The Shaker of Salt

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Deciding you would like another baby can be an extremely exciting time for your family. You and your partner may be excited about the prospect of another child. Your other children may be Jumping for joy when expecting another sibling to play with and cuddle, and overall it can be a great thing for your family. But, on the flip side and perhaps more practical side of things, there is always going to be an impact on your financial situation. So while it is inevitable that your bills might rise, how do you spend less? I wanted to share with you some of the ways you could do it.

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Planning is everything

Planning can be your secret weapon. It can be more useful than ever before when it comes to adding to your family as there may be an increase in things like your food shopping or your clothing purchases. Meal planning and writing lists can be a great way to save on that big food shop bill each month, even if you are eventually buying more things. As well as using coupons and vouchers while shopping, which works for other purchases like electrical items and clothes.

Shopping around for deals

It may become apparent that you might need to make some big purchases to accommodate the extra member of your family and a car purchase could be on the horizon. So make sure you shop around for the best deal. If you require a loan, use websites like Auto.loan to help you work out monthly budgets and costs. Shopping around for deals can help in other ways to give you reduction on your bills, such as energy providers and insurance policies.

Investing instead of moving

The Size of your home can be a deciding factor when it comes to having another baby, so moving might become a possibility. But there is added stress and costs that are involved in that, so instead why not invest in your current home? Adding on create more space as well as converting areas in your home that perhaps are not used to their full potential such as a garage, a loft space or a basement. It could make all the difference and might work out cheaper than moving.

Digging out all of the old baby items

Did you save any baby items from previous children? Now is the time to unpack it. This can help you figure out what you need to buy for the new baby. Just saving items from your older child can end up saving you a lot of money.

Being frugal with purchases

Finally, you may find that you do need to make some purchases when it comes to your new addition, so try and be a little more frugal with it. Ebay is a great place for unwanted items that are still in good condition. People pick up second hand strollers all of the time. Local Facebook selling pages often have great deals, as well as yard sales and your local second hand shop.

I hope that this helps you to spend less when adding to your family.

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Permeating your home with love is a wonderful thing to do. It helps the home atmosphere feel connected, and helps your children develop childhoods they remember fondly for the rest of their lives. What is the point of having a family in the first place if love is not your first priority? However, in the struggles of life, sometimes it can be quite hard for people to see eye to eye. We’ve all have small fights with our family from time to time, to do so is mostly natural. However, it’s important to understand that a solid bedrock of loving feelings in a household can help that household shine, and should help the golden years continue throughout its history.

There are many ways to do this, here are just a few:

Games

Families that have fun games together are usually those that enjoy time together. To start this you need to be present with one another. It might be a good idea to start Halloween games, to design an Easter trail for your children, or to simply relax in the garden playing baseball with your children. However, games may not be the only method of having fun with your family. Peaceful activities can share the same purpose. It might be heading on regular bike rides with your loved ones, or having them help you with the garden atmosphere. The only way for a family to correctly develop a real love for one another is to actually spend time doing things together, the content of which may not matter over the initial requirement of simply ensuring it happens.

Decorate!

A home without decoration can feel empty, drab and boring. In order to prevent your home from feeling this way, be sure to invest some of your budget into decorating. To increase this working budget, consider improving credit score competence, and perhaps purchase some items on finance. Family photographs, custom artwork, and custom picked items from the furnishings store can all help you create themed rooms that the whole family can be proud of. A little love and care goes a long way when developing the character of your home, and this can be plain to see. The best places to decorate are your children’s bedrooms of course, but also feel free in indulging yourself from time to time. A home you are proud of is a home you love to be in, and with that the atmosphere of your home changes.

Be There!

We know how busy life can be. It seems like responsibilities can drag you from one location to another, again and back and back and again. This might unfortunately mean you spend much less time at your house than you would like to. However, purposefully scheduling time for all or most of your family members to be in the house at one time can help the natural sense of the home being lived in, and help you contact one another more frequently. After all, a home is more than somewhere you rest at night.

With these simple tips, your home is sure to be permeated top to bottom with love.

