Relaxation is something most people wish they were able to have more of. It may seem difficult to attain, but if you make it a priority and create time to relax, it doesn’t have to be a rare occurrence. At times, you can push back quality time with yourself because you don’t have ideas regarding how to spend that free time. Your goal should be to choose activities that allow you to unwind and make you feel refreshed. Below are a couple of ideas regarding how to spend your free time relaxing.

Pamper Yourself with a Spa Day 

Pampering yourself is an ideal way to treat yourself and relax. Your body works hard for your every single day, so taking time to show it some love is the least that you could do in return. Going to the spa for a day will ensure you’re able to get a range of treatments to help you feel relaxed and refreshed. Here are some specific services you could get during your spa visit.  

• Massage: One of the most popular spa treatments that you can get is a massage. Swedish and deep tissue massages happen to be very common, so try one of those. If you would like essential oils to be used during your massage, then perhaps try getting an aromatherapy massage. 
• Facials: If your face has been looking dull lately, then a facial could be the perfect solution to make your skin look rejuvenated. They’re said to be the second most popular spa treatment behind massages. A few facials you could try are an anti-aging facial, European facial, or a deep-cleansing facial. 

Check into a Hotel 

Another simple but effective way that you could get some well-needed relaxation would be by checking into a hotel. This would be the perfect opportunity for you to kick back and relax without thinking about things like laundry, making the bed, and cooking. If you’re on a budget, look for discounted rooms which you can find online. 

Go on a Short Trip 

Vacations, as well as getaways, within the country or abroad, don’t always have to be long. So why not take a short trip to a country you’ve always wanted to visit and relax in a new environment? Here are some you may wish to add to your list. 

England: If you haven’t been to England before, it could be a good destination. Whether you’ll be in Manchester or London, you can stay at one of the Native apartments or hotels as they offer safe neighborhoods, lush interior, and reasonable prices. Take a tour around one of many museums and try local restaurants. 

Mexico: Another relaxing destination to consider is Tulum, Mexico. Here you could enjoy white sands as well as a quiet and relaxing environment. If you want to try something a little more upbeat, then go to the renowned Cancun for a break. 

Maldives: The Maldives has been rated as a top spa destination which goes to show why it could be a fantastic destination for a getaway. It’s home to hundreds of tropical islands, and you can choose from different luxury resorts that offer various treatments that are inspired by traditional Asian therapies. 

No matter where you visit, a good trek or hike can be recommended anywhere. Taking in the sights and visiting your favourite tourist spots. Trekking poles and walking sticks can easily fit in your luggage.

Get Quiet Time 

For the simpletons, your idea of a relaxing weekend could be getting some alone time in. If you’ve got kids, see if someone can take them for the weekend so that you’re able to relax without any interruptions. During this quiet time, you could catch up with simple things such as reading, journaling, or watching movies. 

There are going to be times when you’ll be getting dressed and realise you look too casual. Maybe you want to wear your favourite pair of jeans but feel like they’re dragging down your entire look.

Be glad to know there are ways for how you can dress up a casual outfit and leave the house feeling confident and sexy. All it takes is having the right items in your wardrobe so you can instantly transform an outfit from boring and plain to attractive and exciting.

When in doubt, wear what makes you feel confident and self-assured. 

The Right Pair of Earrings

To start, you can dress up a casual outfit by finding and wearing the right pair of earrings. For example, check out these beautiful Annoushka pearl earrings that are a must-have staple for transforming an outfit.. Think about how much better your outfit is going to look once you have these on. 

Fancy Shoes & Purse

Never underestimate what the right type of accessories can do to help dress up a casual outfit. Go shopping and pick out a pair of fancy shoes or heels that are colourful and sassy so you can look the part. In addition, consider carrying a flashy purse with you as another way to feel and look fancier.

Together, this combination of items that will not only increase the attractiveness of your outfit but also make you look more fashionable and feel more confident as well.  

Red Lipstick

In addition, it’s always a wise idea to go to the store and purchase a tube of red lipstick. Put this on, and in seconds your casual outfit will be dressed up and more “night time”. It may take some getting used to if you’re not someone who wears bold makeup, so be patient as you try out different shades until you find the one you like best. Be sure to check out the rules and tips for wearing red lipstick ahead of time so you can make sure you’re doing it right.  

