Tag: kitchen

Natural Remedies for Roaches: 8 Prevention Methods to Try

The survival skills cockroaches have are amazing. They can continue living, for a short time, without their heads. They can hold their breath underwater for 40 minutes. They can run up to three miles in a single hour.

This is all great for roaches (and pretty interesting too) — until the ugly bugs infest your apartment. Once they’ve made their way into your home, all you want to do is get rid of them. But, before you make an appointment with an exterminator, consider an organic, DIY approach. Use one of the many natural remedies for roaches to keep them away.

Cockroach

How to get rid of cockroaches

Once you’ve established you’ve got unwanted visitors, whether you’ve seen roaches or just their nasty trails, it’s time to consider how you want to get rid of them. You can use chemicals to do the job, but if you have pets or young children or you’re sensitive to certain products, going natural might be a better option.

When it’s time to get rid of unwanted insect visitors, look to your pantry first, you might already have some of these natural remedies for roaches ready to go.

1. Sugar

This is an example of using something sweet to lure cockroaches to their demise. You just have to add a little something extra. Mix one part powdered sugar with three parts boric acid. The sugar brings the bugs in — the boric acid takes them out.

Boric acid isn’t toxic to people or pets, but it can irritate skin. When putting this mixture down, avoid counters and stick to the hidden spots roaches can use for hiding places. Good spots are behind appliances, under the sink and in any cracks along the edges of cabinets.

If either ingredient isn’t readily available, this is a versatile recipe, so you can swap out ingredients to achieve the same effect. Instead of powdered sugar, you can use peanut butter or jelly. You can also replace the boric acid with food-grade diatomaceous earth.

soapy water, one of the natural remedies for roaches

2. Soapy water

If you spot a cockroach and want to kill it without having to get close enough to step on it, keep a spray bottle of soapy water handy. Use diluted dish soap so that whatever surface it gets on also gets clean (an added bonus).

Spraying this mixture directly onto a roach makes it impossible for the bug to breathe. It clogs up their skin, which is how they take in air. It may take an extra little bit to do the trick, and you still have to dispose of the roach but hey — it won’t head back to hang with its buddies.

3. Coffee grounds

This easy-to-find food staple helps make a perfect cockroach trap. They serve as bait to bring the roaches in and are non-toxic for every other member of your home. To make a trap, all you need is a glass jar, coffee grounds and water.

To build your trap:

  • Fill a large glass jar about halfway with water.
  • Add 1-2 tablespoons of moistened coffee grounds.
  • Place the jars as close to potential nesting spots as possible.

The roaches will come in to check out the coffee, climb into the jar and get stuck and eventually drown. Then, dump the entire contents of the trap into the toilet for a goodbye flush.

Lemon, one of the natural remedies for roaches

4. Lemon

While lemon won’t work on its own to keep roaches away, using lemon-scented cleaners around your home can have a big impact on keeping the place cockroach-free.

A clean home is the best way to avoid an infestation, and the scent of a lemon actually works to keep a variety of insects from wanting to live in your place.

For an easy, all-purpose cleaner you can make at home, you only need two ingredients — citrus peels and vinegar. To make:

  • Fill a glass jar with clean, chopped-up lemon peels.
  • Pour white vinegar over the peels to submerge them and seal the jar.
  • Let the mixture sit for about four weeks, shaking it regularly.
  • Strain out the peels and put the liquid into a spray bottle.

This will keep countertops, appliances, floors and glass all clean and smelling great, while also helping you deal with the cockroaches.

Make sure to clean your place regularly, focusing on areas like the kitchen and dining room. Roaches love crumbs and can smell food if packages get left open in your pantry. It’s also a good idea to empty your trash regularly to keep food odors out of your home.

5. Plants

Another big attractor for roaches is moisture. One way to deal with excess moisture in your home is to check your pipes regularly for leaks, but sometimes it’s a matter of high humidity. To deal with this, consider buying a few house plants.

You’ll need a specific type, epiphytes like ferns, orchids and cacti. These are special plants that work as a natural dehumidifier, pulling water from the air to keep themselves hydrated. They’re easy to care for and will help reduce moisture levels in your home.

Place one in every bathroom, on a screened-in porch, or anywhere where the air feels heavy. They won’t repel cockroaches themselves but will help take away a serious temptation for the bugs to come into your home.

onions, one of the natural remedies for roaches

6. Onions

This is maybe the strangest of the natural remedies for roaches, but it uses ingredients you’re bound to have at home right now. All you need is an onion and baking soda. Again, the food attracts hungry insects, and the baking soda does the dirty work.

To set this up:

  • Dice up about half an onion.
  • Sprinkle baking soda over it.
  • Place on a small paper plate anywhere roaches may hide overnight.

Since roaches prefer the dark, you’ll most likely “feed” more if you wait until evening to put out your trap. It’s also best to do it when there’s minimal risk of running into the nasty guys yourself.

7. Cornstarch

When you need to cover up cracks to keep the roaches away, this remedy is a great choice. Not only will it fill the space to let fewer roaches through, but it will also kill any of them who eat it.

Mix equal parts of cornstarch and Plaster of Paris to make a powder you can sprinkle anywhere. Don’t activate the Plaster of Paris with water beforehand. The roaches do that after they eat the concoction when they drink water. It’s the mixing in their stomach that ultimately kills them.

It’s important to note that Plaster of Paris is a toxic ingredient and dangerous for children and pets. Using this recipe specifically in cracks helps keep it away from everyone but the roaches.

Peppermint oil

8. Peppermint

Roaches hate the smell of peppermint. They’ll avoid it like the plague. It can also actually harm them if they come into contact with it. Spraying a mixture with peppermint oil directly onto roaches can mean lights out, but that’s only if you see the invaders around.

You’ll have more success using mint as a repellent, targeting areas near where you think roaches are hiding. To make a mint-infused spray:

  • Mix two parts water with one part white vinegar into a spray bottle.
  • Add about 10 drops of peppermint oil.
  • Shake up and spray.

Chemicals aren’t required to keep the roaches away

The question is never if you’ll see a roach in your apartment, but rather when. They’re out there, and there’s a lot of them, but knowing how to repel them and say good-bye for good means you don’t have to live with them. Us

ing natural remedies for roaches allows you to live insect-free without having to buy harsh chemicals or spend money on an exterminator. Just make sure you’re targeting the right areas. Roaches love to live in places like boiler rooms, basements, crawl spaces, steam tunnels, drains and sewers. Happy hunting!

The post Natural Remedies for Roaches: 8 Prevention Methods to Try appeared first on Apartment Living Tips – Apartment Tips from ApartmentGuide.com.

Source: apartmentguide.com

By July 13, 2021.    Auto Loans  , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  

What to Do this Weekend: Date Night In Ideas

Date-night-in

We are a month and a half into quarantine and date nights in many households have devolved into, ‘What have we not seen on Netflix yet?’  While we are all ready to get back out and about, there are plenty of fun date night at home options to help you enjoy and appreciate your partner.  This post is partially inspired by the fact that we are celebrating our wedding anniversary tonight and I was already doing so research on what to do this weekend.  I figured if I was already doing the work, I might as well share the wealth with you all!  

