4 Home Window Repairs You Don't Need to Pay a Contractor For

Without windows, your home would be a dark and lonely building. Having windows in your home, though, can present some unique challenges when your windows have problems of one type or another. Although repairing a window yourself can seem daunting, the truth is that most window repairs are fairly easy to do on your own.

Broken Glass

Although caution should be used, broken glass is a problem that you can fix yourself. Depending on the type of windows that are installed in your home, disassembling the window to remove the broken pane of glass is fairly straightforward. 

By using a sharp knife to cut through the adhesive, you can have the old glass out and the new glass installed in no time. Just be sure to ask for some help to ensure you don't drop the new pane of glass.

Inadequate Sun Protection

If you find that your windows allow in too much sunlight, the good news is that you have plenty of do-it-yourself options to correct this problem. One option for reducing sunlight intrusion is window tinting. 

Since the tinting comes in pre-cut sections, all you have to do is smooth it over your window. Of course, you can also opt to install ziptrak awnings to provide extra shade and prevent the sun from invading your home.

Leaky Seals

One of the most common entry points for unconditioned outside air is through the seals around windows and doors. Fortunately, repairing the seals around your windows is an easy fix. 

All you have to do is remove the old, cracked caulk surrounding the windows on the inside and outside. Once the area is clean, apply new caulk, smooth it out, then allow it to dry. Before you know it, you'll have an airtight seal that can help to lower your energy costs.

Trouble Raising and Lowering

Opening your windows on a nice day is a great way to keep your home smelling fresh. Unfortunately, different problems with windows can make them difficult to raise and lower. In many cases, though, this problem can be fixed by simply lubricating the various moving points in the window until they begin to slide as easily as they're supposed to. 

In other cases, you may need to work with the counterweight to ensure it's properly attached to the sash. Ultimately, though, these repairs are simple and can help restore the proper operation of your window.

Performing your own window repairs can be a great way to avoid the costs of contractors and avoid having to buy new windows. While performing window repairs, though, it's important to keep safety at the forefront. 

Windows are quite heavy, and if one of them falls on you without being slowed down, it can cause a serious injury. Therefore, work smart, making sure to support the window when you're working on its components. Then, when you're done, you can sit back and appreciate your handiwork.

Financial Organization Skills You Should Know After Retirement

When it comes to your financial well-being, there is a lot that goes into it. Over the years, you'll be sure to develop more and more knowledge on how to properly take care of yourself in a financial sense. When it comes to the organization of your financial well-being, here are some of the things you should know after you retire.

Budgeting

The basis of all your financial organization skills should be budgeting. This is recording how much income you have coming in each month and what you'll be spending it on. Your budget should include things like rent or mortgage, insurance, groceries, and so forth. 

When you have budgeting skills, you can ensure that you make your payments on time and you don't go into unnecessary debt.

Bill Payment Calendar

Apart from building a good credit score and being able to sleep at night, making your payments on time can help you to avoid costly overdraft fees. Some credit card companies may even increase your interest rate if you don't pay your bill on time. Having a calendar system to ensure that you pay your bills on time is a necessity. 

Some retirees may find it easier to set up automatic payments for things like their mortgage and car insurance so they don't have to worry about paying for them manually each month.

Determining Asset Delegation

As you get older, you're more pushed into thinking about what will happen to all of your assets in the event that you die. Apart from getting insurance to help cover the costs associated with your funeral expenses, it's vital that you get your estate planning figured out. 



While most states will allow you to create wills yourself, it's highly advisable to seek out professional legal help. This way, you can ensure that your estate is delegated the way you intended it to be.

Financial Literacy

There are many financial terms out there that we have all heard of. But, how many of them do you actually understand and can utilize in your financial planning strategy for the future? 

It's a good idea to take some time to learn in-depth about things like annual percentage rates, CDs, mutual funds, trust funds, and so forth. This way, you can properly plan out your financial future using mediums that make sense to you.

Just because you're retiring from your day job doesn't mean that you have to stop learning. In fact, the years after retirement give you a great opportunity to capitalize on the wealth you've created. To get started, you should hone in your skills on the topics of the financial organization listed out above.

How to Make Money While Cleaning Your Home

Thoroughly cleaning your house every spring or fall can give you a great sense of accomplishment as well as make your home feel more spacious. While it is easy to find the obvious things you want to get rid of in the regular living areas, don’t overlook additional places in and around your home that need a good cleaning and will let you earn money in the process.

Attic

Past generations of mementos and trunks full of retro-style clothing can fetch a fair price when sold. Buyer interest and pricing depends largely on the items’ condition, their age, and the prevalence of similar items on the market already. 

Look through old boxes, bags, stacks, and trunks of things that you might not have thought about for a while. Chances are good that there will be plenty of items to part with, some of which could be bringing in unexpected income.

Basement

The basement or any storage area of your home may be full of unwanted trash that others will happily consider as treasures. Books, unused furniture, old toys and games, and similar possessions that no longer are used in your home can be advertised for sale online or locally at competitive prices. 



Make sure they are clean and in good condition and take care when shipping anything to a buyer to ensure that it is wrapped protectively and tracked by the shipping service to confirm delivery.

Shed

Your shed may need a good decluttering to make room for a new riding mower or other lawn equipment. Older tools and equipment are often sought by homeowners, contractors, and entrepreneurs who are looking for quality products at affordable prices. Unused construction leftovers, lawn decorations, and pet supplies may also draw buyer interest.

Garage

Don’t forget to look through your garage to get rid of things you no longer need. Extra painting supplies, garden tools, and patio umbrellas or kids’ swings are typical of used merchandise eager buyers are seeking. 

