Blog Posts by Reader s Digest Magazine

What to bear in mind the next time you visit the pharmacy counter.

1. Don't try to get anything past us. Prescriptions for painkillers or sleeping aids always get extra scrutiny.

2. We're not serving fries in here. I'd think twice about using a drive-through pharmacy. Working there distracts us-not a good thing when it comes to pharmaceuticals.

PLUS: 15 Secrets the ER Staff Won't Tell You

comstock.com3. Generics are a close match for most brand names. But I'd be careful with blood thinners and thyroid drugs, since small differences can have big effects.

4. Sometimes we can't read the doctor's handwriting either. E-prescribing can help, but as of 2006, fewer than 20 percent of prescriptions were being electronically transmitted.

PLUS: 6 Mistakes Your Doctor May Be Making

5. I hate your insurance company as much as you do. "Even if something's working for you, the insurance company may insist you switch to something else," says pharmacy owner Stuart Feldman."I'm stuck in the middle trying to

Interviews by Chandni Jhunjhunwala

1. Divide and Conquer
"I've worked hands-on with so many clients and they all tell me the same thing -- they tend to pull everything out of their closets and then they run out of time and they push it all back in, which makes it worse than it was to begin with. So my suggestion to them is to divide and conquer. On a Saturday morning do your shoes, at other times do your slacks. People have told me that breaking it up into small projects has changed their life."
-- Mary Pankiewicz, professional organizer and author of Clutter-Free & Organized

2. Tidy Up Your Top Shelf
"Those who stack sweaters and T-shirts on shelves in their closets know it can become a jumbled mess, since stacks often fall over. For those clients I recommend the Slide N Stax Clothing Organizer. It is amazing because it is a plastic clear piece with sides and a bottom that fits on the top shelf and you can just bring that one piece down when you need something, instead of tipping

Meaghan Mountford, author of Cookie Sensations and Craft Gossip's edible crafts editor, shares her ideas for unique egg decorations. With just a few inexpensive and easy-to-find supplies, you can transform plain eggs into works of art.

Compiled by Book of Odds

Who's more likely to be lifting weights, or working out in the pool? Book of Odds, a website specializing in the odds of everyday life, compared men and women on ten of America's most popular fitness activities.

Plus: 7 Tricks to Lost Weight

1. Yoga
The odds a man will do yoga at least once a year: 1 in 30.32
The odds a woman will do yoga at least once a year: 1 in 10.54

2. Treadmill
The odds a man will get on a treadmill at least once a year: 1 in 5.68
The odds a woman will get on a treadmill at least once a year: 1 in 5.41

Plus: 11 Expert Secrets to Staying Healthy

3. Dumbbells
The odds a man will weight train using dumbbells at least once a year: 1 in 5.51
The odds a woman will weight train using dumbbells at least once a year: 1 in 13.74

© Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Thinkstock

4. Elliptical
The odds a man will use an elliptical motion trainer at least once a year: 1 in 11.6
The odds a woman will use an elliptical motion trainer at least

Just like your mom didn't need a thermometer to know if you had a fever, we bet your grandmother or other homegrown expert didn't let the lack of a medical degree stop her from issuing health directives. But which of them are worth following?

1. Grandma's wisdom: Ginger is good for upset stomachs.
Science says: Yes. Good evidence shows ginger reduces nausea.

2. Grandma's wisdom: An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
Science says: Granny's overstating this fruit's potency. Still, the peel is a good source of quercetin, an important antioxidant that, studies suggest, helps lower blood pressure, fight asthma and allergies, and prevent heart attacks.

PLUS: 10 Medicinal Herbs You Can Grow at Home

3. Grandma's wisdom: Honey speeds healing.
Science says: Yes. Mild to moderate burns (but not other types of wounds) heal faster if you spread honey on them -- maybe because it creates a moist, antibacterial environment that promotes tissue growth.

© 2009 Jupiterimages Corporation

4. Grandma's

If you watch TV late at night, then you know the infomercials touting the latest and greatest ways to make your life easier. Chances are those products are being sold by Telebrands, the originators of the slogan, "As Seen On TV." AJ Khubani is the brain behind Telebrands. Several times a year he holds inventor's days, where he invites regular people to present their inventions. Each inventor has five minutes to present, and if Khubani likes their product, that inventor could be on the road to becoming a millionaire.

Think you have a product that could be the next greatest infomercial? Check out the 5 things I learned from watching Khubani judge presentations recently in Los Angeles:

Plus: 11 As Seen on TV Products Reviewed

1. Have a common solution to an everyday problem.

2. Come with a working model of your product.

3. Don't spend a lot of money on the model. Telebrands can have it made for much less than you can.

4. Don't spend thousands of dollars on a

By Paula Drum

Want to alleviate money worries and keep your financial house in order? Follow these five simple steps from Gettington.com to ensure that both partners are ready to take over the family finances whenever needed.

Plus: 13 Secrets to Saving Money Using Online Coupons

1. Know What's Coming
Do a full audit of your bills for a month to understand what is really coming in the mailbox or by email. An easy way to do this is to grab a big envelope and put every bill that you receive in that envelope (print the ones you receive online). After you pay the bill, put the statement back in the envelope. Then make a note of other bills that may be quarterly or annual, put those notes in your envelope too. This will provide a true picture of your recurring bills.

2. Categorize
Now take all the bills in your envelope and categorize whether they are monthly, quarterly, or annual. Then note how you pay each one by writing that directly on the top of your statement or note. Be specific:

By Michelle Crouch

Dreaded, dreadful, deadly. Which states and roads do truck drivers, traffic reporters, and other experts complain about? Also, see our picks for the 5 Best Roads in America.

Plus: View Our Methodology

1. I-55 in Louisiana
"The second you cross the Mississippi state line into Louisiana heading south, it's like driving on a washboard. You can close your eyes and know. I had a cup full of soda one day, and the road literally rattled it right out of the drink holder and all over the floor of my truck. God help you if you think you're going to play a CD going down there." - Trucker Kevin Johnson, Rushville, Illinois

Plus: 20 Secrets Your Waiter Won't Tell You

2. I-12 east of Baton Rouge
"It's one of our deadliest stretches of highways because it goes from six lanes down to four lanes. They're widening it now, but just another two exits because they don't have the dollars to finish. So that will just carry the problem farther down the road." - Jennifer Marusak,