Tips for Cutting Entertainment Costs Examining your spending habits isn't necessarily an easy task. As with most difficult issues, the first step is usually the hardest – and in this case, the first step is coming up with a budget. That means, you have to closely review all your expenditures, and that includes your seemingly small daily spending habits. Don't be fooled into thinking that will be easy. Often times, cutting back on those items is harder than finding ways to cut costs on the more expensive bills and items. But a few tips will put you on the path to saving money and cutting out those unnecessary small items. Less is More Small day-to-day expenses quickly add up. Things like a daily coffee, going out to eat and entertainment might not mean much to you now, but at the end of the year, those expenses could add up to thousands of dollars. Consider the following American consumer statistics from the website MentalFloss.com: $500 million: Average amount spent each … [Read more...]
Summer Fun for the Kids Without Breaking the Bank
Summer Fun for the Kids Without Breaking the Bank The second school is out for the summer, kids start staring down their parents with expectations of recreation. Even though the economy has put a strain on just about everyone, there are still a few ways to entertain the kids this summer without asking the government for a bailout. And, just because it’s cheap entertainment doesn’t mean it’s any less fun. Backyard Adventures There’s endless summer fun to be had in the comfort of your own backyard. Sure, it’s not a theme park or exciting vacation, but with the right amount of imagination from both parents and kids, that patch of grass will seem like a thrill ride. Water parks are expensive, crowded, and usually miles away. The backyard is not. But something backyards and water parks have in common is water. So, hookup the hoses, attach some sprinklers, and let the kids run wild. No water park slide? No problem. Slip and slides are kid pleasers … [Read more...]
Discover Some Great Ideas on How to Spend Your Weekend with Your Family
Discover Some Great Ideas on How to Spend Your Weekend with Your Family Do you want to enjoy your weekend with your lovely family? There are a lot of exciting things that you can do together with your family. Spending your time together with your family can be a precious moment in your life. Therefore, you have to do the most useful things when enjoying your family weekend. Try to spend your weekend with your family. Here are some tips on how you can spend your weekend with your family. 1. Do some family activities This is the simplest thing that you can do to enjoy your weekend. There are a lot of interesting activities that you can do with your family inside your house. You can spend your weekend by doing some exciting activities, such as gardening, cleaning your house, watching movies together, and many other interesting things for you and your family. If you love sports, you can also do some sport exercises with your family. There are some sport activities that can … [Read more...]
Have an ant problem? Take care of it now!
I love this time of year....well for the most part. The only downfall to the warmer weather is the bugs that go along with it. As most people do, I dislike the creepy, crawly critters that walk or fly through the air. Especially when they enter my home! Last year was the first year that I discovered ants in my home. You know the ones....the small little ants that over take your kitchen as soon as they find even one small speck of food on the floor or counter tops. I think I spent more time last summer trying to get rid of ants then I did anything else. Nothing I did on my own seemed to work! Moxie Pest Control also knows how annoying ants can be. That is why they are willing to come into your home and take care of the issue before it becomes an even bigger problem. Check out their infographic below about the Army of Ants that might be overtaking your home......who knows. You might learn something new. I know I did! Ants Graphic … [Read more...]
Safety Tips For Heavy Online Shopping
Safety Tips For Heavy Online Shopping Heavy online shopping is defined as making an online purchase at least once every week. On average heavy online shoppers spend 9.9 hours a month shopping online, and spend more time shopping online than at physical stores. This means that there is a higher risk of running into fraudulent websites and scams. Here are five tips to safely shop online for those who make it a past time. Use a Credit Card to Make Online Purchases As a heavy online shopper, it is important to protect yourself from fraudulent online stores. If you use a credit card to purchase your items, in the case that you do make a purchase at a site that turns out to be a scam, you will be reimbursed for the purchase. And if you are a victim of credit card fraud the law will protect against credit card company charges. Several credit card companies also give warranties on items you’ve purchased. Using a debit card makes it much more difficult to get your money … [Read more...]