A Blousy Top

A blousy top is the perfect solution for when you have on casual trousers or bottoms you know you want to wear. It’s a great way to dress up an outfit that otherwise looks a bit dull and not as interesting. Don’t be afraid to be bold in the way of wearing bright colours or wild patterns that catch your eye. On the other hand, if you’re a little more conservative, then opt for a white blouse because they are extraordinarily versatile and exude a classic and chic edge. 

Conclusion

There are going to be times when you’ll need to know what to do to look more fashionable and dressy. Use this advice to help you pick out the perfect outfit for your next event or night out on the town so that you can fit in properly and feel pretty fabulous. All it takes is some careful attention to detail, and mixing and matching the right pieces to properly pull off the dressing up of a casual outfit. 

Taking a gap year before embarking on college studies is becoming more popular as an option for young people in America. While the concept of a gap year can sometimes be seen as taking time off from study, in reality it is often so much more. If the time is used wisely, it can be a crucial year in a person’s development and maturity as they earn money and taste independence, gain invaluable work experience and even open career opportunities. 

One of the biggest obstacles to taking a gap year can often be finding employment when you have no experience or qualifications. If this is a problem you’re facing, here are 4 ways to earn money while on your gap year.

• Become a freelancer

While you may think you don’t have skills anyone would pay for, you may be surprised when you look into the opportunities available. You could become a tutor for young children in English or math, write blogs, and create designs for websites to name just a few. You may be able to find freelance work on platforms like Upwork, TakeLessons or Fiver. Photography can be a great way to earn money if you’ve got a high-quality camera and a good eye. You can offer freelance photography services for events or for others while you are travelling. 

You could also sell images to stock photo services such as Getty which will pass on a commission every time a photo of yours is sold.

• Teach sports

If you fancy getting out and being active, teaching sports or outdoor pursuits can be a great way to stay active, learn a new skill and develop your teaching skills. In addition, if you choose the right type of activity, you could combine the experience with travel to a new country. For example, you could travel to the famous Whistler mountain resort in Canada and take part in snowboarding Instructor courses while staying in truly stunning surroundings.

• Sell unwanted items

While it can take time, selling second-hand items via sites like eBay or Craigslist can be a great project. Buying and selling used items like clothes, accessories, technology and furniture is more commonplace than ever before, and if you learn which items to invest in, you may be able to make a significant amount of money.  

• Use your gap year to further your career 

Whatever you decide to do during your gap year, it’s best to try and choose something which supports your ambitions. Even the smallest amount of experience, whether paid or voluntary, can boost your resume and help you to get a foot in the door when it comes to getting your first internship or job. If you do freelance work, you might want to make it as professional as possible by creating a logo and website where you can show your work. At the end of the year you will have a portfolio of work alongside any savings you’ve gathered and the experiences you’ve had.

Are your high credit card bills preventing you from making your mortgage payment each month, although you have a steady income? Filing Chapter 13 Bankruptcy may be the solution you have been looking for.

If your mortgage lender has sent a letter warning you of an impending foreclosure, has already begun to foreclose on your house, or your home is about to be sent to a Sheriff’s Sale, you need to read this. You may be able to save your home by filing bankruptcy now.  

Why are you behind on your mortgage payments?

Can you save your house with bankruptcy? The answer depends on your income, what kind of debt you have besides your mortgage, and what your monthly payment looks like. 

There are, broadly speaking, three reasons why families lose their home to foreclosure. The first is unaffordable housing, especially in markets like San Francisco and New York City. The second is affordable housing but irresponsible spending. The final reason is the loss of income, whether from termination or the death of an uninsured spouse.

If You Cannot Afford Your Home

Realistically, a private home in these markets is not affordable for middle-class families, and even low-level executives would struggle to afford in many of these markets.

Conventional wisdom dictates that housing and utilities should not require more than 30% of your annual salary, yet aspiring young couples often commit 50% or more to secure their dream home early in life. Some may make a decision to be “house poor” and make cuts in other areas of their lifestyle to attain that dream home, but being house-poor often means being one bad month away from being homeless. 

If your mortgage payment leaves no disposable income at the end of the month, it is easy to fall behind should an unexpected debt arise.

