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From breathtaking gardens to verdant outdoor living areas, here are a few reasons to invest in your landscape design. Curb Appeal Working with a professional landscape designer is a guaranteed way to increase your homes curb appeal. Better Views Whether youre using lush plantings to create privacy or designing formal gardens, you can easily improve the views throughout your home. Improved Outdoor Living Your landscape design should meet your lifestyle. That might mean a lush entertaining area, a beautiful garden, or incorporating a playground for the kids. Increase Property Value According to the American Society of Landscape Architects, landscape improvements can return 100-200 percent of their cost when a house is sold. Published with permission from RISMedia.
Are you having trouble communicating with your partner, friends or colleagues? Do you forget what your friend just told you only minutes after the conversation ended? In a world geared toward multitasking, it can be hard to drop fully into a conversation and just listen. Below are three tips to help you be more present in your conversations. Ask questions. Don’t just smile and nod. Make your conversation partner feel more heard by asking questions that are relative to what they’re saying. Ask for more details to dig deeper and listen fully. Repeat what you heard. Every few minutes, repeat what you heard so you know you’re retaining important information. This will also help you avoid accidental miscommunications. Wait to offer a solution. When we’re listening to a friend with a problem, our go-to response is often to fill silence with a solution, but sometimes, we just need to feel heard and understand. You can even ask your friend if they’re looking for a solution or just space to vent. Published with permission from RISMedia.
Technology seems to mutate with the speed of light, but is your home keeping up with the changes? Smarten it up with a few smart-home electronics that will boost safety, increase comfort and may even save you a few bucks: Video Doorbell The VTech Video Doorbell, about $115, lets you screen and even video chat with visitors before you answer the door. And the system takes a snapshot each time the doorbell is pressed, so you’ll always know who came a-knocking while you were away. Smart Door Lock The August Smart Lock uses keyless technology to keep your home safe no matter where you are. From your smartphone, you can let guests in, check to make sure you locked up before you left, keep a record of who has entered and exited, and unlock your door from the driveway. Cost? About $220. Home Automation You can ease into wireless control of your lighting and appliances with Insteons Start Here Kit, about $125, before moving on to automating other household needs, like irrigation control and occupancy sensing. Water Saver The WaterPebble Water Saver memorizes the length of your first shower and uses it as a benchmark to measure future shower times. Using a series of traffic lights, it reduces your shower time by a fraction each time, helping you save on your water bill without trying. About $12. Learning Thermostat For about $250, the Nest programmable thermostat will learn your heating and cooling schedule and program itself. It can even be controlled from your phone and could save you up to 20 percent on energy costs. Smart Watering Is your sprinkling system over-watering or under-watering your lawn? Toros wireless Xtra Smart Soil Moisture Sensor keeps the moisture level just right. Not only will the health of you lawn improve, but your wallet (and the Earth) will benefit, too.About $115. Published with permission from RISMedia.
Published with permission from RISMedia.
Having an emergency fund to help pay for an unexpected car repair, hospital visit, or other financial emergency is a smart financial move, but finding money to sock away each month is easier said than done. However, it is possible if you have a sound strategy in place. Here are a few simple ways to save some money: Buy and sell used For one month, make it a point to only buy used items. And for each item you buy, sell something you already own. While this tactic wont necessarily work for food (although you can shop at a cheaper grocery store and make meals at home), it can work for phones, clothes and even cars. Any money you save should be stashed in your emergency fund. Price adjustments on old purchases If you happen to buy a brand-new item, hang onto the receipt. Many stores have price adjustment policies where theyll give you the difference between the price you paid and a lower price that comes later on down the line. Timing is everything when it comes to price adjustments, as you typically only have a week or two from the date of purchase to ask for an adjustment. Compare prices on big purchases Comparing prices on small purchases may not be worth your time, but when it comes to monthly expenses (clothing, groceries, gas, etc.), taking the time to shop around and find the best price is critical if youre looking to save some dough. The same goes for large purchases that may only happen once every few years, such as a car or major appliance. Its also a good idea to shop around for the best insurance rates for any insurance policy you may have. Check with your insurance agent before its time to renew your policy to see if you qualify for any discounts. And always check with other insurers to see if they offer a better price for the same coverage. Cut little expenses Little expenses have a way of adding up quickly, so consider whether you can eliminate any of these smaller expenditures, such as gym memberships, daily coffees and lunches out. You can even stand to save big by ditching cable and opting to use any of the streaming services that are currently available. While its not necessary to cut everything at once, choosing to eliminate one recurring expense a month is a simple way to see exactly how youll fare without it. Published with permission from RISMedia.
If your homeowners insurance policy covers your pet, it will pay for injuries or damage the pet caused to a person or property not named in the policy. But it won’t cover injuries to your family or home. Many companies deny coverage for dog breeds considered aggressive, regardless of the pedigrees or individual histories. Some companies provide coverage, but with high premiums. Homeowners policies generally exclude exotic pets, such as ferrets and snakes. Standard liability limits might not be enough. Consider a dog liability policy, umbrella policy or excess policy. Tell your insurer about your pet. If you dont, it may deny a claim and/or cancel your policy. Published with permission from RISMedia.
Are you interested in the idea of minimalism, but unsure of where to start? Consider the following… Get your family on board. You’re fighting a losing battle if only one person in your household wants to minimize. Chat with your spouse, kids or roommate about why a minimalistic home space is important. Once everyone is on the same page, go room by room and itemize your belongings. After youve taken stock of everything in your home, start the purging process. Begin by ditching duplicates to get you on the right track. And, most importantly, aim for dual function furniture, like a kitchen island that opens into a dining room table. Published with permission from RISMedia.
Published with permission from RISMedia.
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