Let’s Make Your Home Somewhere Incredible Without Breaking The Bank

One of the things that a lot of people don’t believe that you can do is turn your home into somewhere incredible without having to spend a fortune. No matter how many times people say that it’s possible, nobody ever truly believes it until they make some changes themselves and see the results. This is completely fair, as we would be skeptical too if someone said that you could make some pretty incredible changes to your home without having to panic about the price tag. But, it is possible, you just need to know how to do this.

In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the things that you can do to make your home somewhere incredible without having to break the bank, so keep reading if you would like to find out more about this.

Set Your Budget First

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The first thing that we are going to say is that you should set your budget. You need to know how much you have to spend on these changes, and ensure that everything that you want to do at the moment will fit into this budget. In order to set this budget you need to look at your finances and work out how much you have available to spend on changes to your home. Some people find it easier to have a completely separate account that they put this money into so that they don’t get it confused with their other finances.

When thinking about your budget, you have to determine what you can comfortably spend without causing yourself financial problems. This means looking at the money that you have spare that does not already have a use in mind. Most people like to set themselves two budgets when they are looking at changing up their home. The first is the main budget, the amount that you can afford without really batting an eyelid at it, and the second is the higher budget that can be used if needed. Try to stick to the first budget, but use the second where necessary.

Know Your Expectations

If you want to make your home somewhere incredible without breaking the bank then you have got to know what your expectations are before you begin making changes. Expectations are one of the most important things when it comes to changing up your home, as they are what will drive you to make the choices you are making. This is why it’s important that you set your budget first, as you will then be able to manage your expectations accordingly, and you won’t be setting unrealistic goals for your home.

Writing down your plan is probably the best way to do this. Some people go in without a plan and they end up making decisions on the fly, but these tend to be the ones that you don’t like further down the line as they weren’t thought through. It’s more important that you have a plan in place that you are able to look at, refer to, and follow throughout this entire process. It’s true that there are going to be times where you want to deviate from the plan, and that’s okay as long as it fits in with the overall goal and the budget that you have set.

Find Cheaper Alternatives

There are going to be times where you want something in your home, but it’s massively expensive and just unaffordable. For example, some people like marble as a material for their home, but this is probably one of the most expensive materials that you could have chosen, and it doesn’t fit with smaller budgets. Having said that though, there are some pretty great dupes that you can look into that look pretty similar, but don’t have the massive price tag. If you look into these cheaper alternatives, while they are not exactly the same, there are some pretty impressive ones that you wouldn’t know at first glance.

Some people will choose to use things like peel and stick wood planks which are reasonably priced and you can install them yourself which is a massive bonus. It’s all about being willing to look around, do your research, and find the best option for your home that you can afford.

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Tips For Helping Heal From Trauma

We are lucky that we live in a world where trauma is something that is more often spoken about, and it is something that more people now understand. While labeling everything isn’t always healthy, in this case, with a label comes the ability to begin a healthy healing journey.

Healing looks different for everyone, and it will depend on the type of trauma that was experienced. Still, it is a good idea to consider what actions you can take to help yourself move forward in a positive way.

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The Three Parts of The Traumatic Experience

Any traumatic experience can be broken down into roughly three sections.

The event or events.
The experience of the event (seven people could be in the same accident and will have different experiences)
The impact on everyday life

Not everyone deals with the same thing in the same way, and that is something that needs to be accepted when it comes to the healing process.

What is healing from trauma?

Some healing is active, like taking control of the situations, changing things, and being vocal. Other times it is quiet healing, writing, feeling, and moving forward slowly. Most often, it is a combination.

Healing means acknowledging the events, understanding how they impacted you and still do, and finding a way to move forward.

Tips for healing from trauma

Not all of these tips will be applicable; you often need to consider what is good for you and how it can positively impact your life.

Acknowledge
The thing that happened happened. And, no matter how much you try to rewrite it, ignore it, avoid it, or play the what-if game, it still happens. Denial is pushing it down and away until you don’t think about it anymore. The problem is that it is not dealt with and will come out in other ways.

Support & Help
There are a lot of different types of help and support available, but it is up to you to decide what you feel will be useful. Friends and family might offer great cups of tea and listen, but they might not be able to help you unpack it. For accidents and injuries, there could be help with time off or help from personal injury lawyers.

