Dental Expenses: 4 Procedures You Need to Save up For

When you consider medical costs and insurance, you may find it easy to overlook dental costs. However, some dental treatments can be quite expensive especially if you do not have insurance. If you believe that one of the following four treatments may be in your future, start saving up now.

Root Canals

Root canals are performed when a cavity extends from the enamel of the tooth deep into the root of the tooth. A root canal will clean out the diseased tissue and disinfect the area to create a healthy tooth again. 

This is often an involved process that requires anesthesia and plenty of time to accomplish. A root canal alone may cost around $1,000, but extra money is typically needed for the crown to cover the tooth when the root canal is completed.

Sedation Dentistry

Many patients are opting for sedation dentistry today, and you may want to ask for it too if you deal with dental anxiety. 




Sedation dentistry can help you relax and be comfortable during all of your appointments whether you need to get a filling, or something more invasive is on the menu. The cost may run from very low to up to $500 depending on the type of medication chosen.

Dental Implants

If you have lost a tooth from an accident, injury or disease, you will want to consider replacing it with an implant. Implants are actually very good for your oral cavity because they are just as strong as real teeth are. 

They are placed into the jawbone and are covered with a full crown designed to match your other teeth. However, because this is a major procedure that takes several appointments to be completed, you may have to save up to $3,000 for a single tooth.

Periodontal Surgery

Periodontal surgery is occasionally used for advanced gum disease and on gums that have been cared for poorly over the years. During the surgery, tartar buildup is cleaned from under the gums, and the gums are reshaped to properly cover the teeth. 

Surprisingly, this surgery can be very expensive if you have to have it done throughout the entire mouth and can cost up to $8,000.

In addition, many cosmetic dental treatments can also be quite costly. Therefore, you will want to consider carefully how much benefit they will bring to your life before you undergo them. 

However, many non-cosmetic procedures may seem costly now but are far worth the expense when you consider how much better they will make your life and how much they will save you in the future. By caring for your teeth now, you can keep your teeth, gums and jawbones healthy for a lifetime.

Why Workforce Diversity Matters (and How to Achieve It)

Diversity in the workplace is increasingly common. In some of the most progressive and successful companies, you will find an excellent mix of individuals that represent different cultures, ethnicities, sexual orientations and ages.

You may think that companies that hire a diverse range of people may be mostly interested in presenting a progressive image to the public. While fostering a positive image may be one critical benefit, this is not usually the primary reason why companies are increasingly choosing to create more diversity in their workforce.

Regardless of whether you are preparing to launch a new business or you are actively hiring for open positions in an established company, it may make sense to avoid choosing a stereotypical candidate to fill your positions and to take a more open-minded approach. A closer look will reveal the many benefits of having a diverse workforce.

The Importance of Workforce Diversity

When you hire new individuals to join your team, the first priority is to hire the most well-qualified individuals for the job. While you are reading resumes and conducting interviews to determine who may be qualified for the position, consider how diversity can benefit your company.

Creativity and Innovation

Individuals from the same background have typically had common experiences. In many instances, they have the same way of thinking, and this can lead to stale or diminished innovation. 

On the other hand, when you bring people from very different backgrounds together, their mix of cultures, skills and more may inspire creativity. Their ideas may bounce back and forth to spur true innovation that benefits your company.

Improved Customer Service

In many cases, a diverse workforce may be comprised of individuals who speak many languages and are fluent in various dialects. This is important if your business regularly works with international vendors and service providers. 

It also can help you to better serve a more diverse range of customers and clients and to encourage these customers to continue to do business with your company.

A Different Approach

Another important benefit of workforce diversity is the approach that each individual takes to solving problems. Their previous experiences and overall way of thinking may help them to look at scenarios differently and to find better solutions to serious problems in the organization.

In addition, diversity at the management level can help you and your team to find new and better ways to lead your team into the future.

How to Make Your Workplace More Diverse

You can see that there are numerous advantages associated with workplace diversity, but how you can you work toward more diversity in your own business? There are a few important steps to take that can help you to achieve your desired goal.

Improve Your Hiring Efforts

The wording in your job listings can play a major role in encouraging applicants from different backgrounds to apply. Some listings are worded so that they seem intimidating to some individuals. You cannot create a diverse workforce if individuals from different backgrounds are not comfortable applying.

Place Job Postings in Different Locations

While many job applicants will search for job openings through the more well-known job posting websites, these are not the only places to consider. There are a few recruiting and job listing sites that are not well-known in general, but they are well-known in niche groups. Explore the many listing options available so that you can recruit from a more diverse base.

Improve Your Company’s Public Image

If your company has a reputation or image for lacking diversity or for being too conservative, you may have trouble getting many different types of people to apply for a position. Take a closer look at the image that your company portrays, and determine if you need to update that image to improve recruiting efforts.

