DIY Home Repairs and simple updates when divorcing or other Life Transitions
Some home repair/placement items give more bang for your buck. When a friend of mine was selling her house post-divorce, she got sparkling new faucets and hired a plumber to install them. She sold her house in a jiffy. Remember, if you are selling your home quickly during a divorce, to do even small actions such as buying new hardware. There are attractive drawer handles/pulls for just a few dollars and they can liven up a kitchen or bathroom. Another person spent $30.00 on 2 bedroom light fixtures for her rental property, before showing it to prospective tenants. The old ones were the can style, which illuminated only a tiny part of the room. What a difference that small investment made for brighter rooms. My contractor’s advice when doing your own home repairs or painting, is to use high quality tools. He states that it is worth the few extra dollars to get a better paintbrush, roller, etc. He can walk in in a room and know that the owners painted it themselves and skimped on a cheapish brush. Other repairs don’t go as well, if the equipment breaks, or just doesn’t do a decent job. Another thing he does, is to custom order paint , so that it will match the room exactly, when he does touch ups and doesn’t need to repaint the entire room. For example, when he was putting a heating system in, he took a small part of the wall to our local Sherwin Williams paint store. The color was exact, so he only had to touch up around the base board and the new, small section of wall installed. When you are buying items, such as cabinets, for home improvements, don’t assume because you are buying surplus items at a charity shop, that it…
How to patent your invention
Tips for getting your great idea a patent. Get a blank notebook and draw out your idea. Write a description for your diagram.If it is something that you can make yourself, for a prototype, then do so. If you need to get outside help, then have the artist, welder, or whoever sign a confidentiality agreement. The most important tip is to get a patent attorney, who regularly does patents. It is okay if this attorney is in another city, because you may not have a patent attorney in your home town. Don’t make my major mistake. I asked an attorney, who I used to do business with to recommend someone. He endorsed his new, just passed the bar partner, and said that she would do a great job. An inexperience lawyer, who did not specialize in patents should have raised a red flag. My patent application was so botched that it was returned and I had to have a patent attorney in another city to tend to it. You can go online and see if there are any other products, like the one you want to patent. when you get a great idea, write it down right away. I’m still trying to remember my fantastic, can’t live without it one, from several months ago. Think of this as an adventure.
Cruising for great deals – cheap travel
Find conferences around the globe in your profession and you travel to an exotic local as a tax deduction. The IRS allows 1 international conference a year. Some people have gotten terrific travel deals by using local travel agencies in foreign locales. They use frequent flier miles to get to Europe, Asia etc and have a native agency make all of the interior arrangements and save big bucks. As a single mother with a passion for international travel, I have to get the most bang for my buck. If you are retired or on a routine yearly schedule, such as a teacher, here is a great tip. Book your trip over a year ahead of time and take advantage of 2 for the price of 1 specials. We have taken several European river cruises on Viking River Cruises and paid the price of one passenger for two of us per cabin. All meals and shore excursions are included, so it is a big money saver for me. Ocean cruises, such as Holland America and Cunard also have better deals, the farther out you book. With ocean cruises, you get another discount if you book, while still onboard for a future cruise. Another trick a learned from two sweet elderly ladies who live around Southampton, England, is to keep a travel bag always packed and call cruise companies the day of or day before a ship’s departure. Southampton is a major hub for various cruise lines, so they often get unbelievable deals at the very last minute. They are both retired and have family that can watch their flat and house when that happens. If you live near a cruise ship terminal, this could work for you. Bon Voyage!
Skin cancer
People sometimes put off having moles and freckles checked, because they think that they are too young for skin cancer. If you have a lot of freckles, having an all over body exam, by a dermatologist is a good idea to establish a baseline. Two years ago, some very dear friends lost their son to melanoma. He was out in the sun a lot, playing golf and other sports and didn’t wear any sun screen. Here is a guide to determine if you should see a dematologist for skin cancer. This is an easy way to remember what deadly moles look like. ABCDE. Asymmetry. Is the mole perfectly round (normal), or a different shape? Border. Are the edges sharp (normal), or more blurred? Color. Is the mole one color ( normal), or a variety of black, brown or red? Diameter. Is the mole under 6mm (normal) or over that size? Expert. If your mole/s fall in these second categories, then see an expert (dermatologist). This is the guide that nurses use, and I want to add, if your mole is bleeding, also have it checked. Sometimes a cancerous mole may stick up more (such as on the scalp) and you notice it that way. An acquaintance started feeling a small bump on her scalp when she was doing her hair. This sun-loving woman had the bump checked out and it turned out to be cancerous (she was in her early 30’s at the time). Scalps can get sunburned too, so wear a hat in the intense sun.
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