Pros and Cons of Paying Cash for a House After a few painful years that drove handfuls of real estate agents into new professions, it's finally looking like the housing market is beginning to rebound. If you've been on the upswing yourself and find yourself sitting on a pile of cash, either through savings or inheritance, it can be tempting to invest in a house and pay outright. On the surface, that makes good sense. Why pay a mortgage lender interest when you could just purchase a home with cash? If that's your scenario, lucky you! But think twice before writing that check. Even Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, worth around $14 billion, took a 30-year mortgage on the $7 million home he bought in Palo Alto earlier this year. Why would he do that? Because for his situation, it made smart financial sense (and it doesn't hurt that as a preferred borrower, he secured a 1.05% interest rate). The same principles that apply to would-be cash buyers are also applicable to average … [Read more...]
Quick and Easy Chocolate Pie
Quick and Easy Chocolate Pie If you’ve been anywhere near a pharmacy or department store lately, you’ve probably been overwhelmed by the massive amounts of red, pink, hearts and baby cupids that have been popping up in every store window since New Year’s Day. While the flowery decorations and cheesy cards can often become a bit much as Valentine’s Day approaches, there’s one aspect of Valentine’s Day that most people never get tired of, and that’s chocolate! Whether you’re partial to those giant heart boxes of chocolate from the drugstore or prefer to whip up something a little more gourmet in your own kitchen, Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse for people everywhere—whether they’re in a relationship or not!—to indulge in a little bit of extra sweetness. If you’re looking to treat yourself or your sweetie to Valentine’s Day Desserts, this quick and easy chocolate pie makes an indulgent and extremely yummy dessert option that only takes 15 short minutes to prepare. Top with … [Read more...]
Tips on Finding Money to Support Your Cleaning Processes
Tips on Finding Money to Support Your Cleaning Processes 1. SAVE FUNDS FROM THE CLEANING LOCATIONS If you look for them you will find out that saving money is actually not difficult at all. You just need to be creative and you have to find and make the best of the appropriate opportunities. For example think of the different rooms in your house that need cleaning and carefully consider the different ways in which they can be cleaned. Your aim is certain-you want the rooms cleaned. You don‘t want them cleaned specifically with the most prestigious cleaning product which was advertised on the TV. So for instance, once such room is the toilet. Usually if we are talking about your home, this is the first place for which you buy cleaning products and where you store them so whenever you feel that you are in need of some cleaning product, search in the toilet. The very same thing goes for the offices. You will certainly be using, as head of a business, a cleaner so whenever you want to ask … [Read more...]
Bargaining in Baby Steps: A Busy Mom’s Guide to Basic Couponing
Bargaining in Baby Steps: A Busy Mom's Guide to Basic Couponing Kids are expensive, and if you're like most money-stretched moms, your wallet doesn't add much heft to the diaper bag. Holding onto your hard-earned cash should be top priority, but the truth is, your day is spent juggling backseat brawls, housework, school, naptimes, doctor visits, laundry, and meal prep, leaving little space for corralling and clipping hundreds of coupons. Finding time to be frugal can be a daunting to-do, especially if your voucher vision has been colored by the "extreme couponing" craze. But saving your family mega bucks at the mega mart doesn't require hours sorting through penny-savers or sacrificing your playroom to storing hoards of toothpaste and tomato paste. Here's how any busy mom can gather her shopping list and coupons, grab generous deals at the register, and exit the store before her patience is spent. Get the coupons.Slowly begin building a coupon reserve with these 4 major … [Read more...]
How to Create a Beautiful yet Affordable Outdoor Living Area
How to Create a Beautiful yet Affordable Outdoor Living Area These days, all of our lives have become extremely busy and seldom do we get a chance to spend quality time with our families. A beautiful and enchanting outdoor living space will provide you and your family with the escape you have been looking for. Good outdoor space is created so that you and your family can relax and have a good time either reading a book or entertaining guests. However, a misconception about these spaces is that they are very expensive to construct and this is why some people do not look into the idea. This is not true in the least. Like everything else, a very good and beautiful outdoor living space can be made if you plan and stick to a budget. The kind of landscape (big or small) being created depends entirely on you. No matter what style you are going for, you need to remember that it’s possible even if you don’t have a lot saved up. Given below are a number of tips and techniques that you … [Read more...]
Show Love and Affection – Pick Morning Glory Flower
Show Love and Affection - Pick Morning Glory Flower Morning glory is a general name for not only one flower. It is the term used for more thane ten thousand species in the world. It has very pleasant fragrance and is considered as one of the best flowers to decorate your walls and fences with. The name marks the time when the flowers of the plants are usually opened and this is the morning. The shape of the petals reminds saucer. They are usually purple or in the shades of this color. Other options for the flowers of the morning glory are red, white, blue and yellow. The home of the morning glory is considered to be tropical America. It is also widely grown in Asia. Prior to be cultivated as decorative flowers the plant was very well known in China where it was mainly used for medicine purposes. The laxative properties of its seeds were very much valued in the country. After its wide use in China it was introduced in Japan as well. This happened about the 9th century. For a very … [Read more...]
The Secret to Happiness: Bright Yellow Paint
Thanks to Macys.com for this infographic. … [Read more...]
