Tag: Arizona

Most Fitness-Friendly Places for 2021

fitness friendly places for 2021

Though the COVID-19 crisis has resulted in widespread fitness center closures, many Americans still want to stay as healthy as possible. Depending on the level of services and equipment required, staying active can affect peopleâs budgets in a variety of ways. For now, virtual exercise classes and home gyms are the route most people are taking. Eventually, though, gyms will reopen at full capacity, and everyone will be able to reestablish his or her normal workout routine. When that happens, some places will be more conducive to jumping into a full-on fitness frenzy, and SmartAsset crunched the numbers to find where they are.

To locate the most fitness-friendly places for 2021, we compared 301 metropolitan areas across the following metrics: percentage of residents who walk or bike to work, fitness professionals per 10,000 workers, fitness establishments per 10,000 establishments, the percentage of restaurants that are fast-food establishments and the average wage of personal trainers. For details on our data sources and how we put all the information together to create our final rankings, check out the Data and Methodology section below.

This is SmartAssetâs seventh annual study on the most fitness-friendly places in the U.S. Read the previous version here.

Key Findings

Western and Midwestern metro areas populate the top. For the second straight year, cities in the Midwest and West dominate the top 10 of this list. Six metro areas are in the West and three are in the Midwest. Western metro areas do well in terms of fitness establishments per 10,000 establishments â all rank within the top 8% of study for this metric â and they also rank within the top 14% of the study for the percentage of residents who walk or bike to work. Only one metro area in the top 10 is not in either of these regions â Ithaca, New York.
Fitness-friendly cities are light on the drive-thrus. On average, across the 301 metro areas in our study, fast-food establishments represent 45% of all restaurants. Though fast food is popular, convenient and inexpensive, it tends to be relatively high in calories and low in nutritional value â making it tougher to be healthy if you eat a lot of it, regardless of your exercise levels. In the top 10 of this study, all but three metro areas have fewer than 40% of their restaurants serving fast food, so there is less temptation to go for an easy-but-unhealthy meal that can ruin all your hard work. The metro area with the lowest percentage of restaurants that are fast food is Wenatchee, Washington, where it is just 27%.

1. Missoula, MT

The Missoula, Montana metro area is the most fitness-friendly place in the U.S. for 2021. There are 131 fitness establishments â including places like gyms and sporting goods stores â per 10,000 total establishments in Missoula, the third-highest rate for this metric in the study. There are also plenty of fitness professionals living in Missoula, 59 per 10,000 workers, placing it sixth-best for this metric. Residents in Missoula also get plenty of exercise simply by walking or biking to work: 7.1% of residents choose to do so, the 17^th-highest rate for this metric across the 301 areas we studied.

2. La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN

The La Crosse, Wisconsin metro area, which also includes parts of Minnesota, has 130 fitness establishments for every 10,000 total establishments, the fourth-highest rate for this metric. The metro area finishes in the top quartile for three other metrics as well, ranking 28^th for fitness professionals per 10,000 workers (with 42), 33^rd for the percentage of residents who walk or bike to work (at 5.2%) and 64^th for the percentage of restaurants that are fast-food establishments (around 39%).

3. Bend, OR

The Bend, Oregon metro area cracks the top 10 for two of our metrics. It places fourth in terms of fitness professionals per 10,000 workers with 61, and seventh for fitness establishments per 10,0000 total establishments, at 116. Bend can be a bit pricey of a place to stay in shape, though. The average hourly wage of personal trainers is $18.72, placing Bend at 176^th out of 301 for this metric.

4. Ann Arbor, MI

There are 67 fitness professionals per 10,000 workers in the Ann Arbor, Michigan metro area, the second-highest rate for this metric of the 301 metro areas we analyzed. For their commutes, 7.4% of residents walk or bike to work, the 15^th-highest percentage in this study. There are also plenty of fitness establishments in the metro area if you prefer to work out in a dedicated space: At 112 per 10,000 residents, this is the 10^th-highest rate of the 301 places we analyzed.