Therapists and support groups can be of great help. Ideally, avoiding anything that would be in the unhealthy coping mechanisms category.

Self-care
Self-care in terms of trauma is about putting yourself and your recovery first because that is what is best. It can happen in many different ways, including quiet, long walks, music, painting, cooking, boundaries, and more.

This is not a one-size-fits-all. Instead, you will need to work on a combination that helps you feel good.

Write
You don’t have to be a writer to be able to express yourself. Writing has been one of the most important ways to process emotions and things that have happened. And although you might see hundreds of options, a simple notebook and pen will work just fine to get you used to it.

Your physical health and your mental and emotional health can all be linked; when and if you are able, these tips can greatly help: Simple ways to feel healthier – Sasha Says…

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4 Common Cryptocurrency Scams And How To Avoid Them

The rave about cryptocurrency is far from over! The numerous opportunities discovered since its inception in 2009 have got people worldwide hurrying to get a piece of the cryptocurrency action. This is further confirmed by findings from Stash, which found that there are over 420 million crypto investors worldwide. However, in addition to giving many the financial freedom and increase in wealth they seek, there is also the dark side. Several crypto investors have reported being scammed of their earnings, therefore, it is vital to stay alert.

Here are a few common cryptocurrency scams you should know and how to avoid them.

1. Pump and dump schemes

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One of the quickest yet most damaging crypto scams is the pump and dump schemes. This is usually how the story goes: Fraudsters create a lot of hype about a particular coin to get investors interested. They understand the concept of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) in the crypto world and take full advantage of it! Once they have acquired a significant number of investors, the price is then inflated. The scammers would then sell their holdings at an inflated price, usually a significant amount. This leads to a crash in the price and a sudden decline, rendering the client’s investments worthless! To avoid this scam, you must battle your fear of missing out. Don’t be led astray by hype; read more into the advertised coin to learn more about and make more informed decisions about investing.

2. Investment scams

A notable scam worth mentioning is the investment scam. These scams usually consist of a promise to provide “zero risk” investment to make an incredible amount of money. The scam works in several ways. Sometimes it is a so-called “investment manager” unexpectedly calling or texting you with promises of a rewarding investment opportunity. But there’s a catch— you must buy crypto and send it to their account. The website they present to you looks legit, but it’s not! And when you take out your earnings, you can’t! Another popular form of investment scam included the romance scam, where an online “love interest” needs some crypto, making big claims without evidence or explanations and promises of guaranteed increases in returns.

Fortunately, you can employ several safety tactics to safeguard yourself against such scams. For instance, when there are promises of great return, conduct your research to determine how true it is. For instance, if you’re interested in purchasing Polkadot (DOT), it is advisable to look up the price of a Polkadot coin on reliable platforms such as Binance. This would ensure you’re not being misled, and prevent you from being directed to a fraudulent site.

3. Rug pull scams

The rug pull scams are simpler than the pump and dump scheme as it also involves malicious actors attempting to influence the project’s value. In a rug pull scheme, the fraudsters announce a new project, such as a Non-Fungible Token (NFT) or coins investors should take advantage of. However, this is far from the truth. When the fraudulent project begins to gain the attention of buyers, the project will suddenly disappear. This is because the scammers have absconded with your money, leaving you high and dry!

4. Phishing scam

Phishing uses scam emails, texts, and voice calls to trick their targets. In crypto, this happens quite often. It has come to be the most effective method of scamming the perpetrators. The phishing scam aims to gain credentials to access your account, manipulate your sales, and steal from your account. The scammer sends a seemingly harmless website link via text and email. However, the link has been embedded with several harmful malware, viruses, remote access, and other techniques to steal your information. Over the phone, scammers play on your human instincts, such as compassion, FOMO, and other tactics that would get you to expose your credentials. The best way to avoid phishing scams is to be cautious of opening links that don’t look dodgy or from unfamiliar sources.

There are several wonderful advantages to investing in cryptocurrencies, such as fast settlement times, potential high returns, round-the-clock liquidity, and diversification, to name a few. Security is another reason why crypto is a better investment choice. However, the efforts of scammers can prevent you from enjoying this perk. The scams mentioned are not at all the only scams cryptocurrency investors are exposed to. There are several more out there and even more sophisticated crimes being carried out. Therefore be sure to employ effective security measures.

