Summer is the best time of year to have a party. The weather is good, people are cheerful, and everyone is relaxed and ready to have a good time. However, being the host of a party can be stressful, as you have to think of everything from food and drink, to how to set the mood. Luckily, planning a party doesn’t have to be complicated, as once you choose your location, there are only a few essentials that are needed for a party to be a success. If you are planning your own summer get together, here are six essentials which will help you to make your event a success.

Plastic cups

During the summer, many people are going to want to take the party outside to enjoy the great weather and warm air. While this can be really great for the party vibe, it’s not necessarily ideal for your glassware. Which is why it may be a good idea to invest in some plastic cups for the party, so that the worst thing you will need to worry about is spilled drinks, rather than broken glass.

Drink dispenser

You don’t want to have to stand around all night serving your guests drinks, so one really useful piece of equipment to invest in for your party would be a drink dispenser. They come in a range of sizes and styles, so you can find whichever one you feel is most appropriate for the size of party you are having. The best thing about these is that they are easy to use, no matter how many glasses in the guests might be.

An outdoor bar

If you really want to get that summer vibe, then you need to cater outdoors as well as in. The easiest way to get your guests to enjoy the outdoor scene is to keep a steady flow of drinks going in the area. Creating an outdoor bar means that you won’t have to deal with people going in and out of the kitchen every five minutes, and it doesn’t involve much effort to set up. Just put up a table with a couple of coolers on it, and you are good to go.

Vaping kit

Vaping has become increasingly popular, and it can be a really fun activity for people to share in, so if you want to add a bit of extra flair to your party, it might be worth stocking up on some goods from ultimatejuice.co.uk. With various flavours, you can find the perfect combination for your guests to unwind and enjoy the summer evening.

Good music

No party is complete without some good music to set the mood, so make sure that you plan your playlist a little while in advance, to ensure that you have the best music for the job. It might even be worth speaking to some of your guests beforehand to get some advice on their favourite songs.

A fire pit

As the day turns into evening, the weather might not stay as nice as it was at the start of the party, and a fire pit can be a really fun way to provide a bit of warmth to your guest while still keeping the party mood alive.

No matter how financially fit you are in life, there may still be a time when you get caught out when it comes to money. Unexpected expenses such as a broken-down car, moving to a new house or having to take time off because of an illness can cause a dent in the finances. Often, you may not have some emergency cash lying around. Getting quick cash fast can be difficult, but there are some ways you can make some money to get yourself out of a sticky situation.

• Sell your stuff

It may seem pretty obvious, but I’ve heard of a few people who actually make decent money from selling their unwanted things from around the house. You can sell your stuff pretty easily online these days using Gumtree or eBay as well as attending car boot sales. What’s more, you can actually have a good clear out as well as making some pretty decent money. If you don’t want to the hassle of posting items all the time, opt for collection only and save yourself some time too!

• Offer up your skills

If you’re particularly good at something or have a skill that people or small businesses might need, why not offer to work for some extra cash in between your other commitments. Go freelance, offer to babysit, help people around the house or garden, walk the neighbour’s dog. There are plenty of things you can do that will help people out and make you some extra money in your spare time.

• Get an overdraft

Your bank may offer you an overdraft that you can use in the case of emergency. You may be able to use this to pay your bills or pay off a car until your insurance money comes through. Using an overdraft can make a really big difference in short term circumstances until you have money coming in again. However, it doesn’t always suit for a long-term situation. Some banks will offer an interest free overdraft in small amounts, but anything over an above that you’ll be looking at paying high interest rates.

• Credit cards

For those emergency situations, a credit card can be pretty useful. It can help you to get some cash temporarily until you come back into some money. Credit cards can have decent interest rates, but you may need to do some shopping around to get the best deal. Make sure that you are able to pay the money you spend back within the time-frame, else you’ll be looking at a hefty charge rate.

• Cash loans

A riskier strategy but some cash loans can help you get out of a tight spot. There isn’t always the best choice as they can have high interest rates, but if you know you’ll be able to pay it back in the near future, you might be okay. Don’t get caught in the trap of renewals and partial payments and borrow as little as you can so you can pay it back in full as soon as possible.