If You Need to Adjust Your Spending

Whether a bankruptcy can save your home depends on why you fell behind on your payments. 

Are your credit cards maxed out? Did you get stuck with the bill for a wedding or funeral? Did you suffer a medical emergency and got left with outlandish bills for emergency care? Did you take out a personal line of credit to pay down old bills, only to end up deeper in debt?

All of these are “unsecured debts” that can be discharged in bankruptcy. Chapter 13 bankruptcy can lead to the discharge of these debts as long as you follow the repayment plan.

Are your debts related to court-assessed fines, criminal restitution, child support, unpaid taxes, or federal student loans? 

These are known as priority debts; they cannot be discharged through bankruptcy. 

Missed Mortgage Payments Due to Loss of Income 

Ask yourself a simple question: If your unsecured debts were to disappear, could you make the monthly mortgage payment on your home? 

If the answer is no, absent any alternative like help from family you may have to surrender your home, which you can do without liability for the mortgage in either a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy filing.

If the answer is yes, then Chapter 13 bankruptcy will be able to save your home. As part of a court-approved repayment plan, you will make your mortgage payment and any other secured debts on time and in full. Then, your disposable income is applied to monthly plan payments 3 to 5 years. 

Once your repayment plan is completed, the balance of your unsecured debts will be discharged. It doesn’t look very good on your credit, but it sure beats having your home sold out from under you for insolvency.

Save your Home in Five Steps

1. Meet with an experienced Bankruptcy Attorney. Come prepared with information on your outstanding debts, available income, and savings, and disclose any legal obligations (like child support) that you have to pay each month. 
2. Assuming you qualify for bankruptcy after the consultation, work with your attorney to provide the necessary documentation and sign your paperwork. Your bankruptcy will soon be filed, and an automatic stay will temporarily freeze pending Sheriff’s sales or foreclosures. 
3. Decide if you will keep the collateral for other secured debts. Multiple vehicles, summer homes or cottages, boats, and other secured property could be surrendered in your bankruptcy filing to reduce your monthly debt and make it easier to pay on your mortgage. 
4. Agree to a payment plan and get it approved by the Bankruptcy court. While your plan typically requires you to dedicate all of your disposable income, you can often use medical conditions or child-care expenses to create a buffer of income in reserve. 
5. Make your Chapter 13 payments on time and in full. A failure to complete your Chapter 13 repayment plan will lift any bankruptcy protections and make it possible for your home to be foreclosed on.

 

Veronica Baxter is a writer, blogger, and legal assistant operating out of the greater Philadelphia area.

You may be feeling sluggish and out of sorts lately due to the way you’ve been living. What you choose to do and not do each day matters a great deal in how well you’re able to function on a regular basis. 

Be glad to know there are five ways in particular that will help you to live a healthier lifestyle, so you hopefully have fewer sick days and visits to the doctor. When you take good care of yourself, you’ll find that your days seem more manageable and you aren’t so tired and worn down. It takes time to change behaviors, so be patient with yourself as you adapt to your new way of life. 

• Hit the Gym

One way to live a healthier lifestyle is to hit the gym more often and break a sweat. Find activities you enjoy doing, such as joining a workout class or weightlifting. Remember to stay hydrated with a drink such as Halo Sport, so you have a quicker recovery time. Exercise is a great way to gain more natural energy and lift your mood.

• Cook Meals at Home

You may also want to consider cooking more meals for yourself at home as a way to stay healthy and save some money and calories. This way, you can pick and choose what ingredients you use and better control your portions. You may find you enjoy cooking and that it’s a relaxing activity for you to do in your free time as well. 

• Avoid Added Sugar & Alcohol

Sugary drinks and alcohol can take a toll on your health and wellbeing over time. Therefore, it’s a wise idea to get in the habit of drinking more water regularly and eating fresh foods. Keep a bottle handy while you’re at work or around the house, so you’re constantly reminded to drink more of it. Your skin will look better, and you’ll feel more energized to tackle your to-do list.

• Address & Break Bad Habits

A good reason you may not be healthy currently is because you have a lot of bad habits that you’re doing and need to break. For example, maybe you stay up late and don’t sleep much or go out for drinks after work each night instead of exercising. It’s important to face your poor habits and then do what’s in your power to make sure you’re not repeating them in the future. Set goals and track your progress so you can stop lying to yourself and start addressing what’s hindering your ability to be healthier. 

