Month: November 2019

When you’re trying to save money, you may think about shopping at dollar stores and browsing the discount rack. In reality, buying fewer and better items may be a superior strategy. You can be frugal while you enjoy higher end products and services that enhance your health and well-being.

Advantages of Shopping for Higher Quality

1. Reduce stress. The toys you love can create hassles when they break down and need repairs. A brand name tablet may function better and last longer than the obscure model that’s on sale.
   
   
2. Save time. When you have fewer belongings, you can spend less time cleaning, maintaining, and fixing them. You can even vacuum and dust your house faster because the clutter is gone.
   
   
3. Cut down on waste. It’s nice to know that you’re the kind of consumer who has a positive impact on the environment. Goods that are manufactured to stricter standards often use materials and processes that are eco-friendly. You’ll also be dumping less stuff into landfills.
   
   
4. Feel more confident. Develop your own personal style instead of blindly following the latest trends. Choose items that suit your lifestyle and sense of taste. You’ll be content with your ballerina flats until they wear out, even if celebrities are wearing stiletto heels this season.

Places to Look for Higher Quality

1. Invest in education. The money you spend on education and training could be your wisest investment. A more expensive college may pay for itself many times over if it prepares you for a successful and meaningful career.
   
   
2. Beautify your home. Shop for used furniture and accessories. They’re often better made than contemporary pieces, and cost far less.
   
   
3. Care for your ride. Next to your house, your car may be your biggest expense. A reliable vehicle with good gas mileage may be a better bargain than sinking more money into your old car that’s constantly breaking down. Employer subsidies might make public transportation cheaper than driving. You could save money and have more time to read.
   
   
4. See your doctor regularly. It’s common for people to cut back on medical care when money is tight, but that can backfire. Managing chronic conditions and treating new symptoms promptly could help you avoid a more costly hospital stay or other major procedure.
   
   
5. Buy nutritious food. You’ve probably heard about corn subsidies that enable low prices on junk food. Healthier food is worth the higher prices to lower your medical expenses and keep you and your family healthy.
   
   
6. Update your wardrobe. Do you have a closet full of dresses and suits that you regret buying? Try putting together a new wardrobe with a limited number of versatile garments you love. Calculate the best buys by thinking in terms of cost per wearing.
   
   
7. Enjoy your leisure. Compared to sky high prices for sporting events and amusement parks, there are many enriching free or low-cost activities. Visit the library to read a classic novel or play each week. Sign up for modern dance classes or gourmet cooking lessons.
   
   
8. Plan a vacation. Smaller and more frequent getaways may give you more pleasure than one grand vacation that leaves you feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. Research destinations that you can visit for a day trip or long weekend.
   
   
9. Give to charity. Consider providing support the way major foundations and philanthropists do it. Give larger amounts of money to fewer causes to have a greater impact.

Pay more attention to value rather than price tags. Owning fewer items of better quality can make you healthier, happier, and more productive.

If you ever get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, you know how out of touch you can get with the things that really matter. But you actually have plenty of things to be grateful for, regardless of the circumstances in which you may find yourself.

Each person has their own unique list of things that bring simple pleasure, feelings of pure joy, or just a sense of comfort each day.

You can be grateful for physical blessings like where you live, the climate you reside in, or even your residence. You might be thankful about certain people being in your life. This may include your kids, your grandma or your best friend.

The most important function of thankfulness is that it allows you to open your heart, mind, and soul to goodness, gratitude, and light.

If you’re unsure how to consciously cultivate gratitude, consider these suggestions:

1. Take five. Allow yourself five minutes each morning to experience thankfulness. Take these moments to simply think about the past day. Say to yourself, “One thing I’m thankful for is___.” Fill in the blank with something you noticed from the last 24 hours. Think on it for a minute or so. Smile about it. Then go on with your morning.
   
   
2. Appreciate your world openly. Share your gratitude with others. For example, if you’re chatting on the phone with a friend, you could say something like, “I am so glad that I painted the living room that beautiful light teal color. The sunlight reflects on it so nicely.”
   • Another example is, “I went shopping with my sister yesterday and she was so helpful when I wanted to pick out a new dress.” When your verbal acknowledgements to others demonstrate the gratitude you feel, you’ll develop a habit of recognizing what you’re thankful for.
     
