DIY Life

The year is coming to a close. The next few weeks I'll be busy with shopping, planning, and parties. Before I know it Christmas will pass, and a new year will be just days away. Gina Trapani put together this great list last year of all the geeky and regular tasks to tie up the year. If you followed her suggestions last year, you probably had a smooth one. If you didn't, start now. Adding these 6 items to your to-do list will help and end 2007 on the best possible note and kick off an organized 2008.

1. Get your free credit report
2. Book your last doctor/dentist appointment of the year
3. Make your tax deductible purchases and donation
4. Max out your RRSP contributions
5. Review your data backup plan
6. Rotate and archive your files

The original post has some important detail about each item on the list. She offers helpful tips, including the filing cabinet makeover. I hope you find these tips as useful as I did.

For those who get cold sores or fever blisters, this is a dreaded season. Outbreaks are more common and dry uncomfortable skin seems to slow the healing process. Here are 9 ways to speed the healing and control the spread of these painful lesions.

1. Make sure you have a cold sore
   Confirm what you're dealing with so that you can treat it effectively.
   
2. Notice when an outbreak is pending
   The affected area will feel tender and sore. You will likely notice a small bump before an actual outbreak. If you catch the sore before it's completely erupted you'll have an easier time treating it.
   
3. Quarantine your sore
   Yes, that means no smooching. Keep the sore to yourself. Don't share drinks or dishes with people. Wash your hands well and avoid touching the sore.
   
4. Toss the toothbrush
   You could be reinfecting yourself, so get a new toothbrush and start fresh.
   
5. Take an antiviral medication
   Ask your doctor about medication that you can take to suppress outbreaks and stop from passing them on.
   
6. Take care of the fever
   Cold sores and fevers often go hand in hand, particularly in children. Monitor and treat the fever.
   
7. Ease the pain
   Over the counter creams and pain medication can help ease the pain. 10 minutes with an ice-pack or a whole milk compress will also do the trick.
   
8. Have patience
   Outbreaks typically take 2 weeks to subside. Picking at the sore will only agitate it and prolong the healing process.
   
9. Talk to your doctor
   If healing doesn't progress as you'd expect or if you are in particular pain, talk to your doctor. The doctor may recommend a vitamin B complex and amino acids.

That nasty looking cold sore is not going to compliment your new holiday outfit. Look your best and spare your date the awkward moment of rejecting your goodnight kiss by following these useful tips for quick healing and quarantine of the dreaded cold sore.

We all agree: Hospitals and doctors are a good thing. Good for you, in fact. Just ask your doctor.

But what happens when your health-care gets too expensive? Americans spend hundreds a year on doctor visits -- and maybe 10 times as much for hospital stays? Money magazine says you don't have to with 50 ways to cut your health-care costs. Here's a list of 10 that will help you cut your bills down to something more reasonable.

1. Ask for a deal. The rate for your doctor isn't set in stone.
   
2. Get the facts. The more you know about the real cost of your care, the better you'll be able to negotiate discounts.
   
3. Pay up front, in cash and get a discount. Most doctors lose thousands each year on unpaid bills and spend thousands on credit-card processing fees.
   
4. Look for mistakes. As many as eight out of 10 hospital bills contain errors.
   
5. Check up before you check in. Radiologists, anesthesiologists and other specialists don't always accept the same insurance as the doctor who admits you to the hospital.
6. Track your spending. Do you know when you've met your deductibles or how much money is left in your health FSA?
7. Follow doctor's orders. Roughly half of all patients don't follow instructions about taking medicine, which results in 10% of hospital visits a year.
   
8. Equip yourself. Hospitals charge a significant markup on equipment like crutches or braces, so your almost always better off buying them on your own.
9. Seek smart counsel. If you're seeing a mental-health therapist every week, you're probably footing much of the bill.
   
10. Visit a retail health clinic. Got an earache or upset stomach? Visit a walk-in clinic found at retail stores like CVS and Wal-Mart.

Tip: Don't stick your head in the sand. It may be human nature to wish your problems away or to hope some windfall like a winning lottery ticket will bail you out, but failure to act on your hospital bills is just dooming yourself for trouble. The hospital may interpret your silence as an unwillingness to pay your debts rather than an inability to pay them.