Suze Orman Financial Tips....

For those in their 20's:

Suze's Tip # 3: Only Losers Eat Out Every Meal!
I fly private and I bring my lunch! No one works harder than me, and I never eat out! Working hard is not an excuse! Make your food and bring it to work with you. If you want to be a loser forever and continue to waste money, then fine by me. Stop giving yourself excuses. You'll never enjoy life if you continue to waste money. When I first became a stock broker, all the other stock brokers would go out to fancy lunches everyday. On the other hand, I went to taco bell, had two tacos and a diet coke and it cost me $2 a day. That's how I got to go out and still be OK.

Suze's Tip # 4 : You don't need to spend a fortune on designer clothes.
Honest to God, the amount of money they [young people] waste on designer clothes is the worst habit I've seen! Having to have the Jimmy Choos or $700 purse is ridiculous. Do you think anyone even cares?

Suze's Tip # 5: Clubbing is a huge waste of money.
The amount of money spent on clubbing is absolutely amazing! Go to each other's houses and have a great time in your home. You can buy a bottle of vodka for what it costs for one drink at a club. I mean $90 in one night? That's the amount of money needed to fund your Roth IRA every month.

Suze's Tip # 6: It's not about being so specific with how you divide up your salary.
It's hard to divide your salary into set percentages these days - salaries are just so low right now. If all you're making is $1000 per month, it's almost impossible to divide up, but all of you know when you're spending too much! It's not about being so specific, but if your rent is taking up 80% of your spending, then you're in big trouble.
The first thing you should do with your money is spend every extra dollar you have to get out of credit card debt, saving an 8-month emergency fund.

Suze's Tip # 7 : It's not about cutting everything out; it's about cutting a little bit off of everything.
Don't try to give up all your favorite things at once. If you go cold turkey, you will explode. Just cut down! You can indulge, but indulging doesn't mean every day. I mean come on! Do you really have to have Starbucks every day? Can you go clubbing twice a month instead of every weekend? Pick the things you really love to do and just do them twice a month.

Suze's Tip # 8: Start saving now!
The best thing you could do is to have a Roth IRA. You can withdraw any money you put into it at any time, without any taxes or penalties. That's where you should get money from, not your 401K or pension plans. You should be investing in individual stocks that pay a high dividend yield.

Suze's Tip # 9: Credit Card Debt isn't necessarily bad.
The thing is that credit card debt isn't bad,but if your interest rate is at 30% that's bad - actually horrific! A 1% to 2% interest rate is ok. If the debt is because you're trying to make your mark and make your way in the world, then I don't have a problem with that. If you have debt because of clubbing, excessive shopping and weekend trips to Tahoe, then you're an idiot - that's the debt that will do you in.

Everyone else:

Idea No. 1: You can't wait for the market to save you.
"The real estate market isn't going to come back until at least 2023," Orman predicted. "If you can't afford your home, you need to figure out what to do. You have to make a plan and that plan can't be that the market will save you." Similarly, if you see a house on the market that looks like a good deal, don't buy it. "Don't you dare," said Orman. Unless, of course, you can easily put 20% of the money down and pay the property taxes, mortgage and insurance comfortably with your current salary—and your job is secure. Then, as long as the house will be your primary residence, go right ahead.

Idea No. 2: Pay in cash
If you pay for something in cash, you won't have debt. It's as simple as that. If you have credit card debt, pay that off as fast as you can. (See Suze Orman in the 2010 TIME 100.)

Idea No. 3: Men need to stop pretending they know more about financial planning than they do. "Men are financial fakers," said Orman. When she worked as a financial planner, she said, married couples would come in for advice and "when the wife got up to go to the bathroom, I'd lay out this very complicated, totally made up plan for the husband. I'd say, 'You do this, and this, and this—are you following me?' and the husband would nod and say, 'Yes, Suze. To the letter.'" Then when the wife came back, she'd ask the husband to explain it to her and he couldn't. "Of course he couldn't! It wasn't a real plan!" Orman says that even today, men feel pressure to pretend like they know what they're doing. "That's how Bernie Madoff happened," she said. "One guy told another guy, who told another guy, who told another guy, and not one of them knew what they were doing." Women, on the other hand, have no problem asking someone to explain an idea to them again.

Idea No. 4: Save money.
Having eight months of savings in the bank so that if you find yourself without a job, you can still pay your bills.

And finally: LIVE BELOW YOUR MEANS!!!!

Financial Freedom....

Thoughts???

How to be skinny and stay skinny!

I've always been small and skinny. Indian culture sometimes sees this "slimness" as a negative, but times are changing. My father used to make me buy size large in clothing, with the rational that one day I would fit into it. I am 26 now, and those larges are still WAY too big. The goal is to never fit into a size large- So anyway, here are some lifestyle tips for staying skinny!

1. Diet matters more than exercise. I have mentioned this in a previous post. Don't get me wrong, I love to work out - but I don't do it religiously! As physicians we recommend 30 min of continuous exercise 3-5 times a week. Exercise is great for our bone healthy - especially if you are a thin woman of asian decent - as you are more likely to get osteoporosis. Exercise is also great for your mood.

2. Eat breakfast everyday. I tend to be more meal heavy in the morning. That way, I have all day to burn and use up those calories. Dinner tends to be my lightest meal - which is not what you see promoted in mainstream media.

