As Eddie Sheridan prepares to return to school to get a degree in nursing, he’s doing more than just taking the prerequisite classes: The 31-year-old resident of Gainesville, Florida, is also working to pay off his credit card debt.
“I’m trying to get everything in order now, to pay off as much debt as possible,” he says, before he takes on new student loans.
With interest rates rising, credit card debt is getting more expensive, making now a good time to pay it off even if you don’t have student loans on the horizon.
That’s not an easy feat in the middle of the holiday spending season, but it is possible. Here are tips from debt experts on just how to do it.
First, set your budget
Marcus Garrett, co-host of the “Paychecks and Balances” podcast, says he built up credit card debt in college and finally made a budget at age 27. That spending plan allowed him to get serious about paying it off.
“I just needed to be more responsible,” says Garrett, who is now 36 and lives in Austin, Texas.
Eric Tyson, author of “Personal Finance for Dummies,” recommends starting by looking closely at monthly spending. “A lot of people don’t have a good handle on that,” he says. Once you see how much money is going toward expenses like dining out or buying clothes, it can be easier to trim, he says.
Then, negotiate your way to lower payments
One way to lower your monthly credit card payments, Sheridan says, is to try to negotiate with your card issuer to lower the interest rate on your card. He says that move has been successful for him.
“You just have to be assertive and polite,” he says. If he doesn’t get the answer he wants from his card issuer, then he doesn’t hesitate to take his business elsewhere.
“Customers do have power; the banking industry is very competitive,” he adds.
If that doesn’t work, shop for a new credit card
Sheridan also uses balance transfer cards to pay off his debt. He moves his existing balances to cards with an introductory 0% APR period, which typically lasts 12 to 18 months, and then tries to pay off the balance before that rate expires.
These types of offers typically require good to excellent credit.
Check the long-term interest rate
Kristin Wong, author of “Get Money: Live the Life You Want, Not Just the Life You Can Afford,” says that while balance transfer cards can work out well as long as you pay off the balance before the introductory offer expires and make every minimum payment each month, it can create even more debt if you still have a balance after that period.
“If you don’t pay off the balance within a certain time frame, you can be hit with a crazy high interest rate, which will defeat the purpose of the transfer or even end up costing you more,” she warns.
How effective are home remedies for treating yeast infections?
Garlic cloves and yogurt are some of the most discussed natural remedies for yeast infections.Thinkstock (2)
Yeast infections (vulvovaginal candidiasis) are the most common type of vaginal infection after bacterial vaginosis, according to a report published in the journal The Lancet. (1)X
Vaginal yeast infections are the result of an overgrowth of the fungus Candida albicans, and less frequently other Candida species, such as C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis, and C. krusei.
Treating yeast infections typically requires killing the fungi with antifungal drugs called azoles, which can be purchased by prescription or over the counter (OTC). These include:
Despite the effectiveness of prescription and OTC medication for yeast infections, some people prefer to treat their ailments with natural or home remedies.
For yeast infections, purported natural therapies include:
Yogurt and probiotics
Boric acid
Garlic
Tea tree oil
Douching (especially with vinegar)
Though some positive anecdotal reports can be found on the internet, most natural remedies for yeast infections are not (yet) supported by rigorous clinical studies. (5)
Yogurt, Probiotics, and ‘Good’ Bacteria for Yeast Infection
The vagina is home to numerous beneficial microbes, which keep pathogenic (disease-causing) microbes, including Candida, in check.
The yeasts grow out of control when something — such as antibiotics, hormones, pregnancy, or health issues, like diabetes and HIV or AIDS — disrupts that delicate balance.X
Because of this fact, one of the most common natural remedies for yeast infections has long involved restoring the vagina’s population of friendly bacteria, especially Lactobacillus acidophilus, by using yogurt or probiotics.
Overall, despite a host of research on the topic, the evidence for consuming healthy bacteria to treat or prevent yeast infections is inconsistent, at best.
An early report in 1992 found that daily ingestion of yogurt containing L. acidophilusdecreases candidal colonization and infection. (6) Another study published in 2010 found that probiotics taken after conventional treatment of vaginal yeast infections may lead to “somewhat fewer recurrences” of the infection. (7)
But numerous reviews have found that most clinical trials on the subject had methodological issues, making it difficult to draw reliable conclusions. (8)
For instance, a review published in the Journal of Chemotherapy found that Lactobacillus strains can help treat bacterial vaginosis, but the bacteria have no clear benefit for yeast infections. (9)
A review published in November 2017 in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews found that there may be some evidence showing that probiotics can help cure yeast infections, compared with conventional treatments. But the authors had very little confidence in this conclusion given that the quality of the evidence was low or very low. (10)
Either way, regular ingestion of beneficial bacteria poses very little harm, so you can try the remedies without worry (though it may be a waste of money). (8)
Probiotic Combination Therapies for Yeast Infections
While taking probiotics in lieu of antifungal medication is not yet supported by science, some other research suggests that women with vaginal yeast infections may benefit from probiotic combination therapies.
For instance, a prospective study published in July 2012 in the journal Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics found that a mixture of bee honey and yogurt applied to the vagina may help cure yeast infections in pregnant women. (11)
Similarly, a study published in November 2015 in the Global Journal of Health Sciencefound that a vaginal cream of honey and yogurt was comparable in efficacy with clotrimazole vaginal cream for yeast infections. (12)
Additionally, a clinical trial found that a certain probiotic capsule, when combined with conventional antifungal medication, can help provide a long-term cure against recurrent yeast infections. (13)
Still, more research is needed to fully reveal the benefits of these alternative therapies.
Boric Acid for Treating Yeast Infections
Research shows that boric acid suppository capsules appear to be very effective against yeast infections, particularly those caused by non-albicans species.
An early study found that boric acid suppositories, when taken nightly for 7 to 10 days, have up to a 92 percent cure rate. (14)
More recently, a 2007 article in the journal Diabetes Care found that boric acid vaginal suppositories were more effective against C. glabrata infections in diabetic women (diabetes is a risk factor for yeast infections) than an oral azole medication. (15)
And a later review in the Journal of Women’s Health found that it’s a safe alternative to azole medication for the treatment of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (four or more infections in a single year) caused by non-albicans Candida.
But boric acid can occasionally cause vaginal burning, is toxic when swallowed, and shouldn’t be used frequently or when pregnant. (16)
Other Home Remedies and DIY Approaches For Yeast Infections
Garlic and tea tree oil are also popular natural remedies for vaginal yeast infections.
Numerous studies have shown that garlic has antifungal properties. But when taken orally, garlic has no effect on vaginal Candida counts, according to a study published in the journal BJOG. (17)
Some women promote placing garlic cloves in the vagina at night — while this treatment is unlikely to cause any major damage (besides, possibly, allergic reactions and chemical burns), there’s no scientific evidence to show it works.
To fight yeast infections, some women suggest applying diluted tea tree oil to the vagina using an applicator-type tampon.
While tea tree oils are effective against various Candida species in both laboratory and rat studies, clinical (human) trials are lacking. (5, 18)
Douching and yeast infections don’t mix. The cleansing may actually help promote yeast infections by removing healthy bacteria from the vagina. And if you already have an infection, douching may spread it to the cervix and into the uterus.
Douching with vinegar may be doubly bad because of the potential damage the liquid can cause to the vaginal walls. (19)
You can find numerous other natural remedies for yeast infections online, including coconut oil, pomegranate gel, and echinacea purpurea liquid.
But before trying any alternative treatments, it’s best to check with your doctor.
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