January 2018 - WiseDollar

Archive for January 2018

4 Times to Hire Instead of DIYing Home Improvements

January 31, 2018 Wise Dollar Lifestyle No comments

Handing home improvement or repair projects on a DIY basis is a great way to save money. You obviously get to avoid the cost of hiring a contractor. Plus, you also may happen to enjoy doing this kind of work. If you have the tools and skills necessary, doing DIY work is a great option.

It is not, however, always the best choice. In some situations, you will be better off paying a professional for his or her time, as opposed to taking on the job yourself. Before you get started on any DIY project, it is always smart to think it through and decide whether or not it would be better left to a professional.

The list below contains four situations where you would likely be better off hiring a contractor.

1. When Dealing with A Big Job

Even if you have the necessary tools and skills to complete a big job, you probably don?t have the time available in your schedule. Between a full-time job and other responsibilities, when are you going to make time for the task at hand? It just may not be feasible. This is a common experience for those who work on DIY projects. With the best intentions, they get started ? only to find the job is going to take way too long to actually finish.

2. When Dealing with A Dangerous Job

You never want to get in over your head when doing a DIY job, and that is especially true if there is danger involved. Two of the common dangers you could be exposed to around the house are electricity and heights.

It is always best to turn the work over to a licensed electrician when power is involved. Making a mistake on such a job could be extremely dangerous. Likewise, going high up on your roof without the right equipment is a fool?s errand.

Always play it safe. Spend the money necessary to hire someone who is experienced and qualified to do the job safely.

3. When Dealing with A Tight Timeline

Some of your projects around the house may need to be done in a hurry, such as a job that must be finished before cold winter weather arrives. If you are on a timeline, and you aren?t sure that you can meet such a timeline on your own, consider hiring the work out. This way you can get it done promptly.

4. When You Need Skilled Finishes

The exposed finishes of your house need to look nice if you are going to love the visual appeal of your home. Of course, you might not have the experience or talent necessary to achieve such beautiful finishes.

When working on these kinds of projects, consider hiring out to bring in the talent and skill of a craftsman. It may be possible in these situations to do some of the ?behind-the-scenes? work yourself before having a pro finish it off.

Home improvement projects can be a lot of work. But, you’ll be so much happier with the final product when you hire help in these instances.

Do you DIY your projects or hire help? How do you decide when to do each?

Photo courtesy of: dandusha

3 Ways to Help Family Members Invest

January 29, 2018 Wise Dollar Investing No comments

When it comes to investing, some of us are simply better at it than others. Figuring out which companies or organizations you want to put your money into and knowing how much risk to take, is no easy task.

This is especially the case if your background in investing is slim to none.

That being said, if you’re someone who just so happens to be a savvy investor, you might find family and friends flocking to you for advice. While you might be happy to help, taking someone else’s money in your own hands is a heady thing, and might be more responsibility than you want.

Instead of taking the reins solo, consider trying to help family members invest in these three ways.

1. Give the Gift of Stock

There may be risks you’re willing to take with your own money, but not necessarily ones you want to take with some else’s income. So, instead of actually doing investing your family members’ money, why not gift your family members stock?

Help them get started by giving them Stockpile gift cards as presents, which requires no money from them. This way, they can get their start in investing without actually putting forth their own money. Plus, it’s easier than actually investing their money since it won’t require you to acquire all their personal information.

You can also give Stockpile gift cards to children under 18 to help family members invest from a young age.

2. Help Them Strategize

Investing has a lot to do with strategy and diversification. However, if you’re new to the game, knowing how much money to put in certain stocks vs. others, or knowing how much money to risk vs. how much to play safe, can just get confusing.

As someone who knows the world of investing though, you can help your family members come up with a strategy to do just that. Assist them in coming up with a plan for how much of their total income they’ll invest and help them find stocks they think are worth investing in, then together you can decided what to risk or not risk.

