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Friday, October 29, 2021

The Home Office Implements Worth Spending On

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Any money hip mama will be able to tell you that good financial management doesn’t always mean saving money at any cost. While saving and budgeting is an important part of our day to day financial management, often, knowing what to spend on is just as important as knowing how to discipline our spending in the first place.


After all, we have to spend money sooner or later. Amassing a pool of money for no good reason would be purposeless, what matters is stretching our dollar, or being able to assign it to the things that actually matter rather than frivolous spends or low-quality goods. Often, this means that buying more expensive, higher-quality goods is key. For instance, it’s best to spend $200 on a great pair of boots that can be repaired and kept for over a decade, than a $30 pair of boots you have to purchase anew every seven to eight months.


In this post, we’ll discuss how this principle translates to your home office, the place where you ironically supplement and aid your earnings:


Ergonomic Furniture


Ergonomic furniture can make all the difference regarding how comfortably you can sit, how supported your lumbar is, and how alert you feel. It will also help set a positive upright posture, which is key and can totally prevent the tendency to slouch ahead of time. Ergonomic furniture, in this sense, and over time, can contribute to preventing health issues perhaps more than any other office implement. It’s worth spending on an expensive chair now, with all the features, than suffering down the line and having to replace your cheaper model continually.


Ergonomic Peripherals


Ergonomic peripherals mean plenty of how comfortable you can type, click, and look at the screen over time. This is especially true of ergo keyboards, that fit to your natural wrist position, can help you type without having to overly stretch your fingers, as well as giving you the chance to relax and use the natural movement of your body when interacting with your home terminal, rather than having to conform to poorly made peripherals that could signify a future repetitive strain injury or worse. For such a worthwhile outcome, these tools are absolutely worth your investment.


Multi-Monitors


Multi-monitors can make a major difference in your screen real estate, be that how you hold documents, where you place your chat apps, and how you viisualize your online work or website. This might seem like a luxury buy, but two relatively cheap 1080p, 24 to 27 inch monitors can be quite cheap in the market of today, and will truly help you become more productive while multi-tasking and keeping up with your daily tasks. A little investment in working comfort and ease, like this, can help your home office feel more conducive to productivity than anything else.


With this advice, you’re sure to notice and apply the home office implements truly worth spending on.


Tuesday, October 26, 2021

4 Times Spending Money Will Save You Money

 

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While frugality is something to live by, especially if you’re concerned with saving as much as possible as quickly as possible, there are some areas where spending money is vital if you want to save in the long run. These expenses can range from fun to health to necessity, and while you can still search for the best deals, it’s always better to invest rather than go without. So, what areas should you always spend a little more if you want to save a lot? 


Getting Insurance 


You’re likely sick and tired of hearing all about the importance of insurance, but it’s such a vital part of life, security, and travel that it cannot be ignored. Whether it’s home insurance, buyers' insurance, or the different types of travel insurance for specific trips, you should always purchase policies that will ensure financial protection. While the chances of something going wrong are slim, these services exist for a reason, and they will ensure you feel more confident and comfortable whatever you’re doing. You don’t want to spend hundreds replacing your TV because you didn’t get house insurance. You don’t want to pay a lot in medical bills because you’re not insured on vacation. 


Being Comfortable 


Whether it’s the boots you wear to work or the mattress you sleep on, you cannot put a price 0on comfort. However, too many people believe that being comfortable is a luxury. They will moan and groan about a bad back or blisters, but still refuse to make changes. Most of the time, comfort equals quality. It also ensures better materials and therefore more durability. If you make a single expensive purchase once, you can consider yourself covered for the next ten years. If you opt for cheap imitations, you’ll have a bad time and need to spend again and again to replace items that have degraded too soon. 


Dealing With Emergencies 


Emergencies rarely occur, but this doesn’t mean they will never happen. You might not know what to do in an emergency, which is why you should have phone numbers for the right services on hand to solve them as quickly as possible. These emergencies could be mosquito control after an infestation, a burst pipe that has soaked your entire downstairs, or problems with your car. You might want to solve this yourself, but this is not the best idea. So give a professional a call as soon as possible to solve your problems. 