Check out a few of our best date night in ideas

Name that Tune

This really is a fun activity that we typically do on road trips, but it works just as well for date night.  Play each other your favorite songs from different eras or events in life.  

What song was popular when you went to your first school dance?  Did you ever learn a choreographed dance to a song?  What was it?  What was your first favorite country/hip hop/punk song?  Did you ever dedicate a song to someone on the radio? Make a mixtape?  First breakup/heartbreak song you listened to 100 times?

Music is such an integral part of our memories.  It is sure to bring out some great stories from your partner that you have never heard before and some great stories from your past that you may have completely forgotten about. All you really need is a Spotify account, your beverage of choice!

Wine Tasting

This is an amusing challenge for the nose and tastebuds.  Taste three (or five–no judgment here) wines and figure out which is which based solely on the tasting notes….you know the ‘hints of pencil lead and cranberry.’  This can be made romantic with dim lights and some candles or you can make this more upbeat with some fun background playlists.

Optional additions to make the night more festive: Cheeses, nuts, olives, crackers, honey

Minute to Win It

Impress each other with feats of strength and balance.  This is an evening bound to be full of laughter.  Check out this video for inspiration! Challenges include…

  • Face the Cookie.
  • Stack Attack.
  • Movin’ On Up.
  • Junk in the Trunk.
  • Suck It Up.
  • Penny Hose.
  • Ping Pong Bounce.

Sweets for Sweethearts

Bake together…even if neither of you is an expert in the kitchen, learning something new together is good for relationships!

Here are some recipes that have videos to go along with them

For easy cooking try these 3 Ingredient Desserts

For all those ripe bananas on your counter

For when you can only be trusted with the microwave

20 Questions

It sounds silly, but this really can be a learning experience. If you’ve been together you may think you know all the answers…but remember people’s tastes and preferences change.  Do you really know that sweet tarts are still his favorite candy? Or is Paris still her number one destination? The answers could surprise you!

Double Date 

Yes! This is actually possible via Netflix Party.  Pick a movie ahead of time, grab the popcorn and candy and chat with your favorite duo.  

Take a trip down memory lane

Look at each other’s pictures from your favorite vacation together.  You’ll be surprised to see the vacation through their eyes and their memories.  You can relive the best times together and appreciate it in a whole new way.  Bring in even more sensory memories by adding a favorite food or drink you discovered during that trip.

Or Take a Virtual Trip

Ever wonder what Venice is like during lockdown?

Join Travel Curious on their next tour with your Venetian born guide, Luca, who will take you on a live virtual walking tour of Venice and will end up in the Venetian mask-maker artisan shop. 

Join for free on their Instagram Live feed on May 15 2020 at 15:00pm BST / 10:00am EST

https://www.instagram.com/travelcurioustours/?hl=en

Read What to Do this Weekend: Date Night In Ideas on Apartminty.

Source: blog.apartminty.com

By June 22, 2021.    Auto Insurance  , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  

Banquette, Baby!

I’ve been chugging along on the Hood Canal Cottage design – I know I am SO overdue for an update for you, but when you’re in the throes of design deadlines it can be really hard to find a moment to pause and recap everything. But I swear, it’s coming slowly. In recent weeks I’ve moved on from major architectural design and finish decisions into the interior design side of things. It’s been a tad overwhelming, as I haven’t decorated a space from scratch since we moved to San Francisco nearly 10 years ago (did you ever catch the tour of my first place in SF? I’m almost embarrassed to share it, but I was SO proud of it at the time).

Designing the Hood Canal Cottage is a unique situation to be in for a hobby designer like me. Usually, you move and take pieces with you, but since the cottage won’t serve as a full-time residence, I’m starting from a literal blank slate.

My focus this week has been on the dining room – or in this case dining space as the dining area sits within a great room that also houses the kitchen and living room. I’ve been shopping around like a madwoman trying to hone in on the look and feel I want to bring to life in the dining area. I want it to feel distinct and anchored – its own little zone within the larger room. And the idea I keep coming back to again and again is banquette seating.

Banquettes and built-ins have been having a moment for a while now, but I would argue for very good reason. A built-in banquette is a great space saver in a smaller space and increases the capacity around a dining table. Since I envision the Hood Canal Cottage as our hub for future Thanksgiving dinners and holiday gatherings, I definitely want to be able to cram as many people around the table as possible.

Like many of the examples you see here in this post, our dining table will also run parallel to a long wall, rather than float in the middle of the room. This actually limits the ability to pull back a dining chair. I would probably have to use a bench on that side of the table, but a banquette will allow the table to sit a little closer to the wall and not have legs you have to work around, saving precious floor space.

I also love how a banquette offers the opportunity to add big long seat cushions, back pillows, or both! Adding cushy upholstery to a dining space softens areas often dominated by hard surfaces. I love how that brings a sense of coziness, inviting you to sit and linger over your morning coffee, or pour that last little bit of wine and stay up talking. I want this home to encourage anyone who stays there to slow down and enjoy the little moments. Kinda like you’re living on vacation. That is the goal.

Adding a major upholstered piece at the dining table will also help me bridge the living room space and kitchen.

While I am obviously leaning toward jumping on the banquette bandwagon, I do have some convincing to do. Not everyone in my household is into the idea of a banquette. To add to that resistance, I’m not finding any good off-the-shelf options so it’s likely I’d have to go custom to create my vision. Custom is certainly not the most affordable of options.

So what say you? Do you happen to have a banquette in your home?? Do you like it? Have you found it comfy? Useful? Are there downsides you’ve dealt with? I think I’m pretty committed to this design choice at this point, but I would love to hear what you think! Please share in the comments section.

Catch up on the Hood Canal Cottage HERE.

Check out more design ideas HERE.

 

images vincent van duysen | home designing | mr & mrs white | danthree | amber interiors shoppe / larritt-evans design | poppy talk | nicole franzen | decus interiors / 

The post Banquette, Baby! appeared first on Apartment34.

%%youtubomatic_0_0%%

Source: apartment34.com

By June 22, 2021.    Flood Insurance  , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  

How To Organize Your Kitchen Cabinets in 11 Easy Steps

Getting your kitchen organized in a way that makes sense for your life will make a big difference in how you use the space and how much time you spend in it. Here’s how to organize your kitchen cabinets so you’ll love being in the kitchen!

1. Remove everything from your kitchen cabinets

To organize your kitchen cabinets, you’ll want to start by taking everything out of the drawers and cupboards — absolutely everything must come out.

You want to start with empty, clean places for everything. Don’t try to shuffle things around between them — this usually results in a bigger mess than when you started.

