Remember, you have only one investment in this life that is of any real value. That investment is – YOU. Without YOU there is NOTHING. Therefore, being the sensible person you are, you know it pays to look after your best investment.

It has now been officially determined that there is a link between what you eat and disease. If you are to keep healthy – think slim. Cut down on red meat, processed foods, too much sugar and fats and alcohol.

So…..take care of yourself, particularly if you have a younger generation that is totally reliant on you. Look after your health.

Let us help you save money while you are looking after yourself.

Hopefully the following money saving secrets will help you to improve your health and feelbetter at one shot.

1. If you are a smoker, you will probably have thought several times about giving up the weed. It is no secret – not only will this save you money but also it will extend the length of your life and that of the others in your household.

Ask yourself, do you really want to put a rolled up piece of paper in your mouth that contains over 4,000 different chemicals and then set light to it? Being the intelligent person you are, no, I don’t think so.

Do you really want to stink like a dirty old ash tray? Do you really want your skin to become wrinkled before its due date? That comes quickly enough without voluntarily speeding up the process.

If you go to the Free Books section of this web site you will be able to order a free book entitled ‘Quit Smoking Today’. There you will find out the cold facts regarding the money that your habit is costing you – it is frightening really when you see it can cost you thousands of pounds each year. Think of your health and how it will improve, plus you will save money – loads of it!

You can also contact the NHS help line – 0800 1690 169 and you will receive details of three options designed to help you quit. These options cater for all tastes and are FREE.

If you worry about the possibility of increased weight as a result of stopping smoking, take up gardening – grow your own food – or walking. You never know whom you might meet on your daily walks! Also you will smell much sweeter and your skin will have improved! A double bonus on top of the money saved!

There is nothing so pure as a reformed smoker. The author speaks from personal experience here!

All the pundits are saying that as we are becoming an increasingly sedentary race it is essential for exercise to play a part in our daily lives. Here we give you some tips that can easily be incorporated into your busy life without too much effort. We will also continue with further money saving tips.

2. On the economy side of this healthy venture, why not cancel your gym membership, and take a walk with your partner or the children and/or the dog instead? Not only will you feel much better mentally after a walk, but your figure will improve as well as your well-being. An added bonus is that your dog will love you even more. Ask yourself how many times you have used the gym since you made your last New Year’s resolution? Make your walk a regular feature of your routine and you will be surprised at the benefits. 20/30 minutes per day is ideal, alternate days will also be a benefit. Not really a money saving secret after all – just obvious!
3. Why not use the local swimming pool instead of the one at the gym?

Many local pools now hold special sessions for different types of people. Some also have water aerobics. Local councils are now becoming more in tune with the requirements of people. Take advantage of what is available – again an obvious money saving tip. If the type of session or lesson that you are seeking is not available, put in a written request to the Sports Manager. This is less likely to be ignored and forgotten and your Council is honour bound to reply.

4. Hold a can of baked beans in each hand and use them as weights when doing your ordinary exercises. Used water bottles are handy here. They can be filled with water, i.e. half full to start with, and as you progress the amount of water (weight) can be subsequently increased. Use whichever you feel the most comfortable with. Save money and don’t buy expensive weights. Stretch your body when you are exercising, the flexibility will help your feeling of well-being in many ways.
5. Walk up the stairs at work – don’t take a ride in the lift. Walk up the escalator. Think of your figure!
6. Get off the bus one stop early and walk the rest of the way. The same applies to the escalator at stations and in shopping centres – walk instead of remaining static. Think slim!
7. A really great trick that works is to pull your belly button in until it reaches your spine – well almost! This activates the muscles in your belly which are probably not being used to their fullest extent.

This little exercise can be done anywhere and is fantastic for aligning your body and is highly recommended. When your belly button is drawn in, your shoulders automatically go back into correct alignment, your belly pulls in and your butt, with a little help from you, does likewise. An improved figure, all from this one tip – great value. Again – think slim. Ladies. This one little trick is of extra value to you. When you pull your butt in tight this will also help tighten your pelvic floor muscles. Use it before you lose it! It is the same movement as you would make if you were trying to suppress passing wind!! This exercise gets more important as the years roll on! This is definitely a money saving secret because you are likely to stop problems with your health occurring in later years.