     
3. Notice the small stuff. Promise yourself you won’t take little things for granted. Because life becomes crowded with people, tasks, and objects, you may feel challenged to notice small bits of wonder in your day. But if you put your mind to it, you’ll be astounded at what you see.
   • Open your eyes to the wonders all around you. They won’t cost a dime. A sunset, a warm cup of tea, or an ice-cold glass of water when you get home from work can be great reasons to feel gratitude. The smell of honeysuckle as you walk by the vine or your daughter’s impish smiles are still more things that might remind you of your blessings.
     
     
4. Learn to turn your thoughts around. When you discover you’re thinking negative thoughts, imagine a big stop sign and say, “Stop” out loud. Then, replace the stop sign with an image of something around you that you’re grateful for right at that moment. Think about that object, experience, person, or situation and bask in your positive experience.
   
   
5. Keep a gratitude journal. If you find you’re having difficulty remembering to notice the things that stir your inner thankfulness, perhaps starting a gratitude journal would help. A journal is a tangible visual aid that will trigger you to think about what you’re grateful for.
   • Try just putting put the date on the page and jotting down what you’re grateful for at that time. You can write as much or as little as you wish. Place your journal in a spot where you’ll see it frequently, like on the dining room table, the kitchen counter, or near your favorite chair. This way, you’ll be prompted to experience your gratitude more often.

Being grateful is truly one of the things that makes life worth living!

Each time you consciously decide to experience your thankfulness, you’ll feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Open your eyes and mind to the people, places, things, and experiences you’re grateful for. You’ll feel so much better about your life.

Deciding whether one or both parents should work is never easy. There’s not a single approach that will work well for all families.

There are many potential cost savings that can be gained by a parent staying home to care for the children. On the other hand, there is also a loss of income. Analyzing the details for your own situation is your best bet.

Sometimes couples have more options when one spouse has a significantly higher paying job or more work flexibility than the other. Many people believe that nearly any couple can afford to live on a single income, because childcare and other expenses linked to work usually use all of the second income. But this isn’t always the case.

Let’s take a look at some numbers associated with one spouse staying home:

• Child care savings. $600 to over $1,000 per month for childcare is not an insignificant amount.
  
  
• Wardrobe savings. Most of us need clothes for work that cannot be satisfied by the clothes we typically wear at home. Remember dry cleaning costs as well.
  
  
• Commuting savings. You might only need one car instead of two. Even if you keep two cars, the cost associated with gasoline, tires, maintenance, and more will be greatly reduced.
  
  
• Food savings. If you stop going out to eat, you can save a bundle. If a spouse stays home, that can cut down on lunch costs and the morning stops at those expensive coffee places.
  
  
• Home-based income. Maybe one parent can telecommute part-time. There is also the opportunity to start a home-based business that could result in significant income. This item might require part-time day care, nursery school, or simply waiting until the child is old enough to start regular school.
  
  
• Frugality. If you use this opportunity to overhaul your entire way of life, you might save a bunch more through simple living. A lifestyle that highlights frugality can be a wonderfully simple and meaningful way to live.

When It Might Make Sense to Keep On Working

1. You’re already frugal. If you’re already a penny pincher, your main savings when moving to a single income will be childcare.
   
   
2. Mortgage qualification. A second income can make it easier to qualify for a mortgage. But be careful, if you can’t qualify with the one income, you might be on thin ice if you ever decide – whether by choice or necessity – to live only on one income.
   
   
3. Retirement Income. You can miss out on a lot of retirement savings and 401(k) contributions by staying home.
   
   
4. Future ability to be employed. Is your current career important to each of you? Dropping out of the workforce can stop your career cold. Consider where you would be likely to be in 10 years if you continued working. You might not even be able to start at the same level you left.
   
   
5. Divorce. The divorce rate means it’s more than likely that you’ll be a single parent at some point. Having your own household is obviously more expensive than living with someone else. Sadly, most couples don’t grow old together. So consider the ramifications a divorce would have on the financial situations of everyone involved.

One parent staying home with the children can be wonderful for the kids. It can also be a financially reasonable solution, depending on the specifics.

Consider the long-term impact and decide if it’s the right move for your family’s situation.

Most of us have a tendency to work harder, rather than smarter, when we need to get more done. This is fine in the short-term but working harder isn’t smart over the long haul.

It makes more sense to work smarter, because it saves time and can be applied 100% of the time going forward. You can’t consistently keep increasing the intensity or duration of your work. There are limits.