2. Clean the drawers and surfaces

Wipe down and disinfect all of the drawers, cabinets and shelves in your kitchen. Even a few crumbs in the bottom of a drawer can make it look gross and unorganized, so get everything looking as clean as possible.

how to organize kitchen cabinets with pots and pans

3. Take inventory of everything you have

Get a good idea of what you have. Sort items into categories, such as:

  • Pots and pans
  • Food storage containers
  • Bowls and plates
  • Cups
  • Eating utensils
  • Cooking utensils
  • Baking tools
  • Small appliances (electric mixer, waffle maker, toaster, etc.)
  • Spices
  • Dry foods (cereal, pasta, oatmeal, etc.)
  • Baking ingredients (flour, sugar, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, etc.)

Everything sorted? Now, you can see what all you have and how much of each item you’ll need to store.

4. Get rid of the items you don’t need

More isn’t always better, especially when you’re working with a finite amount of kitchen storage space. With everything sorted and you know exactly how much of everything you’ve got, decide what you need and what you don’t need.

Over time, you may have collected various kitchen items and you may not realize just how much you actually have. While it’s nice to have lots of pots and pans for cooking dinner for a group, you may find that you have three pots all the same size when, realistically, you only need one. The same thing goes for everything else — you may have accumulated 12 wooden spoons and you only need to have two. And that turkey baster collection? One will do — you get rid of the other two.

Get rid of things you haven’t used or have too many of — so fitting everything in your kitchen cabinets won’t give a game of Tetris a run for its money.

5. Group similar items together

Now that you’ve gotten rid of the extra stuff, you’ve got less stuff to fit into your kitchen. Woohoo!

Start by keeping similar items together and match them up with cabinets and drawers relative to their size and quantity. Pots and pans are bulky, so they’ll probably need a bigger cabinet. Spice jars are small, so they can go in a smaller cabinet.

Keep similar items together in the same place so they’re easy to find and you won’t end up opening every single cabinet and drawer in the kitchen each time you need something.

6. Put open items in bins and containers

When you’re limited on drawer space, using bins to store things can make it much easier to find what you need and keep things from falling out of cabinets when you open them.

Clear bins are best since you can see exactly what’s inside of them. You can store all of your baking ingredients in them — creating one for your sugars (regular sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, etc.) and one for chocolate chips (semi-sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate, white chocolate, etc.).

Don’t forget to dedicate a bin or two for your snacks (granola bars, fruit snacks, etc.). Make bins for any items that make sense to keep together.

how to organize kitchen cabinets with clear storage

You can also store dry food items in clear, airtight containers. This allows you to see how much of everything you have, plus containers are stackable, resealable and won’t get smashed or lost easily in your pantry. Even Marie Kondo supports putting food into matching containers for organization!

7. Use drawer organizers for utensils

Kitchen drawers.

Putting dividers and organizers in drawers will help keep things sorted out and easy to find. Rather than a jumbled mess where it takes forever to dig up what you need, sort your regular utensils — forks, knives and spoons, as well as bigger cooking utensils like ladles, cooking spoons and spatulas.

8. Match up your food storage containers

how to organize kitchen cabinets with Food storage containers

It’s easy to throw all of the food storage containers and lids into a cabinet once they’re clean, but tale as old as time — when you need it, you end up having to dig through everything just to find a matching lid.

Put the lids on your food storage containers before putting them in the cabinet so you’re guaranteed to find a container and a matching lid each time you need it. You can nest them to save cabinet space while still keeping matches together.

No more digging through and trying to fit 12 lids on the same container before you find a match!

9. Keep frequently used items within easy reach

Put all of the items you use frequently in the easiest to reach and access places and keep the seldom-used items in harder-to-access places.

It doesn’t make sense to keep the drinking glasses you use every day on a high shelf that’s difficult to reach, nor it makes zero sense to store the electric mixer you use once a month in an eye-level cabinet right by the sink.

Your kitchen’s organization should make sense for your life and what you use often.

10. Store items in places that make sense

Store things in the most practical of places! Keep your cooking oil and spices near the stovetop, since that’s where you will use them the most. Put your eating utensils near the plates and bowls since they go together like peas in a pod. Put pots and pans near the stove because they’re always used on it.

11. Eliminate a junk drawer

Junk drawer.

Many people have a drawer for the miscellaneous items in their kitchen, often dubbed the “random” or “junk” drawer. It turns into a black hole where you end up placing small items you’re too lazy to find the correct spot for and once you need that item, you can’t remember where you put it.

This drawer defeats the purpose of organizing your kitchen— you should find everything quickly and easily without having to dig through a bunch of random stuff in a drawer. Don’t leave room for a junk drawer in your kitchen at all!

Other kitchen cabinet organization tips

Here are a few additional tips and ideas for organizing your kitchen cabinets.

  • Use hooks on the inside of cabinet doors to hang things like scrub brushes, pot lids and large spoons
  • Use shelf risers to give yourself extra stacking space in cabinets
  • Most cabinets have movable shelves, change the shelf placement to accommodate the items you’re putting into each cabinet
  • Add a magnetic knife strip to the wall above where you normally chop fruits and vegetables so you can keep your favorite knives at the ready without taking up drawer space
  • Store your cutting boards and baking sheets vertically instead of horizontally —that way, you can simply slide which sheet you want out on its side
  • Label containers and bins, especially if they’re opaque and not clear so that you know what’s stored inside of them without having to check
  • Add a lazy Susan to awkward corner cabinets with a small opening, so you can store things like spices and oils without needing to reach far into the cabinet and you can see everything easily
  • Limit your kitchen gadgets — yes, the banana slicer looks cool and helps you cut a banana in five seconds rather than 30, but do you really need it? Sparingly purchase gadgets to prevent clutter.

These aren’t necessary for keeping your kitchen cabinets organized, but they can certainly help make your kitchen all the more functional.

Staying organized requires discipline

Once you figure out how to organize your kitchen cabinets, your work isn’t completely done — you need to make sure they STAY organized. That means putting everything back into its proper place whenever you’re through using it. It’s easy to slip out of that habit, but once you do, your kitchen cabinets and drawers may end up a mess again.

Put forth a special effort to keep things where they belong!

The post How To Organize Your Kitchen Cabinets in 11 Easy Steps appeared first on Apartment Living Tips – Apartment Tips from ApartmentGuide.com.

Source: apartmentguide.com

By June 21, 2021.    Auto Loans  , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  

Everything You Need for Your Kitchen & Nothing More

Kitchens. They’re amazing spaces. They can be visually stunning. They must be total workhorses. They’re quite often the heart of the home. But they can also accumulate a lot of CRAP.

As I work to not only design but also fully outfit the kitchen for the Hood Canal Cottage, I’m starting completely from scratch. No hand-me-down casserole dishes, no knives I’ve carted around since college, no random herb scissors that I’ve never ever used. For once, I get to hand-select every tool and every object that comes into the space.

