0 Got a health-care spending account? Today may be your last chance to spend those dollars.

Still got some money stashed away in a health-care flexible spending account? If so, you might want to put a trip to the pharmacy on your day's to-do list, or at least check your plan's paperwork to see if you can take advantage of the IRS's optional grace period, to March 15, to spend those funds. Otherwise, after today you'll lose those savings for good.

If you don't need a new pair of glasses and don't know how else to spend that money, here are some qualifying over-the-counter items listed on the Aetna Website that can be purchased without a prescription:

• Bandages
• Eye-care products (contact lens solution, lubricant drops, patches)
• Family-planning supplies (condoms, contraceptive creams, pregnancy tests, and ovulation kits)
• Hearing aid batteries
• Home diagnostic tests or kits, such as blood pressure monitors, blood glucose meters, and thermometers
• Hot/cold packs when used for medical purposes (not for cooling food, for instance).
• Incontinence products for adults
• Joint-support bandages and hosiery
• Vaporizers and humidifiers

Aetna notes that your employers' qualifying expenses may not be identical to its list, so if you're unsure whether a cost will be covered, check with your human resources department. Also refer to IRS Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses, for other qualifying expenses.

Check out our recommendations and Ratings if you're ready to buy a blood pressure monitor blood glucose meter, or thermometer.

Whether you spend your FSA funds tomorrow or by March 15, your employer's flexible-spending account administrator is likely to require that you submit your receipts by March 31.

Read more about flexible spending accounts.

0 Top sparkling wines for ringing in the New Year

Looking to purchase a bottle of bubbly for the night? You might not think of Consumer Reports when it comes to buying wine, but our industry experts have reviewed many of your favorite varietals, including Cabernet, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Zinfandel, and many more.

Our recent tests of sparkling wine include a recommended GH Mumm Cordon Rouge NV, and a very reasonably priced Gruet Blanc de Noirs NV. The first is a classic Champagne style bubbly that is intense and complex with ripe apple and yeasty/toasty notes, while the second has an attractive array of fruit that mixes nicely with slight yeasty flavors to make for a tasty blanc de noir. For more, read our report on the best sparkling wines in our tests.

If you want to celebrate with a bottle that is fun and a little more daring than most, consider a sparkling ros, such as De Bortoli Emeri Pink Moscato or Korbel Brut Rose, both sell for around $12 and are recommended by our expert wine testers. Check out our Ratings (available to subscribers) of pink sparkling wines for more options. Or if you'd rather, a nice bottle of red or white instead, you can find lots of helpful information in our wine buying guide. Note that if you can't find the vintage we tested, choose another recent one, which we've found should be fairly similar.

Also read our buying advice to learn about pairing wine with food, serving, storing, and much more. As we often find in our wine testing, a high price doesn't guarantee high quality, and you'll find several recommended wines that won't break the bank.

And remember, you don't want to ruin a celebration by blasting the cork off a bottle of champagne and hitting someone in the eye. As it leaves the bottle, the cork can fly up to 50 miles per hourgenerating a force powerful enough to shatter glass. So be mindful and hold that bottle at a safe angle when popping the bubbly.

0 Hospitals still order too many CT scans

Radiation exposure from a CT scan is about 350 times higher than from an ordinary chest X-ray. Yet some hospitals, including several large, well-known ones, continue to order too many of them, exposing patients to needless risk and expense, according our updated hospital Ratings.

We focused on "double scans," or two scans ordered for the same patient, one with a contrast agent (which can make the image clearer), and another without. Such double scans are rarely necessary, and expose patients to 700 times as much radiation as from a standard chest X-ray. Such scans might increase the risk of cancer. Contrast agents add other risks, including possible harm to the kidneys and allergic reactions. And, of course, any unnecessary test is a waste of money, too.

We looked at the number of such double scans at hospitals across the U.S. and found that the percentage of hospitals earning our best score for limiting unnecessary scans did increase, from 19 percent for 2008 to 27 percent for 2010, the most recent year for which data are available. To get a top score, a hospital must do double scans of at most 5 percent of patients who get an abdominal or chest scan. The data come from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The bad news is that far too many hospitals still do double scans: In 250 hospitals that were poor performers in our first analysis, with double-scan rates of 15 percent or more, rates for abdominal scans, chest scans, or both stayed the same or rose.

