{Money} Finding Investment Opportunities

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If you want to make serious money then the best way to do so is through investing. However, with so many opportunities at our disposal, it is often difficult to decipher which will be the most effective and, of course, profitable. Fortunately, there are a whole host of investment opportunity finding companies waiting to help us with this problem. In fact, it is a service which has become exceedingly popular as of late.

Nevertheless, it is absolutely vital that you opt for the best investment opportunity finder for you. After all, this is something in which a lot of your money will be potentially be pumped into. Therefore, there are certain criteria, elements, and qualities you should look for when deciding which investment company will be the best for you.

The first thing you need to consider is the experience of the company. This is not an industry in which mistakes can easily be brushed under the carpet. You need to find a company with many years of experience under their belt, as this ensures that they have a vast range of market knowledge and the capacity and experience to deal with absolutely anything.

In addition to experience, you need to find out whether previous clientele has been happy with the service they received or not. This will give you a huge indication as to whether the company has a credible reputation amongst investors. To do this you merely need to search online, via search engines and forum websites. If people have been unhappy with their experience with the investment finder in question, then they will be more than happy to voice it.

Furthermore, you also need to look at the areas in which the company specialises. A good company will have a portfolio on their website, and one that is easy to access at that. Here they will display the areas they operate in and how they have been successful. A good portfolio is one which showcases an array of investments, as it displays their range and capability. For instance, if they deal with property investments, do they provide investment opportunities overseas or only in the US? Do they have links with quality estate agents like William Pitt so they can bring the best deals? If they deal with investments overseas it shows that they have more contacts, more world knowledge and more opportunities at your disposal.

A final note to consider is obviously the price that the investment opportunity finder company charges. It is important to do your research and see in general what these sorts of businesses charge their clients. Try to hit somewhere in the middle; not too cheap, but not too expensive. This is because if you risk going for the cheapest company you have a chance to experience a lack of quality and a lack of service. However, on the other hand, there is no need to pay extortionate amounts of money, as this defeats the object.

{Money} How Much Is Your Home Costing You?

*This post contains affiliate links to essential oils and other products I talk about in the post. Purchasing them here from my blog is no extra cost to you but I do earn a commission that helps in the cost of running this blog. Thanks for your support! Read full disclaimer here.
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If there's one thing that is a greater cause of stress and anxiety for more people than just about anything else, it has to be money. The old saying that money makes the world go round might be a cliche but that doesn't mean that it isn't true. The truth is that there are very few things that you can do without money. In fact, even being able to keep a roof over your head is often one of the most expensive things that you have to deal with. But that raises an important question: how much is your home costing you, and what can you do to bring those costs down?

Rent/mortgage

The most significant and obvious payments that you're going to be making for your home are the rent or mortgage payments. Actually keeping a roof over your head is the most expensive thing but it's just something that we all have to deal with. There are plenty of arguments on both sides in terms of renting or buying but there are certain things that you can do to bring down the costs in both cases. One of the most common is downsizing. A smaller home with fewer rooms might be a little less convenient but it sure is likely to save you a lot of money in the long run.

Insurance

Your rent or mortgage payments might be the first thing that you think of when you think about what your home is costing you but they certainly aren't the only ones. You also need to think about things like your home insurance cost. Home insurance is one of those things that you might not think you need but is essential if anything happens in your home. However, being able to find a policy that brings those payments down as much as possible is always a good idea. Don't just take the first offer you find, do your research and find the best possible policy for you.

Energy

You also need to think about the cost of your utilities. If you're not paying attention to how much energy you're using you could accidentally end up in a position where you're stuck paying a huge amount of money that you weren't expecting. Solving this problem often involves a lot of small and simple things like making sure to turn lights off when you're not in the room and not having your heating running all day long. They're little things but they really can make a big difference to your energy bills.

One of the most important things to remember is that, if you find that your home is really eating into your finances to the point where you're struggling to cope, there are always places that you can turn for support. From benefits to charities to the people around you, there's nothing wrong with needing to reach out for a little bit of help when your bank balance is really in trouble. It's far better to do that than let your pride get the best of you until you end up unable to afford your home at all.