3. Assist Them as an Experienced Investor

Like helping them create a strategy, the best thing you can do when helping your family members invest, is to be their investment resource. As a seasoned veteran, you can help them learn the ins and outs and assist them in understanding the terms and ideas they might not be aware of yet.

Show them how to look up their stocks and view their portfolios. Help them figure out how to do a trade. Or, show them where they can find all the business, financial and investment resources and information they might need.

In other words, simply help them get acquainted with a world that might not be known to them.

Dealing with other people’s money, even those closest to you, can feel like a lot of responsibility. After all, you’d hate to leave someone in a bind because of something you invested them in.

You don’t have to actually do the investing for them to help. Instead, follow these three tips and find ways to assist them and get them started on their own investment path.

What are some investment resources you’ve found helpful for beginners? Have you done anything to help family members invest?

Photo courtesy of: rawpixel

5 Reasons to Let the Experts at Terminix Inspect Your Home for Pests

January 25, 2018 Wise Dollar Real Estate No comments

Many pests can cause damage to your home or pose a risk to your health. However, not all pest infestations are obvious to the untrained eye.

This is where the trained professional at Terminix can help secure your home from pests. Here are five reasons to consider calling the professionals at Terminix to inspect your home:

1. You Just Moved In

Just because the previous owners moved out doesn?t mean that the pests followed.

If you are just moving into a property, you should make sure that the property has been inspected for pests by a?pest services?professional. If you are still negotiating, you can suggest Terminix to the seller so that you are sure that your new property has had pests removed before you invest.

Or, if you didn?t discover the pests before?closing on your new home, you can arrange for a pest control plan and have pests out before you get settled in.

2. Bites

If you notice mysterious bites showing up on your body, it may be time to schedule a bed bug inspection. Itchy insect bites may be mosquitoes or may be bed bugs. On a rare occasion, it may be fleas or ticks, those these parasites typically prefer animals to humans as a food source.

While mosquitos are easy to see, a bed bug infestation is nearly impossible to spot in the early stages. Fortunately, Terminix professionals are trained in performing?bed bug inspections?and can spot and eliminate the bugs early.

If they aren?t caught early, it can be a long process to rid yourself of bed bugs. Most DIY solutions don?t work against these insects, so hiring a professional is key to get rid of these pests.

3. Strange Noises

If you are hearing strange noises around your home, you should call for a wildlife inspection before you call the Ghostbusters. An unprotected house can become a nest for a variety of animals, including birds, squirrels, and raccoons. All of these can sound pretty creepy in the middle of the night.

What’s worse, they can also cause damage to your home if left unchecked. They may create nests in your attic or insulation and?cause further damage?to your home that will be expensive to repair.

4. Holes

If you are finding holes in your wood, it could be a sign of ants or termites. Termite infestations pose a risk to your home?s structure, which is why you should investigate as soon as possible. Interior wood structures are expensive to repair, so it?s best to move quickly and call termite professionals to come and inspect right away if you suspect termites.

5. New Endemic Pest

If you know that a new pest has just moved into your area, you should promptly call for a pest inspection to make sure that the pest hasn?t already taken up residence in your home. As climates change over time and new animals are introduced into different habitats, new pests will follow.

Whatever your reasons for calling, Terminix can help ensure that your home is protected. This will bring you and your family peace of mind.

Have you ever had a pest problem? What did you do?

Photo courtesy of: Skitterphoto

Getting the Most from Your HR Team

January 24, 2018 Wise Dollar Business No comments

Behind any happy workforce there is a dedicated HR team checking that everything is running as it should be. As well as managing all of the crucial logistical elements, such as creating contracts and running payroll, this department also has the important duty of being the support system for each individual with the wider team.

Any business, big or small, needs to ensure that only the right people for this job are being hired. To guarantee that you will find the best of the best it is well worth looking at HR Executive Recruiters, who are dedicated to matching the first-class candidates in their network with the roles which are perfect for them.