But, there’s always a way to work smarter!

Use these strategies to work smarter instead of harder:

1. Focus on what is most effective. One way of working smarter is to identify and concentrate on the tasks that are giving you the best bang for your time. At any moment, you could be performing one of a variety of tasks. How certain are you that you’re spending your time most wisely?
   • We often gravitate toward tasks that are easy or comfortable. Ensure that you’re using effective criteria when deciding how to use your time.
   • We’re all skilled at wasting time in our own way. Eliminating this
     downtime is one of the ways to work more efficiently.
     
     
2. Review your actions daily. Review your day and decide if you used the day as well as you could have. Look for ways to improve. Look for ways to waste less time. Become just a tiny bit better each day, and the difference in your results will astound you.
   
   
3. Avoid the belief that grinding harder is always the solution. We often associate greater success with greater effort. But working harder isn’t always the answer. Sometimes it makes more sense to sharpen your axe than it does to swing it harder or for more hours each day.
   
   
4. Review your results. If what you’re doing isn’t working well, continuing down that path is silly. Figure out what works and what doesn’t. Choose your actions accordingly. To fail to review your results is like trying out a new diet but never weighing yourself.
   
   
5. Ask yourself, “What is the logical outcome from how I spend my day?” While you’re reviewing your day, ask yourself what would happen if you repeated that day for the next five years. Construct a day that will logically lead to the destination you desire.
   
   
6. Set time limits. One way to force yourself to work smarter is to limit how much time you’re going to give to a task or to your workday. Strive to get more done in the same amount of time. The only way to make regular progress is to alter your approach. Working harder will only get you so far.
   
   
7. Continue to learn. The more you know, the smarter you can work. What do you need to learn in order to work more efficiently? What knowledge will allow you to do a better job without spending more time? Ensure you’re learning the right things.
   • Seek out the experts in your field. Learn what you can from them. Avoid trying to figure out everything on your own. There’s no reason to reinvent the wheel.

While we admire someone that can grind, it’s not an effective long-term strategy. Avoid the temptation to just lower your head and grind through to the finish line on a regular basis. It’s much more intelligent and efficient to learn how to work smarter.

Once you learn a better way of doing things, you can continue using that knowledge forever.

Do you believe that being predisposed with the ability to become wealthy is the only way to earn good money? Fortunately, the reality is that wealth belongs to those who are smart in the ways they go about claiming and creating it.

Being able to make money even without having that background from the onset is definitely attainable, as long as you put some thought and creativity into your wealth making opportunities. Making solid financial decisions and choosing sound investment options are simply the best ways to become wealthy once and for all.

Here are three simple, yet effective, tips you can apply to your life that can help to create the wealth you deserve:

1. Break down your big goal. “I want to be rich!” Just about everybody you can think of has said this at one point or another in his or her lives. Being wealthy is something that most of us dream about – however very few are able to achieve – because we look at it as a large, insurmountable goal. Remember:
   • Looking at your desired achievement as an overwhelmingly huge goal makes it very difficult to obtain. In fact, it almost always amounts to a mere dream if we overlook setting smaller, attainable goals towards that major goal. And that’s one of the keys for becoming wealthy.
   • Break your financial goal into smaller, more achievable ones that you can set reasonable timeframes on. You’ll be surprised to see how you progress towards your huge goal once you set smaller ones that are much easier to achieve.
     
     
2. Avoid using credit if you can’t pay by cash. One of the simplest and most effective tips for building wealth is to avoid credit. And what that means essentially is avoiding credit if you see no way to repay it in the short term. Remember:
   • If it isn’t possible for you to have the cash to settle your credit card expenses each month, then avoid making purchases with the card
   • By choosing to purchase only what you can afford to purchase with cash, you can undoubtedly start to create wealth for yourself.
     
     
3. Live within your means. Sure, there will be things you see that you want to do, acquire, or simply accomplish. However:
   • If it’s not financially easy for you to do something or acquire something, then perhaps you should leave it alone for the time being.
   • It’s very likely that something you aren’t able to do this month or this year will be more than possible in the near future.
   • You should only focus on doing things and acquiring things that you are financially able to without feeling stressed in the pockets. The more often you practice that approach, the closer you’ll be to having financial freedom.

Creating wealth requires very little money and quite a bit of financial “smarts.” The more reasoning, thought, and common sense you put into your financial decisions, the sooner you’ll find yourself becoming wealthy. Count yourself amongst the masters of wealth by applying some creative thinking.

