How to Keep Your Family on Budget this Year

Group of People Holding Arms

Keeping your family’s budget on track is already a huge challenge on its own. Compound it with a global pandemic and a strong desire to keep everything orderly and organized, the challenge turns into a true uphill climb. Luckily, with a few tried and tested tips, you can get a grip on your family’s finances and continue saving for your future. Whether you’re saving to send your kids to college, to renovate the house, or to buy a much-needed new car, with the right tools at hand, you’ll be ready for anything.

Separate the “Wants” from the “Needs”

If you’re trying to save money and budget wisely, you need to first figure out if you’re over-spending – especially on luxury items your family might not really need. Firstly, you will need to get home, car, and life insurance but this doesn’t mean you should break the bank paying for them. There are policies out there that offer great deals and perks. For example, this guide goes over the life insurance policies that come with a free gift. This not only ensures your family is financially protected should anything happen to you, but it also means you get a great deal! Next, decide what your wants are. Is there any spending habit that, if removed, would actually not affect your overall happiness? Could you skip the morning latte, and instead bring coffee from home in a travel mug? Could you live without the name brands at the grocery store and try some of the less expensive generic brands? Do you need streaming subscriptions to Netflix, Disney+, Amazon, and Hulu or could you cut back somewhere? Have you ever considered the option where you can refinance student loans to private services, in case you have taken one for your child’s education! Well, if you can take a minute and think of all these questions you might probably be able to distinguish between your wants and needs.

Only Borrow Money from Transparent Lenders

Everyone needs to borrow money. Lines of Credit can help you renovate your home to increase its value, car loans allow you to buy a car when you need it, with a reasonable interest rate, even payday loans can help with a temporary emergency cost that needs to be covered right away. But it pays to know the terms and conditions of any financial relationship. If you need money quickly, a payday loan gives you the cash you need without the hurdles and hoops that come with personal loans from a bank or traditional lender. But your lender should provide you with the tools and information about borrowing that you need to stay informed. Always know what the
terms of your loan are.

Look to the Experts

There is only so much headway you can make on your own, and if your confidence or determination starts to lag, there are always experts out there who can help you stay on track. Consider one of these gurus of personal finance.

Farnoosh Torabi is a podcaster whose personal anecdotes first-person accounts of financial foibles and feats give you not only inspiration but some entertainment along the way. A Forbes favorite, she always has insights to offer and her guests include other major thinkers like author Seth Godin and self-help legend Tony Robbins.

Canna Campbell is a famous YouTuber who helps viewers adopt a minimalist mindset to help them save. Her ideas, which were eventually catalogued in her e-book, The $1000 Project, give a great perspective on how to pave your way and be proud of what you accomplish.

Cait Flanders is a Twitter star and budgeting pro who loves to share her insights and passion with her followers. You might even want to pick up her book, The Year of Less which documents her twelve-month journey of climbing out of debt by purchasing only groceries, toiletries, and gas for her car. She’s always happy to share ideas on Twitter and keep her followers in the know regarding any new tips she’s come across.

If you want to keep your personal and family finances from running away from you this year, consider these strategies. They’ll motivate and inform you so that you can set realistic goals and achieve them.

3 Things to Consider When You Move Overseas with Children

A move overseas is a big step for any family. Adults can struggle with the move to a new country and there are big costs to consider. Before anything else, you should visit https://farnorthdallashomes.com/north-dallas-closing-costs to work out all of the hidden costs that come with moving abroad that you may not have thought about yet. Moving abroad, whilst tough on your finances, can be even tougher on your children. That’s why it’s important to make some big decisions before you go. Here are some things you’ll need to consider when you make a move:

1. Is it a good time to move them overseas?

Timing is everything when it comes to a successful move overseas. Many expats will tell you that the younger your children are, the easier it’ll be. This is because children are more adaptable at a young age. They can easily pick up the local language and make it easier to make friends.

If you have older children, there’s no reason why you can’t still move abroad. Older kids will often find the move exciting, as they can appreciate the cultural differences and enjoy the experience of traveling. However, a move can be more difficult if they’re at a stage where they have exams or have only just settled into a new school. You’ll need to consider how to keep things consistent for them.