Asking For Assured Advice 


Some advice is garbage, but there are some areas where you can purchase advice from a qualified and experienced professional. For many, these could be resources that boost your savings, while consultants and inspections for home improvements are also worth the expense. You don’t want to get recommendations from an amateur, so while the cost may seem a lot right now, it could save you much more in the long run. 


Spent and Saved


It’s always tempting to opt for the cheapest item or service, but this is an attitude that can severely affect your health, wellbeing, and even safety. Although some products are no different from more expensive alternatives, others show a clear difference once you use them. Because of this, you must know when to spend to ensure you save. 




Monday, October 25, 2021

Tips For Saving Every Day To Buy A Pied-a-Terre

 To be able to buy a second home somewhere else close to where you work is a huge privilege and a dream for many of those working in the center of a city. Working long hours often means that you need a crash pad somewhere to be able to chill out after work without any travel to get home. A pied-a-terre does this for you with ease, and you can make your second home the perfect place to relax. The biggest issue you might have is saving for that second home - money doesn't grow on trees, unfortunately.


It’s money that stops most people from making these choices about their second home needs, but it’s also something you can overcome. With careful planning and a lot of measured work, you can save every single day to make the dream of a second home come true.

Image Source: Pexels

  1. Look at your current accounts. Before you can decide what to do with your money, you need to ensure that you are aware of your current account activity. Are you costing yourself the chance to save by the way in which you spend your money? Looking at your current account workings, you can see where you can spare a few dollars a day to go toward your funds for saving.

  2. Stop buying at the register. Impulse buys are the devil for most people; they’re super tempting and they are only ever a few dollars at a time. The thing is, those few dollars really do add up. You might be looking at buying and offering short term lease apartments to others, but you still need to save for it no matter the size of the mortgage. With a little more control over impulse purchases you can start to afford that deposit for the second home you need.

  3. Keep an eye on sales. You can make a lot of savings when you choose to buy in the sales as much as possible. Stores always change their pricing and if you buy things on offer, you will shrink your grocery bills pretty quickly.

  4. Crack on with a side hustle. You might be working full time but that doesn't mean that you can’t have a side hustle to add to your income. You might not want a formal part time job but that doesn't mean that you can’t use your time scrolling on your phone to earn some cash. Not everything has to be mindless! 

  5. Always round up. When you are buying groceries and something is going to cost you in between dollar amounts, round up the rest and move it to a savings account. Sure, this might mean something less than you expected each time, a few cents at a time might not seem like a lot but it soon adds up.


These tips will take some time, but once you get into the swing of things, you’ll have saved up enough money on a house deposit to get you started.


Wednesday, October 20, 2021

How To Increase Your Prices

 If you have been in business for a little while, you might be getting to the point where you want to increase your prices. But how do you increase your prices and see more profit without upsetting your current customers?


This can be pretty difficult to tackle, specifically for those with a lot of clients who have been very used to the same price for the excellent service you provide.


And it’s not just about getting more profit, year-on-year the cost of labour and materials are rising, and many small businesses are fitting the bill for this. 


So if you are ready to up your prices and retain those customers, these are a few things for you to consider.


Photo by Fab Lentz on Unsplash

Ask them

Depending on the type of relationship you have with your customers and clients, you might be able to ask them what they are prepared to pay. If they have been enjoying excellent service for some years, they might be reluctant to pay more. 


However, when faced with the complete loss of your service, this might prompt them to find the extra change.


It is also possible to use some pricing model surveys to help you determine the type of increase your customers would be comfortable with. The Van Westendorp or Gabor Granger methods can come into play here. 

Offer more

Depending on the product or service you currently provide, you might be able to add some extra bonuses to encourage your loyal customers to stay with you. Everybody enjoys a bargain, but they might not mind the increase if you can throw in something extra.


This little extra does get a higher perceived value to your customers, which means a free gift, A sample, or a free service like wrapping or handwritten notes.


These added extras can often soften the blow of a price increase.

Improve the product

This can be tricky if your product or service already feels well thought out and of the highest quality. However, opening up the lines of feedback with your customers and clients could highlight a few areas that you can improve. 


