3 Kids and Us

The Best Ways to Increase your Credit

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Credit is one of the trickiest facets of the modern world. It is the cause of much pain, anxiety, and stress. If you have been struggling with debt and have a bad credit score, you aren’t out of luck. There are many ways to raise your credit and work towards financial health. It is important to keep this goal in mind if you currently have a bad score. Some of the methods to raise your credit may seem counterintuitive. Credit is the process of showing you are good to borrow money. When you prove you are trustworthy with funds, you’ll have the opportunity to raise your score and improve your overall financial standing.

Join a Credit Union

If you have an in at a credit union, you should most definitely utilize this ability. While it may scare you to apply for a credit card, if you have the chance to get a credit union credit card, it can really help you improve your score. Not only do credit unions have better interest rates, they do not punish you for paying what you owe back early. Credit unions are much more manageable when it comes to borrowing. If you have the opportunity to raise your credit score using a credit union, you should take advantage of it. Just make sure to pay everything off immediately and your score will go up in time.

Consolidate your Debt

Another way to increase your score and get rid of money you owe is to consolidate debt. When you owe multiple creditors money, putting these into one place will give you a monthly payment you can handle. This is vital because you want to get a hold on what you owe and stick to the payments, but it is crucial to pay more than the minimum. Working with a debt consolidator will help you understand what you should pay before you consolidate what you owe and how much you need to pay every month to get this off your back. There are many debt consolidation options. If you owe multiple entities money, take the next step by consolidating it and giving yourself a chance to pay debt back.

Lease a Car

If your credit isn’t great but you can be approved for a car lease, it might be a good way to increase your score and kill two birds with one stone. When you need a car but can’t afford to buy a new one, leasing is an option if you get approved. This applies to people who have a good score but want to increase it. When you have the ability to lease a car, you should make payments on time and never pay the minimum if you can avoid it. Always pay off what you can and you’ll watch your credit score go up. When you are able to get approved for loans, you will have the chance to use it to your advantage.

Save Save Save

When you are trying to bring up your credit score, it is important to have money in the bank. You won’t be able to pay off debts if you don’t have a solid foundation to pull from. It’s so crucial to keep up with payments and always avoid the minimum. However, this is very difficult if you don’t have some money to use. Living paycheck to paycheck makes it nearly impossible to get rid of debt. That’s why it is so important to save money. Don’t give in to the impulse to make yourself feel better in the moment. It won’t help anything. Every time you want to spend money on something you don’t need, just think that it will help you get out from under your debt and raise your credit score that much faster.

Getting rid of debt and raising your credit score is not often easy. It can sometimes feel impossible. The most important thing is that you have money saved up and more coming in. Then you will be able to look towards the future and utilize your money to pay off debts and increase your credit score by taking on new ones as you can. It’s a complicated modern world when it comes to credit, but you can do this. You can get out of the hole that is a low credit score.

How to Encourage Your Kids to Eat Healthily

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A healthy and nutritious diet is essential for everyone, and particularly for children as they grow. However, as many parents know, it can often be a bit of a challenge to encourage them to enjoy eating well and can lead to fussy eating habits as well as plenty of meltdowns at mealtimes. There are some simple ways to introduce healthier foods into your children’s meals, so read on to find out more about them.

Have meals together as a family

Eating together as a family can be a wonderful way of spending quality time together, as well as encouraging better eating habits. While many of our lifestyles have gotten busier and more complex, making time to enjoy at least one meal together every day is a good start to make a healthy diet part of the family lifestyle.

Use family mealtimes to model good eating habits by having a variety of ‘safe’ and more novel foods in the mix, allowing children to try a little of everything for themselves, without pressure to eat anything specifically. Meal times are a great time to relax and have a conversation about what has been happening in everyone’s lives, and this can also reduce stress overeating unfamiliar foods.

