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Every Little Bit Helps: How to Save on Your Next Kitchen Renovation

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Your kitchen is a crucial part of your home. It’s where you spend family time, entertain guests, and cook and share meals. You want it to feel like home, which means you want it to look updated and modern, with touches of your personality. If your kitchen doesn’t feel this way, you probably want to renovate it, but are scared of the steep prices. When you’re renovating a kitchen, the cost can feel like an investment in your home that’s out of reach. But the good news is that there are ways to completely change the way expenses look while you renovate your kitchen. There are ways to reduce the cost without sacrificing quality or function. The key is planning ahead and anticipating all costs of the renovation. This can save you big bucks without making you put up with a kitchen that is far from your liking for years to come. Here are some tips for how to save money during a kitchen renovation:

Ask for quotes from multiple contractors

The average cost of a kitchen renovation ranges from $11,000 to $35,000. This doesn’t include the cost of the appliances, which can easily add another $7,000 to $10,000 to the bill. But there are ways to reduce the upfront cost of a renovation and get a better final product for your dollar. The first way to do this is to ask for multiple quotes from different contractors. Don’t just ask one contractor for a quote. Shop around a little bit and check out your options. Although there are no laws requiring contractors to disclose their rates, most will give you a ballpark estimate if asked. What you’re after is an apples-to-apples comparison of contractor rates. Get estimates from two or three contractors, and compare the costs for the types of materials and services you want. Then you can decide who you want to do your renovations through based on quality and cost, instead of just putting blind faith into one company.

Consider renovating in phases

If you’re renovating your kitchen, it’s likely you have a budget. The trick is to stay within that budget while still getting everything you want. One way to do that is to break the renovation into multiple phases. This will immediately stress some readers out. It is, obviously, much more satisfying to complete the renovation as quickly as possible and has a big reveal worthy of Chip and Joanna Gaines, but a lot of the time this just isn’t practical. Consider dicing the renovation up into phases and saving money for the next phase in between. The first phase might include cabinetry. You could do the appliances for the next phase. That way, you have time to recover from the cost of the cabinetry before paying for new appliances and installation. Then, when you feel financially comfortable, you can start the next project like flooring. It might not be as immediately satisfying, but it will help tremendously in the financial long run.

Shop around for your appliances and materials

When it comes time to shop for your appliances and materials, don’t just walk into the first store you see. In fact, you should probably avoid big-box stores as much as possible. Big-box stores often offer low prices on appliances and materials, but they get their savings by cutting corners on quality. You want a high-quality product that will last. If you travel to several stores to compare prices, you are much more likely to get a high-quality appliance that doesn’t break the bank. You can also shop around for better prices online. There are many online retailers that are able to offer lower prices because they don’t have to pay for overhead.

Sell as much of your old kitchen as possible

Finally, when you’re renovating your kitchen, you can save a lot of money if you sell some of your old kitchens. This is the most commonly overlooked way to save money during renovations overall, not just in the kitchen. Contractors are always looking for cheap sources of used materials. Sometimes, they’ll even pay individual homeowners such as yourself for the items that you’re getting rid of. You can sell scrap lumber and metal, as well as your old tiles and ceramics. Your appliances are great items to consider reselling as well. There are online platforms that will tell you who buys old refrigerators near you. You can also consider posting your materials on a buy/sell/trade Facebook group in your town, listing them on Craigslist, or offering them to friends, family, and neighbors.

How To Be Financially Ready For A Baby

A baby is an exciting prospect, and holding your own child is like nothing else in the world. Yet there is a lot of preparation to be done beforehand, and most of it comes down to your finances. Being financially prepared before the arrival of your baby means that you won’t have to worry, and you can really enjoy the experience rather than being distracted by money troubles all the time. Here are some of the ways to be ready financially when your baby arrives. 

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Speak To Your Employer 

Not all women are guaranteed to be paid any form of maternity money when they take time off to have a baby, and it is important that you know this as early in your pregnancy as possible – or perhaps even before you start trying for a baby. Knowing whether or not you can take paid leave is crucial because it will make all the difference when it comes to how much you need to put to one side. 