Rooftop Gardening – A Natural Thermostat
Rooftop Gardening – A Natural Thermostat The concept of roof top garden may raise few eyebrows today, as many don’t know about its practices and advantages. However it is a very old practice dating back to medieval periods. To be exact, in the Mesopotamian civilization in 600BC, plants and trees have been grown on terraces above the ground. During roman civilization Pompeii had similar structure known as Villa of Mysteries where gardens and trees were grown on the elevated grounds. Even during 11the century Egypt had plenty of structures that had gardens on their roof. Roof top garden is not different from any other garden except that it’s on elevated grounds preferably, on the terrace. This can also be termed as roof top farming. There are two ways of setting up gardens on top. One is Extensive Gardening where a thin layer of roofing material is used to cover the entire roof. It does not require much maintenance. Another is Intensive Gardening where entire roof … [Read more...]
5 Way to get the Garden of Your Dreams on a Budget
5 Way to get the Garden of Your Dreams on a Budget Everyone loves having a beautiful yard come spring, but it can seem overwhelming trying to fit in all these projects into a budget. The cost of the plants, seeds, tools, fertilizer and soil can really add up not to mention the additional cost of water to keep them alive. Don’t skip out on having the garden of your dreams, these tips can help you get what you want while saving money. Shop Early or Late: Just like clothes go on sale at the end or beginning of a season, so do plants. Herbs are a great item to purchase in the pre-season sales, for example basil is typically marked down come early March but it will require more maintenance to prevent freezing. In addition to these sales, many home and garden shops mark down plants as they go out of bloom, this can be a great way to get those more expensive flowers you might want without paying the high price. When you purchase these at the end of the season, be careful to only … [Read more...]
Five Awesome Gift Ideas for The Adventurous Go-Getter
Five Awesome Gift Ideas for The Adventurous Go-Getter When you're looking for a birthday gift for a friend, it's always best to focus on that friend's personality and hobbies. Adventurous friends are likely to enjoy adventurous gifts. The best gifts for them are experiences or accessories to help them live out their adventures. Water Bottles with Filters One of the best gift for a friend or family member who loves to hike or ski is a water bottle with a filter inside. Tap water is much less expensive than bottled water, and it's better for the environment to use a bottle with a built-in filter. Carbon filters and charcoal filters are both effective at removing chemicals and toxins from the water so it tastes pure and clean. Blender or Juicer Another great gift for an adventurous person is a blender or juicer. This is something that people don't normally buy for themselves and they are likely to appreciate receiving it as a gift. Blenders are great for making … [Read more...]
Transform Your Living Room With Various Color & Lighting
Transform Your Living Room With Various Color & Lighting Living rooms feel old to. Furniture wears out, paint fades and what were once trendy now dates you. But an entire room renovation can often be pricey. Fear not; hope is on the way. Take these effortless and affordable steps to transform your living room: Choose Light and Bright Your choice of living room color will significantly affect how you, your family and guests feel in the space. A living room should have a cozy, welcoming feel to it. This usually isn't accomplished by dark colors, as popular as they are in today's world of decor. Darkness encloses a space, making it appear smaller. Choose a lighter, more appealing color scheme, as this will enrich your living room. Yellow, tan, emerald and peach can help make your living room look bright and airy. If you want to include dark colors, use them as accents for candles, rugs and wall decorations. Paint a Sample Size Before finalizing your choice of paint color, get … [Read more...]
How to Have Your Dream Wedding Without a Nightmare Bill
How to Have Your Dream Wedding Without a Nightmare Bill Enjoying a dream wedding is a process that takes planning, preparation and careful budgeting. Although the plans always include some budgeting, the only way to avoid a nightmare bill is by focusing on finding the best deals and prices available. Compare Prices on a Ring Although the engagement ring and wedding ring are an important symbol of the marriage, it is not necessary to pay a small fortune on the ring. By purchasing man made diamond engagement rings, the cost of the wedding will reduce. The man made diamond engagement rings are less pricy than real diamonds and will provide the same look for an engagement ring without the guilt. Shop around online retailers like Nuediamonds.com and find the best deals available before making a final selection. Limit the Party Favors A dream wedding does not necessarily require a high bill in wedding favors. Limit the favors to small and low-cost items and only give the wedding party … [Read more...]