{LIFE} Taking Some Mom Time: Finding Your Balance Between Household And Haven

*This post contains affiliate links to essential oils and other products I talk about in the post. Purchasing them here from my blog is no extra cost to you but I do earn a commission that helps in the cost of running this blog. Thanks for your support! Read full disclaimer here. Being a busy mom and running your household successfully is always going to be a fulltime job. Whether you head out to an office during the day, or not, there’ll always be something to do on your mind. Your list of daily tasks might seem never ending, because, ultimately, you want to ensure that your family are as happy as they can be. However, like most moms, you’ll probably be putting everyone else’s needs before your own, on a regular basis. While this is perfectly normal, and your actions will only come from the love you have for everyone under your roof; it’s crucial that you ensure you prioritize some time for yourself too. Everyone (and, moms more than most) needs some time out to clear their head, unwind, and recharge so that they can carry-on with plenty of pep in their step.

Fortunately, there are plenty of simple things you can do to ensure that you’ve allocated some mom-time. Better yet, momtime can consist of pretty much anything that you want, as long as you enjoy it, and it allows you to ease the stresses of running your beautiful household and raising your family. You’ll need time to clear your head, relax, and recharge, without the distraction of what you need to grab from the supermarket and who needs picking-up from their after school activities this week. The following are some ideas, inspiration, and advice, for busy moms who need to schedule in more time for themselves so that they can get a regular boost to take on family life.

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Book-In A Bath

Next time you’re bathing your little ones, or you’re cleaning the bathroom; work out an hour or so, when you can enjoy a good soak in your tub and a pamper session (and, make sure it’s a regular occurance). It can be a challenge to remember than your bathroom is just as much yours, as everyone else’s, and you can utilize it to unwind and relax, and not just for a quick shower each day. Make sure everyone in the house knows when it’s time to leave you to it, and not disturb. Pamper yourself from head to toe; you can treat yourself to a face mask and some new bath oils or bubbles. Pop a clean, fluffy towel on the rail so that you can sink into comfort with your fresh skin, clean ears, and shiny hair. You can continue by taking some time to paint your nails, style your hair, and moisturizing your skin. Indulge in things that you’re unable to do each morning due to time constraints, and really make the most of it. You’ll not only be feeling fresh, hygienic, and clean, but, your body will be at ease, and your mind will be feeling relaxed. If you find it a challenge to fully switch-off; distract yourself with a great book or magazine, or watch a couple of Netflix shows that your partner just isn’t that into. Remember, it’s your time; you can enjoy whatever you want. You’ll sleep well, and wake-up feeling refreshed, confident, and positive about your days ahead.

Get Out Of The House

A change of scene is important for everyone. So, even a couple of hours in a fresh setting, away from your usual chores and jobs, is a great way to reset and ensure that your health and wellbeing are taken care-of. It doesn’t matter if it’s during the day, or evening, if your go alone, or meet-up with a friend or more; just make sure that it’s scheduled-in, the kids are being looked-after, and you can do it on a regular basis. Heading out for a walk in your local park, before grabbing a coffee, is a simple, yet effective way to get a change of scene, and enjoy some quality mom-time. Again, there’s always the option to take something to read, or you can utilize that time to catch-up with friends or family members you’ve missed so that switching-off and focusing on something else is a breeze. Setting a date to go for dinner or watch a movie will give you something to look forward to; you’ll be able to change your outfit, and your scenery so that you’re breaking-up the routine, and things won’t get mundane anytime soon. Ensuring that you have your own time and space to breathe, away from your daily responsibilities, will ensure that you’re given enough of a boost to tackle whatever a busy family life has to throw at you. Therefore, always make an effort, with yourself, you totally deserve it!

{Moving} 6 Tips To Help You Sell Your Home Faster

*This post contains affiliate links to essential oils and other products I talk about in the post. Purchasing them here from my blog is no extra cost to you but I do earn a commission that helps in the cost of running this blog. Thanks for your support! Read full disclaimer here.

