How to Maximize Income and Minimize Taxes in Retirement
By carefully managing your withdrawals, you can keep more money in your pocket in retirement.
Best Tips for Shopping at the Grocery Store on a Budget
Itâs no secret that you can be healthy on a budget, but the real secret lies in how you can stay healthy and on budget. Just like adapting to a new diet, staying on budget is all about behavior change. …
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The post Best Tips for Shopping at the Grocery Store on a Budget appeared first on MintLife Blog.
Is 65 Still a Good Retirement Age?
For almost a century, 65 has been seen as the age at which people retire in America. This is largely due to the original Social Security Act of 1935, which set the minimum age for full retirement benefits at 65, and since then, 65 has seemed like the magic number for retirement. Does that age […]
The post Is 65 Still a Good Retirement Age? appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
13 Cold Weather Tips and Tricks
Indoors
Take vanilla out of the kitchen
When it’s too cold to open the windows, freshen your whole house fast by placing a few drops of vanilla extract on your furnace’s filter. Your house’s heating system will do the rest of the work for you. To scent one particular area, take a small jar and place several cotton balls inside. Dab a few drops of vanilla extract onto the cotton balls. Before putting the cover on the jar, use a nail to puncture a few holes into it for your very own vanilla air freshener.
Make it spicy
To easily deodorize your kitchen, put a cinnamon stick and other favorite spices (such as cloves or ginger) in a mug of water, and microwave it for 2 minutes. Remove the mug and set it on the counter so that the aroma can fill the kitchen. This trick is great for winter, when the scent of the spices will create a warm, cozy atmosphere.
Seal the door
Have a sliding glass door that’s rarely used during the winter? Seal it with duct tape to keep cold air from coming in.
SEE ALSO: Domestic CEO's How to Make Your Home (and Everything in it) Smell Good
Outdoors
Winterize deck furniture
To keep your metal deck furniture free from rust and wear all winter long, reach for the petroleum jelly Just apply a thin layer (especially in areas where the furniture tends to rust) after cleaning the surface with simple soap and water.
Ease painful pads on pets
Many dogs love to play outside in the snow, but their paws can cause them pain if ice starts to build up between their pads. Before heading out for a winter walk, rub some petroleum jelly between each pad. The ice will stay away and your dog can enjoy the outdoors! If your poor pet’s pads are already cracked or dry, gently rub a little petroleum jelly into her pads while she’s sleeping.
Petroleum jelly is completely safe if your pet decides she wants to lick it off later.
Spray on a little D-fense.
Spray WD-40 in the lining of car doors. Doing this once in the beginning of the winter should keep your doors opening easily.
Baby powder to the rescue
Use baby powder or baking soda to absorb the moisture that collects on the rubber seal lining of your car door. Just wipe the weather strip with a dry cloth before sprinkling on the powder. Repeat every few days in the dead of winter to make sure you can always get into your car.
RELATED: Who Knew's 7 Car Hacks for Winter Weather
Easy undercarriage cleaning
Don’t forget to clean under your car, especially if you live in an area where salt and ice assault in winter.
A trick for these hard-to-reach areas: Run a lawn sprinkler underneath the car and drive back and forth.
Block the lock
To keep your car’s door locks safe from ice during the cold winter months, place a refrigerator magnet over the lock. You can even take an old magnet (last year’s calendar from a local realtor, perhaps) and cut it into pieces that fit perfectly.
Personal Care
Brush to better lips
For lips that need a little extra TLC, especially in the winter, try this effective scrub. Mix together 2 teaspoons baking soda with enough lemon juice to make a paste. Gently scrub the mixture over your lips with a dry toothbrush for a minute or two, then rinse, and apply some petroleum jelly or your favorite lip balm.
Go crazy for cranberry
For a seasonal solution to chapped winter lips—and a great DIY gift idea for the holidays—try this cranberry lip balm! In a microwave-safe bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon avocado or almond oil, 10 fresh cranberries, 1 teaspoon honey, and 1 drop vitamin E oil (from a capsule). Microwave on high until the mixture begins to boil. Remove carefully as the bowl may be hot. Mash the berries with a fork and stir well to combine. After the mixture has cooled for 10 minutes, strain it into a small portable tin, making sure to remove all of the fruit pieces. Cool completely. You’ve made your own great-smelling lip balm!
Sweater cryogenics
If your favorite cashmere or angora sweater is looking a little worn, put it in a plastic bag and place it in the freezer for half an hour. The cold causes the fibers to expand, making your sweater look new again! Who knew there was such a thing as sweater cryogenics?
JUST FOR FUN: Savvy Psychologist's How to Harness Light to Defeat Winter Blues
Your warmest boots
Make your winter boots a little warmer—and make sure they’re completely waterproof—by lining the bottom of the insides with duct tape. The tape will create a waterproof seal, and the shiny silver will reflect your body heat back onto your feet.
3 Ways to Change Your Relationship with Money
Most people have a love-hate relationship with money. When youâve got cash to spend, you feel fantastic. You can do whatever you want, go wherever you like, and thereâs no worries in your mind. However, when your cash flow starts to dwindle, your entire outlook suddenly goes sour. The high of having cash can mean […]
3 Ways to Change Your Relationship with Money is a post from Pocket Your Dollars.
10 Crucial Steps To Getting Out of Debt
The post 10 Crucial Steps To Getting Out of Debt appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.
In 2017, the average American consumer debt rose around 8%. That results in the average American owing more than $15,000 in credit card debt. Holy smokes!! Why so much debt?  While some are the result of medical debt and the need to cover living expenses due to a layoff, the majority is due to financing … Read More about 10 Crucial Steps To Getting Out of Debt
The post 10 Crucial Steps To Getting Out of Debt appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.
How Long Before a Creditor Can Garnish Wages? – Lexington Law
Habits of The 800 Club â The Path to Perfect Credit
What do you know about the 800 Club? Find out exactly what the 800 Club is, the benefits club members get and what you can do to become a member yourself.