If you answered yes to a or b, click to get a free sample of Dove Men+Care Clean Comfort Body and Face Wash.

Body and face wash all in one, people. Apparently men have far better things to do with their time than take an extra minute to use one product for their face and another product for everything else.

I’m expecting a face wash/body wash/shampoo/conditioner/shaving cream/toothpaste combo to hit shelves any day now.

• Paying bills
• Grocery shopping, which I kind of enjoy
• Setting up my own doctor and dentist appointments
• Doing taxes (it took me hours and hours and hours the first time)
• Donating blood
• Making the decision to turn off the TV at an appropriate time and go to bed (this is a relatively new thing to me)
• Enrolling in benefits at work.

I’m not a benefits specialist, but I have worked in the area for a few years. I worked for a Long-Term Care (LTC) Insurance broker for a couple years, and I also worked in a benefits communication consulting group for a couple years. I’m no expert, but I feel fairly competent in discussing benefits on a casual level.

I’m going to skip talking about LTC insurance for the moment and instead focus on a benefit that many companies offer: a Flexible Spending Account (FSA).

If your company offers an FSA, I implore you to use it. With an FSA, you are allowed to contribute money to a personal account pre-tax (meaning the money is deducted from your pay before your total pay amount is taxed). The personal account is for paying for items and services that are health-related. I don’t want to get into a long explanation of FSAs, but if you really aren’t familiar with them, here’s a good place to start.

The reason I’m bringing this up is because of an article I found about using up what’s left of your FSA by the end of the year. One annoying part about having an FSA is that at the beginning of the calendar year, you decide how much per month you want to set aside for health-related expenses. Sometimes you may not set enough aside and you wind up paying for expenses with post-tax money, and sometimes you overestimate how much you’ll need and you wind up with money in your account at the end of the year. FSA rules do not allow you to rollover leftover money from the previous year, which means that you need to spend what’s left in your account before it goes away.

If you do need to spend FSA money, this article mentions 10 things that are considered FSA-eligible that the average person might not know. I found the article last month and I meant to post it here but didn’t. I mention the date because many FSA plans run January-December, but not all. My company’s enrollment year runs September-August, and that’s not unusual. That is my defense for posting this in January.

If you do not participate in an FSA and your company has it, please do it. You don’t have to contribute a lot. Even if you consider yourself a healthy person, you can still find things to purchase with FSA money – like eyeglasses and contacts, for example. That stuff isn’t cheap! I’ve set aside extra this year so that I can finally buy new glasses – for the first time in 7 years. I think I’m due for a new pair.

Also, for those of us who aren’t good at saving, an FSA allows you to set aside money before you even have a chance to get your grubby hands on the cash, and then it forces you to only spend that money on health-related things – instead of, say, cute shoes and cupcakes.

Being an adult isn’t always fun, but it’s the right choice.

If you enjoy shopping at Ulta, check this out. You can get $5 off a $10 purchase by using the coupon code 31877. The deal expires Dec. 31.

(Thanks, Hard Times Newsletter)

Gaiam is offering 99-cent shipping if you use the code EMSH99 at checkout. It expires December 8.

Gaiam sells a variety of natural and organic-themed items, ranging from home stuff to exercise apparel to exercise equipment, especially yoga and pilates. They also have a very affordable Outlet Sale section.

(Thanks, Seattle Moms Deal Finder)

Let’s get inoculated!

(Thanks, Freebies 4 Mom)

While I’m not much of a natural remedies kind of person, I do want to recommend a neti pot. If you’re not familiar with neti pots, basically it’s a little pitcher that allows you to pour saline solution (warm water & salt) into one nostril, and it flows into your nasal passages and then exits through your other nostril.

It’s really attractive.

I know that it sounds gross, and while I can testify that it’s not that enjoyable, I think it really does help clear nasal passages. A few months ago, I had a cold and was totally stuffed up, and using the neti pot did help – even if it was only temporary relief. Those minutes of clear breathing were worth it.

Some people claim that regular use of neti pots can prevent sinus infections, allergy issues, and other health problems. The research on that is a little spotty. But I can say that, at the very least, the neti pot will provide some relief when you’re congested.

If the thought of shooting water up your nose sounds unappealing, then that makes you normal. I don’t particular enjoy doing it, though I do kind of appreciate the novelty of watching water go in and come out. I was a little apprehensive about it, but after watching some videos on youtube (yes, I did!), it looked pretty simple. While I still manage to make a huge mess every time I use it, I really do think it helps relieve congestion.

The neti pot is a good value. It will last a long time as it can be used over and over, and usually runs between $10 and $15. I bought mine at Bed, Bath & Beyond ($5 off coupon!), but they’re pretty popular these days and are probably available at regular drug stores too. If not, you can buy one online.

Cheers!

(Photo credit: Flickr member DonnaGrayson licensed for use under Creative Commons)

Wisebread published an article today called “7 Cheap and Natural Ways to Fight the Cold and Flu.”

