6 Ways to Save and Pay Back Debt!

No one likes having a debt cloud hanging over their heads. It is a mood killer. If you are dealing with mounting debt, here are five ways to save a little extra money and pay back that debt now.

The major barrier to paying off debt is having the money to do so. After all, you still have to eat, have heat, water, and lights. If you live in a remote area, you need your car to get to work. All of these bills are called necessary bills and they need to be paid in addition to the credit card debt.

Sometimes, there is credit card debt but the real problem is the necessary bills. In the economic climate, one or both people in the home losing a job can create a real financial hardship. Many have fallen behind in their mortgage payments. Credit card bills are a distant, distant second to more vital bills but by not paying them, late fees can accumulate and create another problem.

1. Cancel unnecessary amenities. We all like our satellite and cable television, but it gets quite pricey. The same goes for movie services like Netflix and Blockbuster. Going back to regular television and only renting movies from RedBox can save you as much as $150 or more a month.

 2. Hold a yard sale. You must have a few things around the house that you don’t use very much. Hold a yard sale. If you have other family members in the same area, get everyone together and have a family yard sale. Whatever you don’t sell can be given away to charity. Don’t neglect stores that buy used books or merchants that buy old gold (they are everywhere nowadays).

 3. Cook at home. There doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day sometimes but you can cook a large meal and manage to get several leftovers out of it. Your reason for not cooking may be related to the fact that it is convenient. If you ever look at your bank account statements, a good portion of your funds are spent on convenient food. Spending $200 a month (double that if you have a large family) on groceries and cooking saves you at least $200 in extra food costs by not eating out. There’s no sense in going to the grocery store and the drive-thru.

 4. Carpool. This is an option if you live near some fellow employees. Every person in the carpool can take turns driving for a week. It saves gas and money that can be used for something else.

 5. Use cash. If you don’t have the cash to buy it, you don’t need it. Relying on credit cards will only increase your debt and that is like going in reverse.

6. Don’t buy anything new! Almost everything you buy looses value the second you buy it. A new car in particular, is the worst place to spend your hard-earned money!

Saving money is almost as hard as paying off debt. Use these six suggestions to help with the saving money part so you can pay back the debt part.

The Dental Assistant’s Side of the Chair

Dental assistants work closely with, and under the supervision of, dentists. Assistants perform a variety of patient care, office, and laboratory duties.

Dental assistants should not be confused with dental hygienists, who are licensed to perform different clinical tasks.

Dental assistants sterilize and disinfect instruments and equipment, prepare and lay out the instruments and materials required to treat each patient, and obtain patients’ dental records. Assistants make patients as comfortable as possible in the dental chair and prepare them for treatment. During dental procedures, assistants work alongside the dentist to provide assistance. They hand instruments and materials to dentists and keep patients’ mouths dry and clear by using suction or other devices. They also instruct patients on postoperative and general oral health care.

Dental assistants may prepare materials for impressions and restorations, take dental x rays, and process x-ray film as directed by a dentist. They also may remove sutures, apply topical anesthetics to gums or cavity-preventive agents to teeth, remove excess cement used in the filling process, and place rubber dams on the teeth to isolate them for individual treatment. Some States are expanding dental assistants’ duties to include tasks such as coronal polishing and restorative dentistry functions for those assistants that meet specific training and experience requirements.

Dental assistants with laboratory duties make casts of the teeth and mouth from impressions, clean and polish removable appliances, and make temporary crowns. Those with office duties schedule and confirm appointments, receive patients, keep treatment records, send bills, receive payments, and order dental supplies and materials.

Work environment. Dental assistants work in a well-lighted, clean environment. Their work area usually is near the dental chair so that they can arrange instruments, materials, and medication and hand them to the dentist when needed. Dental assistants must wear gloves, masks, eyewear, and protective clothing to protect themselves and their patients from infectious diseases. Assistants also follow safety procedures to minimize the risks associated with the use of x-ray machines.

About half of dental assistants have a 35- to 40-hour workweek. Most of the rest work part-time or have variable schedules. Depending on the hours of the dental office where they work, assistants may have to work on Saturdays or evenings. Some dental assistants hold multiple jobs by working at dental offices that are open on different days or scheduling their work at a second office around the hours they work at their primary office.

Many assistants learn their skills on the job, although an increasing number are trained in dental-assisting programs offered by community and junior colleges, trade schools, technical institutes, or the Armed Forces.

Education and training. High school students interested in a career as a dental assistant should take courses in biology, chemistry, health, and office practices. For those wishing to pursue further education, the Commission on Dental Accreditation within the American Dental Association (ADA) approved 269 dental-assisting training programs in 2006. Programs include classroom, laboratory, and preclinical instruction in dental-assisting skills and related theory. In addition, students gain practical experience in dental schools, clinics, or dental offices. Most programs take 1 year or less to complete and lead to a certificate or diploma. Two-year programs offered in community and junior colleges lead to an associate degree. All programs require a high school diploma or its equivalent, and some require science or computer-related courses for admission. A number of private vocational schools offer 4- to 6-month courses in dental assisting, but the Commission on Dental Accreditation does not accredit these programs.

