Tag: advice

by Incredible Planet Staff

Be Money Smart With Your Insurance Coverage to Save Dough


Lifestyle

Rather than be uninsured or take out minimal coverage that won’t protect you when you need it, be money smart with your automobile, home, life, and other insurance coverage. There are ways you can get maximum protection at minimal cost to you, which leaves you with extra cash to use on other things. Unless you’re an insurance agent yourself, you probably don’t know all the tricks of the trade. Here are a few that will reduce your premiums without sacrificing protection.

Seek Professional Advice

You aren’t an insurance agent, are you? No problem! A local insurance agency has the experienced staff to sit down with you and talk about – well – your life. The agent can discuss coverage options for each policy you need, and he or she can tap you into discounts offered by the carriers through the agency. That’s right. Carriers offer special discounts through agents that they don’t offer to customers who eliminate the middle person. You may realize additional savings through an agent.

Combine Policies Where You Can

Part of what the agent can help you with is combining your insurance policies where you can for added savings. Why pay for auto insurance from one company, home insurance from another, a life insurance policy from a third company, and your business insurance from yet someone else? If you add up all your premiums, you’ll be surprised how much money this costs you each month. Carriers love to cover all your needs, and they’ll offer you significant savings to do so.

Pay Your Premiums All at Once

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Those four separate payments each month are cumbersome, so combining your coverage will make life much easier when you write one check for everything. Did you know, however, that if you pay your annual premiums in one lump sum you save even more money? It might be tempting to pay throughout the year because monthly payments seem more manageable, but paying all at once frees up extra cash later that you wouldn’t otherwise have.

Don’t Go Crazy With Other Expenses

One way to curtail your insurance expenses is to control what you have to insure. You might want a Lamborghini (and who doesn’t), but do you know how much money you will spend to insure it? You might also want that top-of-line home entertainment system, but are you ready to pay the additional home coverage to protect it? The more you have to insure, the more your insurance will cost you, so don’t go bananas. Live within your means to keep your expenses down.

Find Cost-Cutters

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savings 2789112 640

Finally, certain things might reduce your insurance coverage costs because insurance companies love them. For example, a home security system complete with fire and carbon monoxide protection reduces your chances of theft, fire, or other damage, and the insurance company may reduce your home premiums. Buy your vehicles instead of leasing them to reduce your auto premiums. Discuss life insurance as part of a benefits package with your boss.

You don’t have to go to the poorhouse to get proper insurance. There are plenty of ways to insure your life and all that is in it with the coverage you need. You just need to do a little groundwork and reap its monetary benefits.


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by Shane Curran

7 Tips for Designing the Perfect Kitchen


Homes

Designing the perfect kitchen for your home requires a plan. It also entails following this plan, and at the same time, allowing for some flexibility as the need arises.

To achieve such necessary balance, it’s important to get experts to guide you along the way. With the help of trusted interior design and fit out specialists, you can implement the following best practices to help you design the perfect kitchen for your needs:

1.    Know your space

Before you begin looking at different kitchen materials, fixtures, furniture and appliances, you need to have a clear picture of and understand the space you will be working with.

If you want to have a professionally-designed cooking area, ask a kitchen or interior designer for scale drawings. With these drawings, you will see exactly how much room you have to work with and use them to plan your design.

Start creating your layout by thinking about the location of the internal and external doors and windows. By doing so, you can work on the best flow possible between your kitchen, outside space, and the rest of your house in the design.

2.    Focus on your style but allow for some eccentricities

To have the perfect kitchen, make sure this room features a flawless blend of your personal style and some unique design features. This means aiming for a brilliant, standout kitchen instead of just an average one.

Your home was created based on your own style, taste and sensibility. As such, your kitchen should relate to the rest of your home. However, it should also have a unique quality, that breath of fresh air that will make it both impressive and exceptional.

Keep in mind that playing it safe is excellent for investment properties. But to have the perfect kitchen for yourself, you have to be more creative and think outside the box.

3.    Prioritize functionality in your design

All elements of your kitchen design should have a purpose. By doing so, you can get more from your space and every feature or fixture that you will have installed.

When designing your kitchen, you don’t want it to just look incredible. It has to be practical and ergonomic, too. You, therefore, need to have a layout that is aesthetically appealing and works efficiently at the same time.

4.    Select materials carefully

To get more from your investment in your new kitchen, pick durable materials that last long and need little maintenance.

Marble can really look great for your sink and kitchen top. However, it is porous, absorbs stains, and requires substantial maintenance. Stainless steel looks magnificent as well but it scratches easily, too.

If you are having a hard time selecting the right materials, take a cue from the best designers from interior companies in Dubai: they employ a user-first approach. For your own kitchen, think about your and your family’s needs and lifestyle first, and work with your kitchen design specialist using that information.

5.    Don’t forget storage

The kitchen is one of the areas in your home where you will store a lot of items. As such, make sure it has the right number of storage units.