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Selling your home is never easy, but when you have to sell up and move house quite quickly, the process becomes that much more stressful. From new jobs across the country to babies on the way, there are so many reasons why someone would want to sell their home fast. Whatever yours may be, the very idea of it can leave you feeling overwhelmed and powerless. Thankfully, however, you’re not. To help speed your sale along a little, here are six things that you can do.  

Work With A Professional

Selling a house is a costly and complicated process. Although it is possible to do so yourself, you’ll find you struggle a lot more than necessary, and could even make mistakes that delay your sale even further. For this reason, it’s vital that you work with someone who knows what they’re doing. Not all realtors are created equal, though, so be sure you choose one with great referrals.

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Clear Out Your Clutter

Cluttered homes look small and uncared for, putting off any potential buyers. For this reason, you should get rid of anything you no longer want or need. You may also want to buy multipurpose furniture, like the ottomans and sofas at https://shopdiscountdirect.com/. Viewers will want to see the storage in your home, so storing your things elsewhere means it can be seen easily.

Make Important Home Improvements

A few dents or cracks here or there may not bother you too much, but, to potential buyers, they can sound alarm bells. Because of this, you should make a list of repairs or home improvements you need to make and get them completed before you start to accept viewings. That being said, many home improvements aren’t worth the money, so consider yours carefully before you begin.

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Conduct A Deep Clean

Unsurprisingly, clean homes tend to sell a lot quicker than those covered in dust and grime. With that in mind, you should spend a few days cleaning your house from top to bottom. Be sure you see to every nook and cranny, including cupboards and built-in storage. Once this is finished, try to keep your house in this state so that it is always ready for a surprise viewing.

List In The Spring

People will buy houses all year round, but, as explained at https://hoa.org.uk/, most prefer to do so in the spring. This is because the weather is quite nice and potential buyers haven’t yet set off on their summer vacations. For this reason, you’ll probably sell your home a lot quicker if you list it sometime during or just before March and April.

Leave Them To It

There’s nothing worse than trying to get a good look at someone’s home when they’re following you into every room. You feel uncomfortable and don’t want to spend another minute there. Because of this, you should ensure that you’re out of the house when viewings take place. Be available close by to answer questions, but leave the showing around to your real estate agent.

Selling your home quickly can be stressful and challenging, but, with the tips above, you should be able to make the process a little easier.

{Parenting} The Ups And Downs Of Raising Kids In An Apartment

*This post contains affiliate links to essential oils and other products I talk about in the post. Purchasing them here from my blog is no extra cost to you but I do earn a commission that helps in the cost of running this blog. Thanks for your support! Read full disclaimer here.
When most of us pictured how we raised a family; when our imaginations wandered in our childhood years it’s likely that we pictured a house in the suburbs with a picket fence. We imagined a lush, verdant lawn, a tree with a threadbare treehouse nestled in the branches, a backyard littered with brightly colored toys and maybe even a trampoline. We imagined a spacious drive with two cars and a garage big enough to accommodate at least one of them. Pretty much the house from The Simpsons. However, when our kids come along, they don’t necessarily wait for us to be ready. In a post-crisis economy there are some couples who simply cannot afford the kind of spacious suburban house they may have grown up in. Likewise there will always be some parents who are not ready to give up the convenience of urban living.
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There are many reasons why you may want to raise your kids in an apartment. You may not be ready to give up your trendy urban lifestyle in a cool development like Duo Residences. Your income (especially on maternity pay) simply may not be conducive to moving into a larger and more family friendly property. While it may not be the parenthood you imagined in your childhood it can still be every ounce the magical, wonderful and (let’s face it) hectic experience that all parents enjoy. Let’s take a look at some of the ups and downs of raising kids in an apartment…

Your kids will rarely ever be lonely
In an era where we see so many young people walking through major conurbations with their faces buried in some device or other, it’s vital that we raise our kids with social skills. They need to be able to interact with people in the real world as well as the digital realm. The great thing about apartment living is that you rarely ever get the opportunity to be lonely. While you can go weeks in the suburbs without seeing a neighbor, rarely a day goes past in an apartment building that you don’t get the chance to bump into and catch up with your fellow residents. This will get your youngster accustomed to meeting a wide range of different people and feeling comfortable conversing with strangers.

