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The Pros and Cons of Buying in Bulk

Before you join a warehouse club, consider the good and the bad.

In the current economic crunch, you might feel the lure of warehouse clubs more than ever. And you wouldn't be alone: While Costco and BJ's Wholesale Club, two of the top three warehouse clubs, reported revenue increases of up to 19 percent in June 2008 compared with the previous year, overall retail and food service sales in the United States for the same period saw a jump of just 3 percent according to U.S. Census Bureau data. But is joining a warehouse club, and coughing up a membership fee of $35 or more, the right move for you? Consider the following pros and cons:

Pro: The price is right.
Shopping at a wholesale club can reap an average savings of 40 to 60 percent on everything from toilet paper to ketchup



not every item comes at a deep discount--fruits, vegetables, meat, and interestingly cat litter are often about the same price found at a supermarket--most do. For example, while a 46-ounce jar of pickles costs about $4.00 at the grocery store, a 128-ounce jar of the same product costs only about $.10 more at a wholesale club.

Con: How many mouths do you need to feed?
The problem with a 128-ounce jar of pickles is the amount of time it will take you and your family to go through it. If your clan consists of you and your spouse, you're lucky if you can go through a standard-size jar in a year, and depending on who you ask, that's long past the acceptable shelf life of an opened jar of pickles. Even pantry staples such as cereal, tea, and flour have less longevity than you'd expect (cereal peters out at two months, flour at four, and tea at 18). So before you stock up at a warehouse club, you should familiarize yourself with the life span of the foods you need. Of course, if you have a ravenous household of large proportions, then buying in bulk may be the only way to go.

Pro: You can get a lot more than just food and household items



Most warehouse clubs also offer health and beauty items, office and school supplies, furniture, electronics, computers, and appliances. You can even find discounts on health-care plans, prescriptions, and travel packages. Although the money you'll save on some things is very small, other savings can be quite significant.

Con: Storage space is key.
If you're thinking of buying 12 rolls of paper towels, 170 ounces of laundry detergent, 12 six-ounce cans of tuna, and five pounds of frozen turkey meat, but you have nowhere to stash these items, you'll only be wasting your money. Therefore you should ensure that you have ample room in your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer before you decide to invest in a warehouse club.
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Everything You need to know about oil

Most drivers know that motors need oil, but for many the understanding stop here. Here are somethings you can do for a better appreciation.

How to check your oil
Checking your oil is fairly simple procedure. Expert generally agree that it's best to drive a car first before checking it.



To take a little spin to find a cool, shady spot to pop the hood.

Let the car sit at least five minutes before checking, to give the oil time to settle into pump or survivor , at the bottom of the engine.

With the hood open and securely propped, locate the dipstick. It's location varies, but you can find it by looking for a brightly colored handle- yellow, red or some other noticeable color.

Remove it and wipe it with a clean rag or towel. Reinsert it into the hole, then slowly remove it again. Check the level. The oil mark should fall between the two has marks on the dipstick. If its below the lower level, you need to add oil. Before you do so, though, wipe the dipstick again and check it a second time.

Still low? Add a quart and recheck it. It's best to add the oil , then start the engine to circulate, then let it sit for another five minutes before rechecking. If it still below the lower hash mark, you need to add another quart, but be careful not to overfill it, as this can lead to other problem.

How often should oil be changed?



If you change your oil and filter every 3,000 to 5,000 miles or every three months whichever comes first, check it's level regularly, chances are you'll never experience an oil related problem. For drivers using synthetic oil, intervals as long as 5,000 miles or six months between changes are considered acceptable.

Some service centers will tell you that extreme driving conditions such as stop and go traffic or extremely cold weather, require more frequent changes.



The truth is that every three months or 3,000 miles is pretty extreme. If you aren't driving in stop and go traffic, through minus 20 degree blizzards or up mountain passes with a 5,000 pound trailer, you could probably go longer between changes, and there's certainly almost no condition that would warrant even more frequent changes.

What about synthetic oil?
Synthetic motor oil is manufactured so chemicals that can lead to oil oxidation and sludge buildup, which maybe represent in conventional oil, are not present. They will not break down at high temperatures, unlike petroleum based oils, and are not so affected by cold weather, which thickens regular oil and can add more wear and tear to an engine at start-up.

Synthetic oil cost three to four times as much as conventional oil and is most recommended for vehicles driven extreme conditions and some high-performance vehicles.
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The Advantages of prepaid phone cards

When you're on the road, the ability to connect with family, co-workers, clients and friends is more important than ever. Prepaid phone cards are smart solution in terms of cost and convenience.