If you’re concerned about talking to your employer, check your contract to see what it says – there should be a section that deals with exactly this situation. If not, you should seek expert advice because your contract may not be valid. Whatever the outcome, knowing how much (if anything) you will be paid when you are taking time off with your baby is hugely important. 

Make A Budget 

It is also important to know how much money you are going to be spending on your new baby. There are some things that are absolutely necessary from the start, and these include:

When they are old enough you can get some fabulous gifts that will really last at EasyTot, saving you money in the long run as they won’t have to be replaced. 

When you are making your budget, it’s a good idea to look into life insurance too. If anything should happen to you, having the best term life insurance you can get – ideally one that would pay off your mortgage – is crucial for the financial security of your baby.

Start Saving 

The earlier you start saving for your baby’s arrival, the better. Put whatever you can spare into a savings account, ideally with a high-yield interest rate, and you will be a lot more comfortable when you can no longer work, and your income is no longer coming in (assuming you don’t get any maternity pay). 

Sell What You Don’t Need 

If you need to gain some extra money and you want to free up some space for your baby’s new things, you can sell the items in your home that you don’t need anymore. There are a number of different ways to do this, such as selling online or at a garage sale. Put the money you make into your savings fund, and it will soon grow. Don’t sell things you are going to need or that mean a lot to you unless it’s absolutely necessary, but this is the ideal time to really take an objective look around your home and de-clutter while also making some cash. 

Think About Childcare

Parents-to-be always have to make a hard choice. If one of you stays home, your combined income goes down, but if you both go to work, you may have to pay for childcare, which can be expensive.

Obviously, you could avoid this cost if you have family in the area or friends who are willing to watch your kids. But for those who can’t do this, it’s best to make plans ahead of time. Ask around about local nurseries and babysitters so you can get an idea of what’s out there and how much it will cost. There may also be waiting lists, so if you do your research now, you’ll be ready when the baby comes.

As a side note, even if one of you plans to stay at home for much longer than the first year, you should still think about childcare if you don’t have family or friends who can watch the child. Taking care of a baby or toddler all day, every work day is a great way to get to know them better, but it can also be hard to handle. Even a half day of child care once a week can help a parent who stays home with their kids get some rest.

4 Ways to Feel Your Best In Your Retirement Years

Your retirement years can be the best years of your life, but that won’t automatically be the case. You’ll need to make it happen. After a lifetime of work, it can take a little bit of time to get used to life without the constraints of employment. But it’s important that you do so — you only live once, after all! Plus, no one ever regrets living their best life in retirement. People only regret the opposite. In this blog, we’ll look at some useful tips for ensuring your golden years are the best of your life. 

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Dream Big 

Now’s the time to dream big. You can dream big when you’re working, but mostly only in a career sense. Now you’ve got the time to explore other sides of your being. If you’re struggling to come up with ideas of how you should spend your retirement, begin by asking yourself, “what’s the best possible life I could lead”? You might find that your top choice isn’t realistic for whatever reason, but no worries, then you can just move down until you see something that is realistic. It’s good to be ambitious at all times, and retirement is no different.

Get Moving

It’s easy to fall into a static way of living. Many people end up staying at home much more than they’d like to in their retirement years, and it’s not necessarily through choice. If you feel yourself getting stuck in a rut, then get moving. When you’re not sure of where to go or what to do, moving in just about any direction will help you. You might have to stay outside of your comfort a little, but that’s fine — in fact, it’s recommended that you do that. You never know where it might take you!

Take Care Of Your Body

If your body is in good shape, then you’ll find it’s much easier to live your best life. You’ll have energy and confidence in yourself, and those two things put together can be a powerful force. There are a million ways to take care of your body. You might want to get a hair transplant or vaginal rejuvenation treatment or finally have surgery for an injury that you’ve been putting off. Or you might decide to invest in your wellbeing in other ways, such as by starting exercising or engaging in weekly yoga practice. It can take time for the benefits of those activities to arrive, but when they do, you’ll notice the impact. 

Keep an Open Mind 

Finally, remember to keep an open mind. We’re all prone to getting stuck in our ways, but that doesn’t mean that those ways are the best thing for us — there could be something better out there if we just look. Plus, by keeping an open mind, you’ll find that you’re able to have many more experiences than you otherwise would. You might end up seeing concerts that you’d previously ignored or try new hobbies that turn into your new passion.

