All posts by Tia

Saving Money on a New Car

Saving Money on a New Car

When you need a new car, it’s often going to come at the wrong time. Unless you are actively saving for a car, you’ve met your savings goal, and you’re heading out to a dealership to buy one, having to buy a new car is never fun. In this car industry right now. There are plenty of things to consider when it comes to actually buying one. 

Read: TIPS ON BUYING YOUR CHILD THEIR FIRST CAR

Not only do you have to think of the economy of the car itself, but what you are using it for and how you can save money on it. Sure, you can make this the time that you get your first car loan and go on finance for a car, but if you’re looking to save money, you might choose to save up and pay in cash. There are options available to you if you need a new car, and getting you back on the road should be your priority. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at some ways that you can save money on your new car.

Image source: Pexels

  1. You might have to wait for it. Not just because of your budget, but because the car you want may not be ready to be shipped to your particular country. If you’re buying a car that is brand new and has only been created in a factory, then yes, you will definitely have to wait, but otherwise, you should be able to. Wait for the car that you want because of your budget. 
  2. Ask for a discount. Your dealer may not be inclined to give you one, but there’s no harm in asking, right? If you want to save money on a new car, then you need to see if you could ask about savings you can make or a percentage you can take off. If you are trading in your old car as a part exchange, this will actually be favorable for you to save money.
  3. Visit more than one dealership. Have you seen the car that you want? One dealership doesn’t mean that you won’t find it in others. Make sure that you are visiting more than one dealer and you’ll be able to see whether you can get the car that you want cheaper than you think. Price the same car in different places and see if you can play them off against each other. Tell one dealership that you’ve seen it cheaper elsewhere and they may be able to match that cost and say you’ll come back and then do the same thing at the next dealership to see whether you can get that car cost down.
  4. Trade where you can. If you want to save money on your car purchase, then trading in your old car alongside the new one will help. The value of the old car needs to be determined first and then you can trade it in and then just top up that amount with cash.
  5. Get your own finance. You don’t have to go in-house with the dealership to get finance on a car. Your first car loan should be talked through by a reputable provider, so make sure you speak to your bank or a broker.

Tia and TipsfromTia.com are trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip, email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on TwitterTikTok, or Instagram.

Mistakes to Avoid When You Get Married

Mistakes to Avoid When You Get Married

Image Credit.

So you’ve met the love of your life and you want to spend the rest of your life with them. But what do you need to know before you marry, and what mistakes and pitfalls might cause trouble further down the road?

While this post is designed for engaged couples, it can also provide some healthy tips for other committed relationships, whether you’ve been together for years already or you’re just entering the “long-term” phase of your dating relationship.

But you can’t ignore that marriage is a legal contract as well as a relationship, for better or for worse.

Without any further ado, let’s get into how you can dodge some of the potentially relationship-ending mistakes that can crop up, as well as how to cope with the fallout in a healthy way.

Share Your Goals and Expectations

One of the biggest dangers of a long-term relationship is disappointment. To be honest, disappointment is a fact of life. Things don’t always work out the way we’d hoped, planned, or expected. This isn’t meant to be depressing, most of the time we’re able to navigate the little disappointments and surprises of life (yes, sometimes things work out better than we’d hoped as well) and make do with what we’ve ended up with.

But what about in your relationship? Some disappointments and surprises can’t be avoided. Sudden illnesses or injuries, financial difficulties, and so on can’t be prevented. You can plan for them to an extent, such as by saving money for emergencies, but even then, you can’t expect and plan for everything.

However, some disappointments can be avoided by a simple conversation before you make any real commitments. 

If you have a life plan or a picture of what you want for yourself and your relationship, you need to share that with your significant other, ideally sooner rather than later.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to talk about your hopes for your three future children named, Emily, Skye, and Jacob while also planning your picket fence and your two dogs Spot and Fido on the first date. Although some people have done this and found it to be helpful. But be upfront about the big things you want.

Do you want kids?

Do you want to live anywhere specific, such as near your family?

What are your major career plans?