• Practice Work-Life Balance

You can also live a healthier lifestyle by practicing more work-life balance and not overdoing it in any one area of your life. Set boundaries with others and learn how to say no to those who request your time and attention when you’re already booked up. Get in a routine that will help you to balance out your work schedule and activities better, so your health doesn’t have to suffer because you work too much. 

Having a family car is an asset. More than one person will be using this vehicle, and you can even split the overall cost of maintenance together. It does more than help you get from point A to point B; it is your primary mode of transportation. The truth is that you can’t always rely on public transport to arrive at your destination in a timely manner.

If you are currently wondering whether to invest in a family car, this article will go over a few benefits that you will gain from it. 

Budgeting and assuming responsibility 

Before you delve any deeper into owning a family car, you have to understand the financial component of it. Purchasing or leasing a vehicle will require you to have some money set aside, and you have to consider the cost of maintenance and insurance. 

You can’t drive a car without investing in auto insurance. Providers like Acceptance Insurance offer various types of policies and coverage options to suit your specific needs. No matter how safe of a driver you state you are, you can’t predict when an accident will happen, and this can take a big toll on your financial stability if you aren’t covered by a good insurance plan. 

If there are any young adults in your family, owning and taking care of a car will certainly teach these individuals to be more financially responsible. If the car isn’t taken care of, it will eventually stop running efficiently. 

Convenient mode of transportation

Cars are important because they are a convenient and easy mode of transportation. You can use them as your main mode of transport to get to school or work, and for other everyday errands such as making trips to the grocery store or meeting with friends and family. 

Gives you independence 

When you have a vehicle parked on your driveway that you can take at any point, you are also more independent. You don’t have to rely on other people to take you places or work around their schedules. Having your own car also means you don’t have to take a bus, train or subway. You never know when and where there will be construction delays when you are relying on public transportation.

Weekend road trips 

There is no better way to spend quality time with your family members than to go on a road trip together. When you have a car, this is easier than ever to do, even if you plan a last-minute weekend getaway somewhere. 

Emergencies 

Life can take unexpected turns, and there will be moments where you or a family member will encounter some type of emergency. During medical emergencies, you will be very glad that you have a car you can take to get to the hospital, or wherever else you may need to go. 

It is easier than ever to have a car, simply remember that you need to budget for it accordingly. In order to reap the benefits that this article has outlined, you have to look after the family car and maintain it. Keep this in mind, and you will be able to use this vehicle for many years in the future.

Any parent wants their kids to excel at school and be passionate about learning and furthering their education. Initially, however, this drive has to come from you. It’s your responsibility to seek out the best schools in your area, as well as to encourage them to find fascination in reading stories, to give them ample encouragement and praise, to inspire them to want to perform well, and sign them up to join in with extra-curricular activities, such as sports and music lessons. 

Developing your child’s love of learning shouldn’t be too challenging as long as you resist pressuring them, and instead make opportunities for learning, fun, engaging, and rewarding. 

Get Them Reading Early 

Even very young children enjoy having stories read to them and asking questions about the characters. Reading to your kids can help with learning to speak, to read, and to interpret feelings and emotions. When reading tales to your children, remember that they are impressionable, so try not to impersonate scary voices, characters, and preconceived stereotypes. Ask them to help you read and be patient. Get them reading early by starting off leaning the alphabet and working up to books with more and more words in them. 

Encourage Playing With Others 

Kids can enjoy playing and learning independently just as much as they do with other children. Ensure that your children grow up used to sharing their toys, interacting with others, and being kind and patient. Always tell your children that they must share, and encourage group playtime with the help of Fun Learning educational toys that require concentration, problem-solving, and teamwork. 

Plenty of Encouragement 

Your child needs to know that you support them entirely and that you’re proud of them. Young children will want to impress you and seek your approval and encouragement, so always be forthcoming with praise, love, and outward showing of pride. Encourage them in their homework by sitting down with them, by helping them, and offer incentives if they’re struggling to muster the energy. With this said, you should always place greater importance of showing them love and encouragement rather than on material goods. 