A large number of dental assistants learn through on-the-job training. In these situations, the employing dentist or other dental assistants in the dental office teach the new assistant dental terminology, the names of the instruments, how to perform daily duties, how to interact with patients, and other things necessary to help keep the dental office running smoothly. While some things can be picked up easily, it may be a few months before new dental assistants are completely knowledgeable about their duties and comfortable doing all of their tasks without assistance.

A period of on-the-job training is often required even for those that have completed a dental-assisting program or have some previous experience. Different dentists may have their own styles of doing things that need to be learned before an assistant can be comfortable working with them. Office-specific information, such as where files are kept, will need to be learned at each new job. Also, as dental technology changes, dental assistants need to stay familiar with the tools and procedures that they will be using or helping dentists to use. On-the-job training is often sufficient to keep assistants up-to-date on these matters.

Dental assistants must be a second pair of hands for a dentist; therefore, dentists look for people who are reliable, work well with others, and have good manual dexterity.

Employment change. Dental assistants held about 280,000 jobs in 2006. Almost all jobs for dental assistants were in offices of dentists. A small number of jobs were in the Federal, State, and local governments or in offices of physicians. About 35 percent of dental assistants worked part time, sometimes in more than one dental office.

Employment is expected to increase much faster than average; job prospects are expected to be excellent.

Employment is expected to grow 29 percent from 2006 to 2016; which is much faster than the average for all occupations. In fact, dental assistants are expected to be among the fastest growing occupations over the 2006-2016 projection period.

Population growth; greater retention of natural teeth by middle-aged and older people, and an increased focus on preventative dental care for younger generations will fuel demand for dental services. Older dentists, who have been less likely to employ assistants or have employed fewer, are leaving the occupation and will be replaced by recent graduates, who are more likely to use one or more assistants. In addition, as dentists’ workloads increase, they are expected to hire more assistants to perform routine tasks, so that they mad devote their own time to more complex procedures.

Job prospects. Job prospects for dental assistants should be excellent. In addition to job openings due to employment growth; numerous job openings will arise out of the need to replace assistants who transfer to other occupations; retire, or leave for other reasons. Many opportunities for entry-level positions offer on-the-job training, but some dentists prefer to hire experienced assistants or those who have completed a dental-assisting program. 

 

Excerpted from Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition

Mentoring: Passing the Torch of Success

It is a great feeling to achieve your goals. You plan and work hard until success is assured. What now? It is time to pass on your philosophy for success to another person or group of people who needs help with personal development.

 Whenever you begin goal setting for your life, it can be a scary thing. You might not know where to start or even how to define what you really want to accomplish. Mentors are quite helpful in that way. They have been there and can help you avoid some of the same pitfalls they experienced on their way to setting personal bests.

 As a mentor, you will inspire others to do their best and not to give up on their dreams. You’ll be surprised to know that it is not the major obstacles that stop your goals but a series of smaller ones that chip away at your resolve. Over time, they make you weaker instead of pushing you forward towards your goal.

 Succeeding at mentoring can be another goal for you to achieve. To mentor another on personal achievement, here are some tips.

1. Establish the boundaries of your relationship. A mentor can be a friend but they are first and foremost, a teacher. If you want to keep the relationship on a professional level, send that message at the beginning. It seems easier to take criticism from a teacher than a friend.

2. Set your expectations. Mentoring is challenging work. Let your mentee know what you expect them to be able to do as a result of your mentoring process. If your expectations are the same, you can work together. If they are not, you’ll know before you get too far into the process.

3.Offer feedback to your mentees. Everyone wants to know what type of progress they are making. On a regular basis, discuss your impressions of how the mentoring is going. Give positive complements when they are due so that the mentee is not just hearing about their mistakes and what they need to work on.

4.Track their progress. Are things going smoothly or is there a problem? Make time to discuss any difficulties the mentee is having and solutions for solving them. Maybe a lack of a thorough plan is keeping them from finding success. You will teach them to flesh out their goal plan a bit more to account for more variables.

 5.Share some of your setbacks. Let them know about your road to success when appropriate. Mentors are human too and showing that human side helps your mentee to identify with you more. It could be that the same issue that hindered your success is also hindering theirs.

 Do you have a method for achieving goals that you’ve developed over the years? Pass this information on to someone else who wants personal goal success to be a part of their life.

Whose Goals Are These Anyway?

“To thine own self be true.” Shakespeare couldn’t have set it better. When we try to walk in the path of someone else it doesn’t quite feel real to us. The same goes for goals. If they aren’t yours, whose goals are they?

It is easy for someone to suggest a new tack on one of your goals and then you are suddenly following that path. After a while you won’t know whose goal this really is, yours or someone else’s. Others can offer suggestions for achieving your goals but be sure that the goal still remains uniquely yours.

