Kids Ain't Cheap

But They Sure Are Worth It

Archives for September 2017

Pet Friendly Homes

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There’s nothing like having a family pet. But, when welcoming a furry or feathered family member to your home, you must take extra measures to ensure they are living in a healthy and pet-friendly environment.

Just as having good indoor air quality is important to humans, it’s also important for your pets. You’d be surprised by how dirty your air filter can get, so change it regularly to ensure your air conditioner is blowing clean air in your home. Additionally, aerosol sprays are hazardous to birds, so never spray around them. Avoid using softwood shavings in your hamster’s cage, as they emit dangerous fumes that are deadly to your fur baby.

Many objects may look like toys to your pets, however, they can be dangerous — or even deadly. Store rubber bands, ropes, holiday lights, and medicine out of reach or in cabinets to eliminate curiosity and harm. While chocolate may be delicious to humans, it hazardous to dogs and cats, so don’t leave it out on the counter or table. You can also avoid nosy sniffers from getting into food by using childproof locks.

When it comes to the outdoors, we all love looking at a beautifully landscaped yard. However, be mindful of what you’re using to keep the grass green and weeds at bay, as fertilizers and plant food can be toxic to animals. If you’ve just fertilized, keep your pets inside. And once you’ve finished your yard tasks, store everything in sealed containers and out of reach.

Keep your precious animals safe by taking a few extra measures to ensure your home is as pet-friendly as possible.

5 Ways You Can Finance Your Business Idea

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Starting a new business usually requires money. For most aspiring entrepreneurs, self-funding is not a feasible option, so it’s up to them to find ways of securing funding.

Given today’s market condition, it may be tough to find financial support for your startup. It’s not enough to have a solid business model to attract potential investors nowadays. You’ll have to put in extra effort to search for people who are willing to invest in your business idea.

Do it the old-fashioned way via bootstrapping.

“Bootstrapping” means starting a business venture with only your existing savings and cash on hand. It’s similar to self-funding, except you’re not tapping into your regular income streams to power your business dream.

Bootstrapping also involves finding cost-efficient ways of running business processes. Creating an online shop using free tools and taking advantage of social media platforms for marketing are some of the typical ways to keep operating costs cheap.

The obvious disadvantage of this method is relying on a limited pool of funds – at least for the average Joe. On the upside, however, you get to start manageably small and get to scale up at a controlled pace.

Consider applying for a business loan.

Banks and certain government agencies offer financial support to aspiring business owners. Look into getting a small business loan for your startup. Your personal credit rating will be taken into consideration for this method.

Instead of pitching your idea to a business investor, you’ll be facing a loans officer. Make sure your business model is solid and that the numbers add up. Work with your financial advisor and sort out the details so you can present an appealing case to the officer.

Check out crowd funding services.

Crowd funding services like Kickstarter and Indiegogo can be an interesting option for securing funding. Harnessing the power of the Internet and tapping into multiple “mini-investors” can work out well for your business, so long as you set a realistic timetable and achievable goals.

Carefully study these crowd funding platforms as they have various fee structures and rules to follow. There are plenty of horror stories regarding failed crowd funding attempts in various industries ever since the phenomenon started, so wade cautiously in these waters.

Connect with venture capitalists.

A venture capitalist is basically an investor that provides funding for new businesses or supports them by investing additional funds for expansion. These individuals usually have deep pockets but are very discerning when it comes to backing startups, especially those hatched by inexperienced entrepreneurs.

Make sure you have a rock-solid business plan if you’re planning to reach out to these venture capitalists.

Reach out to angel investors.

Like venture capitalists, angel investors also invest in newly launched businesses. These wealthy businessmen are more interested in boosting small businesses to profitability rather than earning a profit from their beneficiaries.

Angel investors typically don’t demand a lot of control in the direction of a business, unlike venture capitalists. With many startups vying for this type of funding, be ready to pull out all the stops when convincing angel investors.

It can be a challenge to get external funding for your startup venture, especially when you’re a newly-minted entrepreneur. Everyone’s looking to get funding for their business ideas nowadays, so it’s a crowded market out there. Don’t lose hope and keep at it – when there’s a will, there’s a way, after all.

Tips to Provide a Safe Workplace for Employees

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Workers have a universal right to work in safe conditions. It’s the duty of the business owners and their managerial staff to fulfill this right by prioritizing safety in the company’s day-to-day operations. There are plenty of ways to accomplish this, so finding the best strategies that fit the company’s profile is highly important.