Have a mix of healthy snacks and treats available

While eating a high amount of sugary, processed, or high-fat foods is certainly unhealthy for anyone, especially kids, this does not mean that they need to be eradicated or demonized entirely. In fact, this can often be counter-productive by making certain forbidden foods more alluring, especially as children get older and are able to access snacks at school and other places.

Instead, encourage a healthy approach to enjoying treats in moderation by mixing up a few treat items with more healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetable pieces. Children’s gummy vitamins are also a fun way of adding a nutritional boost to their daily diet in a fun and enjoyable form.

Get kids involved with food preparation

Helping children to feel more engaged and connected with the food on their plate is a great way of encouraging a healthier approach to eating habits, as it can be empowering to see and understand where their food comes from. You can get children involved with their food in several ways, such as encouraging them to pick a new item from the produce section to add to dinner. This can be a fun way to experiment with flavors and textures as well as making healthy foods seem less daunting.

Allowing children to get involved in the kitchen during meal preparation is also a fun way of helping them to learn more about food. Giving simple tasks, such as mixing a salad, chopping vegetables, or sampling a home-made dressing, can help them learn more about what goes into their food, as well as helping them feel more independent. Don’t worry about making messes – this is an inevitable part of having kids in the kitchen!

Managing the Family Budget

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All parents need to organize the family’s finances, and sticking to a budget can be tricky. There are always some unforeseen expenses, whether it’s that the kids need something for school or you need emergency home repairs. While you can’t avoid these bumps in the road, sticking to the budget the best you can for the rest of the time is what will help you feel a little less concerned about your finances. Below are a few tips if you’re trying to figure out your family’s budget and how you can save even more.

Save for Christmas

As the holidays are just around the corner, it seems like they’re worth a mention, especially as this can be one of the most expensive times of the year for people. Getting involved in the festivities is part of the fun around Christmas, but if you are trying to stick to a budget seeing the funds deplete from your bank account is only stressful. To make things a bit easier and to allow you to enjoy the jolly season, open a separate saving account for Christmas or whichever holiday you celebrate, and put in a little bit each month from the start of the year. You could also do this for your family’s summer vacations too.

Meal Plan

Life is very busy, especially if you’re trying to balance a career with raising a family. Sometimes it feels as though you don’t get a moment to yourself, which is why a lot of people might end up going to the grocery store and picking up random things for dinner while they’re in a rush, or ordering take out. To avoid wasting food and to help you stick to your budget, take the time to plan your family meals before you go grocery shopping and only buy the items on your list. This will also help you to keep your family eating balanced meals throughout the week.

Use Coupons

If you’re trying to make some cutbacks on your spending but aren’t sure where you can, think about finding some coupons or taking advantage of discounts at the stores you like. They’re easy to find online and could end up saving you a lot of money; some even offer cashback promotions, which is even better. You can even make more money if you use this RobinHood gift card and invest.

Sell Old Stuff

Do you have things lying around in the house that are in good condition but you never use? Things like kids’ toys that are no longer played with clothes, electronic devices, etc. If you want to make some extra cash to help with your family saving plan, consider selling some of your unwanted possessions online. It’ll also help you declutter your home, so it’s a win/win situation.

Life can get expensive very quickly, and when you have a family to support, this only adds to the financial pressures. However, using some of these simple tips could help you manage the family budget a little easier and hopefully help you save up for the big things in life.

Eyelash extension – all your questions answered

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The realisation that eyes truly are the window of the soul and taking care of what your eyes look like has an impact is not new. There is a lot of history behind enhancing the beauty and appeal of your eyes and their lashes. It will surprise most people to know that methods of elongating lashes were much sought after and written about as far back as the 1800’s. False eye lashes got a huge boost in the 1930’s when the influential Vogue magazine featured them, thus giving them fashions official seal of approval.

Materials science has come a long way since the early resin based false eyelashes of the 1960’s which, by today’s standards, were extremely limited in the options they gave for different looks. Standard practice was to always add one false or extension lash for each single original lash. Nowadays, of course, you have more options available. Many of the styles and designs focus on giving more volume to the lash, sometimes fanning out in different shapes and configurations. The application of lash extensions has become much more of an artform.

