Glory Tuesday

After the recent economic crisis, most people received a very harsh wake up call about the importance of managing debt , savings, and keeping their finances in good shape. There is no excuse for continuing bad habits. If you haven’t yet, you should definitely be doing something to fix them now and get your finances in order.

Start with reviewing your credit report. Make sure that any outstanding debts are ones that you truly owe. Work with the credit bureaus to fix any errors, whether they were caused by inaccurate lender reports or by something worse, like identity theft.

Next, set a healthy monthly budget. After living expenses, your priority should be paying off debt as quickly as possible. If there is anything left, allow for savings and retirement planning. Only after all that should you budget for luxuries.

You may want to consider refinancing your home or negotiating new terms for your credit cards and other loans. You can use a Mortgage Calculator to see how much your monthly payments would be under a new loan. Just be careful that you’re not adding a substantial amount of debt to the future.

It’s also a good idea to start teaching your kids to handle money responsibly. Depending on their age, giving them an allowance that is tied to completion of chores or helping them get small jobs like babysitting or mowing lawns is a great way to start.

In an era where the safety of drinking water is coming to be questioned on a massive scale, some people may be wondering about what has changed recently. In truth, it is likely that the population has grown, and the problems that face most parts of the world are starting to show their faces everywhere. Most everyone takes the precaution of installing a water filter in the home, or pays for water in the bottle. These things are suddenly commonplace, but it does not necessarily mean that they are new. Healthy drinking water is something that has been difficult for many parts of the world, and the issues are still the same.

In some remote areas, time and necessity have lead to interesting methods of water purification. A small community in Tanzania is learning how to purify water with the help of the sun. Most people know that boiling water is one way to kill all the bacteria, and this uses that same principle. If the water is above 50 degrees celsius for more than an hour, it is considered safe to drink. If it is heated for 8 hours at lesser temperatures, there are also safe conditions for drinking it. Placing plastic bottles of water on a black roof combines the direct sunlight with the additional heat-absorbing color in order to make it possible for families to have drinking water without boiling. This is where new and old technologies come together in an interesting twist, showing that there is no end to human ingenuity.

You may think that only those with very severe physical injuries or illnesses can qualify for disability benefits under Social Security. This isn’t quite true. While the disability must keep someone from working, it can fall into any of a wide number of categories, not just the most obvious ones. Because it is a matter of proving the extent of the disability and not just the type, many workers find that hiring social security disability attorneys makes it easier to avoid the pitfalls that lead to claims being denied.

Most people would recognize that musculoskeletal disorders, such as back injuries and degenerative diseases would qualify. In addition neurological problems, such as Multiple Sclerosis and epilepsy can interfere with work, as can immune system conditions like lupus and HIV. Respiratory illnesses and disorders, hepatitis, heart diseases, and blood diseases can also lead to claims for benefits. And, of course, blindness or vision impairment as well as loss of hearing can qualify.

Another class of disabilities recognized by SSA are mental conditions. This includes things like Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, and mental retardation. The category also covers severe forms of depression, bipolar disorder, and even learning disorders. As with physical ailments, the condition must be proven to prevent, not just interfere with, the patient’s ability to work.