Price savings
Making a long distance phone calls on the road can be extremely expensive phone cards can offer domestic long distance calls for less than 3 cents per minute, while eliminating the need to keep coins in your pocket. They also offer a huge saving on international calls. A 30 minutes call from the United States to Germany could cost nearly $ 30, while the same call could cost less than $2 with an international prepaid phone card.



Using a prepaid phone card at home can be cheaper than typical long-distance charges.

PIN-less dialing
This features allows you to register a number of phone numbers that will not require a personal identification number to be entered when using the card. When making a call from any of these registered numbers, the system automatically bypasses the PIN entry step. You merely dial the access number and the number you wish to call. The convenient features is a big time saver.

Speed dialing
You can store a large list of numbers with this feature. Simply assign a speed- dial code to phone number you wish to speed dial. Then when you wish to place a call to that phone number, use the short cut.



This feature is fast and enables you to safely store numbers in the system, rather than in a separate phone directory or PDA.

Auto recharge
This feature allows you to automatically add time to the prepaid phone card without going through the recharge process manually or through voice prompts. This eliminates worry about the balance on the card. By registering your credit card information and selecting the amount you wish to add to automatically when you reach a system-specified low balance amount.
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How to Serve a Bagel Breakfast



A bagel breakfast is
delicious, easy to prepare, and enjoyed by all. Many like to share
this treat for a Sunday morning, but you can have one any day of
the week.






Ingredients



  • Half a dozen of the best bagels you can find (serve 6)

  • 1 pound of Nova or Nova Scotia lox

  • 3-4 tomatoes

  • 2-3 Bermuda Onions, sliced

  • Red or yellow pepper, sliced (optional)

  • Capers (optional)

  • Cream cheese {2 containers}















  1. Get the best bagels available in your town. Heat them whole in the ovenat about 350
    degrees Fahrenheit or 175
    degrees C,
    for about twelve minutes, a bit longer if you like them a little on
    the crispy side. Later you will slice these as you take them out of
    the oven, and then will place them in a bowl on the table.






  2. Make a nice plate of sliced tomatoes.






  3. Slice some onions,
    white or red, and some peppers if you like. Lay these on a plate on
    your table.






  4. Put some standard or flavored cream chesse on the
    table. Provide a knife or a spatula so that you and your
    guests will be able to spread this all the way to the edge of the bagel.






  5. Put about a pound of lox on a plate. Provide a fork so that guests will be
    able to separate the top layer.






  6. Make sure everyone gets a nice slice of lox to put on top of each bagel half which they
    have spread with cream cheese. Guests can then apply their choice
    of onion, peppers, capers and tomatoe
    slices.






  7. Suggest to your guests that they eat their bagels as open-faced sandwiches or regular sandwiches, whichever they
    prefer.






  8. Add other items to your table, such as sliced bananas some coffee, orange juice,
    small bowls of berries or other fruits. You can also make a little tuna fish salad as some guests will prefer this over the traditional
    lox. Enjoy!





If you are serving on a Sunday morning, set the table on Saturday night so you won't have to bother with that in the morning.

 Plain cream cheese is fine, but you might like to try a flavored variety such as garlic and chive, or sun-dried tomato.

Bagels are great fresh, but do pretty well in the freezer as well. Just take them out of the freezer and put them right in the oven and plan to cook them a bit longer. See How to Make a Frozen Bagel Taste Freshly Baked.

Sliced cucumber adds a crisp and refreshing taste and makes a great substitute for tomatoes.
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Feel and Look Healthy and Pretty

Living a happy, healthy lifestyle can affect how you look. It can
brighten your eyes, bring color to your skin, and make you feel
like taking on the day. To look and feel your best, these tips will
help.




  1. Every morning when you wake up, you should say five things that
    you like about your body. Then say five more things that you like
    about your personality. It will definitely boost your
    confidence.

  2. You should visit a Dermatologist if you already haven't. He/she
    will tell you what kind of skin you have, what you need to do to it
    if there are any problems, and they will give you good Skin
    Products. Meanwhile, wash your face in the morning and at night to
    get all the oil, dirt, and makeup off your face. Use a face
    cleanser/soap that doesn't irritate your skin, and if you have
    acne; Proactive really works.

  3. Get a haircut at least every 3 weeks to get split ends cut off
    and/or any other thing you want done. If you have head lice, go to
    a Doctor to get it removed and if you have Dandruff, use a shampoo
    specifically made for dry scalps. Brush your hair every day and get
    all of the tangles out with a gentle paddle brush/comb. Washing
    your hair every two nights is healthy. Washing your hair every
    night is not recommended, as it can strip the natural oils from
    your hair.