Workers that are treated well and furnished with a good work-conducive environment are in their best condition for their jobs. Essentially, workers are the backbone of any business. If they’re in poor shape, the business naturally suffers.

Use clear signs and labels

The strategy might sound trivial, but having proper warning signs and labels in the workspace can contribute significantly to its safety and orderliness. This is vitally important for high-risk workplaces, like certain construction and manufacturing industries, as one small mistake can lead to a major accident.

The last thing any enterprise wants is a workplace-related injury or worse – death. Setting up the correct signage can be the difference between a prevented accident, or an injury sustained in the line of work. Workers need to be reminded regularly of the protocols and hazards, and signs are a great way to reinforce that task.

Devote resources to employee health care

An employee’s morale and health play a big factor in their productivity at work. Many scientific studies have come to the same conclusion that healthy workers usually make the best workers.

A practical way to approach health care is to provide regular medical check-ups for the workforce. It can be a cost-effective, preventive measure to ensure that the workers are always in shape for work. Screenings for work-impairing substances, via marijuana urine tests and the like, can also be employed to further improve workplace conditions.

Prepare for emergencies and conduct drills

Disasters like earthquakes and can’t be predicted, but they can be prepared for. Physically preparing the workplace for unpredictable emergencies is the first step to this end. Readying the workers through seminars and drills is the next step afterward.

The managerial staff must have properly crafted guidelines for employees to follow during accidents and emergencies. An evacuation plan should be part of these guidelines, just in case the worst case scenario unfolds.

Investigate accidents and keep records

Unraveling the causes of accidents is part and parcel of accident prevention. It’s important to find out the details of a particular incident and work on improving the workplace so that the chances of a recurrence are diminished.

Keeping records is also part of the investigation, and is a legal requirement for businesses in certain countries. For example, the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires employers with more than 10 employees to keep a tally of serious work-related injuries and illnesses. Minor injuries that can be handled with a first aid kit are not part of the record.

Wrapping Up

It’s the legal and ethical duty of a business owner to secure a safe working space for the workers. It’s also in the interest of the business to promote the safety and wellness of the workers. The most productive employees are generally the ones that are happy and healthy.

Businesses must be ready to invest resources into making sure these goals are successful. The cost of investment may not be trivial and can be a challenge especially for new enterprises. The rewards, however, of a stronger and more productive workforce can easily overturn the financial stake.

5 Ways to Save Money on Window Treatments

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Window treatments not only bring beautiful style to your home, they also offer necessary privacy. However, when you start looking for window treatments, you might find they’re out of your budget. If this is case, consider a few of these top ways to save money on your window treatments.

Turn Rod Pocket Curtains Into Grommet Curtains

Rod pocket curtains have sewn-in pockets at the top of the panel for the curtain rod. On the other hand, grommet curtains have large grommet openings where the curtain rod slides through. Although rod pocket curtains are often less expensive than grommet curtains, they’re also not as easy to open and close as grommet curtains. However, by simply attaching clip rings to the top of rod pocket curtains, you can pay less for your curtains and still enjoy the convenience of curtains that are easy to open and close.

Make Your Own Roman Shade

If you have a small window in your bathroom or kitchen, a Roman shade offers a sleek and elegant look. However, if you browse for Roman shades, you’ll likely find them ranging from $65 to $75. Luckily, it’s possible to make your own Roman shades with very little sewing involved. You’ll need fabric that’s about 2 inches wider than your window on both sides. You can create the hems using adhesive tape and use hot glue to attach ring tape. After you’ve threaded nylon cord through the ring tape, you can hang the shade using a header board.

Create Your Own Blackout Curtains

Blackout curtains offer many advantages. They can block out streetlights so you get better sleep at night. Additionally, they can keep the sun from beating in your windows and making your HVAC system work harder, which increases your heating and cooling costs. Luckily, it’s very simple to make your own blackout curtains. You can either buy blackout panels that clip directly on your curtains, or you can buy black fabric and sew it on your curtains.

Consider Shutters

If you want something unique for your window treatments, consider installing exterior shutters on the inside. You can sometimes find old shutters at flea markets or antique stores. Brighten them up with a fresh coat of paint to match the interior of your room. Then simply attach them to the sides of your windows. If you’d like them to open and close like real shutters, all you have to do is hang them using hinges.

