Life Better
How to Write Listing for CraigsList, Nextdoor, Facebook
Word your listing to weed out lookers and time wasters. I had a 90% purchase rate when I sold furniture because I was overly honest and only made appointments with people coming to pick up their furniture. Before I turned over my address, I did the presale with my listing, photos, emails, and text messages. Continue Reading
Keeping stables on hand lets you always have something to eat.
It would help to have more than a take-out box and an outdated mayonnaise jar as a grown-up. You only need to stop for fresh vegetables, cheese, and meat if you maintain stables. You rotate on large staple purchases to maintain freshness. You can make basic meals in a pinch. Things like surprise guests or inclement weather climates like hurricanes, snow storms, mudslides, or contagious diseases. Think Will Smith pulling together a meal in Six Degrees of Separation. Be that guy.
Pantry Staples:
Herbs and Spices:
Refrigerator Staples:
Freezer Staples:
Baking Essentials:
Miscellaneous:
Having these staples in your kitchen ensures you can prepare various meals without frequent trips to the grocery store. Customize this list based on your dietary preferences and cooking habits, and remember to check and replenish items as needed regularly.
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#CookingAtHome, #KitchenOrganization, #RecipeIngredients, #EssentialIngredients, #BudgetCooking, #HomeChef
Start tracking your spending and income now.
The stress of living from paycheck to paycheck can be unbearable. Poor decisions and a lack of options lead to negative balances costing more money. Calculating your income, spending, and debts is crucial. Finding out where your funds are going is the first step. Sometimes, this is simply evaluating monthly credit card bills. Others may need to keep receipts or a journal of all spending. With W-2s, 10-99, and other budget tools, income is simpler to track. If you have many types of income sources, make a spreadsheet. Determining your cash flow is a significant first step to a financial nest egg. There are many tools to help you keep track of your spending. The best tool you have is the motivation for a better life.
2. Cut the waste out of your budget.
Once you’ve figured out where your money is going, you can cut costs. Removing unneeded bills can be the easiest part of saving because you can cancel unused subscriptions, get a better rate on memberships or fixed expenses, and divert the funds to savings. So, Move wasted funds to savings for less stress. Again, your inspiration is to stop wasting money so you can stress less and enjoy more. The most considerable motivation to help is your why. Do you need a new car, want to travel, are you saving for a home, or are you just sick of living paycheck to paycheck? Every time you make a purchase, ask yourself if this is leading to your why. If not, ask yourself if the purchase is a want or a need and proceed accordingly.
3. Debts?
Budget a payoff schedule. Analyze your debts and create a realistic plan to pay them off. Sometimes, this starts with ending the pattern that leads to the deficits. Allowing you to anticipate costs and setting aside an emergency fund opens up opportunities. Try saving a small amount weekly to pay for the expected recurring costs like car insurance and medical expenses. For example, save for Christmas 6 months ahead by dividing the total anticipated cost by 25 weeks before black Friday. Cash for holiday purchases prepares one to make the most of their funds. Removing or rearranging a lifestyle that begets debt is essential. The gastric bypass will make you thin: a lifestyle of healthy eating and movement keeps you that way. Organize debts and stop creating new obligations without a repayment plan. There are many ways to pay off debts: snowballing, the envelope method, and kakeibo are a few options.
4. Why do your credit ratings matter?
Unfortunately, with bad credit, you pay more for everything! It is a sad truth. Your credit decides everything from secure housing and deposits on basics like electricity and water to car loans, insurance, and much more. Also, many careers are closed if you are a credit risk.
The worst mistake you can make is overusing credit. If you can’t pay it off monthly, save for it. Don’t just think about the monthly payment but also the final cost. Nothing is worth the average interest on credit card debt. There will always be emergencies, vacations, and happy hour; however, living beyond your paycheck is not an emergency. It’s a crisis! If you have debt, make a plan to reduce it. Suppose your income does not cover your expenses. Figure out why and STOP IT. You will do this by cutting spending and increasing revenue. You will continue to save while you are reducing debts.
You are allowed one free copy of your credit report every twelve months. Here is the best place to get that free report: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action. You are also allowed a copy after you apply for credit and are denied. Further, you are entitled to get in writing why you were denied credit or a loan, and if it was because of your credit report, you have a right to a free report at that time. Use the tools available to make good decisions.
5. Take a spending diet.
Whether you are having a difficult time or not, a spending diet is a great way to build habits for a more profitable future. Once you have analyzed your budget, redirected waste, and made a debt payoff plan, try using only cash for a month, a week, or a day. How and why, you ask. How? After you pay your fixed expenditures, fill up the car, buy groceries, and give yourself an allowance for other expenses. Take that cash out of the bank and only use that amount for the allotted time. We often spend more on small items, and having a fixed amount gives us time to analyze choices. It allows you to test how much money you REALLY spend and how long it will last. It is a great way to carve out good habits. For example, I bring a homemade lunch to work every day. I have created a healthy routine. I place my lunch and snacks in a bag nightly, usually half my dinner. Planning means I don’t rush around during lunch or buy snacks from the vending machine. It is healthy for my body, mind, and wallet. What you decide to do depends on your desires and needs. You can do anything you want, but it can be challenging to do everything you want.