Whilst these tips can really help get you out of a quick tight spot when it comes to money, having an emergency fund stashed away may be your better bet. However, if an urgent situation arises where you need cash fast, you can look at these options to help you out.

Plaques have been around for at least a century. There are one of the most usable ways to identify buildings, monuments, gravestones and parks. Usually, these are done from shiny and durable metals like bronze or steel, but with modern technology, the materials’ list has widened to include plastic or rubber. Choosing the best plaque manufacturer and installer is a top priority if you want excellent quality. Here you have some things to consider:

Look for referrals

You should start off by asking your friends if they have requested a similar service. If that’s the case, and they were satisfied with the product, it means that you can trust that business. Hiring a plaque installer that you don’t know is always a bargain (this happens with any type of business), but with a referral you know that someone else already tested its services and you can, in the very least, trust in that fact. You’ll want to look for companies with a long standing reputation like Distinct Memorials – glasgow & edinburgh plaques.

Consider the years of experience

After you have gotten a referral, do your own research. Investigate the basics like services offered, prices, customer reviews but above all, business experience. Knowing the year that it was founded is crucial. That way you know if that business has sufficient experience. You should aim to hire a company that has at least 10 to 15 years of experience. You may not think that having experience is important but in the business world, experience is everything.

Price

This category is always important when selecting any type of goods and/or services. Plaques usually cost a couple hundred dollars, but the costs tend to vary depending on the materials, the size, and the engravings you request. If you want the best, just know that it won’t be cheap. Nonetheless, there are many plaques that are affordable and the quality is still good.

Services

The best plaque installers must be able to provide all sorts of plaque installations. Check if they can do most of the following:

• Keyhole installation: keyholes are excellent to mount plaques on flat surfaces. It is recommendable for interior or exterior walls made of brick or stones.
• T-30 screws installation: this uses 3-inch deck screws which are excellent to mount heavy plaques on walls. The structure of the screws makes it possible to penetrate any structure like metal, brick or wood.
• Stand-offs installation: this method is used on most irregular surfaces like grass or stone. With this, you can mount the plaque on a pad, and thereafter, it can be place anywhere.
• Ground stake installation: this way the plaque is displayed on a stake driven into the ground or simply embedded in concrete. This is a method that allows the mounting of plaques on different locations.
• Magnets installation: this uses industrial magnets in the back of the plaque to place on ferrous metals like iron or steel. This is an ideal method to place plaques on locations where you can simply open a hole.

Take into account all of these steps and you should be fine when selecting a good plaque installer.

As the whole world turns its eyes to Putin’s Russia this summer, just about everyone in England will be glued to their TV sets and sofa’s for 4 straight weeks of non-stop football action. However, being an England fan comes with a lot of disappointments, sadly. If/when we’re inevitably knocked out of the tournament nice and early, fans are going to need something else to do, but luckily for you, we’ve got something to help with your disappointment. We’ve partnered with Paddy Power gambling games online to bring you this awesome guide to the most breathing taking places to visit in England.

Let’s hope you don’t have to use it!

There can be periods of our lives when it seems like our bank balances are always in the “red” and no matter how many extra hours we spend at work, we never have anything left at the end of the month. There are hundreds of ways to think about how we should spend our earnings, and often the idea of saving is less exciting. The sooner you start recording your spending, cutting out surplus expenditure and working out where to invest your time, the sooner you and your loved ones will be able to enjoy a debt-free and stress-free existence without sacrificing your current lifestyle.

Track your spending

This is a great place to start. With dozens of apps and the necessity of online banking, there is no excuse not to know your income (and outgoings) each month. You may be surprised about how much money goes on small but habitual purchases. However, you will also realise that there are hundreds of ways to curb your spending. Although it may seem painful to regard your spending in the cold light of day, it will lead to a more profitable future and rid you of any uncertainties – you may even get a pleasant surprise when looking at your bank statement.

