Jun5

Money Management For Summer Fun

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Money Management For Summer Fun

The summer season is unquestionably the greatest time of the year. It offers the opportunity for non-stop fun through a wide array of activities. Sadly, though, those ventures can hit your wallet hard. So, needless to say, finding the right balance between amazing summer adventures and not breaking the bank is essential.

Summer is the perfect time to start generating savings at home because with vacas and day trips, you won’t be there as often. However, you will still be there sometimes, which is why you need to have some entertainment features on hand. You could probably cut down your TV package without noticing the difference, I’m sure there’s countless channels that go unused! Try downloading the Cinemabox movie app for access to the latest films and shows. Not only does it save money, but it also gives you the option to watch from the back yard hammock or on the move.

Speaking of the back yard, that could be one of your greatest assets throughout this part of the year, too. Nothing beats relaxing on the patio with rattan furniture. Whether it’s a relaxed evening with a book or spending family time together in the evening doesn’t matter. Those joys are better than anything offered during the colder months. Best of all, enjoying the garden is virtually free. Your lush back yard could even become your new place for social activities. Invite friends over for a summer BBQ or garden party, and it’ll be far cheaper than heading out to the local bar. And, let’s be honest, this option sounds like a lot more fun!

There are many other ways to save money at home during the summer. This is the ideal opportunity to complete various home upgrade tasks for long-term rewards. Increasing the home insulation will work wonders that will truly pay dividends in the winter. Meanwhile, looking for cheaper energy quotes can help decrease the bills even further. Growing food and generally living a greener life should bring ample rewards, too. Of course, it might be a bit late in the year to start with certain fruits and veggies. But that’s okay! Do your research and learn what types of produce grow best for this time of year and in your area and you’ll be well on your way to delicious summer salads in no time!

You will still inevitably go out on various occasions – it is summer, after all. The key is to make smarter choices. Leave the expensive internal activities for the autumn through spring. The summer months should be filled with hikes, sports, and exploration. I’m sure we’ll all be longing for those opportunities once the weather gets worse.

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Pretty!

Vacations are another crucial part of the summer. Most families have their big trip of the year during this time. Be sure to follow these ideas for a non-budget breaking holiday so that you can score the best deals during your big vaca. Money shouldn’t dictate every decision that you make in life. But maintaining a greater sense of control over your finances will enhance the summer and the rest of your year. If you can generate those savings without sacrificing your enjoyment, then you’re in for a fabulous summer, for sure!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Jun4

Scorching Summer OOTD

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Scorching Summer OOTD

Helloooo everyone and welcome to the grand finale of my Salute To Summer guest bloggers series! This post is brought to you by everyone’s favorite, Nida, of Shopaholic Blogs. Nida was the very first guest blogger that lifewithlilred has ever had, and I love that she is always so willing to participate in all of my series throughout the year. I’m sure that all of you already know, but her page is fantastic so if you haven’t checked it out, then you need to get on it ASAP! Her posts are always witty and wonderful but where Nida shines is in her fabulous OOTDs. Take a look at how she braved the summer heat in UAE for this OOTD:

Scorching Summer OOTD

Hello Loves! 💕

Happy summer to those of you who love it! ️I most certainly am not a summer person but for this post I’ll pretend that I am 😉. Since my blogging BFF, Sarah, (you all know her fondly as lifewithlilred ❣️) asked me to join her guest bloggers in her summer series I knew that I had to brave the heat 🔥and say yes!

So as you all probably know, summer here in the UAE is unlike anywhere else in the world – unless it happens to be a desert 🌵. Temperatures here soar. We are talking way above 110 degrees Fahrenheit! So, needless to say, dressing appropriately in the summer is a must. For me, usually that involves long dresses, skirts, or loose pants. I love incorporating prints into my looks by following a simple rule of combining them with at least one solid piece to avoid looking like a giant walking wallpaper sample 😂.

So here’s presenting Shopaholic Blogs and lifewithlilred’s take on a summer OOTD all the way from sunny UAE 😘.

