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Budgeting

Bob Mims Memphis: The Effects Of Divorce On Men

March 19, 2018 by Lynn

It doesn’t matter what reason has been cited, divorce can have all sorts of repercussions on men. A routine which may have lasted for decades has effectively been thrown out of the window, and what often happens is that guys are left to stroll around the golf course on an August afternoon in a bid to fill the hours.

Mature man toying with gold wedding ring on finger

Of course, there’s far more to it than this. This is something that Bob Mims Memphis has discovered, and the findings from his work are interesting to say the least. Some of these findings have arrived from university-esque studies, while others have been found through reports in the community. Let’s now take a look at the typical effects of divorce on the modern-day man.

It takes men longer to adjust emotionally than women

Men are often regarded as having less emotional sensitivity than a woman, but studies have found that they actually struggle to adapt to their new situation more than women. It’s understood that a man will really struggle to cope with the loss of a social connection and intimacy, which are areas which a typical woman will be able to grasp more quickly. There is also an issue about finances here, with men tending to struggle more now that the finances have been divided (and ultimately been reduced).

Men will remarry more quickly than women

Following on from the previous point, this next one sounds almost strange. However, once a man has got over the initial period of emotional instability, it appears as though they will tend to remarry a lot more quickly.

This is what a different study revealed, with divorced men much more likely to walk down the aisle at a quicker rate than their divorced ex.

Men can be more negative about divorce

Like most of the points we have talked about, there might be an element of surprise with this next point as well. Once again, as men are seen as the less sensitive type, it’s generally assumed that they will “get on” with things and ultimately spend more time doing the things they enjoy (like heading to the golf course!).

However, research has suggested that they are more negative about the prospect of divorce, and will often try and reconcile before finally accepting the situation. Again, considering the statistics regarding remarrying, this can be quite a tricky point to understand for many.

Shared parental responsibility often means that the dad plays a significant part in the child’s life

Fortunately, divorce doesn’t always have to end significantly badly for children in the middle of things. It has been found that those dads who have shared parental responsibility are much more likely to participate in their child’s life, than so called “deadbeat” dads. This doesn’t just relate to the time they spend with them either, but also the money they pledge towards their development. In other words, it truly is an equal split between both parents – which is often debated.

Filed Under: Budgeting

The Benefits Of Physical Gold

March 9, 2018 by Lynn

A lot of Americans are feeling a bit uncertain about the future of the dollar and of the global markets in general. When confidence in stocks and paper currencies falls, people tend to turn towards physical assets, especially precious metals, with gold being the perennial favorite. There are lots of ways to invest in gold, but in uncertain times, direct ownership of this asset is best, so pay a visit to Golden Eagle Coins to start off your stockpile.

Why direct ownership is best

Direct ownership means that you’ve bought physical gold – whether it’s jewelry, bars or coins. Of course, there’s ETFs and shares in mining companies, but when the economic climate is looking gloomy, people feel safer holding their own assets than trusting a company that could fold at any minute.

The love of gold never dies

Gold has been our most prized, desired and treasured precious metal. As soon as humans worked out how to extract it from its ore or from its seams, it’s driven our appetites and we haven’t lost our enthusiasm for this metal millennia later. In fact, our love of gold has grown, especially now we know how to use it in science, medicine and industry.

It’s inflation-proof

Whatever you pay for your gold at any one time, you can sell it for its future price when the time comes. Gold doesn’t ever devalue; of course, its market value will take a dip every so often, but it always rises over time because supply never quite reaches demand. If you bought a car for $10,000 in 2012, there’s no way you’d get $10,000 for it now, even though all the new cars cost more due to inflation. With gold, you never have to worry about this sort of devaluation and depreciation.

It never loses its intrinsic value

As an element, gold will always have a high value to humanity because of its appearance, its rarity and its many other applications. It’ll always be in high demand and if there’s ever a financial or other sort of crisis, you can sell it or use it as currency no matter where you are in the world.