If there are any huge incompatibility issues, such as one person wanting a family and the other having no intention of having children, you need to know. Otherwise, you both risk a life of disappointment and resentment. Either one person will get what they want and the other won’t, or neither will. 

Yes, it is sometimes possible to compromise. But it’s also sometimes best to cut your losses, no matter how hard that is. Every couple is different, but everyone needs to have this conversation before any knots are tied. 

Relationship Counseling

The chances are that you hear a lot of advice about relationships, especially if you are planning a wedding. Some of this advice is sound, some is based on myths and old wives’ tales and should probably be taken with a hefty pinch of salt.

But even if you’re sick of all of the advice, no matter how well-meaning it might be, you should still consider relationship counseling.

The problem with advice from people who know you is also its biggest strength. These people know you. They love you, they’ve seen your ups and downs, and they have ideas about the kind of person you are and the kind of person you should be with. 

Your friends and family might take sides, especially if they only hear one side of the story. They might also have bad experiences with relationships, or very little experience other than what they’ve heard in passing.

However, a relationship counselor is unbiased and bases their advice on psychology. If they’re experienced, they’ve seen hundreds of couples before and can work out what works and what doesn’t.

While many people get counseling when their relationship or marriage is breaking down, a healthy way to look at relationship counseling is as a management strategy. Rather than trying to save a drowning relationship, wear a life jacket before you start having trouble.

The counselor will give you tools to work through whatever problems may crop up in the future, so you’re ready to face them.

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The Hard Conversation – The Prenup

Finally, we’ll look at a more marriage-specific hurdle that can crop up. Before you get married, you need to discuss whether you will get a prenup. So, what is a prenup?

A prenup is a short-term for “prenuptial agreement”, so if you put it simply, it’s a legal agreement you make before you get married. While there are different types of prenups, they are mostly used to determine what happens in the event of a divorce.

This is why so many couples try to avoid this conversation. When you’re planning a wedding, you certainly don’t want to plan for the marriage to fail. But as we’ve said before, life is a hotbed of disappointment. 

Some people think a prenup puts unnecessary strain on a relationship, perhaps because it shows a lack of trust in each other or the marriage itself. But a prenup can actually clear up a lot of genuine concerns that people have about marriage.

After all, it’s a legal agreement and you’re literally entangling your lives together. Things do, unfortunately, go wrong and some marriages break up. A prenup doesn’t guarantee that your marriage will end, it just protects both parties if it does.

This won’t be the only hard conversation that you will have to have in your life, and how you deal with the prenup can show you what your marriage will be like. Are you both fighting over who gets what or are you trying to keep things fair and equal for both parties? 

It always pays to know in advance how you’ll deal with these problems and conversations.

Tia and TipsfromTia.com are trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip, email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on TwitterTikTok, or Instagram.

Moving Made Easy: The Overlooked To-Do List for a Stress-Free Move

Moving Made Easy: The Overlooked To-Do List for a Stress-Free Move

It’s no secret that moving home is stressful. There’s so much to think about, checklists to be made, and everything else in between. You’ve probably got an idea in your head of things you need to remember like packing your valuables carefully and making sure that your child’s favourite toy doesn’t get left behind, but there are things that you may not have thought about, so let’s take a look at this overlooked to-do list so your move is as stress-free as possible.

https://www.pexels.com/photo/pile-of-cardboard-boxes-scattered-on-floor-during-relocation-7203788/

Cancel services to your home

It’s likely that you’ve got services within your home that will need to be cancelled. Things to remember include:

  • Transferring your internet provider
    While it’s totally possible to live without the internet, many of us rely on it for work and leisure every day. Alerting your internet provider of your move allows them to set up a transfer so that it shuts off from your current address and activates at your new one on the day you move. Providers usually need notice to do this, so make sure you get in touch as soon as you know the date of your move.
  • Cancelling your newspaper delivery
    If you have a newspaper delivered daily or even weekly, now’s the time to cancel this service. If you’re moving nearby you may be able to transfer it to your new address. However, if you’re moving further, you may need to look into newspaper services in that area.
  • Shutting off gas and electric
    Letting your gas and electric providers know you’re moving allows you to receive an accurate final bill. You may need to take metre readings for this, so do that before calling your providers to make this as seamless as possible.
  • Redirecting your mail
    Sit down and write a list of all of the mail you receive and alert those companies of your move. Alternatively, you could go to your local post office to redirect any of your posts from your current address to your new address. Knowing the date of your move will be useful for this.

