Putting Yourself In Their Shoes - However Uncomfortable They May Be!

As the times are changing, communication is better than ever. We can talk to somebody face-to-face using our phones, get in touch with people across the other side of the world in the click of a button and can walk along having a conversation with somebody using just an earpiece instead of making the phone.

This is great news for those who need to use this technological feat for work purposes. And as easy as it is for us to call another person, it is making our excuses easier for moving across the country - whether it be for business, pleasure or just a change of scenery and lifestyle.

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Are you taking everybody into consideration?

Apart from thinking about yourself and your spouse, who else have you thought that you may be impacting with your move? Forget about those that you are leaving behind - it is more likely the ones that you are taking with you who will be at the very least a bit shaken up by the whole ordeal. When you have children, their emotions are highly fragile and sensitive at such a tender time of their life. Have you prepared everything for them?

Make the move as simple as possible

The last thing that kids want to see when their lives are being turned upside down are the pillars of stability falling down with it. You are their main support whether you like it or not; don’t let the stress of the move get to you, or at least try not to show it. By having everything in place and in order, this will minimize any potential stress considerably. Especially with cross country moves, you’d be better off organizing everything to go in one go rather than zipping back and forth in an effort that could take days if not weeks to complete. Use a van courier and delivery driver to help take away some of work.

Reassure

You probably have a lot of life experiences to go off to help you on your new journey. Your children don’t, or at the very least won’t have as many. If this is their first big move then they are going to be away from their family, their friends and life as they know it. If you are moving from a city to the country or vice versa then it will be even harder an adjustment for them to make. Remember to constantly reassure that this is the right decision (even if it’s not!) and that everything will be okay; you could even reference the film Inside Out and play it to show that all can turn out right in the end. Let them know that they can visit ‘home’ any time and remain optimistic about it all - if there is even a hint of doubt or pessimism in your voice, they will pick up on it as they are looking for the worry to hold on to. Keep calm and collected and this will pass on to them too.

Bye Bye Hygge, Hello Lagom

Image by Elias from Pixabay

As we navigate our way through the gray, cold days of winter, embracing the Danish concept of hygge, a new Scandi concept is making its way to our consciousness. This time it’s the Swedes who are sharing their wisdom and smart ways of living.

Instead of leaning into cozy firelight, warm woolen socks, and mugs of hot chocolate, we say hello to lagom. Roughly translated lagom means ‘just the right amount,’ that is, not too little and not too much. This applies to everything from treats to cars and the weather. It equates to finding the right balance in our lives and achieving contentment. We leave excess and think about frugality and fairness. While hygge is about a fleeting sense of comfort and well-being, lagom is a way of life.

In Our Home

Embracing lagom in our homes means we can achieve a happy and balanced way of living. In order to do this, it isn’t necessary to be extravagant and spend lots of money.

Build Your Savings Without Struggling

It's vital when you have a family to have a pot of savings that you can dip into in a time of crisis. You never know when something will come along that needs to be paid for. It could be a school trip, a new pair of shoes, or something more major like fixing the washing machine or a holiday? Having some savings to rely on in this situation is certainly going to make your life a lot less stressful. But how it is possible to get to the point where you have a healthy savings fund if you are already working on a tight budget? Read on to find out.

Earn a little extra on the side

A great way of having some extra money to squirrel away for a rainy day is to take on some low key extra work on the side. It's not about getting a taxing second job, as this can be pretty stressful. Instead look for things that you enjoy, or that aren't too much hassle and try and to monetize those.

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For example, you may love to draw or craft in your spare time. Then you could try making greeting cards and small gifts that you can sell at craft markets or on a handmade site like Etsy. Or, maybe you have a talent like playing a musical instrument or sport? Then teaching or coaching kids that want to learn will allow you to do what you love, and get paid for it. You can even join online money making sites like Swagbucks. There you can fill in a few surveys while watching your favorite TV show, or waiting in the supermarket queue and get paid for doing it!

Full Price Is For Fools

Another way you can build your savings is to avoid paying full price for anything. While this may sound a little penny pinching, what is the point of paying more than you have to for the very same items?

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Most people aren't aware that it is possible to negotiate a price on many items, especially high-value ones like cars, RVs, and rendering trailers.  At the very least you can often get them to throw in added extra for free like insurance.

Another way to you can avoid paying full price is to check voucher sites like DontPayFull.com. By doing this you can buy an item online at greatly discounted prices, and in some cases, get free shipping too. This means you will then have more cash to sink into your saving fund.