With that total blank slate, I find myself often thinking (ok, obsessing) about what I want this kitchen to have. As an avid cook, as we probably all are coming through Covid, I want kitchen tools that are really pretty, but also highly functional. And nothing else.

This kitchen, designed by Our Food Stories out of a refurbished old schoolhouse in the middle of the German countryside, is a total mood. Featuring deVol kitchen cupboards, tiles, shelves, light fixtures, hardware and more. This kitchen is certainly a showcase for the many of the pieces on my list of must-have kitchen tools – and of course, it does so beautifully.

This space immediately transports you to an idyllic rural retreat. I imagine walking through overgrown gardens, picking fresh roses and making multi-course Sunday lunches here.

I love how this kitchen keeps so many key kitchen tools close at hand. While I might not be doing quite as many open shelves at Hood Canal, there is a lot to be said for having key tools within arms reach.

There’s nothing that drives me crazier than a poorly outfitted kitchen. But an overcrowded kitchen can be equally crazy-making. You have to strike that balance.

For me, the key kitchen tools I turn to time and again include one good set of pots and pans, a cast iron skillet, a good set of wooden spoons and spatulas, a top notch cutting board (or several) and then all those little tools that you need when you’re in the middle of pulling together a recipe – measuring cups, knives, peelers, strainers, graters, zesters – all the speciality things that let you add the finer components of a dish.

Those speciality tools are the kinds of things that far too many kitchens lack. Or they’re the big bulky OXOX ones you get at a grocery store that feel chunky in my hand and will just clog up my limited drawer space in the new kitchen. She gonna be cute, but she’s not going to be big.

As the weeks have progressed, I’ve been slowly but surely amassing my ultimate kitchen wish-list. Each kitchen tool, appliance, or serving piece needs to have a very critical purpose and look damn good while doing it.

I thought I’d share my wishlist with you. It’s certainly not comprehensive. As I cook every evening some other thing in my San Francisco kitchen makes me think oh yes, I have to find the beautiful version of this for Hood Canal. But all the extraneous stuff I have in my SF kitchen also makes me want to pull my hair out. I’m constantly digging for my one favorite knife or pan or bowl.

I hope you find something below you’ve been searching for. If you spot a key kitchen tool that I’m still missing, please tell me in comments! I consider my ultimate quest to outfit the ideal kitchen.

I’m also regularly adding favorites for the kitchen in the Apartment 34 SHOP so be sure to check it out too!

SHOP KITCHEN ESSENTIALS

kitchen fundamentals Shop now nordic kitchen frying pan Shop now citrus press Shop now stainless steel sauce pan Shop now balmuda toaster Shop now black carbon steel knife Shop now cast iron casserole Shop now ceramic mixing bowls Shop now brewer stand set Shop now cleaning essentials Shop now Linen Tea Towel Set Shop now skagerak paper towel holder Shop now round cutting board Shop now ceramic french press Shop now mandoline Shop now modern salad spinner Shop now measuring cups Shop now farmhouse pottery board & bow set Shop now sheldon ceramics bowl Shop now lidded bowls – set of 3 Shop now evermill spice rack Shop now baking sheets Shop now glass water kettle Shop now cooking essentials Shop now kale razor and herb stripping tool Shop now pasta machine Shop now stainless steel citrus juicer Shop now Japanese vegetable peeler Shop now hand carved serving spoons Shop now hurom juicer Shop now

all images by Our Food Stories

The post Everything You Need for Your Kitchen & Nothing More appeared first on Apartment34.

%%youtubomatic_0_0%%

Source: apartment34.com

By June 10, 2021.    Flood Insurance  , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  

How to Create a Roommate Cleaning Schedule

Is there anything worse than coming home from a long day at work and seeing the kitchen turned upside down for the third day in a row? Before you throw in the towel, bring up a roommate cleaning schedule in your next house meeting. Assigning specific tasks and building a roommate chore chart can help everyone take more responsibility for their messes.

Showing how you can work together vs. just sending passive-aggressive vibes can help you get along better and keep the apartment clean. It’s all about communication when it comes to roommate compatibility.

Follow these tips to build a roommate chore chart and keep your home clean.

Sync on cleaning habits

Whether you found your roommate through Facebook, a friend or an app, you only got a few minutes to get to know each other before you decided that they were a good fit. You must check compatibility during the interview.

Here are a few questions that can help determine if you have the same cleaning habits, for example.

  1. How often did you do the dishes in your old home?
  2. How did you and your roommate split the deep cleaning of the apartment?
  3. Did you have any altercations about cleaning tasks not being done? How did you resolve them?
  4. If the trash is full, do you walk away or take it out and add a new bag?
  5. How often do you think we should do a deep clean of the apartment?

You’ll see red flags as they talk about their old roommates (this is why references are essential!) and determine if your cleaning personalities sync up.

How to make a cleaning schedule

What exactly does the word “clean” mean to you and your roommate? Determine how often the roommate should do the tasks — daily, weekly, monthly — and how detailed they should go with their task. For example, should someone clean the grout in the shower or wipe all surfaces in the bathroom? Does mopping come into the equation or just sweeping? It’s essential to agree on what “clean” looks like for all roommates.

Assign zones to each person (kitchen, bathroom and living room) and what can be done together (outdoor space). This is a good time to make rules about personal items in shared spaces — don’t leave your laptop or dirty socks in the living room, for example. Your personal things should remain in your bedroom.

Once you’ve made a list of the tasks to complete, it’s time to create the roommate chore chart.

rooommates cleaning

Making a roommate chore chart

While there’s no allowance attached to this roommate chore chart like the good old days of childhood, the reward is a clean home and a good relationship with your roommate. We call that a win-win. Here’s how to get started.

Make the chore list together

Pick a Saturday morning, make breakfast together and spend a few hours walking around the apartment. Make a list per room of the cleaning tasks you would like to see done.

For example, in the kitchen, write down taking out the trash, loading the dishwasher, buying cleaning supplies, wiping down the counters and sweeping the floor as items for your chore list. Then do the same for each shared space.

You can keep the bedrooms out of the chore list as they are personal spaces. List everything per room and evenly split tasks between the roommates based on interests and usage. These chore tasks typically are fast and easy to complete on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

When are the tasks getting done?

Some tasks will happen every day like taking out the trash or doing the dishes and other tasks work well on a weekly basis. Next to each chore task, list how often the task is done. A few examples of timelines:

  • Daily: Empty out the garbage every morning, pick up clutter from shared spaces and load the dishwasher. Pick up as you go is a great way to stay on top of dirty counter spaces, clutter and dishes. Use a dish, put it in the dishwasher immediately after rinsing.
  • Weekly: Take the garbage to the curb, wipe all counters including kitchen and bathroom, sweep and vacuum the floors, clean the toilet and shower and make any lists for the grocery store. Rooms like the living room and bathrooms should be cleaned on a weekly basis to avoid any pile-up of dirt, food or clutter.
  • Monthly: Wash all kitchen towels and couch blankets, replenish any household items that are old and clean out the fridge. The kitchen should be deep cleaned on a monthly basis and it’s best for a team project.