Costs You Should Never Cut (Even When Times are Hard)

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Cutting your costs is a great way to save money or make ends meet when times are hard financially, but being frugal does not always mean cutting costs to the bone, and there are some things that you should avoid cutting at all if you want to take good care of your financial life, including the following:

Insurance

Okay, so you can definitely switch to a more affordable insurance provider in many cases, and it is sensible to do so, but you should never think about canceling your insurance policies to save money because it is a decision that is highly likely to come back on you in the future, particularly if it is health or pet insurance. Insurance protects you when things go wrong, so you should look to make cuts in any other area you can before you let your circumstances affect your insurance policies.

Security

If you live in an area where crime is a concern, taking precautions like installing a telephone intercom and having a manned security system in place are a good way to keep safe, You might be tempted to not bother with them because it is an expense you can do without, but if it means you lose your peace of mind, and potentially your safety, it is definitely not worth it.

Healthy food

Eating healthy food helps to keep you fit and healthy so you can keep working, live longer, and hopefully not need medical treatment. This means that it is a net benefit to you that will likely save you a lot of money over the years. So, if you can, try to avoid cutting spending on healthy food and find other areas, like unnecessary subscriptions where you can make cuts instead. That is not to say that you cannot look at finding healthy groceries at lower prices, but do not do so at the expense of your nutrition.

The Internet

You might think getting rid of the internet is a good way to cut down on your costs, but if you have any other choice, keep your internet subscription in place. Why? Because these days everything from banking to applying for jobs is often done online, it is no longer an essential but a utility, and without it, you would struggle to do things as well as other people. Not only that, but the internet can be a good source of frugal information and bargains in its own right, so if you use it properly., it will undoubtedly save you time and money over the years. It really is that simple. So, switch to a cheaper provider, yes, but do not turn it off completely.

Cutting costs when they are non-essential or when they really do constitute a saving is sensible, but as you can see, it is not always the smartest move to make in a number of important areas. So, in your quest to be more frugal, always remember to think carefully, be smart, and only sacrifice things that it truly makes sense to do so.

Simple Steps To Cut Your Food Bill Today

With the rising cost of nearly every food item having a drastic impact on the average weekly grocery bill, it’s never been more important to learn some handy tricks that can help you cut the cost of eating well. Fortunately, this guide contains some of the most effective ideas that you can make the most of to cut your food bill today, so if you’re interested in learning more, then simply read on!

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Buy Your Favorite Ingredients In Bulk 

Do you and your family absolutely love pasta, or can you not get enough of fried foods, coated in breadcrumbs and crisped in oil? Then buying in bulk could certainly be a great option to help you save cash, as there are so many food items that you can purchase in larger quantities which work out to be cheaper overall. For example, it’s far more affordable to buy 5 kilograms of rice than it would be to purchase lots of 500-gram packets, as there is less packaging and many manufacturers offer a better deal when you want to buy a bigger amount. Make sure that you only ever stock up on ingredients that aren’t going to go out of date very easily, such as oils, seasonings, canned foods, jars (preserves, sauces, etc), baking items (flour; breadcrumbs, etc ), as you can safely store these in your pantry without having to worry about them going to waste too quickly. You can also buy frozen foods in bulk to save cash too, as it’s generally much more affordable to buy a big packet of frozen chicken breasts than it would be to find a much smaller fresh version. Bulk is always best when you’re looking to cut the cost of your grocery bill!

Find Cost-Cutting Recipes 

There are lots of cost-cutting recipes that you can explore to save money on your food bill without having to forfeit taste. You might be wondering how to make chicken Parmesan on a budget, but thankfully you needn’t have to fork out for a meal at your local Italian restaurant to enjoy your favorite dish – there are so many cheap recipes for every kind of cuisine when you can just take the time to seek them out! Taking the time to find affordable recipes online could transform your weekly grocery bill, and you’ll even gain the opportunity to expand your skills in the kitchen too – what’s not to love?! It can be a good idea to find a few recipes that feature a couple of key ingredients, as this way you can buy them in bulk as mentioned above to save even more cash. 