Consider taking them to see a play, to the cinema, to their favourite restaurant, or a theme park is they perform exceptionally well at school, ace a spelling or maths test, or just consistently do their homework on time. 

Inspire Them 

Inspire your children by being a role model to them, so always be happy around them, avoid confrontation, and make them excited for their lives ahead by thinking about careers (once they’re of a certain age, of course). Let them know that you’ll always support them, help them out of a sticky situation should they need it, and love them unconditionally. 

Take them on holidays and foster a love of learning by seeing new countries, eating foods they’ve never tried before, and seeing entirely different cultures to their own. Doing this from a young age will pique their interest in learning and self-development. They’ll want to continue to enrich their own lives with new experiences as they go forward into their adult lives.

Busking is a great way to fund a round the world trip. If you can play an instrument, then packing it into your luggage and heading for far-flung destinations is easier than ever. Some people are heading off on round the world vacations and paying for the experience with nothing more than a few hours a day performing in the streets. It’s not without its issues though, so if you’re tempted to pack your guitar, sax, or keyboard and head off on your travels with nothing but a playlist and your first EP, then here are some valuable tips that might help you complete a full trek of the planet with nothing more than a love of entertaining others.

1: Research

You can’t just plonk down and start playing whatever you like. Every country and city has its own rules and regulations regarding busking. Make sure that you don’t fall foul of the law by doing some research into your destination before you set off.

2: Control Your Volume

If you’re too loud, then people are just going to get annoyed at you. Everyone has seen and heard those buskers with no sense of volume, and you can be sure that if you stray from entertainment into annoyance, then you’re not going to get the money in your hat you need for the next stage of your journey.

3: The Right Instrument

Of course, the most common kind of busking instrument is the guitar. Easy to travel with and with no end of songs to choose from, it’s easy to see why guitars are a mainstay of the travelling busker’s world. However, it’s not your only choice. Classical music, or even popular songs played with a classical instrument, might earn you a lot more respect and money from passersby. Invest in Dawkes bass clarinets before you start travelling and you’ll see a lot more money thrown in your hat.

4: Don’t Improvise

Performing on the street is no place to practice. If you’re performing, then you need to know how to play and what to play. Perfect a one hour set and continuously update it as you learn new tracks. Mix up your types of music and don’t be afraid to experiment with different genres, but do that in your own time and not when you’re trying to earn cash for your next flight.

5: Dress Well

Even if you’re living out of a backpack, there’s no reason not to dress the part when you’re busking. The smarter that you look, the more likely that people will be happy to throw their spare change in your guitar or clarinet case. If you dress like a scruffy backpacker, then people aren’t going to be as keen on handing over their cash, and that might mean you get stuck for another day trying to scrounge up money for the next train out of dodge.

Being a busker can be hard work, but with more people than ever funding their holidays with some well-timed and well-rehearsed musical accompaniment, you could be using your musical talent and love of performing to see much more of the world. Consider setting up social media and getting a following. You can use marketing agencies to help.

Becoming a homeowner is a major milestone in most people’s lives and can reveal itself to be a great investment when managed correctly. However, after taking account for things like homeowners’ insurance, utilities, and HOA fees, there are some things that many weren’t prepared for. These minor, and sometimes major costs can start adding up and make mortgage payments more difficult than expected. But when you’re prepared, you can come up with a plan of action to either mitigate them or at least plan for them. Here are some of the most common hidden costs of homeownership.

Weather Damage

People often don’t take into account how the weather can affect how much you’ll have to pay to maintain your home. This is especially true for people who have to experience all four seasons. Asphalt runways wear out faster in colder climates because of things like contraction and expansion. Pouring salt also can cause accelerated damage to different types of driveways. This means you’ll have to cut some of the years off the average lifespan of a driveway if you want to plan for resurfacing or replacement.

Additionally, the weather can damage your pipes, both interior and exterior. For example, frost and cold weather can make pipes burst, causing a vast amount of damage to your home. This happens when water inside the pipes expands when it gets close to freezing, and the pressure becomes too much for the pipe to hold. If you are online searching for “plumbers in my area”, however, Porch can provide a list of reliable tradespeople who can assist you with any job you need completing, including fixing and maintaining pipes and water heaters.  