5. Bloomington, IN

Folks in the Bloomington, Indiana metro area might have more of an opportunity to get a workout in during their commute, with 8.0% of residents walking or biking to work, the eighth-highest rate in the study for this metric. Bloomington has two other metrics for which it finishes in the top fifth of the 301 metro areas of the study â fitness establishments per 10,000 total establishments (ranking 48^th-highest, with 93) and average wage of personal trainers (ranking 49^th-lowest, which makes it cheaper for the consumer, at $14.53).

6. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

The metro area around Santa Cruz, California finishes ninth overall for its relatively low percentage of restaurants that specialize in fast food, at 33%. Santa Cruz also comes in 12^th for the percentage of residents who walk or bike to work, at 7.5%. If youâre looking for help getting in shape, though, itâll cost you. The average wage of a personal trainer in the area is a steep $20.59, ranking in the bottom third of this study.

7. Flagstaff, AZ

Flagstaff, Arizona has the third highest percentage of residents who walk or bike to work we saw in this study, at 11.5%. There are also 109 fitness establishments per 10,000 total establishments, the 14^th-highest rate we observed. Flagstaff is hurt, though, by its price: The average wage of a personal trainer in this metro area is $22.27, in the bottom sixth of this study.

8. Fort Collins, CO

Fort Collins is the first of two metro areas in Colorado to rank in the top 10 of this study, and it gets there on the strength of having 113 fitness establishments per 10,000 total establishments, ranking ninth of 301 metro areas for this metric. It also scores in the top 15% of the study for the percentage of residents who walk or bike to work (5.2%) and fitness professionals per 10,000 workers (46).

9. Boulder, CO

Boulder is the second Colorado metro area in the top 10, and it has two metrics for which it finishes in the top 15 out of 301 in the study overall. It comes in 11^th for fitness professionals per 10,000 workers, at 53, and 12^th for the percentage of residents who walk or bike to work, at 7.5%. Its final ranking is dragged down a bit due to its bottom-10 finish for the average hourly wage for personal trainers, at a pricey $27.25. However, it still ranks in the top 20 of the study for fitness establishments per 10,000 establishments, at 105.

10. Ithaca, NY

A whopping 14.5% of residents of Ithaca, New York walk or bike to work, the second-highest percentage in this study for this metric. Ithaca finishes eighth in terms of fitness establishments per 10,000 total establishments with 114. It is very expensive to get help with fitness in Ithaca, though. The average hourly wage for a personal trainer is $29.30, finishing third-worst out of 301 metro areas in this study for its high cost.

Data and Methodology

To find the most fitness-friendly places in the country for 2021, we examined data for 301 metro areas across the following five metrics:

Percentage of residents who walk or bike to work. Data comes from the Census Bureauâs 2019 1-year American Community Survey.
Concentration of fitness professionals. This is the number of fitness professionals per 10,000 workers. Our list of fitness professionals includes dietitians and nutritionists, recreational therapists, athletic trainers as well as fitness trainers and aerobics instructors. Data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment Statistics and is for May 2019.
Concentration of fitness establishments. This is the number of fitness establishments per 10,000 establishments. Our list of fitness establishments includes sporting goods stores and fitness and recreational sports centers. Data comes from the Census Bureauâs 2018 Metro Area Business Patterns Survey.
Concentration of fast-food restaurants. This is the percentage of restaurants that are limited-service establishments. Data comes from the Census Bureauâs 2018 Metro Area Business Patterns Survey.
Average hourly wage of personal trainers. Given the limited availability of direct data about the cost to consumers for personal training services, this metric acts as a proxy to indicate the relative affordability of hiring a personal trainer in a given metro area. Data comes from the BLS and is for May 2019.

First, we ranked each metro area in each metric. Then we found each placeâs average ranking, giving all metrics a full weight except for concentration of fast-food restaurants and average hourly wage of personal trainers, each of which received a half weight. Using this average ranking, we created our final score. The metro area with the highest average ranking received a score of 100, and the metro area with the lowest average ranking received a score of 0.