Shell out the assignments

Split chore assignments evenly, so everyone is doing the same or similar amount of work and add their name next to the assignment with a deadline, if applicable. Designate specific tasks to the same person over time, like emptying the garbage daily, to avoid confusion. The roommate should complete this task at the end of each day.

Other tasks like loading the dishwasher need to be completed by the person who didn’t cook dinner or, if you don’t cook dinner together, by the person who made the mess. This way, some of the tasks rotate, especially those that are generally not wanted. Roommates assigned weekly completion tasks can pick a specific weekday, so they don’t all pile up on the weekends.

Before finalizing the assignments, make sure everyone agrees and airs out their grievances to ensure all compromises were met.

Print out the roommate chore chart

Here’s a quick template to use for your roommate chore chart — download the chore chart so you can print it, laminate it and stick it on the fridge for everyone to see your roommate cleaning schedule.

roommate chore chart to create a roommate cleaning schedule

Check-in as time goes on

Once you’ve settled with the roommate cleaning schedule for a few weeks, review it again during your next roommate meeting. If it’s better for you to do the dishes at night and maybe your roommate can take the trash out in the morning, make sure to communicate that. You have a higher probability of sticking with it if it fits your schedule a little more.

Keep the (cleaning) harmony at home

Finding the perfect roommate is genuinely a feat. It’s so hard to get to know a perfect stranger over a short meet-up. But if you communicate your expectations initially, like what cleaning mistakes set you off, you’ll find a better fit for your home.

Refer back to this roommate chore chart when discussing your cleaning schedule and check in with each other as time passes for any needed changes.

The post How to Create a Roommate Cleaning Schedule appeared first on Apartment Living Tips – Apartment Tips from ApartmentGuide.com.

Source: apartmentguide.com

By June 10, 2021.    Auto Loans  , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  

‘Dream Home Makeover’ Will Inspire You To Drop Everything and Decorate

Dream Home MakeoverHGTV

Utah couple Shea and Syd McGee are back with Season 2 of Netflix’s “Dream Home Makeover”—and their new projects will make you want to drop everything on your plate and decorate.

In this new season, they show off renovations in every room of the house, from the kitchen to the bathroom to the bedroom, doling out style inspiration for the whole house. And while Shea’s signature style is still as clean and calming as ever, she focuses on creative designs like imperfect tile, wallpaper accents, and, yes, even carpet!

Read on to get the best tips from “Dream Home Makeover.” You’ll find some unexpected design choices that will inspire many weekends of fun projects to keep you happy at home through 2021.

Use imperfect tile to bring character to a new kitchen

kitchen backsplash
These imperfect tiles give the kitchen some character.

HGTV

In the episode “Luxury Estate,” Shea and Syd meet up with LaRee and Travis Hansen, who are just about ready to move in to their new home. This new build has been a work in progress for over two years, and now Shea is able to add the final touches, like a stylish kitchen backsplash.

Since this kitchen is so new, Shea chooses a handmade tile. But after it’s installed, the special texture makes the tile look at first like it’s not sitting perfectly flat.

“In new homes you kind of have to pick a few things that are maybe older or have some imperfections so that the home has a little bit of soul even when you move in to it,” Shea says.

At first, LaRee is unsure about this imperfect backsplash, but once it’s installed, it’s clear this tile is the right choice. It gives this clean kitchen a little personality. With this unique backsplash, the kitchen feels less like a hotel and more like a home.

For a midcentury look, use the right lighting

lighting
This guesthouse already had lighting fixtures, but Shea McGee wanted to update the look.

HGTV

In the episode “Midcentury Makeover,” Shea and Syd meet Omar Poole and Josh Newbury for a midcentury makeover of their guesthouse. Poole knows that his mother will need to move in to this guesthouse eventually, so they want to fix it up for her with a fun midcentury modern design, which will match the main house.

However, this guesthouse was built in 1956, so Shea is forced to make some era-appropriate lighting choices.

kitchen
Shea installed new lights and a fun, midcentury pendant light.

HGTV

“Homes of this era don’t typically have attics,” Shea explains. “We can’t crawl into the attic space to install can lights. We have to do all fixtures.”

She removes the original fixtures and replaces them with new, white alternatives that have the midcentury look. Plus, she installs a midcentury-inspired pendant light over the kitchen island, which adds even more retro style to the space. These new lights really set the mood.

Make sure different flooring types complement each other

bathroom
The tile in the bathroom and the carpeting in the closet work together to create an elegant look.

HGTV

The episode “Bath Hideaway” is all about Shea’s clients Mandi and Bryce Winkelman, and their fabulous primary bathroom. Mandi explains that she wants a peaceful, spa bathroom where she can take a break from the kids, so Shea focuses on finding a spa-inspired flooring choice.

She decides that gray herringbone with light grout is the perfect look for this bathroom because it’s elegant and gives the space some color. However, Shea runs into a challenge when it’s time to install carpet in the adjoining closet. She can’t match the carpet color to the tile or else it would look too matchy-matchy. So instead, she brings in an entirely new pattern with familiar colors.

“We did this kind of warm, gray grout with the dark stone herringbone floor, and then we flip-flopped the color palette in the closet, where we get the plaid that’s a warm gray with the dark accents,” Shea explains.

In the end, the closet carpet ends up looking great. The light plaid brightens up the space without seeming too stark next to the gray bathroom floors.

Use wallpaper as a classic accent

kitchen
This old kitchen needed a period-appropriate update.

HGTV

In the episode “Restoring History,” Madison and Nick Panos show Shea around their historic home, which was built in 1908. Madison knows that it’s time to update the old kitchen, but she still wants to keep the home’s classic look.

So, to keep some 1908 style, Shea brings in wallpaper.

kitchen
A little wallpaper can go a long way in a classic kitchen.

HGTV

“Our days of wallpapering every single room has passed, but when we have a dedicated area like this desk, where you have easy places to stop the wallpaper, it’s a perfect place to use it as an accent,” Shea explains.

She uses some subtle blue and white paper to dress up the built-in desk area. It gives the space a classic style without seeming dated.

Give stone an updated look by brightening the color

living room
This wood-burning stove brought some cabin charm to the house, but it needed an update.

HGTV

In the episode “Mountain Retreat Makeover,” Shea meets with Shazia and Taylor Chiu, who live in a cozy cabin.

These two want to give their cabin an updated look, but they also hope to keep the old-fashioned stove in the living room, which they still use to heat the house in winter.

To update this feature, Shea uses mortar to turn the stone behind the stove white.

living room
The white finish makes the whole room look brighter.

HGTV

“The cement mortar looks amazing on the stone,” Shea says.

Indeed, this small change to the stove area brightens the space and transforms the entire room.

Give your windows some cozy style

bedroom
The right window dressings can make all the difference in a bedroom.