Outfit details: 

☀️ Top: Old Navy (white is a summer must have)

☀️ Pants: Loft (the print is so perfect for the summer on these pants)

☀️ Scarf: Splash (I love embroidery in any form) (As do I! -Sarah)

☀️ Bag: Mango

☀️ Sandals: Jessica Simpson

☀ ️Watch: Mistura 

Hope you guys enjoy this post and do let us know what you think and how you guys put together your summer looks ☀️!

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^^^ Holy Gorgeous!!
Thank you so much to the charming, lovely, beautiful, talented Nida for her hard work on this post! I love you, darling! Once again, be sure to check out her page at Shopaholic Blogs! A big thanks to all of my Salute To Summer guest bloggers for a job well done and be sure to tune in tomorrow as I wrap things up! What do you wear in unbearably hot weather? Where is the best store to score summer clothes? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Jun3

Summer Travels On A Budget

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Summer Travels On A Budget

Hello everyone and welcome to my darling friend, Amy’s, post for my Salute To Summer guest bloggers series. Amy is the author of the blog, An Ambivert Lifestyle, and it is AMAZING so definitely take a look and give it all the love. As you guys know, my life motto is “ballin on a budget” so, naturally, Amy’s post about embracing a travel lifestyle while being smart with your cash speaks to me on a spiritual level. Take a look at Amy’s how to guide on how to make the most of your moolah on your summer vaca:

Summer Travels On A Budget

Traveling isn’t an easy task. Planning and preparing for the trip is one of the most stressful things that you can do to yourself. From working more hours and skipping nights out to save up to unexpected costs before your trip also contributes to this stress. Personally, as a full-time student and a full-time employee, it is extremely hard, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve to traveling on a budget and finding great deals. Being a college student and a frugal spender, I like to explore deals on flights on the internet, books, personal experience, and word of mouth.

Finding Deals on Flights

  • Student Universe – This company provides less expensive flights for students. They work with 80+ airlines to get cheaper flights listed than anywhere else. This site is truly magical. Not only do they provide deals on flights, but they also offer deals on tours, hotels, and group travel. For members, they provide even more deals for special rates.
  • Private Browsing – This is super important! Whenever you are searching for flights, go on “Private Browsing” on whatever internet browser you use. Airline companies pay big money to know what consumers are searching, so if you visited a certain flight over and over again, they increase prices so you can buy faster.
  • Skyscanner – This helps you scan flights of your choosing through all the different airline companies. You can also see prices on different dates, as well, for convenience.
  • Booking flights on Wednesdays! – This is such an easy trick. Almost all of the time, flights will be consistently lower than the rest of the weekdays since they consider this day to have the most amount of seats available, so prices are lowered to fill the planes.
  • Check social medias and your email! – Usually, airline companies will email deals and promo codes for flights for a period of time. These have saved my bacon many times.
  • Get a refund! – No, really! If you purchased a ticket and the fare has dropped since you bought it, call/email them to ask for a refund for the difference. It may not always work, but the fact that it has worked with certain airline companies is amazing! Websites such as Yapta and Orbitz track your purchased flights and let you know. Easy.
  • Champ through several stop flights – It isn’t easy and most of the time it isn’t fun. The majority of the time these stops are red eyes. It sucks, but being able to spend a couple hundred dollars to be able to buy that souvenir for you girlfriend’s cousin’s mom is worth it. Just make sure you pack a couple of books to beat boredom or play online games while you wait. If you are a fan of casino style games, look into some blackout bingo reviews because it’s a fun game to pass the time with.
  • Airfare Errors – This is your best friend. Websites such as AirFare Watchdog and Secret Flying can be used to allow you to beat the system and stalk for mistake fares.

While Traveling Do’s

  • Research ahead of time – If you travel to a foreign land, it’s best that you research where you want to go first instead of winging it. I have spent so much more money than expected when I have winged it.
  • Look up places that do not charge admission – You’d be surprised at how many museums do not charge admission fees throughout the world. I always do this when I go on vacations because it gives you something to do that’s fun, while keeping money in your pocket.
  • Foreign Exchange at your bank – Some people don’t know this but some banks will actually let you exchange currencies right there. Sometimes the rates are cheaper than when you’re traveling and it’s convenient to have the currency of the destination before you even get off of the plane.
  • Carry cash & don’t use your card – Having a fixed amount of cash on you helps BIG time with budgeting on a day-by-day vacation. It helps you not over spend and prevents binging on those miniature Eiffel Towers or flower shaped gelato. Plus, if you use your card, chances are that your bank will charge you an international fee.