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There comes a time for every home when there needs to be a bit of a refresh. After a few years, the decor options you chose in the past will start to age, and it’s likely that the styles will be a little out of date. Of course, combating this is simple, and all you need to do is look for ways to start renovating. This is where things can get tricky for a lot of people, though. Time is always a factor in life, with most people not having enough of the stuff to start working on large projects. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring the easiest possible route to take when renovating your home.

Moving Things Out:

Having furniture and other possessions in your home while it is being painted and decorated will often result in things being ruined. Self-storage companies can help you with this, giving you loads of options when it comes to temporary homes for your items, and a moving company can be used to take everything back and forth. This is quite an extreme step, but it will be worth it to get the job done quickly.

The Tear Down:

It’s unlikely that your walls will still be smooth after a few years, and this can only be fixed by a professional. The type of person you hire for this will depend on the way your home is built. It may be a simple matter of chipping away at the old paint and applying some touch ups. In other cases, though, you could be faced with a bigger challenge, and a professional plasterer can help you in both instances. Along with someone to do the hard work, you may also need to hire a skip company to take away and store the waste.

The Base Layer:

With the walls smoothed out, your place will be ready for the walls to be started on. When you’re painting, it’s important to keep in mind that there may be drips, and flooring should be left until afterwards to avoid new carpet or tiles being ruined. There are loads of companies out there which are dedicated to helping people with these parts of their homes. Depending on who you choose, you may be able to have all of the waste taken away as part of the service, and this will make the whole thing much easier.

New Furnishings:

While you have all of the furniture in storage, you will have a great chance to start looking at new options to add to your renovated space. Companies like Deconovo are perfect for this, providing you with ranges of styles which all go together very nicely. This can save loads of time when it comes to searching for your furniture, as you won’t have to piece together your own collections from different stores. Using Instagram for some Inspiration can also help at this stage.

Cleaning Up:

Before you can bring your new furniture into the home, you will need to think about the mess which has been caused by all of the work going on. Of course, though, in the spirit of this post, you don’t have to do any of this, and can leave it to someone else. There are loads of cleaning companies out there which offer single-time services covering all levels of grime. You will pay more or less depending on how bad the place is, so it could be worth trying to save here by doing as much as you can by yourself.

Moving It All In:

This will be the stage of the job will require the most involvement from you. Using the same moving company which took everything away, you can bring everything back and have it moved back in for you. You will need to be there to make sure that your dreams come true, though. While they are professionals, the people helping you won’t know where your items need to go. The job should only take a couple of hours if you’re there to direct everyone and make sure that things are in the the right places.

Hopefully, this post will inspire you to start working harder on the time you put into taking the effort out of your home renovations. A lot of people find this sort of work hard, struggling to find the time to sink into their projects. It doesn’t have to be this way, though, as long as you’re willing to get some help.

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Sleep is one of the most important things that our body needs, yet it seems to also be so overlooked. People are so busy nowadays, always on the move and looking for a way of doing things the quickest possible way. If that means cutting out some hours of sleep – so be it.  We tend to forget that our bodies can’t run properly if they’re not getting the amount of sleep that it needs.

Many people think they can ‘catch up’ on sleep the next day, but that’s not how it works. Once you’ve lost sleep you can’t get it back, that’s why it’s vital you make an effort to get around seven to nine hours of sleep every single day.

Lack of sleep can result in a negative mood that looms over you throughout the day. You may feel stressed or lose your temper easier than you normal. You may not feel social or laugh with your friends. Lack of sleep can also negatively affect your ability to concentrate. As bad as lack of sleep can be on you it’s even worse on a a child who can not control their emotions as well as an adult. If you want to know how to avoid bedtime tantrums, then you need to be getting sleep yourself so that you’re in the right state of mind to deal with these situations with a calm and level head.

There are many different ways that you can better your night’s sleep, you just need to be willing enough to try them. Although some may seem a little drastic, sometimes it’s a necessary act in order to better yourself. So make the effort, and you should have a better sleep within no time.

Stay off your devices.

We live in a modern world full of technology, but it’s actually a very bad idea to be looking at your screen, be it your phone, android, or tv. This is because the light from the screen keeps your brain stimulated and awake, so you when you do finally decide it’s time to sleep and put your device away, your brain will still be active, regardless of how tired you are. Try to keep track of time and an hour before you plan on going to bed turn everything off and rest instead. There is nothing wrong with reading a book if you’re not ready to close your eyes , but do it with the soft glow of a lamp, instead of on your devices.