HGTV

In the episode “Bedroom Oasis,” Shea works with client Jessica Stone to surprise her husband, Tyler, with a bedroom rehab. Jessica wants the room to feel like Hawaii, so Shea uses lots of soft colors and materials to get that island feel. She even uses those soft materials on the windows.

“When it comes to picking window treatments, you could pick shades, or you could pick drapes, but I often like to do both together because the more textures and textiles you have, the cozier a room feels. And blending the two together makes a home feel homier,” Shea explains.

So she installs long, light gray drapes, plus a woven shade. Together, these materials and textures give the room a relaxing vibe that’s reminiscent of the coast.

The post ‘Dream Home Makeover’ Will Inspire You To Drop Everything and Decorate appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

Source: realtor.com

By February 3, 2021.    Home Improvement, Work From Home  , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  

Puerto Rico Home of the Late Astrologer Walter Mercado Available for $395K

Walter Mercado Puerto Rico house for saleAlexander Tamargo/Getty Images

It’s in the stars. The home of the late astrologer and psychic Walter Mercado in San Juan, PR, is now on the market for $395,000. The legendary Spanish-language television personality, who died in 2019 at the age of 87, delivered his daily horoscopes with panache, often wearing a cape, and was known for wishing his huge audiences “Mucho, mucho amor.”

Mercado broadcast to 120 million devoted viewers daily for decades, according to a 2019 museum exhibit that explores his influence. Although he last aired his show from Miami, he kept a home in Puerto Rico.

The property initially landed on the market in September 2020 for $495,000. But with no buyer forthcoming, the price was dropped to $430,000 in December, and subsequently to its current asking price.

We predict that a buyer will be quite pleased with the place.

The listing describes the property as “unique” and located in an “exclusive area” of San Juan. It also offers a flexible floor plan, with two separate living accommodations on separate floors.

The first level, entered from a foyer, features three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a living room, dining room, and kitchen. The layout includes an office space with a small kitchen and half bathroom. The interiors are painted bright and cheery reds and yellows. The stairs are covered with decorative tiles. Other details of the 1970 abode include wrought-iron railings, arched doorways, and fanciful light fixtures.

Upstairs, the separate living space includes two large bedrooms, two bathrooms, a small kitchen, two terraces, a living room, dining room, family room, and balcony.

Outside, the grounds include a terrace, pool, gazebo, and patio. The covered carport has room for at least four cars. An electric gate secures the entrance to the property. Other amenities include an electric generator that powers the entire house, as well as security doors and windows. 

Born Walter Mercado Salinas, the flamboyant entertainer grew up in Puerto Rico, and began delivering his predictions in elaborate costumes on a weekly show on Telemundo back in the 1970s.

Mercado’s reach expanded in the 1990s, when his show moved to Univision, where he delivered his soulful brand of astrology until 2010. After that, he maintained a public presence through a website and other appearances. He also wrote a horoscope column in El Nuevo Herald, the Spanish-language sister of the Miami Herald.

He is the subject of a 2020 documentary, “Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado,” available on Netflix.

Gretchen Garcia with Real Estate Opportunities holds the listing.

The post Puerto Rico Home of the Late Astrologer Walter Mercado Available for $395K appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

Source: realtor.com

By February 2, 2021.    Airlines  , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  

Extreme Makeover’s Ty Pennington Lists Bright and Beautiful Venice Beach Home

Reality TV star Ty Pennington, known for changing people’s lives with his energetic personality on the original version of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, is now looking to cash in on his own home makeover. Pennington has just listed his house — a beautiful and bright 1927 Craftsman in Venice, Calif. — for $2,795,000.

Pennington put his home design expertise to good use and carefully restored the property earlier this year with the help of his trusted interior designer, Patrick Delanty. Delanty, also known to be Halle Berry’s designer, has long been working alongside Ty Pennington, serving as his design director for Extreme Makeover and running his on-air design segments, most notably his presence on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Rachel Ray Show, NBC’s Nightline and Good Morning America.

Just like its reality TV star owner, the home is bright, cheerful and quirky, with colorful interiors exuding creativity and style. The property is listed by Patrice Meepos of Compass.

inside ty pennington's bright home in venice, california
Ty Pennington’s house in Venice, CA. Image credit: Anthony Barcelo 

Tucked away on a one-way street near the beach, Venice Boardwalk, canals and Abbot Kinney’s hot spots, the original 1927 dwelling has 3 beds, 3 baths, and a sizable living room with decorative fireplace, along with a sunken family room with large windows overlooking a newly landscaped, private back yard with koi pond.

inside Ty Pennington's house in Venice, CA
Ty Pennington’s house in Venice, CA. Image credit: Anthony Barcelo 
living room in Ty Pennington's house in Venice, CA
Ty Pennington’s house in Venice, CA. Image credit: Anthony Barcelo 
ty pennington bedroom
Ty Pennington’s house in Venice, CA. Image credit: Anthony Barcelo 
sunken living room in ty pennington's house
Ty Pennington’s house in Venice, CA. Image credit: Anthony Barcelo 
inside Ty Pennington's house in Venice, CA.
Ty Pennington’s house in Venice, CA. Image credit: Anthony Barcelo 

The ground level hosts the kitchen, laundry room, and bedroom with direct backyard access, as well as a full bath. On the upper level, there’s a master retreat and a second bedroom. 

Ty Pennington added quite a few special touches to the 2,102-square-foot home, including bamboo flooring, baths adorned in vintage-inspired ceramic tile, a master bath sporting a standalone shower and an antique cast-iron freestanding tub, kitchen with concrete countertops and a wraparound, porcelain-tiled porch. There’s also a beautiful backyard that looks like a great place to entertain guests.

ty pennington kitchen
Ty Pennington’s house in Venice, CA. Image credit: Anthony Barcelo 
ty pennington kitchen island
Ty Pennington’s house in Venice, CA. Image credit: Anthony Barcelo 
ty pennington backyard
Ty Pennington’s house in Venice, CA. Image credit: Anthony Barcelo 
ty pennington backyard entertaining area
Ty Pennington’s house in Venice, CA. Image credit: Anthony Barcelo 

While Ty Pennington did not return to host HGTV’s 2020 version of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (which is hosted by Modern Family‘s Jesse Tyler Ferguson), you can catch the two time Emmy award winner in his other home improvement series, Trading Spaces — which recently restarted airing after a 10-year hiatus.

You can also get more tips from the home design expert from his latest book, Good Design Can Change Your Life, which is an intimate look at Ty’s design inspirations and is full of décor advice and tips. While we haven’t yet had the chance to pick up the book ourselves, according to his website the book is part reference, and part behind-the-scenes from Ty’s own home remodeling, which means the Venice home is already a bookshelf hit.

