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Get This: The NSA Probably Knows What You’re Doing Right Now
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Get This: You’ll Probably See More Bikers Tomorrow
Check out the list of links that should be on your radar today:
Tomorrow is Bike to Work Day! Make sure you wear a helmet if you’re taking part. [ABC News]
Creative outlets like music, art, and dancing may help make cancer patients feel less anxious, according to a new study. [Reuters]
PBS has confirmed that Diddy’s Tweet about being on Downton Abbey was a hoax. Phew. [People]
Intensive care unit admissions spiked 50 percent between 2002 and 2009—but researchers aren’t sure why. [UPI]
Something doesn’t add up here: Locks of Love receives 104,000 hair donations each year. That’s enough for more than 2,000 hairpieces—but they made only 317 in 2011. [ABC News]
As many as 20 percent of U.S. children have some kind of mental disorder, according to the CDC. [Reuters]
From 2007 to 2012, only 28 percent of the speaking roles in films belonged to women. [The Frisky]
More than half of the pools in a recent study tested positive for feces. Kinda puts a damper on bikini season, huh? [USA Today]
In totally sickening news, a man in Florida has been accused of tricking his girlfriend into getting an abortion. [Medical Daily]
photo: Fuse/Thinkstock
The Relationship Lies You’re Probably Telling
Honesty may not be the best policy when it comes to relationships. Couples lie to each other an average of three times a week, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, according to a recent study soon to be published in the journal Communication Quarterly.
Researchers looked at how often people expressed affection toward their partners even when they weren’t genuinely feeling it—otherwise known as deceptive affection. This could be anything from complimenting your guy’s haircut when you actually think it’s heinous to kissing him goodbye even when you’re really pissed.
For the study, 57 participants (one person per couple) between the ages of 18-27 kept a weeklong diary. “First we trained them on what is deceptive affection. Every time this occurred with their romantic partner they were asked to write down what they were actually feeling, what they expressed to their partner, and why,” says lead study author Sean Horan, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Communication at DePaul University. The research showed that participants were faking their feelings an average of three times per week, according to Horan and study co-author Melanie Booth-Butterfield, Ph.D., of West Virginia University.
So how bad is all this lying? Surprisingly, it’s not so horrible for your bond. “Although it’s very common, the motives behind it aren’t bad,” says Horan. “The most dominant motives were to avoid conflict, negative feelings, and hurting your partner.” For the most part, deception was used to help maintain the relationships. And according to researchers, these little white lies are pretty harmless. “We don’t always want to know the truth all the time,” says Horan.
That said, if your motives include covering up something major—like that you’re over the relationship or that you’ve been cheating—you’re probably doing more harm than good. “In any relationship, if you’re primarily relying on deception then problems will likely result,” says Horan.
When do you think it’s acceptable to lie in a relationship? Sound off in the comments below.
photo: iStockPhoto/Thinkstock
More from Women’s Health:
Is He Keeping Secrets?
4 Strategies to Stop Arguing
10 Secrets of Super Happy Couples
To find out how to suppress your hunger hormone, buy The Belly Fat Fix now!
The Money Mistake You’re Probably Making
Suffering from credit card bill-induced panic attacks? You may be setting yourself up for a lifetime of debt. Younger Americans rack up more credit card debt than their parents and are slower to pay it off, according to a recent study in the journal Economic Inquiry.
Researchers at Ohio State University used monthly surveys to look at the credit card habits of 32,542 Americans between 18-85 years old. They found that Americans born between 1980-1984 will rack up over $ 5,000 more debt by the time they’re 45 than people born between 1950-1954 had at that same age. Plus, they’ll pay off 24% less every month, when compared to their parents’ generation. “It’s a simple calculation to show that they’re never going to pay off that debt,” says co-author of the study, Lucia Dunn, Ph.D., professor of economics at Ohio State University.
But this younger generation isn’t necessarily reckless with their money. “They’ve racked up enormous amounts of student debt,” says Dunn. “There are also many things that people consider necessities today—like a car—that others didn’t think of as necessities before.”
Need another reason to curb your spending? Women are more likely to stress about debt than men, according to a follow-up study by Dunn and her colleagues. So whether you’re deep in debt or working hard to avoid it, use these tips to stay on top of your finances:
Double your minimum payment
Here’s some good news: Research showed that when the minimum monthly credit card payment is raised just a little, it causes people to pay back even more, which means you’ll get out of debt quicker. “It has a psychological impact on people,” says Dunn. “It makes them take repaying more seriously. In the end, everything costs less if you pay off faster.” Since you can’t control what the bank asks for, make your own rule and stick to it. If your bill says you owe a minimum of $ 50, make it $ 100.
Forget your friends’ finances
When it seems like everyone is suffering the same money woes, it can make you less serious about taking control of your spending. “It’s still not the norm to carry credit card debt, but many think it is,” says Liz Weston, financial expert and author of The 10 Commandments of Money. “Don’t take comfort in thinking everyone else is in debt.”