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How to Spruce up Your Home on A Budget

Do you look at your home and think that it could do with a bit of TLC? If so, then you have come to the right place. This guide will tell you all of the things you can do to make your home appear more maintained without breaking the bank.

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Paint your Front Door
This isn’t a huge investment and it’s ideal if you want to make a major difference to your home in just one day. Your front door will be relatively easy to repaint, and you have a lot of options here too. You can go for a classic color, or you can opt for something a bit bolder if you want. Either way, it doesn’t matter which color you go for, but it does help to make sure that it blends in with the theme of your street. The last thing you want is for your home to stand out for all the wrong reasons.

Plant some Colorful Pots
Consider using some planters so you can change your home with the seasons. If you have some steps that lead to your front door, then you can easily add some groupings of pots or even some topiaries if you want. You can plant boxwoods or evergreens if you do not want to garden all year round and this is great, to say the least. Just make sure that you do not go overboard and that you take the time to pick plants that utilize one or two hues. This is a great way for you to make sure that it adds to your home, without overwhelming your space.

Build a Fence
Even if you do not have a classic-looking home, it’s easy for you to create the same friendly vibe by adding a fence. This may sound cliché, but a fence is one of the best ways for you to make your home seem inviting. You can go for a white picket fence, but you can also opt for an iron-style fence if you want to make your home stand out a bit. Just make sure that your fence is not higher than the other fences on the street because the last thing you want is for your home to look and feel like a prison.

Get Rid of Grime
The great thing about pressure washing is that it is inexpensive and satisfying. It’s a simple task but the payoff is huge, and it could even help you to avoid a full paint job. It’s very easy for you to rent a pressure washer, if you do not have one.

New Windows
If you want to make your home, look great then one thing you can do is look into home window replacement. When you do, you will soon find that your home looks way better and that you are able to add a ton of value as well. New windows will let more natural light into your home as well and this can make all the difference to how your space looks and feels.

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10 Simple Tips to Help You Get More Creative in Your Business

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In the world of business, we can often think about and heavily focus on being professional, organized, and focusing on our goals. Depending on the industry you’re in, you may find that you’re just unable to get creative. Or maybe you don’t understand the importance of it? It could be that you’re focusing too much on data and processing and you’re not really attracting the audience that you’d really like to. When this is the case, it could be that you’re just being too methodical with things. You may find that bringing more creativity into your life is just what you need. In order to do that, it’ll help if you can apply more creative practices to your work.

But what happens when you tend to be a little more strategic or analytical than creative? Maybe you’ve tried to shake things up a little and you’re not getting results. When that’s the case, you may be better off following some tips that are guaranteed to get your creative juices flowing. And the best part is, if you’re just not sure that you’re the creative type, they’re all incredibly simple to apply! So let’s take a look at what could actually help to get your business more creative.

1. Get Visual With Your Branding
First of all, you’re going to want to make sure that you’re able to bring your brand alive with visuals. Have you created an identity for your business with the right colors and fonts and imagery? If not, this is a great place to start. And if you’re not sure what will best represent your brand, you can work with a branding consultant to do this.

2. Hire a Graphic Designer
Next up is the idea of getting a designer in your business. If you know that design, visuals, and creativity just isn’t your thing, then you’ll want to outsource this. You can hire a freelance designer to manage the visuals on your behalf. That way, you can always make sure that you’re injecting creativity into everything you’re doing, without struggling to do it yourself.

3. Plan a Photoshoot
Another creative visual that can come in handy for your business is photos and visual assets to use your in branding and marketing. If you don’t have these, why not plan in a photoshoot? If you’re a consultant or entrepreneur, having professional headshots can help. But you can also do shoots for your products or more branding based so that you have them to use online and so on.

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How Fintech Can Help Your eCommerce Business

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New financial technology, or “Fintech,” can help your business achieve more as you redefine current systems and processes to meet expected consumer demands and future proofing. You don’t need to use Fintech systems, but you can offer better services and security if you do. Among these features are more accurate records that customers can access at any time.