Get Creative With Your Curtains

The nice thing about curtains is that you can make them from nearly any type of fabric. You can pick up some drop cloths at the home improvement store and embellish them with paint or other fabric. To get a funky look in your kitchen, consider hanging burlap coffee sacks as a window topper. You can even sew long pieces of clearance fabric into panels to create a one-of-a-kind and inexpensive curtain.

With a bit of creativity, you can save money on your window treatments and create beauty and style that’s unique to your home.

The Cheapest Way to Qualify as a Teacher While You’re a Stay At Home Mom

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A lot of mothers who choose to stay at home when their children are young try to make plans for what they might do with their careers when their kids are older and in school. Teaching is an option a lot of moms find appealing, as it means they will be working at the same times their own children are at school, will have school vacations off to spend with their families, and can also learn some useful things to help them teach their own children and get them interested in their school studies.

Studying To Become A Teacher

If you already have a college education and are skilled and knowledgeable in an area you think you’d like to teach, then the best way to become a teacher is to qualify with a masters in education. However, going back to college can be an expensive business and you probably don’t want to spend a lot of money on this or incur student debt while you have the expenses associated with a growing young family. Luckily, there is a cheaper alternative that also offers stay at home moms a lot more flexibility. This involves doing your masters in education online.

Why Online Education Is the Cheapest option for Moms Who Want to Teach

A lot of very good schools like the University of Cincinnati offer an online masters in education course, and while these courses are not free, they cost a lot less than attending a college in a conventional way and paying full tuition. You can still get student loans if you need them to cover your course. However, you may find that an online course is affordable without doing this, helping you stay out of debt. This isn’t the only reason online courses are cheaper. However, you also avoid the costs of actually attending a physical university and don’t have to worry about things like child care, as you would if you attended lectures at your local community college.

Other Reasons Why Moms Can Benefit from Doing Their Teaching Qualifications Online

Price isn’t the only reason why online teaching degrees are a good idea for moms looking for more career options. By being able to view lectures at a time that suits you and work through the course at your own pace, you don’t have to worry about missing a lesson because your childcare arrangements fell through or your child is sick. You can simply work when your children are sleeping and postpone your studies if something comes up that you have to deal with. On a normal course, it can be easy to fall behind or worry about missing things when your family needs your attention more, but as an online student, you have no such problems.

If you love the idea of having a new teaching qualification when your child starts school and you want to return to work, then an online degree is definitely worth considering.

5 of the Most Profitable Nursing Specialties

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Nursing is no longer a cookie cutter job of emptying bedpans and assisting doctors.While there are programs such as Gwynedd Mercy’s ABSN program that will give you the training to enter the nursing profession, nursing has diversified to include a number of specialties. Nor are all nursing specialties paid the same. Here are the six most profitable nursing specialties, some of which are also among the fastest growing disciplines.

Nurse Anesthesiologist

Nurse anesthesiologists perform almost all the tasks of anesthesiologists, and they are paid almost as well, too. Depending on where you live and the type of facility you work in, pay ranges from $100,000 to $130,000 per year. If you’re willing to work nights and weekends or work in the emergency room, pay rates could hit $150,000 per year. Conversely, if you work part time at a surgical center or for a dentist’s office, you could earn $30,000 a year working one or two days a week.

If you already have a bachelor’s degree in nursing, you can become a certified registered nurse anesthesiologist. You will have to complete CRNA continuing education courses at an institution like Valley Anesthesia to retain this certification.

Legal Nurse Consultant

A legal nurse consultant provides medical expertise for lawyers. This may arise as part of wrongful death suits, worker’s compensation cases, or disability cases. Depending on the jurisdiction where you live, you will need a registered nursing license of some kind to work in this area, though a bachelor’s degree is not always required. The pay for full-time legal nurse consulting is around $60,000 a year, though it is often held as a second job or part-time job in retirement.

Nurse Researchers

A nurse researcher or research nurse works for a medical lab, university or non-profit. You may be writing grant proposals, assessing patients in medical studies or crafting reports based on gathered data. Research nurses earn anywhere from $75,000 to $100,000. If you work for a university, you may qualify for free continuing education courses through the school or free to reduced tuition at the institution for your own children.

Mental Health Nurse Practitioners

Mental health nurse practitioners earn between $70,000 and $90,000. They provide medical supervision and support for the mentally ill, those dealing with substance abuse, and nursing homes. Pay is correlated with demand, conditions, and risk. If you work overtime in high-risk environments like correctional facilities, you could hit or exceed $100,000 per year given how few are willing to work with there.

