August 2007 – Back to Everything

Your Home – Reinventing Your Kitchen

Did you know that your kitchen is probably the most important room in your home? You may not have considered it before, but when it comes to increasing the resale value of your home, the kitchen is the best place to start. Although remodeling your entire kitchen can cost thousands of dollars, there are some things you can do to dramatically increase the appeal of your kitchen without breaking the bank. Below are some tips you can use to improve the look and feel of your kitchen on a budget:

Replacing your faucet set and hardware on your cabinets can update the look of your kitchen for just a couple hundred dollars.
You can also replace the facing on your cabinets or paint them to give the appearance of new cabinetry.
Try updating the lighting fixtures in your kitchen and using fluorescent lighting. It lasts longer and uses less energy than conventional lighting.
A tile backsplash can brighten up your kitchen and give it a contemporary look. Don’t worry if the backsplash doesn’t exactly match your countertops.
If your appliances still function but are out of date, consider having them painted or replacing the panels. Many home improvement stores offer new panels for your old appliances.

The more you shop around, the more budget friendly alternatives you will find to help bring your kitchen up to date. With a new, updated look, you will find that yourself spending more time in your kitchen and preparing more meals there which is good on the budget as well as the waistline.

Finances – Back to School

If you have a child that is headed back to school next month, then you are probably already thinking about school supplies. Now that many schools have reduced their spending, it means that you will be faced with having to purchase more school supplies as well as having to pay out of pocket for extracurricular activities. For many parents, this can place a strain on the household budget (especially if your child considers that new mp3 player a school supply).

Not only can you save money by starting your school shopping early so you can give yourself time to find the best bargains, but you can also involve your child in the shopping process. By allocating a budget and involving your child in the shopping process, you can teach them a valuable lesson in handling money. Together, you can make a list of everything that’s needed for the new school year and shop together to obtain all of the items without going over budget.

Inspiration – Prioritizing

Now that most of us will be heading back to work and school, it’s a good time to stop and take a look at what the rest of the year has in store. For many of us, we are already fretting about gathering the necessary school supplies, finishing up the last quarter, and don’t forget that the holidays are just around the corner. With so much ahead of us in the upcoming months, it’s easy to lose perspective as to what’s really important and most of us will end up feeling completely overwhelmed by the New Year.

Try making things easier on yourself this year by planning and prioritizing ahead of time. What do you really have to accomplish by the end of the year? Completing that big project at work? Shopping for holiday gifts? What about spending quality time with your loved ones? It’s easy to lose perspective. By planning ahead now and concentrating on the things that really matter, you will have plenty of time to enjoy what matters to you most.