Have a warm shower or bath.

Taking a warm bath or shower in the evening is a very comforting thing to do that will greatly benefit your body. Not only is the warm water nice, it also allows your muscles to relax and remove any tension that they have been holding from that day. When your muscles are tense, you may not even notice it, but it can really affect the way you feel all over because there’s an underlying weight that you’re carrying around with you. But by easing that away by bathing yourself, you are able to release everything, and get into bed with your body feeling soothed and nurtured.

Invest in a good mattress.

Your mattress can be what lays between you and a good night’s sleep. There are so many different types and styles out there, each giving something unique. The easiest way to figure out the mattress that works for you is through trial and error. If you’re looking for a new mattress, don’t be afraid to go to a bed store and lay on all the beds. This is the only way that you can know what your body requires. Some people like a solid mattress that stays firm at all times, while others prefer one that molds around them. Just because your friend may like something doesn’t mean that you will.

Create the environment.

Your bedroom is that secret sanctuary where you go to reside and have the perfect ending to your day, so it needs to look the part. If your bedroom is dull and boring, then it’s going to make you feel that way too. You need to decorate it in a way that fits your personality and creates the vibe you want for unwinding in. Think about warm colors that you can indulge in. Dark red wines and chocolate browns are very good for this, but essentially it’s all down to your own personal preference. Lamps are also good for setting the tone and creating depth within a space, while also giving off a subtle glow until you’re ready for lights out.

Eliminate the noise.

You will find it very difficult to try and fall asleep if there’s noise around you, so make sure that you turn all of your appliances off so that there is no background noise or hum that keeps you awake at night. Another way that you can ensure you don’t get distracted is by putting in earplugs. While it may feel a little strange to begin with, you will soon get used to it, and the instant peace that you will be greeted by will change the game entirely. A lot of people actually sleep with these in, more than you would imagine, and that’s in fact the only way that they are able to drift off, so try these and see if they help to focus your mind on sleep as a pose to the random noises during the middle of the night.

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If you’ve already tried and failed to invest in stocks before, you might have turned your back on it and assumed that investing in stocks is simply not something that’s for you. However, if you learn a bit more about the most common reasons for investing failure, you can find out how to do it right next time. Don’t rule out this possibility completely because you could make some money if you get it right. Here are the most likely things holding you back from finding investing success.

A Lack of Time

It’s understandable that you might fail due to a lack of time because we all have jobs to go to and families to spend time with. It’s about making time for your investing and using modern techniques. For example, you can usually use your phone to manage your portfolio wherever you are and whatever time of day it is. It does make the burden of investing easier to deal with.

The Wrong Strategy (or No Strategy at All)

There are so many strategies that you can make use of as an investor, so you should find the one that works for you. It’s a mistake to dive in without having a strategy in place at all though The ichimoku cloud strategy is one that many people believe to work very well, so that’s certainly worth exploring. It’s up to you to consider the options and choose the one that’s right for you.

Emotions Taking Over

Investing is one thing that shouldn’t really involve your emotions too much. If you allow your emotions to override proper assessment and analysis, you’re probably going to make mistakes. You should try to put your emotions on the backburner and instead focus on what matters in terms of the stocks that you’re weighing up. That way, you’ll make better investing decisions.

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A Narrow Portfolio

Portfolios are always more successful when you make them a bit more broad and diversified. You will find that when stocks do fail you unexpectedly, it won’t matter so much because your portfolio will be diverse and able to cope with one or two failures if other stocks are doing well for you. So try to make your portfolio wider and more diverse as soon as you can.

The Herd Mentality

Following the herd never serves you well when you want to make money as an investor. Of course, it can be tempting. When everyone is heading in one direction, it seems to make sense to follow them. But there are many reasons why the herd develops, and it’s often not because that’s where the money is. You should stick to your strategy rather than following the herd.