Do More Yourself

A lot of money is wasted through paying other people to do things that we feel we don’t have the time or experience to do ourselves. But what we don’t consider is that we may save more money by working fewer hours and completing a task by ourselves, rather than spending more per hour hiring someone else to do it. When it comes to small household jobs, there are plenty of opportunities to learn anything online that will help you save money while learning a valuable new skill.

Take your Shopping Online

One of the best ways to save money when we need to purchase something is to explore the options that are available to us. It is easy to do this if we shop online rather than spend our free time looking around the shops. Whether you are looking for books, electronics, or even practical products to help with various tasks, such as SGT knots, you can find these products online. We can be tempted into aisles of luxury goods that we don’t really need. Shopping online can take a great deal of stress out of our routines, and there’s nothing more exciting than receiving our package in the post at a reduced cost.

Treat Time

One way to motivate yourself to keep saving is to have rewards in mind for when you have saved a substantial amount of money. Taking the extra five minutes to fill up a flask with coffee in the morning isn’t so bad when you realise that skipping the expensive coffee run each day could be funding your next beach holiday. It is important to strike a good work-life balance, and if you are too cheap in every situation, you will find yourself to be very unpopular, so it’s always important to strike a balance that suits you and your desired lifestyle.

By engaging in a small shift in behaviour and by spending a little time organising yourself, you’re guaranteed to have a financial weight lifted off your shoulders within months.

Set in the vast Nevada desert, Las Vegas beams its neon glow into the night sky. Known for its casinos, bars and theme venues, Las Vegas is the place to go if you want to party. The main street for nightlife is The Strip, where there are some of the largest hotels and casinos in the world, but you will also find some hidden gems in the surrounding area. Las Vegas is the ideal place to party, so here is how to celebrate in style, whether it’s a milestone birthday, a stag or hen party, or a trip of a lifetime!

Casinos

Casinos are what Vegas is all about. Most of the big hotels have casinos attached and spending some time (and money) on roulette, card games and one arm bandits is a fun way to celebrate a special occasion with friends. In Vegas, a casino isn’t just a casino. They are more of an opulent combination of theme park, film set and circus all at the same time. Most hotels have their own casino too, as well as gourmet restaurants, so you have everything you want right in one place.

Shows

Las Vegas is well known as a home for some of the most spectacular gigs and shows you’ll ever see. Some of the most popular music stars and legends have regular concerts in the city, plus there are a variety of other stage shows that are all set to amaze the senses. So if you’re into dance performances, tribute acts, magic or hypnosis, comedy, adult shows or music concerts, you’ll find it all and more in Las Vegas.

Clubs

Nightclubs in Las Vegas are like nothing else you’ve experienced before. Prepare to be dazzled by the array of different night venues where you can drink and dance the night through. Sip champagne, indulge in some mojitos or raise a shot or two of tequila, you won’t be stuck for choice in the bars. You can even get a Las Vegas-style hangover cure in the morning by calling Reset IV, and a nurse will visit you to give you an IV bag full of goodness to get you going again after a heavy night!

Great Weather

If you want to celebrate in style, then a warm and sunny climate makes it even more fun. Get dressed in your swimwear and chill by the pool during the day, before getting ready to hit the town. Even in the winter, the temperature is mild, so Las Vegas is a party destination the whole year round!

They say ‘what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,’ but actually you will have such a great time that you will want to tell your friends all about it when you get home. Vegas is the party capital of the US, and each time you visit there is always something new to see. If you want to party with friends, or family, there is something for any occasion in this city. If you are looking for ways to celebrate in style, a trip to Las Vegas is a sure bet!

In this day and age, everyone can start a business of sorts. Stay-at-home mothers are no longer confined by their motherly duties, and the same can be said for stay-at-home fathers. Instead, and with thanks to the internet, you can start your own small entrepreneurship, whether it’s an Etsy store or a small, local business.

Yet the question is, how do you go about starting a local business? If you’re pondering this question, consider the following advice.

