Happy Healthy Long Life: Money Well Spent: In the Pursuit of Health, Calming Quiet, Cozy Warmth & Excellent Dental Care

Money Well Spent: In the Pursuit of Health, Calming Quiet, Cozy Warmth & Excellent Dental Care

#6 on Gretchen Rubin's Ten Tips for Being Happier: Buy Some Happiness

I’ve learned to look for ways to spend money to stay in closer contact with my family and friends; to promote my health; to work more efficiently; to eliminate sources of irritation and marital conflict; to support important causes; and to have enlarging experiences.

-Gretchen Rubin, author & blogger-

Look, I know this is not the time to advocate spending money--but then again--a lot of businesses will be helped greatly if we can loosen up our purse strings a little.

I don't spend money easily. I don't like excess. And I don't like to shop--except for food & books. My parents were young adults during the Great Depression, so their lessons of thrift definitely have rubbed off on me.

But...this year I've purchased a few things that I would describe as MONEY WELL SPENT!

I use them almost everyday, & they've brought me and my husband:

Good health with little effort
A quiet home where it's easy to read & think
A warm cozy bed even with our thermostat set to 58 degrees
Excellent dental care with germ-free toothbrushes

In Pursuit of Health - The Vita-Mix 5200

Yes, I know you are all ready to shoot me if I say one more thing about my Vita-Mix & green smoothies--but believe me, I too, was once a skeptic! And I don't part with money easily.
We use this blender everyday, and at a hefty $450 I figure that at $1/day for a year & 3 months it's worth it.
There is no way is the world that I could eat 5 cups of kale, spinach, Swiss chard or spinach; an orange; a kiwi; mixed berries; 5 carrots; an apple; some pomegranate juice & 2 TBS. of ground flax seed in one day. But I can put it all into this incredible blender, add some water or ice & VOILA--I have a delicious drinkable, portable breakfast & mid-day snack. You cannot believe the power of this contraption.
I use it to make salad dressings, to instantly puree vegetable soups, make my own tahini, hummous, all-fruit sorbets, and more.
It cleans in seconds & there are no annoying parts to take apart like in a food processor.
To read more of my annoying green smoothie discoveries, click here and here

In Pursuit of Quiet - The Acoustic Research 900 MHz Wireless Stereo Headphones with autotuning - Model AW772

My husband loves his TV time--especially loud WWII videos, like The Band of Brothers--Seinfeld reruns & anything on SPIKE. I like to sit in our cozy Library/Den with him, but honestly, the noise is so annoying!
My sister clued me in to the idea of wireless headphones that allow one to watch TV or listen to music--have the volume as high one likes--and not disturb anyone else. She bought a pair of these for my brother-in-law #1 for Father's Day. He said it was a gift for her, not for him--but Oh Well--that's my sis!
Back in September I wrote about My husband's promise: He's buying wireless headphones to use when he wants to watch TV & I want to read or write. Or vice versa. Why be mad, distracted, or have to read the same page over & over again when you can buy wireless headphones for your TV? Viva the silence!
He bought them--he loves them--and so do I! I can't begin to tell you how wonderful it is to not have a loud TV in the background when I want to read, write or think. In fact, I can cook in the kitchen while listening to the radio (NPR of course), while hubby is less than 5 feet away in our den watching Seinfeld. It's AMAZING!
Another plus--since they are wireless, he can walk into his office, go get a snack, wash some dishes & keep listening to whatever he wants to listen to.
Only downside: When he has his headphones on he can't hear me (I guess that's an upside for him) unless I get right next to him & tap him on the shoulder.
He picked the Acoustic Research brand by going to our small town's electronics store so he could support the local economy & get some expert advice on a reliable model. Expect to pay between $65-$120 for a good pair--I think.
I think wireless stereo headphones would also be the perfect solution for anyone who has to share a tiny 1 bedroom or studio apartment with a roommate.

In Pursuit of Warmth - The Sunbeam Heated Mattress Pad with dual controls

We set our thermostat to go down to 58 degrees when we go to sleep. Natural gas prices are sky high. Even with a sheet, a quilt & a down comforter, last winter I had to resort to crawling into a down sleeping bag to get warm enough. Needless to say, my husband wasn't too happy with this.
This Fall, I spotted a queen-sized Sunbeam Heated Mattress Pad at Costco for about $75 & thought I'd give it a try. After all, Costco will gladly accept returns if you are dissatisfied with a product.
We both LOVE this mattress pad--which I know sounds slightly looney. It's got a nifty Preheat setting that we set fifteen minutes before crawling into bed, & each of us has preset our preferred temperatures--I'm comfortable with Low, and hubby who doesn't wear PJs likes #3.
Now we only need a light-weight quilt to stay warm through the night. No need for the down comforter. And the house is a cool 58 degrees. We could probably even go lower!
There's even an automatic shut-off that turns the pad off, should you forget, after (I think) 10 hours. And of course it has multiple adjustable temperature settings for both sides.
Save Energy & Save Money. Calculating with March 2008 Energy Information Administration forecasting---if you can lower your thermostat 8 degrees, 24 hours a day, 25 weeks a year, you save up to $131 a year. That's a pretty good dollar return for a $75 investment, not to mention a cozy warm bed!

In Pursuit of Excellent Dental Health - Phillips Sonicare Flexcare 2 Handle Toothbrush All-in-one Sanitizing Charging and Storing Unit

Full disclosure here. My husband is a dentist and we've used the original Sonicare model for years.
This new Flexcare model came out about 6 months ago--and there's no comparison to the older model.
The pluses: There is a timed Maxcare mode that keeps that toothbrush oscillating in your mouth for a full 3 minutes. The average person brushes for less than a minute with an old-fashioned toothbrush. If you want a quick brush between meals--there's a 1 minute Go-Care setting.
Ultra-violet light sanitizer is included & it kills up to 99% of E. Coli & streptococcus Mutans, not to mention assorted cold viruses. Since we all keep our toothbrushes in the bathroom & flush the toilet with the seat up--I think you get the picture. The sanitizer is a closed-door unit keeping your toothbrush away from any nasties.
If you travel, the set includes a portable travel charger--a nice convenience.
My last dental check-up was absolutely the best I have ever had. My dentist could not believe it. It was as pretty close to perfect as you can get. He would not conclude that it's the Flexcare--but I've done nothing else differently. Again Full Disclosure: I floss my teeth daily. I apparently hold my toothbrush at the correct angle (a must do!) & I Only Brush My Teeth Once a Day in the Morning. I say it's the Sonicare Flexcare that is giving me excellent dental health.
This unit is not inexpensive. I saw it online at Costco for $160.00. But with new research coming out weekly about the connection between good dental health, inflammation & heart health--I think it's a small price to pay. It's all about prevention in my book!