Tips for a Fit and Financially Secure Life

Find the right financial fit. No matter what your fitness goals are, financially you want to make sure you are secure, and a financial advisor can help. Finding the right financial advisor doesnât have to be hard. SmartAssetâs free tool matches you with financial advisors in your area in five minutes. If youâre ready to be matched with local advisors that will help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
Consider the health of your budget. If you live somewhere where fitness is expensive, make a budget so that you can work the price into your monthly spending.
Making bigger money moves? If youâre considering moving to one of the places we listed above, use SmartAssetâs tool to find out how much house you can afford before you make the big move.

Questions about our study? Contact [email protected].

Photo credit: Â©iStock.com/PeopleImages

The post Most Fitness-Friendly Places for 2021 appeared first on SmartAsset Blog.

Source: smartasset.com

By Leon Hoffman February 3, 2021. Banking, Checking Account Arizona, budget, california, Checking Account, Cities, COVID-19, Credit, employment, fast food, Financial Advisor, Financial Goals, Financial Wize, FinancialWize, fitness, fitness establishments, fitness friendly, fitness professionals, Home, Make, money, moving, savings, second, Spending, walk to work

February Class-Action Settlements Involve Godiva, Walmart and More

Consumers alleged FGF Brands bakes its naan in a conveyor-style, gas-heated oven even though the company claims the breads are baked in a tandoor oven, which is a clay oven that uses charcoal heat that produces smoky flavors.
If you purchased disposable contacts made by Alcon, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, CVI or Bausch & Lomb between June 1, 2013 and Dec. 4 ,2018, you may be eligible for compensation. However, Bausch & Lomb contact lenses bought through 1-800-Contacts after July 1, 2015 are not included in this settlement.
In October 2015, hackers accessed names, Social Security numbers, doctorsâ names, medical diagnoses, treatment plans and insurance information. Patients whose data was breached should have received a notice from the cancer treatment center in March 2016.

AmeriGas Propane Tanks

Source: thepennyhoarder.com
The exact cash payment per customer is not available and will depend upon the number of claims filed and the net settlement fund after attorneyâs fees, costs and other expenses are deducted.
The settlement money provided by ABB will be added to the claims made under previous settlements with contact lens manufacturers. The estimated amount that will be provided to each consumer is not available at this time.
Payment amounts will vary, but are estimated between and .

The Indirect Purchaser Settlement Class is made up of those who purchased AmeriGas or Blue Rhino propane tanks, other than a wholesale purchase directly from AmeriGas or Blue Rhino for resale, in Arizona, California, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah or West Virginia between Dec. 1, 2009 and Nov. 30, 2020.
The Direct Purchaser Settlement Class is made up of consumers nationwide who purchased one of the propane tanks directly from AmeriGas or Blue Rhino through a vending machine at retailers or other locations, or paid one of the companies directly through a vending machine to exchange a previously purchased propane tank, other than a wholesale purchase intended for resale.

Submit your valid claim by March 8, 2021.
If you did not submit a valid claim response to the 2016 notice, but you do qualify for this settlement, submit your claim by March 22, 2021.

ABB Optical Group LLC Contact Lenses

Consumers may receive .50 for each product purchased, but only five may be claimed without a receipt. With proof of purchase, consumers can claim an unlimited number of products.
Sometimes, you notice right away if you have been overcharged for an item. If you pick up a box of cereal marked .99 and see it listed at .22 on your receipt, that error is pretty easy to spot.
Eligible class members might have received a notice regarding a Godiva settlement in 2016 as the case was pending in U.S. District Court in Florida. The case was later refiled in Cook County, Illinois, so if you submitted a valid claim response to the 2016 notice, you do not need to file a new claim in order to receive a payment.
The lawsuit alleges FGF Brands used fraudulent and deceptive advertising to market its use of a tandoor oven. FGF Brands denies that it has violated any laws.
There are two settlement classes:

Synchrony Bank

Submit your valid claim by March 1, 2021.
Submit your valid claim by the May 10, 2021 deadline.
See if you qualify and submit your valid claim by March 10, 2021.
Check out this monthâs highlighted class-action settlement offers, some of which have taken years of litigation, to see if you can benefit.