Achieve your financial goals by taking it in stride and believe that you are predisposed to the same wealth as anyone else!

If you’re like most of us, you rarely keep your New Year’s resolutions. Perhaps you have trouble with them because you make resolutions that are too ambitious. Or maybe you give up because immediate progress is hard to see. Whatever your reason, it’s possible to make adjustments in your approach until you get what you want.

If you want to keep your New Year’s resolutions, you first have to learn to make the kind you can actually follow through on. Make effective resolutions that support you and lead you toward the destiny you desire. Create unstoppable momentum by creating resolutions that lead to small, continuous victories.

Focus on what kinds of changes you really want to make in your life. Do you want to lose weight? Quit smoking? Go back to school? Write a novel? There are all kinds of things you may want to do, both big and small. In order to get them done, you have to first get started.

Making Realistic Resolutions

If you have a big goal, break it down into smaller, bite-sized chunks. Saying you want to write five books next year, lose 100 pounds, or get your 4-year degree are goals that are very worthwhile goals. But they’re only attainable if you break them down into smaller actions you can accomplish in real life.

Write down the actions you must take to write those books, lose those pounds, or get that degree. What one small action can you take today to move yourself closer to your goal? Take that action, and write down actions you can take each day for the next ten days. When you do, you’ll create unstoppable momentum toward the success you deserve.

When you decide what really matters to you and break it down into small chunks that are easy to handle, you keep yourself from becoming overwhelmed. If you still feel overwhelmed, break your resolution down further. The big dream at the finish line will motivate you and the small steps to get there will keep you from getting overwhelmed.

Remember to reward yourself at each small victory. Keep reminding yourself about why you’re doing the things you’re doing. That way, you’ll stay motivated and excited throughout the year to come.

Keep Your Resolutions Alive

Tracking your progress is vital to successfully keeping your New Year’s resolutions. Pay close attention to your progress. Make an effort even when you want to throw in the towel. The only way to fail at New Year’s resolutions is to give up. Notice what’s working and what needs to change in your approach, and then adapt your tactics until you get what you want.

Setbacks provide great feedback that helps you to get on track. Use your setbacks to set yourself up for an even bigger comeback. When you do that, you’ll get more accomplished than you expected to, even if you fall short of your goal. Above all, decide what’s important to you and go after it with all your might. When you do, you’ll begin to experience the fulfilling life you deserve.

To many, success is obvious. It’s a life that includes a nice car, fine home, impressive job, and attractive spouse. Yet, people with all of these things aren’t any happier than those with less impressive lives. It’s because all of those achievements only serve to impress others. They do little to enhance the quality of your life.

Those with large homes still spend 80% of their time in just a couple of rooms. A $20,000 car provides just as reliable transportation as an $80,000 car. Even the most attractive people can become tiresome after a short period of time.

Success in the western world is too focused on showing off to your friends, family, and neighbors. It doesn’t focus on what will make you happy. You can’t find happiness by trying to impress others. You only show yourself that your own interests aren’t important.

Redefine success with your own definition:

1. What is your passion? If you can determine the central focus of your life, everything else becomes much easier to determine. Do you want to write a great novel? Focus the next 25 years on creating and raising a family? Explore the world? Explore yourself?
   
   
2. Career. What do you like to do? Most people consider money first, but what would you like to spend eight hours per day doing for 40+ years? Of course, you’ll need to make enough money to pay your bills and pursue your passion.
   • Let’s assume that your passion is writing. Your career choice should support your interest in writing. That means your income is sufficient to be fully engaged in your writing activities. You might even consider a career related to writing, such as an editor.
     
     
3. Home. Your choice of living accommodations can also support your passion or be an obstacle. A home that is too big can require too much of your time to maintain or require too many financial resources relative to your income. You might also have to hire staff or a housekeeping service to help. Managing those people is a drain on your time and focus.
   • Do you need to live in the city, country, or suburbs to support what you truly desire? How many bedrooms would be ideal?
     
     
4. How much free time do you want to have? This isn’t just free time to pursue your passion, it’s also free time to enjoy other things in life, such as your family, friends, hobbies, or attending the ballet. A successful life would include enough free time to satisfy all of your interests. Your choice of career is a big part of this.
   • Limiting your non-essential activities is also necessary to create the free time you desire. Avoid joining clubs, committees, and other voluntary activities that don’t add sufficient quality to your life.
     
