3 Things That You Should Not Do In Order To Save Money

Hi lovelies,

We all want to save money, it is great to have more money in our pockets than we have to pay out on bills each month. As such, there are so many brilliant ways of saving money and cutting your costs that we would recommend to you, but then there are also those ways that might seem like a good idea at the time but can actually cause you more problems in the long run. That’s why today we are sharing with 3 things that you should not do in order to save money. 

Buy fake items
This is one that seems so harmless and tempting, and yet it can actually do us more harm than good. There are so many fake products flooding the market now that it can seem like you are just getting a good deal, when in fact you are getting cheated.

You will want to avoid buying fake sunglasses as they are unlikely to offer the UV protection that the genuine article would, fake car parts could be very unsafe and fake baby products can harm your child in some cases. 

If the price seems too good to be true, then there might well be a reason for that. Pay attention to trusted websites and brands and people’s reviews of products in a bid to avoid inadvertently buying fake products. 

Cancel your insurance policies
We know that it can be frustrating to pay out for months, often years, on insurance policies that you have yet to claim on. We can see why this would be a tempting area for you to cut your costs. However, you really do need to weigh up the risks if you plan to do this.

Some insurances are compulsory anyway, so you definitely do not want to cancel those unless you want to be in trouble with the law. Aside from those, do be realistic and honest with yourself about the potential repercussions if you do not have insurance in place. 

If you have no pet insurance, are you willing to have your pet put down if they need expensive medical care, or can you actually fund it? If your home is burgled, can you really afford to replace anything taken?

Cheap home improvements
Many of us carry out home improvements every year and in most cases they add value in terms of our own satisfaction in our home and in the monetary sense. 

Of course you should shop around before purchasing and you should get a few quotes from tradesmen before committing to your project. You might also be able to carry out some of it yourself and can substantially reduce the cost that way. However, it can sometimes be tempting to cut costs in other ways on home improvement projects and we would not recommend that.

Where we would advise caution is in cutting any corners on your renovations. You might find that your home then no longer meets regulations, aside from being unsafe for you, it will result in your home being devalued. If your builders are suggesting working in this way, tempting as the prices might be, walk away and find people that will carry out the work complying with all regulations. 

Photo credit for this collaborative post: Image Pixabay - Pixabay License

Run Your Own Business? Here’s How to Make Your Life Easier

Pexels - CCO Licence

Hi lovelies,

No matter what industry you’re in, running your own business can be difficult. With long hours and complete responsibility, it’s not surprising that business owners feel the pressure. However, there are ways to make your life easier.

By working smarter, not harder, you can increase your downtime, operate more efficiently and increase productivity. In turn, you’ll be happier at work and be able to grow your business at a faster pace. 

Plan in advance
When there’s lots to be done, it makes sense to just get on and do it. Indeed, working hard is a key part of being a successful business owner. However, working without a strategy can limit your output and mean you miss out on important areas. 

By planning your day in advance, you can determine what tasks are really important and which ones can wait a little longer. Ranking tasks by importance and urgency is a good way to see what really matters and it will help to ensure that core business functions are always prioritized. 

Take a break
No-one can work 24/7 without suffering ill-effects, so don’t think you’ll be any different. Whilst starting a business does require long hours and almost constant availability, it’s important to schedule breaks too.

Whilst you may not want to take a full day off, ensure you have some downtime throughout the week. Business owners can often miss out on time with family and friends, so remember that your personal life matters too.

When you are at work, don’t try to work straight through. Not only will you lose focus, it will take you longer to get things done too. Instead, take a break every hour or two or schedule a break in between tasks to ensure you’re adhering to your schedule. 

Use automation
There are numerous ways to automate your business functions, and these are often the best way to make your life easier. With dedicated options for start-ups and SMEs, automating your advertising, bookkeeping or marketing is simple and straightforward. 

When you use Google Ads automation for enterprise agencies, for example, you can plan your PPC campaigns well in advance and monitor performance as and when you need to. Managing online marketing manually can be time-consuming, so why not take advantage of automation tools to streamline your workload?

Be prepared to say no
When you’re launching a new business, it can be tempting to say yes to every offer or proposal that comes in. However, you can’t please everyone all of the time. Furthermore, not every offer you receive will benefit your business. 

Learning how to say no is an important part of being a successful business owner and it will certainly make your life easier in the long run.

Enjoy yourself
Running your own business gives you the freedom to be creative and follow your dreams. Despite the difficulties and setbacks you’ll face, remember to enjoy your journey and make the most of being your own boss! 

4 Ways TurboTax Makes Adulting Easier

*Although this is a sponsored post with TurboTax, all opinions are my own.

Hi lovelies,

As a millennial, I’ve been easing my way into adulting and checking off doing my own taxes and getting the biggest refund possible has been on the top of that list - along with figuring out my 401k plan and how to properly fold my fitted sheets.

But now that tax season is officially upon us, it’s time to replace that dreaded pit in my stomach from procrastinating on something I know I need to get to done, with a healthy slice of avocado toast and an organic oat milk latte, because doing my taxes has never been easier thanks to TurboTax.

So if you’re like me, and you’re ready to adult-so-hard and slay this tax season with effortless ease, then read below for four ways that TurboTax makes adulting easier.

4 Ways TurboTax Makes Adulting Easier

#1: Step-by-step guided questions for the biggest refund possible

TurboTax takes the guessing out of how to file your taxes. You don’t need to be a tax expert to file your taxes using TurboTax. Simply use the step-by-step guide that asks you easy-to-answer questions about your personal life (marital status, charitable donations, etc.), career (freelancer, full-timer, etc.), and big life changes (buying your first home, just moved, etc.) that will help you get the biggest tax refund possible, guaranteed.

#2: You can get help on demand from real CPAs with TurboTax Live

You can connect live with real CPAs  for unlimited help and advice while filing your taxes. You can chat with TurboTax Live experts via one way video, so you can see them, but they can’t see you. Which means that you can get expert help with your taxes from your couch, in your PJs! The tax experts are even available nights and weekends, for next-level convenience. You can even have a CPA review your return line-by-line for 100% confidence, so you know that everything is in order before you file.  

#3: Self-employed tax  solutions

Whether you’re a small business owner, social media influencer, writer, photographer, nanny, tech consultant, graphic designer, or Lyft driver, one of the most stressful things about being self-employed can be knowing how to properly file your taxes without the worry of making a mistake or missing out on key tax deductions for a bigger refund.

But TurboTax eases those fears with their Self-Employed product. It helps you to identify unique deductions that are personalized to you and your line of work.  It searches for industry-specific tax deductions from business expenses like online training courses or marketing materials, to help you get every deduction you qualify for. It also includes a Self-Employed Audit Assessment to help you file your self-employment taxes with complete confidence. As an added bonus, for a limited time, TurboTax Self-Employed comes with a complimentary subscription to QuickBooks Self-Employed, to help you save time and manage your expenses more easily, with expense tracking, automatic mileage tracking, and simple receipt capture.

#4: There’s an app for that

Did you know that you can file your taxes on theTurboTax App? It doesn’t get easier than that and you can file while-on-the-go from your phone, desktop, or tablet. You can even take a quick photo of your W-2, get your information approved and verified, and then automatically uploaded onto the correct tax forms. It’s almost as easy as taking the perfect selfie, and you don’t even have to worry about getting your lighting just right!