Easier Banking Options
Fintech has many benefits. But of course, the main one is within banking. Yes, all banks offer some kind of online banking. Yet Fintech advancements mean you can provide your customers with all the services they expect. And this is valuable if you run an online eCommerce platform. Evolve Bank & Trust is just one of the financial institutions embracing all that Fintech has to offer. Meaning you get solid 24/7 banking infrastructure with no additional costs or unfair fees.

Improved Payments for Customers
As an eCommerce platform, your customers come first. And business never sleeps. So you must be able to offer your customers what they want when they want it. And this also means transactions and processing of digital payments. Digital payments are quick and convenient. And don’t in the same way as traditional banking transactions that work to a schedule. As a result, your cash flow is constant, as you don’t need to wait for any payments to come through.

Fintech Can Help with Transparency
Compliance, and trust are major factors. One of the key areas where Fintech solutions can help your business is with greater transparency. From moving homes to buying stock, there is a substantial distrust when it comes to online transactions, Fintech used between eCommerce and banking offers a greater look inside all processes. For example, your customers can see who they are doing business with, all payments received, and upcoming payments scheduled.

Efficiency and Automation
Automation, especially with AI, is a major issue right now. Automation makes things easier, and most systems can carry out functions much more efficiently than a human. This is why over 90% of major corporations use automation in at least one core service. For instance, half of these use Chatbots to improve customer service. Chatbots can help individualize communications among a customer, their bank, and eCommerce platform based on historical interaction data.

Access to a Wider Market
eCommerce as a whole relies on access to customers. And when you think about the global reach of the financial industry, there are only benefits for you. Fintech isn’t limited by the borders and boundaries of the land. And when it comes to online systems, there are no issues like supply chains that plague other industries such as logistics. Additionally, third-party apps and user software allow your customers to access powerful Fintech services easily from anywhere.

Summary
There are many ways in which emerging Fintech can help your online business. It makes banking and payments easier, offers a degree of transparency, and opens you up to a wider market. Combined, these help you give customers what they expect from a modern business.

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Make it Easier to Exercise at Home

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Not everyone likes to do certain things in public. And some you can’t by law! So, if you find it hard to exercise at home, give some of these ideas a whirl before you think of giving up.

Try Virtual Instruction
Encouragement is a powerful thing when you want to exercise, especially if you are new to it. If your goal is losing weight, you need someone to get you through. If you want to tone up, you want someone to help you through the burn. Fortunately, today, high-end boutique gyms like HOTWORX offer virtual training sessions with expert instructors for a quality home workout. The point is you can have a much harder time going it alone, so a little help from experts will help.

Do It with Your Partner
If you have a partner or even a flatmate, you can both enjoy the benefits of working out together. This is an excellent way to exercise from where you live since you can encourage each other. And encouragement has been shown to give a better workout. Encouragement from a friend or partner can improve motivation and makes exercise a fun social activity. Some studies have found that you can boost your workout performance by between 2% and 4% with a friend.

Make Space to Exercise at Home
You will have trouble working out if you don’t make some space for it at home. For instance, trying to do some squats and star jumps in a small living room is a guaranteed way to break your shiny TV. And you must also consider equipment storage. For example, you won’t want to get on your stationary bike if just dragging it out of your storage cupboard is exercise enough. So try to make a dedicated space for getting healthy if you have a spare room or a backyard.

Make a Solid Action Plan
It’s great that you want to exercise. But if you exercise at home and/or alone, it can become a solitary activity that loses its enjoyment. But you can make the most of a positive attitude by making a plan of action. Being a goal-oriented person works for most things in life. But it is very helpful when trying to stick to an exercise routine. Partly because your brain knows what to expect. Make your plan around your work and home life, and include days for resting properly.

Make Homewide Dietary Changes
Family can make exercise very challenging. Things pop up that get in the way of your goals. You can be embarrassingly disturbed when during the downward-facing dog pose. And even family food can make your efforts mean nothing. So it helps to change what you put in your cart at the grocery store. For instance, change your shopping list to cut out sugary pop drinks, high-fat chips, and microwave-ready meals. Instead, focus on fresh cooking and healthy snacks.

Summary
You will reach your goals if you make it easier to exercise at home. You can sign up for virtual classes, make a dedicated space for your workouts, and make changes to your shopping list.

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