2. Where will they go to school?

Expats have a number of schooling options, such as:

  • International/British/American schools
  • Local schools
  • Home schooling
  • Hiring a private tutor/teacher

The option you choose will depend on the area you move to. In areas with lots of expats, there are usually more options. For example, you can find an international school in Bangkok, which can give your kids continuity in education. In contrast, it is possible not to be able to find an English-speaking school in some rural areas.

Local schools can vary in quality, depending on the country and location, and if your child gets their qualifications there, then they might not be recognised in your home country. That’s why it’s better to use an international school that follows a standard curriculum.

3. What will they like about the new country?

If you want to get your child enthusiastic about a move, you’ll have to find something that they’ll love about the new place. Your child will be leaving behind their friends, hobbies, and life, so it’s important they have something to look forward to in the new place.

Do some research on your destination. For example, if you are relocating to the Maltese islands, along with looking to buy a property in Malta, you may also want to see if there are local clubs your child can join? Will they be able to enjoy the beaches and the countryside? Can they go swimming several times a week? It’s important that your child knows there are going to be fun things to do when you move overseas so that they have something to look forward to. If you are looking for a place with lots of outdoor activities and water sports, Andorra may just tick all the boxes. Besides, the country offers a solid education and health care system. For better clarity on how things actually are over there, however, you could check social media for expat groups, or contact real estate firms like Relocate to Andorra.

Moving to a new country can be much more complicated if you have children. You want to ensure their lives aren’t disrupted, especially their education, and you’ll want to ensure they have something to look forward to when they arrive. If you do your research before you move and have everything in place, the process will be so much easier.

Aware of This? The 10 Most Eloquent Presidents People Loved their Speeches

History has given us a plethora of incredible role models and inspirational sayings by some of the world’s most influential people. It is gratifying to know that many of those motivational speeches and eloquently spoken quotes were initiated by none other than our very own presidents.

The impact of many presidential speeches went well beyond the borders of the United States, stretching across the globe to instill emotions like courage, compassion, and love in people who were not even citizens of America. And in our own country, patriotism ran rampant after the empowering speeches of some of history’s most renowned presidents.

Here are excerpts from ten of the most eloquent presidents and their incredibly powerful speeches.

10 Presidential Speeches the World Will Never Forget

 

1. John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address

Arguably the most patriotic speech ever penned by a politician, our 35th president rocked the nation with his impassioned plea in 1961 for the citizens of the United States to come together for the good of the country rather than for each individual person.

His entire speech was eloquent in its entirety, but is summed up with these two sentences:

“And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you–
ask what you can do for your country.  My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”

 

2. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Fireside Chat”

Roosevelt chose a casual setting to discuss a real problem that affected every person in the country, but his whole presidency was based on this familiarity, too. When he was beginning to implement his New Deal legislation, he sat down and explained everything crucial for citizens to know, without the interference of the media polluting the truth. This began a tradition of presidents directly speaking to the citizens on important matters and encouraging people to make their own decisions without listening to rumors. For more on the New Deal and Roosevelt’s campaign slogan, read this blog.

His fireside chat in March 1933 addressed the audience as “friends,” and Roosevelt quickly garnered the approval of the majority of the country after this speech:

“My friends, I want to talk for a few minutes with the people of the United States about banking…confidence and courage are the essentials of success in carrying out our plan. You people must have faith. You must not be stampeded by rumors or guesses..It is your problem, my friends. Your problem no less than it is mine. Together, we cannot fail.”

 

3. Dwight Eisenhower’s Farewell Address

When Eisenhower was leaving the office and welcoming in JFK as our new president in 1961, he gave a speech that warned the world that a modern era was approaching. In this new era, he predicted that the government, the military, and big business all would join together and this “misplaced power” could turn “disastrous.”

He pleaded with the country to keep the combination of the three big forces from endangering the foundations of the United States with this speech:

“Until the latest of our world conflicts, the United States had no armaments industry. But we can no longer risk emergency improvisation of national defense…In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic process.”

 

4. Ronald Reagan’s Address on the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster

In January 1986, the United States dealt with a tragedy when the much-awaited space shuttle Challenger was set to go into space, but instead exploded while millions of people looked on in terror. Not only was this a harsh blow to NASA and the space industry, but it also was an emotional time for many people as they felt the wave of pain and sadness.