The biggest benefit of gold is that you can take physical possession of it – the old adage “If you can’t hold it, you don’t own it,” is very true. If you think about mutual funds, shares, ETFs and so on, all it takes is a big enough hack or a worldwide financial crash and your investments are all gone as they’re just theoretical digits in a program. Gold, on the other hand is portable and tangible. No-one can wipe it clean from a balance sheet as long as you can protect it.

Not many other assets and investments – physical or not – have these advantages; physical gold gives you a solid insurance policy against financial meltdown. Even better, it will carry on performing nicely for you when the going’s good as it only ever increases in value. What’s not to love?

Filed Under: Budgeting, Life Hacks

How To Save Money On Your Wedding Cake

February 26, 2018 by Lynn

The speeches have concluded, the music starts, and everyone leaves their seats to feast on the plethora of platters that you took five loans out to afford. Then, dessert comes and it’s time to cut the cake. The cake you spent hundreds of dollars on is now going to be devoured by uncle Steve’s five toddlers and aunt Sharon’s seven cousins who came uninvited. Nobody even bothered saying thanks.

Now you’re sitting and thinking, was it really all necessary? Of course not! You could do with a much more budget-friendly cake while still keeping your guests satisfied and adhering to the traditional ceremony of cutting it. By saving money on your wedding cake, you’re left with more money to put towards other aspects of your wedding such as the wedding venue, or simply more money to save for the future. After all, this is likely the time when you’ll need every cent you can get.

Tone Down On The Flowers

While tasty icing flowers may look great, each piece takes between 30 minutes and two hours to be completely created and implemented on your cake. Naturally, this will result in a hefty labor cost, especially if you decide to have a whole bouquet of the things stuck to your cake. Instead, you could use fresh, real flowers, provided they’re properly clean.

Of course, you could go the full frugal route and simply use fake flowers, but they likely won’t look particularly flattering. Another alternative would be to use simple sugar flower designs such as hydrangeas and calla lilies. More mainstream options such as roses and peonies aren’t nearly as affordable.

Skimp on Specialists

Chances are there’s a boutique or local baker nearby that can make your cake for even cheaper than a full-blown specialist would. Sure, it won’t look as intricate and extravagant, but the point is to save money. The catering service at your wedding location might also have some affordable options.

As a matter of fact, some caterers will even charge a fee if you decide to use another baker. Scummy, but that’s business. Take a look at allcakeprices.com to get a better idea of the options you have for each type of baker.

Watch Where You’re Putting It

Many couples often overlook other aspects of the cake, such as the stand, and end up wasting tons of money purchasing an unnecessarily extravagant one. After all, who’s going to look at the stand? Many bakers provide decorated stands and boards free of charge, so purchasing a whole tower is completely unnecessary.

If your cake is more on the bland side and you want to spruce it up with some nice accessories, consider adding some candles, linen, and repurposed bridesmaid boutiques to keep it looking as great as the rest of your wedding setup. There are numerous guides available that can help you decide which stand will work best.

Conclusion

If you’re skeptical as to how your frugal cake will be received, keep in mind that’s it’s just a tiny part of a huge event where most attendees will likely be so hopped up on emotions (or alcohol) that they seriously won’t even remember your cake.

Filed Under: Budgeting, Life Hacks

Summer Sun With The Kids – How To Organize Cheap A Vacation

February 14, 2018 by Lynn

Every family should have at least one vacation per year. It’s a great opportunity to spend quality time together, away from the pressures of work and school. The kids can play on the beach or in the pool and the adults can chill out. Because everyone is so much more relaxed on vacation, there will be fewer arguments and less stress.

The biggest problem, however, is how to find an affordable vacation. The more kids you have, the more costly a blue sky holiday will be. Fortunately, it is possible to find cheap vacations to family-friendly destinations, and here’s how.

Travel During Off-Peak Periods

Traveling during school holidays is always more expensive. Travel operators bump up the costs during peak travel times, so the average family vacation can double or triple in price in July and August. Many families are restricted to booking vacations during the school break, but if you have any flexibility or your child’s school is willing to let you book a trip during term time, make the most of the cheaper prices.

