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Heart-Healthy Activities That Won’t Bust Your Budget

By U.S. News & World Report

February is American Heart Month, a time to commit to a heart-healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about heart disease. Making a bigger effort to improve your heart health doesn’t need to cost you any money. There are plenty of things you can do for free, starting today.

Get checked out. You can get your blood pressure taken for free at a number of pharmacy stores, including CVS, Walgreens and Wal-Mart. Most will have a blood pressure machine available inside the store where you can spend a few minutes checking your blood pressure. Of course, this isn’t a substitute for regular doctor visits and exams — but it can help you keep an eye on it in between visits.

[See: 12 Ways to Be a More Mindful Spender.]

Wear red. The first Friday in February is National Wear Red Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about women and heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease and stroke cause one in three deaths among women each year. To join the conversation, simply wear something red on Feb. 3. To take it a step further, create a fundraising page through Go Red for Women. The AHA says that 80 percent of cardiac and stroke events may be prevented with education and action, so your participation can make a difference.

Move more. If you want to increase your daily physical activity but aren’t ready to spring for a wearable pedometer, download a free app on your mobile phone. There are plenty available. In fact, iPhone owners already have a built-in iOS app called Health that you can use to monitor daily steps and flights climbed. Health also recommends other apps for fitness, heart health, calorie counting and nutrition, sleep activity and mindfulness.

[See: 10 Money Leaks to Shut Down Now.]

Relieve your stress. Stress is a likely contributor to heart disease risk, especially since it can affect various risky behaviors, including overeating, physical inactivity and smoking. If you can reduce your stress, you are less likely to expose your body to certain risk factors. Fortunately, there are plenty of free ways to try reducing stress.

Yoga is perhaps one of the best known practices for combating many of these risks, as it has been said to calm your mind, boost circulation, lower blood pressure and much more. You don’t even need to attend classes to practice yoga, as there are tons of free videos on YouTube from experts.

Another stress-relieving activity that you can try is meditation with a free app like Headspace. Or simply read up on meditation tips and guidelines, and then put on some relaxing background music to cut out distractions. For something fun, “adult coloring” is a trend that started in recent years, giving adults an excuse to kick back and engage in an easy and therapeutic activity. Search for printable coloring sheets online to try it out for free.

[See: How to Live on $13,000 a Year.]

Cook your way to a healthy heart. Start cooking heart-healthy recipes at home and know what ingredients to focus on. The AHA recommends a well-balanced diet that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, skinless poultry and fish, nuts and legumes and nontropical vegetable oils. Follow along with food blogs and websites that place an emphasis on heart-healthy cooking, or find recipes for free on the AHA’s website.

Get away or take a staycation. Here’s an easy one to try: Use all of your vacation days. Even if you don’t book an actual trip, use those days for a staycation or to take a mental health day for yourself. It’s important to have time set aside from work to rest and recharge, which can help keep stress and unhealthy behaviors at bay.

Get your sleep. Make sure that you get enough sleep. If you’re wondering how many hours of sleep you need a night, it varies from person to person, but the National Sleep Foundation recommends between seven and nine hours for adults. There are many benefits to getting enough sleep, including improved energy and better eating habits. For better quality sleep, limit your caffeine in the afternoons, power down electronics an hour before bed and try to keep the same bedtime each night.

Hopefully, these tips will help you start some heart-healthy behaviors that last long beyond the month of February.

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Heart-Healthy Activities That Won’t Bust Your Budget originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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