Create a More Accepting Workplace

Your management efforts and overall work environment can make your business seem more or less accepting of individuals from different backgrounds. For example, do you allow employees to take non-traditional holidays off for their own religions? Find ways to make your workplace more appealing to different groups of people.

Consider Hiring a Remote Team

You may have access to a much more diverse group of applicants if you hire remotely. This is because you can hire from different locations across the country or even internationally. You will have a much larger pool of applicants to choose from as well.

Diversity in the workforce is almost essential for modern companies that strive for success. You need to take advantage of the benefits of a diverse workforce if you want to compete in your industry. Put these tips into action to achieve the goal that you have established.

Jasmine Williams covers the good and the bad of today's business and marketing. When she’s not being all serious and busy, she’s usually hunched over a book or dancing in the kitchen, trying hard to maintain rhythm, and delivering some fine cooking (her family says so). Tweet her @JazzyWilliams88

4 Financial Prep Tips for Elderly Home Care Support Services

If you require in-home or even long-term care, the costs can start to be astronomical. You have to be financially prepared in order to afford these additional care support expenses. Here are some of the tips that you should use in order to prepare for elderly home care support services.

Look into Long-Term Care Insurance

There are insurance plans that will offer a long-term care assistance package. It may cost of a little extra each month, but if you do end up requiring additional assistance, your insurance would help to cover the costs. 

Some plans will offer to pay a portion of the costs that may be associated with living in an assisted living facility. You may even be able to stay in your own home for longer if in-home health aid costs were covered.

Consider Disability Options

In some instances, disability may be the only recourse that you have when it comes to paying for the costs of care. Some companies, like Simply Helping, know that most insurance plans offer an optional disability portion on them. 



You could use this to help cover some of the elder care support agencies that would be willing to assist you. This would allow you to stay in your own for a longer period of time. Typically, in-home care aids will come to your house and do the tasks in which you need assistance.

Make Modifications to Reduce Assistance Needs

Another option is to make your home as accessible as possible. This could include things like adding grab bars in the bathroom to provide you with additional support. 

You also might want to consider having a step-in shower so that you don’t have to worry about stepping up and into the tub. Wider doorways and adding ramps for easier access into and out of your home is another thing that you might want to take into account.

Reduce Household Expenditures

Cut back on your budget so that you can put more money away just in case you need additional funds as you age. If you’re already at that point, there may be places in which you can cut back on your monthly expenses. 

There are programs that will assist you with reducing your energy bills by working with you to make your home more energy efficient. Another place to cut back is with volunteer organizations that will bring meals to your door.

There are lots of options that you can consider if you need help paying for in-home care assistance. Use these tips to get you started on the process of financially preparing for the costs of needing elderly home care support services.

Retirement Plan: 3 Extra Comforts to Consider Saving For

Budgeting for retirement is challenging for many people. After all, to properly prepare your finances for your non-working years, you need to determine each expense that you may need to pay for. 

You also need to assign a reasonable estimated cost to each expense. While some expenses are obvious, such as housing expenses and food, there are a few additional expenses that you may not currently have in your projected budget. 

While these additional items are not essential, they can improve your quality of life in retirement.

Frequent Travel

Many retirees plan to travel in early retirement, but they may plan to remain closer to home as they advance in age. Some travel plans may be relatively affordable, such as spending a few weeks with an adult child in his or her home. 

Other plans may be much more expensive, such as spending a few weeks vacationing in Europe. Ensure that you budget appropriately for your travel plans so that you are not stuck at home unnecessarily.

In-Home Healthcare Services

You may equate in-home healthcare services to hospice and other significant services, but traveling doctors and nurses can also visit your home for routine exams, sick visits and more. 

Your need for medical care likely will increase substantially as you get older, and this is at a time when your mobility may be declining. Budgeting for the extra expense of in-home care for even seemingly minor needs can be a true convenience later in life.

New Vehicles

Many retirees continue driving their own vehicle for decades after they leave the workforce. They enjoy the independence associated with having a personal method of transportation. 

However, many people fail to budget for the replacement of their vehicle from time to time. You may drive the same vehicle for many long years in retirement, but you eventually will want or need to replace it with a newer model. 

Rather than plan to take out an auto loan and increase your monthly expenses, consider saving money so that you can make a few new car purchases in retirement using cash.

One of the most important steps to take to ensure that you have enough money in retirement to enjoy the lifestyle that you desire is to budget intelligently for that lifestyle. 

Consider adding these and other extra comforts to your budget that can improve your quality of life. When you budget appropriately for them, you can adjust your savings and investment goals accordingly and ensure that you have money available to spend on these items.

Think Ahead: Start Saving for the Holidays Now

As soon as the weather starts to get a little cooler, our minds automatically begin to drift to the holidays. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and of course, Christmas are right around the corner. In fact, they’ll be here before we even know it. Despite the months between now and the end of December, it’s never too early to start planning for the holidays. Why?