Once you make those improvements, you stand a higher chance of increasing the prices without apologising or explaining.

Just do it

One of the most important things is that you could adjust to increase your prices. So long as you are not raising it too high, and you are not growing it for any current customers who have a rolling subscription and thus a contracted contract. You are free to simply raise your prices at regular intervals.


You must treat any customers with long-standing relationships with care. They aren’t likely to go elsewhere but they are the ones who might push back the hardest against the change. 


It is standard for most businesses to raise their prices incrementally every six months to a year.


Just remember that when you are planning your price increase, there will likely be some backlash from unhappy customers, even if they love the product. And you will need to change all of your pricing models, terms and conditions, as well as all of the other contractual amounts too - so plan it well. 


Are you balancing a small business and family? You’re not alone! Get great tips here: Productivity Tools for Moms Who Work At Home.


Steps To Find A Job You'll Love

 The saying goes that if you find a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. Sadly, it’s not always easy to secure the perfect role. If you’re unhappy at work, or you long to get more out of the working day, here are some steps to help you find a job you’ll love.


Take inspiration from your hobbies and interests

If you had a day off or a free weekend, what would you choose to do? Many of us have hobbies and interests, but we spend so much time working and juggling other aspects of life that they fall by the wayside. If you’re considering a change of career, or you’re thinking about leaving your current job, it’s a great idea to think about how you could use your skills and interests to find a job that you’ll enjoy. From exercise and fitness and being creative to working with animals and getting involved with charities, there are all kinds of avenues you can pursue. Focus on what you are passionate about and explore opportunities that are linked. 


Image credit: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-with-red-top-and-black-shorts-on-purple-yoga-mat-866019/


Play to your strengths

We all have strengths and weaknesses. Often, we end up doing jobs that don’t necessarily suit our skill set or personality to put food on the table and pay bills. If you find your job too challenging or stressful, or it doesn’t really suit you in terms of your strengths and capabilities, it’s advisable to consider other options and avenues. Perhaps you crave opportunities to be creative, or you want to be part of a team or help others, for example. Think about your best traits and use them to identify potential roles. 


Training and development

The next step is to determine how you can get the job you want. If you have ideas, research requirements and look for courses and programs that will help you obtain the training, qualifications or certifications you need. From a mat Pilates certification to teaching qualifications and training in marketing a new business, you can benefit from gaining new skills. If you’re still working and you’re looking to complete training before you leave your job, it’s an excellent idea to search for online courses or flexible programs that enable you to study during the evenings. 


Work-life balance

Work-life balance is one of the driving factors of health and happiness in the 21st century. Many of us spend most of our time at work, but we also take work home with us and we find it hard to make time for hobbies, socializing or relaxing. Finding a job that offers flexibility and a healthy work-life balance can make a huge difference to your mental wellbeing, physical health and job satisfaction. Research companies, ask questions about flexibility and working hours when you go to interviews, and look for employers that have high employee retention rates. 


Picture via https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-woman-using-her-laptop-935756/




Some people absolutely love their jobs, but at the other end of the spectrum, there are many employees who are desperate for a change. If you feel like you want to get more out of your job, or your current job makes you unhappy or stressed, it’s beneficial to start exploring other opportunities. 




Tuesday, October 19, 2021

4 Resources To Help You Boost Your Savings

 



Many of us have financial goals, whether it’s boosting your savings or paying off your debts. To save more each month, what you need is a strategic plan. To help you work towards your savings goals, these four resources can offer support. Here you’ll find plenty of great advice about boosting your finances.


1 . Good Budget


Goodbudget is a great personal finance app for debt monitoring, budget planning, and managing your money. If you’re managing your finances as a couple, or a household group, it’s easy to sync your budget. Using the Good Budget app you can access reports, track your debt progress, and categorize your spending. It’s easy to monitor your spending on the go, and track your expenses. You can schedule transactions automatically and set yourself budgeting goals.


2. So Money


If you’re looking to learn some handy finance tips the So Money podcast is the resource that you need. The podcast is hosted by top financial strategist Farnoosh Torabi. During these shows you’ll learn lots of inspirational stories to motivate you. Plenty of subjects are explored throughout the shows, from passive cash flows to saving strategies and paying down credit card debt. Get all the advice and tips you’ll need to improve your finances today.