Places to Stay Without Breaking the Bank

  • Air BnB – This is already a given, but I love them so much that I had to put them on this list.
  • Hostel World – Hostels are the cheapest way to travel. You get to meet different people traveling that will probably become your international long term friend. Hostel World allows you to look up every single hostel in the area that you’re traveling to. You get to compare between different hostels, prices for a private room and dorms, and amenities. They have a Best Price Guarantee as well, so they will provide the cheapest rates for every hostel.
  • Home To Go – Not too many people know about this page. It’s a very user friendly site where you get to look up Bed and Breakfast type places. They provide last minute deals and discounts up to 75% off for their members for certain places.
  • Tripping – This is a sight that lets you look up vacation rentals, hostels, rooms for rent per night, hotels, etc. Similar to Air Bnb.

Extras

  • Lonely Planet – Unique site that provides travel books and videos about different countries and their activities such as beaches, food and drink, art and culture, and adventure travel. They also provide services such as travel insurance, adventure tours, car rentals, flights, hotels, sightseeing tours, and airport transfers and shuttles. Another perk of this website is that they provide tips, as well.
  • Like A Local – This company is so great! This site allows you to be able to contact locals in the area that you’re traveling to be able to get suggestions, tips, and even ask to meet up. They provide suggestions for tours, food, nightlife, shopping, and sightseeing all at your fingertips. On top of that, you can also pay a local to be your tour guide for CHEAP. I’m going to be traveling to Munich at the end of May and a local posted that they charge 2 euros an hour to be your guide. I’m SHOOK. But it gets better, you are also able to download their phone app and purchase an offline, no internet, and no roaming charges map for $1.99 per city that can also use your GPS to locate where you are. If you’d like to be a guide as well in your home town, you can also sign up with them and be paid!

The most important part of traveling, of course, is that you have fun and enjoy! Only be on your phone to take pictures and make a new friend and take in every opportunity that you can to soak in and appreciate your new surroundings.

Wow! Thank you so much to Amy for such fantastic, invaluable tools to use while traveling on a budget. For more on Amy’s upcoming travels, be sure to check out her blog! How do you ball on a budget? Where are you traveling to this summer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun2

Mauve Maven OOTD

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Mauve Maven OOTD

Hi everyone and welcome to a fabulous OOTD for my Salute To Summer guest bloggers series compliments of my sweet friend, Geneva, from Genney Darling. Genney girl is an absolute doll. I so enjoyed chit chatting with her to get this post in order and checking out her blog is a total must – so be sure to give it some love! At the end of her post, Geneva mentions hoping to come back on lifewithlilred. All of my guest bloggers will always have a home on my page if they so choose, so this is definitely not the last you will be seeing of her! Now, take a look at her post exclusively for lifewithlilred:

Mauve Maven OOTD

Hello Darlings!

I’m Geneva and I run the blog Genney Darling. I was super excited when Sarah agreed to have me publish a post on her blog “lifewithlilred”.  She asked for something related to summer, which is coming soon, and I knew that I had tons of ideas especially for fashion posts. For those who don’t follow me, I run a fashion blog where I share my personal style with my readers. I have only had my blog for ten months, but I am already in love with the blogging experience and where it might take me.

Summer fashion can be difficult. I believe it is easier (and more fun) in the fall when you can layer on all kinds of flannels and sweatshirts along with other accessories and still look good while being comfortable. In the summer, we still have to think of comfort (especially in the heat), and it just feels all too easy to go to our basic short shorts and graphic tees.

In this outfit, I opted for my personal favorite mom jeans along with this mauve halter tank. I have been obsessed with mauve and I’m sure that it will keep making appearances in my wardrobe throughout the summer. This tank definitely will. I think it may be my new favorite summer piece!