1. Do you desire to complete this goal? This is an important question. Without motivation for success you won’t succeed. Sometimes what you perceive as laziness is a lack of motivation because the goal is in some way not really your idea in the first place.
2. Can you define the goal? If a goal comes from your desires, you can tell someone all about it. Whatever question they ask, you can answer them with enthusiasm because it is a goal that you want to accomplish. When the details are fuzzy, the goal might not be your idea.
3. Are you doing it for someone else? If you are learning to ice skate because your sister is in traction from a fall and can’t skate, that goal needs some thought. Maybe you wanted to skate but didn’t think about it until that happened to your sister. If you are just trying to keep your parents from lamenting over a lost shot at the Olympics, you won’t find any fulfillment or joy in taking up someone else’s torch. People do succeed at goals set for them by others but the feelings that come with goal achievement isn’t there and that’s what you want—your definition of success.
4. Are you focused? One day you are gung ho and the next week your commitment wanes. The goal seems to take a long time to complete. Before you let others jump to conclusions about your commitment, you take a look. Are you still committed to the goal?  Why is the focus gone? Your goal may have been to learn to ski for recreation, but somehow someone talked you into competing. The goal has taken on a new element that wasn’t intended.

It is not considered quitting when you drop a goal that you discover wasn’t yours in the first place. Own your goals but question whether you want to pursue others that might not really be for you.

SPOTLIGHT ON: Bayley Seaton-Wade, WVDAS Graduate

Why Dental Assisting?

 I love teeth. The first thing that I notice about people is their teeth and how important a smile is. I also like to help people.

What was your former career/job?

 I was a receptionist for 2 years.

 Best part of being a dental assistant?

 The best part of being a dental assistant is being able to help people achieve the smile that they want. To make them happier and feel better about themselves.

 What are your plans for the future?

I want to learn to be the best dental assistant that I can be and then possibly go to become a dental hygenist or work in orthodontics. But I don’t like blood so I would prefer not to work in oral surgery. Why WVDAS? I don’t have the personality to sit in a classroom for 5 days aweek. Other programs take so much longer than WVDAS. It’s also much more hands-on in this program. I enjoyed the classes. I actually started the program early in the summer and some personal things came up and I had to quit. But I came back and I just recently graduated.

SPOTLIGHT ON: Ammie Walker, Salem, OR, WVDAS Graduate

Why Dental Assisting?

 

I wanted to be in the medical field, an area that I enjoyed. And I believe there will always be a need for dental care.

I was a weekend manager for a cash liquidator store. And I realized that there was nowhere to go in that job.

What was your former career/job?

 

Best part of being a dental assistant?

I get to work with the patients and help them feel comfortable with the dentist and the dental office. I have had my own experience with fear at the dental office and want to be able to give to others by helping them overcome their dental office fears.

What are your plans for the future?

I don’t want to limit myself to just a dental assistant experience. I want to learn all of the different aspects of the dentist office, by working with the dentist and the patients and also learning the organization and customer service of the front office.

 

 Why WVDAS?

I had excelled in high school and had gone on to community college. But I was not sure what I wanted to major in. I became burned out and quit school and got a job. Then I realized that I wasn’t going anywhere. I needed to choose an area that I enjoyed and go forward. WVDAS seemed to fit exactly what I wanted and needed. It has worked out fantastic!

NOW is a Great Time to Reinvent Yourself!!!

Here are some timeless reminders to use your mental, physical, emotional, spiritual and financial energy in the best possible way to make your goals come true.

 Work smarter, not harder. Many of us feel the need to never let go. Learn to delegate what you can. Make small changes and see big dividends. Use your time more productively and get rid of unproductive activities. If you don’t give yourself time off-who will?

 Remind yourself that your health is your greatest asset. Start that exercise program; lose some weight, stop doing things that make you unhappy and tired. Learn about your health and find an eating program that gives you energy and vitality. Do it now. Time waits for no one. 

Stop taking life so seriously. Have more fun and allow yourself to enjoy your life. This is not a dress rehearsal as they say. Do what fills you with joy so you can be better at what you do! Laughter is a great stress reliever.

 Start each day with your top three priorities to improve your life and fulfill your goals. Stop letting others use your time and energy for making their goals become realities. Honor yourself first. Get clear on your priorities. Make your loved ones priorities and that includes you.

 Commit every week for personal self improvement. Listen to inspirational/educational cds in your car while commuting. Turn off that TV and stop being a slave to the news. Read a book, start a journal, or be part of a mastermind group. Do things that condition your mind for success and wealth. Exercise your body and pay attention to the people you love. Start walking your talk. Be grateful for all the har work you have already done!

 Organize your work environment and personal space. Not taking the time to have an organized pleasing space to live and work only drains your mind of precious life energy. Don’t confuse creativity with being lazy to organize your life. Spending time looking for things is a waste of your talents. Get serious about getting your life together and get organized!

Lee Milteer – Professional Speaker, Executive Coach & Author

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