Book in Advance

There are plenty of bargains to be had if you are willing to lock in a family vacation several months in advance. Popular operators offer great family discounts on early bird deals. If you are lucky, you may be able to book a package holiday to a popular destination where the kids travel free. For families with special requirements, or a burning desire to stay in a specific hotel, this really is the best option, as leaving it until the last minute means places will be limited.

Look for Online Last-Minute Bargains

Whilst making an advanced booking often secures some great discounts, there is also a lot to be said for waiting until the eleventh hour to book a family getaway. Most operators drastically cut their prices because they would rather sell a cheap vacation than have hotel rooms left empty. Travel operators sell off holidays much cheaper close to the departure date. If you are flexible, you should find all kinds of bargain deals to a range of different destinations, including 5* resort hotels.

Take Advantage of Online Deals

There are some amazing deals, coupons, voucher codes and special offers if you have the time to look online. Sign up for vacation websites such as Secret Hotels and wait for amazing deals to land in your inbox. These operators do the hard work and all you have to do is book your dream vacation for you and the kids.

Use Free Points to Go on Vacation

Do you use a credit card for your everyday spending? Many major credit cards have great value loyalty schemes that let you earn points for spending money on groceries, gas, and even your utility bills. You can earn Avios points and spend them on flights and hotels or save up points and redeem them for vouchers to spend on a vacation. What’s not to like about that?

Got any more great tips? Let us know!

Filed Under: Budgeting, Kid Things, Mommy Blog, Travel

Mortgage Advisors in Florida Are Giving Seniors New Hope

January 31, 2018 by Lynn

On January 1, 2009, the US federal government made it possible for senior citizens to move home for any reason they wanted to. This gave rise to a huge increase in demand for mortgage advisors in Florida who had an understanding of these changes in laws. This has been made possible through the HECM purchase program, but few people really understand what this means.

Mortgage Advisors in Florida on the HECM Purchase Program

In a nutshell, HCEM means that people over the age of 62 can apply for a reverse mortgage on a different property, leading to them not having to make any payments at all. That sounds too good to be true, but it actually isn’t. It does mean that you need to understand the process, however.

Before HECM, a senior citizen would have to take out a reverse mortgage if they wanted to buy a different home and didn’t have the actual cash for it. They would then have to look for a new home and buy it in cash. Then, they would need to sell their old property to pay off the reverse mortgage on that property. And then, finally, they would need to apply for another reverse mortgage on the new property, so that they would have money in their account again. Considering all the various closing fees associated with this, they would often be thousands out of pocket.

Now, however, the HECM allows those over the age of 62 to sell their home and to then use some of the proceeds towards that property, financing the rest with a reverse mortgage. How much they can get depends on how young the youngest owner is, and what the purchase price (or appraised value – whichever is lower) of the property is.

No credit checks have to be completed, seniors simply have to demonstrate that they have some funds available to put towards it. Closing costs can generally be added into the loan. This means that they can keep money in their account for their retirement fund as well. By only investing the minimum as a down payment and keeping the balance, they may also be able to avoid capital gains tax, which is up to $500,000 on primary residences if they lived there for at least two years. This means they end up with even more money in their pocket as well. The benefits, therefore, include:

Not having to pay taxes on any gains on the property up to $500,000.

Not having to use most of your money to purchase a new home.

Being able to live in a new home without any mortgage payments for life.

Being able to bargain on the price of a replacement home.

Being able to purchase a home to the value of up to $417,000.

Being able to retain a lot of tax free funds for your own retirement.

The only real downside is that the system is quite complex to understand, but that is what a professional advisor can help with.

Filed Under: Budgeting

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The Lilac City Momma

Hi ladies! I'm Lynn, the mother of two beautiful children. I have a 4 year old girl and an 8 month old boy. I love them beyond works, but sometimes motherhood is exhausting. So I started this blog to share all my DIY's, hacks and recipes to make life easier on moms around the world.

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