Although it was a devastating tragedy, it tied millions of Americans together and united them in one common bond of grief. Then President Ronald Reagan assisted in tying the bond tighter with his speech:

“The future doesn’t belong to the faint-hearted but to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we’ll continue to follow them…The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye, and slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of God.”

 

5. Lyndon B. Johnson’s “Great Society” Speech at the University of Michigan

Lyndon B. Johnson was another notable president in the ‘60s. In 1964, his “Great Society” speech, delivered at the University of Michigan on May 22, was so on point that it was almost like he was predicting the future. Johnson’s impassioned words asked the nation to focus on creating wealth, but not to use it for personal gain. Instead, he urged that we use our wealth to improve the nation and each other.

Johnson’s speech could easily be repeated today as many Americans feel the lack of idealism and patriotism and focus on wealth for the individual. The reminder that when the country is successful, the individuals are successful can be heard here:

“The challenge of the next half-century is whether we have the wisdom to use that wealth to enrich and elevate our national life and to advance the quality of our American civilization. Your imagination and your initiative and your indignation will determine whether we build a society where progress is the servant of our needs or a society where old values and new visions are buried under unbridled growth. For in your time, we have the opportunity to move not only toward the rich society and the powerful society, but upward to the Great Society. “

 

6. George W. Bush’s “Get On Board” Speech

George W. Bush was president during one of the biggest acts of terrorism the United States had ever seen. On 9/11/2011, the country was attacked by terrorists in a tragedy that left thousands of people dead and hundreds of millions of others shocked, terrified and devastated. Bush had to step in and save the country from the emotional damage that would follow the devastation without a rock to hold everyone together.

He did this in the simple, eloquent way that he was famous for, with few words and a common sense truth:

“When they struck they wanted to create an atmosphere of fear, and one of the great goals of this war is…to tell the traveling public: Get on board. Do your business around the country. Fly and enjoy America’s great destination spots. Get down to Disney World in Florida. Take your families and enjoy life the way we want it to be enjoyed.”

 

7. Barack Obama’s “A More Perfect Union” Speech

The nation’s first non-white president, Barack Obama, was elected in 2008. He knew that this fact would cause dissension in the country, so he addressed it in his inaugural speech looking to create “ a more perfect union.” He was direct and to the point, discussing a topic that had previously been hushed up and considered taboo. His reasoning was that he felt that Americans were finally able to make their own educated opinions by evaluating history and the effects and seeing how racial intolerance had caused so many problems.

In Obama’s speech, he gave the gift of hope to the nation that the citizens could get beyond racial boundaries and become a more perfect union:

“But I have asserted a firm conviction, a conviction rooted in my faith in God and my faith in the American people, that working together we can move beyond some of our old racial wounds, and that in fact, we have no choice. We have no choice if we are to continue on the path of a more perfect union…What we know, what we have seen, is that America can change. That is the true genius of this nation. What we have already achieved gives us hope, the audacity to hope, for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.”

 

8. Theodore Roosevelt’s “The Man with the Muck Rake” Speech

Way back in 1906, over a century ago, Theodore Roosevelt knew that money was going to bring down the compassion of man to man. He pleaded with citizens to work together to give everyone equal opportunity to succeed, and to remember that an individual’s character was the foundation of life.

“More important than aught else is the development of the broadest sympathy of man for man. The welfare of the wage worker, the welfare of the tiller of the soil, upon these depend the welfare of the entire country; their good is not to be sought in pulling down others; but their good must be the prime object of all our statesmanship.”

 

9. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address

One of the most famous presidential speeches ever, and one with far-reaching impacts across the country, is Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 dedication of the Battle of Gettysburg’s site as a national cemetery. In this speech, Lincoln urged American citizens to continue to do the unfinished work of all who died in battle – to fight for freedom for the country.

“The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here…that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.”

 

10. George Washington’s First Inaugural Address

Our first president, George Washington , set the stage for all other presidents with his inaugural speech in 1789.

“Having thus imparted to you my sentiments as they have been awakened by the occasion which brings us together… so His divine blessing may be equally ‘conspicuous’ in the enlarged views, the temperate consultations, and the wise measures on which the success of this Government must depend.”

 

 

Are You Aware of These Motivational Speeches?