     
5. Consider the end of your life. Imagine you only have a few months to live. What would you like to look back upon? Think about the kind of life you’d have to live to feel good at the end of it. Your time is limited, so make the most of it.

Truly, a successful life is one that allows you to accomplish or experience those things you consider to be most important. Those accomplishments won’t be the same for everyone. Avoid allowing society to determine the definition of success. Decide what is most important to you and then create a life that supports those things.

Pursuing society’s definition of success will result in confusion, resentment, and disenchantment. Be brave enough to find your own path.

Many of us are good at ignoring the negative trends in our lives. Maybe we refuse to acknowledge a growing waistline or a relationship that’s slowing deteriorating. Many people also ignore the signs of impending financial disaster. Most personal financial meltdowns happen over time. They’re rarely the result of a one-time event.

The warning signs are quite clear. You simply need to look and be honest with yourself.

Do you recognize any of these warning signs in your finances?

1. You overdraw your checking account more than once a year. When you’re already struggling to pay your bills with your available income, overdraft fees only make the situation more challenging. Overdrawing your account can be a symptom of these things:
   • Poor money management. Some bills simply take longer to clear than others. It’s important to do whatever is necessary to stay on top of your pending balance. It can also be a matter of simply failing to pay attention. Having good finances requires regular attention.
   • Overspending. Do you have a budget? Are you sticking to it? Ask yourself why you are running out of money before you run out of month.
     
     
2. You’re at or near the limit of your credit cards. Your credit score starts to take a hit when you’re above 35% utilization. On a card with a $5,000 limit, that would be anything above $1,750. If you’re in this situation, you may be tempted to acquire another line of credit. In most cases, this is only a short-term solution with a poor long-term outcome.
   
   
3. Relying on a future one-time financial event. Counting on an inheritance or big tax return to balance to your financial situation is a sign of significant debt.
   • It’s important to arrange your finances so that your situation is under control without the need for periodic injections of extra income just to get by.
     
     
4. A failure to save any money. A deposit in your savings account can be viewed as just another expense. If you’re unable to make that payment, you’re headed in the wrong direction financially.
   • All it takes is one unexpected bill or the loss of a job and you’re in dire straits. Savings is a better financial cushion than credit.
     
     
5. Borrowing money from family and friends is another sign of impending financial challenges. Not only is it a sign of financial struggle, it can also be a real strain on your relationships. Most of us loathe asking the people in our lives for money, so recognize the seriousness of the situation if you’re considering it.
   
   
6. You’re dipping into your retirement funds to pay your bills. Stealing from your future is a good sign that the present is shaky.
   • You’re killing the magic of compound interest and likely incurring penalties and taxes by making early withdrawals. You don’t have an unlimited amount of time to replace those savings.
     
     
7. Using a home equity loan to fill the financial gaps. Using a home equity loan to pay bills or to purchase something you can’t currently afford is a dire warning sign. Not only are you financially struggling, you’re also putting your home at risk. Think long and hard before borrowing from the equity in your house.

If you recognize one or more of these financial warning signs, do yourself a favor and start working on a solution. When these financial conditions start to pop-up, it’s usually only a matter of time before things get significantly worse. Make strengthening your finances a priority in your life. You’ll be glad you did.

Caregivers can face significant financial challenges as they take care of their loved ones. If you’re a caregiver, it’s important to learn about the financial issues that can come with helping a family member and how to handle these situations effectively.

These strategies will help:

1. Plan ahead. Planning can help you avoid financial challenges as a caregiver. It’s crucial to discuss your role as a caregiver with your older family members before it becomes necessary.
   • Talk to your family members about caregivers and aging before they become dependent on you. Find out what their plans are regarding the financial aspects of their elder care.
     
     
2. Try to continue working. Caregiving can be an expensive role, so you’ll need all of the additional income and benefits you can obtain.
   • If you can continue working while providing care for a loved one, this may help you with financial issues. One of the biggest challenges for caregivers is money because taking care of an older adult can be very expensive. Plus, you still have your own family and its expenses.
   • Your employer may have special assistance programs and flexible rules for caregivers. Check what is available and use the assistance if you need it.
     
     
3. Find out about your loved one’s finances. As your loved ones age, they may have trouble keeping track of their finances. Be aware of the pensions, benefits, and savings accounts that they own. They can use this money to help take care of themselves. 
   
