4 Low Maintenance and Low Cost Activities Hotels Can Provide for Their Guests

Is your hotel's business lagging, or maybe you're looking to expand and tap into new markets? Nothing brings in guests like unique and useful amenities, but offering enjoyable activities can cost a pretty penny. 

However, you don't have to spend a fortune to attract customers. Here are four low-maintenance and low-cost activities you can provide for your guests.

Bark in the Park

Many people consider their pets members of the family, and your hotel can score more business by welcoming their fur babies. Take pet-friendly a step further by offering a dog park so your four-legged guests can blow off steam at the end of the day. 

If you have some outdoor space to spare, a dog park is a very affordable amenity to provide. Just fence off the area and include fido-friendly accessories like a waste bag dispenser and durable toys.

Serve Up Some Fun

A tennis court beats the gym any day and is fun for families and business travelers alike. You might think adding a court to your property will break the bank, but tennis court construction can be very affordable with a little planning. 



They don’t require the same maintenance as lawns or gardens, and tennis balls and rackets are easily replaced when damaged. A simple court and net is all you need to provide your guests with a great place to exercise, and the occasional hosing down is all the court needs to stay clean.

Light the Night

Want to attract more families to your hotel? An outdoor fire pit is a very easy and affordable attraction that draws in not only families but also schools and scout groups. Installing a fire pit is a simple project that your maintenance staff can handle. 

Just be sure to check with your local fire department to make sure your pit is up to code and that you have any necessary permits before lighting it up.

Easy Food Options

The food truck trend shows no signs of stopping, and there's no easier or more affordable way to entice guests to your hotel than inviting vendors to set up on your property. Choose trucks that are clean, well-designed and offer unique and tasty dishes. 

You can either bring in extra revenue by charging the food truck vendors an operating fee or include meals for free with a room and pay the vendors to serve your guests.

When considering activities to provide for your guests, it's important to consider not only the upfront cost but also the return on your investment. A more expensive activity may pay for itself over time, while a cheaper but less attractive one could end up costing more in the long run.

4 Financial Investments That Pay Off When You Hit Retirement

A staggering number of young professionals haven’t started saving for retirement. This is startling, especially considering that many economists anticipate public entitlements like social security to run out over the next few decades. It’s important that working professionals start thinking about their retirement sooner rather than later.

To help you get started, here are four financial investments that pay off when you hit retirement. Remember, by living frugally now, you can live a lot more comfortable down the road.

Individual Retirement Account (IRA)

An individual retirement account, also known as an IRA, is a retirement fund that you invest in independently. It’s not managed or controlled by your employer. There are limits to how much you can add to your IRA each year, but if you invest the maximum amount on an annual basis, you can see huge benefits at retirement.

401K

A 401K is a retirement fund that you invest in through your employer. While it doesn’t have the same potential of a high payout that an IRA does, most 401Ks have the added bonus of employer-matching, which means that your company will match whatever you put into your 401K. Ideally, you should have both a 401K and an IRA to maximize your earnings when you retire.

Real Estate

No investment is more valuable than real estate. Whether you invest in adult community homes for sale, single-family homes or apartment complexes, real estate almost always appreciates in value and has the potential to create a very generous payout for the investor. 

Real estate generates income by serving as a rental property for the owner or by generating a great profit when the owner decides to finally sell or move in.

High-Yield Savings Account

If you don’t have the resources to put into the aforementioned retirement investment options, then at least consider creating a high-yield savings account. These savings accounts offer investors a higher interest percentage than their lower-yield counterparts. 

While an IRA or 401K is usually a better option, a high-yield savings account can still generate a good amount of money, provided that the investor leaves the account alone and doesn’t dip into it whenever they need extra money.

It’s important to plan for your retirement. The sooner you start saving, the better off you’ll be in your golden years. All of these options can help to ensure a safe and comfortable future.

3 Financial Habits That Set You Up for Success

It is incredible to consider how many people either do not have a savings account or do not use one. It seems that most people rely solely on their checking accounts. There are many reasons why this is a bad idea. Savings accounts are designed to help you better manage your finances. 

They also end up paying much more interest, on average, than checking accounts do. When you have money that you do not need to spend right away, it is typically better to sock it away in your savings than it is to put it in your checking account where you might be tempted to spend it. Here are three reasons why you should always deposit money into your savings account.

Emergencies Are Always A Possibility

While things might be going great today, there is always the possibility of an emergency on the horizon. When you need money in a hurry, it is much better to use the cash in a savings account than it is to borrow the money. 

When you have a savings account that contains money for a rainy day, you will never have to worry about how you are going to account for an emergency ever again. This is a great, liberating feeling to have.

If you can, open a Health Savings Account. Having a pre-tax HSA will allow you to have a savings account that can only be used for medical visits and supplies. This will keep temptation out of dipping into the savings account for other uses. It will also help ease any feeling of financial guilt that comes with human nature when you go to the doctor. 



This way, you know the co-pay is not coming from your checking account, and you can worry about getting your family medical care without worrying about the financial aspect. Many employers will do an HSA match amount that can become a very valuable benefit.

Save for A Long Term Goal

If you want to do something in the future, it helps to begin saving for it today. Perhaps you want to take a cruise for your 25th wedding anniversary. Begin saving now and earmark it for that trip. Then, you will have the money when the times come to take a trip of a lifetime.

Financial success comes in many forms. Investing your savings in a way that you can multiply your money. There are success stories of ordinary families that learned how to get rich in the military, for example. Saving $500 a paycheck when you get a new job or raise can lead to $12,000 in yearly savings. This is a way you can get out of debt instead of increasing your spending habits. That home deposit, the new business idea doesn’t seem so out of the ordinary anymore.