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I thought the mom jeans would be good for summer because they are looser than skinny jeans, so your legs will be able to breathe a little better. (And some of us aren’t quite ready to show off our pale legs just yet!)

Shop the Look: 

Similar Mauve Tank Top – Forever 21

Mom Jeans – Asos

Creepers – T.U.K

Black Leather Backpack – JustFab

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Thank you for reading my post here on lifewithlilred. If you enjoyed reading this post, please make sure to follow my blog, Genney Darling, and check out some of my posts there. I hope to come back here and post for Sarah again. So, until next time!

Similar Posts:

The Mean Reds

Mellow Yellow

Many thanks again to Geneva for her gorgeous Mauve Maven OOTD! You are stunning! How do you stay cool with your clothes in the summer heat? What is your favorite color to sport in the summer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun2

Education You Might Not Have Considered

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Education You Might Not Have Considered

It’s a competitive world out there and even if you’re more than qualified for the position that you’re interviewing for, you can lose out to someone equally qualified who has that little bit extra. No matter how old you are, it never hurts to learn new skills or earn new qualifications to boost your career. You don’t have to quit your job and go back to school full time to get a Masters. Nowadays, there is more than one way to develop desirable skills to revamp your resume:

Short Courses/Workshops: If you’re not too sure that you’re ready to get back into learning right away, you can test the waters by checking out short courses or one-day workshops. Short courses may cover any area from soft skills such as communication and leadership to industry-specific skills like accounting, web design, or photography – so you’re guaranteed to find something that will be useful for your career. If you’re not sure which courses might be useful for your current job, then you can still learn something by taking a short cooking course or signing up for a series of yoga classes to better understand the teachings.

Online Education: Some of the most prestigious universities in the world now offer college courses through the Internet to anyone who wants to take them. Additionally, you’re more likely to find a specialized qualification such as lean manufacturing courses online than you are through your local college class listings. Not only do online courses save you on the cost of commuting, but they give you far more options.

As we have learned from the pandemic, online schooling can be difficult. It might be the isolation, lack of motivation, or maybe your internet that freezes every hour. Difficult as it is, your education is important and you can learn more about bettering your experience through online searches and discussing with your friends and teachers.

Volunteer: Taking time out of your busy schedule to help others can boost your career for several reasons. First, volunteering gets you out of your comfort zone and teaches you how to communicate with empathy. Second, it gives you valuable experience in a field that you hope to enter, which will make it easier for you to gain experience or a full-time job in the future. Finally, it shows potential employers that you are willing to go beyond what is required of you and that you are passionate enough to go for what you want in your own time.

Enroll in Your Community College: You need a certain motivation to complete online courses or learn skills in your spare time. If you feel that you could do better in a more structured environment, you can take a course at your local college for a term or even go for a full degree if you are ready to commit to it. Any credits that you earn at the end will have real value when hunting for jobs or eventually pursuing your formal education even further.

Group Language Clubs: Knowing a second language is invaluable in any job, but some people might not do well learning by themselves with an app. You should try finding a club that meets in your area and practice with a real teacher and other hopeful learners. Even a basic understanding of another language is better than nothing!

Ready, get set, and learn yourself to the finish line of a better job or further in your education!

Featured Image By: Soft9000

Jun2

When An Injury Knocks You Down: Getting Up Again

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When An Injury Knocks You Down: Getting Up Again

Most people will deal with some kind of injury during their life, which might affect them in a significant way. An injury could lead to you being out of work, unable to perform everyday tasks, or suffering a knock to your confidence. It’s important to give yourself time to recover if you ever get hurt. However, the physical health aspect isn’t the only thing that you need to worry about if you suffer an injury. There are other issues, too, such as the financial impact it might have or how it makes you feel emotionally. If you’re recovering from an injury, keep the following things in mind:

Follow Your Doctor’s Advice: If you’ve seen a doctor about your injury, listening to their advice for recovery is essential. If you don’t take care of yourself, you could end up making your injury worse. There might be various treatments that your doctor recommends, from surgery or medication to physical therapy. On the other hand, some advice could be as simple as spending some time with your feet up. If you’re unsure about a doctor’s advice, you can get a second opinion from someone else. Your doctor can also be helpful if you need to take some time off of work or perhaps need some special accommodations at work.