  4. To be healthy, you need to exercise and eat well. Exercise for
    at least 30 minutes every single day. Don't over-work, but still
    have an active lifestyle. If you think you need to go on a diet,
    first ask your doctor. Eat small portions, eat when you're hungry,
    and stop when you're full. Don't eat too many sweets/oils/fats in
    your diet because you will get fat. You can still have them, just
    not too much.

  5. Find clothes that you like. Make sure they are the proper size
    and cover up your midriff. Wearing clothes that you like will make
    you feel confident. Try going to a lot of stores and trying things
    on.

  6. To be healthy and look/feel better, get at least 9 hours of
    sleep every single night.

  7. In your life, you will probably want to try new things. So,
    every once in awhile, do some different things and make a
    change.

  8. For good hygiene, brush your teeth when you wake up and before
    you go to bed. Shave underarms and legs when needed and take a
    bath/shower with soap/shower gel/body wash every single night.



  • Smile!

  • Take care of your nails, trim them,and paint them when
    needed.

  • Drink a lot of water.

  • Be yourself!

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The Dirty Truth

Do you want fries with that? How about a side of E. coli? When you grab
a burger and fries from the local drive-through, you know you're
probably not getting the healthiest meal. But if you think trans fats
are your biggest concern, you might want to inspect those fries a
little more closely. At some fast-food restaurants, the hygiene habits
are appalling. Which are the worst?


Think you're not at risk? Think again. About 76 million (or nearly one
in four) Americans are afflicted with a food borne illness each year,
and about half of those come after eating at a restaurant. Here are two
chains that were linked to highly publicized instances of food borne
illness.

Taco Bell. In addition to having less-than-stellar health and
safety reports, a multistate E. coli outbreak linked to Taco Bell
stores secured it a place on this list. More than 70 people in five
states were sickened after eating at Taco Bell restaurants in November
and December 2006. The bacteria were traced to chopped onions.

Jack in the Box.One of the most famous E. coli outbreaks
occurred at Jack in the Box restaurants in 1993, when hundreds of
people became sick and four children died after eating tainted
hamburgers. Dozens of lawsuits were filed; one 12-year-old girl who
lapsed into a coma after eating at the restaurant was awarded a $15.6
million settlement. Since then, Jack in the Box has set up several ways
of ensuring the safety of their meat, including adding a new testing
mechanism for E. coli and increasing the meat cooking temperatures.
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Know Your Sheets

Remember when a sheet was just a sheet? Now adays, it's all about thread count, or so it seems. But that's just one of several factors to consider when purchasing a sheets.



Thread count. This refer to the number of vertical(warp) and horizontal( weft) threads in a square inch of fabric. Typically, the higher thread count , the softer and more lustrous the fabric.



Most people prefer a higher thread-count cotton sheet. Years ago, 180 to 200 threads count were considered the standard for a quality sheet.  Now , with advance weaving techniques, sheet produce in a higher thread counts ranging from 400 to 600 thread counts using single ply cotton yarns.



However, if you see sheet with a very high thread counts, the manufacturer maybe weaving two-ply yarn and counting the plys or individual strands, that are twisted together to make the thread. Don;t expect the same performance and durability from a sheet made with two -ply (twisted) yarns as those made the single -ply yarns.



Fiber lenght. The longer the fiber m or staple, the stronger and the softer the resulting fabric. Both egyptian and pima or supima cotton have long staples and usually identified as such.



Combed or carbed cotton. A good bet combed cotton.  Combing removes fiber that are short or dead( which appear as specks on dinished sheets). Combed yarn is stronger, softer and more lustrous and has a more even appearance.



Mercerized. The mercerization process removes irregulaties from the woven fabric, leaving its extreamly smooth and soft. Mercerization also increase the yarn luster, strenght and affinity for dye picking, resulting in improved shade brilliancy and evenness.



Anti-crease finish. This finish gives easy-care ironing properties to sheet and also improve the softness and handling after everywash without substantially affecting the sheen of the fabric.



yarn -dyed. Dyeing yarn before it is woven or knitted result in a more uniform color.
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Be Careful Who You Quote

Blogs are common if not universal tools for small and midsize businesses. They communicate new products and offers, open dialogues, and keep your business name out there. But if your blog, like many, includes outside content, you need to start being careful, particularly if the source is the AP.

There's more to online security than digital defenses -- you have to make sure as well that your use of the digital media doesn't put you at risk of legal jeopardy, as an evolving story about a major copyright-holder shows.

