Posts made in August 2017

 (All posts may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy) 

Although the kitchen is often viewed as the most important room in the house, for many of us, the bedroom is our favorite room. Here, we can switch off, forget our troubles and rest our weary bodies. If this sounds like an impossible dream, it may be time to refresh your bedroom and bring it to life. If your decor is drab or dated, you haven’t changed your bed for as long as you can remember and your rugs and curtains have seen better days, here are some tips to create a beautiful boudoir without breaking the bank.

(photo credit)

Update your colorway

Choosing new colors is one of the easiest and most affordable ways of updating your bedroom and giving it a fresh new look. When you’re decorating your bedroom, bear in mind that this should be a calming space where you can go to wind down and catch some sleep. Avoid clashing colors or busy prints and keep things simple. Colors like green and blue are proven to make you feel more tranquil while neutral tones create a calm atmosphere. Pastels are also a great option. If you love bright colors and you can’t bear the thought of having a room without flashes of hot pink or yellow, keep the walls white and use candle holders, vases, frames or cushions to add color. Alternatively, you could go for a feature wall and paint one wall a bright or strong shade and leave the others white.

Before you start painting, it’s well worth taking a trip to the hardware store and buying a few tester pots. Apply a small amount of each shade to the wall close to the window so you can see what the color looks like in natural light. Let the paint dry and then decide which tone you like best. Before you get your brushes and overalls out, lay down some dust sheets and cover the furniture. Sand down the walls and wash them with a damp cloth. If you’re painting over a dark color with a lighter shade, it’s a good idea to apply a coat of primer. Once this has dried, you can start the first coat. Wait for it to dry before you layer on the next coat. Use tape to protect window frames, doorways and sockets. It’s a good idea to use a roller for large spaces and to switch to a brush when you’re painting around power sockets or along the skirting board.

(photo credit)

Make the bed the show-stopper

When you go into your bedroom, you’re usually looking forward to getting into bed and drifting off to the land of nod. There’s nothing more inviting or appealing than a bed with fresh sheets and pillows and cushions piled high at the end of a frantic day. That is if you find your bed comfortable and you’ve got soft furnishings ready and waiting to adorn your bed. If you’ve got an old mattress, or your bed frame is dated or damaged, it’s time to look around at some new models. A worn mattress can affect your sleep quality, and it may also contribute to back pain while a new frame could really make a feature of your bed. If you haven’t bought a new mattress for years, read reviews at Mattress Guides to help you narrow down your options and take some time to wander down to a couple of stores and try some different styles and brands out. Make sure you know how big the mattress is before you order a frame. Buying a new bed may not come cheap, but there are ways of making savings. Look out for flash sales and end of season discounts. It’s also a really good idea to subscribe to discount websites and to register with stores you’ve visited. If you sign up for online newsletters, for example, you may find that you get discounts sent to your inbox and information about special offers.

Once you have a new bed, treat yourself to a new bed set and use throws or blankets and cushions to make the room look cozy. You can pick up these accessories for a few dollars at a cheap home store or order them online from auction sites.

(photo credit)

Learn to accessorize

You don’t always need to make wholesale changes to a room to inject serious style. If you like the color of the walls and you’re perfectly happy with your bed, using accessories can create a completely different look. You could use framed photographs to make a montage on the wall, hang some shelves and fill them with vases of flowers, potted plants or trinkets or adopt a casual, laid-back look with shaggy rugs, mismatched cushions and a vintage chair in the corner. Have a look online for inspiration if you’re struggling for themes and styles. If you’ve got plain white walls, monochrome is a great idea, and it’s really simple to do. All you need is a gray high-pile rug, some graphic print white and black cushions, a simple white bed set, and a few black and white plant pots, lamps, and frames to create a stylish, budget-friendly boudoir.

