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Parents expecting a new addition to the family are often worried about how to pay for everything their child needs, but there are many ways to cut costs with a new baby. The key to living on a budget is to start thinking about what money-saving measures will work for your family as soon as possible, preferably before your baby actually arrives.
The total amount of money that you should pay for health insurance actually depends a lot on your own situation. Find out how much you should pay for health insurance with help from a member of the professional banking and insurance industry in this free video clip.
Renting your first apartment, moving to a new city or having a change in income are all circumstances that require calculating how much you can afford to pay in rent. Your rent is one of the main expenses that you will have to pay each month. Though it may be tempting to find an apartment that comes with numerous appealing amenities, sticking within your budget will pay off in the long term. Committing to a rent that is too high can set you on a course for financial problems and the accumulation of debt. Calculating your budget for rent requires…
Just because your house is sold at foreclosure doesn't mean someone will be paying what the house is worth. Find out if you owe money to a lender after your house is sold at foreclosure for less than you owe with help from a licensed California real estate broker in this free video clip.
The exact amount of your gross salary that you should pay for a house depends on a number of factors. Find out how much of your gross salary you should pay for a house with help from a financial planner in this free video clip.
Renting apartments doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. Learn about the best ideas for renting apartments cheaply with help from a real estate personality and broker in this free video clip.
Budgeting is very important, but especially so for professional waitresses. Get tips on budgeting for waitresses with help from a business consultant and motivational speaker in this free video clip.
"Pay yourself first" is an aphorism that means you should set money aside in savings before you pay your bills. Among those experts that suggest you pay yourself first, the recommend amount that you pay yourself varies widely.
Old bottles and jars go on to become all sorts of things, including composite countertops that have the look and feel of granite, sometimes with shards of colorful glass giving it a mosaic-like appearance. When mixed with resins, the glass is shatterproof, and may be handled like stone. Recycled-glass countertop manufacturers recommend having a professional cut and install them, but if you have a diamond cutting saw, a wet table saw designed for cutting tile and stone, it's possible to do it yourself.
Thanks to today’s high prices, more people than ever are crowding the aisles of thrift shops, looking for everyday necessities at bargain prices. Thrift shops are a valuable resource, not only for clothing, but also for still-usable household goods as well as collectibles and gifts. On the downside, most thrift shops are in desperate need of more space, particularly if they’re located in an area full of generous donors. That’s why thrift shop owners and managers are always looking for creative ways to use floor and wall space, particularly when showcasing their best quality items.
Pre-kindergarten and other early childhood education teachers provide young children with the foundation for future education. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 370,000 pre-K teachers worked in the U.S. in 2010. Preschool teachers earned between $17,000 and $47,000 a year, according to the BLS. Their salaries varied by employer and location.
Deadbolts are a locks home and business owners install on their doors to provide extra security to their building. The American National Standards Institute, or ANSI, is a non-profit organization that oversees the grading of many products, including deadbolts, manufactured in the United States. ANSI grades deadbolts from levels 1 to 3. Deadbolts are usually reserved for doors leading outside a building.
When you’re trying to reduce your household expenses, every dollar counts. Using your household appliances, particularly the washing machine, efficiently can reduce your overall monthly electricity bill significantly and help you make ends meet. Replacing your old washing machine with an energy-efficient model is the fastest way to reduce your electricity bill, but if that isn’t in the budget, or you already have a high-efficiency machine, making other small changes can help as well.
Dramatically alter your floor plan and your child's life by converting your existing underused attic into a child's dream playroom. The angles of an attic naturally acclimate to a child's inquisitive and curious natures, making it an ideal location for a playroom. Although an attic may seem like a stuffy and claustrophobic room, its miniature size works perfectly for a child. Proper insulation, creative use of floor space and inexpensive building materials will help you to offset the expense of your attic renovation.