Just Keep Swimming: Plan a Movie-Themed Birthday Party for Your Child
Movies and birthday parties go together like carrots and peas. But, honestly, you can't go wrong with a movie theme birthday party what kid doesn't love movies, candy and snacks?! With a quick trip to the dollar store (or sometimes Target's dollar section) you have all the supplies you need to turn your home into a movie event with children theme birthday decorations and supplies. Pass the Popcorn, Please If you don't already own one, purchase a popcorn machine. Yes, they can be quite expensive but they're worth the investment. In a matter of months you will get so much use out of it it will pay for itself! Your child's guests will squeal with delight when they see a personal popcorn machine, and will have fun scooping out their own popcorn. Admit One For some table centerpieces, use rolls of ticket stubs in red or any color that compliments your party's color scheme. You can find these tickets at any party supply store. A fun idea is to pass out these tickets … [Read more...]
4 Unique Things to Sell on eBay to Make Extra Money
4 Unique Things to Sell on eBay to Make Extra Money If you are looking to make extra money, recognize that you don't have to have a second job that takes you away from your family and only earns you $8 an hour. Indeed, there are many ways you can make extra money from the comfort of your home. Turns out all you need is some ingenuity, a sense of humor, and a willingness to try something new. We are used to thinking of trash as something we dispose of and pay the garbage company to take away for us, but would you be surprised to learn that you can actually make money from your trash? It is true, and if you aren't squeamish, you can make money this way, too. Selling trash is just one way you can net some extra dough. Here are some guidelines for making money from unique things: 1. Look beyond the ordinary. When one person was mindlessly munching on Doritos, he noticed that one of the Doritos was shaped like the pope's hat. Did he just say, "hhhmm, that is interesting" and keep … [Read more...]
How to Save Money and Get in Shape this Year
How to Save Money and Get in Shape this Year Have you resolved to finally lose that 10 pounds that’s been plaguing you since you had your baby (no reason why I picked that particular example…)? Have you decided that this is the year you’re finally going to get in shape and run that 5k? You can meet your health and fitness goals this year without having to spend a fortune on a gym membership that you may never use because you never seem to find the time to get to the gym before it closes. You can skip the gym membership, save money and get in shape this year. Here’s how: Walk or Run Outside The whole world is your gym. You don’t need an expensive treadmill to run on, you can just run on the street. Or go for a walk around your neighborhood. The local high-school track, a community trail, or even the loop around a local lake are all great places to walk or run. The best part? They’re all free! Log as many miles as you want as many days of the week as you want and don’t spend … [Read more...]
Rosecea Treatment: Introduction and Basics
Rosecea Treatment: Introduction and Basics Skin complications have often had adverse psychological effects on individuals. Rosecea is one of the chronic conditions that affect all ages and deteriorates the skin over time if left untreated. The condition starts with redness of facial skin might also result in pimples and erythema. Rosecea should not be confused with the contagious skin diseases spreading of this condition by direct skin contact or inhalation lacks evidence. The treatments are mainly aimed at relief and better skin appearance; reducing the redness and pimples, than at cure. Common areas affected by rosecea are nose and the center of the face. The new research and experimentation in the field of rosecea treatment has caught recent attention and new, more effective medicine is being developed. Causes of Rosecea: The causes for this rosecea vary from exposure to high temperatures, strenuous exercise, sunburns, stress & anxiety or even cold wind. Sudden hot to cold … [Read more...]
Apartment Archaeology: How to Recover Lost Space
This infographic was constructed by ForRent.com … [Read more...]
5 Secrets to Creating a Stunning Dining Room on a Budget
Your dining room is just screaming for a makeover! Eating in the same room year after year and no major (or minor) changes can be boring and out-of-date. Here are some simple tips that are friendly on your wallet and will leave your room looking stunning: Wall Stencils Nothing updates your room decor more than giving the wall a fresh coat of paint. But if that's too expensive, opt for a wallpaper stencil instead. You can buy these at any craft store and range from $16 to $30. All you need is some paint that compliments the existing wall color and away you go! It's a pretty painless process, also. Just tape the stencil to the wall, paint the stencil with a very light coating of paint and move the stencil on down, repeating the process until the whole wall (or parts, whatever your design) is covered. Since you're using such a little amount of paint, the walls will be dry in no time. Lighting Proper lighting is an essential element if you want to create a dining room that you and your … [Read more...]
How To Teach Your Children Financial Responsibility and Management
How To Teach Your Children Financial Responsibility and Management Once your child begins to ask for things at the store, or things they see on television, it's time to start teaching them about money. They need to understand first and foremost that money needs to be earned, and there is no entitlement in life. Forming good money habits in children is the best way to ensure they will become financially responsible adults, and there are many ways to begin to instilling the value of a dollar in your children. Don't Just Give Them What They Want If a child knows that they can whine and cry to get what they want, it will be very difficult for them to understand otherwise. They then see toys and material items as things they are entitled to, that they deserve to have just because they want them, and this is destructive to their sense of the value of money. Show them that they need to earn the things they want, that they don't just get them by complaining they don't have it. Give Them An … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Save Costs when Starting a Business
5 Ways to Save Costs when Starting a Business Taking the leap to self-employment can be scary. Will you make enough money? How will you insure yourself? What will you do during the slow period? While choosing to start your own business can be scary, for many it leads to a higher quality of life and a more flexible schedule. Plus, when people do the work they love, they tend not to mind working harder. If you have just started your business, take steps to reduce your expenses so you have more profit. This is especially important when your business is just getting off the ground and you are building a client base: 1. Curb your utility bills. Make sure to comparison shop and check your rates. One option is to switch to cheaper business gas and electricity at makeitcheaper.com for instance, or another company that offers the best rates. 2. Bundle your services. You will likely receive discounts if you bundle your services such as phone and Internet together, rather than going … [Read more...]