That group includes mainly small community hospitals but also some large, well-known ones. Among them: Cleveland Clinic Hospital in Weston, Fla.; John Stroger Jr. Hospital in Chicago; Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, Ga.; University of California Irvine Medical Center in Orange, Calif.; and University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark.

Bottom line: Avoiding unnecessary tests once you're in the hospital is challenging, because you or someone who cares for you must ask difficult questions of the staff. So even before checking into a hospital, consider checking our hospital Ratings. If a doctor orders a CT scan, ask whether an imaging test that doesn't emit radiation, such as an MRI or an ultrasound, could be used instead. And if you're told you need a second CT scan of your chest or abdomen, ask whether it's really necessary.

And see our article How Safe Is Your Hospital and our tips for staying safe in the hospital.

0 Use those gift cards now

If you received gift cards this holiday season, you should get out and use them up now, before they get buried in a drawer, lose value, or expire.

Federal rules for merchant and bank issued gift cards mean they can't expire within five years after they're issued, or in the case of reloadable gift cards, within five years after money was last added. But the rules don't apply to reloadable cards that aren't labeled or marketed as gift cards, including those awarded through loyalty, rebate, or promotional programs. Nor do the federal regulations apply to discount vouchers from such sites as Groupon or Living Social.

Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, supports a bill in Congress that prohibits expiration dates and non-use fees and prevents companies that have filed for bankruptcy from selling gift cards or refusing to honor those they've sold.

But in the meantime, here's what else to keep in mind about your gift cards:
You might lose or forget about them: Using them now means you won't have to worry about losing them later.

You may be charged inactivity fees: Bank-issued cards are convenient because you can use them almost anywhere, but they come with fees. For example, you could be charged a monthly fee after 12 months of inactivity. Charity gift cards can also come with fees for transactions, or to transfer funds. Retail store cards usually have few or no fees.

The retailer could go bankrupt: When Sharper Image filed for bankruptcy reorganization several years ago, an estimated $20 million in gift cards and certificates were unredeemed. Consumers with Sharper Image gift cards were first told that the retailer was no longer accepting its cards, then that it would accept the cards if customers spent twice the cards value, and finally that it was closing its stores altogether. Even if a retailer continues honoring its gift cards during bankruptcy reorganization or liquidation, there could be fewer places to redeem them or less time to do so.

0 Ditch the fat-free salad dressing, and other tips for cooking healthier in 2013

New Year's Day is notable for resolutions. If a healthier diet is on your list, just choosing the right foods isn't enough; how you prepare your meals can be just as important as what you put in your shopping cart, according to Bonnie Taub-Dix, a nutrition expert and author of "Read It Before You Eat It" (Plume, 2010).

For example, cooking certain foods makes their nutrients more available, like the lycopene in tomatoes and the carotene in carrots. In other cases, common cooking practices can diminish the nutritional quality of your food or add unnecessary fat and sodium. That's true even for some habits you might think are good ones.

Here are six tips for getting the most nutrients from your meals, adapted from an article in the January issue of Consumer Reports on Health, our monthly health newsletter.

1. Keep nutrients in your veggies. Boiling and overcooking certain fresh vegetables robs them of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Instead, steam them. Studies show that this cooking method preserves more nutrients in vegetables than boiling, stir-frying, or even blanching them. Spinach and other fast-cooking greens can be steamed in as little as 5 minutes; denser vegetables, such as whole carrots or potatoes, will probably need at least 20 minutes. You can also steam vegetables in the microwave, using just 1 to 3 tablespoons of water to preserve nutrients.

2. Don't oversalt. Just one teaspoon of table salt has about 2,300 milligrams of sodium, the generally recommended daily limit. Older people, African-Americans, and people with certain health conditions should get no more than 1,500 mg. To cut down on sodium, remove the salt shaker from your table and try to train yourself to be satisfied with less. Cut back on ready-to-eat processed foods and high-sodium condiments, such as barbecue sauce, ketchup, and soy sauce. Reach instead for healthier flavor enhancersa squirt of lemon or lime juice, a splash of balsamic vinegar, or a sprinkling of oregano or cumin, for example. Reduce the sodium in canned veggies by rinsing them in water before preparation, or, even easier, choose no- or low-sodium canned foods. You can test your sodium smarts with our quiz.

