Fall 2010, Week 4

Sunday, October 24, 2010

If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can't, you're right. - Mary Kay Ash

  • Health: Replace your Sunday drive with a Sunday walk. Enjoy the brisk fall weather.
  • Wealth: If you decide to invest in individual stocks, select a variety of industries (e.g., transportation, utilities, and health care) that are affected differently by economic events

Monday, October 25, 2010

I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took an excuse. - Florence Nightingale

  • Health: When eating out, ask your server for a "to go" container (or bring one of your own). Place ½ of your entrée in the container before you start eating so that you're not tempted to "pick" at your food.
  • Wealth: Rebalance your investment portfolio periodically to maintain its original asset mix. Otherwise, it will become more heavily weighted toward one asset class (e.g., stock), which increases your risk.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Wherever you are, be there. - Unknown

  • Health: Try to walk 1,000 steps more per day than you did last week.
  • Wealth: Diversify with time. As you hold investments longer, their risk due to market volatility decreases.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt

  • Health: At a restaurant, ask for salad dressing and sauces "on the side."
  • Wealth: Whether you write checks, use a debit card, or both, reconcile your checking account balance monthly to confirm that it is accurate and to avoid incurring fees for low balances or overdrawn accounts

Thursday, October 28, 2010

It's a very funny thing about life, if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it. - William Somerset Maugham

  • Health: Switch to brown rice and whole wheat pasta for better nutritional value
  • Wealth: Calculate what you need to save for retirement. Use the Ballpark Estimate calculator at www.choosetosave.org.

Friday, October 29, 2010

See the things you want as already yours. - Robert Collier

  • Health: Take the stairs instead of the elevator/escalator to increase your daily walking steps.
  • Wealth: Do you know your net worth (assets minus debts)? Use this Rutgers Cooperative Extension worksheet.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

We aim above the mark to hit the mark. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

  • Health: As the weather gets colder, consider walking briskly through a big store or shopping mall.
  • Wealth: Track your spending during November. Wrap this handy tracker form around your debit and/or credit cards and record your expenses.

  1. Rutgers
  2. Executive Dean of Agriculture and Natural Resources
  3. School of Environmental and Biological Sciences