Save Time and Money

Overall, getting outside help will save time and money. Recruiters have a wide network of high-class and trusted candidates to choose from to fill open roles. They will also be able to offer advice on which roles are necessary for a successful HR team and provide best interview practices to find the essential qualities in prospective candidates.

This help is invaluable to new start-up businesses and established companies alike. It is sometimes advised to outsource the HR department, as this can save even more money, however overall it is crucial this team remain in-house so that a strong working relationship is formed.

Building Success

As the foundation of a strong business structure, there are many factors that should be considered when building a successful HR department. For many years workforces have been referred to as ?cogs in a wheel.?

It?s true that businesses can?t run smoothly without their staff. However, humans are not machines. Thus, with them come many different emotions than can affect the workplace. Any human resources department needs to ensure that everyone feels respected and appreciated throughout their day-to-day working life.

They will provide a better understanding to business owners on the importance of maintaining a high standard of benefits for their staff. In turn, their still will also perform their duties better.

The Importance of HR

It is important to keep in mind that they are the first representatives for your company. They are the first ones that prospective new staff will come in to contact with. So, they need to make a good first impression and entice people to want to work for you.

They will ensure that there isn’t a constant turn-around of staff. This can be detrimental, especially for small businesses. This is because people don’t have the desire and appreciation for what you do as much as you do. Make sure you get the most from your human resources team and remember there are many more benefits to having a strong one, which will form the backbone of your business and enable it to survive.

HR has more more functions and much more importance than some people realize. That’s why it’s important to consider how to handle the HR department in your business before any issues arise.

Do you handle your HR in-house, or do you hire it out? Why did you decide to do that for your business?

Photo courtesy of: 089photoshootings

3 Ways to Make Flying with Children as Easy as Possible

January 24, 2018 Wise Dollar Travel No comments

Air travel is a great way to save time when getting to your destination, but there are certain drawbacks that come with the experience.

For instance, you may have to pay extra to bring along all the luggage you would like to have with you, and the time spent getting through security and waiting out delays can negate some of the time saved by flying in the first place.

Another potential issue with air travel is taking your kids along for the journey. Depending on the age and personality of your kids, flying might be a stressful experience.

Fortunately, it doesn?t have to be. By preparing yourself, and your family, properly, you should be able to make your flight an uneventful, and even enjoyable, experience.

Let?s look at three ways you can make flying with your children a stress-free occasion.

1. Make Them Feel Comfortable

If this will be the first time on an airplane for your child, you want to do everything you can to make them as comfortable as possible. This will be a new, and possibly intimidating, experience, so bring them some comforts from home to make things easier.

For a small child, it could be something as simple as a stuffed animal which they can hold onto during the flight. For an older child, you might allow them to play a handheld video game or listen to their favorite music.

By bringing some normal events and items to the experience of flying, it may not seem so intimidating.

2. Avoid Having to Rush

Getting through the airport with both your kids and your luggage in tow can be challenging ? especially in a big city with a large, crowded airport. More than any other time, this is the occasion to be on time and organized.

Don?t let yourself get behind the clock and in a position where you have to rush to make your flight. Get to the airport with plenty of time to spare so you can check in at a comfortable pace.

Once you are settled in by the gate, you can give the kids some entertainment and sit back to relax for a bit before boarding the plane.

3. Be Smart About Flight Times

For small children, an especially long flight could be a challenge. When picking your destination, do your best to keep flight times modest so your children can have fun on the journey.

Unless you are traveling to visit family ? in which case you won?t be able to control the destination ? think about picking places which are reasonably close to home. Flying for a couple hours as opposed to several hours can be a big difference in the mind of a child.

If you do have to cover thousands of miles to get to your final destination, consider breaking up the trip with a couple of shorter flights, when possible.

Flying with children can be an extra challenge on top of an already stressful situation, but using these tips can help make it at least a little easier on all of you.

Have you ever flown with children? How do you make flying with children as easy as possible?

Photo courtesy of: silverstylus

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