Brain Wave, Family and Home living

How to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

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As the cost of living continues to rise, so does the energy price. For most homeowners, energy costs are now a constant overhead. It’s easy to forget that the small things we do in our daily lives can make a big difference. Fortunately, there are many simple ways to make your home more energy-efficient. It won’t cost you a fortune, and you’ll immediately see results. A few changes can make a lot of difference.

Turn your thermostat down
If you turn your thermostat down, you’ll help conserve energy without sacrificing comfort. Lowering the temperature by even five degrees can save you over $100 a year. You’ll also see other benefits, like fewer allergies and a healthier home. The recommended temperature for your thermostat to keep your home heated and save you money is 68 degrees, as suggested by Energy.gov.

Install a programmable thermostat
Programmable thermostats are a great way to make sure your home is comfortable, whether you’re away or not. You can set them for specific temperatures for your home. This will ensure no room is left cooling or heating unnecessarily. They’re also easy to program. After a few easy steps, you can control your system from your smartphone.

Install LED light bulbs
LED light bulbs have no filament and last up to 10 years. This makes them more energy-efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs. They’re also more affordable and cheaper than many CFLs. The key with LED light bulbs is to use them correctly. If you leave them on 24/7, they’ll use a lot of energy. When you’re away, they should be off.

Invest in energy-efficient windows and doors
A lot of energy is lost through the glass in your windows and doors. If they are damaged, you will be losing a lot of heat through your windows. Typically a house can lose up to 10% of its heat via the windows; this is more if your windows are damaged.

It can be worth fixing any damage to your windows to see if this improves their energy efficiency or have them replaced altogether. Newer windows are more energy-efficient, including hurricane protection windows which provide you with an extra layer of security if you live in an area that experiences frequent extreme weather conditions.

Seal any drafts
Having a drafty home can be disheartening, but it also consumes a lot of energy. If your house is drafty, it could be because the roof lets the warm air escape. One easy way to solve this problem is to seal any holes in your roof. And don’t just use roof membranes; you’ll need to get the holes in the roof sealed.

You should also seal any drafty spaces with caulk or weather stripping so that air doesn’t flow into your walls. This will help make your home more energy-efficient by reducing wasted heat. Another option is to install siding to your home and insulation for added support to help you improve your home’s energy efficiency.

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Brain Wave, Entrepreneurship & Business Talks, Shopping and Merchandise

What You Need to Know About Setting Up Your Own Ecommerce Store

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In today’s world, it’s easier than ever to start your own ecommerce business. Whether you have an excellent idea for a niche market or want to try your hand at online retailing, ecommerce is a great way to go. Most people think they need a ton of money and a lot of experience to start an ecommerce business. This can be true, but you don’t need a massive budget or knowledge to get created.. From choosing the right platform to understanding the logistical challenges of running an ecommerce business, you’ll learn everything you need to know about starting your own ecommerce business.

Choosing your business model
The first step in starting an ecommerce store is to figure out what kind of business model to choose. There are four main business models for online retailing: Dropshippers, Wholesalers, Brokers, and Direct Sales. While some business models are more suited for specific products or niches, all models have pros and cons.

The best platforms for ecommerce
Thanks to the growth of the internet, you no longer need to own a brick-and-mortar retail store to sell online. That’s why there are so many online sales channels and platforms! You can start your own ecommerce business on your website, Shopify, or Amazon’s platform. Think about your goals and how each platform fits your business model when choosing a platform. Are you looking to build an audience and make recurring revenue? Or would you like to test the waters and see if ecommerce is right for you? Once you’ve decided on the right platform, make sure you’re using the right tools to run your business. Set up tools like ShipStation and Fulfilled.com to make it easy to set up your dropshipping and dropshipping fulfillment service and use analytics and tracking to optimize your sales and marketing.

What products to sell
When choosing products to sell, think about your industry and your target customers. You can do a lot of market research this way and make sure your products stand out from the crowd. Once you’ve got a better idea of what you want to sell, look at similar products in your industry and see if you can create something better.