3. Remove the fat from ground beef. If you pan-fry burgers, be sure to pour off the fat. Or make burger patties in a broiling pan, which has slits or holes to let the excess fat drain away from the meat. If you're going to use cooked meat in a casserole or for pasta sauce, consider first blotting it with paper towels, or rinsing it under hot tap water in a colander and then draining for 5 minutes. It might sound gross, but an Iowa State University study found that this technique removed half the fat left after cooking without substantially reducing protein, iron, zinc, or B vitamin levels.

4. Switch to oven-frying. Compared with pan-frying, this method uses a lot less oil but still delivers a "fried" crunch. To do it, coat the food in something crispy that also adds nutrients and contains fewer calories, such as whole wheat panko crumbs or a mix of crushed bran flakes and corn flakes. Then spritz the food with cooking spray or a drizzle of oil, and bake. Learn which fats are healthiest to cook with.

5. Put some oil on that salad. Using fat-free dressing or a squeeze of lemon juice on a salad saves calories but also might prevent your body from absorbing all of the nutrients in the vegetables. That's because some nutrients are fat-soluble, and our bodies don't absorb them as well without a bit of fat. Researchers at Purdue University found that adding 1 tablespoons of canola oil to a salad can boost the body's absorption of carotenoids, antioxidants in carrots that the body converts to vitamin A. Without any accompanying fat, carotenoids go mostly unabsorbed and unused. Another healthful choice is olive oil. See our buying advice on olive oil and (for subscribers) Ratings of 23 extra-virgin varieties.

6. Add variety. Preparing the same type of meal over and over, even if it's a healthful one, limits your nutrient intake. Research has linked a varied diet to better overall health and a reduced risk of cancer and heart disease. You can find ideas for a wide range of breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus tailored to your gender, age, body size, and activity level at ChooseMyPlate.gov.

0 5 tips for easy returns of unwanted holiday gifts

The holidays were wonderful, but now that the wrapping paper has been discarded and the good dishes put away, it's time to take stockshould you keep, return, or re-gift some of the presents you got?

If you choose to return any unwanted gifts, you can prep before making a trip to the store, and follow our tips to steer clear of typical gift-return hassles.

1. Be sure before you open that box: Merchants can impose a restocking fee (often 15 percent of the product's cost), and many do for electronics items. Products such as computer software, CDs, and DVDs aren't generally returnable once they're opened. It might also be hard to return products with damaged packaging or missing tags.

2. Keep all gift receipts: These days, more merchants will turn you away if you don't have a receipt. If you didn't get a gift receipt with a product you want to return, you may be out of luck, unless you're prepared to ask the giver for the receipt.

3. Check store return procedures online and note any time limits: Big merchants usually allow 90 days for returns of most items but might have far shorter periods for electronics, software, and CDs and DVDs. During the holidays, however, some retailers will extend their deadlines.

4. Bring your ID: Some companies require a government-issued ID with a receipt. That way, they can track serial returners even if the transaction is in cash.

5. Know your options: If an item was purchased online and the merchant has walk-in store locations, check the merchant's website to see if you can return it at a store and avoid repacking and a trip to the post office, as well as shipping fees.

For more helpful advice read Hassle-free gift returns, which includes a rundown of both good and bad return policies from various retailers.

0 Gift cards are great last-minute gifts, but purchase with care

Buying a gift card is easy, and while legislation has eliminated a number of the gotchas associated with these presents, some drawbacks remain. So do your homework before you spend any money on gift cards.

Consumers will spend $28.8 billion on gift cards during the holiday season, according to an estimate by the National Retail Federation. But shoppers don't get all they paid forcertain store policies can erode the value.

