Thrifty Thinking: How to keep your 2019 financial New Year’s resolutions

Total household debt in the United States rose to $13.29 trillion in the second quarter of 2018, the 16th straight quarter that debt has increased. Meanwhile, excessive debt is among financial factors implicated in greater stress and health problems.

While the percentage of Americans making financial resolutions has dropped to an all-time low, 58 percent of those who made them reported they were in better financial shape, according to the Ninth Annual Fidelity Investments^® New Year Financial Resolutions Study. That’s a good reason not to give up on making resolutions, Pamela says.

“Studies show that people who make resolutions are 10 times more likely to achieve their goals than people who don't,” she notes.

Here are Pamela's 6 keys to help you keep your financial resolutions:

1. Understand that real, permanent change is usually driven by your own desire, rather than outside pressure.
2. Enlist allies to help you stay on track. An ally – whether a professional for hire, a friend, or other mentor – can help you reinforce your commitment.
3. Set incentives and consequences. Websites such as www.stickk.comallow you to give yourself incentives for sticking to your commitments and set up penalties for breaking them. When you make your commitment binding, you increase your chances of success. Plus it’s fun to reward yourself when you reach a goal!
4. Don't set yourself up for failure by insisting on an all-or-nothing change. This is one of the main reasons people fail at keeping New Year’s resolutions or achieving other goals. Don’t fall victim to the voice in your head that says “You blew it.”
5. Remind yourself of your goals. “Sometimes all it takes to stay on track is to pause and consider whether what you about to buy is more important than your goal. One of my favorite ways to do this is to wrap my charge cards in a picture or a few words describing my goals. Every time I take out a credit card, I’m reminded of why I am saving.”
6. Skip the pity party when you fall short. Most successful New Year's goal-setters faltered for five consecutive years or even more before they ever succeeded, Pamela notes. Those who rebound the fastest are the ones who set aside emotional thinking and formulate a plan to get back on track.

“When you fall short, don’t beat yourself up. Instead, learn from your mistakes, and go right back to working toward your goal,” Pamela says.

About the Author:  Pamela Yellen is founder of Bank On Yourself, a financial investigator, and the author of two New York Times best-selling books, including her latest, "The Bank On Yourself Revolution: Fire Your Banker, Bypass Wall Street, and Take Control of Your Own Financial Future." Pamela investigated more than 450 financial strategies seeking an alternative to the risk and volatility of stocks and other investments, which led her to a time-tested, predictable method of growing wealth now used by more than 500,000 Americans.

Shopping Savings: Orivet Genetic Pet Care

Orivet, a worldwide leader in pet DNA testing and personalized veterinary medicine, is helping holiday shoppers save money and find the perfect gift for their pet or pet owner on their shopping list with new discount codes announced on Wednesday.

Holiday shoppers can save while picking out the perfect gift for nearly any pet, pet owner or breeder and give the gift of DNA insights for breed identification, DNA health screens andPersonalized Life Plans^TM.  

Holiday shoppers visiting Orivet’s online store can enter the code HappyPet19 until the end of 2018 to earn $54.95 off the purchase price of Orivet’s dog Breed Identification DNA Test + Life Plan^TM and will also receive a free Tap Tag smart ID. Shoppers using the code can also save $50.90 towards the purchase of Orivet’s dog DNA Health Screen + Life Plan^TM, which also includes a free Tap Tag device.

Additionally, shoppers can save on Orivet products specifically designed for pet breeders. Until Mar. 30 shoppers using the code BreedHealth19 will receive $88.45 off the price of Orivet’s Purebred Full Breed Profile^TM, which includes breed-specific disease screening and color + trait analysis from Orivet’s extensive list of over 170 genetic tests, as well as free Tap Tag. 

Orivet will offer additional holiday discounts through its Amazon store. Amazon specific discount codes and product bundles can be found on Orivet’s Amazon store.

In addition to discounted prices, the purchase of select products includes a free Tap Tag.Tap Tag is a unique, Near-Field Communication (NFC) chip and QR code identification tag that attaches easily to a pet’s existing collar. The device is capable of notifying pet owners of their missing pet’s location when it is scanned by any smartphone and can prompt the scanning device of a pet owners contact information or the pet’s medical needs.  

Orivet offers comprehensive genetic screening for both dogs and cats through a simple non-invasive mouth swab that can be used right in a pet’s home. Once a pet’s DNA sample has been evaluated by Orivet, pet owners can check their results easily via a personalized online dashboard.