Payment options
When you’re starting an ecommerce business, your customers will expect fast and reliable payment processing, so factor this in when looking at the benefits of ACH vs EFT. You can accept cards through ecommerce platforms, but you can also use payment processors. We recommend choosing a payment processor like Stripe, Paytrust, or BB Payments. These platforms let you accept all payment types in one place, streamline your sales and marketing processes, and offer seamless integrations with your ecommerce platform. If you choose to accept credit cards, make sure you’re compliant with PCI standards. You can also use an API or accept cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum. You don’t have to worry about exchange rates, fees, and chargebacks with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. This gives your customers even more payment options and lets you take control of your business’s cash flow.

Make it legal
The final step in starting your ecommerce business is to make sure it’s legal. There are tons of business models and ways to run an ecommerce business, but you need to make sure they’re legal in your region. For example, if you’re selling goods in the United States, you’ll need to find a business license and follow food and drug regulations. Before you start selling products through your ecommerce business, it’s essential to check with your state’s tax office and business licensing office to make sure you’re following all applicable laws.

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Brain Wave, Family and Home living

4 Projects that will Drive Your Home’s Curb Appeal Through the Roof

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When it comes to your home, you want it to look its best. The exterior is just as important as the interior, and it’s the first thing that people see when they visit. If you’re looking to improve your home’s curb appeal, then read on! This blog post will discuss four projects that will drive your home’s curb appeal through the roof!

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1) Pressure wash your home’s exterior

This will remove any dirt, grime, or mildew that has built up over time. Pressure washing your home’s exterior is a great way to improve its curb appeal instantly. Not only will it remove any dirt, grime, or mildew that has built up over time, but it will also make your home look brighter and more inviting. Plus, it’s a relatively inexpensive project that you can do yourself in just a few hours.

If you don’t have a pressure washer, you can rent one from most hardware stores. Just be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully to avoid damaging your home’s siding or trim. Or, you could also consider utilising a pressure washing service to help you out. Once you’ve pressure washed your home’s exterior, it’s time to move on to the next project.

2) Paint your front door

Your front door is one of the first things that people see when they visit your home, so make sure it’s looking its best. A fresh coat of paint is a great way to improve your front door’s curb appeal. When choosing a colour, go for something that will complement your home’s siding and trim. If you’re not sure what colour to choose, ask for help at your local hardware store.

Once you’ve chosen a colour, simply follow the manufacturer’s instructions to apply the paint. This project should only take a few hours and will make a big difference in your home’s curb appeal. Then, once you’ve chosen and applied the paint, stand back and admire your handiwork!

3) Plant some flowers

Flowers are a great way to add colour and life to your home’s exterior. When choosing plants, be sure to pick ones that will thrive in your area. Once you’ve chosen the perfect plants, simply follow the instructions on the back of the packaging to plant them. This project will take a few hours, but it’s well worth it! With a little time and effort, you can easily transform your home’s curb appeal with this simple project.

4) Clean your gutters and downspouts

Your gutters and downspouts play an important role in protecting your home from water damage. However, they can also be a major eyesore if they’re not cleaned on a regular basis. Luckily, cleaning your gutters and downspouts is a relatively easy project that you can do yourself. Simply remove any debris from your gutters and downspouts, and then rinse them with a hose to remove any remaining dirt or grime.

In conclusion, these four projects are a great way to improve your home’s curb appeal. Pressure washing your home’s exterior, painting your front door, planting some flowers, and cleaning your gutters and downspouts are all relatively easy projects that you can do yourself. Plus, they’ll make a big difference in the way your home looks.

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Brain Wave, Family and Home living, Life in general

Completing a Long-Distance Move: How to Get Organized

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A long-distance move is typically more stressful to handle compared to any other time you need to move home. Not only do you have to pack and move all your stuff, but you’re also going hundreds or maybe even thousands of miles away. Trying to get everything organized when your final destination is so far away is often extremely difficult. It’s harder to get everything sorted out on the other end because you can’t just make a quick trip there. But you can start to organize yourself so that your move goes more smoothly. Here’s what you need to do to get yourself in order.

Put a Binder Together

A binder of all of the information that you need for your move can be really helpful if you’re trying to get organized. You can have various papers, contracts, and receipts to keep track of, and sometimes you need to find them quickly. And if your long-distance move is an international one, you’ll need to make sure you have any visa or customs paperwork available too. Put everything you need in one place, including things like moving checklists, important phone numbers, and things you might need after your move, such as medical records.

