The Essential Guide to Buying and Renting a Home

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The Essential guide to buying and renting a home

To buy or not to buy – that is the question.

This guide will provide you with all the information you need to decide whether buying or renting a house is better suited to you. I have weighed up the pros and cons so you don’t have to!

House Buying Pros

  • Houses increase in value and you can therefore use the equity in your home to help buy a bigger home or fund your retirement
  • You can spend money on improving and decorating your home without having to ask the landlord
  • There is more security in buying than renting
  • Payments are predictable and more stable than renting
  • There is pride in homeownership
  • Once you have paid off the mortgage, your home will be yours
  • You can have as many pets as you want

House Buying Cons

  • Buying a house is a long term financial commitment
  • You are responsible for all the maintenance and repairs on your home
  • Ties between you and your community makes it harder to pick up and leave a location suddenly
  • Buying a home requires a large deposit
  • Lack of flexibility
  • When the interest rates rise, your mortgage repayments increase
  • It may not be easy to sell your home




 

House Renting Pros

  • Renting a home can work out cheaper
  • You have more flexibility when you rent as most leases are for 12 months
  • Your landlord is responsible for performing nearly all maintenance and repair work on the property
  • Low move in costs

House Renting Cons

  • No fixed housing costs
  • Have to gain the landlord’s approval before making changes to the property
  • Monthly rent payments may increase out of the blue
  • Renting will not help to increase your credit score
  • Landlords usually don’t make cosmetic upgrades therefore properties can be outdated

To receive our FREE Home Buyer’s Checklist,  CLICK HERE!

Free Printable Home Buyer's Checklist

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My Sunday Routine

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MY SUNDAY ROUTINE

*Some links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you I will earn a commission if you click this link a make a purchase.

Sunday is by far my favourite day of the week. Other than the thought that Monday is just lingering around the corner, it is the only day it is acceptable to do absolutely nothing! Here are just a few things that I have incorporated into my Sunday routine to leave me feeling refreshed and prepared for the week ahead.

Write a To-Do List For The Week / Plan The Week Ahead

Firstly, I like to braindump everything I need to do for the week in a notebook. This is so I can see everything I have to do in front of me and I can cross things out as I go. After I have made my to-do list, I like to use the ‘Urgent/Important’ Matrix (explained in my ‘Step By Step Guide To Boost Your Productivity‘ Blog Post. This helps me to prioritise my tasks and make it easier for me to add them to Google Calendar.

Charge My Electronic Devices

I put my phone and laptop on charge on Sunday because it makes me feel more organised and they are powered up ready to go on Monday morning.

Create a Meal Plan For The Week

I like to plan out the lunches I’m going to take to work that week as it saves me a lot of time and I also know what to buy at my weekly shop in order to make these lunches. I use the Sistema Bento Lunch Box to Go with Fruit/Yogurt Pot as it fits a lot in and helps me to keep different foods seperate as I am very fussy!



Pamper Routine

My Sunday pamper routine consists of having a long bubble bath while listening to my favourite playlist, and I like to do a face mask and pamper my skin. My facvourite face mask is the L’Oreal Paris 3 Pure Clays and Charcoal Detox Mask, 50 ml as it detoxes my skin and draws out all impurities. I also like to paint my nails as this helps me to feel relax and ready for the week ahead.

Read A Book

I always love to wind down and read a book on a Sunday as this relaxes me the most. At the moment, I am reading The Secret and I must admit I am hooked on every word!

Pack My Bag For Work

I pack my bag for the week on a Sunday as I can make sure I have everything ready for the week. I also like to set my work uniform out for the week so I am not worrying about this in the morning.

Clean My Room

I make sure to clean my room on a Sunday evening because this makes everything I need easier to find. I hang up my clothes and hoover the room as a tidy room = a tidy mind!

Watch a Film

Sundays are made for chilling out, so I always love to put my fave film on and relax. 

Hopefully, this post will give you some ideas on how to create your Sunday routine! Let me know what you incorporate into your Sunday routine in the comments below!

 

How To Make A Budget The Easy Way

Categories Lifestyle, Saving MoneyLeave a Comment on How To Make A Budget The Easy Way

HOW TO MAKE a budget

Taking the time to create a budget can help you save £1,000s a year and keep on top of bills. By working out a budget, it can mean you are less likely to end up in debt or caught out by unexpected costs or money emergencies. This post will show you how to create your own personal budget, and how to keep up with it.

Step 1

  • Work out your outgoings (household bills, living costs, travel costs, leisure etc). The best way to do this is to look at your bank statements and work out an average amount for each category (don’t estimate it as this won’t work!)

Step 2

  • Work out your income. This includes extra income you make from surveys, a second job or hobbies.

Step 3

  • Cut back your budget. If you are spending more than you have coming in, you can solve this by cutting unnecessary spending such as buying lunch out or cancelling the gym membership you never use. You can also save hundreds of pounds on your bills by switching providers to a cheaper alternative.

Step 4

  • Keep on top of your bank balance. Alongside sticking to your budget, it is useful to check your bank every day so you are aware of any unexpected money going in or coming out your bank.

Step 5

  • Set a savings goal. This will keep you motivated to keep up with your budget and will also help you to build an emergency fund which will help you pay for unexpected emergencies.

I hope this post has helped to set you on your way to creating a budget!

Thanks for reading, tweet me @BritOnABudget1 any of your best budgeting tips!

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How To Spring Clean Your Life In 24 Hours

Categories Lifestyle4 Comments on How To Spring Clean Your Life In 24 Hours

 

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*Some links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you I will earn a commission if you click this link a make a purchase.

Spring is not only the perfect time to spring clean your home, it’s also the best time to clear out your mind and begin new routines. Here are some ideas and tips that you can use in 2018 to refresh your life.