If you plan on giving a reloadable gift card or one that's not marketed as a gift card specifically, pay close attention to the card's terms and conditions to make sure the person you're giving it to doesn't get hit with fees that lower the overall amount they get to use toward a purchase. Bank-issued cards are convenient (you can use them almost anywhere), but they come with fees. For example, you could be charged a monthly fee after 12 months of inactivity.

Bottom line, if you're set on giving gift cards this holiday season, retail store cards are the way to go because they usually have little or no fees attached to them. And it's always a good idea to make sure the person you're giving one to actually likes to shop at the store the gift card is for.

0 17 million expect to shop on Christmas Eve

With the days until Christmas dwindling, two-thirds of celebrants132 million Americansstill hadn't finished shopping, and 14 percent said they had yet to start, according to Consumer Reports' latest Holiday Poll, fielded Dec. 10-17.

Still others push the limits of procrastination: Nine percent of shoppersan estimated 17 million peoplesaid they plan to shop in stores on Christmas Eve. Last-minute shoppers, in no position to be picky, are most likely to grab a gift card (the go-to present for 62 percent), give cash (27 percent), or a bottle of wine or liquor (15 percent). Other items likely to be bought in a pinch: lottery tickets and candy. Four percent of respondents said they would hand out an IOU for a present.

Most shoppers seem to be into the spirit of the season: 55 percent of respondents continue to be upbeat or ecstatic about the shopping experience, describing it as "pleasant," "fun," or "wonderful." Half as many characterized holiday shopping as "rushed," "nerve-wracking," or "annoying." To date, shoppers have spent an average of $340.

Some other poll findings:

• In order to guarantee that last-minute gifts arrive on time, 38 percent of respondents said they would be very or somewhat likely to pay an online retailer a premium for expedited shipping. But you better act fast--Dec. 22 is the FedEx deadline for overnight shipping for delivery by Christmas; it's a day earlier for UPS.

• If either the clock runs out or shoppers run out of money, service providers (mail carriers and building superintendents, for instance) will be the first crossed off our respondents' gift list, followed by coworkers, the family pet, an extended family member, and the boss. Children, grandchildren, girlfriends, and boyfriends are among the least likely to go without a gift.

• When it comes to who gives the worst holiday gifts, those surveyed said by a landslide that it was an extended family member. Coworkers, in-laws, and friends were also fingered as lousy gifters.

• For many, the holidays are as much about emotional riches as those that come wrapped in a box. When asked how much they looked forward to spending time with certain people during the holidays, 88 percent of married respondents' said they very much looked forward to spending time with their spouse or partner. Eighty-six percent of parents said the same about their children, as did 79 percent of grandparents with regard to grandchildren. Holiday quality time was also eagerly anticipated by most of those planning to enjoy the company of the family pet (68 percent), a girlfriend/boyfriend (also 68 percent), and their mother, father, or grandparent (64, 59, and 55 percent, respectively).

Who in their family would those surveyed prefer to avoid during the holidays? Extended family members such as an aunt, uncle, or cousin topped the list. And one in five said they weren't looking forward to spending time with a sibling or in-law at all.

Previously:
Crowds, packing on the pounds, aggressive parking lot drivers top list of holiday dreads
Despite Black Friday shopping spree, most consumers concerned about holiday spending

Tod Marks

0 Inexpensive, last-minute gifts for food lovers

Got someone on your list who loves good food? Consider one of these products, all of which did well in our recent tests. Even better, they're inexpensive, ranging from $6 to $60.

Trader Joe's California Estate olive oil. Just $6 for a 16.9-ounce bottle. It was excellent in our tests: strong, complex, and very fresh-tasting. It pairs especially well with bread and salad, our testers say.

Columbia Crest Grand Estates cabernet sauvignon and Bogle chardonnay. Both scored Very Good in our tests by expert tasters and were just $10 per bottle. We assessed 2008 and 2009 vintages, respectively, though more recent vintages shouldn't differ very much.

Norman Love Confections Signature Gift Box. At $49, it offers 25 excellent candies that include unusual fillings such as peanut butter and jelly, as well as truffles, creams, nut bits, and fruit pures. Shipping is extra and pricey ($36).