Pick the right plastic
Those fancy reward cards are great, but their rates can be higher than normal. If you’re paying your bill in full every month, go for it. “But if you’re carrying a balance on your card, look for one with a low rate instead,” says Weston. And read the fine print—some cards are made for really big spenders.
Check out these tools
Websites like Mint.com let you track your spending so you can figure out where you budget needs some work. You can also set up helpful text alerts from your bank. Need to save for a big purchase? Set up an online account somewhere like Ally or ING Direct, says Weston. They’ll let you set up free sub-accounts that will automatically subtract savings each month.
Don’t forget the future
It may seem way too far away, but the best time to start saving for retirement is in your twenties and thirties. Even if you’re paying down student loans and credit card debt, keep a little money stashed away in savings so that it gains interest. “People think, ‘I have my whole life to save,’ but that’s not how the math works,” says Weston.
Know when to wave the white flag
Unfortunately, if your debt becomes unmanageable, it’s better to get help sooner rather than later. “If your debt is equal to half or more of your income, it’s time to talk to a credit counselor or bankruptcy attorney,” says Weston. Check out the National Foundation for Credit Counseling at NFCC.org for help.
photo: Hemera/Thinkstock
More from WH:
8 Money Tips to Avoid Credit Card Debt
Money Secrets Couples Keep
Quiz: Are You Wasting Your Money?
Discover surprising walking tips, tricks, and techniques to melt fat fast and get a tighter, firmer butt with Walk Your Butt Off! Buy it now!
The Money Mistake You’re Probably Making
Suffering from credit card bill-induced panic attacks? You may be setting yourself up for a lifetime of debt. Younger Americans rack up more credit card debt than their parents and are slower to pay it off, according to a recent study in the journal Economic Inquiry.
Researchers at Ohio State University used monthly surveys to look at the credit card habits of 32,542 Americans between 18-85 years old. They found that Americans born between 1980-1984 will rack up over $ 5,000 more debt by the time they’re 45 than people born between 1950-1954 had at that same age. Plus, they’ll pay off 24% less every month, when compared to their parents’ generation. “It’s a simple calculation to show that they’re never going to pay off that debt,” says co-author of the study, Lucia Dunn, Ph.D., professor of economics at Ohio State University.
But this younger generation isn’t necessarily reckless with their money. “They’ve racked up enormous amounts of student debt,” says Dunn. “There are also many things that people consider necessities today—like a car—that others didn’t think of as necessities before.”
Need another reason to curb your spending? Women are more likely to stress about debt than men, according to a follow-up study by Dunn and her colleagues. So whether you’re deep in debt or working hard to avoid it, use these tips to stay on top of your finances:
Double your minimum payment
Here’s some good news: Research showed that when the minimum monthly credit card payment is raised just a little, it causes people to pay back even more, which means you’ll get out of debt quicker. “It has a psychological impact on people,” says Dunn. “It makes them take repaying more seriously. In the end, everything costs less if you pay off faster.” Since you can’t control what the bank asks for, make your own rule and stick to it. If your bill says you owe a minimum of $ 50, make it $ 100.
Forget your friends’ finances
When it seems like everyone is suffering the same money woes, it can make you less serious about taking control of your spending. “It’s still not the norm to carry credit card debt, but many think it is,” says Liz Weston, financial expert and author of The 10 Commandments of Money. “Don’t take comfort in thinking everyone else is in debt.”
Pick the right plastic
Those fancy reward cards are great, but their rates can be higher than normal. If you’re paying your bill in full every month, go for it. “But if you’re carrying a balance on your card, look for one with a low rate instead,” says Weston. And read the fine print—some cards are made for really big spenders.
Check out these tools
Websites like Mint.com let you track your spending so you can figure out where you budget needs some work. You can also set up helpful text alerts from your bank. Need to save for a big purchase? Set up an online account somewhere like Ally or ING Direct, says Weston. They’ll let you set up free sub-accounts that will automatically subtract savings each month.
Don’t forget the future
It may seem way too far away, but the best time to start saving for retirement is in your twenties and thirties. Even if you’re paying down student loans and credit card debt, keep a little money stashed away in savings so that it gains interest. “People think, ‘I have my whole life to save,’ but that’s not how the math works,” says Weston.
Know when to wave the white flag
Unfortunately, if your debt becomes unmanageable, it’s better to get help sooner rather than later. “If your debt is equal to half or more of your income, it’s time to talk to a credit counselor or bankruptcy attorney,” says Weston. Check out the National Foundation for Credit Counseling at NFCC.org for help.
photo: Hemera/Thinkstock
More from WH:
8 Money Tips to Avoid Credit Card Debt
Money Secrets Couples Keep
Quiz: Are You Wasting Your Money?
Discover surprising walking tips, tricks, and techniques to melt fat fast and get a tighter, firmer butt with Walk Your Butt Off! Buy it now!