Employees use 401(k) plans as a hybrid savings and investing account to fund their retirement later in their life. Though a 401(k) plan is a solid savings strategy, an employee will only benefit if he consistently makes contributions of significant monetary amounts. The amount you should contribute to your 401(k) each period depends on the contribution terms of your employer and your personal financial situation.
Window coverings add color and dimension, enhancing the decor of your room. While blackout curtains were used during times of war to prevent light from escaping, decorative curtains were used as early as medieval times, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. When adding curtains to your windows, consider the type of room, weight of the fabric and the purpose you wish the curtains to serve when determining how much wider than the window the curtains should be.
The decisions you make now, such as deciding how much of your take-home pay to put into savings, have an impact on when and if you can retire on time. The more money you put into savings, the more time it has to grow. Adhering to any savings plan is beneficial if it forces you to save money, but you should always look for additional ways to add to your nest egg.
When you list your house with a real estate agent, that agent typically pays the buyer’s agent for bringing a buyer. While the money comes from the commission you pay your agent, you don’t pay the buyer’s agent directly. If you decide to list your house for sale by owner, you may want to encourage real estate agents to bring buyers. Yet, expect to pay the commission for the buyer’s agent. If you do pay the buyer’s agent, remember that even though you are paying the agent, that agent still owes his fiduciary duty to the buyer, unless there is…
Condenser dryers use a separate evaporator system to cycle air out of the dryer, withdraw its moisture, and then blow the air back in. This allows the dryer to use the same quantity of air for the entire load. For homeowners, this means that a condenser dryer does not need an exhaust vent and does not use as much energy as a conventional dryer. However, this type of drying system is more complex and can create several problems.
Although you can purchase your own xylophone, it will be more rewarding and fun if you simply make your own two-octave version. The supplies needed are rather easy to find and will be less expensive than buying a pre-made model. Making your own xylophone will also allow you to customize the instrument as you can pick and choose the key you would like to use. With a little experience with cutting tools, you can make your own two-octave xylophone.
With a little creativity, children can transform recycled plastic bags into everyday products. By encouraging the use of recycled materials for craft-making, parents can help their children develop a sense of environmental responsibility. Plastic bags might seem ordinary, but they can be turned into just about anything. For example, plastic bags can be made into clothes, toys, customs and decorations.
Overhead refers to ongoing expenses incurred while running a business. Some businesses earn a sizable profit and can afford to allocate a lot of money to operating costs. But if your business barely breaks even, or if you're losing money each month, reducing your overhead can lower your outgoing expenses and help keep the business afloat.
If you are considering an opportunity to rent a particular apartment, you can speak with the leasing agent about special incentives and unit availability. Before you can sign a lease, you’ll need to meet certain income and credit qualifications. Your completion of a rental application will enable the leasing agent to determine details such as your household size, if you have pets, your rental history and whether you’re qualified to obtain the unit you want.
A roof is critical to both the curb appeal of a house, as well as the comfort of the people living there. Constant maintenance and repair are necessary to prevent costly energy bills and to avoid rain and snow from damaging the interior or the structure. Because of the complexity of roofing, most repairs are best performed by professionals.
Soda cans are among the easiest things to recycle. With just a pair of scissors and some paint, you can easily recycle a coke can into all kinds of crafts and inventions. There is no limit to the number of recycling projects you can do with coke cans; the best recycling projects involve creating something that can be put to good use, or that some enjoyment can be derived from.
Renting an apartment for a specific monthly amount is not a guarantee that you won't have to pay more for it later. Depending on the agreement you have with the landlord and the apartment you are renting, your rate can increase with or without notice. However, it doesn't benefit an apartment owner to raise the rent significantly higher than similar complexes in the surrounding area because of the risk that you can always move instead of paying the percentage increase in rent.
A clean, organized room makes finding what you need easier as well as maneuvering around the room and just feeling comfortable in your environment. Utilize tools to keep belongings organized throughout your room, and throw out or store items that you don't use continually. The right furniture, along with additional accessories, can make your life flow much more easily.