Plan Your Trip

You will need to plan your journey to get to your new home, including how you’ll be getting there and whether you will be traveling with your possessions. You might decide to hire a moving truck and drive all of your things to your new home. Perhaps you’ll hire movers to move your stuff while you drive or fly to your destination. Choosing a date and organizing exactly how your move is going to take place will ensure you’ve created a solid plan. Don’t leave it too late to start making concrete plans for your move.

Arrange Your Movers

Booking your movers is definitely something that you don’t want to leave too late. You need to make sure you can find the right company at the right price, and that they’re available for your desired date. You will probably want to look for movers that specialize in cross country moving so that they will offer the services and experience that you require. When you’re looking for the right company, check that they are fully insured and will protect your possessions. Some companies might also offer useful storage options, which can be helpful when you need to go ahead of or behind your things.

Separate Your Stuff

Moving long-distance can give you a good chance to clean out your home. Rather than move everything you have, including all the junk you should have got rid of a long time ago, you can be more selective about what comes to your new home. Decide what you want to throw out, what to recycle, what to donate, and what to sell. You might also want to put some things in storage if you don’t need them right away or don’t know what to do with them yet.

Moving long-distance might be stressful but if you start to get organized early, you can make it easier.

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Brain Wave, Money matters

How to Grow Your Finances

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Managing your money wisely is something that you need to do if you are going to be financially comfortable. Being financially comfortable should be your goal no matter what kind of job you are in or which stage of your career you currently find yourself in.

However, with all of the expenses coming your way, if you are like most people you probably find it difficult to make a budget and stick with it.

This is where wise financial thinking comes into play. Here are some tips that will help you organize your finances and budget wisely.

Craft a Plan

You’ve probably heard the saying that if you fail to plan you plan to fail. Nowhere is this saying more true than with your finances. One of the first things you must do to make your journey towards financial freedom a success is to make a plan for your finances.

You need to sit down and consider your goals. If there are goals you want to achieve in the next few months or even a few years you should start making some kind of budget and strategizing how you are going to achieve your goal. For example, you may have a goal to buy a house or start a business.

Make a Sufficient Emergency Fund

If you want to ensure that you protect your assets, an emergency fund is one of the best ways to do this.

Setting aside an emergency fund means that you will not have to depend on your other finances or even use credit cards for unexpected expenses.

Your emergency fund should contain at least 3 to 6 months of salary. This should tide you over should you lose your job or have an expensive emergency. This can go a long way in helping to prevent bankruptcy, although there are skilled bankruptcy lawyers that can help you through.

Turn Short-Term Goals Into Long-Term Solutions

If you have a long-term goal that you want to work towards then the best thing you can do is to start making short-term saving plans. It may sound like this defeats the purpose but it doesn’t.

Breaking up large financial goals into smaller bite-sized pieces is the best way to ensure that you reach your goals. For example, if you want to save up money and budget for your vacation at the end of the year you may want to save a certain amount every three months.

Reaching your target every three months until you finally have all the money you need will be a great motivator for you. You can use this formula to save for other goals you may have in the future.

Start Taking Care of Your Finances

Taking care of your finances should always be a priority for you. If you have been having difficulty planning for your finances then the tips given here should be very useful.

Make sure that you decide on your vision for your future. Once you know what you want to achieve it will be easier for you to budget.

Also, make sure that you have emergency funds in place so that you do not have to use credit or your main savings for emergencies. Finally, remember to break up larger goals into smaller ones to help you stay motivated.

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Brain Wave, Health and medicine

Top Tips For People Who Hate Fitness & Healthy Eating

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Whether we like it or not, we live in a world that is becoming more and more saturated with fitness and good eating. You can’t even walk down the street without being barraged by billboards advertising the latest celebrity fitness plan or DVD, our social media timelines are full of people pushing various shakes and pills and plans to make us healthy, and bloggers are giving diet tips and advice. If you are a bit of a gym junkie and enjoy nothing more than pounding on the treadmill at Fitness 19 and gulping down on that superfood smoothie, it’s alright. But for many others, it is all a bit monotonous. Sometimes it feels like if you don’t go in for it big time, you may as well not bother. If this sounds like you, worry not because we have some recommendations to assist you to get fit and healthy without it taking over your existence!

