June 2012 Archives - LiveBetterCheaper

June 29, 2012

Fourth of July Planning

Fourth of July Day Savings This fourth of July may not be like others. With fires ripping apart the west, hurricanes to the south, and 25 day droughts in the midwest, its safe to say there won’t exactly be an array of fireworks. And with the terrible heat outside, most people are looking to stay indoors. So, here are some creative ideas that won’t break the bank, and will help you have the best fourth of July under these awful conditions! Make a Great Indoor Food When we think fourth of July, we are often thinking cookout. But, with droughts across the country, a cook out may not be the smartest idea. So instead, try something that you’ll be able to cook inside as well, like pulled pork! Not only is this an American Tradition, but it will taste great too! Oh yea, and DON’T forget to pair it with some water melon. After all, that is the best part! Red, White, Blue Use this time to decorate your house in a patriotic fashion! Wouldn’t your house look great with a patriotic table cloth? Or maybe you could add some baloons, or even some small red, white, and blue accent pieces around the house. This way, the company you have will be able [...]

Post Comment| in Seasonal|by Vincent Clark click me

June 27, 2012

Home Dining

Tasty Home-Cooked Meal That time of day comes approximately every 24 hours, when you are deciding what to have for dinner in the evening. Whether you have had a long day or simply feel lazy, it is difficult to keep yourself from splurging and going out to grab some food. Your friend asked you to go to the bar for food and drinks, or you are not interested in cooking for yourself so you stop at a local fast food joint. No matter what the situation, home dining is always one of the best options for the last meal of the day. Here are some reasons why: Price Pinch You pay two prices when you eat out. The first is the actual price of your food and beverage purchases. This starts to add up the more often you choose to dine out, and becomes more expensive based on the quality of food you are receiving. Try to avoid breaking the bank from eating out on a consistent basis. Healthy Home Dining The second price you pay for eating out is the amount of calories, fat content, and carbohydrates that are entering your body with every bite of food. Even the [...]

Post Comment| in Cutting Bills, Nutrition, Wellness|by Will Rettig click me

June 26, 2012

The high cost of drinking soda

Soda: it’s bubbly, sweet and available literally everywhere you turn. That’s all well and good until you step back and realize what all those doctors and health nuts have been saying for years: It’s terrible for you. It’s no secret that many of us have an addiction to soda (or Coke or pop or whatever name you use for it), and quite frankly, many of us sound like we’d rather die than have to go through the withdrawal that goes along with trying to give it up. Heck, I’ve even heard one person liken its withdrawal symptoms to that of giving up nicotine. According to studies, the average American consumes around the neighborhood of 216 liters of the stuff a year. What does that mean? In a nutshell, something that’s so easy to obtain is hurting our waistlines as well as our wallets. So does that mean it’s time to quit entirely? Maybe. Here’s why: 1.) Financial reasons. Since this is a blog called LiveBetterCheaper, I should probably start here. Say you’re one of those people who often stops by the gas station for a 32-ounce fountain drink for $.86. While this might not sound like a lot, it does [...]

1 Comment| in Nutrition|by Josh Lauritsen click me

June 26, 2012

Is Neuro Good For You?

Neuro Seems Safe But then again, so does everything. I mean years ago we thought that tanning was good for us, until people started dying from melonoma (Okay, maybe I’m being a little cynical here, but you get the gist of what I am saying). However, neuro drinks do seems to be safe. And with so many choices, there is basically one for every occasion Take the “Neuro-Bliss” for example. It is packed with vitamis that are supposed to make us happy. It is, quite literally, happines in a bottle. And there is also one for energy and one for passion, and even weight loss! And from the testimonials I have read, people really are losing weight. Good for them for finding something that works! But what concerns people most is the fact that the label reads that it has not been approved by the food or drug administration, and should not be taken by children under the age of twelve. Certainly, this does seem to be a little bit concerning. Here’s my take on it however: it cannot be any worse than mountain dew, it cannot be any worse that coke, and it certainly is going to be a [...]

1 Comment| in New Trends, Nutrition|by Vincent Clark click me

June 25, 2012

EatBetterCheaper: Build a burrito workshop

Whether you’re on the road, on a lunch break of just too lazy to make dinner yourself after a long day, Qdoba is a favorite place to stop for all burrito lovers, and why not? There’s a location on almost every corner, it tastes great and it allows your to load up a burrito with all your favorite things. The downside? Lead guitarist JB Brubaker of the band August Burns Red summed it up in an interview when asked about the challenges of eating while his band is on tour: “…’cause you end up doing a lot of fast food or…Chipotle and Qdoba and stuff, which taste great, but it’s not very good for you.” Consider the ingredients that go into a grilled chicken burrito: Flour tortilla Pinto beans Cilantro-lime rice Grilled chicken Salsa roja Lettuce Shredded cheese Sour cream Cost: around $8-10 before adding a drink or making it a combo Calories: 1100 Total Fat: 396 [source: Qdoba nutrition facts] And that’s just for one burrito. Think if you were buying for more! So what’s a solution? It could be just as easy as staying home. No, this doesn’t mean you have to avoid eating burritos forever, but rather, [...]

Post Comment| in Do It Yourself|by Josh Lauritsen click me

June 25, 2012

Cha-Cha-Cha Chia…Seeds!

Chia Seeds Are Great Cha Cha Cha Chia! We all know that catchy jingle on those commercials for the Chia Pets. Personally, I think the catchy jingle keeps us buying them! I mean, with everything else we have now in this post modern world, they aren’t that impressive guys. Anyway, I don’t think we ever knew the true value of Chia Seeds, probably because we always thought chia was a plant. However, Chia seeds have become increasingly popoulart in today’s market, becuase they are one of very few things that actually work when it comes to diet! Chia Seeds are incredibly filling, which helps curve your appetite. They take so long to break down (because of a gel complex, very confusing science things, you know the rest) that they supress your appetite for up to hours. They’re great for putting in your salad, on your meals, anything really! Additionally, they provide up to eleven percent of the daily fiber you need in your body (11% of fiber is about what most American’s get on a regular day, so this can double your fiber intake). Another great part about Chia seeds is their ability to help keep your blood sugar even. As person who is constantly suffering with blood pressure woahs, I think this is great! We don’t really have a lot of alternatives for blood pressure right [...]

1 Comment| in Nutrition|by Vincent Clark click me