Finding a doctor can be a daunting task if you don’t already have someone in mind. If this is the case for you, seek references from friends and family and do your own research as well. For example, if you are experiencing issues with your shoulder, enter a search for “cure for frozen shoulder Evanston” (or your local area) for practitioners near you.

The Financial Side: Money can be a worry if you suffer an injury. You might have medical bills to pay for, even if you have insurance, and you might have to take time off of work. Both of these things can make you worried about your financial situation. Looking for ways that you might be able to get any financial assistance of compensation could help you. If your injury was caused by someone else’s negligence, a slip and fall lawyer could help you get the money you deserve. You can also turn to friends and family to help you out, whether it’s by lending you money or doing something like providing childcare.

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Helpppppp!

The Emotional Effects: Being injured doesn’t always just affect you physically. It can also have an emotional effect, which can be tough to deal with. Talking to someone can be useful if you’re struggling to deal with how the injury or its effects are making you feel. That could just mean chatting with a friend or you might benefit from seeing a professional to help sort the injury woes out.

Getting Back on Your Feet: Getting back to normal can take some work after you’ve experienced an injury. This is especially true if you suffered a broken bone or even spent some time getting stronger at Pursue PT or a similar physical therapy clinic. The important thing to remember is not to rush yourself. You should make sure that you feel able to return to work or do other things before you push yourself to do it.

If physical therapy is required, it is so important to follow their advice to the letter. This includes doing the exercises they recommend at home! Going to physical therapy is only going to help you and you will want to find a well reviewed practitioner. To get started, simply enter a search for “Physical Therapy Near Me“. It is also helpful to get recommendations from friends and family too.

Suffering an injury usually has an impact on your life in some way. Recovering can take a while, but it’s essential to not let it get you down.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Jun1

Summer Skin Care

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Summer Skin Care
Hi everyone and welcome to my darling friend, Carlie’s, post for my Salute To Summer guest bloggers series! Carlie is one of my favorite gals on the planet and I’m lucky enough to be able to FaceTime with her pretty frequently. Be sure to check out Carlie’s blog at Bombshell and give it some love! I am sure that you will enjoy her pinup princess antics just as much as I do. Now, on to Carlie’s post that will teach you how to keep your skin healthy and glowing this summer:

Summer Skin Care

It’s that time of the year again, SUMMER TIME! So when one of my truly wonderful girlfriends, Sarah (lifewithlilred), asked me to be a guest blogger for her summer series, I was all for it. For my Salute To Summer blog post, I am going to talk about how to prevent your skin from getting sun burned and damaged in the hot sun. Here are some tips to help you and your skin enjoy the summer all of the better:

1. SUNSCREEN: This should be a no brainer, but you can’t believe how many people, especially where I live in Southern California, don’t bother to wear sunscreen. Not only do a lot of them opt for lounging in the sun unprotected, but they also do tanning beds (which I refuse to ever try) and spray on tans. Sunscreen is a god send for not just my fair skin but for my girl, Sarah, who has such a gorgeous porcelain skin tone, herself!

As far as sunscreens go, I prefer a SPORTS Cream with an SPF around 50, (you can never be too careful!). They last longer and the Sports ones are waterproof. Spray sunscreens are great, too, especially when you don’t have anyone to apply sunscreen on your back! Despite how convenient spray sunscreens are, just be aware that you do have to reapply them more often than Sports waterproof sun screen.