3. David Ramsey Website 


Looking to boost your savings? Then you simply must check out David Ramsey's website. David Ramsey is a top personal finance guru, providing people with the info they need to take control of their money. The site contains plenty of advice articles on everything from debt reduction to budgeting and money saving tips. There are also a number of free resources, including mortgage calculators, investment calculators and free apps. Navigating your finances can be tough, but luckily there are so many resources which can help.


4. Acorns 


Investment options are a great way to save more money, but many of us don’t have much free time. With Acorns you don’t need to put in much time or effort to get started. The app works by automatically investing your spare change, growing your money over time. Whether you’re looking to invest for your kids or for retirement, Acorns is the perfect tool. Access an expert build portfolio, to improve your options and boost your financial health. Using the Acorns app you can also access plenty of rewards from thousands of well known brands.


Investing your money can help you to build up wealth, and there are plenty of options out there. You might also look into passive income streams, whether that’s real estate opportunities or side hustle businesses.


Reducing your debts


Boosting your savings isn’t just about budgeting, it’s about reducing your debts to improve your financial situation. Debts can build up for many reasons, and in some cases you may not be personally responsible. For instance, if you have a health condition or injury which prevents you from working. If your adverse circumstances were caused by medical malpractice then you may be entitled to compensation. For more information contact medical malpractice attorneys.



How To Make The Interior Of Your Home Attractive For Future Buyers

 When it comes to selling your home, the interior and exterior matter as much as one another. If you have already staged the exterior of your home, then you will want to focus on the interior. For those looking to increase the interest and value of their house for a future sale, use this guide.


Image by khiem tran from Pixabay 


Keep it as clean as possible

When future buyers come to look around your home, you will want to make sure that it is as clean as possible. They will want to envision themselves living there, which could be impossible if the place is dirty and messy. 


Going as far as making the home hygienic will further boost the interest of buyers. For instance, if a buyer witnesses that you have pests, then they will likely lose interest straight away. It will be a sign that your home is unhygienic, which can pose many problems if they purchased it. 


If you do experience pests throughout the seasons, then ensure to get help from pest control as they can restore the safety and hygiene of your home as soon as possible. With the right measures, they will also be able to keep the pests away so that you can maintain hygiene at home year-round, which will make it more attractive to future buyers.


Stage the rooms

For the days you have viewings booked in, ensure to stage the rooms so that they look as attractive as possible. 


Plumping up the cushions, making the beds to a hotel standard, and re-organizing your kitchen cupboards will make your home more appealing and inviting to potential buyers.  


Repaint

Should your paintwork have become old and marked, it won’t look great to people viewing your home. Therefore, a simple freshen up of the paint can transform your home and make it look and feel as good as new again. 


If you are moving soon and want your home to be as attractive as possible, then you might want to consider changing the colour of the paint. You might love blue but future buyers might not. Therefore, choosing a neutral shade will appeal to more people.


Fix the tiles

If you have broken tiles around the home, in the kitchen or bathroom, then you will want to fix them as soon as possible. Broken tiles can show buyers that you have not looked after your home well. Plus, it will be more work for them to do should they want to keep the tiles. 


Therefore, fix the tiles so that your home looks well cared for and ready to move into. 


Good lighting

Your potential buyers might come and view your home in the evening, should they want to know what it looks and feels like when the sun has gone down. 


Therefore, you will want to have good lighting to show off your home and prove that it looks and feels just as good at night. Good lighting will maximize the appeal of your home and make the interior more attractive to future buyers. 


Thursday, October 14, 2021

Budget-Friendly Ways To Spruce Up Your Living Room

 Budget-Friendly Ways To Spruce Up Your Living Room


The living room is a frequently used space in a home. It also forms the center of the entire home's interior decor. Implementing the right design tactics into your living room space can create a unique ambiance of style and comfort. Since your living room is the first impression of your home, it is obvious you'll want to nail the design. But how can you pull off the perfect living room design with your budget? Here are some tips you can use.