Handing Over The Keys: Financial Wisdom to Teach Your Teen
Handing Over The Keys: Financial Wisdom to Teach Your Teen The teenage years are a time of transition from childhood to adulthood, and although it will be a few years before your teen is out on their own, it is a good time to start teaching your teenager some important life lessons. What advice should parents be bestowing on their teens? One of those life lessons is how to be smart with money. Always Save Whenever Possible The easiest way to become financially secure is to save money whenever possible. Having money in the bank is always smarter than spending too much on a new car when a used one could work just as well. This is because there is no guarantee that a job loss or medical bill won't come when your child least expects it. However, having money in the bank can serve as a cushion against the severe financial blows that life can bring. Pay Off A Debt As Soon As Possible Going into debt means that your money is going to a lender instead of your bank account. Additionally, … [Read more...]
Spring Cleaning: Get Every Nook and Cranny in Your Home
It's almost time for Spring Cleaning, the time of year when everyone around the world does a deep cleaning of their home, open their windows to let in the sunshine and declutters the drawers. Keep these areas in mind when cleaning your home: Organizing Closets Do you have a "forbidden closet" in your home where odds and ends, vacuum cleaners and winter coats all reside? It's time to clean out and organize them. For your clothing closet, get rid of unused clothing and accessories and organize the rest by how you get dressed in the morning, having the most frequently used items toward the front. Utilize the three-box rule: donate, keep and store. While going through the closet figure out which items you want to keep, which ones you want to donate and those that you wish to store. Once you organize the items into the three boxes, take action soon. You don't want to build up clutter. Take the donation box to Goodwill. Use a storage unit rental facility to keep your … [Read more...]
Children and TV Viewing – Moderation is Key
Children and TV Viewing - Moderation is Key By Sharon Rechter The issue of children and their television viewing habits has been debated for many years, with some questioning whether or not children should be watching TV at all. I’m a mom of two young girls myself. I understand the challenges we face as parents regarding TV exposure and our kids. It’s a complicated issue, leaving parents unsure where boundaries should be set. What’s an appropriate age for children to start watching TV? What kind of programming is beneficial for young children, if any at all? There are so many questions with parents unsure how to best answer! The Kaiser Family Foundation has found that 95% of American babies watch television. A staggering percentage like this tells me the debate regarding television and kids shouldn’t focus on the simple act of watching TV. Instead, we need to focus on what our kids are watching, how much they’re watching, and under what conditions they’re watching it. There … [Read more...]
Organizing Family Expenses by Maintaining a Well Kept Checkbook
Organizing Family Expenses by Maintaining a Well Kept Checkbook Annie Harrington is a small business owner and freelance writer. She is also keenly interested in all aspects of design, including how to personalize checks. We all know that family life can be quite hectic. Everything from getting kids to school to paying bills to work to feeding your family adds to the craziness that is everyday life. However, the easiest way to maintain your life, and your sanity, is to stay organized. So why not organize the most stressful part of life, finance? It is easy to departmentalize and keep track of all your expenses by using a well maintained checkbook. I know exactly what most people are thinking right now, “No one uses checks or checkbooks anymore!” While that is true, it is also wrong to some extent. Businesses still pay their employees with paper checks and many people still pay rent, mortgages and other bills with physical checks. Furthermore, even if you are using a debit card … [Read more...]
Hey, Mom: Take These Simple Steps for Stress Relief
Being a mom is tough. Anyone who suggests otherwise is likely clinically insane. Whether you're the stay-at-home type or a working one, whether you have a partner at home or yours is a solo gig, one of the best gifts you can give yourself is learning how to prevent and manage your stress. Prevent It A good chunk of the stress we experience as mothers we put on ourselves. We set too-high expectations: perfectly made beds every morning, kids in wrinkle-free and color-coordinated outfits, too many extra-curriculars to get to on time, nutritious yet savory meals every night. Unless you're Wonder Woman, it's practically impossible to accomplish all of these day-in and day-out. Every family has different expectations for themselves, and upon close inspection, many of them are superficial. Identify what you can let slide without long-term consequences and train yourself to let them go when other things are more important. Taking time out to relax and reflect keeps stress at bay, too. You … [Read more...]