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MONEYWISE

Howtostick with your money resolutions

Grand promises made at the start of theyear can lose steam by February1 (empty gyms, anyone?). Ifyou’ve vowed to take control ofyour finances, experts say the trick is small, doable actions that changeyour thinking—and your behavior.We bringyou six.

Written by Kathleen Murray Harris Illustration by Tomi Um

SHOW YOURNUMBERS

AN OUTSIDE SOURCE WILLSEE POTENTIAL CHANGESTO YOUR BUDGET THAT YOU MIGHT MISS.

TOHELP YOU SPEND LESS

Be frank about finances.

Money-related social situations (expensive meals out, chipping in on a pricey gift) are tricky, but when you’re forthcoming about your goal to spend less, you may be pleasantly surprised by how peers react, says Rachel Cruze, author of Love Your Life, Not Theirs. Remember, others are probably feeling the same pinch.

Create customized lists

of needs and wants. “Budgets often fail because they’re not personalized,” says Anna Newell Jones, author of The Spender’s Guide to Debt-Free Living. Beyond groceries, housing, electricity, and transportation, there’s a lot of leeway. If frequent travel or elaborate family parties are key to your happiness, put those on your “needs” list. “Move something of equal scale and value—premium movie channels, landscaping services—to ‘wants,’ and make cuts there,” says Newell Jones.

Askfor an opinion. “When you’re so close to your spending habits, it can seem like there’s nothing to cut,” says Lauren Greutman, author of The Recovering Spender. Inviting fresh eyes to peruse your budget may help ID nonessentials (new linens every year?) or a category in which you’re generally overspending (eating out?). Yes, money can be a taboo topic. So Greutman suggests finding a private Facebook group focused on budgeting (search “budget help”) or tapping a pal who shares your goal.

TOHELP YOU SAVE MORE

Gamify your savings plan.

Greutman recommends two apps that will encourage you to build your nest egg: Acorns and Tip Yourself. Acorns rounds up purchases to the nearest dollar and transfers the extra to an investment account. Tip Yourself lets you create personal challenges, large and small (such as paying off your car or saving $20 on coffee in a week). It adds up.

Find money inthe couch

cushions.Greutman believes there’s “at least $1,000 worth of stuff to sell in every home.” You can sell designer clothes and shoes on apps like Poshmark. But even broken gadgets and appliances can earn you dough. Surprising things sell well on eBay—water-damaged laptops, old appliances, even Starbucks mugs. Do some research on your memorabilia (and your junk!).

Get help investing. If saving is going well and you’d like to venture into more complex territory, consider getting a financial adviser, says Cruze. “Find someone local you can sit down with in person,” she suggests. It’s best to get a recommendation from a trusted friend. “You want an adviser who’s patient enough toteach you what you don’t know,”adds Cruze. A couple of things to ask when assessing advisers: “Are you certified?” and “How will I have access to you for questions?” Be sure to educate yourself about fees. Many experts recommend working with advisers who charge flat fees as opposed to those who chargecommissions.

MEET THE BLOGGER:

DAGMAR BLEASDALE BRIGHT IDEAS

OFFERS EVENTS FINDS GIVEAWAYS

Dagmar is the founder of Dagmar’s Home—dagmarbleasdale.com—a popular blog she started in 2009. Dagmar shows you how to have a beautiful home and a healthy lifestyle, even on a budget. She writes about cozy cottage and farmhouse decor, thrifty and vintage finds, easy DIY projects, green and frugal living, and healthy recipes. Dagmar shares how to find unique home decor for a fraction of the cost, and how couponing makes organic food affordable. She has over 100,000 social media followers and has written for HomeGoods, eBay, and many other well-known brands. She grew up in her parents’ antiques store in Germany, which explains why she has a love for everything vintage. She lives with her husband and young son in beautiful Westchester, NY.

FACEBOOK: DagmarsHome

INSTAGRAM: @DagmarBleasdale

TWITTER: @DagmarBleasdale

PINTEREST: Dagmar

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Breeze Through Perimenopause

There’s no need to suffer during this life stage. (It can last adecade!) After years of near silence, experts are finding solutions for every crazy symptom you’ve got.