   • Aging can affect your family member’s ability to pay their bills. You can help by taking over some of the responsibilities of maintaining their home and lifestyle.
     
     
4. Check on public benefits. Is your loved one receiving the maximum amount of Social Security and other benefits?
   • Public benefits can help you handle the expenses of caregiving. Your loved one may qualify for federal, local, or state benefits. Contact your local agencies for the elderly to see what’s available.
     
     
5. Monitor your family member’s accounts and financial activities. Aging can make people vulnerable to scams and other issues.
   • As a caregiver, your responsibilities extend beyond making sure your family member is eating healthy food and taking medication. Stay aware of their financial activities and monitor every account.
   • You may also want to monitor the loved one’s activity on social media. Scams are common, and the elderly are often targets online.
     
     
6. Consider how much you can help. Can you afford to be a full-time caregiver for a family member? How will this affect your personal finances and your family? It’s tempting to help in any way you can, but it’s important to consider all of the financial aspects.
   • Caregivers are often stuck paying family member’s medical bills, groceries, housing expenses, and other bills.
   • Although you can try to continue working while you’re a caregiver, you may still run into emergencies that call you away from work. Can you handle missed work days and the consequences of these emergencies?

It’s important to understand the responsibilities that come with taking care of an aging family member.

Caregivers who understand the financial consequences of their new roles can make wiser decisions. Preparing in advance will give you time to find benefits that are available to your loved ones and create a plan that works for both of you.

Have you ever studied hard for an exam? Even though you might not have been paying close attention all semester, it can still be worthwhile to cram at the last minute. You can apply the same tactic to your life insurance exam. While it’s better to be healthy all the time, there are things you can do right now to improve your medical exam results.

There are commonly two options if you’re thinking about getting life insurance. You can either buy a policy that doesn’t require a medical exam or buy a policy that does require one. The second option is significantly less expensive if your exam goes reasonably well. Taking steps to improve your results is a worthwhile effort.

Pass your exam and get your best rate with these strategies:

1. Avoid drinking alcohol for at least 48 hours before the appointment. While alcohol feels relaxing, it also tends to increase blood pressure. Blood pressure that is a little high can increase your rate 20%. If it’s too high, you can be out of luck altogether.
   
   
2. Avoid caffeine for 48 hours. Like alcohol, caffeine can raise blood pressure. It can also increase your heart rate and temporarily create an irregular heartbeat.
   • Remember that it’s not just coffee that contains caffeine. Tea, soft drinks, pain relievers, and cold medications can also have caffeine. Even a small amount can have a significant effect in some people.
     
     
3. Drop excess weight. This tactic requires more time than the previous two, but it’s important. Obesity is a risk factor for many common causes of death. Just a few pounds can potentially move you into the next rate category. Lose some weight and save a lot of money.
   
   
4. Stop smoking. Interestingly, if you’ve smoked for the last 30 years but have stopped for the last few months, you’re considered a non-smoker. This is perhaps the most important tip. Smoking can increase your premium by 200%. That’s a three-fold increase. Eliminating your smoking habit can cut your premium by two thirds.
   • If you’re going to continue to smoke, avoid smoking for at least an hour before the exam. Your blood pressure and pulse will be improved.
     
     
5. Avoid the health club for 24 hours. Over-training can result in unusual blood pressure, pulse, and other blood values. Any exercise shortly before your appointment can also have negative effects. Avoid working out for 24 hours and give yourself a longer break if you’ve really been pushing yourself hard at the gym.
   
   
6. Eat in a very healthy manner for at least a couple of meals leading up to the appointment. Even one meal of fatty meat can raise lipid and cholesterol levels for a short period of time.
   • Ideally, eat well for at least three weeks before your exam. According to research, any diet will show maximal improvement in blood results after just three weeks.
     
     
7. Rest and relax. A good night’s sleep will lower your pulse and blood pressure. Give yourself plenty of time to arrive at your appointment. Being late is likely to increase your level of anxiety.
   • If your blood pressure is high, ask to have it rechecked toward the end of the appointment. It’s likely it will have improved.

Most of these tips only require a day or two to put into action. A few require more time but are likely to have a profound effect on the cost of your life insurance premiums. Cram for your life insurance medical exam and lower your rates. You can also enjoy a genuine increase in your health.