Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Financial Hurdles we Can Face and How to Overcome Them

 It happens, we can all find ourselves in situations that feel quite life changing. They may happen when we least expect it, it might be that we plan for something and something else happens. We will all be in some sort of situation like this at some stage in our lives and it can be very overwhelming. Mostly because that often these events can really impact us financially. While money doesn't make you happy, having enough to live the life you want or are happy with indeed makes you happy, doesn't it not? With that in mind, here are some of the financial hurdles we can all face. 


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How to Teach Teens About Smart Money Moves

 100 US dollar banknotes

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The first time your kids earn their very own money, their first instinct is to rush out and spend it on fast food, candy, the latest video game, or maybe a new pair of shoes that they need before school starts. However, while it’s fine for them to treat themselves, this isn’t a habit they should get into, so it’s vital to teach your teenagers how to make smart money moves. 


Give Them a Budget 


Budgets may not be fun, but they are something that everyone should get used to if they want to manage their money effectively. It can be challenging to set a budget later in life, so it’s useful to teach your kids how to budget while they are first starting their learning journey. Have them outline what they can earn and what they need to pay each month to determine how much fun money they have, which will aid them once they start paying for things like rent, utilities, and weekly grocery shopping. 


Help Them Develop Savings


Similarly, it’s important to teach them how to save money. This is arguably the most difficult part of learning to manage money, and kids will see the nice big number in their account and feel a sting of disappointment when they transfer it to a savings account. However, these savings are vital for offering some stability and security. They can help pay for emergencies, or your kids can use them to treat themselves after several months of sensible saving. Rather than deposit the money manually, encourage them to use automatic transfers, so they won’t even need to see the money leave their account. 


Warn Them About Credit Cards 


Credit cards can be useful, and there is nothing wrong with having one. However, many kids fall victim to the shadow of credit card debt, especially as they often do not get the education required to prevent reckless spending and a total misunderstanding of why it is so important to pay the balance off. Furthermore, the banks can be predatory for this type of spending, and DTSS shines the light on banker’s scam agenda, which can severely impact your child’s life before it gets started. While it’s okay for your kids to have a credit card, make sure to warn them about the potential hazards, such as interest and defaulting on payments.


Be a Good Example


Your kids will look to you for inspiration on how to manage their money, and one of the best ways you can teach them how to be smart with their finances is to be a positive role model. If you are frivolous with your spending, they will think this is normal behavior. So, while you may want to treat yourself often, you must practice what you preach and show discipline. 


Get Them Ready 


Being good with money is not something that comes naturally. It takes training and discipline. Because of this, you can’t expect your kids to be good with money immediately, and they will need to learn a few lessons about how to manage their money. They shouldn’t have to do this alone, though, and you can support them along the way to ensure they can handle their finances with confidence. 

4 Ways CBD Can Help Your Dog

 

Photo 88410727 © Alexey Maximenko - Dreamstime.com

Dog's are a man's best friend. They're always there and show you they care with the simplest smooches, constant cuddles and loving looks. Shouldn't you show them you care and find ways to ensure they're living their best lives, too? CBD is an up-and-coming therapeutic and medicinal treatment humans are finding ways to use, but trying CBD for pets may also have lasting benefits for your furry friend. 

1. Minimizes Anxiety

If your dog gets nervous during thunderstorms, fireworks or simply when you have to leave them, buying CBD-infused food or oils for your dog may be just what they need to calm down. Studies show CBD calms PTSD and panic disorders in humans, so it may be able to lessen some of your pet's built up stress. 

2. Lessens Risk of Cancer

Saying goodbye to pets when they pass away is hard enough, but having a dog get diagnosed with cancer is that much worse. CBD is shown to minimize cancer-growing cells and increase tumor-cell death. CBD's properties help strengthen cells that kill cancer by inhibiting the cancerous cells ability to make energy. If your dog does end up with a cancer diagnosis, adding CBD to the treatment may also strengthen the chances of beating the disease.

3. Helps With Seizures and Epilepsy

5% of dogs suffer from seizures and require medication to calm the effects. However, not all prescribed medicine is successful in helping dogs with the diagnosis. If the drugs given do help, dogs can still suffer additional issues to their livers and vital organs. CBD is a natural way to combat seizures and has been proven, in human trials, to help drug-resistant epilepsy. 

4. Reduces Pain

Just like humans, when dogs age their bodies start getting weaker, leading to added pain. This pain can make walks harder or hinder playful characteristics your best friend has always had. Adding CBD to your dog's diet has been shown to reduce inflammation that intensifies aging and address neurological and nerve-related pain.

Many people think CBD will get their pets high, but in fact CBD is derived from hemp, not marijuana. THC is what leads to "getting high." Marijuana has both CBD and THC while CBD lacks THC, the component that leads to a high. CBD only has the relaxing characteristics that don't trigger a drug-induced intoxication. 