Read: MOVING DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A DAY OF NIGHTMARES

Get all hands on deck

Moving is difficult enough, so make sure you get all hands on deck for moving day. Ask friends and family members to help move boxes and furniture to and from vehicles to make the actual move a smoother and much faster process. The promise of pizza and a few drinks once the work is done is usually more than enough to assemble a team to help you move.

Arrange transport

While you may choose to move your belongings in your own vehicle, if you have more than one vehicle to your name you may find it difficult to move them all. This is where a towing service will come in handy. They can tow your vehicle(s) and follow you to your new address, making the whole moving process that little bit easier.

Alert your business clients

If you work from home it’s important to let your business clients know that you’re moving – and not just as a common courtesy! They may send you physical mail or items through the post that could become lost. One way to resolve this issue preemptively would be to set up a virtual address so that no matter where you live in the world, any mail regarding your business won’t ever become lost.

Check absolutely everywhere

If you’re in a rented property, you’ll know all too well what kind of charges you can be slapped with if the inspection finds any breakages or dirt. Be sure to check every nook and cranny for dust, chips in the sideboards, marks on the walls, and even dirt underneath kitchen and bathroom taps. If you’re worried about not getting absolutely everything when it comes to your final clean, it might be worth hiring an end-of-tenancy cleaner to come in and blitz the place.

Use up your food

Finally, moving is hard enough without having to worry about food spoiling during the move. In the weeks leading up to your move, try and use up as much perishable food as possible. This could mean some weird and wonderful meals, but it will save on food waste (and bad smells) when it comes to settling into your new home. Your dry cupboard produce can be taken with you as they aren’t at risk of perishing. Just make sure you have a food order lined up for when you move so you can stock your new kitchen up with delicious foods.

Tia and TipsfromTia.com are trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip, email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on TwitterTikTok, or Instagram.

Adventurous Hobbies You Should Consider Trying

Adventurous Hobbies You Should Consider Trying

Photo by Guy Kawasaki

Everybody needs to have a hobby and if you’re thinking about getting one, then you want to make sure that the one that you choose is going to be something that makes you happy. If you want a hobby that includes a bit of adventure then You are not alone. 

Many people cannot imagine focusing on a hobby if it does somehow bring them a lot of excitement as well. Fortunately, if you like to feel that adrenaline rush, there are many hobbies out there that are perfect for you. 

If you’re ready to take the plunge, here are some of the main hobbies that you should be focusing on to get that rush.

Hiking

If getting out on that trail is important to you then hiking is one adventure that you can’t afford to miss out on. If you like to look at the beautiful blue skies and admire nature surrounding you, then this is one hobby that you can’t afford to bypass. If you have a pet dog that loves a lot of activity, you can take this trusty companion along with you on your hiking adventures.

As you climb the hills, the valleys, and the planes that will come your way you’ll discover a new sense of freedom that will undoubtedly make your heart sing.

Off-Roading

If you like to head out on the open roads, off-roading adventures are just right for you as well. However, when it comes to off-roading you have to be prepared to outfit your vehicle in the right way. 

If not things can become a bit dangerous and this is not what you would want. This is why you have to make sure that you are in fact getting everything that you need for your safety and the readiness of your vehicle. You can use mahindra roxor accessories to help keep your vehicle in tip-top shape.

Once you do, prepare to go on a wild ride that will see you bouncing and bumping from one end of a rugby field to the next. You’re sure to have something exciting to tell your family and friends when you get back from your big adventure.

Surfing

Surfing has long been one of the coolest adventures out there. If you live near the ocean this is a perfect hobby for you. When you see the waves crashing in, close your eyes and imagine yourself riding those waves because this is exactly what surfing is about.

