Finance Archives - 3 Kids and Us

Money-Saving Tips for Large Families

March 19, 2022 by admin

Budgeting can be hard when you have a large family to provide for. Studies show that families are reluctant to have more than 2 children, citing finances as the biggest reason.

Here are a few money-saving tips for larger families.

Minimize Vehicles

Although having only one vehicle can sound stressful, or impossible, for parents who have to transport multiple children to events and activities on top of driving themselves to work, the money you would save on insurance, maintenance, and fuel just might be worth it.

Public transportation can save hundreds of dollars annually in comparison to fuel for cars, not to mention the elimination of the possibility of unplanned vehicle maintenance (which always seems to be necessary at the most inconvenient times). Taking public transportation or walking to work if possible can be cheaper than driving, and if you have friends whose children attend the same school or participate in the same activities as yours, arranging to carpool can be much easier than you might think. While having one vehicle might take some getting used to, it can save a ton of money.

Buy in Bulk

Investing in a Costco or Sam’s Club membership and buying groceries or other household items in bulk just might be worth it. Buying bulk amounts of non-perishable food items, beverages, and cleaning supplies or toiletries can save hundreds of dollars per year and will minimize your trips to the grocery store that put you at risk for impulse purchases.

Eat at Home

Preparing meals and eating at home is one of the simplest, yet most effective ways to save money. The average household spends hundreds of dollars each month on fast food and restaurants when the very same meals can be prepared at home for a fraction of the cost. Try meal prep services like Lean Kitchen to help you save time getting meals together, and save dining out for special occasions.

Take Advantage of Second Hand Items

Take second-hand items like clothing and home goods from friends and family who are getting rid of these things. This is easy to do if you have friends with children close to the ages of your own. Thrifting or shopping at second-hand stores is also a good way to find deals on gently used items like clothing and toys. Plus, using second-hand items is good for the environment!

Consult a Financial Advisor

If you find it too difficult to stick to your monthly budget no matter how hard you try, it might be time to enlist the help of a professional. Meet with a financial advisor to create a budget that is realistic for the family and let them determine what is and is not working, and where effective improvements to your ways of budgeting can be made. Sticking to a budget is key to saving money and alleviating financial stress!

How To Shop for An Oriental Rug

February 11, 2022 by admin

The first step in buying an oriental rug is determining what type of rug you want. Persian rugs and oriental rugs both fall under the category of oriental rugs, but there are quite a few diverse types of oriental rugs out there that vary based on colour, size, and design. To buy an oriental rug that suits your tastes and home decor, you’ll need to identify exactly what you’re looking for so you can find it easier!

Consider your space, style, and budget

The first step in shopping for any style of rug, whether it’s a traditional Persian or a country and western cow print, is considering your space, style, and budget. Do you want something bold? Something neutral? How much can you spend? The last thing you want is to walk into a local store or surf online with no idea what you’re looking for.

A glossary of terms

Knowing how to speak about an oriental area rug starts with acquiring a vocabulary of the relevant terms.

Learning these eight basic terms will give purchases the vocabulary you need to talk about a carpet like a connoisseur.

The loom

Carpet weaving starts with a loom. These can be amazingly simple in construction, as used by the weavers of nomadic tribes. Carpet weavers affix long poles to the floor at a distance apart from the desired length of the finished rug.

The warp

The warp is the yarn strung taut between the two poles of the loom.

The weft

Weavers pass weft threads cross wise through the war threads in an alternating pattern to create the basic under the carpet’s structure.

Selvage

The selvage is a strip on the lower border of the carpet “against which the weft is secured…typically, the selvage will feature decorative motifs.”

The knot

With certain exceptions, oriental carpets are made with only two knots: the Turkish, or symmetrical, knot, and the Persian, or asymmetrical, knot. These knots are generally but not exclusively associated with carpets produced in the regions they are named after.

Pile

Weavers trim the tuft ends of knots to create the oriental carpet’s pile. As rug expert Niels Larson notes, this happens “once the carpet is finished but before it is removed from the loom.”

Abrash

Abrash is many connoisseurs highly prized mottled or striped patches of a single colour for the vitality it brings to normally monotone carpets.”