As you can see, there are so many reasons why people fail when they start investing. It’s something that you can avoid if you take the right steps, so don’t assume that past investing failure means that you’ll be condemned to failure in the future too. It’s not as complicated as you think.

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If you have just decided to buy a derelict home and don’t know where to start modernizing and beautifying it, you have your job cut out for the next few months. Whether there is a special charm in the building itself or you fell in love with the surroundings, you will have to make the space (interior and exterior) work for you. From checking the wiring to improving the curb appeal, you will have to pay attention to several details to get your renovation project right. Below you will find a few tips to get started.

1.Safety 

While it is common that realtors provide you with a property check and survey before you would buy the house, you will need to look out for risks once you are in the position to claim the real estate. With old buildings come certain hazards, such as pests, especially if the house was left empty for a long time. You will need to get a professional deep cleaning and disinfection company to take care of chemical and bacterial hazards. You have to get the electric and heating system tested for damage and leaks, so you don’t end up with some nasty surprises when starting to work there.

2. Energy Sources

The next thing you need to check out is energy sources. There might be an outdated oil furnace that will have to be replaced. You have to choose your energy sources carefully. If you are far from the main road and other houses, you might not get access to mains natural gas, and have to either get a tank installed, or use renewable energy sources. This might be the right time to get wind turbines and solar panels installed, so you can be self sufficient and have a reliable source of energy without having to pay companies for access.

3. Heating and Air Conditioning

If you moved into a derelict home, you might find that the heating and air conditioning system is either non existent or outdated. You will have to talk to a contractor about your options. Keeping the old AGA going might be tempting, but once you have the first bill, you will find out that it is not the best idea after all. Invest in a modern and efficient heating and air conditioning system. If you bought the real estate in a moderate climate area, you might want to give air pumps a thought.

4. Weather Damage

It is also important that you look out for weather damage and make sure that you don’t have huge cracks in the walls. When winter comes and the house is not heated, loads of structural changes can take place that you need to address if you want to safely enjoy your new home. There might be warped windows and doors that you have to change. You can shop around to find the right Replacement Windows so you can improve the energy efficiency and the look of your home at the same time.

5. Roof

One of the most common problems with derelict homes is leaks in the roof. If you decided to buy old instead of investing your money in a new built, you need to be prepared for this issue. If you need a new roof, you need to treat this as a priority, as you will want to keep the water out of the house. However, leaks on the roof are only a part of the problem. If you have old pipes and gutters that are leaking into your walls, you will have to get them replaced at the same time as your roof. Choose a system that is easy to install and comes with at least 15 years guarantee, so you can rest assured you don’t have to touch the drainpipes and gutter for a long time.

6. Insulation

Image via Mari Madriz

Of course, insulation technology has improved a lot in recent years. If you would like to make sure that you don’t have to put up with a cold home in the winter, it is important that you add some secondary insulation to the house. From Polycell rolls to insulating sheets that can be fitted on the wall and decorated later using wallpaper or plasterboards. You shouldn’t forget about floor insulation, either. You lose a lot of heat through the roof and the floor, so pay attention to these problematic areas.

7. Curb Appeal

Image via Rafaela Biazi

Once the house is livable, waterproof, and comfortable, you will have to start focusing on the curb appeal. If you have old and cracked stairs and rails, you will have to fix this. Give your new home a coat of paint. If you have cladding installed, make sure that you use a weatherproof paint that helps you preserve the condition of the wood. In case the house is built of bricks and has exterior paint coating, try a weatherproof and paintable solution, such as Rhinoshield.

8. Landscaping

Image via Florian van Duyn

Once the house looks like someone owns it, it might be time to take care of the garden. If you have a front yard, you might want to opt for easy maintenance solutions, such as paving stones and slabs. To add colors, you can have a couple of stone planters that you can fill with seasonal flowers. Chances are that you will have a lot of work to complete before you can feel at home in the backyard. Get a contractor to level the ground and lay the turf, fix the fencing, and add a patio. Talk to a landscape designer to get help with designing your rustic garden that will match the style of your new home.

Whether you are interested in creating something beautiful or decided to repurpose an old chapel and turn it into a unique home, you will need to pay attention to the details. Start with the basics, such as waterproofing and insulating the house, and move onto the smaller tasks, such as decorating the front and the back garden or painting the exterior, so you can move in as soon as possible.