Find a gap in your area

The first thing you must do is find out what your area needs and is lacking in terms of businesses. If you don’t, and you start your business blind, you’ll find yourself stepping on the toes of another business in your market, and this will make it hard to forge a relationship with them in the future. What’s more, you’ll find it hard to get custom because customers will generally still prefer to use the business they have long been using.

So, find that gap! If you love working with children and there aren’t any daycares in your area, for instance, then starting a daycare business should be a no-brainer; however, you’ll need to get the right education and certificates. It would give you the chance to enjoy what you do, every day, as well as the chance to offer assistance that is so desperately needed to a host of parents.

Don’t force your business name… it’ll come

If you get hung up on what to call your business, you’ll distract yourself from the important job of actually getting your business up and running. So, if it doesn’t come at once or naturally, don’t worry and don’t force it… your business name will come in time, and when it does, you’ll be happy you waited because it’ll be exactly what you didn’t know your business needed. Just make sure, when your name does come, that you trademark it.

Work with other businesses

As touched upon, you must seek to forge relationships with other businesses, especially those already established in your local area. You should because you can gain an insight into the customer trends in your area from doing so, and any tips on how to work around these trends should always be welcome. You should because working alongside established businesses in your area builds community confidence in yours and gives yours a stamp of approval.

So, reach out to the other businesses in your area by visiting them in person and introducing yourself. Or, if you want to be a bit more professional, then use The Email Finder to generate them as a lead and to find their B2B email address. Just remember, when you do email them, to make them aware of all the ways your presence in their area will help and not hinder them.

Starting a local business is worthwhile. It’s worthwhile for you because you’ll own your own business. It’s worthwhile for your local community because they get an additional service to assist them in their day-to-day lives. It’s worthwhile for the local businesses, too, because they’ll either have a partner or a rival to spruce them up. So, do it, and start that local business you’ve always dreamed of starting!

With so many travel destination out there in the world, choosing your next vacation destination can be a challenge. Where to go next? How do you sort through all of the incredible options and pick the next trip you will become excited about for months to come? Simply put, you need to pick which destination is most suited to your situation at the moment. Going on a safari is an unforgettable experience, but you will need to have a lot saved up for the tour, whereas you can go on a budget-friendly trip to a nearby city. Choosing the destination best suited for your current situation is the how you can make the most of your trip, and all you need to do is ask yourself these four questions:

What Time of the Year Will You Travel?

If you are planning on traveling during the summer, you will ideally want to visit places further away from the equator. Even for those who can take the heat, being near the equator during the hottest time of the year can be a challenge. Visit places that experience moderate temperatures, and you can enjoy your time outdoors exploring wherever you have your heart set on. If you want to be somewhere cooler, however, try south of the Equator, where great destinations like Australia will be heading into winter right now.

What Kind of Trip Do You Want to Take?

Of course, the kind of trip that you want to take will greatly influence where you go. Some cities have it all, of course, which make them great destinations for everyone, whereas others are good for more specific types of travelers. Always make sure that you and your friends agree on the type of trip you are going to take in advance, so that you can pick the ideal destination for everyone.

How Much Money Do You Want to Spend?

How much money you have on you and are willing to spend will affect where you can go. If you want to travel on a minimal budget, going to big cities like New York City or San Francisco will limit what you can do, whereas going to a more affordable destination can give you more options. Of course, you must also get through non-negotiable costs, like transportation and accommodation. Thankfully, just as you can use price comparison apps for your flights, you can also use comparison apps to find the best rental accommodation. By booking in advance you can both ensure you get a place, and start saving up for everyday costs instead of worrying about the big-ticket items.

What Kind of Culture Do You Want to Experience?

The best way to learn about a destination’s culture without directly experiencing it is to read up online. Go through the VacationRenter blog and find out the best destinations around the world, and you can narrow down your results even further with this additional information. A destination is never just the sights you can see, but it is the people, the culture and the events, so you will want to ensure that you are going to love as much of your destination as possible before you book anything.

No matter where you go, make sure it is great for the kind of trip you can afford now. Being priced out of your own vacation is a terrible experience, but with proper planning you can avoid this and really enjoy your next vacation.