Kilims

In its most basic form, a hand-woven rug, a kilim is a flat weave carpet consisting of the warp and weft, but without any knots attached. In the words of rug experts, a kilim’s “surface texture becomes increasingly delicate in direct proportion to the number of warp threads and their proximity to one another.

The fringe

When a knotted or pileless carpet is finished, warped strings at either end of the loom are cut, creating a fringe. Depending on the region where it is produced, weavers can incorporate further decorative elements into the fringe, such as knots.

Avoid salespeople who don’t know what they are talking about

Salespeople at rugs stores may not always know what they are talking about. If you go into a store and it seems like salespeople are blowing smoke, feel free to walk out. You don’t need to be talked into a $2,000 rug or pressured into buying something you don’t like. Take your time, do your research well and find what fits you best!

5 Part-Time Jobs Parents Can Do from Home

January 28, 2022 by admin

Being a parent is not only time-consuming and busy, but it’s also expensive. When your kids are growing out of their clothing like it’s their job and starting to work up larger appetites, you may feel your budget starting to stretch a little thin.

If you’re a stay-at-home parent, then you may feel helpless when it comes to contributing to your financial situation. Fortunately, there are part-time jobs you can do from home that are perfect for parents.

With most of these positions, you can choose your own hours, set your own rates, and work on your own time so you can still spend time with the kids and earn an income. What can be better than that?

Freelance Writer

Everything you read was written by someone. Everything! Those websites you find on Pinterest with a long blog post and photos before the actual recipe were written by someone. The emails you receive with coupons and store offers were also written by a writer.

One great part-time job for parents is to become a freelance writer. Whether you enjoy writing marketing materials, blog posts, ghostwriting books, or whatever it may be, there are people out there willing to pay for you to write it.

Social Media Ad Buyer

When you scroll through Facebook or Instagram, you probably notice a large number of advertisements popping up in your newsfeed. This is because a business has targeted you as someone who is likely to be interested in the product or service.

Well, someone is on the other side of that advertisement setting the target ranges, creating the video or graphic, and purchasing ad space on these websites. This can be you too!

Find a business that doesn’t have a great social media presence and offer to start their ad campaigns and manage their social pages. It only takes a few hours a week and people are willing to pay big bucks for the service as it can bring in a ton of new business.

Content Creator

Those Instagram and TikTok accounts with millions of followers are actually profiting quite a bit from creating content. If you’re interested in photography and creating videos while growing a following on social media, you could become a content creator and influencer.

Partner with some of your favorite brands to promote them and you can make some great money and receive free products.

Real Estate Agent

While this is both in and out of the home, a real estate agent actually spends most of their time on the computer or phone rather than home showings. You can choose your own hours and make an awesome income depending on the types of homes you help people buy or sell.

It’s also never been easier to work from home with a lead generation tool like the one offered by Haines for real estate agents. You’ll be gaining clients and making sales in no time.

Customer Service Representative

If you’re a problem solver and don’t mind being on the phone or chatting with someone online, then you may want to consider becoming a customer service representative for a company that allows remote work.

While you can’t always choose your own hours, this is an easy job you can do from home.

Investments To Consider When You Have One Million Dollars

January 24, 2022 by admin

A million dollars is a considerable amount of money, and if you are looking to invest this amount, there are various options available to you. You will need to consider all the options carefully and ensure you select the one you are most comfortable with and offers the least risk. When investing your money, you need to be aware that you can lose some or all of it, depending on the risk of the investment you take.

Below are some options that you may want to consider using your million dollars to invest in that offer decent returns and get your money working for you.

Investing In Property

You can decide to put your million dollars into property, and you can buy a house with your money and keep it as an investment. If you wanted, you could rent the property out to receive a monthly income from it, which can also help safeguard your investment. The property will require maintenance, and you can use the rent money you get to pay for the house’s upkeep. Keeping the house in excellent condition will help it retain and hopefully increase its value. You can see excellent returns on your investment.

