Beating Broke

Personal Finance from the Broke Perspective

8 Safety Tips for When You’re Doing Your Own Home Renovations

By Leave a Comment

Home renovations can be a fun and rewarding experience, but they can also be dangerous if proper safety precautions are not taken. Here are some tips to keep in mind to ensure that your home renovation project goes smoothly and safely.

1. Plan Ahead

Before you start any renovation project, it’s important to have a clear plan in place. This includes determining what materials and tools you will need, as well as creating a timeline for the project. Make sure to also consider any potential safety hazards and take steps to mitigate them. Whether you’re working with power tools or handling potentially hazardous materials, it’s important to protect yourself. Wear protective eyewear, gloves, and a mask if necessary, and make sure to follow all instructions for using tools and handling materials safely.

2. Use Caution

Electrical work can be particularly dangerous, so it’s important to use caution when working with electrical wiring or outlets. If you’re not comfortable with electrical work, consider hiring a professional to handle it for you.

3. Consider Stone Coated Steel Roofing

If you’re planning to replace your roof, consider using stone-coated steel roofing. Not only is it 100% recyclable and lightweight (just 1.4 lbs per sq ft), but it also has a Class A fire rating and Class 4 hail impact resistance. This makes it a safe and durable choice for any home renovation project.

4. Know Your Rights

Unfortunately, accidents can happen during home renovation projects. If you or a loved one is involved in an accident that results in wrongful death, it’s important to know your rights. A wrongful death lawsuit may be filed if the defendant is found to have acted negligently or committed malpractice, made a faulty machine, sold a risky drug, or served bad food to the deceased. If you are initially denied in a wrongful death lawsuit, you have 60 days to start the appeals process. The first appeal is called reconsideration, and it usually takes an average of 60 days to complete.

5. Follow Proper Ladder Safety

Ladder accidents are a common cause of injuries during home renovations, so it’s important to follow proper ladder safety. Make sure to set the ladder up on a stable and level surface, and use the four-to-one rule (meaning the base of the ladder should be one foot away from the wall for every four feet of ladder height). Always face the ladder when climbing or descending, and never lean too far to the side or overreach.

6. Be Safe When Working With Heavy Materials

If you’re lifting or moving heavy materials, be sure to use proper lifting techniques to avoid injury. Lift with your legs, not your back, and get help if the material is too heavy to lift on your own.

7. Keep Your Work Area Clean and Organized

A cluttered and disorganized work area can increase the risk of accidents and injuries. Make sure to keep your work area clean and organized, and put tools and materials away when they’re not in use.

8. Know when to Call a Professional

If you’re not comfortable with a certain task or if you’re not sure how to proceed safely, it’s always a good idea to call in a professional. Don’t risk your safety or the integrity of your home by attempting a task that’s beyond your skill level.

By following these safety tips, you can ensure that your home renovation project goes smoothly and safely. Remember to always prioritize safety, and don’t be afraid to call in a professional if you need help.

How to Recover Your Finances After a Legal Battle

By Leave a Comment

Legal battles, such as divorce, can have a significant and lasting impact on your finances. It can be overwhelming to try and regain control of your finances after such a stressful and emotional experience, but it’s important to take steps to rebuild your financial foundation. Here are some tips for recovering your finances after a legal battle.

Create a Budget

One of the first steps in recovering your finances is to create a budget. This will help you understand your current financial situation and identify areas where you can cut expenses. This is extremely important for families of divorce as neglect was the top reason why Kentucky children were removed from their homes between 2010 and 2015, making up 68.6 percent of removals. It’s important to prioritize you and your family’s basic needs, such as housing, food, and healthcare, and make sure you have enough money to cover these expenses. Consider creating a budget that includes all of your monthly expenses, as well as any debts or obligations you may have. This will help you see exactly where your money is going and allow you to make informed decisions about where to cut costs.

Find Ways to Increase Your Income

If your legal battle has resulted in a decrease in income, it’s important to find ways to increase your income. This could involve taking on additional work or starting a side business. You could also consider selling items you no longer need or use, such as clothes or furniture, to generate extra cash. Another option is to negotiate for a raise at your current job or look for a higher-paying position. Whatever route you choose, it’s important to be proactive in finding ways to increase your income.

