Time for a New Year! Time for a New You!

Each New Year, one in three Americans vows to make new year resolutions that better their lives with a fresh start. We talked to lifestyle expert, Emily Kaufman, about how to make changes in your finances, make a difference, and make more your of free time.

Question: Are people looking to get a fresh start on their personal finances this year?

Emily: After the holidays, finances are on everyone’s mind especially if you were overly generous and charged a lot of gifts on credit cards, but that holiday debt can start to feel like a crushing weight.

So, if you’re looking to get your finances in order in the new year, I suggest consolidating your debt at a lower interest rate and into one monthly payment with a personal loan from LendingClub. Their customers save almost $300 dollars a month on average and that’s money you can put into savings to re-invest in yourself. If you apply with someone who has even better credit than you like a spouse or friend, you could qualify for a larger loan or a lower interest rate. To find out more, go to LendingClub.com.

Question: What’s a great way to make a difference in the new year?

Emily: I think a lot of people want to help change lives and one of the most powerful and personal ways to do that is sponsoring a child through World Vision.  Your gift of $39 a month not only helps a child, but also their community with access to life-changing resources like healthcare, education and child protection.

You also have the opportunity to get to know your child personally through progress updates and letters.  It’s such a positive step to make a difference in the new year.  You can find out more at WorldVision.org.

Question: What are some of the most popular New Year Goals that can change your life in 2018?

Emily: Some of the most popular News Years Resolutions are spend more time with your family, take better care of yourself, and to travel more.  If any of these are on your list I’ve got the perfect place for any or all of those things – Huntington Beach California.  Known as surf city USA- this ocean front destination is filled with options for healthy living with active options like stand up paddle boarding, bike riding, yoga on the beach, beach volleyball and of course surfing.

Huntington Beach, California.

There are plenty of spas to choose from where you can pamper yourself – and if your family includes dogs, you can bring them along because Huntington Beach is super dog friendly with their hotels and dog beach. Go to SurfCityUSA.com to learn more.

Have a Happy New Year!

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Positive Changes & Fresh Start Solutions for a New Year and a New You

Each new year brings new opportunities for positive change and lifestyle expert, Emily Kaufman, has some ideas to get a fresh start with a brand new year from finance to health and other lifestyle changes for you and your family.

Get a Fresh Start on Personal Finances in 2015. According to the recent Bank of America & USA Today Better Money Habits Millennial Report, even though 80% of millennials 18 to 34 think they’ll be better off or the same as their parents, the majority say they are actually living paycheck-to-paycheck and many are falling short when it comes to saving. To get your financial life on the right path this year, Bank of America and Khan Academy have partnered to design a free website that takes the complexity out of personal finance at BetterMoneyHabits.com. The site has short videos that make personal finance topics easy to understand plus some hands-on tools for your personal financial goals. Content is organized around goals, such as reducing credit card debt or getting ready for tax season, so it’s relevant to what you want to achieve. You can get started on your desktop, tablet or mobile device.at BetterMoneyHabits.com.

Good Health is About Much More Than the Scale. Losing weight is always one of the top resolutions on everyone’s list whether it’s five pounds or fifty, but good health is more than just diet and Sam’s Club wants you to take control of your health this year. That’s why they’re offering a free health screening open to the public on Saturday, January 10th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to help people keep their New Year health goals. The free screening is valued at $250 and tests health indicators like your blood pressure, body mass index and cholesterol levels. This is one of 10 free screenings that Sam’s Club offers nationwide throughout the year from now through October that cover a wide range of tests to help assess and manage your health. You can find out more at SamsClub.com.

Get Kids on Track to Healthy Eating with Fruits and Veggies Disguised as Snacks.   New Year’s resolutions for better health are not just for adults. Most parents want to make sure that they’re kids are eating more fruits and vegetables in the New Year and what better way to that than to give them fruits and veggies disguised as snacks. Bolthouse Farms Kids™ Fruit Tubes are real fruit puree blends in squeezable, slim tubes with no added sugar or preservatives. You can eat them chilled or frozen and they come in two flavors: Mango Meets Banana & Pineapple and Strawberry Meets Banana. You’ll find them in produce sections at grocery stores nationwide including WalMart and Giant Eagle for just $3.99 for 10 fruit tubes. Bolthouse Farms Kids™ also has fruit smoothies and veggie snackers that have NO added preservatives, high-fructose corn syrup, or artificial flavors. You can find out more at Bolthouse.com.

Finally, don’t forget that the most important secret for succeeding at your new year goals is to get started and stick with it. It’s the sum of the little things you do everyday toward your goals that help you achieve your plans.