(photo credit)

If your bedroom looking a little more drab than fab? If so, you don’t need to spend a fortune to bring it to life and create a stunning sanctuary you can’t wait to retreat to at the end of the day. Switch up the colorway, experiment with accessories and accents and make your bed the focal point of the room. Look out for ideas in magazines and search for low prices online. You can often find copycat versions of designer pieces and fabrics for a fraction of the price. If you see something you like, use a search engine to locate similar items and compare prices from different retailers. If you don’t want to make massive changes to the room, but you do fancy revamping the style, embrace the art of accessorizing and channel themes you love. You could go for anything from vintage Parisian chic to modern minimalist.

 (All posts may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy) 

Although the kitchen is often viewed as the most important room in the house, for many of us, the bedroom is our favorite room. Here, we can switch off, forget our troubles and rest our weary bodies. If this sounds like an impossible dream, it may be time to refresh your bedroom and bring it to life. If your decor is drab or dated, you haven’t changed your bed for as long as you can remember and your rugs and curtains have seen better days, here are some tips to create a beautiful boudoir without breaking the bank.

(photo credit)

Update your colorway

Choosing new colors is one of the easiest and most affordable ways of updating your bedroom and giving it a fresh new look. When you’re decorating your bedroom, bear in mind that this should be a calming space where you can go to wind down and catch some sleep. Avoid clashing colors or busy prints and keep things simple. Colors like green and blue are proven to make you feel more tranquil while neutral tones create a calm atmosphere. Pastels are also a great option. If you love bright colors and you can’t bear the thought of having a room without flashes of hot pink or yellow, keep the walls white and use candle holders, vases, frames or cushions to add color. Alternatively, you could go for a feature wall and paint one wall a bright or strong shade and leave the others white.

Before you start painting, it’s well worth taking a trip to the hardware store and buying a few tester pots. Apply a small amount of each shade to the wall close to the window so you can see what the color looks like in natural light. Let the paint dry and then decide which tone you like best. Before you get your brushes and overalls out, lay down some dust sheets and cover the furniture. Sand down the walls and wash them with a damp cloth. If you’re painting over a dark color with a lighter shade, it’s a good idea to apply a coat of primer. Once this has dried, you can start the first coat. Wait for it to dry before you layer on the next coat. Use tape to protect window frames, doorways and sockets. It’s a good idea to use a roller for large spaces and to switch to a brush when you’re painting around power sockets or along the skirting board.

(photo credit)

Make the bed the show-stopper

When you go into your bedroom, you’re usually looking forward to getting into bed and drifting off to the land of nod. There’s nothing more inviting or appealing than a bed with fresh sheets and pillows and cushions piled high at the end of a frantic day. That is if you find your bed comfortable and you’ve got soft furnishings ready and waiting to adorn your bed. If you’ve got an old mattress, or your bed frame is dated or damaged, it’s time to look around at some new models. A worn mattress can affect your sleep quality, and it may also contribute to back pain while a new frame could really make a feature of your bed. If you haven’t bought a new mattress for years, read reviews at Mattress Guides to help you narrow down your options and take some time to wander down to a couple of stores and try some different styles and brands out. Make sure you know how big the mattress is before you order a frame. Buying a new bed may not come cheap, but there are ways of making savings. Look out for flash sales and end of season discounts. It’s also a really good idea to subscribe to discount websites and to register with stores you’ve visited. If you sign up for online newsletters, for example, you may find that you get discounts sent to your inbox and information about special offers.

Once you have a new bed, treat yourself to a new bed set and use throws or blankets and cushions to make the room look cozy. You can pick up these accessories for a few dollars at a cheap home store or order them online from auction sites.

(photo credit)

Learn to accessorize

You don’t always need to make wholesale changes to a room to inject serious style. If you like the color of the walls and you’re perfectly happy with your bed, using accessories can create a completely different look. You could use framed photographs to make a montage on the wall, hang some shelves and fill them with vases of flowers, potted plants or trinkets or adopt a casual, laid-back look with shaggy rugs, mismatched cushions and a vintage chair in the corner. Have a look online for inspiration if you’re struggling for themes and styles. If you’ve got plain white walls, monochrome is a great idea, and it’s really simple to do. All you need is a gray high-pile rug, some graphic print white and black cushions, a simple white bed set, and a few black and white plant pots, lamps, and frames to create a stylish, budget-friendly boudoir.