Make Home Improvements

Home improvements can not only make your home more comfortable and enjoyable to live in, but they can also increase its value. According to Remodeling Magazine, replacing a garage door gives you a 93.8% ROI. This means that for every dollar you spend on a new garage door, you can expect to recoup nearly 94 cents in increased value. Other home improvements, such as installing vinyl windows, can also save you money on your monthly energy bills. If you decide to install vinyl windows, you can save up to 20% on your monthly energy utility bills. These types of improvements can help you save money in the long run, and can also be a good investment if you plan to sell your home in the future.

Get Professional Help

If you’re having trouble managing your finances, it may be helpful to seek the advice of a financial professional. A financial planner or advisor can help you create a plan to pay off debt and save for the future. They can also provide guidance on investment strategies and help you develop a plan to meet your financial goals. Working with a professional can give you the support and guidance you need to make informed financial decisions and get your finances back on track.

Consider Credit Counseling

If you’re struggling with high levels of debt, credit counseling can be a helpful resource. Credit counseling organizations can help you create a budget, negotiate with creditors to lower your interest rates, and develop a plan to pay off your debt. They can also provide education on financial topics, such as budgeting and saving, to help you improve your financial skills. Credit counseling can be a valuable tool in helping you get your finances back on track and gain control of your debt.

Overall, these were some of the ways you can help recover your finances after a legal battle. Remember these tips if you are ever facing legal trouble. Keeping your finances in order is important for anyone.

5 Tips to Help You Find the Perfect Job With a High Income

By Leave a Comment

When looking for a job, while money may not be the main consideration, it’s certainly an important one. This is because your job should help you live the lifestyle you want to enjoy while helping you secure your future. Have a look below to see five tips that you can use to find the perfect job with a high income.

1. Make Sure It Offers You a Balance

The perfect job for you should be one that offers you a good work-life balance. This is going to be important since you don’t want to lose yourself to your job. You need to have time to spend with your loved ones and doing things that you enjoy doing. Keep in mind that in a survey done in 2019, 30% of the respondents reported that they left a job because they didn’t have the option to work flexible hours. That said, the perfect job for you should have an allowance for your personal life otherwise you may not like it for a long time.

2. Network Widely

The more the people who know that you’re looking for a job, the better your chances of finding one. This is because, while a number of job postings may be put online, these aren’t all of them. You may come across the opportunity of your life in a place that you least expected. With that, it’s a good idea for you to let the people in your social circle know that you’re looking for a certain job whenever you get the opportunity to do so.

3. Look for a Job That Appeals to Your Interests

So you can get the best outcome from your job, look for one that appeals to your interests and hobbies. When you find one, it may be easier for you to do and not leave you worn and burnt out after a brief duration of working. This is important when you consider the fact that most accounting professionals admit that clients are currently more demanding when it comes to accounting job requirements. A whopping 87% of accountants agree that clients expect to get better levels of service and more flexibility from accountants, all without an increase in their rates. It’s easy to see how easy it would be to get burnt out in such a scenario if you’re not truly passionate.

4. Talk to a Career Counselor

A career counselor can help you improve your job search by guiding you to get a sense of direction. This will come in especially handy if you don’t yet know what you want to pursue. A good career counselor can help you come up with a plan to find the best job for your needs. They’ll do this by helping you find out your weaknesses and strengths so they know where you’ll fit perfectly. Look for one and this may be the best thing that you do for your career.

5. Improve Your Skills

Last but not least, you need to take some time and improve your skills. This is going to give you more edge in a world with a lot of competition. This may be exemplified by the fact that job seekers spend an average of 11 hours every week looking for the perfect job. Even if you don’t want to spend money doing this, there are free courses you can take online. You’ll benefit immensely from doing this and could even end up getting a better job than you were aiming for.

Keep these five tips in mind and you have a chance of getting a great job with a high income. Keep the skills you’ll develop along the way in mind in case you may need them again in the future, and stay ready to adapt to changes so you can get the best outcome.