Ninja Master Prep Professional QB1004 blender and food chopper. Excellent at making smooth icy drinks, chopping foods, and pureing soup, the $60, has interchangeable containers and blades that make the combo blender and food chopper easy to use.

0 Got too much milk?

Can kids drink too much milk? Maybe, according to a new study from the American Academy of Pediatrics. It found that while getting enough is key for strong bones, excessive amounts might reduce the amount of iron in the blood, which is important for brain and psychomotor development.

Toronto researchers asked the parents of 1,311 healthy children between the ages of two and five how much milk the kids drank daily. Those who drank more milk had higher levels of vitamin D but lower levels of iron.

Two 8-ounce glasses a day seems to be the "just right" amount. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends approximately two cups of nonfat or low-fat milk per day.

More: test your milk IQ.

Source: The Relationship Between Cow's Milk and Stores of Vitamin D and Iron in
Early Childhood. [Pediatrics]

0 Make sure your holiday gifts arrive on time this year

Holiday shipping deadlines are fast approaching if you want your gifts to reach their destinations on time. If you're sending gifts and want them to arrive by Christmas, note the various dates below for shipping within the United States.

U.S. Postal Service:
(Check usps.com for shipping deadlines to other countries and military addresses.)

• Parcel Post, Dec. 14
  
• First-Class Mail, Dec. 20
  
• Priority Mail, Dec. 21
  
• Most Express Mail, Dec. 22

FedEx:

• FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery, Dec. 17 (Can vary depending on Zip Code)
  
• FedEx 2 Day, Dec. 20
  
• FedEx Overnight, Dec. 22

UPS:

• UPS Ground, Dec. 21
  
• UPS 2nd Day Air, Dec. 21
  
• UPS Next Day Air, Dec. 22

For a list of holiday shipping deadlines for online merchants visit freeshippingday.com, which also has details on this year's Free Shipping Day, Dec. 17, the last day to get free shipping with delivery by Christmas Eve from more than 1,400 merchants, including Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, Godiva, REI, Lego, Levis, Zales, and many many more.

If you're planning to do some of your holiday shopping online from some of the big-name retailers out there, you might want to check their specific deadlines for ordering if you want your packages to arrive on time.

Sources:
USPS
FedEx
UPS
FreeShippingDay.com

0 Buy an iPad for grandma and grandpa this year?

Got a relative with an age-related eye problem? If so, an iPad or other tablet with a backlit display might make a great gift. The contrast between background and text on those devices makes reading easier for people with macular degeneration and certain other vision problems, according to a new study.

Researchers found that people with the worst vision liked reading on the iPad 2, which was the tablet used in the test, more than reading a regular book or using a standard e-book reader, like the Amazon Kindle, which doesn't have the same backlit display. Even people with normal vision read faster on the iPad 2, the study found. Increasing the font size to 18 helped even more with reading speed. The research was recently presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmology's annual meeting.

Our newest tests found that the latest iPad, the iPad with Retina display, has even sharper text than the iPad 2. The new device tops Consumer Reports tablet ratings with its 9.7 inch, high-resolution display and battery life of 11.6 hours. But at $500, it is pricier than the iPad 2 or the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1), which both cost around $400. Some other even cheaper, but great options include the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 with Wi-Fi and the iPad Mini with Wi-Fi. They're smaller than the regular iPads, but you can increase the font size, which might help someone with vision troubles. E-book readers are cheaper still, but most of our top-rated models are not backlit.

So if you're still looking for a gift for an older relative, you might want to consider a backlit tablet, like the iPad. Just don't say we didn't warn you when grandma asks for help downloading Fifty Shades of Grey!

Source
Digital Tablets Improve Speed and Ease of Reading for People with Moderate Vision Loss [American Academy of Ophthalmology]

0 5 tips: Be a return-friendly shopper this holiday season

You may think you've bought the perfect gift for everyone on your list, but at least some of your recipients are likely to disagree.

To help make the return process easier on your gift recipients, consider the following:

1. Check store return policies: It helps to know whether your gift recipient can return something purchased at a store's website to the store's nearest location, instead of having to box it up and ship it off. Big-box stores usually specify on their websites whether you can return something purchased online in a local store.