Bye Bye Clutter, Hello Profit

We always hear about how we should declutter our homes, but it can be a struggle to find the time and motivation to do so. But something that will get you motivated is knowing that you could make a little money from your clear-out.

The secondhand market is thriving thanks to auction sites like eBay, and it really does seem like one man's trash is another man's treasure. So try selling some of your higher value items before just sending them to the dump. You will be recycling, and making a profit, which you can use to add to your savings as well.

Have a lot of lower value items, and you can't be doing with the hassle of putting these on an auction site? Then it can be a better idea to have a garage sale. Rather than trying to get the best price for every item, make everything at $1-$2. Then you will be able to move things quickly, and you will have less to get rid of when it's all over.  

Packed Lunches

Also taking your own lunch for work, and for this kids when they go to school, is another fantastic way of saving some serious money. Most of us know that it is way cheaper to buy the ingredients and put together a lunch ourselves. But time pressure and convenience often get in the way, causing us to rely on prepared items, bought on the day instead.

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If you are really serious about building that savings fund, work out how much you are spending big on lunches as a family. Then see how much it will cost to make a packed lunch for everyone. By comparing these, you will be able to see how much extra you can put into the saving every month, for just a little more effort.

To make it easier, stick to pre-portioned items and sandwiches which can be made the night before and refrigerated. So it doesn't interfere with your morning routine too much. Remember you need to make it as simple as possible or you won't keep up with it, and that means you will end up loosing the savings you could have made.

Ditch the City and Go Natural

The diaspora of city dwellers to the natural world is a tantalizing prospect for those who have become tired and altogether disillusioned by the hustle and bustle of city life. To move into a place that is largely uninhabitable, though a great idea, does bring with it a whole host of danger, and precaution must be taken.

For instance, the rigors of mountain living must be considered for anybody planning on moving to one. To go from living in a country such as England that consists of low plains where elevations typically don’t rise about 1000 meters to living on the side of a mountain, you may want to consider a common condition known as altitude sickness that occurs when you climb to a high altitude too quickly. If you suffer from it merely by going there, imagine living there? But if you’re determined not be deterred, tips on how you can go about dealing with and preventing it include: moving around in a slower fashions in order to adapt to the lower oxygen level; climbing gradually; and more extremely the administration of acetazolamide, as and when directed by a professional health giver. Living in a house or cabin on a mountain range requires a lot of precaution and work too. Mountains are made mostly out of rock, and rock is prone to fall; rockfall protection should be sought before even moving into your dream mountain getaway, of which more information can be found here. Finally, the snow. Dependent on where you are, of course, each winter brings with it a healthy dosage of the snow. In England, it’s considered a disaster when only two feet’s worth of it fall, so imagine having to deal with 264 feet that needs to be moved out of the way and is constantly being repositioned by the wind? The rigors of dealing with mountain snowfall require a high level of fitness and muscles mass, which could make it especially difficult for those of an older generation.

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But living in the snowy utopia of a mountain side is not all doom and gloom and is in fact is sought out especially by some. Ski fanatics Fransesca and Steve quit their day jobs and moved to the slopes from London, even taking their baby girl Annabelle with them, in order to set up their own business Chalet Roches. This was brought about by their shared passion of skiing, cycling and hiking, so the French village of St-Gervais in Haute Savoie in the French Alps.

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So what’s stopping you from your very own natural diaspora? Yes, there are risks when you step into areas such as mountains or going to live in a waterfront property, because natural disasters can and will happen at any time. But there are dangers to living just about anywhere. What with the possibility of crime and adverse weather conditions, any property, any where, could be the subject of misfortune.

But if upping sticks completely in order to become at one with nature seems too far of a step, maybe try a camping vacation and just plant your poles there, for now. Baby steps.

Swag Slopes Team Challenge #swagbucks

Here's another fun team challenge to help you earn SB from Swagbucks! For those of you who don't know what Swagbucks is, it's a website where you can earn cash back on everyday tasks you do online, and I talk about it a lot here on The Kerrie Show.

Swagbucks wants you to join in the fun! Pack your warmest snow gear and pre-register today! The Swag Slopes Team Challenge begins Monday, January 23rd. 

All members who participate and contribute at least 400 points to their team’s total will receive a SB bonus in the form of a SB Swag Up Rebate! Members of the 1st place team will receive a 40 SB Swag Up Rebate, members of the 2nd place team will receive a 20 SB Swag Up Rebate, members of the 3rd place team will receive a 10 SB Swag Up Rebate. Your SB Swag Up Rebate will be made available on Friday, January 27th and will expire on Sunday, February 12th at 7:59am GMT or 11:59pm PT