Family Life Archives - Creating a Better Life

Five Lifestyle Considerations When Buying a Car

When buying a car many people forget to consider their lifestyle and what type of vehicle will best suit their needs. Here are five lifestyle considerations to mull over when buying your next car:

Price: This is always going to be the driving force behind your car purchase. However do not just consider the price itself. Consider any associated costs that will affect your monthly spending. For example you might think it sounds like a great price, but not look at the monthly payments and how they will impact your budget. Consider interest as well as insurance as part of the price so you are not caught off guard when you drive the car off the lot and see your first payment come out of your bank account. Insurance will vary based on the style of car you purchase so make sure you understand what you will be paying. Then take a long hard look at your interest and any other fees associated with your monthly car payments and be certain that number combined with your insurance is affordable.
Mileage: It is hard to incorporate petrol as part of your price, so consider this separately. With the crazy prices of petrol it may be difficult to fathom a realistic budget. With this in mind, the less money you have the better mileage you will want your car to enjoy. Make sure you look carefully at how often you will have to fill up before you commit to a purchase. There is no point buying a car you can’t afford to drive.
Day to Day Travel: Consider how you will be using your car day to day. Will you be driving to work?If so is it a long commute? Do you need Bad Credit Car Finance, Normal Car Finance, or can you afford to buy your car outright? Will you be doing more city driving then highway driving? Do you drive everyday alone, with a car pool, with a spouse? Do you have kids that need to be dropped off at school? Factor in all of these points to make sure you are buying a car that suits your day to day lifestyle and driving needs.
Play: Some drivers will just use their cars for the basics, shopping, getting to work, carting around the kids and other “out and about” tasks. However if you are someone who uses your vehicle for play such as camping, playing in a rock band on weekends or sports activities requiring a lot of equipment than you want to be certain your new vehicle can support your off hours activities. You may even use your vehicle itself and require a 2017 Ford Escape SUV for off roading or other fun hobbies. If budget allows be certain you purchase a car to support your needs both from a practical stand point as well as any additional requirements.
Work: If you are purchasing a car that you will also use for business purposes be certain your car will meet your needs. Whether it is lugging around equipment, delivering cakes or storing samples for demonstrations, measure the trunk and make sure it will accommodate your business needs.

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Family Time: 6 Activities That Will Help Build That Lasting Bond

The more technology becomes a part of our lifestyle, the more complicated our lives become. One thing that should not get lost in the turmoil is family time. Setting aside time for family sharing is critical for supporting and nurturing your relationship.

Plan activities you can do as a family and schedule them as often as you can. Here are 6 ideas to get you started.

Enjoy Nature

This can be as simple as taking a walk together after dinner, or you can plan hikes, bike rides, scavenger hunts, bird watching or canoe outings. Some families sign up with community efforts to pick up litter or beautify a park. Many children today do not spend as much time in nature as kids once did, and sharing family time exploring the natural world nurtures children’s creativity and curiosity, provides play time, supports their health and development and allows the entire family to discuss and learn about the environment.

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Hold Family Dinners

Families that eat together have been shown to have better relationships. A recent study found that frequent family meals were significantly associated with lower depression, fewer risk-taking actions by young people and overall better well-being.

Play Games

Family game nights are a perfect way to share time together. Each family member can have a turn at choosing the game or you can rotate among a selected number of choices. Whether you choose board games, video games, card games or computer games, make sure every member can participate at some level.

Cook

What better way for everyone in the family to learn more about nutrition and the food they eat than to prepare and cook it themselves. Food preparation and cooking are important skills for children to learn, and even young kids can stir or add ingredients to a recipe under supervision. Continue reading “Family Time: 6 Activities That Will Help Build That Lasting Bond”

How To Get Help Taking Care Of Your Family

When it comes to taking care of your family, it seems like it gets harder and harder every day. The price of things go up, but how much you make on a daily basis never seems to grow. This can often lead to having more bills than money. It can be frustrating, trying to meet ends meet each and every month. Thankfully, there are things you can do to help you make the most of every dollar, and save money around the house.

A good place to start to learn about how to get help taking care of your household is to talk to your local Department of Human Services office. They can help you to begin the process to apply for various services that can help your family, from getting your daycare needs paid for, to even temporary cash aid.

These services are available to families in need, and they will all have different requirements. Most of them are income based, so you will need to make sure that you have any proof of income and your proof of residency available when you make your visit to your local Department of Human Services office.

Once you have these services, there are even more ways for you to get assistance and save money. We all know how expensive it is to have a cell phone. Thankfully, if you are approved for services, benefits and other services, you can likely be approved for Lifeline phone service, both in your home and on a cell phone. Continue reading “How To Get Help Taking Care Of Your Family”