Spring Clean Your Technology

  • Clean out your email inbox and unsubscribe to spam emails
  • Sort through your phone apps and delete the ones you don’t use
  • Delete photos and notes on your phone that you don’t need to create some free memory space
  • Delete unnecessary files and documents on your computer

Create a Skincare Routine

  • Determine your skin type and use products (cleanser, exfoliator, moisturiser etc) that are suitable for your skin
  • Keep up with it every day and you will see a difference in your skin

Deep Clean Your Makeup Brushes and Clear Out Old Make-up

  • Dirty make-up brushes are a haven for bacteria and can irritate your skin so you should clean them regularly to prevent acne and skin problems
  • I use the Silicone Makeup Accessories Brush Cleaner Mat Cosmetic Cleaning Pad to clean my brushes because it removes all the old make up and dirt from them.
  • Mascara – replace it every 3 months
  • Foundation – replace it once a year
  • Eyeliner – replace it once a year

 



 

Take a Digital Detox

  • Put your phone down, go for a walk outside and take in the fresh air
  • Take some time away from social media and you will feel much better

Let Go Of People That Weigh You Down

  • Evaluate your friendships and relationships, if someone gets you down – cut all contact!

Set Yourself a Budget 

  • Budgeting allows you to create a spending plan for your money and it ensures you have money for the things you need. There is never a better time to begin budgeting than now

Create a Fitness Routine

  • Starting a fitness routine can be one of the best things you can do for yourself
  • You can start running, join a gym or even take up yoga

(this is one I will be working on myself!)

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7 Decluttering Ideas You Can Use To Make Money This Spring

Categories Lifestyle, Making Money2 Comments on 7 Decluttering Ideas You Can Use To Make Money This Spring

 ROADTRIP

Spring is finally here – although with this weather you might not think so! – and so is the season of decluttering. I’m sure many of us have an unnecessary amount of clutter that we have accumulated over the years – but if you’re ready to make a change in 2018, grab yourself a cup of tea and keep reading this post!

 

  • Declutter Your Closet – Start by pulling everything out of your wardrobe and sort into 3 piles – Keep, Sell and Throw Away. To make this easier, ask yourself if you have worn the item in the past 6 months and if the answer is no… GET RID!! When it comes to selling your clothes, you can use sites such as Depop, eBay and Shpock. 

  • Make Money From Your Old Phone – If you have upgraded your mobile phone and your old phone has been shoved in a drawer somewhere, there are many sites that you can use to cash in on your old phone. These sites include: Music Magpie, Mazuma Mobile and Sell My Mobile. You never know, you may have a hidden treasure in the form of a mobile phone!

  • Sell Your Old CDs, DVDs. and Games – Most people don’t use these anymore as it is now very easy to download Netflix and Spotify, which leaves old CDs and DVDs gathering dust and taking up space in the home. You can use Ziffit, Zapper or even Amazon to minimise your old items.

“The best time to start was yesterday, the next best time is now“

 

  • Clean Out Your Bookshelf – If you consider yourself a bookworm, I’m sure your bookshelf will be jam-packed! If you want to reduce your book collection so you are able to add some new additions or even sell old textbooks that you don’t need anymore, sites such as We Buy Books and Bookscouter are perfect for this.



  • Car Boot Sales – After your MAJOR cluttering session, if you have a ton of things to sell that would take too long to list on the internet or maybe are too big to send in the post, attend a car boot sale that is happening near you. You could also have a jumble sale outside your house – very little effort is required for this!

  • Sell Old Trash For Cash – There are some sites that will ACTUALLY PAY YOU for things that you are going to throw away anyway. These items can include old toilet rolls, jam jars, coat hangers, plastic milk bottle tops, and empty perfume bottles. You can use Facebook, Gumtree and Facebook to sell these.

  • Sell Your Old Gold – This can be a quick way of making money. You can take your old gold to jewellers or send it to postal gold websites, however gold can often be considered an investment so do some research on when the best time is to sell your gold.

 

Hopefully, this post has motivated you to see what hidden gems you can find in your home!

If you use any of these methods or you want to share your decluttering tips, make sure to tweet me @BritOnABudget1 and let me know!

 

 

The Step By Step Guide To Boost Your Productivity

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I’m sure at some point we have all had what seems like a million things that we needed to do but thought, ‘10 more minutes in bed won’t hurt’. If you are nodding your head, then keep reading this step by step guide on how to improve your productivity.

  1. Make a to-do list for the week – this ensures that you don’t forget about anything, and you can keep adding to this throughout the week. It also helps to plan out your meals for the week, as this saves both time and money.

2. Use the ‘Urgent/Important’ Matrix –  important activities have an outcome that leads us to achieving our goals, urgent activities demand immediate attention, and are often the ones we concentrate on. By sorting your to-do list into these sections it will help you to prioritise your tasks.

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3. Set deadlines for your tasks – Deadlines are designed to help you move closer to your goals every day, therefore this will allow you to focus on your milestones.

4. Create a productivity playlist – It has been proven that listening to your favourite type of music makes you happier and more productive during stressful situations, so put on that Abba album!

5. Turn off your phone notifications to eliminate distractions – 73% of people believe their use of electronic devices has contributed to stress in their life.

6. Have a tidy and organised work space – not only does a clean desk communicate professionalism, it reduces stress and allows you to remember important tasks. ‘Tidy desk, tidy mind”.



7. Reward yourself after finishing tasks or at the end of the day –  whether it’s giving in to your sweet tooth or treating yourself to a glass of wine, it is important to reward yourself and allow yourself to rest.

“You may delay, but time will not.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

Lets face it, we’re all still going to have those days where we still don’t feel like our head is 100% in the game, but hopefully this guide has helped you to get one step closer to where you want to be!