The Associated Press, which proudly touts itself as being the planet's longest-lived and biggest (not that they use those words; I'm just doing my best not to use any of their words) news collecting company, has decided to take a hard look at what you can and can't quote from its stories.

At present a look is just what they're taking -- after asking that some quoted material be removed from Drudge, the AP changed its mind and decided that the time had come to put together a usage policy.

More power to them, and we'll see where this goes (besides into courtrooms of various shapes and sizes.)

The point, though, for small and midsize businesses, and for your Web sites as well as your blogs, is that the AP move is an early salvo in what promises to be a long and contentious battle in the even longer and more contentious war over copyrighted content and its uses.

Rather than getting yourself caught in the crossfire -- however remote a possibility that might seem -- this is a good time to review just how much external (and, more to the point, externally owned content) is contained within your Web presence(s.)

Got a favorite song playing in the background when your site comes up? Maybe some video you grabbed from YouTube? How about a poem or long piece of prose such a news story or feature that you read online, liked and copied to share with your customers?

That sort of thing may well hold the promise of some legal peril if the copyright owner finds your unauthorized usage and decides to go after you.

It all gets very tricky and complicated -- copyright law has needed a serious and substantial revisiting for at least half a century, and needed it more desperately for every year of the past ten -- but there's a pretty easy way to make at least an initial sort through potential problems.

Apply your own standards to every bit of outside work you have in your blog or on your site:

How would you feel if your own business's work -- catalog copy, say, or consultant reports or design specifications -- appeared on somebody else's site?

Anything you find on your site that doesn't pass that test should probably go.

While you're at it, this is a good time to undertake that review of just who -- and how many -- among your employees (and outside vendors such as Web designers -- are authorized to post content on your site or entries on your business blog.
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Surprising Uses for Botox

There's more to Botox than just a pretty face. Doctors are now using the injectable to treat a variety of serious medical conditions.


By now, you've probably seen advertisements for Botox--a popular injectable that relaxes targeted muscles to reduce or eliminate surface wrinkles, giving the skin a smoother, more refreshed appearance. But in recent years, scientists have found that there's much more to the drug than meets the eye.

Botox, the brand name for botulinum toxin type A, was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for medical use in 1989 to treat eye-muscle disorders, such as excessive blinking. In 2002, the FDA approved Botox for anti-aging and cosmetic uses. And today, it is being touted in some scientific circles as something of a miracle drug, indicated for a variety of serious medical conditions, including the following.

Excessive sweating
.
The FDA states that Botox is an alternative to surgical treatments for sweating. Hands, feet, armpits, trunk, and face are the more common sites of profuse sweating. The Botox toxin inhibits some of the nerves in these body parts that stimulate sweat glands and doesn't carry the same risk of complications as surgical treatments.

Migraine and headaches
. If you suffer from migraines or severe headaches and nothing seems to alleviate the pain, Botox might be the drug for you. Physicians believe that the drug reduces headache pain because it reduces muscle contractions, blocks a pain-transmitting chemical, or a combination of both, according to the University of Michigan Health System. Such treatment has not been approved by the FDA but continues to be studied.

Severe muscle disorders
. Doctors first discovered that Botox could help stroke, spinal cord injury, brain trauma, multiple sclerosis, back pain, and cerebral palsy patients, to name a few, by treating severe muscle stiffness and involuntary jerking. Botox rarely restores full muscle function, but it can improve it significantly, according to the FDA.

Bladder problems
. According to experts, several bladder disorders can be treated with Botox. When traditional treatments don't help for overactive bladder syndrome, for instance, Botox can be injected into various sites in the bladder wall in an outpatient procedure. Such treatment has not been approved by the FDA but continues to be studied.

Facial tics and spasms
. Botox is becoming an increasingly common treatment for involuntary facial tics and spasms, with reported response rates of 90 percent for blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm. In addition, the drug may be helpful in treating stuttering, voice tremors, and jaw clenching.

Sports injuries
. According to researchers in the Netherlands, Botox has powerful indications for use in tennis elbow. The injectable seems to act though forced rest of the muscle, which relieves spasms and allows for proper healing. The treatment may also be helpful in treating carpal tunnel syndrome.

Keep in mind that the effects of Botox typically last three to six months and the procedure must be repeated to maintain results. Side effects are rare but could include unwanted muscle paralysis, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). It's also important to know that many Botox applications haven't gained FDA approval yet. If you're considering the drug, remember to do your research and consult with a health-care professional.
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