Friday, September 26, 2014

Plan a Budget-Friendly Weekend

"Piggy Bank on Top of a Pile of One Dollar Bills" by Ken Teegardin is licensed
under CC BY-SA 2.0
Maybe the pay at your job isn’t the greatest or you’re saving up for something special, but regardless of your current financial situation, we all have to cut back from time-to-time. Imagine a weekend where not only do you not spend money, but you also feel like you had a full, productive weekend, too. It is possible! Apartment Therapy offers these six tips for planning a zero-spend weekend.


1. Plan what the rules to a money-free weekend are for you
Some people go extreme — no spending money means not evening turning the air conditioning or lights on. Others just pledge to cut down on frivolous spending. Others really try not to swipe their credit card the whole weekend. You know your needs and your family needs — so make up the rules that might be a little challenging for you but still doable.


2. Tell your friends and family
Yes, telling friends and family about your money-free weekend plans can help keep you accountable, but it might also help take temptation off the table — they might not invite you to the newest brunch spot or be more open to joining you on a free activity to help you keep your goal.


3. Use the weekend to work on home
If you've taken our advice about making lists and buying supplies as you go...this might be a perfect time to work on an item that needs repair or a DIY project you've been wanting to tackle. But it's also a great time to clean, straighten up or tackle an organizing job that won't take any money spending to accomplish!


4. Cultivate your list of money-free activities
Free arts shows in your community. A visit to the local library. A walk around a park with a good podcast. There are a number of free things to do, and a great place to start is to consider your favorite hobbies — and how you can tackle them without spending a dime. Love cooking? Give yourself a challenge to create a meal out of only what you can find in your fridge and pantry. Love photography? Walking around and shooting interesting things is free. Make a list this weekend to keep on hand so you don't reinvent the wheel every time you want to not spend a dime.


5. Give yourself a reward or remember a financial goal
If spending is a challenge, promise yourself a reward at the end of this money-free experiment (might work best if the reward doesn't cost money, though). Or, write down a financial goal before you start you can refer back to it when you get the itch to buy something.


6. Give it a try before deciding it's not for you
Not spending a dime for an entire weekend might be too weird of a concept — or for some impossible. But if you can, give it a go. It might give you the distance to see any unhealthy buying habits you might have and make financial changes for the better!

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Furniture Arranging 101

Have you ever arranged a room (and strained your back) to find that something about it just doesn’t flow? If you want to make a change in the feel of a room or want to switch things up for the current season, moving furniture around is a completely free way to do so. Consider these tips from Apartment Therapy as you rearrange your space.

Dining Room:

• Distance between the walls and the dining room table: Ideally, provide at least 36″ between the dining table and any walls or other furniture on all sides to allow seats to slide out easily.

• Distance between a dining table and an entrance: Provide around 48″ between the table and an entrance to allow people to enter and exit the room with ease.

• Vertical space between a dining chair and dining table: Chairs and chair arms should be able to slide under the table with ease. Leave about 7″ between the chair arm and apron of the table.

• Distance between chandelier and dining table: This is one of the more flexible topics. Low hanging lighting sets a more modern tone, but even so, it should never interfere with the ability to make conversation— no need to duck your face down to the table just to see your dinner guests. However, a light hung too high will detract from the cohesive feel of a room as well. A good rule is to hang lighting between 24″-32″ from the table.

• Area rug and dining table: A rug should span about 36″ wider on all sides of a dining table to allow chairs to pull out easily without catching.

• Space between dining chairs: Ideally provide about 24″ between chairs to prevent hitting elbows and to allow people to slide chairs in and out without any collisions or bruised knuckles.

"Living Room Updates" by Emily May is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Living Room:

• Distance between a sofa and coffee table: Allow around 18″ between the table and sofa edge to give enough leg room but to be able to set down drinks or reach appetizers without straining. Coffee table heights vary greatly, but a good rule is to keep the table height and seat height within 4 inches of each other.

• Distance between seating furniture: Aim to provide between 3.5′ and 10′ between seating options to help conversation flow without crowding a room.

• Side table and sofa height: In general, an end table should be approximately the same height as the arm of your sofa or chair. This allows guests to set down or reach for drinks without straining, and it also lends a more cohesive feel to the room.

• Distance between tv and sofa: There should be about 7′ between the tv and seating options.

• Area rugs and furniture: Too often area rugs end up feeling like bath mats. To keep your area rug from feeling random, at least the front two legs of a sofa or chair should rest on the rug.