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Once you start your own business, set up a new side hustle, or launch a career as a freelancer, you will find that you become heavily reliant on your laptop. It will be the main tool that you use for work; without it, there would be no way of making any money!

So, as you can probably tell, any downtime due to issues and problems with your laptops can prove to be very expensive for you. Not only will you need to probably pay an IT professional to take a look at your laptop and try to fix it, but it will also mean that you will be out of action for a period of time. No work means no money, so you could see your income damaged by all this downtime.

If you are worried about the potential damage that downtime could cause to your income, you might want to make a note of these ways you can try and minimize it.

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Get The Laptop Insured

It’s super important to insure your laptop. That way, you should receive a payout if the machine ever gets damaged or breaks in an accident. There are lots of companies that will insure your laptop, but it’s worth checking your home’s content insurance before you take out a new company as some content insurance will also cover laptops.

Save So You Can Always Afford A Replacement

There will be some cases in which your insurer refuses to payout to replace or fix your broken laptop. So, just to be on the safe side, it’s worth saving up so that you always have enough money in the bank to buy a replacement laptop as soon as you need one.

Keep An Old Laptop Handy

When you do come to replace your laptop, don’t be so hasty as to throw it out! If there is still some life in it, it is worth keeping it as a spare. You can then dig it out of your cupboard and start to work on it if your newer model starts to display some issues or gets accidently damaged. The old laptop may not be perfect, but it will help you continue to make some money as long as it is still usable.

Find An IT Support Firm

It’s always a good idea to find some outsourced IT support services so that you know who to call as soon as you notice some problems with your laptop. Most of these types of firms will have a helpline that you can call and then speak to someone who can help you get your laptop up and running again. If that doesn’t work, they should be able to send someone out to take a look at your machine.

Get Things Checked As Soon As Possible

Don’t delay if you do notice an issue with your laptop. If you do wait too long, the problem could develop to the point where it is unfix-able. So, get it checked in the early stages when the issue should be cheap and easy to fix.

Hopefully, you don’t need to worry about downtime again!

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Think of a skill you really want to master. Imagine how you’ll feel when you get it down. What will you be able to do? What direction could life take you in? How happy would you feel? Imagine if you could feel that way in a matter of months. Wanting to develop as a person is great, but actually taking the steps to learn new skills and things is a must – you aren’t going to wish them into existence. The time will pass anyway, so you may as well start working on that skill right now!

Here are some pointers you can use to master any skill in a master of months:

Come Up With A Solid Plan

First of all, you need a solid plan. What do you think you need to do to begin mastering this skill? How will you get started? It doesn’t have to be too detailed, but you should write it down. Do some research if possible on the resources out there that can help you to get to where you want to be.

Break It Down Into Baby Steps

The skill may seem overwhelming at first, which is why you should break it down into baby steps. Rather than looking at it as one big task that you have to master, instead, look at it as lots of smaller tasks. This should make it appear more manageable to you. Providing you work your way through the steps each day, you will quickly begin learning the skill you’ve wanted to master for so long.

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Start Teaching Yourself

You don’t need to go and pay for a class or take a course. You can start teaching yourself the skill. There are sites like YouTube that offer free instructional videos, and you can even find free courses online to help you. Sites like Easyukulelesongs.com are designed to give people free resources so they can teach themselves things themselves. Remember; start small! If it’s an instrument you want to play, work on mastering one chord or note for a week. Just one. Easy!

Get Lessons Or A Mentor

When you feel like you’re struggling to progress on your own, get lessons or a mentor. There are plenty out there, so make sure you do your research and find one that’s well suited to you. Some will offer free sessions!

Practice Every Single Day

You need to practice every single day, especially if you want to master a skill in a few months. Do it and commit to it, even if it means getting up early or going to bed late.

Know That Your Progress Will Not Be Linear

Don’t be disheartened if you feel like you’ve mastered something one day then lost it the next. Your progress will not be linear. That’s completely normal! However, your progress will improve over time, so just enjoy the journey and do your best.

You can master any skill in a matter of months; you just need to believe that you can do it!