  1. Pick a good rug

Image Credit


A floor rug is a game-changer when it comes to sprucing any living room space. Pick one that matches your home's overall interior theme and arrange the items in such a way that it draws attention to the rug. Getting the perfect rug does not have to cost you a fortune, as you can find several options that can add a stylish twist to your home and still stay within your budgetary limits. The most important thing is to find one that will blend perfectly with your furniture and floor. Throw in one or two plumped-up pillows, and you got yourself a winning start already.


  1. Create a display


Creating a display area or shelf is one of the simplest and cheapest ways to spruce up your living room space. If you're a collector or a lover of art, you can create a simple display shelf to exhibit your collections or any other items worth displaying. 


You can use wall shelves, trays, or even create a mini-library. A mini-library works perfectly for book lovers, giving you a place to neatly store your books while using the whole setup as an extra design element. Wall trays are much smaller and give off a more artistic appeal. You can use them to display your miniature sculptures, bottle caps, jewelry, etc.


  1. Rearrange living room furniture


Sometimes the best way to freshen up your living room design is to simply rearrange the furniture you already have instead of trying to buy new ones. Also, find ways to purge your space of clutter, but getting rid of things you don't need in your living room - or anywhere else in your room.


Keep your entertainment area as simple and minimalist as possible. In most cases, a simple tv stand is more than enough, especially if you already have a complete unit. 


  1. A touch of green


Image Credit


When it comes to beautifying any indoor space, you can never go wrong with indoor plants. Beyond adding a touch of beauty to your indoor space, plants also come with added health benefits. For instance, they can help purify the atmosphere by trapping certain particles and toxins. They also make use of the carbon dioxide you exhale in exchange for oxygen.

You don't need too many plants to create the desired effect. Just pick two or three different (or the same ) indoor plant species and position them in areas of your living room where they can get enough sunlight. Oh! And don't forget to take care of them.




Wednesday, October 13, 2021

How To Stage The Exterior Of Your Home Ready to Sell

 What does the outside of your home say about you? It is natural to have become blind in regards to your home and minor imperfections. You become accustomed to seeing the same things day in day out. You kind of stop noticing them after a while. That's not to say you don't know they are there; they are not as noticeable as they once were.

Image credit

But if you are looking at selling your home, the front exterior of the property plays a massive part in getting the property sold. You will get a few seconds before a buyer has made their mind up about you and your home, and this impression is formed based on your home's curb appeal. But you can change this.

Tidy Up The Property

The quickest, easiest and cheapest way to improve your home's curb appeal is to tidy up outside. Neaten lawn edges, remove abandoned toys, bikes, or equipment, get rid of any rubbish dumped and give any patio areas a good brush down and a wash. If you can clean the exterior facade of the house itself, this will go a long way. Do some basic landscaping if you can, too, dig up weeds, mow the lawn, deadhead flowers and shrubs, etc.

If you find you have a lot of items that typically live outside, look at storage options to keep them contained and out of view without finding a home for them indoors.

Repair Any Damage

This could be broken tiles on the driveway, cracked fence panels, busted garage doors, or cracked window frames. You don't want to be spending too much money here, but rectifying minor repairs can give the impression of a well-kept exterior and allude to the condition inside too.

Replace Windows and Doors

The windows are the eyes of your home. Are your eyes inviting or off-putting? If the latter, look at changing them. The same goes for the doors too. At the very least, clean them. Buyers are attracted to properties with very little to do, especially if they need to move in right away. So look at the windows, entrances, and exits and ask yourself a) are they fit for purpose? And b) do they need upgrading to something more modern and practical such as exterior sliding glass doors?

Add Lighting

Especially important if you are selling your home when the days are darker or the nights are longer. Outdoor lighting is inviting and adds an extra layer of security to the property. Lighting up your home after dusk can help buyers see the property in a whole new light, quite literally, and lighting is instantly appealing for both practical and cosmetic viewpoints.

Stage The Area

If you have a vast space at the front of your home and you leave it bare, it won't look beautiful. Invest in some decorative items to make your home more visually appealing to buyers, even if you rent the items to stage your property for a short period. Think welcome mats, potted plants, both natural or fake, garden furniture, and so on.