Orivet’s products are available in the U.S. and more than 40 countries worldwide. To learn more about Orivet and its services or request a free DNA collection kit, please visitwww.orivet.com.

About Orivet Genetic Pet Care

Orivet Genetic Pet Care is a leading personalized-medicine organization offering innovative health care solutions for veterinarians and pet owners. The organization was founded in 2010, on the premise that each and every pet is unique, with its own set of specific traits, behaviors, genetic health needs and inherent risks. Orivet works with veterinarians, pet owners and responsible pet breeders to provide practical, evidence-based platforms focused on identifying risk and improving clinical outcomes.  

Consumer Critique: Constellations Game

I love science and I love board games, so I was thrilled when I got to see a copy of Constellations - The Game of Stargazing and The Night Sky by Xtronaut Enterprises. I have fond memories of stargazing with my father and I also enjoy stargazing with my husband. My daughters also love science and my older one especially is enthralled by the night sky and the myths behind the constellations.

This game was fun. It's appropriate for players age seven and up. Younger players might get bored more quickly, but the game is enjoyable even for older kids and adults. It's a fun way to learn about the night sky, and about the stories behind the stars. Even though as a family we knew much of the information, the game is still a good family game.

Xtronaut also makes Xtronaut: The Game of Solar System Exploration (another game that looks like fun, although I didn't get to review). They're launching a Kickstarter for their newest game, Downlink: The Game of Planetary Discovery which also really looks intriguing. It's geared a little more for older kids and adults, but definitely looks like something I'd enjoy bringing to our monthly game nights. Check out the Kickstarter to learn more!

Consumer Critique: Create Art Like a Pro with Books from Walter Foster

Art books are awesome. They're great to give as gifts because they'll keep on giving all year long, whenever the recipients create art. I recently had the chance to review two books from Walter Foster, each one with a very different technique, and each one that's a great gift for the artists you know.

The titles in Walter Foster’s How to Draw & Paint series are designed for beginners, with introductions to basic tools and materials and step-by-step tips on many different techniques. The series is divided into a variety of different subjects, including color theory, texture, and much more.

I had a chance to review Drawing: Basic Textures in Pencil. This was a perfect gift for my daughter, who loves to doodle and draw, and is never far from pencil and paper. With just those two tools and the techniques highlighted in this book, her drawings go from simple little line drawings to amazing-looking creations that incorporate shading and textures to bring the drawings to life. I think it's great for beginners and intermediate artists - my daughter has been exploring art for a long time but she still found a lot to learn from this book.

The Complete Book of Mixed Media Art was another great one to review. This is an art form my daughter hasn't explored much, so I didn't know if this would be a little overwhelming for her, but instead it was very inspiring. It includes some specific art projects, as well as lots and lots of examples, creative exercises to help inspire the artist who's stuck, and hundreds of photos. This book is great for those who have dabbled in mixed media or who have never tried it before.

Walter Foster Publishing has many more great art books - books on nearly every topic, so if you know someone who's into art but not drawing or mixed media, you're sure to find another guide to help inspire their creativity!

Consumer Critique: Vitamin Paste

Every time we brush our teeth, we ingest a small amount of the toothpaste, even though we spit most of it out. The creators of vitaminpaste want to utilize that act of tooth brushing to help kids (or adults) get an extra dose of essential vitamins.

I had a chance to try out the kids version in bubble gum flavor. Each time kids brush, if used as directed, they'll get about half of vitamins D, E, B3, B5, and B6. the toothpaste has a decent bubble gum taste (I'm used to mint and so are my kids, but they don't have a problem with a different flavor. Like all toothpastes, it fights tooth decay and plaque. It's also fluoride-free, for parents who are concerned about fluoride overuse. It contains no SLS and is safe to swallow - so it's a good option for young brushers.

You are supposed to use a larger amount than other toothpastes - instead of minimizing ingestion with a small amount, a large amount helps provide more vitamin absorption, so that does take a little bit of getting used to. You can find Vitaminpaste at their website, or at a variety of retailers including Bed Bath & Beyond.