8. Are you a five-a-day man? No, not five cans of lager, but five portions of fruit and veg per day. Many men seem to have a problem with vegetables, but you will find that if you can get into the habit of eating five portions of fruit and veg each day, your long term health will improve.
9. Men are now realising that they do not lose their masculinity by taking care of themselves. In fact it improves their stature amongst their mates because they are starting to look good.

There is no need to tell anyone what you are doing – just do it and improve yourself. A healthy life style and a spot of grooming works wonders. Your wife, partner or future girl friends will reap the benefits and so will you and your health. Take advantage of these money saving tips, help yourself to improve your health. You won’t regret it.

10. Statistics (yes – that dreadful word again) prove that eating a Mediterranean diet (fruit, vegetables, nut, grains, etc.) will reduce your chances of a heart attack. This is so very true.
11. It has been found that gout is likely to attack middle aged males if they are in the habit of drinking two sugary drinks (sugary drinks could include Coca Cola and similar types) per day. A very painful complaint which had always been thought to attack drinkers of too much alcohol. Be warned.
12. The Carao fruit from Costa Rica is an amazing low-iron natural remedy for anaemia. It works fast, produces no side effects, and is effective for almost all types of anaemia. Read all about it This is an amazing natural product, as opposed to the many chemical remedies available on the market, and really well worth investigating.

Saving Money Ideas for Holidays

At first sight it might seem that saving money on your holidays is impossible. A trip away itself is an expensive undertaking, but there are ways of having a free holiday or even one that is paid.

The first port of call (sorry about the pun) for a cheap vacation is to consider house exchange.

Would you fancy a trip to sunny Florida, the south of France, Italy or even far away in Australia?

No, not pipe dreams but there is a possible route to save money here.

On this site you may register free. You have to offer your own property for an exchange, then select your destination on the map that is provided. After that you will need to contact the exchange owner and arrange the details of your exchange. Obviously you will need to set some ground rules as to what you have available in your home, but then you will find facilities for this as your arrangements progress. Be sensible here, after all your task is to not only have a good holiday but also saving money is the main idea.

For those who have a boat, it is possible to do a ‘boat swap’ instead of exchanging your house. It is also possible to exchange your home for a boating holiday, so plenty of permutations here. You will need to go to www.canaljunction.com/boat/exchange.htm and see what is on offer.

Another source of useful information on House Exchange is www.homebase-hols.com/options.shtml

The beauty of this system is that again there are no hotel bills, you can meet local people, ‘live like a native’ and experience a different culture first hand. You can enjoy all the space and convenience of staying in a real home plus the security of having your own home occupied. Your plants and pets cared for by your exchange partner. If you have children, toys, books and often baby-sitters and local playmates are available for your children. You could possibly save on car rental costs by exchanging cars also cut down on expensive restaurant meals so saving money.

This idea is definitely worth researching.

Tracking down the possibility of a FREE holiday – if you and your partner are retired – the prospect of house sitting could be an interesting venture. Why not live in another person’s home, be paid for doing so and at the same time enjoying a complete change of scenery and routine?

www.homesitters.co.uk/ was established in 1980 specifically to resolve the problem of leaving a house unattended by providing a nationwide live-in care-taking service, available throughout the year.

Allowances are made for food and an appropriate standard of heating in the house you are caring for. Normally there are pets on site and you will be expected to care for them. You will be vetted and detailed enquiries will be made regarding any possible county court and high court judgments etc. Also the food allowance is normally calculated to be for one person – your partner will be regarded as ‘an optional extra’.

Don’t expect to make a fortune from this type of employment. Payment is very modest, equating to just 1.75 hours per day at the National Minimum Wage (around £10.00 per day) and you will be limited to the time you can be away from a client’s house during the day and night.

Granted the payment is not princely, but bear in mind you will be using another persons home free of charge and their heating, free of charge. In addition you will be away from your own surroundings, in a completely new environment – on holiday. A change is as good as a rest. Your duties will be minimal i.e., feed and possibly walking pets, watering plants etc. Not exactly hard labour!

This company was established in l985 under the trade name of Absentia. They interview prospective sitters at three locations – Near Stansted Airport, London – near Piccadilly Circus or Lockerbie, Scotland. People who are in full-time employment would not be considered.