Stonefire Naan Bread

Complete and submit your valid online claim form by April 1, 2021.
You may be eligible for a portion of a .9 million settlement from the maker of Stonefire Naan products, FGF Brands, if you bought their naan bread that was marketed as baked in a tandoor oven between Nov. 16, 2013 and Oct. 23, 2020.

Stonefire Original Naan
Stonefire Roasted Garlic Naan
Stonefire Whole Grain Naan
Stonefire Organic Original Naan
Stonefire Original Mini Naan
Stonefire Ancient Grain Mini Naan
Stonefire Naan Dippers

Potential awards are expected to be between and .
Submit your valid claim by Feb. 18, 2021.
Synchrony Bank allegedly violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) by calling individuals who did not have an account with the bank. These unsolicited calls were made by an automatic dialing system or artificial/pre-recorded voice, which is in violation of the TCPA unless the caller has prior written consent from the recipient.
If you bought any of these products within that time period, you may claim .50 for each item purchased:

21st Century Oncology

Customers who returned an item bought at Walmart or Samâs Club between July 17, 2015 and Nov. 25, 2020 may be eligible for part of a million settlement.
The complaint alleged Godiva receipts contained 10 digits, including the first six and the last four of the card numbers on its point-of-sale receipts.
AmeriGas and Blue Rhino allegedly agreed with each other to reduce the amount of propane in the pre-filled tanks they sold from 17 pounds to 15 pounds without reducing the price, according to court documents. The lawsuit accused the companies of colluding to reduce the amount of product in the propane tanks while keeping the cost the same in order to increase their profit margin by more than 13% per pound.
If you received a call from Synchrony Bank between June 1, 2016 and Oct. 19, 2020, you could receive a portion of a .9 million class-action settlement.

Two years of credit monitoring through Identity Guard.
Cash payments up to $40 for lost time without any documentation (two hours valued at $20 per hour.)
Cash payments of up to $260 for lost time with documentation (13 hours valued at $20 per hour.)
Cash payments of up to $10,000 for any fraud and out-of-pocket expenses incurred because of the data breach.

Walmart and Samâs Club were accused providing some customers with incomplete refunds by not including the sales tax paid on the original purchase.

Walmart, Samâs Club Sales Tax Refund

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
If you bought an AmeriGas or Blue Rhino pre-filled propane tank between Dec. 1, 2009 and Nov. 30, 2020, you could be eligible for a portion of a .5 million settlement.
Several forms of relief are available, including:
Consumers can claim a cash payment of for each tank when they provide proof of purchase along with a completed claim form. If no proof of purchase is submitted, the payment is .50 each for a maximum of 50 propane tanks.

Godiva Chocolatier

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) prohibits any more than the last five digits from appearing on such a receipt in order to protect consumers.
Several affected consumers filed lawsuits alleging 21st Century Oncology failed to take reasonable cybersecurity steps to protect personal data. 21st Century Oncology admitted to no wrongdoing, but agreed to the settlement to resolve the litigation.
You may be eligible to share in a .2 million settlement reached with contact lens distributor ABB Optical Group LLC over allegations of a conspiracy to increase the cost of contact lenses.
If you made a purchase at a Godiva Chocolatier retail store between April 6, 2013 and Nov. 20, 2015, you may be eligible to share in a .3 million class-action settlement.
AmeriGas admitted no wrongdoing but agreed to the settlement to end litigation. Even though consumers who bought either AmeriGas or Blue Rhino propane tanks may be affected by this settlement, it only resolves claims made regarding AmeriGas because the Blue Rhino case is ongoing.
If you are one of the 2.2 million patients whose personal information was accessed through a 2015 data breach of 21stCentury Oncology, you could be eligible for compensation from a .5 million class-action settlement.
The settlement benefits customers who made a debit or credit card purchase and received a point-of-sale receipt that displayed more than the last five digits of the card number.
The suit alleged contact lens manufacturers, independent optometrists and ABB agreed to âunilateral pricing policiesâ that prevented competition from online and discount contact lens retailers. This agreement purportedly began in June 2013.
In other cases, price discrepancies arenât so obvious, as seen in a new pre-filled propane tank class-action settlement offer.