Investing In Gold

Since the global pandemic, the price of gold has reached record highs, and it is an attractive investment for many people. A million dollars will get you around 12kg of gold, which is a sizeable investment. However, you will also need to consider where you will store your gold, and most options have some cost involved. When you buy from a reputable Brisbane gold bullion dealer, you can often keep your purchase with the gold dealer at a monthly cost. You can also store your investment in a safety deposit box which also has costs involved. If you decide to store your investment in your home, you will need a secure safe and suitable insurance policy to safeguard your investment. To find gold bullion dealer near, head over to Google and do a quick search.

Investing In Stocks & Shares

You can consider investing your million dollars in the stock market, but you will need to know what you are doing to keep it safe, or use the services of a reputable broker. Depending on the stocks you invest in, the stock market can be highly volatile, and there is a high chance you can lose your money in part or all of it. As such, you will want to invest in various stocks instead of putting all your eggs in one basket.

Investing In Cryptocurrency

You can also consider investing your million dollars in cryptocurrency, but this can be a highly volatile market. The price of the various cryptocurrencies is prone to big swings up and down. If you decide to invest in cryptocurrency, you may want to consider adding various ones to your investment portfolio, which is a much safer option.

If you are looking to safeguard your investment, it is often best to diversify it and spread it in different options. Having all your eggs in one basket can be devastating when your investment collapses, and you can lose everything.

4 Common Hurdles to Overcome in Global Ecommerce

July 19, 2021 by admin

Accompanying the rise in popularity of online shopping are increasing global ecommerce opportunities. Shoppers can get the latest and greatest products with just a few clicks, even if their favorite store is literally an ocean away. Brands can also pursue an omni-channel approach—offering physical stores and online-only options for shoppers near and far. It’s an exciting time for the industry.

But global ecommerce, while rewarding, is not effortless. It requires handling more moving parts to facilitate smooth, secure international sales. Here are four common global ecommerce hurdles entrepreneurs will have to overcome to be competitive in a worldwide market.

Payment

Accepting payment on an international scale is a multi-faceted challenge. How can customers pay? How does payment preference vary by location? How can you ensure secure payment regardless of endpoint device or location?

The first step is understanding the needs and wants of your target market. As CPC Strategy writes, consumers prefer different payment methods depending on what they’re accustomed to using. While over half of shoppers in Japan prefer to pay with a credit card online, 70 percent of shoppers in Germany would choose Bank Wire Transfer or Direct Debit as a payment method. Failing to offer the best payment method to customers could cause them to abandon their carts and shop elsewhere.

Global ecommerce payment innovation has progressed in leaps and bounds, and cloud based ecommerce solutions have allowed online stores to expand their range of payment options without sacrificing security. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) becomes even more important when you’re crossing borders.

Language

To sell to an international customer base, you’ll have to speak their language and a quick auto translation will do more harm than good. Take this cautionary tale courtesy of Business News Daily: When KFC opened in Beijing in the 1980s, its slogan “finger-lickin’ good” translated to “eat your fingers off.”

In addition to accurately translating your online store’s offerings, including the home page, product descriptions and your contact information; you’ll have to implement customer service channels capable of handling inquiries in different languages and time zones. Simple, accurate translation often starts with your platform itself. For example, several of Shopify’s themes come translation ready—all your team has to do is select the language.

Legalities

What may be legal to sell in your country may be illegal in another. Before you offer any products worldwide, do your due diligence—especially if you sell sensitive products. For example, some countries have strict rules regarding disclosure on nutritional labels. It’s your job to know your industry and how it relates to local laws so your ecommerce store does not accidentally land itself in hot water by violating them.

Logistics

Logistics like shipping are especially important when it comes to online sales. When a shipment arrives and is cleared by customs, a logistics company driver must then upload items they need delivering and take them to designated pickup stations or delivery addresses. Online stores must set forth a firm shipping and delivery policy so customers know exactly what to expect. According to Ecommerce Guide, here are the staples of a solid policy that aims to prevent misunderstandings and costly mistakes:

–Expected delivery timeframe (so international buyers know when to expect packages)

–Cost (while cost may be higher for global shipping, it’s better to be honest up front)

–Special shipping promotions and conditions (free after a threshold, discounted, etc.)

Global ecommerce is on track to grow immensely in the coming months and years. As you set your sights on seamless international sales, face these hurdles head on to figure out the best solution for your customers and your bottom line.