Property Taxes

A lot of people think that because they’re spending $1200 and more for the current place they’re renting, they can actually afford to pay a mortgage. But there are so many more fixed expenses you’ll have to account for. 

One of them is property tax. Before you take the number you got from your mortgage calculator and run with it, make sure that you divide your property tax by twelve and add it to your monthly payments. Also, keep in mind that taxes only go up, so you’ll have to be prepared for a possible tax hike in the future.

Aesthetic Changes

Everybody has an idea of their dream house in their heads, but most of the time, this house may not even exist in the market they’re in. So, chances are compromises had to be made. 

Maybe the basement isn’t really the rec room you had in mind, or you don’t really care for the pot garden in the backyard. Either way, you’ll probably get to working on some changes as soon as you get the house so you can make it feel more like home. Whether it’s adding pavers, exterior lighting, or stone veneers, prepare to spend quite a lot on making aesthetic changes in the first few years.

Your Front Lawn

If you think paying someone a few dollars a month to mow the lawn is enough maintenance, you’re in for a surprise. Maintaining a nice looking lawn can cost a lot of money. Especially if it’s covered by snow half of the year. 

You might have to invest in some new sod, pay for things like fertilizer, pest control, and weed killer, maybe add some annuals here and there. Either way, expect to pay much more than the minimum if you want your lawn to look good all year.

Zoning Issues

Another thing you’ll have to consider is zoning rules around the area where you live. You just never know when someone could buy the home next to you just to tear it down and build a 5-story condo building. This could significantly reduce your home’s value. Likewise, if you decide to live near commercial property, you never know when the quaint little mom and pop strip mall could turn into a cineplex overnight and bring traffic up, bringing property values down in the process. Not only will knowing zoning laws give you some indication as to what to expect but will protect you from committing violations if you ever intend to get some work done yourself.

Homeownership is serious business, and you’ll need to have a solid plan and budget in place to make sure that it remains a good investment. Make sure that you look out for these hidden costs and that you’re ready to face some more unexpected expenses as well.

Life insurance, in general, is an agreement between a policyholder and the insurer. The life insurance company requires the insured to make several payments in a year with the promise that should the insured pass away, his or her family would receive a sum of money. In case you die, the company should pay a particular amount of money to the family of the loved ones.

If the cause of death is natural, getting a payout can be easy. Suicides, on the other hand, could complicate the situation. However, does that mean you cannot get the money from the insurance company? And “does life insurance pay for suicidal death in the US?” 

Today, you will learn the truths and the relationship between these two, insurance and suicide.

The relation between life insurance and suicide

CDC, in the 2016 findings, found out that about 45, 000 people died because of suicidal death. Not many of the survivors got their payouts, maybe because they did not know that there could be a possibility of one.

The truth is, not many people know this fact. You can get a payout as long as you consider various factors.

What are these factors?

Fundamentally, two things can block you from getting the money the deceased left. They are:

– Incontestable clause

The clause allows the company to carry out thorough investigations on the cause of suicide. If they find out that there is fraud, they might refuse to pay the amount. On the other hand, they will pay if they find that the general cause of death was accidental.

On the other hand, the contestable period is between two years between the start of the policy to the death. If this time lapses, be sure that the life insurance company will not be able to contest. Therefore, there will be an immediate payout.

– The life insurance policy

Many insurers take utmost precautions when someone applies for this type of insurance. The customer will have to produce health documents (both physical and mental), their age, medical history, nicotine use, and gender. All these details are essential to the insurer when coming up with the right premiums for the policyholder.

Some insurance firms will include policies that will exclude them from paying out any claims in the case of suicide.

These policies are put to stop people who would choose to self-injure themselves intentionally so that their family can benefit from the claim.

Will the insurer consider a payout in physician-assisted suicide?

Chronic illness can overwhelm a patient. Instead of letting the disease kill you, some people will often turn to physician-assisted suicide. In such a situation, the insurer will consider the two factors mentioned above.

Some states have laws that protect the right to assisted suicide. Hence, it will be easy to claim in this situation.

Summing it up

Insurers can refuse to pay out, sometimes. What can you do in such an instance?

Many people go unattended because they could not get the right help. A lawyer can help you know whether it will be possible to get the payout or not.

The law firm you contact, because they know how expensive the lawsuit can be, they will only demand payment after you win your case.