Buy Ketchup in May

Have you ever wanted to know the best day of the week to buy groceries or go out dinner (both Wednesday), or to even ask for raise (Thursday or Friday)?

Mark Di Vincenzo did research for over a year to find out the best times of the day, the week, the month to do a variety of things, and he shares his expertise in his new book, Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon.

This book is not only entertaining it can be extremely helpful with telling you the best time to buy and sell a home and the best day of the month to make an offer on a house. The author, Mark was on Rachael Ray today and he shared a bunch of his little tips that are also in his book. Some of the tips are very interesting and may even help you.

I personally get bugged out by milk products that have expired. My husband will drink milk a few days after the expiration date (ew!). For me, if it is even a day or two before, I won’t touch milk, yogurt, or even eggs, but Mark tells us that actually eggs are good for 3-5 weeks after their expiration date! (who knew??) And they go on sale when they are close to the date that is listed on the egg carton. Now while I think the 3-5 weeks sounds crazy, I may be okay eating eggs a few days to possibly a week after.

Mark also says to buy shoes in the late afternoon/early evening. Your feet swell during the day and are at their largest in the late afternoon, so you know they will fit you. Thanks Mark for just saving me on those shoes I wear once and never again because they were killing my feet by the end of the day.

Airport rush hour mimics highway rush hour, so there is less “traffic” in the middle of the day. The airports are less crowded and less stressful. Saturday is also the best day to fly for the same reason. If you are flying somewhere tropical remember to apply your sunscreen 15-30 minutes before you go outside, it takes that time to start working.

Mark also tells us the best month to get a flu shot is October~ even more specific, mid-October (so get it now!). He explains that the flu shot truly takes about two weeks to kick in and the flu season completely hits around Halloween and lasts through March or April. So if you get your flu shot now you will protected right into the spring!

Mark also shared the best time to buy:
Furniture~ New models come out in February and August, so everything is discounted in January and July.
Cameras~ Presidents Week, new models are out and old ones are discounted.
Tools~ Tools hardly ever go on sale, expect for probably the only time you may find yourself actually buying tools, the week before fathers day.
Computers~ Take advantage of back to school sales, the best sale for computers.

….and don’t forget to buy ketchup in May (picnic season when ketchup, mustard, and relish are all discounted) and champagne in December (when the demand is high, so you may think the opposite, but the price is actually lowered to keep up with the competition).
Just remember timing is everything and by doing certain things at the right time you will get more for your money, maximize your time, and even take better care of your health.

Under Two~ Prevent The Swine Flu

The swine flu vaccine has finally arrived, but it is currently only available in a nasal-mist form. The problem with the nasal mist~ it’s not recommended for children under the age of two because of possible dangers. Moms with children under two are advised to wait until the vaccine shot is cleared. The good news~ the wait might only take another week, at least 40 million doses of the H1N1 flu shot are rolling out in mid-October.
Once the H1N1 flu shot is available, you could still be waiting to be vaccinated. According to reports, doctors, hospitals, and schools will only find out how many batches they can expect to receive as the shipments start to arrive, which will likely send most clinics and vaccination programs into a tailspin with the influx of patients. Also, if you do choose to vaccinate baby with the shot, once might not be enough. Doctors are saying that young children might need to be vaccinated twice before being considered fully immune to the illness.
You are supposed to call your pediatrician's office now to find out how to set up an appointment and when they expect to receive the vaccine.

I am personally still figuring out if I am going to get Brody vaccinated when the shot does become available (he had his regular flu shot last month). I am curious to hear what you think & if you will be vaccinating your children and I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on the vaccine itself.

~Ashley

For more info: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091005/ap_on_he_me/us_med_healthbeat_swine_flu_q_a