As the industry has developed and become more complex and demanding it has needed much more specialised skills and training to really do justice to an extension. Many technicians and practitioners are now members of various guilds such as the Guild of Beauty Therapists and the activities are overseen by regulatory bodies making sure that standards are met. There is intense competition as well with the top skilled in the industry vying for recognition and prestigious awards. Designer Lashes of London has been recognised at the Lash Festival and is a former winner of Eyelash Technician of the Year.

Before getting their first lash extensions there are several common questions and misunderstandings people have that are easily cleared up.

Firstly, getting your extensions applied does not hurt. In fact, it can even be a soothing and therapeutic experience being gently pampered.

Modern eyelash extensions correctly applied do not damage your original lashes. They are usually gently, semi-permanently glued on top of your own eyelashes one by one. They usually last for several weeks before starting to fall off and requiring a retouch. There are some standard tips and suggestions for looking after them to help the effect last.

Although you can shower with your new lashes it is best to wait till 24 hours after the application. Also avoid mascara that is waterproof, or oil based as the chemicals used can dissolve the glue that bonds the lashes on. You can even swim with your lashes on should you so desire.

Do not pick at your lashes or rub them overly. This is never a good idea. Do take extra care and be gentle when removing eye make up in the evening.

Your beauty therapist will have more care tips for you to help maintain the look that you have chosen. When it comes to that look as mentioned there are a whole host of styles but it is generally best to have a talk with the professionals about what would look best for you since there is a dizzying range of choices, you can even go for a completely custom look that is all just you. Whatever style you do wind up for the first one eyelash extensions add another powerful option to your repertoire.

4 Smart Spending Habits to Develop ASAP

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When people talk about making smart financial decisions, they almost always discuss money-saving tactics. Of course, finding ways to cut back or cut down on expenditures can make it easier for a person to manage their debt and pay off bills. However, the reality is that developing smart spending habits can prove just as beneficial. Indeed, learning how to be a savvy consumer can do wonders for your long-term financial stability. With that in mind, today we’ll explore four smart spending habits that everyone should work to build right away. Check them out here:

Stay Patient

Have you ever felt compelled to make a purchase? Or have you ever bought something on a whim and then regretted it later? If so, then know  that you’re not alone. While impulse buying is fairly common, it is nevertheless a bad practice –– particularly for people on a tight budget. Given that fact, it’s important for all consumers to exercise patience when considering their purchase options. Give yourself at least a few days to review serious purchases and never rush to buy a product or service you don’t need.

Engage with Businesses

Modern businesses value customers that reach out and engage with them. In fact, they value customer interactions so much that they may be willing to pass along discounts or special offers to consumers who communicate with them. For example, pharmacy customers might be able to earn discounts simply by filling out a survey about their last shopping experience. If you’re looking for a good deal, don’t be afraid to speak directly with local businesses.

Become Brand Blind

Attachment to a certain brand could end up costing you hundreds –– or even thousands –– of dollars in unnecessary upcharges over a long period of time. Whenever possible, ignore brand names and advertising messages and compare products and services in an objective fashion. Often, you’ll find that the “name brand” is overpriced or over-hyped.

Maximize Positive Impact

Believe it or not, your spending power can go a long way. That is, provided you know how to stretch it. Whenever you’re making a purchase decision, be sure to consider how you can get the best bang for your buck. For instance, purchasing a piece of equipment might cost more than renting it. However, if you use that product on a regular basis, purchasing it will end up costing you less than renting it again and again. What’s more, consider how your purchases will affect others. Don’t ever forget that even a small act of charity can make all the difference for someone else. Keep that vital money lesson in mind the next time you’re faced with a choice of how to spend your hard-earned capital.

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We left our home in Sydney, Australia many moons ago in May 2012 and, other than a brief stint back in Perth for Christmas and a wedding in early 2014, we have been travelling the world nomadically ever since, running a business from our laptops and we’re here to show you how to do it!