When your mortgage balance is higher than your home value and you can't afford the difference, the lender will sometimes agree to a short sale. In this situation, you sell the home and the lender takes the full sale price and forgives the remaining balance of your mortgage. Although this sounds like a good deal, having a short sale on your record can make it difficult for you to find another apartment or home to rent.
Making toys out of recycled products, such as cardboard, is an effective way to save money and benefit the environment. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 31.4 million tons of corrugated cardboard are thrown away each year. So rather than tossing sheets of cardboard into the garbage or recycle bin, save them and turn them into items that kids can play with.
Scarecrows are a traditional symbol of the harvest and a practical way of deterring birds from feasting on garden plants. The scarecrow dates back more than 3,000 years. These human-shaped objects were found in ancient Egypt and ancient Greece. The Greeks carved their scarecrows from wood. Traditional Japanese scarecrows are formed by hanging clothing on two poles arranged in a cross shape. Today, scarecrows are mainly found in backyard gardens and holiday displays, while larger farming operations rely on more advanced methods to keep birds from eating crops.
Subletting an apartment involves finding a tenant to live in and pay rent on your apartment but your name remains on the lease. Because your name is still on the lease, you are still liable for the apartment. Not all apartments allow subletting. In fact, the policy can vary by community.
Plastic bags, used as a craft material, can be repurposed into a wide variety of creative projects. Additionally, many techniques are available to create unique looks, such as fusing, using a loom, or creating plarn. Plarn is a term combing the words plastic and yarn. Plarning is using plastic bags as you would use yarn to crochet, knit or weave a craft item. Recyling plastic bags into craft projects is an eco-friendly way to keep them out of landfills.
Getting married isn't just about allocating closet space, picking names for your future children and deciding which in-laws get your company for holiday dinners. Drafting a workable budget and learning to diligently manage it are not only among the biggest challenges of newlyweds but can also be an ongoing vexation for couples who have been married for years. Candid discussions about respective attitudes toward money and responsible budgeting are critical lest they escalate into major arguments and/or potentially jeopardize the financial security and credit history of either partner.
A broken lease can impede future apartment rentals. Breaking a lease indicates that you're likely to not fulfill the rent contract. This can make landlords nervous and unwilling to accept you as a tenant. But even if you have a broken lease in your past, you can convince a landlord to work with you.
All businesses have overhead. Overhead is the operating expenses of a business not directly related to producing the product or service. The cost of the wood and nails and stain or paint represents the direct costs of making wooden patio furniture, but the rent for the facility in which the furniture is made, insurance and utilities are all considered overhead.
While you can dispose of aluminum soda cans in a recycling unit, there are plenty of decorative products you can make yourself from empty soda cans. It’s a great way to recycle them and you get to make something useful. Instead of putting your soda cans in the recycling bag, store them for future projects. When you have time to spare, or need to entertain your kids on a rainy day, make recycled products from the soda cans.
Recycle old coffee cans, paper bags and other items into sellable crafts. You can help reduce landfill debris, clear your home of clutter and make some money for holiday shopping all at the same time. Some craft projects are very easy to make and you can use natural items found in your own yard to pair with recycled items, adding a seasonal touch to the craft.
A business can't thrive if costs exceed revenues. While seemingly obvious, to increase revenues, a company should look to cost-cutting strategies. This is often easier said than done, as cutting costs may seem risky and counter-intuitive. However, with the proper cost-cutting strategy and planning, revenues can significantly increase.
Senior citizens are some of the millions in the United States who own manufactured homes. Programs awarding grants and providing repair services are available to senior citizens to fix their manufactured homes, which include modular and mobile properties. These grants cover projects such as repairing or replacing HVAC systems, walls and ceilings, roofs, and plumbing and electrical systems. Some programs require senior citizens to meet income guidelines to be eligible for grant opportunities.
