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Some Teens are Having Bariatric Surgery

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Teenagers who are obese might have the option of having bariatric surgery. Previously, this type of weight loss surgery was only offered to adults. Although it isn’t the best choice for every teenager, there are some teens who can greatly benefit from it. The New York Times reported in February of 2017 that the number of adolescents who are overweight or obese has leveled off in recent years. But the number who are severely obese – heavy enough to qualify for bariatric surgery – has nearly doubled from 1999 to 2014. Previously, 5.2 percent of adolescents were severely obese. That … Continue reading →

Save Me Sink Fund

If it wasn’t for our sink fund, we would be in a lot of trouble this week. In fact, even with the sink fund, things are looking a little shaky. This week alone, we lost our water to our house faced with a major repair costing a few thousand dollars to a truck we just bought, after already sinking $500 into this same truck.  Sigh. It has not been a good few days financially. We’ve only owned the truck for about four weeks, did all of our homework, bought it from a relative, and did everything we could have to … Continue reading →

Anthem is Discontinuing My Health Insurance Policy

Anthem Blue Cross has decided that they are going to “discontinue” the health insurance policy that they sold me about four months ago. There is absolutely nothing I can do about it. I feel like the company lied to me, and I also feel like this is a form of “bait and switch”. Those of you who have been following my blogging here on the Families.com Insurance blog already know about how hard I’ve struggled to find health affordable health insurance coverage. In 2009, I lost my job as a teachers aide, which meant that I lost my insurance coverage … Continue reading →

When to Ask the Big Questions

Last time I examined whether or not premarital counseling ought to be a considered option for couples before they marry. Today I’ll look at another part of the question: how much couples should know about each other before they approach the altar. The main reason why premarital counseling might be a good idea is because sometimes people don’t know the sorts of things they ought to know about each other before they get married. The idea was sparked by a girl who called into my local radio station to say that she’d signed herself and her fiance up for counseling. … Continue reading →

How to Make Better Financial Decisions

There are many popular New Year’s resolutions that people make regarding money. You may have decided that 2012 will be the year that you earn more, spend less, start saving for retirement, pay down your debt, or any number of other things. There is one very general resolution that does not sound very grand or exciting which can help you to take many different kinds of steps forward in the personal finance department. Have you considered “make better financial choices” your money resolution for next year? You may or may not have heard the old saying “if you do what … Continue reading →

Why Warehouse Stores Have Great Bargains

If you haven’t visited a warehouse grocery store such as Costco, Sam’s Club or Bjs, or even if you have, you might be wondering how they can bring you such good prices on groceries and other items. While it is true that these stores can discount the prices on your food and goods because you are buying more from them, buying in bulk, there are other factors that contribute to the low prices. If you have ever wondered why the prices at warehouse stores are lower than at traditional grocery stores or mart-type stores, then you’ll want to read this. … Continue reading →

Survey Shows What Americans Dread Most About Holidays

The holiday season is often seen as a good time to connect with your relatives. It is a time filled with traditions that have been celebrated for generations within the family. Despite this, Consumer Reports finds that many Americans dread specific things about the holidays. Soon, families across America will be celebrating Christmas, Chanukah, Winter Solstice, Kwanza, or perhaps a combination of some of those holidays. There will be traditions that have been celebrated a certain way for generations, combined with new ones that are unique to each family. On paper, it sounds like a lovely time of year. Realistically, … Continue reading →

Sick of Blue Cross

We recently cancelled our health insurance policy. This is the sort of decision that can cause some people to feel a certain amount of regret. It is difficult to feel regretful about canceling insurance from a company that has inspired a website called “Sick of Blue Cross”. There was just enough time between when we got approved for health insurance, and when the policy actually “kicked in” for me to do some research about it. I went through the booklets that the insurance company sent me with a fine tooth comb. I called my dentist and my doctor, and directly … Continue reading →

The Atkins Diet – I’m Doing It Wrong!

When I started doing the Atkins diet, I jumped in with both feet. My interest in losing weight, as quickly as it was safe to do it, was a big focus. I never actually read the Atkins book. Since then, I have skimmed over some of it. It turns out that I am not doing this diet exactly right. Once I commit to a particular goal, I give it everything I’ve got. While I sometimes do a little bit of research before I make the decision to embark on a potentially life changing journey, this is not often the case. … Continue reading →

The Adoption Waiting Game

There has been absolutely no progress on our adoption. People talk of the waiting game, but I have always imagined that as being part of infant adoption, not older child adoption. Parents wanting to adopt infants have to play the waiting game much more than parents wanting to adopt older children. When you express an interest in adopting older children, social services can, and will, work with you right away. We were presented with a possible match, but we have been playing phone tag with the case worker for weeks now. The last time she left a message for me … Continue reading →