Sunday, February 17, 2013
- Health: Follow the federal government’s MyPlate dietary guidelines. MyPlate is a tool to help make healthy food choices and recommends that half of a person’s plate should contain fruits and vegetables. Visit the MyPlate website for sample weekly meal plans and menus.
- Wealth: Save an emergency reserve to get through financial difficulty. If you’re strapped for cash, start with $1 per day plus pocket change. At the end of a month, you should have $40 to $50 in savings
Monday, February 18, 2013
- Health: Think of calories in food and beverages as a “budget” to “spend” throughout the day and try not to eat more than you need. Balance calorie intake with daily physical activity.
- Wealth: Learn more to earn more: a degree, on-the-job training & experiences, and non-credit courses.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
- Health: Make your grains whole grains; e.g., brown rice, whole wheat bread, and oatmeal.
- Wealth: Sign up for your employer’s retirement savings plan so money can be invested before it is spent. If you work for a corporation, join its 401(k) plan. For school or non-profit workers, it’s called a 403(b) plan.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
- Health: Cut back on foods high in saturated fats, added sugar, and salt. Eat them as occasional treats.
- Wealth: Take advantage of catch-up retirement savings plan contributions for IRAs and employer retirement savings plans such as 401(k)s if you are age 50 and over.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
- Health: Serve healthy foods each day 4 breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Eat lots of veggies and fruits.
- Wealth: Don’t procrastinate. The earlier you save, the better, due to the awesome power of compound interest, which is not retroactive. Time + Money = Magic!
Friday, February 22, 2013
- Health: When you challenge others (e.g., children) to be physically active, make sure you “walk the talk” yourself. Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity at least three days per week.
- Wealth: Earn “free money.” Don’t miss out on the maximum employer match to your retirement savings plan, if available. A 50% match is like earning a 50% return on your money.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
- Health: Cook healthy. Steam, bake, grill, boil, or microwave food and avoid oils and butter as lubricants.
- Wealth: Do a retirement savings calculation. Try the Ballpark Estimate website. Once you know what you need to save, start saving! Join America Saves for additional motivation. The week of February 25 to March 2, 2013 is America Saves Week.