• Distance between room-size rugs to walls: Allow about 24″ between the wall and room-size rug in a large room, and between 12″- 18″ in a smaller room.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Tailgate Tips

"Grilled Apple Sausage" by H. Michael Karshis is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Fall is in the air, which means one thing...football season is back! Are you ready? There’s no better way to spend pre-game time than tailgating. Follow these tips, courtesy of Apartment Therapy, to ensure that you are properly prepared for the perfect tailgate.  


1. Research the tailgating site: Even before you get to the packing and prepping of food, make sure you know where you can park, what the facilities are like, and what the rules are. Are open flames allowed so that you can grill? Is there running water, bathroom facilities, or rules about alcohol? What time can get there, and how late can you stay?


Think about the weather and the time of day when planning — will it be hot or rainy and a tent would be useful? And make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get there and set up.


2. Pack in, pack out: Unless a tailgate site explicitly says so, assume that everything you bring in comes home with you, including trash. Make sure you have plenty of heavy-duty trash bags, figure out how you'll handle recycling and packaging leftover food, and think about how you'll pack and bring home a dirty grill.


3. Multiple coolers are a must: Two coolers are the minimum — one for food and one for drinks. If you have a third for the raw food that needs to be cooked, even better! Make sure foods are wrapped tightly to prevent leaking and cross-contamination, and pack the things you'll need immediately at the top.


Label your drink coolers and tie a bottle opener to the handle so it's convenient and never gets lost. Make sure you have enough ice for drinks and to keep everything cold until you get home.


4. Grill prep: Make sure your grill is clean and that you have the necessary grill tools, enough fuel to last through all the grilling, and a portable fire extinguisher just in case.


5. Food choices: Have ready-to-go finger foods and snacks that you can put out immediately to keep people happy while the grill gets fired up. Keep more substantial food items simple and easy-to-serve. Bonus points if you don't even need plates to eat them off of, like kabobs and quesadillas! If you plan on tailgating after the game too, pack some different snacks and foods to grill then so that you have some variety.


6. Food prep: Do as much as you can at home, including marinating, cutting up vegetables, threading things onto skewers, or forming burger patties. Mix up big batches of drinks or cocktails so all you have to do is pour.


7. Equipment: Pack a few folding or portable chairs and tables. A tablecloth looks nice and makes for easier cleanup, and a few big stackable plastic bins can serve as trash and recycling bins. Don't forget a cutting board, sharp knife, and serving platters. Foil can help scrape down a dirty grill, keep food warm, or wrap up leftovers.


8. Water, water, water: Freeze some water bottles to both keep the coolers cold and so you'll have something icy to drink if it's a hot day. Bring along a big water container with a dispenser for handwashing too.

What are your tailgating must-haves? Share them with us below!

Friday, September 5, 2014

Make a Bold Decor Move

Photo courtesy Wicker Paradise
We have all seen something on Pinterest that we thought would look so cool, but then said, “I could never do that.” Yes, you can! Aside from things that you may have to ask your landlord for permission for, there are still many things you can do to take risks as you decorate--from furniture, to rugs, to accessories. So here’s that motivation you need to actually put those Pinterest boards to use, courtesy of Apartment Therapy.


1. Decide to do it — This is both the easiest and hardest part. You've thought it through, debated endlessly and now it's time for a simple yes or no. It's liberating! No more, "Gee, I'd really like to have..." or "Someday I'll try a..." That day is today! Don't dawdle, say yes and don't look back.


2. Get inspired — Time for the eye candy. You have a general plan, sure, but browsing some great inspirational images will help you really nail down what you love and what turns your stomach (and with risky decisions, it's usually one or the other). This is also when you'll start to get really excited about your project, which will further cement your decision to do it. Remember: this is fun!


3. Tell everyone — Now that you've made your decision, it's time to share. Telling everyone your plan is an insurance policy that you'll actually follow through. You're accountable, see? Sure, people will have their own opinions (and may decide to share them, unsolicited) but that won't bother you because you're solid in your knowledge that you've made the right decision for you.


4. Baby steps — Don't get overwhelmed and derail your decision. No matter how big or small, breaking down your project into baby steps will help you see a clear, do-able path to the finish line. It may be scary to paint a wall pink, but it's not scary to drive to the paint store — you can do that. It's not scary to grab some paint samples, piece of cake! Now, wash your wall, no problem. Baby steps are everything.


5. Repeat after me: nothing is permanent — There's nothing you can do to your home that you can't undo; it's as simple as that. Don't overthink this. If you don't like it, you'll try something else. Yep, you've spent some time and money to learn what you don't like (a very valuable lesson by the way) and next time you'll do better. The journey to your perfect home is never-ending and that is part of the fun, so don't be afraid to make a mistake once in a while.
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