Call me a skeptic, but whenever I hear people talk about natural remedies, I tend to lose interest very quickly. I’ll admit I am kind of curious whether these things work, but I tend to assume they don’t. I appreciate medicine, and when I’m sick and feeling awful, I will reach for the Sudafed - not the apple cider vinegar.

My understanding is that any kind of medication or home remedy is not going to really cure your ailment; all it can do is help alleviate the effects. That’s why I’d rather take a medication that’s going to, for example, help with sinus pain, rather than eat garlic, which as far as I know, won’t make my face hurt any less.

Also, I’m confused about something in the article:

Basically, ginger raises your body temperature, forcing your body to perspire and sweat out the cold…nice…sweating without working out!

Can you actually sweat out a cold?

What do you think about these home remedies? Do you use them?

I’d never used one, but I was at a friend’s house and noticed that this person ate a lot of apples and used one of those cutters. I have never been much of an apple fan. I don’t dislike them, but I never went out of my way to buy apples because I knew I wouldn’t eat them – because I am really lazy. It’s not that hard to cut an apple; I used to do it when I was a kid. But somewhere along the way I decided that was too much of an inconvenience.

After thinking about it, I decided that if I had an apple-cutting gadget, I would be motivated to eat apples. So I went ahead and bought it. And guess what? I eat apples now. Fabulous, right?

But here’s the thing: I keep thinking about that $4 I spent on a product I didn’t really need. Could I have used a knife to cut apples? Sure. But I wasn’t doing it. And I think that’s where my frugal mindset meets my lazy reality. I didn’t need the apple cutter, but without it, I know that I wouldn’t be eating apples. That $4 wasn’t necessary, but I’m looking at it as a small investment in my health.

I also recently bought clips that are supposed to keep my comforter from getting lost inside my duvet cover. I can’t tell you how many months I have thought about buying them (they’re $5.99) and how many nights I have struggled trying to get my bed in order. I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and the bedding is all bunchy and it irritates me. It was affecting my sleep, so I finally decided to buy it. I had a 25% off coupon at Bed, Bath & Beyond, so it wound up costing less than $5. It was another small investment in my health.

There’s a lot of good things to be said for not just running out and buying stuff without really thinking it through. But I find myself still thinking and doubting the value of buying relatively cheap things that are good for me, yet not ruminating as much on dropping $30 on a shirt that I don’t need.

Those are my screwed-up priorities. I’m trying to change that and to view spending in a different light. Taking care of myself is important and it’s not a crime to spend a little money on it … and to then spend a little less money on the things that I REALLY don’t need.

Oh, speaking of things that are good for you, I went ahead and got a flu shot yesterday. And to my surprise, my insurance covered half of it, so it only cost $13 – another small investment.

Walgreen’s is offering flu shots for $25, and I’m debating whether to get one.

Really, the only thing that’s stopping me from getting it is the price. I don’t have a lot of extra money right now – but I also have not-the-best health insurance (I had to buy my own) and I really want to avoid getting the flu because I don’t want to have to pay a lot to visit the doctor, not to mention that I just want to avoid getting the flu.

What about you? Are you getting the vaccine?  What about the H1N1 vaccine when it comes out?

Etsy is where people who handmake things (jewelry, crafts, clothes, housewares, pretty much anything else you can think of) can create their own little store – all on one big ol’website. When you purchase from Etsy stores, not only are you supporting individuals in their creative endeavors, you’re also not buying from sweatshops or paying retail mark-ups. And what I enjoy most of all: You get unique stuff.

I have this thing about purses – I really really don’t like it when I see other people with my same purse. When it comes to clothes, I’m not fond of seeing duplicate outfits, but it doesn’t bother me too much. But when it comes to bags that you carry every day - that are part of your every day look – I want it to be unique. I want people to notice it and ask where I got it. I like compliments!

That is why I try to only buy bags on Etsy. Today I’d like to highlight the bag I’ve been using pretty much every day for several months now. The seller is fromnancy, and this is the bag:

I wanted a bag with a long strap and a considerable amount of room, but I didn’t want a messenger bag. And this bag is perfect! There are no zippers or buttons or anything to mess with. The top of it just folds over, and there are 3 internal pockets – for my sunglasses, cell phone, and iPod. Check, check, and check.

And it was only $35. Yes, that might be more than you’d pay for a bag at Target, but I think it’s worth it to support Etsy sellers. And they tend to keep their shipping prices low, unlike a lot of sellers on Ebay and other websites.

Here’s another fun thing about Etsy. As a shopper, you can create a profile (which you have to do if you want to purchase anything), and you can browse shops and tag items as your Favorites. Then when Christmas or a birthday or some other gift-giving holiday rolls around, you can give people the link to your list of Etsy favorite things and pray they buy something off it.  Here’s mine (it’s short because I’ve been avoiding Etsy, thanks to my underemployment).

Blistex Deep Renewal! For less than $3, you get a product that feels like putting butter – excuse me, butta – on your lips. I’ve never been much of a lip balm fan, but this stuff is awesome. It feels so much better than ChapStick.

So goodbye, Cherry ChapStick. We’ve been friends since I was little, but you’ve been outdone. At least you still have Katy Perry.