WITHOUT BREAKING A SWEAT

YOUR MOM LIKELY didn’tdiscussitmuch,and it’snot exactlybrunchconversationforwomen in their30sand 40s. Researchershaven’t paid a lotof attention either.Butperimenopause—the timewhenyour bodygraduallystops producing itsusual mixofestrogen, progesterone,andtestosteroneandstartsshutting downbaby-making operations—couldlast4to10years,withsymptoms that giveyou flashbacks tojuniorhigh (acne! cramps!) plusa slewofhavoc-wreakingnew ones (hotflashes!vaginaldryness!).

Perimenopause is finallyhavingits moment in thespotlight. Expertsnow recognizeitasa unique life stage (menopause itselfis markedbygoing oneyearwithout aperiod)and are developing bettertreatmentsfor it,thanksinparttotheStudyof Women’sHealthAcrossthe Nation(SWAN),a landmark22-yearproject thatfollowedmore than3,300women ages42through52. “PriortoSWAN, wehadalimitedideaofbasicissues, like whatproportionofwomen experienced hotflashes andhow bothersometheywere,” says Nanette Santoro,MD, professorandchairof obstetricsand gynecologyatthe UniversityofColorado School of Medicine,whospentmorethan20years combing through theSWANresearch. “We nowknowthat75percentof womenhavesomesymptoms,and a quarteruse aprescriptiontreatment.”

Forwomeninperimenopause, hormonal options likelow-dose birthcontrolpills are prescribed to regulate hormonesandrelievehot flashes,headaches,acne,irregular periods, and sudden,unpredictable heavy bleeding.Doctors alsoprescribeintrauterine devices(IUDs) thatslowly releaseprogestinsto significantly decreasemenstrual blood loss.

TheFDA recently approved other,nonhormonalmedications that targetspecific symptoms.“If perimenopause is interferingwith yourlife,”saysSantoro,“there are lots of optionsthatcan provide relief.”Readon forsomeofthebest.

Written by

Sarah Elizabeth Richards

Illustrations by

Andrea De Santis

HOT FLASHES

The SWAN project found that nearly 67 percent of women experience unprovoked episodes of flushing, sweating, and chills during perimenopause. Hormonal therapy can help, and the timetested advice still holds: Cut back on alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods, which can dilate blood vessels and trigger hot flashes. But a recent review of 62 studies, published in JAMA, found that eating soy isoflavones, which are plant-based estrogens, helped reduce the number of hot flashes by at least one per day. The review did not recommend a certain daily amount, but Santoro suggests eating a few servings a week of isoflavone-rich fermented soy, such as miso and tempeh.

If you have seven or eight episodes per day, consider asking your doctor about the antidepressant Brisdelle, a lowerdose version of Paxil that’s been FDA-approved to treat hot flashes. It targets the part of your brain responsible for controlling body temperature.

Perimenopause can begin as early as your late 30s. The first signs are often irregular periods, light periods, and sudden, unexpected heavy bleeding.

67

PERCENTofwomen experience unprovoked episodes of flushing, sweating, and chills during perimenopause.

Heavy periods

It’s called “flooding,” and if it happens to you, you know it. (One reader colorfully described it as a murder scene in her pants.) It’s caused by irregular estrogen production, which confuses the brain’s signal to release an egg. The result: irregular periods accompanied by a surprising gush of blood and debilitating cramps.

To slow the flow, take ibuprofen oranother nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) from the first sign of your period until it ends, says Jill Blaser Farrukh, MD, assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Saskatchewan, who has a special interest in women’s health. “It works by constricting uterine blood vessels to reduce blood flow—and of course, it also helps with cramps.”

If your heavy bleeding causes you to miss work or otherwise upends your day, ask your doctor about a prescription for tranexamic acid (brand name: Lysteda), which stems blood flow by preventing clots from breaking down too quickly. “For women who choose not to take hormonal methods, this is a great option,” says JoAnn Pinkerton, MD, executive director of the North American Menopause Society and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Virginia Health System. “Studies show that it significantly improved quality of life.” Find out whether your insurance covers it, since it can cost more than $150 for a month’s supply.