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11 websites that make the things you love more affordable
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Americans aren't saving for retirement because they don't have enough money. These 11 websites will help you spend less on clothing, learning and leisure activities. - photo by Herb Scribner
Almost one-third of Americans arent saving for retirement, according to a 2014 survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

But thats not to say Americans dont want to save. USA Today reported this week that Americans have the desire to save money but dont feel as though they make enough to actually afford putting money away.

Its also a matter of American culture, where Americans feel safe not saving for retirement since they know there are welfare programs to keep them afloat, USA Today reported.

"Life is pretty stable here, and we have basic safety nets in place, Charles Sizemore, chief investment officer at Sizemore Capital Management, told USA Today. The countries with the highest savings rates tend to have little or no safety nets, and people are forced to fend for themselves in old age. So in a lot of ways, our success and stability have made us a little lax in our attitudes toward saving.

Experts told USA Today that one of the best ways Americans can begin to save for retirement, though, is to cut back on expenses and start putting money away sooner rather than later.

But that's easier said than done. To help, here are 11 websites that offer affordable ways to save money for learning, shopping and leisure activities that could give you the room to start saving for retirement.

Memrise.com

This free websites gives users access to more than 300,000 foreign language courses.

Coursera.org

Want to advance your career? Coursera.org can help you do just that. The website offers free versions of college courses from across the world.

Songza.com

Songza is a free website that offers users a chance to hear any song of any genre from any decade depending on your mood.

Pixlr.com

Adobe Photoshop costs a pretty penny ($240), which can put your desires to edit photos to a halt if you're looking to save. Luckily, Pixlr offers an easy-to-use and free version of the photo editor, with many of the same capabilities.

Codeacademy.com

Learning how to code can certainly help boost your resume. Check out codeacademy.com for some easy instructions and tutorials.

Thredup.com

ThredUP makes it easy to be fashionable at affordable prices. The online consignment shop offers moderately priced clothing for both women and children.

Paperbackswap.com

Book trading has made its way online with Paperback Swap. The website allows users to trade their books with other users in exchange for a new book of their own.

Swapadvd.com

If books arent your thing, Swap a DVD offers users a chance to exchange DVDs with each other.

Freeprintable.com

Cards, calendars and invitations can get expensive. But freeprintable.com offers users these printable items all for free.

Freecycle.org

Need something for your home but dont feel like shelling out the money for it? With Freecycle, you can check your local community to see if someones selling what you need.

Yapta.com

Airline prices can get sky high. Luckily, yapta.com lets you know when those prices go down and where the best deals are for airfare and hotels.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.