2. MAKEUP FOR SUMMER: If you feel like you need to wear makeup while on the beach, vacation, or lounging by the pool, first of all, DON’T wear a lot of makeup. It’s not a good look. I recommend a waterproof mascara, a lip stain, and also the brand, BARE MINERALS! I have talked about Bare Minerals since it first hit the market about ten or eleven years ago when they only had the Bare Minerals store – unlike now, where you can get it at many department stores. Bare Minerals is a great makeup brand, which originally had a powdered foundation, a cheek color, and a mineral veil (which gives an air brushed finished to your foundation.). The best thing about Bare Minerals, is that they all have SPF sunscreen in them without looking greasy.
I, of course, love the MATTE coverage foundation and mineral veil. Bare Minerals now has many different products, like delicate colored shadows and formulas. But, for me, I’m old-school and like the original powdered products. Another Bare Minerals bonus, besides the sunscreen in it, is that if you find your skin really dry during the warm months, they actually make hydrating foundations and powders. Plus, the coverage is fantastic. I recommend this brand for sunscreen on the face. You can even layer the foundations over a delicate swipe of regular sunscreen, let it sit for a minute, and then apply the sunscreen powdered foundation.
3. SUMMER ACCESSORIES: Whether you are at the beach or the pool, summer accessories are a must. Bring a big umbrella to cover your beautiful skin if you’re lounging on a bench with music or a good book. A big floppy hat and oversized sunglasses can also never hurt when it comes to covering up your precious skin. Oh, and of course, don’t walk out of the house without a cover up over your bathing suit!
XOXO Carlie

Thank you so much again to the gorgeous Carlie for walking us through some Summer Skin Care tips! How do you step up your skin care game in the summer? What is your preferred sunscreen brand? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun1

3 Ways Your Home Can Earn You Money (For Once!)

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3 Ways Your Home Can Earn You Money (For Once!)

Homes have always been a cost-center. Sure, there is light at the end of the tunnel, but your home will always cost you money. Mortgage payments, property taxes, utility bills, and all that end of the month stuff that makes us realize how small our pay check really is in today’s world. But what if we told you that you could turn your home from a cash-leaker to a money-maker and that you could do it right now? Oh, yeah, we’re totally serious.

The Extra Apartment: As with anything that involves your house, always check the legalities of a renovation. But, in most cases, there is nothing illegal about adding a self-contained property to your estate. It could be that you have a basement that is doing nothing but letting the heat escape from your home in the winter, in which case you should definitely look into renovating it into an apartment to rent out. If you haven’t got this option, then why not have the team from The Renovation Company take a look at your garage and see what they can do with your space. As a little bit of advice, we do recommend that you work out how much this extra self-contained property will make in rent and how much value it will add to your home, and then calculate whether the cost of renovation is worth it. However, the scales usually tip in your favor, especially if you’re clever (which you are!).

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Chez YOU!

The Rental Route: The undisputed king of disrupted technologies is Airbnb and for good reason, too. If you live in an area that is desirable or even within a short distance of some attractive spot, then you could see your home turn into a cash-catching side-earner. What do we mean by desirable? Well, being in a holiday hot spot has its benefits, but so does living close to a hospital, airport, university, popular wedding venue, or a big employer. The other great thing about going down this route is the choice. You could rent out your spare room, both of your spare rooms, or your entire house (and just go and stay with your friends for a few days). You can set the price, boundaries, rules, and the little extras you are willing to offer (yup, we mean breakfast). You could even up your fee by making a few simple home improvements. Trust us, a lot of people are making a lot of money from going down this easy-peasy route.

If you are someone who is considering renting a home or an apartment addition in a home, it is important to know your rights as a renter. Wrongful evictions can leave you in a dire situation instantly so keep up to date on the standards that are required from your landlord to follow. Should you have been wrongfully evicted, contact a Tucson eviction lawyer (or your local area) as soon as possible to help.

Of course, in some situations you might not want to go the rental route for your home and would rather sell completely. This could be if you are making a quick relocation for work or even if you inherited a home through a will. Navigating the inheritance of a home can be tricky, especially if you have no intention of living there. If this is the case for you, simply enter a search for “sell inherited house arizona” (or your local area) for some guidance. A real estate agent will be an excellent asset to you so you can have the time to grieve while they handle the sale of the house.

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I’d pay extra for that!!