More beautiful celebrity homes

Morgan Brown Re-Lists Stunning West Hollywood Home Amid Split from Actor Gerard Butler
Wayne Gretzky is Selling his $22.9M California Home Designed by ‘The Megamansion King’
Chrissy Teigen & John Legend Buy $17.5M Beverly Hills Mansion After Cashing Big on Previous Home
5 Fabulous Homes of Your Favorite Formula 1 Drivers

The post Extreme Makeover’s Ty Pennington Lists Bright and Beautiful Venice Beach Home appeared first on Fancy Pants Homes.

Source: fancypantshomes.com

By February 2, 2021.    Airlines  , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  

Everything You Need to Know About Budgeting As a Freelancer

Could logging in to your computer from a deluxe treehouse off the coast of Belize be the future of work? Maybe. For many, the word freelance means flexibility, meaningful tasks and better work-life balance. Who doesn’t want to create their own hours, love what they do and work from wherever they want? Freelancing can provide all of that—but that freedom can vanish quickly if you don’t handle your expenses correctly.

“A lot of the time, you don’t know about these expenses until you are in the trenches,” says freelance copywriter Alyssa Goulet, “and that can wreak havoc on your financial situation.”

Nearly 57 million people in the U.S. freelanced, or were self-employed, in 2019, according to Upwork, a global freelancing platform. Freelancing is also increasingly becoming a long-term career choice, with the percentage of freelancers who freelance full-time increasing from 17 percent in 2014 to 28 percent in 2019, according to Upwork. But for all its virtues, the cost of being freelance can carry some serious sticker shock.

.block-quote_5back { background-image: url(https://865cd2fc18498405a75a-f8cbe8cb758c89f0cd738fe08520ecb9.ssl.cf5.rackcdn.com/online-banking/banking-topics/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/5back-730×500.jpg); } @media (min-width: 730px) { .block-quote_5back { background-image: url(https://865cd2fc18498405a75a-f8cbe8cb758c89f0cd738fe08520ecb9.ssl.cf5.rackcdn.com/online-banking/banking-topics/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/5back-1600×600.jpg); } }

“There are many hats you have to wear and expenses you have to take on, but for that you’re gaining a lot of opportunity and flexibility in your life.”

– Alyssa Goulet, freelance copywriter

Most people who freelance for the first time don’t realize that everything—from taxes to office supplies to setting up retirement plans—is on them. So, before you can sustain yourself through self-employment, you need to answer a very important question: “Are you financially ready to freelance?”

What you’ll find is that budgeting as a freelancer can be entirely manageable if you plan for the following key costs. Let’s start with one of the most perplexing—taxes:

1. Taxes: New rules when working on your own

First things first: Don’t try to be a hero. When determining how to budget as a freelancer and how to manage your taxes as a freelancer, you’ll want to consult with a financial adviser or tax professional for guidance. A tax expert can help you figure out what makes sense for your personal and business situation.

For instance, just like a regular employee, you will owe federal income taxes, as well as Social Security and Medicare taxes. When you’re employed at a regular job, you and your employer each pay half of these taxes from your income, according to the IRS. But when you’re self-employed (earning more than $400 a year in net income), you’re expected to file and pay these expenses yourself, the IRS says. And if you think you will owe more than $1,000 in taxes for a given year, you may need to file estimated quarterly taxes, the IRS also says.

That can feel like a heavy hit when you’re not used to planning for these costs. “If you’ve been on a salary, you don’t think about taxes really. You think about the take-home pay. With freelance, everything is take-home pay,” says Susan Lee, CFP®, tax preparer and founder of FreelanceTaxation.com.

When learning how to budget as a freelancer it’s necessary to estimate your income and expenses before setting aside savings for tax payments.

When you’re starting to budget as a freelancer and determining how often you will need to file, Lee recommends doing a “dummy return,” which is an estimation of your self-employment income and expenses for the year. You can come up with this number by looking at past assignments, industry standards and future projections for your work, which freelancer Goulet finds valuable.

“Since I don’t have a salary or a fixed number of hours worked per month, I determine the tax bracket I’m most likely to fall into by taking my projected monthly income and multiplying it by 12,” Goulet says. “If I experience a big income jump because of a new contract, I redo that calculation.”

After you estimate your income, learning how to budget as a freelancer means working to determine how much to set aside for your tax payments. Lee, for example, recommends saving about 25 percent of your income for paying your income tax and self-employment tax (which funds your Medicare and Social Security). But once you subtract your business expenses from your freelance income, you may not have to pay that entire amount, according to Lee. Deductible expenses can include the mileage you use to get from one appointment to another, office supplies and maintenance and fees for a coworking space, according to Lee. The income left over will be your taxable income.

Pro Tip:

To set aside the taxes you will need to pay, adjust your estimates often and always round up. “Let’s say in one month a freelancer determines she would owe $1,400 in tax. I’d put away $1,500,” Goulet says.

2. Business expenses: Get a handle on two big areas

The truth is, the cost of being freelance varies from person to person. Some freelancers are happy to work from their kitchen tables, while others need a dedicated workspace. Your freelance costs also change as you add new tools to your business arsenal. Here are two categories you’ll always need to account for when budgeting as a freelancer:

Your workspace

Joining a coworking space gets you out of the house and allows you to establish the camaraderie you may miss when you work alone. When you’re calculating the cost of being freelance, note that coworking spaces may charge membership dues ranging from $20 for a day pass to hundreds of dollars a month for a dedicated desk or private office. While coworking spaces are all the rage, you can still rent a traditional office for several hundred dollars a month or more, but this fee usually doesn’t include community aspects or other membership perks.

.post__breaker–9087 { background-image: url(https://865cd2fc18498405a75a-f8cbe8cb758c89f0cd738fe08520ecb9.ssl.cf5.rackcdn.com/online-banking/banking-topics/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Everything-You-Need-to-Know-About-Budgeting-As-a-Freelancer_4-FULL-450×200.jpg);}@media (min-width: 450px) { .post__breaker–9087 { background-image: url(https://865cd2fc18498405a75a-f8cbe8cb758c89f0cd738fe08520ecb9.ssl.cf5.rackcdn.com/online-banking/banking-topics/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Everything-You-Need-to-Know-About-Budgeting-As-a-Freelancer_4-FULL-730×215.jpg);} }@media (min-width: 730px) { .post__breaker–9087 { background-image: url(https://865cd2fc18498405a75a-f8cbe8cb758c89f0cd738fe08520ecb9.ssl.cf5.rackcdn.com/online-banking/banking-topics/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Everything-You-Need-to-Know-About-Budgeting-As-a-Freelancer_4-FULL-992×400.jpg);} }@media (min-width: 992px) { .post__breaker–9087 { background-image: url(https://865cd2fc18498405a75a-f8cbe8cb758c89f0cd738fe08520ecb9.ssl.cf5.rackcdn.com/online-banking/banking-topics/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Everything-You-Need-to-Know-About-Budgeting-As-a-Freelancer_4-FULL-1200×400.jpg);} }@media (min-width: 1200px) { .post__breaker–9087 { background-image: url(https://865cd2fc18498405a75a-f8cbe8cb758c89f0cd738fe08520ecb9.ssl.cf5.rackcdn.com/online-banking/banking-topics/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Everything-You-Need-to-Know-About-Budgeting-As-a-Freelancer_4-FULL-1600×400.jpg);} }

If you want to avoid office rent or dues as costs of being freelance but don’t want the kitchen table to pull double-duty as your workspace, you might convert another room in your home into an office. But you’ll still need to outfit the space with all of your work essentials. Freelance copywriter and content strategist Amy Hardison retrofitted part of her house into a simple office. “I got a standing desk, a keyboard, one of those adjustable stands for my computer and a squishy mat to stand on so my feet don’t hurt,” Hardison says.