Vehicle enthusiasts will gladly pay cash for junk cars to restore and drive them or dismantle the frames for parts. Bicycles, skates, and other outdoor sports gear are also popular on consignment lists or at thrift stores.

Organize everything you no longer want or need, market it locally or online, and then collect cash as buyers carry away or receive by shipment your discarded debris. There is hardly an easier way to make easy cash.

Figuring Out Your Finances Before You Choose a House to Retire In

When it's time to retire, you need to consider where you want to spend your retirement. You need a final home where you are comfortable and safe. Of course, you also need to be able to afford the home. Here are some tips on figuring out your finances before you choose a house to retire in.

Living Within Your Means

Ultimately, you want to pick a home that you can afford easily. You don't want to stretch out your finances in your golden years. You want to have money to spend on vacations, dinners, and spoiling the grandchildren. For that reason, you need to pick a place that is in your budget.

Take the time to look at your retirement plans and income. It may be helpful to sit down with a financial advisor so that you set up a solid budget. They will be able to help you understand what money you have, what income you can get, and where you might be able to grow your money a little more. With all this information, you’ll be better able to set a
 manageable budget. Then you can figure out what you can afford to pay for your home.

Consider Additional Expenses

As you probably know by now, a home comes with a lot more expenses than just the sale price. You need to consider all of the additional costs you will have with your new home including HOA fees, home repairs, landscaping, taxes, and cost of living. These costs can add up quickly, so you need to include them in your budget every month. Make sure you have money for repairs, and good insurance, too.




When you start the purchasing and closing processes, you might consider consulting a real estate law firm. They can help you make a contract that protects you from paying too much or making too many concessions on a house that may need work to be up to your standards. They can also help you with other issues that might come up during the buying process.

Think About Medical Expenses

As we get older, we are more likely to run into serious medical issues. These medical problems are draining on the body, but they are draining on the bank account, too. You need to save plenty for any medical expenses that might come your way, including in-home care when you get to your final years. These things do not come cheap, so be prepared.

Your final home is an important decision. While you want to be comfortable in your golden years, you also want to have money to spend and give to the people you love. Before you pick a home, consider these aspects of your finances to help you make the right decision.

Sane Investing for Crazy Times

Smart investing in the best of times can be tricky, but figuring out how to manage assets while the world is going crazy can seem impossible. The good news is that experts like wealth management firm AOG's Frederick Baerenz tell clients that even in unprecedented times, there is a roadmap to sane investing.

Act Rationally

As president and CEO of AOG Wealth Management Inc., Frederick Baerenz has helped many clients through personal and global financial crises by never letting fear win the day. Instead, he advises clients to act according to long-term financial goals rather than panicking because their assets are losing value day-to-day. 

Making decisions based on emotion can cause fearful investors to cash out of temporarily volatile markets before they understand the impact and longevity of the current trend, so he recommends investors stick to what they know instead of what they feel.

Move Slowly

For folks who have many years of earning ahead, weathering the storm is often a better strategy than pulling their money out of investments too quickly. Although there will be times when selling at a loss makes sense, those who can wait it out should. 

Not only will waiting afford the time to make better decisions, but losses to assets such as stocks and real estate also are not realized until they’re sold, making it beneficial to simply wait and see what happens.

Choose Wisely

If the time does come to sell, investors should examine each asset’s historical performance rather than worrying about how much value it is currently losing. 

Performance history provides a better understanding of which investments typically bounce back and which consistently underperform, making it easier to streamline and fortify investment portfolios for the next time the markets don’t cooperate.

No matter what causes economic upheaval, investors can prevail even in the craziest times through sound principles and a levelheaded approach.

How to Save While Fighting a Rat Infestation

Just the thought of dealing with a rat infestation is enough to turn many people’s stomachs. Once rats have a chance to get a foothold, though, the problem is unlikely to go away on its own. 

The good news is that there are ways to save money while fighting a rat infestation so that you don’t find yourself strapped for cash while trying to avoid nightmares about rats in your home.

Lay Your Own Traps

Due to their larger size, rats are much harder to catch than other pests such as mice or roaches. Fortunately, there are traps that are specifically designed for rats that you can place around your home. 

The downside to laying your own traps is that you will have to dispose of the dead rats yourself once the traps have been successful. If you have a strong stomach, though, this can be a great way to get rid of your rat problem quickly and inexpensively.

Find An Honest Pest Control Expert

If you want someone else to take care of your rat infestation, it’s important to do some homework to find an honest and experienced pest control contractor. A quality pest control expert will explain to you the extent of the problem and help you choose the best solution. This approach will help save you money and ensure that the problem is eradicated.

Work Quickly

Once you discover a rat infestation, it’s important to act quickly. The last thing you want is for one of the rats to reproduce while you delay action, which could leave you with an infestation that takes much longer to get rid of. 

Another word of warning is to act quickly if you lay your own traps. If you don’t remove the rat bodies quickly enough, you could attract scavengers that could also choose to set up shop in your home.

Inconvenience Yourself

In some cases, fighting a rat infestation is most cheaply done when you’re willing to inconvenience yourself. For example, if the infestation is centered on a frequently used room in your home, you’ll want to fight the temptation to use that room so that the traps and other eradication methods can do their work. 

If you aren’t willing to put a few parts of your life on hold, you may need to use a more complicated eradication method that is more expensive.

Stop It Before It Starts

Of course, the best and least expensive way to fight a rat infestation is to stop it before it starts. Taking simple steps like keeping your grass cut, closing your trash can, and ensuring all gaps in your foundation are plugged can go a long way toward preventing rats from entering your home and taking over. 

If these prevention efforts fail, though, rest assured that there are economical ways to fight the infestation that will help return your life to normal.

Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter @BrookeChaplan