The Storage Space: Not everyone is cool with the idea of sharing their home with total strangers, whether short-term or long. That’s kind of understandable. However, renting your space out for money doesn’t have to mean inviting people into your castle. You can make a steady income by renting it out as a storage space. The fact that there are now companies like Store Mates proves that there is an ever-growing demand for storage units, and that is what you could offer. It could be people wanting to store their boats or RVs over the winter, in which case your heated garage would be ideal. It could be that someone is moving house and needs to store a load of boxes, which is where your unused attic becomes a money maker. Just remember to treat your listings like any other listing. Good photos and a detailed note of any additional features will go a long way in cranking up your fee.

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Just don’t take the boat out for a test spin!

With a bit of creativity and possible renovations, your home could become your newest money maker in no time!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jun1

Ford And Fiat Battle For The Ultimate Small Summer Car

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Ford And Fiat Battle For The Ultimate Small Summer Car

Let loose the rays of ultraviolet, may the buds that sprout shoot into blossoming flowers that drench the world in their splendor, and may the sound of puppies playing and children laughing swamp the world. Summer is finally here – and about time, too. The wind, rain, and unpleasant gray clouds all have bowed to the supremacy of the sun and ran away. Times like these make you want to go on a holiday with your best friends and never come home.

Nothing can replicate the feeling of a summer vacation that’s totally in your own hands. No scheduled flights to catch, no delayed trains, no sleeping on the floor of some godforsaken terminal somewhere. Now, all you need is the perfect little car to drive you to all of the vacation hot spots. But If you’re in the market for a small car, which one should you pick? The honest answer is that there are a multitude of choices but none of them dominate the others in the field; it’s all relative. However, here are two of the totally beach ready cars that you can consider:

Dancing With Urbanity: Fiesta de resistance. Ever since Ford shrunk their Focus model and the Ford Fiesta was born, they’ve made a perfectly reliable, fun, scoot-mobile. The design is really quite unique as the car’s rear is taller than the front and has a sweeping slope angle towards the front of the car. The indented lines run from the trunk, down the side doors, and onto the top of the bonnet and into the headlights. The Fiesta is a four door car with great legroom for your friends in the back seats. It has a peppy little 1-liter Ecoboost engine which has great low-rev grunt, which makes it the obvious choice for little streets which require a decent amount of torque for quick bursts of acceleration.

Drinking and driving is a very serious issue and some people can get carried away on holiday. If you know someone who may fall prey to vaca temptation and you can see they need help, you could reward them with a road trip holiday in one of these cars after they’ve been to a place like https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/alcohol-abuse/. Nevertheless, Ford have always made strong and sturdy cars, and the little Fiesta is no different with the Euro NCAP crash tests giving it a staggering 91% protection rating for adults and similarly astonishing 86% for child protection. When you’re driving in countries you’re unfamiliar with, knowing that you’re safe behind the wheel should an accident befall you is something that travelers are understandably putting high up on their list.

Italian Magnificence: The Fiat Punto is one of the iconic cars of the latter part of the 20th century and now is a staple car for those looking at an affordable little zipping machine. Pointy, small, agile, and totally adorable – the Punto uses a 1.2 petrol engine. Italians are known for their automotive engineering and this little car is no exception. The engine has as strong block, so it will tend to rev out a lot. But most small cars are made to be loud shouty things when you really put your foot down! The style is very sleek and curvy, perfect for the voguish girl who wants to make a statement driving through town. The proportions are incredibly well sized and timed; the Punto wouldn’t look out of place driving through Monaco. And get this, it has a combined 60 miles per gallon capability; that means more miles as you navigate through the city.

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Pretty!

A vacation isn’t complete without a cool car to drive around in. And with so many new options on the table – the problem won’t be finding one but deciding on one model!