Pro Tip:

Start with the absolute necessities. When Hardison first launched her freelance career, she purchased a laptop for $299. She worked out of a coworking space and used its office supplies before creating her own workspace at home.

Digital tools

There are a range of digital tools, including business and accounting software, that can help with the majority of your business functions. A big benefit is the time they can save you that is better spent marketing to clients or producing great work.

The software can also help you avoid financial lapses as you’re managing the costs of being freelance. Hardison’s freelance business had ramped up to a point where a manual process was costing her money, so using an invoicing software became a no-brainer. “I was sending people attached document invoices for a while and keeping track of them in a spreadsheet,” Hardison says. “And then I lost a few of them and I just thought, ‘Oh, my God, I can’t be losing things. This is my income!’”

As you manage the cost of being freelance, consider digital tools and accounting services to keep track of invoices, payments and income.

Digital business and software tools can help manage scheduling, web hosting, accounting, audio/video conference and other functions. When you’re determining how to budget as a freelancer, note that the costs for these services depend largely on your needs. For instance, several invoicing platforms offer options for as low as $9 per month, though the cost increases the more clients you add to your account. Accounting services also scale up based on the features you want and how many clients you’re tracking, but you can find reputable platforms for as little as $5 a month.

Pro Tip:

When you sign up for a service, start with the “freemium” version, in which the first tier of service is always free, Hardison says. Once you have enough clients to warrant the expense, upgrade to the paid level with the lowest cost. Gradually adding services will keep your expenses proportionate to your income.

3. Health insurance: Harnessing an inevitable cost

Budgeting for healthcare costs can be one of the biggest hurdles to self-employment and successfully learning how to budget as a freelancer. In the first half of the 2020 open enrollment period, the average monthly premium under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for those who do not receive federal subsidies—or a reduced premium based on income—was $456 for individuals and $1,134 for families, according to eHealth, a private online marketplace for health insurance.

“Buying insurance is really protecting against that catastrophic event that is not likely to happen. But if it does, it could throw everything else in your plan into a complete tailspin,” says Stephen Gunter, CFP®, at Bridgeworth Financial.

Budgeting as a freelancer allows you to select a healthcare plan that best suits your employment status, income and relationship status.

A good place to start when budgeting as a freelancer is knowing what healthcare costs you should budget for. Your premium—which is how much you pay each month to have your insurance—is a key cost. Note that the plans with the lowest premiums aren’t always the most affordable. For instance, if you choose a high-deductible policy you may pay less in premiums, but if you have a claim, you may pay more at the time you or your covered family member’s health situation arises.

When you are budgeting as a freelancer, the ACA healthcare marketplace is one place to look for a plan. Here are a few other options:

  • Spouse or domestic partner’s plan: If your spouse or domestic partner has health insurance through his/her employer, you may be able to get coverage under their plan.
  • COBRA: If you recently left your full-time job for self-employment, you may be able to convert your employer’s group plan into an individual COBRA plan. Note that this type of plan comes with a high expense and coverage limit of 18 months.
  • Organizations for freelancers: Search online for organizations that promote the interests of independent workers. Depending on your specific situation, you may find options for health insurance plans that fit your needs.

Pro Tip:

Speak with an insurance adviser who can help you figure out which plans are best for your health needs and your budget. An adviser may be willing to do a free consultation, allowing you to gather important information before making a financial commitment.

4. Retirement savings: Learn to “set it and forget it”

Part of learning how to budget as a freelancer is thinking long term, which includes saving for retirement. That may seem daunting when you’re wrangling new business expenses, but Gunter says saving for the future is a big part of budgeting as a freelancer.

“It’s kind of the miracle of compound interest. The sooner we can get it invested, the sooner we can get it saving,” Gunter says.

He suggests going into autopilot and setting aside whatever you would have contributed to an employer’s 401(k) plan. One way to do this might be setting up an automatic transfer to your savings or retirement account. “So, if you would have put in 3 percent [of your income] each month, commit to saving that 3 percent on your own,” Gunter says. The Discover IRA Certificate of Deposit (IRA CD) could be a good fit for helping you enjoy guaranteed returns in retirement by contributing after-tax (Roth IRA CD) or pre-tax (traditional IRA CD) dollars from your income now.

Pro Tip:

Prioritize retirement savings every month, not just when you feel flush. “Saying, ‘I’ll save whatever is left over’ isn’t a savings plan, because whatever is left over at the end of the month is usually zero,” Gunter says.

5. Continually update your rates

One of the best things you can do for yourself in learning how to budget as a freelancer is build your costs into what you charge. “As I’ve discovered more business expenses, I definitely take those into account as I’m determining what my rates are,” Goulet says. She notes that freelancers sometimes feel guilty for building business costs into their rates, especially when they’re worried about the fees they charge to begin with. But working the costs of being freelance into your rates is essential to building a thriving freelance career. You should annually evaluate the rates you charge.

Because your expenses will change over time, it’s wise to do quarterly and yearly check-ins to assess your income and costs and see if there are processes you can automate to save time and money.

.block-quote_1back { background-image: url(https://865cd2fc18498405a75a-f8cbe8cb758c89f0cd738fe08520ecb9.ssl.cf5.rackcdn.com/online-banking/banking-topics/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/1back-730×500.jpg); } @media (min-width: 730px) { .block-quote_1back { background-image: url(https://865cd2fc18498405a75a-f8cbe8cb758c89f0cd738fe08520ecb9.ssl.cf5.rackcdn.com/online-banking/banking-topics/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/1back-1600×600.jpg); } }

“A lot of the time, you don’t know about these expenses until you are in the trenches, and that can wreak havoc on your financial situation.”

– Alyssa Goulet, freelance copywriter

Have confidence in your freelance career

Accounting for the various costs of being freelance makes for a more successful and sustainable freelance career. It also helps ensure that those who are self-employed achieve financial stability in their personal lives and their businesses.

“There are many hats you have to wear and expenses you have to take on,” Goulet says. “But for that, you’re gaining a lot of opportunity and flexibility in your life.”

The post Everything You Need to Know About Budgeting As a Freelancer appeared first on Discover Bank – Banking Topics Blog.

Source: discover.com

By February 2, 2021.    Budgeting, Credit 101, Frugal Living  , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,