How to Survive Without Health Insurance

The following is a guest post from Kyle Simpson.

If you are one of the millions of people who don’t receive insurance through your work and can’t afford to buy it on your own, you may be living in fear of the day the other shoe will drop.  You can handle common colds and anything that can be treated with OTC medications.  But what really worries you is a costly emergency-room visit or worse, an illness or injury that requires surgery or long-term treatment that you simply can’t afford.  And while you certainly can’t predict injurious accidents, there are a few things you can do to cut down on your risk for major health problems, prevent illness (or catch it before it becomes serious), and get the health care you need for less.  

How to render lard

Way back around Christmas time, I promised to post about how to render lard.

My family purchased half a whole, organic, pastured hog, and we received the fat to turn into lard — an old-timey kitchen staple that turns out to contain vitamins and other nutritious goodies. At the time, I rendered one batch of lard from a couple pounds of the fat.

Herbs, Supplements & Diabetes – Natural Medicine for Diabetes

Diabetes is a growing health problem – and the good news is that it can be partially controlled by what we eat. Get some new ideas in this guest post from Laura Soderberg at Find Nutrition Supplements.

Herbs have been proven to be very useful in the treatment of diabetes. Using herbs is not new: In days past, whenever we fell sick our grandmother would just boil some herbs and give  them to us to drink, and as if by magic our ailment would disappear. Many people or homeopathic practitioners also make use of plants and plant extracts to cure diabetes and other sicknesses. Hereunder are herbs that have been scientifically proven to be helpful, effective and non-toxic. Anyone can safely give it a try. (Note from Cheap Like Me: As with any health advice, please do your own research and check with your doctor or medical resource to be sure you will stay safe. I am not a doctor, and this is not medical advice, just some suggestions from Laura Soderberg.)

How much do we waste in a throw-away culture?

Is our whole world disposable?

If you look at the statistics of how much waste people create in the industrialized nations and how relatively little we recycle (or “recover,” to use the Environmental Protection Agency’s alternate language), you would think so.

To bring this point home, the good people at Recycle recently sent me the graphic below about recycling. (If you can’t see the graphic, you can view the full thing at the Recycle website, which is UK based.)

Check in to keep electricity bills low

photo by phault

Ah, the end of summer. Vacation is great, but it’s almost time to get back to the grind, and if you’re like me, you’re about ready to give up the hot weather, too.

The Story of Cosmetics – New Annie Leonard Movie

Did you see and enjoy “The Story of Stuff”? Ever wonder what’s in that gunk you put on your face? Well, Annie Leonard is back with a new video — “The Story of Carcinogens.”

It’s about why cancer-causing agents aren’t pretty, don’t smell sweet, and shouldn’t be in our cosmetics.

What are your favorite non-plastic solutions?

Crate and Barrel glass bowls

The following is a guest post from Becky at Our Peaceful Home.
The dangers of plastic are being broadcasted everywhere. You really can’t pass by a healthy or green living blog without being warned about not only the toxic effects plastic can have on your health but also the dangers it can have to the environment. And it just seems like EVERYTHING is made out of plastic!

Some changes at Cheap Like Me

If you’re a regular reader of Cheap Like Me, you might have noticed a lack of posts this summer. (If you are just stopping by this blog, feel free to look around – Cheap Like Me has an archive of 600+ posts to keep you busy!)

Why the slowdown, you may ask? It’s a matter of economics and direction.

Great infographic on new credit card statements

Have you noticed your new credit card statements yet?

Thanks to the new Credit CARD Act, credit card bills are really different these days. Perhaps you aren’t the type to pore over your credit card bill, enjoying every tasty morsel of information as if it were a fat, new Twilight novel?

Then you’re in luck. The good folks at Five Cent Nickel have used information from the Federal Reserve to create an easy-to-understand interactive infographic explaining the new statement changes.  By hovering over different parts of the infographic, you will see all the ways the credit card statement has changed.

Wanna be a producer? Support a documentary about Haitian food crisis

Sometimes you find recipes here. Today let’s take a slightly different tack on the issue of food, sustainability and agriculture.

Remember how Haiti’s earthquake stole headlines at the New Year? If you have been wondering where all the coverage of Haiti has gone following the disastrous earthquake in January, you are not alone. CNN has a special package featuring pleas for continued help, and recently I heard from some filmmakers who are seeking to make a documentary about the food crisis in Haiti.