By Leon Hoffman February 2, 2021. Apartment Life Arizona, california, Credit, Fees, Financial Wize, FinancialWize, freelancers, heat, Insurance, Make, Make Money, newsy, Original, Products, proof, protect, Purchase, Save Money

Homie & Girl Scouts Partner to Build Cookie Castle

As with many things in 2020, selling homes and cookies is being done differently; thatâs why weâve teamed up with the Girl Scouts-Cactus Pine Council in Arizona. In an effort to foster creativity, engineering, and entrepreneurial skills amongst the Girl Scouts weâve donated $15,000 to the foundation.

Similar to Homie, Girl Scouts encourages innovation and finding new ways of doing things. When Girl Scouts were forced to sell cookies indoors as a result of safety precautions due to the Coronavirus pandemic, we wanted to create something eye-catching and fun. The result â a cookie castle.

What is a Cookie Castle?

One local Girl Scout, Mija and her father are building a 9-foot by 9-foot by 13-foot tall castle mostly out of Girl Scout cookie boxes. This will be the focal point to the Cactus Pine Councilâs cookie selling space located at The Shops at Norterra in Phoenix beginning on February 7th.

Girl Scout Mija with her father in front of the cookie castle

Why Partner?

âAt Homie, we applaud innovation and embrace making smart, creative changes which is why we wanted to support and encourage the Girl Scouts-Cactus Pine Councilâs cookie selling efforts this year,â said Joshua Miller, General Manager at Homie Arizona. âWhen we learned they were forced to shift gears we wanted to support the fundraising efforts and life skills by aiding in the building of the cookie castle.â

The annual cookies sale is a major fundraiser for Girl Scouts in Arizona, supporting opportunities for girls to learn, grow, and enjoy new experiences. The Cactus Pine Councilâs goal is to sell 2.1 million packages of cookies this year.

How Can I Help?

1. Visit the cookie castle – The public can purchase cookies and view the cookie castle every Sunday in February, beginning on February 7th at The Shops at Norterra.

2. Purchase Girl Scout Cookies – Not located in Phoenix? Find cookies by visiting gscookiefinder.com.

Homie is committed to serving and giving back to our local communities. You can also support the Girl Scouts and other meaningful foundations by buying or selling with Homie.

The post Homie & Girl Scouts Partner to Build Cookie Castle appeared first on Homie Blog.

Source: homie.com

By Leon Hoffman January 19, 2021. Starting A Family Arizona, Coronavirus, Financial Wize, FinancialWize, Homie Helps, Purchase

Tag: Arizona

Most Fitness-Friendly Places for 2021

February Class-Action Settlements Involve Godiva, Walmart and More

AmeriGas Propane Tanks

ABB Optical Group LLC Contact Lenses

Synchrony Bank

Stonefire Naan Bread

21st Century Oncology

Walmart, Samâs Club Sales Tax Refund

Godiva Chocolatier

Homie & Girl Scouts Partner to Build Cookie Castle

What is a Cookie Castle?

Why Partner?

How Can I Help?

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AmeriGas Propane Tanks

ABB Optical Group LLC Contact Lenses

Synchrony Bank

Stonefire Naan Bread

21st Century Oncology

Walmart, Samâs Club Sales Tax Refund

Godiva Chocolatier

What is a Cookie Castle?

Why Partner?

How Can I Help?

Walmart, Samâs Club Sales Tax Refund