6. Determine the difference between needs and wants.
The differences are tricky; you want to keep up with friends and look great. However, you don’t need the budget-busting bunch or designer handbag. Try meeting friends for a walk in the park, pizza, and a movie or happy hour. And make purchases everlasting for your lifestyle. Save for the expenses you want and enjoy. A great decision would be telling a friend you are flattered to be asked to be in the wedding, but you would not be able to because of the time and expense. You would love to attend, however. But please, save to be a part of your best friend’s wedding, within your limits. If your true goal is world travel, skip the expensive car or have a roommate so your real dreams stay doable.
7. Count and save your pennies.
Don’t be cheap, but save your money, too. It is wise to evaluate choices before they arise, like deciding where to eat, and fixed expenditures like insurance and gas can give your budget space. For example, is your AC so cold you need to wear a sweater, leaving you with sky-high electric bills? I prefer to monitor the electricity, go to the movies, eat out, or get a gym membership. Waste not want not is true. Be alert to using your funds for your wants and needs.
Saving also applies to earning. Evaluate your career, and please take advantage of learning opportunities at work and online. Reverse today’s work environment that creates bitterness and changes your attitude. Learn from each opportunity you have and put that growth on your resume. To Maintain long-term happiness, take advantage of the growth and move mentally or physically for better opportunities. Each experience increases your worth and knowledge. Remember this when it is time for a raise also. If you are not getting what you are worth from your purchases or earnings, it could be time to look elsewhere.
8. Create new income opportunities.
Sometimes, a new shovel is the only way to dig out of a hole. If you can work overtime or acquire a more lucrative position, do that. But remember, many people add more expenses as their salaries rise and never save or create the security a reserve account affords. We waste countless hours binging Netflix or complaining about our situation; however, getting a gig on the side hustle can put our expenses in balance much faster than savings alone. We can add to our education to gain extra income. We can use the skills and time to increase knowledge and to make more money. We can do many things to make extra cash without working ourselves to death.
9. Not just who you know.
It has been proven that proximity to people with similar interests increases happiness, smoking rates, and obesity, according to Framingham Study. The thirty-year study demonstrated you are created not only by your closest set of friends but also by their friends and family. Proximity may explain why sections of the country have a large percentage of success in tech, fitness, or even crime. Your life outcomes significantly change depending on who you are associated with regularly. Like a contagion, you can mirror the attitudes of your community. So, choose your friends with care. And I know we can’t choose our family, but you can decide how much time and influence they have on our lives.
10. Just you know
Decide what you want and create habits to secure that future. Deciding to tackle the stress in your life starts with healthy financial choices. Finally, determine what is most important to YOU and plan to achieve your best life.
Della Badart
AdultingToo.com
Make grown-up decisions to live your best life.
Ramping up your furniture sales is dependent on three things. One is a steady customer base. Austin was one of the fastest-growing cities in the country at the time, so I had a continuous selection of clients. Second, you need a variety of options for inventory. Third, you need space to repair and store that inventory. Missing any of the pieces creates a hole you must fill. Continue Reading
Document Everything
Photographs of your furniture need to be clear and bright. Showing off details and flaws will help you make sales. You do not need a fancy camera; I have always used my Android phone. It is the simplest solution to illustrate what you are selling. I liked to take photos of everything I bought in one week in a group photo. It was a record of my inventory, and I could list items if needed from this photo. It also gave me photos of everything. Continue Reading
Most of my repair work as a flipper was fixing bad repairs. It is critical to repair older furniture correctly. With patience and the right tools, tung and grove, dowels, mortise and tendon, and natural and faux wood pieces can be saved. A madman with staples, nails, and glue can destroy much furniture. And believe me, I have seen many horrible half-assed repair jobs on beautiful furniture. When only glue and pressure are needed to bring back the original artistry, please take the time to learn how to repair breaks correctly. Your efforts will be rewarded. Continue Reading
There are many building blocks to make a great life. The most important is accomplishment. We can be passengers and allow life to happen around us, accepting anything that comes our way. Or we can consistently do things to achieve specific goals. We often see successful people and say they came out of nowhere. Very often, this lucky answer is false. More than likely, they have been working in small, consistent ways toward success. Here are three simple ways to reach your goals.
Be Consistent
The three p’s are patience, persistence, and planning, all of which make life easier. In a lifetime, persistence is the name of the game with anything. Suppose you keep at something long enough, it will work. Or it will work, but you must do it consistently and persistently. Over time, you will have growth. You have to have good habits that you nurture over the term when you feel like it won’t work when you don’t feel like it works. For example, when you have problems, you have other things interfering. You must be consistent even during stressful times, whether writing a page daily or doing other small things that advance your goals.