Young kids are never far from your line of sight
It’s a wonderful thing when your baby begins crawling on their own. However, it can quickly become terrifying when you realize the speed (and abandon) with which they can propel themselves. New Moms are forever paranoid that their little ones may crawl out of their sight, down the stairs, out the house and straight into a Baby’s Day Out kind of scenario. The great thing about living in an apartment is that usually your space is all on one floor. This means that there are fewer nooks and crannies in which kids can escape from your view affording you more peace of mind.

You live in constant fear that your neighbors will complain
Raising kids is incredibly difficult to do quietly. They’re little bundles of potential energy and that energy needs to be released. Unfortunately, this energy can’t be released by sitting quietly and reading a book. It usually needs to be run or jumped or screamed out. As a result, moms who live in an apartment live in constant fear that they might get angry neighbors knocking on the door at any moment. Every time the baby cries they fear that someone will call the cops and report them for being a negligent monster. Every time the little one engages in a rambunctious play session in the hall they fear that the stomping and yelling will result in an eviction notice.

Of course, the reality is that most neighbors are patient and understanding and appreciate that kids need an opportunity to be kids.

There’s never enough space!
One of the most frustrating things about raising kids in an apartment is that there’s never enough space. It can feel like life is an endless game of Tetris as you constantly strive to find optimal placed in which to store your belongings and the metric tonne of stuff that’s necessary for raising kids.

This can quickly lead to clutter which is the enemy of mental health for a busy and house proud parent. Fortunately, there are many ways in which you can combat this. Going zero waste can take some time but it can also prevent the piling up of garbage that can accumulate in the kitchen. Likewise putting up some handy wall shelves may take some doing but it can free up a great deal of floorspace. Investing in furniture with built-in storage is also essential when living with kids in an apartment.
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Your kids won’t become couch potatoes because there’s always something to do!
The great thing about living in apartment is that unlike many suburban kids your children will not be tempted to become couch potatoes who spend all of their waking hours with their eyes glued to a screen. There’s always something to do and when you feel a little cabin fevered in your apartment it can be your great excuse to get active with your kids. If your apartment complex has a pool or ping pong ball table this can be a favorite place for your kids to burn off some of their jubilant energy. Likewise if you live in a major conurbation you have access to wonderful galleries, museums and parks.

There’s always somewhere awesome and free to take your kids, while suburban kids spend much of their time wandering aimlessly around malls.

You spend a lot, a lot of time cleaning the kitchen
They say that the kitchen is the heart of the home, but those who raise kids in apartments may not feel a whole lot of love for their compact kitchens. Not only can it be hard to store the cooking utensils and food necessary for raising healthy kids, it can also be a nightmare to keep it clean.

While raising kids in an apartment can have a lot of ups and downs, the same thing can be said of raising your kids… Just about anywhere! While your experience may differ from that of other parents don’t worry, you’re still giving your kids the rich and happy upbringing that they deserve!

{Health} How to Stay Energized When You're Run Off Your Feet

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Staying energized, when you have a million things on your to-do list and you’re already longing for a nap, isn’t easy. If you’re running around with your job, family, home life and much more, you may be wondering how you can get the energy to get everything done. It’s not easy, but here are a few things that may help you.

Learn from Your Body

You will have natural energy boosts throughout the day. Perhaps you’ll feel motivated after your morning shower or revitalized after your lunch. When you listen to your body, you’ll learn the cues it gives you when it comes to energy boosts. Try and plan around them. Leave the hard stuff for the times of the day when you know you’ll be most energized and plan your breaks around the times of day when you start to feel sluggish.