Featured Image By: Cherylholt

May31

Summer Bucket List Ideas

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Summer Bucket List Ideas

Hi everyone and welcome to day two of my Salute To Summer guest bloggers series thanks to the darling Charlotte of CharlieeStar. Charlotte is one of the most sweet as can be girls that I have had the pleasure of working with and her blog is a real treat! She is just starting out in the blogging world, so please make sure to check out her page and give it some love! In this post, Charlotte is going to provide us with some super fun Summer Bucket List Ideas, so take a look and enjoy:

Summer Bucket List Ideas

Hey guys,

After reading that Sarah (lifewithlilred) was looking for summer guest writers, I jumped at the opportunity! So before I get into my post I’d like to say a thank you to Sarah for letting me appear on here! Anyways, who am I? Well I’m Charlotte from CharlieeStar. I’m a UK blogger focusing on lifestyle, beauty, and relationship posts! Seeing as summer is just around the corner, I thought that I’d do a post on potential Summer Bucket List Ideas. Basically, these are the things that I think I would like to do this summer and I thought that you might be able to take some inspiration from them, too! I think I’ve done enough rambling now so let’s get into this!

Beach BBQs:

Luckily for me (or unluckily depending on how you look at it), I live about 15 minutes away from the beach. This means, that in the summer I have a pretty obvious area to hang out. But don’t be fooled, the beach is always mobbed by tourists. This is why the first thing on my bucket list takes place in the evening. BBQs on the beach sound so basic, but they’re such a great way to hang out with your friends and enjoy the warmer summer evenings. By the evening, the gathering tourists will be heading back inland for dinner or whatever it is that tourists do. Meaning the beach is quiet and the world feels like yours. There’s no limit to this just being a beach activity though! If you don’t live near a beach, then you could hold the BBQ in a nearby field or even in your back garden.

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Catch Up On Some Reading:

I love reading but never seem to have enough time for it! That’s why this summer I want to take some time to read. I’ll be publishing a ‘What’s on my summer reading list’ over on my blog so please feel free to follow me and look out for that if you are interested!

Star Gaze (With Haydn):

My boyfriend (Haydn) and I are a long distance couple so we don’t have endless amounts of time together, but a peaceful night under the stars together listening to music and eating snacks sounds perfect to me. If you’re not in a relationship, you could totally do this with your close friends, your dog, or even just you. Although, if like me you do live in the UK, you’ll probably need to take some blankets so you don’t get hypothermia.

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Enjoy The Area:

This probably sounds really old person like, but I want to make better use of the area I live in. I love going for walks or riding my bike, so this summer I want to do more walks around local rivers and in the countryside or take my bike out. Even on days where my friends are busy, I still want to motivate myself to actually do something with my days. Contrary to popular belief, you can have too much Netflix – trust me!

Work On My Blog:

Of course, one of the main things that I love doing is blogging! I started in January as a way to do something more productive with my spare time. I haven’t grown a ton (as I’m writing this I have just over 100 followers), but I’d really like to. Over the summer, I’ll hardly have any school work so I want to use some of my free time to learn about how to be a better blogger! (If you’ve got any tips please let me know! You can comment down below or message me on Instagram @charliestarblogs) If you haven’t got a hobby or want to put more time/effort into the ones that you do have, summer is the perfect time to work on them.

Movie Marathon:

I know that I just stated how much I love being outdoors, but I’m a ‘homely’ kinda girl at heart and a movie marathon is likely the only marathon I’ll ever complete! Either with my girls or on my own, I want to put my pajamas on, snuggle under a duvet, and binge watch a good series (TV or movies). Does this count as something to go on a bucket list? I think so!

Feel Body Confident:

This is one that I thought a lot about before putting it onto my list. I mean, it’s not something that you can do for fun in the summer but it is something that I want to feel? IDK. This summer, I want to stop worrying that my boobs are too small to wear some of the cute crop tops out there or that my back acne is gross so I shouldn’t wear low backed tops. I want to wear the clothing that I think looks cute and feel confident doing it! After all, we’re all beautiful in our own way and someone will always love the flaws that you hate.

Thank you guys for reading my little list. I think I broke a lot of the bucket list rules but that’s okay, we’ll just roll with it. These are all of the things that I want to do/achieve but what about you guys? Let me know in the comments below! Once again thanks to Sarah for letting me appear here on lifewithlilred!

*Pretend my sign off is cool*,

Charliestar xoxo

Blog: CharlieeStar

Instagram: @charliestarblogs

Thank you so much again to Charlotte for sharing her Summer Bucket List Ideas with us! What are your summer goals? How do you plan on spending your summer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah