Lilac City Momma

Life Hacks

How to Stop Cold Callers Once and for All

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It’s one of the pet hates of modern-day life. Nowadays, your phone isn’t constantly buzzing because of your popularity (we wish), but rather the immense number of cold callers that somehow find their way to it.

Annoying would be an understatement – it’s something that can rile even the best of us.

The above is the reason we have pieced together today’s post. Let’s now take a look at some of the best ways to halt cold callers in their tracks, and make life more what it used to be in relation to your cell phone.

Method #1 – Make sure call screening is set up

Hopefully, this is the case for most of you. In short, if you don’t have call screening set up, you are just asking for all of these companies to start with their barrage of cold calls.

Most people have this set up, before tapping into a phone number lookup service to see who is calling them. If it’s clear that it’s someone unwanted, the call can be ignored (and placed on your own block list, if your device supports such a feature).

Method #2 – Exclude yourself from sales call lists

This sounds so obvious in principle, but one might be surprised at the number of people who have their name and number listed on a sales list. Usually, these come in the form of directories. Small businesses like to trawl through these directories and call everyone that comes into their sight as it’s a cheap and potentially efficient way of marketing for them.

Following on from this, always make sure you “opt out” of such directories. Additionally, if you find that you are being regularly contacted, simply ask the companies themselves to be removed from the call list. This is something they should legally oblige by, although to make sure they carry it out you could ask them in writing.

Method #3 – Turn to call blocking devices

If the problem surrounds your home phone, there are devices out there which can help you out. These devices are marketed as call blockers and will simply plug into the phone, allowing for easy screening.

These devices don’t tend to be needed for cell phones, with many of the modern models having this sort of feature built-in (as we spoke about previously).

Method #4 – Report offenders

Finally, there’s only so much cold calling anyone can take. It’s also worth mentioning that many people are tired of dealing with these companies, and this is the time in which you should report them.

The authorities are now more open than ever before to complaints in relation to cold calling. In other words, whatever you do report will be taken seriously and in some cases, if proven, large fines can be issued. Unfortunately, it’s only when a lot of people become accustomed to such tactics that the country as a whole is going to see a reduction in cold callers.

Why Online Coupons Could Be A Great Way to Save More in 2018

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We’d all like to get more for our money, but it can feel like clipping coupons is a fairly time-consuming thing to have to do just to save a small amount on a product. A lot of people also don’t really enjoy having to present coupons to people in-store, feeling like they could be holding up the line.

Happily, while printed coupons are still a promotional tool businesses use to offer customers discounts and encourage them to try or choose their brand, online coupons are becoming a far more prevalent way of doing this, and online coupons can be far quicker to find and use than their paper counterparts – as well as allowing you to claim discounts when you shop on the web.

Starting to Use Online Coupons

The best way to start saving with online coupons is to use sites that compile active online vouchers and offers from different companies and make them easy to find. A good example is ecouponshub.com. Many of these websites allow you to filter offers by type, so you can look for coupons for your grocery shop, online codes to help you save on clothing or even coupons and deals with your favorite restaurants and takeouts.

You can also often find that you can register with coupon sites and receive news straight to your email when new deals relevant to your interests are made available.

How Do You Redeem The Offers?

How you claim the discounts offered on your favorite coupon sites depends on the nature of the discount. Sometimes, offers are applied as standard. For instance, if you see a pizza delivery company offers a certain deal every Tuesday this month, you’ll be able to claim it just by making an order with them that fits the criteria to activate the deal.

In other cases, you may need to enter a code the coupon will give you when shopping online to activate the discount. It only takes a second to click on the deal and get the code you need. This is how things are normally done for deals that apply to online stores, and you’ll usually find a field on the online payment form that is for promotional codes.

The third kind of e-voucher is one that you need to print out and scan like a conventional coupon, and these will have a barcode.

What Can You Save on?

Aside from normal shopping, you will also find some good discounts on things like travel and hotels, cinema tickets and days out, and you can find discounts on subscription services too. For instance, you may find coupons that let you save on a gym membership, a magazine subscription, or using a TV streaming service or piece of software for a limited amount of time. Imagine all the money you can save by using coupons and finding those awesome deals and discounts!

If you want to shop smarter this year, check out coupon sites, and also consider running a quick search for active deals before making any new purchases!

Look for Checking and Savings Accounts

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Going through a divorce can prove emotionally and physically grueling. However, if you arm yourself with information, you can make sure to protect your own rights and to avoid getting blindsided by unexpected events. A background check can help you discover hidden assets, learn about your ex-spouse’s past, research your ex-spouse’s new love interest, and find any bank accounts about which you might not have known.

Image via Flickr by Got Credit

Unfortunately, spouses involved in a divorce can resort to unethical tactics when it comes to protecting cash. They sometimes open bank accounts in their own names and shield those accounts from their future exes.

Some people slowly transfer assets over time, while others make large transfers all at once. If you’re not familiar with your family’s current financial situation, you might not even realize that money has disappeared from shared accounts.

The problem becomes even more critical when spouses keep separate bank accounts for the duration of their marriages. In this case, you might not know how much money your partner has stashed away. A background check can reveal those hidden bank accounts so you can include them in your filings for divorce.

Discover Other Hidden Assets

Bank accounts aren’t the only assets that people can hide. Real property, from vehicles and investment homes to jewelry and collectibles, all have value. While some assets might prove more difficult to track than other, major purchases often show up on a background check.

You’re looking for any assets that should be included in the dissolution of your marriage. In most cases, any property that one spouse or the other acquires during the marriage becomes communal property. You might have heard about the massive property settlements that take place between celebrity couples, but even non-celebrities need to know about any assets that might be partially theirs.

Find Out About Your Partner’s Past

Maybe you don’t know your partner as well as you thought you did. A past criminal history, for instance, could lurk in your spouse’s background, and you’ll want to know about it before you finalize your divorce.

While a criminal history might not have any bearing on the divorce proceedings, it can help you better understand your spouse’s state of mind. Additionally, a history of violence could serve as a red flag that you need to be careful.

Research New Partners

If you and your spouse have children, you probably want to know about anyone that your partner might introduce into their lives. Background checks can help you learn about your spouse’s new partners, so you can protect your kids.

A background check can turn up all kinds of information, from past marriages and children to credit issues and criminal histories. All of this information can either warn you about trouble or put your mind at ease, depending on what you find.

A divorce might seem like the end of the world, but you’ll get through the process. Use background checks to keep your family safe and to protect your rights.

Essential Information You Need to Know About Palliative Care

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Palliative care is the kind of medical approach given to people with life-limiting diseases. They are at a point in their lives when they are just waiting for their time to be over. It does not mean they are to be left to fend for themselves. Instead, they still need to be given love and care.

 

The benefits

Cancer patients for instance who are on their final stages still need therapeutic massage every now and then. It won’t necessarily lead to recovery but it will at least make them feel better. Some patients also need counselling. There are times when they simply need someone to listen to them. It helps if a caregiver is there to do the job.

Suffering from a life-limiting disease also means that the patient experiences discomfort and stress all the time. It would be nice to just have someone by their side to ease the pain. The caregiver can provide medicine and other forms of therapeutic care but their presence alone is more than enough. Among the most common illnesses requiring caregivers are kidney failure, congestive heart diseases, Parkinson’s and cancer.

Getting a palliative care team

The team creates a plan based on the goals of the family. Not all patients with life-limiting diseases have the same problems. The team is usually composed of dieticians, therapists, counselors and even chaplains. The person asked to provide palliative care at home will most likely implement these plans with the help of the assigned experts.

Taking care of the patient

People with these illnesses suffer from anxiety and confusion. They also feel depressed knowing that their time may soon be over. Aside from physical pain like difficulty in breathing, diarrhea and nausea, they also suffer from all sorts of stress. They also feel embarrassed that they have to be given much care and attention.

For someone like you who is working full time and with kids, spending time with someone with this problem could be a really huge challenge. You will have a hard time balancing everything. It could even reach a point where you are affected personally. You can’t perform other tasks well since you are focused mainly on providing care for your loved one.

Beginning the process

You should start considering this type of care if curative therapies are no longer working. They can’t do anything to control the illness. The harm caused by some treatment also outweighs the benefits. At this point, forcing different treatments just to achieve full recovery is not only impossible, but inhumane. You just need someone to be there helping your loved one. They might be gone soon but at the very least, they have felt loved until the end. This also gives you time to be there as much as possible without having to take on too many responsibilities on your own, especially with work and other priorities that you can’t just drop. You will always know someone is there to help and to be company. You can have all the care needed and it will help keep the process simple for everyone in the family.

Even If You’ve Finally Moved In, Your Tasks are Not Over Yet

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Don’t think that once you have finally arrived at your new place, you no longer have anything to do. In fact, the tasks have just begun. There are a lot of things that you need to settle before you can finally take a rest. Here are some important reminders.

Say hi to your neighbours

You might not find this important but establishing a good relationship with the people closest to you is a must. If there are emergency problems, you can contact them for help. If you need someone to talk to, they can also be there as they are the nearest people to you. You should find some time just to say hi and let them know more about you.

Check the local post office

It is important that you have transferred all the mail addressed to your old house to your new house. Check with the post office if there has been mail delivered to your old place. This is pretty common. You should organise this even before moving to your new place. You must advise those who need to know about your change of address, especially for important bills.

Look for local professionals

It is great if you know a doctor or a vet whom you can really trust. In the event of an emergency, you don’t want to just find anyone close to you. While you have the time, start searching for local professionals. Ask your neighbours if they have recommendations. Read online reviews. Visit their offices or call them.

Contact insurance companies

You need a new insurance policy now that you are in a different place. If the previous insurance still applies, it would be great. You just have to change the address.

Consider getting a storage space

You might not have the time to arrange everything in your new place immediately. You should consider renting a storage space in a nearby facility. You can keep some items there while you are still fixing up your new place. It is more practical. Besides moving in to a new place can get messy. The last thing you want is a whole bunch of boxes left unopened in the corner of every room. Make your life easier and stay organized.

Hire a professional moving company

If the tasks involved once you have moved in seem overwhelming, imagine if you are yet to move. There are a lot more tasks that have to be done. Ask for help from a professional moving company like http://www.advanced-removals.co.uk. They will be there as scheduled. They can help pack the items, place them on a truck and deliver them to your new place.

It is not easy moving to a new place but if the opportunities are there, grab the chance. You should also get all the help you can get to make things easier.

 

Image: Pixabay.com