3. This may sound weird - but has worked for me-- When you eat food, think about what that food can do for you. A carrot? Loaded with vitamin A - great for my vision. Spinach - ton's of folate - great for women of child bearing age. A cup of tea with honey? (See long post done before) You get the picture. Now let's talk about, a can of soda? Ton's of sugar, makes you burp!, makes you feel bloated, no nutrition, but the first couple sips taste great with a pizza! Here is my motto, in the world we live in there is nothing wrong with indulging here and there. If I am going to eat 4 bites of a chocolate brownie - it better be the most chocolatey and tasty brownie - or else it is not worth it to me. I'm the type of person that does not crave sweets, but I'd rather have a few bites of the real thing, than a whole serving of a watered down version. Having a slice of pizza or a coldstone Like It ice cream here and there will not kill you, but make these meals rare and your portions very small. 

4. Avoid buying beef, pork, lamb etc. Stick to lean meats like chicken and turkey. Indulge in fish and seafood! If you don't buy it, you won't cook it!

5. Use a lot of lemon and olive oil! Both add great favor and provide heath benefits. When a recipe calls for adding salt for taste- I never do it! Also, I never add sugar to any of my tea beverages.

6. Don't make desert at home! I know this is asking a lot - but think about it. If you don't make it - you won't eat it! Then, when you go out to dinner with the family - split a small dessert. Your craving will be fulfilled without the guilt.

Shhh!!! It's a beauty secret! - Castor Oil

I'm going to let you all in on a new found secret- Castor Oil! I was doing some research to look into a product that makes hair shiny, healthy, and have better growth. I think I may have found it. If it works anything like Jojoba Oil, then it is bound to be a success. The first time I heard about castor oil was on a TV show saying that castor oil can be used as a heat protector when styling your hair. However, after doing more research on this- I found that this oil has other amazing benefits.

I love visiting makeupalley.com - as they have never failed me in choosing the right products and discovered that castor oil has gotten INCREDIBLE reviews.
Some of the claims include - increasing rate of hair growth, producing thicker and darker hair strands, growing eyelashes further than ever before, and thicker eyebrows. Other things that it is good for is sealing the ends of your hair to prevent split ends.

Castor Oil is very cheap and comes in many forms - as an oil in the laxative section, Jamaican Black Oil, and as a cold compress that melts easily in your hands. It does not seem to matter which form you use.

I have started to use this product this week and will keep you all updated on how it is working!

Has anyone else tried this?

Cheap find! Suave Keratin Infusion Leave-In Conditioner

Suave has recently come out with a new line of products which are infused with Keratin - aka protein. The keratin is supposed to leave hair sleeker and easier to style.

After looking at various reviews online the Heat Defense Leave- In conditioner seems to be a hit! At only 2.74 for a 5 oz bottle at Walmart- seems like there would be no lose in trying it...

Here is what else the product claims:

Infuses keratin & seals cuticles for:

• Advanced protection from heat damage
• Frizz control for up to 48 hours
• Smooth & manageable hair, easy styling

The product seems to compare to It's a 10 Miracle Leave in Product which is 10X the price!

I will see if it lives up to its promises!

Update #1: This product is completely sold out at Walmart, where it is the cheapest... must be a good sign!
Update #2: I am completely sold! This product lives up to its statements. It is cheap enough to use multiple times a week and increases the health of your hair. I highly recommend!

All about Vitamin D!

Vitamin D has gained a lot of popularity over the years. Patients are frequently tested for their Vitamin D levels, and given supplements if they are deficient.

I recently saw a face lotion advertisement that stated the best way to get Vitamin D is by putting an expensive cream on your skin that contains the vitamin... BOGUS!!

Here is what I can tell you. Vitamin D is needed for calcium to be absorbed in your gut. It also helps normalize another mineral called phosphate in your body. Without vitamin D, or calcium for that matter, you are at risk of developing weak bones.

What are great food sources of Vitamin D? Fish, fish oil (specifically cod liver oil), milk fortified with D.

Sunscreens with a SPF of 8 or more appear to block vitamin D-producing UV rays. Approximately 5–30 minutes of sun exposure between 10 AM and 3 PM at least twice a week to the face, arms, legs, or back without sunscreen usually lead to sufficient vitamin D synthesis. People with dark skin and those who are obese are more likely to be deficient.

Although we don't know everything about this vitamin, more research is being done daily. Some research shows that Vitamin D may be protective in the development of  certain types of cancer, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Remember... just like with everything in life to much of something or too little of something can lead to problems. There are receptors for Vitamin D on all our cells- so it is no surprise that the effects of this vitamin can be seen throughout the whole body.

Great buy: It's a 10 Leave-In Product

Here's a product that has been a great buy: It's a 10 miracle leave- in product. It's an all in one leave in treatment that does the following:

1. Repairs dry damaged hair

2. Adds shine

3. Smoothes & controls frizz

4. Seals & Protects Hair color

5. Flat iron spray & thermal protector

6. Detangles

7. Stops hair breakage

8. Creates silkiness

9. Enhances natural body

10. Prevents split ends

This type of product makes sense - why buy 10 different items, when it can be put all in one bottle? I have been trying to grow my hair out for the past two years. I usually trim it once it gets past a certain point due to split or rough ends, or because of lack of volume. However, with the add of this product rotated with a few others- I have been able to grow it out to pretty long lengths- even while coloring and blow drying. I notice that the It's a 10 brand can be found in grocery stores now also. The one negative I have found is with the packaging. I don't like the idea of spraying a heavy product directly onto my hair. Instead, I stray it 3-4 times on my hands, rub them together, and then glide it through damp hair before blow drying. 

Always check on Ebay for these higher end salon products - as you can find them for a deep discount!