This is why surfers are often seen as having a wild and adventurous side. If you are like this, then surfing is a perfect adventure for you to start up no matter what your age. There are many surfing schools available, so you don’t just have to watch YouTube videos and dream about swimming with the dolphins; it’s very possible with some training.

Sky Diving

If the thought of jumping out of a plane has ever appealed to you, then you wouldn’t be alone in this. It is a hobby that many people practice. 

Maybe they love the adrenaline rush or the feel of wind blowing in their faces all the way up in the air, whatever it is, it is a satisfying hobby for those who enjoy it. There’s also no denying that it is adventurous.

This is not for everyone but if you think this is something that will bring you a lot of joy then go for it.

Fishing

This can also be considered an adventurous activity. While it may not always be as exciting as all those adventurous movies and books where you see a man up against a great pie beast of the ocean, fishing does have its perks. 

Get your tackle box ready and other fishing gear, throw them in your truck, and head out on this adventure. You never know, you might catch something that’s dinner-worthy. 

Fishing is also one of those hobbies that is best not to enjoy alone. If some of your buddies will join you on this adventure you’ll enjoy it a lot more.

Read: 5 GIFTS TO BUY THE ADVENTURE-LOVING MAN IN YOUR LIFE

Are you ready? It’s time for you to pick a hobby and then stick to it. Life is an adventure and you need to make sure that you take every opportunity to enjoy it as much as you possibly can, this will keep you happy and healthy.

This often means choosing things to do in your free time that will put a smile on your face from ear to ear. If you want to make this a reality, then pick one of the above activities and get started. Very soon you will become an expert and be able to show off on all the newbies.

Tia and TipsfromTia.com are trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip, email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on TwitterTikTok, or Instagram.

Is your Home Unsafe? Here’s How to Find Out

Is your Home Unsafe? Here’s How to Find Out

There is truly nothing worse than you feeling unsafe, in the one place where you should feel the safest. As a homeowner, you need to make sure that you feel safe and that you are aware of the conditions that could put you at risk. If you just don’t feel as though your home is safe right now, then take a look below to get the help you need.

You have Pests

One major issue that your home isn’t safe is if you have pests. Whether they are in the floorboards, in the walls, or even just on the outskirts of your property, you need to have pest control over before too long. If you don’t, then you may find that you end up struggling to stay on top of the issue. Mice, cockroaches, and even rats all carry disease, so you need to get rid of them as soon as possible. Rabbits can also be pests if you have a lot of land. If this is the case, you may be able to deal with them yourself. Just make sure you are storing any guns you do have, safely in Browning gun safes.

Source: Pexels (CC0 License)

You Keep On Getting Sick

Your home is supposed to be your haven. If you feel as though you are getting sick more often than you should be, then this is an indicator that your environment is to blame. You need to try and keep an eye on the symptoms, and you also need to watch out for mold. If you know that you have a lot of mold around your property, then take the time to deal with it as soon as you can, because if you don’t, then the issue may end up getting worse.

Read: COULD YOUR MOLDY HOME BE MAKING YOU FEEL SICK?

Your Deck is Sloping

Your home is supposed to be level. If yours isn’t then your house may not be as sturdy as it could be. Signs of an unsafe deck include cracked or rotting wood. You may also find that things are not as sturdy as they could be. You should get your deck inspected as soon as possible, because if you don’t then this could lead to other issues later down the line.

You Can Smell Something Strange

If you can smell things, such as rotting eggs or even fish, then this is a big indicator that things are not as they should be. Fishy odors can be caused by burning electrics and faulty wiring. If you suspect that this is the case with your property, then make sure that you call in an electrician, as they can help you with anything that might not be unsafe within your home.

Read: HOME MAINTENANCE CHECKS THAT WILL PROTECT YOUR HOME

Your Foundation is Crumbling

If you know that your foundation is crumbling and cracking, then this could be affecting your home. If you want to do something about this, then make sure that you deal with the issue right away. Foundation repair can be expensive, but it’s not as expensive as having to rebuild your home because of a crack you could have dealt with years ago.

Tia and TipsfromTia.com are trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip, email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on TwitterTikTok, or Instagram.