When a person rents an apartment, the landlord will generally require that he sign the lease. Sometimes if the person does not have a sufficient amount of income, the landlord will require that the person take on a cosigner, a person who will cosign the lease and take responsibility for its payment. Two people renting an apartment can use the same cosigner only if the landlord allows it.
Central heating systems provide comfort that is easy to take for granted. About 45 percent of money spent on energy goes to heating and cooling, averaging about $10,000 over 10 years, according to the California Energy Commission. While it’s common to take a “set it and forget it” approach with your thermostat, using the temperatures recommended by state energy agencies and utilities companies can help you stay comfortable and lessen the shock of your monthly energy bills.
The question “How much money will I save with geothermal energy?” is much more complex than the layperson might initially suspect. Geothermal has a variable cost based upon several geological factors, not the least of which is how far the property owner will have to drill to reach sufficient heat for energy extraction. The simple answer is that in areas ideally suited to geothermal energy production, the cost, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, is $0.03 - $0.035 per kilowatt hour, so a consumer paying $0.05 per kilowatt hour for another form of power generation stands to save roughly…
The Social Security tax and the Medicare tax combine to form the Federal Insurance Contributions Act, or FICA, tax. The Social Security tax is based on your gross pay, before any pretax deductions are taken, but only to a maximum amount of income each year. At the time of publication, the limit is $106,800, so for most employees, the Social Security tax applies to all earned income. Figuring out how much Social Security tax should be taken out of your pay helps prevent your employer from taking too much and assists you in budgeting.
When your company's sales efforts are falling flat, it may be time to enlist the services of an outside professional. Marketing consultants provide businesses with an array of marketing experience that can boost sales and reach more customers. But companies need to carefully consider what they're paying for a marketing consultant. Consultants that charge far below market rates might lack experience; those who charge far too much might break the bank.
Rented apartments might be cost-effectiveness and less of a commitment, but noise in tightly confined spaces can quickly become a problem. After referring to your lease contract, soundproofing can be an excellent method to eliminate noise problems. It generally consists of adding materials to your walls, windows, ceilings or floors. This project can be inexpensive, as long as you know what to do and use.
Financial analysts typically use financial ratios to evaluate companies and compare them to others. Ratios evaluate how well a company deploys capital, how fast it turns over inventory, and dozens of others of factors that help investors decide whether to invest. The net assets to total assets ratio is used to evaluate what portion of a firm's assets are financed equity. In other words, it determines how much of the company's assets actually are financed by shareholders.
Aluminum is one of the most effective metals to recycle and can be reused indefinitely. In Georgia, the government will pick up aluminum cans and other materials from your curb as part of the state recycling program. They do not pay your for this, however. In order to make some money recycling aluminum cans, take the cleaned cans to a private recycling company. Call around for local recycling options and get the best price for your effort.
With the sky-high cost of rent, splitting an apartment with another person can cut your costs dramatically. When you cut the rent, utilities and deposits in half, you have more spending power to use on a nicer and larger place. If your credit is not up to par, having another renter as a cosigner can boost your chances of getting that dream apartment. But along with the many perks, renting an apartment with a friend or new roommate can have its disadvantages, such as personality conflicts, issues over sharing or who will do what chores. Anticipating issues beforehand can help.
A boiler is an important part of your daily home life, as it provides hot water for your shower as well as steamy water for washing dishes and clothes. Once your current boiler has reached the 10-year mark, consider purchasing a replacement, which requires an upfront cost but saves you money in the long run. Boilers typically make up about 60 percent of your yearly utility bill expenses and offer many advantages when they are purchased new and sophisticated.
Ideal projects for the environmentally friendly craftsman or simply an ingenious way to reuse unwanted plastic bags, these quick projects utilize an iron to fuse the layers of plastic bags together into a unique and stylish belt. Inexpensive and easy to construct, these belts may be cut down to fit any size belt loops and can accommodate a range of buckle styles including D-ring buckles and standard tongued buckles with the help of a grommet kit and a needle and thread.