2. Look for restocking fees: Many retailers impose restocking fees, usually 15 percent of the product's cost, but these fees apply mostly to electronics. In general, retailers can be quick to impose restocking fees on returned electronics.

3. Know what can and can't be returned: Opened softwareincluding video games, audio CDs and moviesusually are not returnable, though your gift recipient should be able to exchange it if the electronics gift is defective.

4. How many days after purchase are returns allowed: Many big-box stores and other merchants have regular return policies of about 60 to 90 days, but usually have shorter periods for electronics, software, CDs and DVDs. Using a certain credit card can also potentially extend the return window as well. During the holidays, retailers sometimes extend deadlines.

5. Get a gift receipt: Many merchants used to offer at least store credit to shoppers without one. These days, more turn those people away.
   

For details on return policies and gotchas to be wary of as well as several apps that can help make returns easier read Hassle-free gift returns, which includes a list of retailers with crazy-good return policies, plus others that offer fast refunds.

0 Diabetic eye problems on the rise

One likely effect of the growing number of young people with type 2 diabetes is that more and more people in their 20s and 30s are developing serious eye problems not correctable with glasses.

"We've all been aware that obesity and type 2 diabetes go hand in hand, but now there is added evidence of an increase in eye diseases," says Marvin M. Lipman, M.D., Consumer Reports chief medical adviser. "Unless we can stem the tide of obesity and defer the onset of diabetes, the younger population may be facing other diabetes complications as well."

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore and elsewhere analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, an ongoing, nationally representative study of the nation's health. The Hopkins team compared the results of questionnaires, laboratory tests, and physical examinations taken by 9,471 men and women age 20 or older from 1999 to 2002, with results from 10,480 subjects from 2005 to 2008.

They found an increase in both diabetes diagnosed for 10 or more years, and worsening vision among non-Hispanic whites ages 20 to 39. "If the current finding becomes a persisting trend, it could result in increasing rates of disability in the U.S. population, including greater numbers of patients with end-organ diabetic damage who would require ophthalmic care," the researchers concluded. The article was published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The findings should spur new efforts to prevent the underlying causes that lead to diabetes and its complications such as obesity-prevention programs aimed at children and adolescents, wrote David C. Musch, Ph.D., M.P.H., and Thomas W. Gardner, M.D., M.S., of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in an accompanying editorial.

Bottom line: If left unchecked, the combination of an increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes in younger individuals and the longer duration of the condition will lead to many more young people living with serious vision loss, among other related problems. See our diabetes toolkit for advice on steps you or a family member can take to prevent and manage the disease, based on survey data from more than 5,000 people with diabetes.

Sources
Prevalence of Nonrefractive Visual Impairment in US Adults and Associated
Risk Factors, 1999-2002 and 2005-2008 [JAMA]
Diabetes and Nonrefractive Visual Impairment [JAMA editorial]

0 Crowds, packing on the pounds, aggressive parking lot drivers top list of holiday dreads

'Tis the season to be jolly, but for many Americans this time of year isn't all eggnog and mistletoe. In fact, for some, the holidays can be downright Grinch-worthy.

In our latest Holiday Poll, a nationally representative survey of more than 1,100 adults, holiday shoppers shared what they dread most about the Yuletide season.

Topping the list by a wide margin were crowds and long lines, cited by 58 percent of respondents, followed by weight gain (41 percent), and aggressive drivers thoughtlessly tooling around parking lots (40 percent). Other angst inducers included getting into debt, gift shopping, seasonal music, lousy presents, and face-to-face get-togethers with certain relatives. The entire list appears below.

Women, in particular, said they dreaded holiday weight gain (47 percent vs. 34 percent of men). Desserts, pastries, and cookies singled out by all respondents as the treats all they overindulge in at this time of year.

Another holiday staple that many people said they'd rather not deal with are gift cards. Sixty percent of those surveyed said they'd prefer to receive cash instead.

For all the dreads, most Americans remain bitten by the holiday spirit. Sixty-four percent of those surveyed said they are enjoying or really enjoying the season, and many expressed a desire to slow down and take pleasure in the holidays even more by traveling less, simply being with family and friends, setting aside a bit more "me time" to relax, and attending fewer parties. (Twice as many men as women were bummed out about the holiday parties or events they had to attend.)