Certified Nurse Midwife

Certified nurse midwives earn an average $75,000 to $80,000 per year. This career is overwhelmingly dominated by women and it is an excellent choice for women who want to work in one of the most hopeful areas in medicine – bringing new life into this world. Midwives may work in birthing centers, visit the client’s home to aid in home births, or work in a hospital. This fast-growing nursing job category is driven by those who simply cannot afford to be attended by an OBGYN, so growth is expected to hit 31% by 2022.

As you can see, nursing goes far beyond the usual registered nurse positions. All these positions have their own specific advantages and some may cater to your strengths more than the other. Please make the time to evaluate each option and see which one would be a perfect match for you.

Weekend Family Fun On A Budget

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Weekend family trips and activities can be really expensive depending on your choice of activities and places you are visiting. However, this is necessarily always the case. Here is a list of fun things to do on the weekend that won’t break the budget:

1.   Visit The Planetarium

If you are lucky to live close by, a visit to the planetarium can be a lot of fun for the whole family and tickets gaining access are not very expensive. A trip to the planetarium for a family of four can easily cost under $100. You can bring along snacks and the kids will be blown away by the show! It is also very informative and can spark creative ideas for the kids when they get home to build toy rockets out of a toy? blocks or create their own universes with cardboard, glitter, paint, and glue.

2.   Breakfast Buffet

With a little bit of research, you can find an affordable buffet in the area with enough food to satiate anyone’s appetite. It’s a lovely Sunday morning outing and at least you won’t need to worry about cooking. Try to get there around 10.30/11am and the only meal you will need to prepare later will be dinner. Usually, the breakfast menu is cheaper than lunch or dinnertime menus.

If you feel the breakfast didn’t provide enough healthy nutrients you can always keep supplements or vitamins in your bag and give it to the family at the table. Research Verified reviews like this will guide you to the most potent strength products for your family with the highest level of nutritional benefit.

3.   Hit The Beach

On a hot day or even mild-weather temperatures can call for visits to the beach. The sand, in essence, is a giant sandpit and your children will have hours of fun. It doesn’t cost you anything to relax by the beach. Just bring a bag with towels, spades and buckets, a good book, some sandwiches, mineral water and wet wipes.

If you live in a city without a beach visit the local public swimming pool for a relaxed afternoon with your kids in the water. Bring along hot dogs and juice and just remind your kids not to swim straight after eating.

4.   Series-Binge

Get the popcorn ready and begin a new series together that is family friendly (obviously no Game Of Thrones type series). Fun series to watch together are ‘Glow’ or ‘Grimm’ (if your kids are 16 plus), Marvel-inspired series like ‘Iron Fist’ and ‘Defenders’. This is a great activity that is fun to do but only once in a while. (The series mentioned can all be found on Netflix)

5.   Go Camping

Pack the tents and get ready to rough it out in the wild. Go to a safe camping site, possibly near a river for rafting and have fun in the wild. Make it a no-tech zone and put yours and your family’s cell phones away. Enjoy the peace and it will do a world of good for your children.

6.   Bake Day

Have fun exploring a new recipe together and get the whole family in on baking new delicious delights. They can take these baked goods during the week to eat at school and can be proud when they tell their friends that they helped make them. It’s also a great activity as it teaches them new skills.

7.   Paint Clothes

This is a super fun activity where the whole family gets to be creative and express their unique individuality. All you need are some clothes, a paper towel, a cup of water, the newspaper, fabric paint and you are good to go!

So there you go. You need not stress about weekends that could cost an arm and a leg. With enough careful planning, weekends can be an event that the whole family looks forward to. With so many inexpensive things to do in the city and at home there is no limit to the choices you and your family can have! Go have fun together!

Houseplants That Produce the Most Oxygen (and Are Nearly Foolproof)

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houseplants that produce the most oxygenEven if you didn’t think you had asthma or allergies, you might have noticed some difficulty breathing of late.

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Pay More Attention to Your Credit Score Following Equifax Breach

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Credit Score ComponentsCredit scores have gotten more attention this week thanks to the news of a data breach at Equifax potentially impacting about 44% of the U.S. population. To rein in the damage from this incident, Equifax is offering a free notification service that is essentially a complimentary credit monitoring tool.

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Free Ebook: How to Teach Your Kids About Money

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Readers, we’ve created an information-packed ebook on how to teach your children about money. It’s a guidebook for parents of kids at all ages.

Please click on the link below to download the ebook. After you’ve read it, please let us know what you think of it in the comments section beneath this post.

Click here to download our FREE ebook!