash

• To make spicy, add a small can of green chili peppers to the mix when adding the tomatoes.


• Potatoes can be used instead of macaroni. This will make the goulash in more traditional Hungarian variety.


• Another Hungarian variation would be to add paprika along with the other spices and/or ground lamb instead of hamburger.


• A large green or red bell pepper can also enhance the flavor. Cook the pepper with the meat and onion mixture.


• A favorite cheese can be added as a topping.


• In Step #3, mixing in a can of beans (black, pinto, or another favorite) will add to the flavor.


• For a vegetarian dish, use beans instead of hamburger. In Step #2 above, omit the hamburger and saute the onions in butter, margarine or oil. Proceed to step #3.

As mentioned earlier, this isn't the only goulash recipe out there and may not be the best one available. But people cannot go wrong with this recipe if time is an issue or if money is tight. Enjoy!