For more motivation from our country’s most powerful leaders, read the entire speeches, but these main excerpts have resounded over centuries as inspirations for millions of people during some of their darkest hours.

The Hidden Dangers of Everyday Life: 4 Unexpected Hearing Hazards You Need to Avoid Exposing Yourself To

So many of us take our senses for granted. In particular is our sense of hearing. From the day you were born (and even beforehand), you’ve been able to hear the sounds around you, whether that’s a loved one speaking to you, the birds in the trees, or even the sea in a shell.

This constant intake of information about our environment is something we’ve all lived with, but now imagine taking that away in an instant. Your world would be flipped upside down. However, this event taking place is a lot more common than you might think, especially since the world around us is laced with unexpected hearing hazards that could permanently damage your hearing.

To help you stay in the know, today we’re going to explore four of the most common hearing hazards, giving you everything you need to know in order to take precautions or avoid them completely.

#1 – Loud Music Events

This is perhaps one of the most obvious, but going into a club, concert, stage, festival or event where loud music is being played is one of the easiest ways to cause damage to your hearing. If this is the case, always make sure you’re wearing ear defenders to prevent any potential damage.

For example, rock concerts are renowned for exceeding the 100dB sound mark, which is a known boundary for creating long-term damage, especially over extended periods of time.

#2 – Hunting & Gun Fire

This is easily one of the most popular hobbies around the world, but without wearing proper ear protection, shooting a gun in a hunting situation, or in a firing range situation, can be extremely damaging to your hearing.

Most registered pistols can well exceed the 130dB mark, which is more than enough to cause conditions like tinnitus and ringing in the ears, especially if you’re exposed to it continuously and for prolonged periods of time.

#3 – Loud Vehicles

It might seem fun to spend an afternoon or several hours of a loud and fast vehicle, whether that’s a jet or motor ski, a motorcycle, or even a loud car, but spending too loud in these vehicles in a loud volume environment is a sure-fire way to cause hearing damage.

#4 – Video Games

Perhaps unbeknownst to many, if you’re playing video games for several hours and playing the sounds out of a dedicated speaker system or using high-quality headphones for a long period of time, this can constantly stimulate your eardrums, resulting in permanent damage.

The best idea here is to keep playing your video games at a medium to low volume, and always try to take breaks every few hours where you can give your ears a break from constantly having to listen to sounds.

Summary

As you can see, there are plenty of hazards that you might not think about but are vital to consider when it comes to protecting the quality of your hearing. Remembering, once you lose your hearing, it’s good for gone, unless you’re using any custom hearing solutions for the hearing impaired, so make sure you’re doing everything you can to look after yourself and your health.

When a Babysitter Is No Longer Enough

Having a family includes supporting those who depend on you. Working pays the bills but also requires time away from home. During your absence, who takes care of the children matters. A babysitter typically does not engage children in educational activities, leaving many hours wasted that could otherwise be used in more constructive and productive ways.

When the issue comes up, you might be thinking anything from ‘how can I find a preschool near me that I can rely on?’ to ‘how much more is a preschool going to cost than what I’m already paying?’

Finding a preschool that matches you on every important point might be difficult, which makes good preschools worth their proverbial weight in gold. The more important issues should be your main focus when choosing which preschool is right for your family.

Many preschools become so structured that they no longer hold any joy in them for the children who attend. Others, mainly Montessori preschools, remain vibrant and creative places where children can learn about themselves, their abilities, and how the world around them works. While these preschools hold academics in high regard, they also cherish the abilities and strengths of the children.

Learning at a young age about personal gifts and strengths in different areas can help channel energy into the ones most inclined to grow the fastest. It’s also important to spend time working on areas where a child is not as strong, decreasing weak areas and building skills, confidence, and knowledge. Experienced teachers can help with this and ease a child through any frustrations. Encouraging a child to keep trying is often sufficient to help him or her continue learning something that they may have avoided in the past.

However, it is important to know that even if a preschool is not of the Montessori variety, it can still provide an educational setting for your children. Observing how staff and children interact can help you decide on which preschool you want to try. Remember that once enrolled, changing your mind can confuse your children and disrupt their sense of continuity. Preschool experiences can set the stage for how a child views education later in life. Making your children’s experiences positive includes constant and honest communication with them and their teachers.