The good news is there are different types of storage solutions you can choose from. These include kitchen cabinets, shelves, pantries and even built-in drawers in the kitchen island.

6.    Consider appliances you want to have in your kitchen

Knowing the different types and number of appliances you plan on putting in your new kitchen will help you come up with the perfect layout. It is best to list all of them down so you have a good idea of where to place each one so they don’t clash with the design and enhance kitchen functionality.

If you will be buying new appliances, remember that you don’t always have to pick the most expensive ones. However, it is best to choose well-known brands as they usually come with a warranty, and you won’t have to worry about finding spare parts and experts to repair them in case they break down unexpectedly.

7.   Integrate the most suitable garbage solution

Finally, don’t forget the nitty-gritty daily needs of your kitchen space. This refers to the area or fixtures where you plan on storing your garbage.

A smart and convenient idea for kitchen garbage storage is to place pull out bins under the sink. If you have more space and need something larger, you can add a full-length pull out bin. Whatever you choose, keep in mind that the best place to keep a bin or a garbage receptacle is near the sink.

Even if there are more available resources today, designing the perfect kitchen is still a challenging task. It is always best to get help from professional designers so you get the end result you are looking for without wasting time, effort and money.

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by Incredible Planet Staff

Tips To Help Get Through a Divorce


People

Going through a divorce is a really tough time in anyone’s life regardless of the circumstance. It signals the end of an era for those involved and results in significant changes in life, many of which had not and cannot be anticipated. Separating from a partner is a period of loss in many ways and it can be difficult to deal with.

It is important that the correct support structures and processes are put in place right from the start beginning with the decision to separate. Family and friends will be there to provide ongoing emotional and physical support, however the legal matters will also need to be dealt with accordingly.

Hiring one of the best divorce lawyers in Sydney is a great step towards ensuring that the settlement is fair and representative of those involved.

There are two important steps in order to best overcome the challenges faced with a divorce; dealing with things on an emotional level and getting the legal side of things right. This manages to deal with the tangible and intangible factors that arise throughout this tough period and help to maintain a stable environment for the individual and those around them.

Dealing with things emotionally

The emotion of the separation is likely to be pretty hard hitting, especially if it has been a long relationship and even more so when children are involved. As is often the case, family and friends are going to be extremely willing to offer support in such a difficult time.

However, the important thing to identify is that this period is about you and making your life better. As a result it is important to focus mostly on yourself.

Patience is the first step to maintaining sanity. Regardless of the quality of attorney and experience with change and overcoming challenges, it is going to take time for the divorce to be settled and to get over the emotional rollercoaster that it is. Accepting the hurt and sadness associated is important and there is no set time as to when anyone will get over this.

The next part is focusing on what can be controlled. A part of this comes down to hiring any of the best divorce lawyers in Sydney so that the legal side of things is under control and it then becomes about the individual and potentially the children. A continuing love for the children will help to take the mind off other things whilst it provides a great outlet of stress as it is a fun and joyful thing to be a part of.

Regardless, focusing on one’s self is the most important and controlling emotion, activity and decisions alone is a critical step. Taking back the freedom of personal decisions, without the need for compromise or consultation, should be viewed as a positive throughout this time.

Finally, surround yourself with people who are fully supportive of the situation and can empathise and sympathise with you. It is a challenging time and instilling the right support network is critical to maintaining sanity and being able to move on and recover as quickly as possible.

Getting the right lawyer

Identifying the right lawyer in such a stressful time can sometimes be a challenge. However, there are a few simple things that should be looked out for when choosing the divorce attorney that is going to represent you.

The first thing is clear communication. The chosen attorney must be willing to lay down the facts as they are and not be afraid to explain all of the proceedings of the case. Having a clear understanding of the situation can be reassuring for those separating from a long term partner.

Additionally, constant communication that reassures, sympathises and empathises with the client makes for a better relationship and will likely improve two-way communication leading to a better outcome.

This leads into the next point about be a personable solicitor. In order to achieve success in the court room, having a good relationship with your lawyer is important.

The attorney needs to completely understand the situation, and even though it is their responsibility to take the lead, not holding anything back aids them in completing the job to the best of their ability. Forming more than a standard working relationship with the solicitor will help to improve the potential outcome of the case.

Lastly, one of divorce lawyers in Sydney will have extensive experience in divorce cases. Selecting a solicitor with this specific expertise will go a long way to achieving a successful outcome.

Additionally, it is likely to improve the clients experience as the attorney will be more competent at dealing with the information and best structuring the case. An experienced solicitor will be able to best handle the case and articulate the circumstances as they change.

Getting through a divorce is without doubt an incredible challenging experience. Taking the correct steps to build a solid support structure is critical to helping you maintain a sane mind and reducing stress levels. Hiring a trusted and well experienced attorney is also great in boosting confidence and taking away one area of responsibility so that it is easier to focus on yourself.