Thrifty Thinking: Trimming Your Holiday Budget

With the holiday season now in full swing, consumers say they are flocking online to buy everything from holiday gifts to groceries, according to a holiday survey⁽¹⁾ by Quotient Technology Inc. and its popular savings app, Coupons.com. More than 27% of those surveyed said they plan to buy groceries online for their holiday dinners, with 63% saying they plan to shop online or mostly online for holiday gifts.

And what’s causing the most anxiety this holiday season? The thought of spending too much money.

As people plan to buy their groceries online for delivery or picking up at the store, saving money is definitely top of mind. Per Quotient’s holiday survey, 74% said they will use digital coupons when buying groceries online, compared to 17% who said they won’t use coupons and 9% who plan to use paper coupons. When asked why they use digital coupons for groceries, 69% said, “digital makes it so easy to save.”

While the holiday season is a time of joy, it can also come with stress. Spending too much money (38%) is the number one cause of holiday anxiety, according to Quotient’s holiday survey, followed by shopping for the perfect gifts (20%), planning, shopping and cooking holiday dinners (16%), and then socializing with family and friends (14%).

Convenience (34%) was the number one reason to shop online, followed by 20% who believe they find the best gifts both online and in-store, and 15% who said there are more choices online. For in-store shoppers,16% enjoy the fun of shopping in-store, and 15% want to touch and feel the products.

Other holiday findings:

Who will shoppers spend the least amount of money to buy a holiday gift?

• More than 16% will spend the least on their friends, and 14% will spend the least on their significant others, brothers and sisters, and co-workers (which all tied for second).

When do shoppers think the best deals are for holiday gifts?

• While most respondents cited Black Friday and Cyber Monday as the best days for deals, 27% said smart shopping wins out as a way to get great deals on holiday gifts year-round.

I had a chance to interview Jeanette Pavini. Coupons.com savings expert, to learn more about holiday budgeting.

How can people find the best deals and save money while shopping online?  

The internet is really the consumers best friend when it comes to saving money. There are a few things every consumer should do before making an online purchase.

1. Most people do a search to find the best price on the item they are looking for, but you should go a step further and compare what the shipping and return policy is. Always factor that into the bottom-line. 
2. Always look for a coupon code to save even more money! At the very least you can usually find free shipping. 
3. Often times if you abandon your cart, you will receive an email with an incentive to go back and buy the item. This just happened to me the other day.

How can people trim their budget during the holidays?

The best way to trim your budget comes down to 3 words: Have a Plan! You must look ahead to all the parties, gifts, trips and even increased heating bills. Write up all of your anticipated expenses and then start to trim. For example, running out to buy a bottle of wine on the way to a party can cost you. If you know you have 3 parties to attend, look at what is on ad at your local grocery store and stock up. If you are going to be traveling, compare leaving out of or flying into other local airports. You would be amazed at the savings. 

Groceries are a big expense this time of the year. Plan your menu around what is on sale at your local grocery store and then find coupons to save even more.

Your smartphone can help! Just download apps like the coupons.com app and ink it to your grocery store loyalty card. Now when you are at checkout, not only will you get the store sales but the coupons will add to your savings. 

When it comes to gifts, how can people find quality gifts for people who mean a lot to them without breaking the bank? 

I am a big fan of giving a magazine subscription on an area of interest for family and friends. The topics are endless! You can find great magazines for under 10 bucks! And it’s the gift that will remind them of you when it arrives every month!

Giving a photo in a beautiful frame is still one of my favorite gifts to give. You can find great deals on frames and adding the photo gives it that personal touch.

If you are going to bake cookies or some other holiday treat, add the recipe to the package. This will add that personal touch. 

If you want to get a more expensive gift, such as electronics, find out if the store has any prior year models. Usually there are only minor changes from year to year, but you can save a significant amount of money. 

To start saving today and reduce holiday anxiety, download the Coupons.com app.

(1) Quotient Technology online holiday shopping survey using Survey Monkey with 555 respondents, aged 18 – 44, throughout the United States.

About Quotient Technology Inc.

Quotient Technology Inc. (NYSE: QUOT) is the leading digital promotions, media and analytics company using proprietary data to deliver personalized digital coupons and ads to millions of shoppers daily. Our core platform, Quotient Retailer iQ™, connects to a retailer’s point-of-sale system and provides targeting and analytics for consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands and retailers. Our distribution network also includes our Coupons.com app and website, thousands of publishing partners and, in Europe , the Shopmium mobile app. We serve hundreds of CPGs, such as Clorox, Procter & Gamble, General Mills and Kellogg’s, and retailers like Albertsons Companies, CVS, Dollar General, Kroger and Walgreens. We operate Crisp Mobile, which creates mobile ads aimed at shoppers, and Ahalogy, a leading influencer marketing firm. Founded in 1998, Quotient is based in Mountain View, California, with offices across the U.S., in Bangalore, India; Paris and London. Learn more at Quotient.com, and follow us on Twitter @Quotient.

Quotient, the Quotient logo, Quotient Retailer iQ, Shopmium and Ahalogy are trademarks or registered trademarks of Quotient Technology Inc. and its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Website Spotlight: Visor Tax Prep

Visor, the tech-enabled tax service that brings done-for-you taxes at do-it-yourself prices, today announced their Series A round of funding. The $9 million round was led by Defy with participation from Unusual Ventures, SVB Capital as well as existing investors.

The tax code is complicated, with the average taxpayer spending 13 hours each year dealing with taxes. The tax system favors those who can afford to pay for experienced tax professionals. Visor is on a mission to democratize the industry and make sure that everyone is able to benefit from professional tax advisors.

Visor is done-for-you taxes at a DIY price, making full-service tax preparation affordable to everyone by combining in-house tax advisors with scalable technology. Visor’s technology streamlines the tax preparation processes, allowing Visor to offer tax returns starting at $99.

Visor specializes on clients who have recently gone through life and financial events like moving, switching jobs, getting married, buying a home and many more. Since all of these events impact taxes many people get stuck when doing their taxes and are afraid that they make a mistake and leave money on the table. Having a tax advisor there to do the heavy lifting and help answer questions speeds up the process and saves consumers time, all for about the price of a DIY solution.

For the coming tax season Visor will be launching a mobile app to make it even more convenient to stay in touch with your advisor and file your taxes on the go and on time.

I had a chance to do an interview to learn more; these were the points they shared.

1. A CPA can help you find deductions that you didn't even know you had and do some tax planning, saving you money not just this year but in future years. When you use tax software much of the work you do is data entry. On top of this, there are places where you can get stuck where you have to do endless research, using search engines and reading tax article just to find out whether something is deductible. With Visor, we handle all of this, saving you time and money
2. Most walk in tax shops have their own training programs that require that you take something like a 6-12 week tax class. A CPA's deep knowledge of taxes will help them to do things like the planning mentioned above.
3. Higher level professionals can deal with any tax situation that may arise and handle things like tax planning. They can also give great advice on things like retirement saving and it's tax implications (401k vs IRA vs Roth IRA, etc), something that I wouldn't personally trust to a person that has just taken a few tax classes (I say this having taken that tax class and been a preparer at the biggest "walk-in" tax company [off the record])
4. Visor builds technology for our CPAs that optimizes their workflow, making our CPAs and EA more efficient and passing the savings on to you. We also have an app coming out before this upcoming tax season that makes it even easier for you to chat with your tax pro, schedule a call and upload your documents.

About Visor:

Visor is the leading the tech-enabled tax service that brings done-for-you taxes at do-it-yourself prices. Founded in 2016, the San Francisco-based company is on a mission is to democratize access to premium tax expertise, helping the next generation reach its financial goals. In addition to preparing your annual return, Visor optimizes your finances by providing year-round tax advice at a flat fee. For additional information please visit: https://www.visor.com/

About Defy

Founded in 2016, Defy is a new venture firm exclusively focused on early Series A, an underserved part of the venture landscape. The firm launched in 2017 after closing its first fund of $151 million. Defy was co-founded by long-term venture capitalists Neil Sequeira and Trae Vassallo, with a goal to invest in entrepreneurs and companies looking to solve complex problems. Defy's focus is to help companies, after seed funding, mature and scale into companies ready for growth capital. The firm's founding team has more than 40 years experience in helping successful entrepreneurs grow companies like The Honest Company, Nest, Elemental, Dropcam and more. For additional information, please visit http://defy.vc./ Follow Defy @defyvc on Twitter.

Basepaws - Feline-Specific Genetic Testing

Basepaws, an at-home, feline-specific genetic test allows you to learn about breed and ancestry markers that are present in your cats DNA explaining the physical traits are in your cat’s genes. So if you’ve ever wondered where your cat gets the extra fluffiness in his or her tail, now you can find out! Using what we currently know, Basepaws  can tell you how closely related your cat is to select cat breeds and wildcats. Launching in 2019 Basepaws will also be able to let any possible health and wellness risks that may be present in your cat’s DNA.

To send Basepaws the sample, you collect hair from your feline or use a mouth swab for cats without hair. After mailing the sample in you can expect results in 2 to 4 months. Once you are part of the Basepaws family, your cat will receive a lifetime of benefits. This includes report updates, personalized recommendations, membership in the Basepaws community, access to the latest research on cat science, tools to connect owners of similar cats, and discounts on future products that will be specifically formulated for your cat’s genetic needs.

As a pet owner, you want to know as much information as possible about any potential health risks for your beloved cat. With knowledge from your cat’s genetics, you can make more informed decisions about their health-care needs earlier—possibly mitigating or even preventing illness down the road.

I had a chance to do an interview with Anna Skaya, CEO & Founder to learn more.

1. Why was Basepaws created?

Basepaws came to be two years ago. The idea was actually born because of the recent boom in personalized medicine and DNA testing. Everyone seemed to be doing DNA tests, but the companion animal space was lagging behind.  I [Anna Skaya] did my DNA test all the way back in 2011 and I was blown away by the information available to me. When we started with the idea for Basepaws, we couldn’t believe there wasn’t a cat product in the market yet. I remember thinking that there must be a lot more applications for these powerful tools beyond humans. In a way, DNA testing of pets is even more important than it is for us humans. We understand our own selves. We can speak, we can run tests. Our pets cannot. They can’t tell us who they are, what they’ve been through, and what hurts them. Sometimes I find myself closer to my pets than to my humans and I want to know them even better.

2. What makes it such a great gift for cat lovers?

Cat DNA test makes for a purrfect gift for any cat lover for several reasons. First and foremost, Basepaws' test offers a novel and unique approach to cat DNA testing which reveals your pet's background and origins. Which domestic and wild cat breeds contributed to making your cat the most wonderful companion you could ever wish for? It's captivating to find out! Furthermore, revealing the cat's genetic makeup will give you an insight into their genetic health predispositions in the segment of our report called health index. Grasping this knowledge is a gift of an immeasurable value. And lastly, this is a gift that keeps on giving. With the thriving growth of our database, the reports are rapidly evolving. Early adopters are rewarded with a lifetime of free report updates. This means that if you gift the Basepaws test this year, you will be gifting yourself (or your loved) one for the lifetime.

3. What are the benefits of genetic testing for cats?

Genetic analysis allows an insight into so many different things. Right now, our report consists of breed and wildcat indexes. Within the following year we are planning to introduce Health, Traits and Wellness segments to the CatKit too. Learning about the breed composition can help cat owners learn if there are any breed-specific predispositions of their cat regarding health, behavior and personality. The upcoming Health index will discover cat's genetics influences to their risk for certain health conditions, or if their DNA is carrying a genetic disorder. We’re planning to cover numerous health markers including hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, polycystic kidney disease, factor XII deficiency, hemophilia B, hypothyroidism and polydactyly. If you find out that your cat is a carrier of a defect gene, you will be able to diagnose a disease early and, when possible, conduct preventive measurements. Additionally, you would be able to excluding your cat carrier from the breeding pool in efforts to prevent the passage of the defect to the offspring.

Beyond learning about your cat on a molecular level, by DNA testing your cat you are also contributing to the development of science of cats. Our aim is to build a database that will contain both genotype and phenotype information about as many cats as possible. The more data we have on our disposal, the more we can learn about the feline ancestry, evolution, lineage and health. We want to contribute to the discovery of unknown traits of our favorite pets, and in order to do this, we need a lot more information than the research world currently has on domestic cats. We need to discover as many variants as possible and make sense of these findings. Ideally, we would want every and each kitty’s voice to be heard. Every single piece of information we gather today will benefit all the cats’ futures tomorrow.

Michael W. Smith Nurturing Steps Gift Set

Multi-Platinum, three-time Grammy® Award winning artist and best-selling authorMichael W. Smith launched Nurturing Steps™ earlier this year, an infant and toddler series with the simple mission to enliven a child's journey with hope and faith through music and storytelling. In the spirit of this holiday season, Smith will be giving away the first two books in the series from Zonderkidz™ to brand new parents while they are still at the hospital and in newborn nurseries surrounding his annual Christmas tour.

Smith will also be offering the Nurturing Steps books for sale at venues surrounding his popular Christmas tour. With multiple sellout crowds expected, the 18-city tour launched Nov. 28 in Dallas and will travel to major markets across the U.S. All the latest tour dates, including ticket information, can be found at http://michaelwsmith.com/tour/.

Let’s Get Ready for Bed takes children on a journey through Sleepy Puppy’s bedtime routine. And when Sleepy Puppy turns out to be not-so-sleepy after all, his friends Eddie the bear and Lamby the sheep know just what to do to help him drift off to dreamland. Along with read-aloud rhymes and a cover that sparkles with glitter, Let’s Get Ready for Bed also includes an exclusive link to a lullaby by Smith. The song is meant to further help lull young children to sleep. In Nighty Night and Good Night, members of the Nighty Night band are further called upon to help their friend, Ben, as he tries to fall asleep. After bedtime prayers and some going-to-sleep rituals are done, a lullaby sung by the band of animals including Bear, Sleepy Puppy and Lamby finally does the trick. In time for the holidays, Nurturing Steps also offers theNighty Night and Good Night Gift Set that is available now at retailers everywhere. The set includes the bedtime bookNighty Night and Good Night, a CD of lullabies by Smith appropriately entitled Lullaby, and a plush rattle shaped like Lamby the sheep. For all the latest Nurturing Steps news, go to www.nurturingsteps.com. To connect with Michael W. Smith, go to www.michaelwsmith.com, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube andInstagram. About Michael W. Smith: Michael has been releasing new music regularly and performing around the world to sold-out crowds for the last 30+ years. During his storied career, he’s written 32 No. 1 singles, been honored with three Grammy Awards and 45 Dove Awards, was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and has sold more than 15 million albums. His most recent USA Today, Yahoo! Music and Billboard-acclaimed studio album A Million Lights and Parade, Good Morning America-featured live worship album Surrounded have together become his 30th and 31st Top 10 hits on Billboard’s Top Christian Albums chart, more than any other solo artist in history. He’s also given back to the global community. Michael has raised funds to battle AIDS in Africa; started Rocketown, a safe haven for young people in Tennessee to meet and find hope; and has helped more than 70,000 children through Compassion International. He has also written several best-selling books, includingOld Enough To Know and Friends Are Friends Forever. He and his wife, Debbie, have five children and live in Nashville. About Mike Nawrocki: Mike Nawrocki is co-creator of the popular series VeggieTales. Acting as the voice of Larry the Cucumber and several other VeggieTales characters, he also wrote and directed dozens of episodes including the brand’s two feature films: Jonah and The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything. He further created, wrote and directed most of the popular "Silly Songs with Larry" segments, including fan favorites "His Cheeseburger" and "The Hairbrush Song." In addition, he has authored many VeggieTales books and CD projects and is currently focused on developing new children's properties centered around fun characters, engaging storytelling and wholesome values. Nawrocki resides in Franklin, TN with his wife and two children. About Zonderkidz: Zonderkidz™, the children’s division of Zondervan, inspires young lives through imagination and innovation. As the leader in Christian children's communications, it creates products that awaken the hearts and touch the souls of kids under 14. Zonderkidz is also publisher of the NIrV (New International Reader’s Version) Bible translation, the third grade reading level edition of the NIV. For additional information, please visit www.zondervan.com.

Smart Safety: National Impaired Driving Month

Every day, millions of people use America's roadways to drive to and from work, school, and social events.

Every day, millions of Americans depend on these roadways being safe so they may arrive at their destination.

Every day, lives are needlessly lost and irreparably altered by crashes involving drugs or alcohol. 

Tragically, in 2017, more than 10,000 people died in alcohol-related crashes in the United States, accounting for 29 percent of all traffic fatalities. But it doesn't matter what substance is used - or whether you are high, drunk, or stoned - driving while impaired is illegal, and will have devastating consequences. 

During National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, the NHTSA will continue to raise public awareness about the dangers of impaired driving. By educating our communities on the importance of driving sober, we can help avoid the loss of life, debilitating injuries, and unbearable heartache. 

Every alcohol-related traffic death is 100 percent preventable, and every American has the ability to make responsible decisions and take measures to prevent impaired driving. 

NHTSA’s SaferRide app will help keep impaired drivers off our roads by allowing users to call a taxi or a friend and by identifying their location so they can be picked up.