What do you dread most about the holiday season?

• Crowds, long lines: 58*
  
• Weight gain: 41
  
• Aggressive, thoughtless driving in parking lots: 40
  
• Getting into debt: 30
  
• Gift shopping: 20
  
• Seasonal music: 14
  
• Disappointing gifts: 13
  
• Seeing certain relatives: 12
  
• Traveling: 10
  
• Having to attend holiday parties, gatherings or events: 9
  
• Having to be nice: 4
  
• Holiday tipping: 3
  *Multiple responses allowed
  

Tod Marks

0 When you're out of the hospital, are you out of the woods?

If you think leaving the hospital means you're home for good, think again. About twenty percent of heart attack and pneumonia patients, and a quarter of heart failure patients, find themselves back in the hospital within 30 days, according to our updated hospital Ratings. And our new analysis shows that those rates aren't getting better.

The most recent data cover patients discharged between July 2008 and June 2011, which we compared against data from two years earlier, between July 2006 and June 2009. The information is from the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and shows an estimate of the likelihood that a heart attack, heart failure, or pneumonia patient will be readmitted to any hospital, for any condition, within 30 days of his or her initial discharge.

Readmission rates give important insights to hospital safety for several reasons. First, hospitals are inherently risky places, so being readmitted exposes you to additional risk. Having to be readmitted can also indicate that something went awry during your initial discharge, like poor planning for your home care. Or maybe that something went wrong during your hospital stay, like you developed a hospital-acquired infection that only became apparent when you got home.

To make your discharge as smooth as possible:

• See a discharge planner well in advance of your departure to arrange for services or supplies you'll need at home.
• Get a written summary of what to do when you get home, including drugs you need, how to care for wounds, how active you can be, and when you can shower, drive, return to work, and eat normally.
• Get results of tests done while in the hospital and ask what tests you'll need after you leave and when you'll need them.
• See your primary-care doctor within 10 days of going home.

For more advice, see our tips for staying safe in the hospital. And check out our hospital Ratings to see how your hospital fares on readmissions on other measures of hospital quality.

Abbe Herzig

0 Ultrasonic bug zappers don't help ward off bedbugs

It sure is tempting: Just plug in a device and let sound waves keep bedbugs and other creepy-crawlies away, without pesticides or expensive exterminator bills. Unfortunately, those ultrasonic bug repellent devices marketed on late-night TV and sold online don't work, according to a new study.

Researchers at Northern Arizona University bought four pest repellent devices from Amazon.com. They then let a bunch of bedbugs loose and let them choose between one area filled with sound from the devices and the other silent. Turns out there was no real difference in the number of bedbugs that chose the noisy or quiet areas. The researchers weren't too surprised by this bedbug behavior, since other research has shown these devices aren't effective against ants, mosquitoes, or roaches, either.

The study was published this week in the Journal of Economic Entomology.

Read other bedbug news.

Source
Efficacy of Commercially Available Ultrasonic Pest Repellent Devices to Affect Behavior of Bed Bugs (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) [Journal of Economic Entomology]

0 Consumer Reports Index: Sentiment among wealthier Americans drops sharply

A weak employment picture hit lower-income households the hardest this month, and the budget impasse in Washington created a drag on consumer outlook among the more affluent, according to the Consumer Reports Index, an overall measure of Americans' personal financial health.

"Poor employment levels for the lower-income households and fears of fiscal uncertainty for more affluent households were the perfect storm to sink the significant gains seen last month," says Ed Farrell, director of consumer insight at the Consumer Reports National Research Center.

More Americans are losing rather than starting jobs. The employment measure dropped to 49.7 this month from its high last month of 51.5, and job starts fell to 5.4 percent from 5.7 percent a month earlier, while job losses jumped to 5.9 percent from 2.7 percent. The decline in employment most severely affected those in households earning less than $50,000, where the index dropped to 47.8 from 51.8 last month.