(photo credit)

If your bedroom looking a little more drab than fab? If so, you don’t need to spend a fortune to bring it to life and create a stunning sanctuary you can’t wait to retreat to at the end of the day. Switch up the colorway, experiment with accessories and accents and make your bed the focal point of the room. Look out for ideas in magazines and search for low prices online. You can often find copycat versions of designer pieces and fabrics for a fraction of the price. If you see something you like, use a search engine to locate similar items and compare prices from different retailers. If you don’t want to make massive changes to the room, but you do fancy revamping the style, embrace the art of accessorizing and channel themes you love. You could go for anything from vintage Parisian chic to modern minimalist.

  (All posts may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy) 

We all experience money issues and times when money gets tight can happen to all of us. That’s especially true for the freelancers and the self-employed of the world. Now, self-employed life is not all that it is cracked up to be, sometimes. Yes, you might be your own boss (on occasion), and you might have the world at your feet, but you are responsible for a lot. You’ll also have to manage your own finances at all times, and you might not be able to count on reliable monthly pay and income. You won’t have company benefits, you will have to handle your own pension, and you will have to sort all sorts of other things out if you go down the freelance or self-employed route.

There are plenty of financial woes that you can run into when you start freelance work, and more often than not, you can make things worse through your own actions, or inactions. That’s why we are here, to steer you clear of them, or at least help you out when the time does come.

(photo credit)

One of the biggest things that you need to consider when you are your own boss, is tax. Tax is the biggest financial pitfall that faces the self-employed. When you are a freelancer, you are responsible for a lot of things – that includes completing the correct tax forms and filing them to the correct authority on time. If you make mistakes with your tax, they can and will cost you. Sometimes, it might put you out a week’s earned wages, and any freelancer will know that every completed project takes time – you do not want to waste money and you especially do not want to spend money on tax fines and sanctions. What’s more, in serious cases of tax evasion, you could be prosecuted and jailed. Not a good look. If tax is beyond you, pay for an accountant who can help you out and do it for you. What’s more, accountants can actually help you out a lot when it comes to your tax allowances and expenses, to make sure that you not only pay your tax, but also pay the right amount. That means one thing – save your receipts so you can get a few tax breaks when you need them!

Tax isn’t the only thing you need to send off when it comes to money and freelancing, because you’ll only get paid if you send off an invoice. Always ensure your invoices are accurate, easy to understand and arrive with payment terms included, so that your client knows what they need to do to avoid breaching payment terms. A fancy invoice might not be able to be processed by your client, so keep it simple and with the information that is needed. Put the work you’ve done, the cost of the work, your contact information and your banking details – and make sure all of this is correct.

Even then, a big woe of freelance life is that it is not perfect regarding payment. Clients will not always pay on time, and honestly – you might not be able to guarantee any kind of payment at all in some circumstances. A good idea would be to research all your clients before you take on work with them, because any clear history of unpaid invoices with them could be a red flag. In severe circumstances, you’ll have to get some aid. Debt collection lawyers can help you recover your unpaid invoices, but it’s always worth chasing payment before you seek help. It can be a long and protracted process. Always network with other freelancers to get the dirt on clients, because bad clients are bad for your business. Being short of cash because of this is a common situation for the self-employed, but worry not, you can get help with loans and credit cards. Just do not rely on these to bail you out at all times.

If you are relying on credit cards and payday loans to see you through to your next paycheck, you could easily run up debts. This is unavoidable if invoices are not being paid, but don’t make a habit of racking up high bills. Debt is something that will kill your business, so don’t stop chasing invoices up, at all, your business is going to rely on it.

There are plenty of freelance financial woes. Stay away from making these bad mistakes and cash headaches, and you might enjoy your freelance life.