Cutting your food bill has never been such a simple task when you can take the opportunity to utilize some of the brilliant tips and ideas that have been carefully detailed above, so what are you waiting for? Get out there and transform the cost of your grocery shopping today for the sake of your bank balance!

Sell Your Home For The Right Price In A Tough Market

Currently, the housing market is healthy. This will depend on where you live, but it’s true for most places. However, experts aren’t predicting that’s going to be the case one year from now. Next summer could be a completely different story. That’s why it’s important to know how to sell a home in a less than desirable market for the right price. Here are some suggestions we recommend. 

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Photography 

When it comes to making your home look amazing, it is incredibly important to photograph it well. You can do this yourself, however, there are professional housing photographers that can do a much better job. Usually, if you are selling your home through a realtor, they will know someone who will photograph your home. The difference between you doing the photography and an actual photographer will be the lighting and the high-tech camera. This is able to see past any imperfections and you will have potential buyers queuing up at the door. 

The Home Touches 

It is all about how you make your home look and feel. You don’t want your home to be so tidy it ends up looking like a show home. Potential buyers are always looking for a home that is well-looked after and appears lived in. There are small touches you can make to your home to make it more appealing to buyers. You can make sure the garden is ship-shaped with the addition of some beautiful flowers. 

Landscaping 

You might also want to consider options such as landscaping. Remember, first impressions count when you are selling a property. The first impression that they receive, with the exception of pictures, will always be the outside. So, you need to make sure that you are putting your best foot forward here. One of the ways that you can do this is by getting a landscaper to completely reinvent your yard and ensure that it looks absolutely incredible. Of course, you do need to be wary of the budget. You don’t want to spend more than you’re going to get back from a final sale figure. 


Staging 

First, you should think about staging your property the right way. Home staging is a critical service for people interested in selling their homes. It essentially presents your home in the right light with experts suggesting that it could add as much as 20% to the value of your property. You can stage your home without help however it can be worth hiring a professional. They’ll see things that you won’t because they’ll be looking at your home from an outsider’s perspective. 

Staging might cost a little money. However, you will always get back more than you’ll ever need to spend in this area. 

We hope this helps you understand how to sell your home when the real estate market isn’t quite as lively and vibrant as you might like. By exploring the right options here, you can avoid a situation where you end up losing money that you might need to buy your next property

How to Save Money on Groceries

In today’s economy, saving money on groceries is more important than ever. It can be challenging to do, but with a little bit of effort, you can almost cut your grocery bill in half. This blog post will discuss some tips and tricks for saving money on groceries and also provide a few examples of how to save money on specific items. Follow these tips, and you will be able to save a lot of money on your next grocery bill!

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Plan your meals in advance

This may seem like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised how many people do not plan their meals in advance. By taking the time to plan your meals, you can make sure that you are only buying the ingredients that you need and not wasting money on things that you will not use.

Meal planning can also help you save money by allowing you to take advantage of sales and coupons. For example, if you know what you are going to be eating for the week, you can look for sales on those items and stock up. This will save you a lot of money in the long run. There are a ton of great resources out there for meal planning, so take advantage of them!

Search online

The internet is an excellent resource for finding deals on groceries. Before you head to the store, take a few minutes to search online for “lamb chops near me” for example. You would be surprised how much money you can save just by doing a little bit of research.

There are also a number of websites and apps that can help you save money on groceries. These sites and apps will allow you to compare prices at different stores and find the best deals. This is a great way to make sure that you are getting the most bang for your buck. While it may take a little bit of extra time, searching for deals online is definitely worth it if you want to save money on groceries.

Buy in bulk

If you have the storage space, buying in bulk can be a great way to save money on groceries. This is especially true for items that you use frequently or that have a long shelf life. By buying in bulk, you can get a lower price per unit and save yourself a lot of money in the long run. Just make sure that you are only buying in bulk if you will actually use the items before they expire. There is no point in saving money if the food ends up going bad before you can eat it!

In conclusion, there are a number of ways that you can save money on groceries. By following the tips in this blog post, you will be well on your way to saving a lot of money on your next grocery bill. Do not be afraid to get creative and think outside the box when it comes to saving money.