The p’s work for all goals such as learning, life, or work-related issues. For example, my brother makes a point of contacting his friends and family on their birthdays. It requires planning, persistence, and patience. This task helps him maintain relationships and keep in touch, even only once a year.
My family lives overseas, and I like to speak to them in their language, so I practice on a language app daily. When I visit, I am prepared to engage with everyone and navigate the city because I take the time to follow through regularly. Consider the programs needed to advance to the next level at work, study the applications periodically, and let your superiors know you are interested and making a concerted effort. By being engaged at this level, you are prepared for the move, whether you advance in your current job or move somewhere else. There are plenty of opportunities to increase knowledge in almost every avenue online.
In conclusion, patience, persistence, and planning are essential to lifelong advancement.
Do the Steps
Realistically, it would help if you got in the driver’s seat of your life. If you want a six-pack, you must work out when nothing is happening. And if you want to grow tulips, you need to put the bulbs in the ground in the fall, water, and wait. Most of our hard work is small practices done over time. Do the work, look for opportunities, and be ready to move.
Patience,#Persistence,#Planning,#Consistency,#Growth,#Good habits,#Overcoming challenges,#Stressful times,#Relationship maintenance,#Language learning,#Personal development,#Career advancement,#Lifelong learning,#Superiors,#Opportunities,#Knowledge acquisition,#Life skills,#Goal achievement,Self-improvement,#Adaptability
If you are as crazy about Halloween as my Austin Compadres, you have a box of costumes and decorations that is your first option. I went through my box and pulled out a bunch of masks we collected over the years. Even though I love the store-bought Skelton, spiders, and blow-up decorations, I’m a DIYer, so I got to work.
Scarecrow
I wanted to take advantage of the mask collection, so I immediately put a collection of skulls on a table. Nice right. Then I made a lovely scarecrow that can make a transition to Fall and even Christmas with a costume change. Usually, a scarecrow would be made of hay, but this urban dweller ain’t got no hay. Reuse and recycle me put together bags of shredded paper and boxes to build the Scarecrow’s body. If you have hay, you stuff your Scarecrow with have. However, if you have something else, use it. I put my shredded paper in bags so it would not become home to some critter. Several bags make up his chest, and boxes from recent deliveries create his legs. I used an old soccer ball to make his head and covered it with one of those masks. The topper was an unused cowboy hat. I will give him a shovel and put him on the porch for Halloween night. I love the look in his green eyes.
Scarecrow/ Gravedigger
Witch
I figured a nice Scarecrow needs someone to hang out with, so I got to work on a witch. Again, I already had the dress and the mask collection.
First, you’ll need to make an armature. I looked through my craft collection and used my backyard bamboo and cable ties. Again, I used a ball for the head and an old fan for the base. This decoration could easily be strung up from a tree as well. I laid out the sticks to make a triangle, much like a third leg for balance. I placed sticks across the top and at hip level for support. I used the cable ties at all the connection points. Squeeze the top three points together to attach the head and place your dress over the frame you created. Padding can be attached to the frame; however, I decided against this so it would quickly dry out if we had rainy days come up.
Stabilize, Secure
Secure the decorations for safety. My witch is in a fan base, and because she is top-heavy, I placed stones on the base so it would not fall over. If I put the middle leg in the base, it is stable. However, if I place the outer leg in the base, the witch spins around. If you want the doll to fly, attach a rope at the top and the bottom and tie it between two stationary objects high off the ground so no one will accidentally hit them. Or one rope looped over a branch and tied off after it is raised to the desired height.
Have Fun
You don’t have to be a kid to have fun for Halloween. Let’s start with your decorations and build something fun around them. Or get out there and purchase a giant Skelton and a ton of blow-up stuff. Trick or Treat!
Supplies
Scarecrow/Witch/Gravedigger
clothing
stuffing: hay, paper, boxes
plastic bags
shovel, optional for grave digger sign
armature: frame to hold clothing, bamboo, sticks, dowels, Broomsticks
cable ties, rope, twisties
base (Pot, fanbase, Umbrella holder)
rope for flying
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It is said that Albert Einstein, the famous physicist, bought several versions of the same grey suit because he wanted to save brainpower on choosing an outfit each morning. I feel the same way about creating meals most days, and I’d love to put it on automatic pilot. So, I prep my kitchen like one of my favorite restaurants. Continue Reading
Savvy Substitutions
Substituting ingredients in the kitchen can be helpful when you’re out of a specific item or want to make a recipe more suitable for your dietary needs. Knowing basic substitutions means you can easily adjust a recipe with the substitution if you have your stapes. Bang, you have saved a trip to the grocery store. Here’s an essential list of common kitchen cooking substitutes: Continue Reading