Although consumer sentiment was unchanged overall from last month, it did drop among Americans earning $100,000 or more: For the first time, their strongly positive sentiment fell in line with other income groups, all hovering around the 50 markhalf feel their financial condition is better, and half worse compared to a year ago.

The Trouble Tracker, a measure of the financial difficulties faced by Americans, rose this month to 45.5, up from its record low last month of 38.7. Mounting financial difficulties were not broad based but instead centered on those earning $100,000 or more. However, the level of financial difficulties among this segment of Americans is still far lower than those earning less than $50,000. The level of difficulties reported by other income groups was stable compared to last month.

The past 30-day retail measure was up to 11.1 from 9.6 last month, reflecting the expected holiday jump, but lagged last year's performance of 13.9. Anticipated spending over the next 30 days was also down vs. last year. The next 30-day retail measure stands at 10.1, down from 12.7 last year at this time.

The level of stress that consumers feel was up slightly from last month (59.1 vs. 57.8). The most stressed Americans were those in households earning $50,000 to $99,999 (63.6) and 35- to 64-year-olds (61.1).

The Consumer Reports Index, a monthly telephone poll of a nationally representative sample of American adults, is conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. It comprises five measures: Employment, Retail, Sentiment, Stress, and the Trouble Tracker. A total of 1,007 telephone interviews were completed between November 29 and December 2, 2012. The margin of error is +/-3.2 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

Previously: Consumer Reports Index: Americans see major decline in financial difficulties

0 Despite Black Friday shopping spree, most consumers concerned about holiday spending

Although two-thirds of adults shopped over Black Friday weekend, the latest Consumer Reports Holiday Poll reveals that 81 percent of shoppers remain at least somewhat concerned about racking up big bills.

Fifty-eight percent of those surveyed in our nationally representative poll plan to splurge less on gifts than they did last year (by comparison, only 5 percent said they intend to splurge more than they did in 2011), while 31 will be eying more practical presents this season (vs. 9 percent who say they'll go the opposite way). Charities are taking a hit, too. Nineteen percent say they'll donate less to the needy compared to 13 percent who expect to give more this year.

With roughly three weeks until Christmas, 36 percent of gift givers51.7 million Americanshadn't begun shopping. In fact, most people most people weren't halfway done. By the time they're finished, the median amount spent on gifts will be $483. To date, 28 percent of shoppers say they've found the best deals online, 26 cited mass merchants such as Walmart and Target as the source of the best bargains, while 14 percent identified department stores for superior savings. Ironically, only 9 and 7 percent, respectively, said they found the best deals at warehouse clubs (Costco and Sam's), and outlet stores, which have a reputation for low prices.

Most shoppers rely on newspaper ads to sniff out deals; 38 percent look at promotional flyers and circulars, 36 percent listen to TV and radio ads; and 29 percent keep an eye open for e-mail promotions. Though they receive plenty of publicity, relatively few people get alerted to holiday bargains via coupon sites such as Groupon (15 percent) and Facebook (11 percent).

When asked "how concerned are you about limiting expenses this holiday season," 51 percent answered "somewhat," 30 percent said "very." To keep from going overboard, those surveyed offered a range of responses: Fifty-five percent said they will give cheaper gifts; 46 percent said they'll be more aggressive at seeking out sales and discount coupons; 38 percent said they will chop names off their gift list entirely. Other tactics: Agreeing to more limited gift-giving options with family or friends (29 percent), purchasing exclusively from websites that offer free shipping (23 percent), replace store-bought gifts with homemade ones (21 percent), cut back on holiday travel (19 percent), and send fewer holiday greeting cards (16 percent).

Despite the concerns, most Americans are reveling in the season. Sixty-four percent of respondents are enjoying or "really" enjoying the holidays. And compared to last year, most people indicated they'd like to take things a little easier. For example, a larger percentage of people said they'd prefer to travel less to holiday destinations, go to fewer parties, spend more time with family and friends, and set aside a little more "me" time to relax.

For your own holiday shopping needs, check out our list of 25 recommended products that anyone would love, plus our full holiday gift guide for 2012.

Previously:
One-third of shoppers to hit the malls or keyboard on Black Friday

Tod Marks