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Eat Right

The food we eat is our body’s fuel. If we’re feeding our bodies the wrong kinds of foods, they’ll be left feeling empty. Make sure you get a varied diet, so your body has the fuel it needs to energize you. Don’t go for caffeinated drinks when you need a pick me up and stay away from processed or sugary foods throughout the day (unless it’s fruit). When you need a quick energy boost, foods like bananas, eggs and carbohydrates will do the job.

Stay Well

When you’re run down, it’s easy to become ill when bugs are going around. If you do become ill, your energy levels will take a knock. Take care of yourself by making sure you get some down time and resting properly. You can boost your immune system by increasing your vitamin C intake and strengthening your body through exercise. This can protect you from the common cold, infections and ear conditions where you may end up having a hearing test for - you can learn more about it online.

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Exercise Your Senses

There are times where you’ll feel unenergized because you’re not making your senses do enough work. If you’re overtired but you’re forced to stare at a computer screen for another few hours in the hopes of achieving something, wake yourself up by stirring your senses. Burn some essentials oils so your sense of smell is heightened. Listen to some music if it helps you to concentrate. Rub your earlobes to awaken your sense of touch. The more you do, the more likely you are to get a surge of energy.

Power Nap

When all else fails, it could be that you really do just need a nap. Twenty minutes is ideal for boosting energy levels and recharging the body. If you’ve got some spare time during the day, don’t be afraid to take a quick nap where you can. Set your alarm so you don’t sleep longer than planned and don’t feel guilty about having to do it. When you wake up, you should feel a lot more refreshed and you’ll likely get a lot more done too.

Staying energized isn’t easy when you have a lot going on, but it isn’t impossible either.

{MOVING} How To Reduce The Stress Of Moving House

*This post contains affiliate links to essential oils and other products I talk about in the post. Purchasing them here from my blog is no extra cost to you but I do earn a commission that helps in the cost of running this blog. Thanks for your support! Read full disclaimer here.

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Moving house is a very exciting and fun time, but it can also be extremely stressful since there’s just so much to do and take care of and sometimes it genuinely feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done that needs to be done.

The good news is that it just doesn’t have to be this way, and you can get through the process of moving in a relatively calm and stress free way.

In this post, we’re going to share with you some very useful tips on how you can reduce the stress of moving house.

Have a plan:

Like everything else in life, if you leave things chaotic and disorganized then you’re just setting yourself up for nothing but a huge amount of stress, and this is really not something you need when trying to move house. When you know you’re going to be moving, then the first thing you need to do is make a plan. That can include everything from organizing the moving company, decorating the new place and even getting boxes together so that you can assign them to each room.

Get your paperwork organized:

Paperwork is something you’re going to be seeing and hearing a lot of during a move. Especially if you’re buying a place and you’ll be expected to have all the paperwork ready for the place you’re selling as well, so make sure you look this out in advance and keep everything organized in one, easy-to-find place, so that you can access it when needed because you’re definitely going to be needing it a lot throughout the process.

Fix up anything that needs done in the house:

If you’re planning to sell your house and want to make sure that it sells quickly, then a good way to increase your chances of that happening is to fix up any last minute things around the house that you’ve been putting off. Things like giving the living room a new coat of paint, fixing that leaky tap and replacing that door in the bedroom that’s looking a bit worn are all great ways to add value to your house that could make for a quicker sale.

Have a clearout:

It’s easy to find yourself stuck with years worth of stuff that you don’t really need or want anymore, and moving is the perfect excuse to have a huge clearout. The less stuff you have to move with you, the less stress you’ll find you have. So, if you want to get rid of all those old dresses you no longer wear or take a look through your stainless steel kitchen appliances and see which ones you really need, then this is the time to do it.

Call in help:

Moving is certainly not something you should be approaching on your own - especially not if you want a stress free move. Don’t be afraid to call in the help of friends, family, professionals and even neighbors if you have that kind of relationship with them to help you make the process a bit easier and less stressful