We all know that the holidays can get really expensive, really fast. And when you want to be that grandparent--you know, the one that spoils the grandkids silly every chance you get--well, it’s important to deliver on Christmas. One of the best ways to counteract the strain of Christmas costs, is to plan ahead.

Plan out your holiday gifts

It’s really easy to get caught up in the magic of the holiday season, and end up going waaaay over your holiday gift budget. Black friday and all of the holiday sales draw you in, enticing you with promises of sales and savings. 

This doesn’t mean that sales aren’t bad. In fact, it’s the opposite. However, you can’t let yourself get caught up in all of the sales. 

The best way to counteract that, is to plan out your holiday gifts ahead of time, before you even go shopping. 

This doesn’t have to mean planning out each individual gift, although it can if that’s what works best for you. 

Instead, you can plan out categories. You know you’ll get your daughter a doll, 2 items of clothing, a new game, and a book. Then, when you get to the store, only get those things you already decided you’d get.

Quality over quantity

One of the biggest frustrations as a parent is to see your child discard and ignore their Christmas gifts just a few short days after receiving them. The excitement of the holiday makes them excited for their gifts, but it often doesn’t take too long for these new toys to be forgotten. 




It’s frustrating to see the dozens of toys you got them, and spent money on, collecting dust and going unused. One of the best ways to fix this problem, is to be more mindful of the gifts you get your children and to get them less gifts. Instead of 5 small toys, get them 1 item they’ve really been wanting. 

Especially if this is something they are passionate about, and they can use for years to come. 

It may be more expensive, but it’s something that will last a lot longer, bring them joy years to come, and ensure that your money isn’t being wasted. 

Go ahead and buy your child that drum set, the recording equipment, or the expensive art set.

Buy now, gift later

One of the reasons that the holiday season can be so financially crippling, is because all of the extra expenses that go with the holiday all happen at the exact same time. Some of this is simply unavoidable. But if there’s an area where you can redistribute the financial burden, you should. 

One of the best, and safest, ways to do this, is by buying presents early. Before prices inflate for the holidays, head out and grab a few of the gifts you know you’re planning on giving. You can save them away in a high shelf in your closet and wait for the snow and holiday season to arrive before gifting. 

If you have children, a pretty good idea is to plan to buy one or two gifts every time you have to make the trip to the store. This will equate to an extra $20-$50 per trip, rather than having to spend hundreds of dollars on one trip, on the same paycheck. 

By spreading out your gift buying for a few months before the holidays even start, you’ll be saving lots of money, beating the holiday shopping crowds, and keep yourself from getting too stressed out in the new year.

Selling Your Home? 5 Ways to Get the Most Money out of Your House

If you are selling your home, you know how important it is to get the most money out of it. The chances are you want to get, at least, what you’ve put into the home. Ideally, you can sell your home for more than what you bought it for and get some equity out of it. There are a few things you can do to get the most money out of your house.

Create Curb Appeal

First impressions when it comes to selling your home to a potential buyer is very important. A first impression is everything and this is especially true for when you’re trying to sell your home. 

You’ll need to make sure people get the right impression when they first pull up to your home. If they see a home that looks friendly, is clean and well put together, they might be more willing to purchase it.

Finish Any Upgrades

If you’re in the middle of upgrading your home, make sure you finish it. When people put homes for sale, they sometimes don’t finish projects or renovations and that might make it harder to sell the house. 

If you finish making upgrades to your home before you even list it, it will be easier for you to sell it. A finished home will sell faster than one that’s unfinished.

Remove Anything Personal

Even though you love the pictures of your kids lining the wall and your tchotchkes, that doesn’t mean potential buyers will love them. If you remove personal things from your home, a buyer might be better able to see their own life in the space. 



Minimalist is key when you’re trying to sell your home. You want the potential buyers to be able to picture themselves in your home and visualize that it is there house. That is hard to do when they can see all of your personal items throughout the house.

Set the Right Price

Even though you might think your home is worth more because of the things you did to it, that doesn’t mean potential buyers will. Setting your home at the right price for your area and for the type of home it is will help you sell it easier. 

You will need to make sure you and your realtor do market research to figure out the perfect price. You may even want to consider getting your home appraised so that way you know what a competitive price will be on your home on the current market. 

If the price is too high, you will likely have a hard time selling your home, but you don’t want to sell for a price too low as you may not get the money you deserve out of it. Bottom line, you want to make sure you have a competitive price put on your home.

Be Prepared for Buyers

A buyer could stop by to look at the house at any time. Even if you have open houses and times for buyers to come see, they might want to check the house out on their own time. Make sure your house is always ready for a showing and try to keep it as clean as possible.

Whether you want to get out quick or you have some time to sell, getting the most out of your house is important. By following the steps, you will get more out of your home than not. After all, it is about getting the most amount of money out of your home as possible.