Finding ways to take care of man's best friend will not only lead to increased happiness for your dog but increased happiness for you too, knowing your dog is basking in its best life possible. 

 

 

Monday, August 24, 2020

4 Awesome Pieces Of Tech To Add To Your Family Home

 Are you thinking about improving your family home this year? If so, then one possibility that you could consider would be investing in new tech. Tech is a smart and fairly budget-friendly way to boost the look and feel of your home. Indeed, with the right tech, you can make the property a more enjoyable place to live with all the features that you could possibly want. Let’s explore some of the best tech options, each of which could fit a different room in your house. 


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Smart Fridge


Do you have an extra thousand or so to spare? If so, then you might want to consider investing in a smart fridge. The right smart fridge can look incredible as part of your home and provide you with an awesome way to take the stress out of the food shop. The big benefit of a smart fridge is that it will tell you exactly how much food you have in at any given point. So, you won’t have to worry about having issues here. Smart fridges also often come with lots of cool, unique features. For instance, you can purchase one with an ice machine built-in. This is going to perfect for preparing delicious drinks for warm, summer evenings. 


Cool Speakers


You might also want to think about investing in a speaker system for your home. If you’re smart, you’ll opt for a portable speaker option. Portable speakers are fantastic because you will be able to use them in any room of your home. Sites like maxyourhometime.com can provide you with more information on this possibility and guarantee that you have speakers that you love. You’ll find that their lots of different options available on the market, so you’re sure to find one to suit your preference and your budget. 


You can even get some speaker systems for your children’s rooms. These will be perfect for allowing them to listen to music or they can be connected to other devices such as games consoles and TVs or even computer systems. 


A Great TV


Alternatively, you might want to consider investing in a new TV for your home. TVs improve every year and 2020 is the year of 8K. If you haven’t seen an 8K display in a shop, it’s really rather spectacular. 8K TVs make it look as though you are staring through a window. The quality is absolutely crystal clear and provides you with a breathtaking image that is certain to amaze everyone in your family. The only issue is the price. These TVs are quite expensive, but you need to look at them as an investment in the future entertainment for your family. With cinemas a questionable option right now, to say the least, it’s fair to say that a lot more families are going to be staying at home to enjoy a film. You need to make sure that you have the right tech set up to do this. 


Something to consider is whether you would rather have a projector system. One of the benefits of a projector system is that it can provide you with an absolutely massive display to use. However, if you want a professional set up, then this is going to be even more expensive than a TV. 


360 Degree Fireplace


Or, you could think about investing in a new fireplace for your home. There are numerous different types of fireplaces to choose from. But a modern trend is to invest in a 360-degree model. The benefit of one like this is that it does have an eco-friendly design. It will also look fantastic and heat up every area of the room equally. As such, you don’t have to worry about parts of your room being cold through the later months of the year. You can learn more about these systems on this europeanhome.com/modern-fireplaces/


The installation of systems like this can be a tad tricky. However, you can always speak to a contractor to make sure that it’s a suitable choice for your home. Usually, you just need to make sure that there is a place for an open airflow system. If there is an option like this, then you might want to consider building a fireplace into your wall. This can still look incredible and, in that place, it can be used for two separate rooms. 


We hope you love these ideas and look forward to improving your home in these exciting ways. Don’t forget that you should always set a budget for home improvements like this. It’s important that the cost doesn’t start to balloon, leaving you in the red.


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Friday, August 21, 2020

Buy Local (Strategically)

 

photo courtesy of Dreamstime

Many people talk a big game about buying local, but when the rubber hits the road, it may be better for the community and the environment but sometimes just isn't the most affordable or convenient option. So instead of just saying "you should always buy local" or even "you should buy local when possible," it's time to talk about buying local strategically. Where can your locally spend dollars do the most good, both for you and your community?

Produce

Fresh produce, even when not perfectly unblemished and shiny, is generally better tasting than that which you find in the supermarket. Finding a fresh produce supplier Medley FL or your area can instantly improve the quality of your cooking. You can't buy everything local, most likely, but you can't deny that local tomatoes grown in-season are going to be better than what you find at the grocery store. The grocery store will always be there later. 

Books

Books are another thing that you should absolutely buy local, for two reasons. First of all: when you buy from a local bookstore, the author gets paid more than if you buy from a big conglomerate. If you want to support your favorite author, buy their book from your local independent bookstore

Spaces 

Also, bookstores are often important community spaces not just for writers and readers but for artists of all kinds. Think of the spaces that you value in your local area, like small restaurants, hair salons and coffee shops. They all need your support to stay in business. 

Don't beat yourself up for buying from a chain. There's a reason that chains exist and a reason that they're so popular. However, it's worth investing in your local economy in ways that are meaningful to you and can do the most good, so be strategic with your money and your purchases.