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Incorporate it into your regular regimen.

Instead of making exercise and staying healthy simply another item to add to your already lengthy daily to-do list, make it part of your day to day routine. You may want to spend your important time off with your friends and family or do something exciting like going to restaurants or going traveling. Don’t worry though – with a bit of imagination, you can fit it all in and not have to drop anything. On average, we should all be striving to perform roughly 30 minutes of exercise every day. Think about your routine. Can you get off the bus a couple of stops early and walk the rest of the way to the office, or park at a place as far away from the grocery as possible? All these tiny things really pile up.

Don’t deny yourself treats.

The worst thing you can do is to deprive yourself of any goodies totally. Going ‘cold turkey’ just does not work. Food is not ‘bad’ or ‘good’ – in moderation, pretty about anything is fine. If you give up the foods that you like and vilify them, you’re more likely to want them and end up gorging on them. Once you become trapped in that loop, it is challenging to get out of it. One slice of cake every so often is not going to make a difference in weight reduction, so if you want it, go for it! You might also look at healthier alternatives to your favorites. If you adore chocolate cake, why not look at recipes that sweeten them using beets or courgettes rather than sugar? If milky lattes are your thing, switch the full-fat milk with skim milk. Small tweaks here and there may make the largest of effects.

Don’t push yourself too much.

It’s acceptable to do only what you can do. No one is expecting you to get up and immediately start jogging 10km. No one is expecting you to join a gym and go there day after day – in fact, it’s probably not a good idea to do this until you’ve had a full introduction since you may wind up hurt. Getting healthy is a journey, not a sprint, and it is best to begin gently and gradually increase your activity level.

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Brain Wave, Family and Home living, Money matters

Are Your Family’s Finances Safe for the Long-Run?

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While catch phrases like “YOLO” and “seize the day” may be appropriate in certain situations, it’s always better to evoke a sense of caution when it comes to your money. Making preparations in advance may be really advantageous, particularly if you have a spouse or children. Here are some methods you may use to ensure your financial security in the future.

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Take charge of your finances now.
You may not find budgeting exciting, yet it can have a huge impact on your financial circumstances. In the event that you’ve found yourself counting down the days till your next paycheck, now is the time to take charge of your finances. Many of us overspend because we don’t regularly review our bank accounts or look at our spending patterns. Making and adhering to a budget might help you avoid unpleasant shocks and start saving for the future. As soon as you’ve jotted down the amount of money that comes into your account, make a list of every regular outbound payment, such as your rent or mortgage payment, home expenses, and groceries. Then add one-time expenses for the month ahead, like a weekend away. You can figure out how much money you have to spend by comparing your expenses to your income. If you have any extra money, you may put it in a savings account and use it as a rainy day fund, an investment, or a special treat like a vacation. Sometimes spending means taking out loans to help with larger expenditures. Take the time to compare credit before committing to something because you could end up in serious debt.

Invest in insurance to safeguard your valuables.
The protection of your family and your possessions is essential for anybody who has a family, owns a company, or is a homeowner. Having a will and purchasing insurance are two ways to do this. With no will in place, you should seek the guidance of an expert attorney in wills, trusts, and probate. The beneficiaries of your estate will be protected if you die. A death benefit from life insurance might be reassuring if you have a property or dependent children to consider. Making these types of arrangements is never pleasant, but it is useful to be prepared for any eventuality. You can save both time & expense by using online insurance comparison services when you’re looking for a policy.

Invest in yourself
If you’re wanting to increase your savings balances or build a retirement fund, it’s a good idea to look into prospective options to grow your money. Investing in real estate or stocks and shares, for example, is an option. Be sure to obtain advice from experts and assess the dangers before making a big investment. If you’re considering purchasing a rental property, do your homework on the area, select your ideal buyer or renter, and establish a budget that won’t put you in a tight spot financially.

There’s no way to predict what the future may bring, which is why it’s beneficial to plan ahead and handle your money properly.

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