Get Ready for A House Deposit

You might not be ready with the money today to buy a house, but you hope to at some point. Real estate is a great investment. However, you will need a deposit to put down on a new home to qualify for a great rate on your mortgage. The more money you can save towards this deposit, the lower your monthly payments will be in the end. You will also reduce the amount you pay towards interest over the term of the loan.

If you can buy it, then buy a home. Getting in the habit of looking ahead is something you can do even if you are stuck renting at the moment. Talk to a real estate agent, a loan officer before you are ready. Get in the habit of knowing where you want to go and what work you need to do to get there. Nothing will magically appear on your lap. Plan for success.

These are just three of the many functions of a savings account. This allows you to have a focused means of saving money that you will need at some point in the future. It helps to minimize the temptation of spending money today that you really need for the future. The way to best accomplish this is to make regular deposits into your savings account so that money will be there when you need it.

5 Features Your Personal Checking Account Should Have

Your personal checking account is a necessity for paying your bills in this digital world. With so many options out there to choose from, it can be hard to decide which bank to get an account from. Here are five features that can help you to determine which personal checking account is best for you.

Mobile Deposit

No longer do you need to waste time out of your Friday to go to the bank. You can easily deposit your check with mobile deposit offered by many of the popular banks. This simply allows you to take pictures of your signed paycheck and submit it. Most banks will credit your account within seconds of your submission.

Online Bill Pay

No one likes to waste their money or their time putting stamps on envelopes. With online bill pay, you don’t have to. You can easily pay your usual monthly bills via your online checking account. This is a widely available feature at most banks that you should be on the lookout for.


When it comes time to open your own personal checking account, you don’t just want to go to any ole bank. You should be checking the various features of the checking accounts offered by numerous banks to ensure they can meet your needs. The above five features are the bare minimum essentials any checking account should offer you.

Free ATMs

While you may not think about it at first, when you set up personal checking accounts you want to be able to use your debit card to get cash. Sometimes we need cash for places that won’t accept cards and other times it’s just easier to keep track of our cash than using a debit card. Either way, you should have access to a wide network of charge-free ATMs where you can withdraw the cash you need whenever you need it.

Online Banking

Most of us don’t really get regular billing statements for anything that we purchase. Rather, we get online statements. Your personal checking account should be the same way. You should be able to assess your recent transactions, move money in your accounts, and deposit your checks via their online platform.

No Minimum Balance or Deposit Requirements

There’s been a popular trend lately created by the bigger banks that require you to deposit a specific amount of money each month into your account or to maintain a minimum balance in that account. 

This is done to help ensure that your account stays active so the bank doesn’t have to pay maintenance costs on keeping your account open when it’s not active. Not every bank is like this. You should opt for creating an account at a bank that has none of these requirements.

When it comes time to open your own checking account, there are some things you need to look out for. The above are five of the features that you should ensure your personal checking account has available with it. This way, you can get the most out of your banking experience.

Your Financial Options When Insurance Won’t Cover Auto Repair Costs

If your vehicle has squeaky brakes, a dented side panel, or a broken windshield, it is important to have the problem fixed quickly. However, there is a chance that your auto insurance policy won’t cover the cost to have vehicle damage fixed. Let’s look at some ways to pay a repair bill when your insurance company won’t help you.

Look Into Getting a Personal Loan

Personal loans are designed for individuals of all credit scores and histories. Unsecured personal loans generally have lower interest rates than credit cards, which can make it easier to afford the monthly payment. 

One of the key benefits to this option is that you know ahead of time when the balance will be repaid in full and how much interest the lender will receive.

Credit Cards Can Help in an Emergency

Typically, chipped windscreen replacement services are covered by your insurance policy. However, it may be necessary to pay a deductible of $200 or more to have the work done. There may also be a deductible to have other types of repairs made to your vehicle. 



If you have good credit, it may be possible to get a new credit card with 0% interest for up to 18 months. This will allow you to pay for the repair over several months without putting yourself too far into debt.

Payday Loans Can Help for Small Repair Bills

If you don’t have great credit, payday loans may be an option to help pay for emergency repairs that are less than $1,000. There is no credit check required for loan approval, and you can get the money in a matter of hours or days. 

However, it is worth pointing out that the interest rate for such a loan can be extremely high. Therefore, it is a good idea to have a plan to repay the balance before applying for emergency financing.

Get Money from a Friend or Family Member

As with any other financial emergency, you could try asking a friend or family member for help. These individuals may be able to loan you the hundreds or thousands of dollars that you need in a short period of time. Furthermore, they may be more lenient when it comes to paying the money back.

A car that is properly maintained is generally safer to drive, and cars that are properly maintained generally last longer. Therefore, it is important that you have a plan to pay for any repairs that your insurance policy won’t cover regardless of how expensive they may be.

Approaching Retirement? 4 Reasons to Work With a Financial Planner

You are slowly heading for retirement after putting years of hard work into accumulating wealth for your retirement days. It’s quite easy to misappropriate funds that you had planned for your retirement years. 

Bringing in a financial planner will help you allocate your funds and plan for retirement in a more logical and organized way. With irregular paychecks, we want to believe that you will need a financial planner as you approach your retirement days.

Living entirely on a pension isn’t a great idea

During retirement, your paycheck gets cut off since you are off the payroll. Luckily, you should have accumulated pension funds that will stand-in for the absent paycheck after you retire. 

Unfortunately, pension money may not be adequate to finance a comfortable lifestyle. Your financial planner will help you strategize on how to supplement the pension money and afford the lifestyle you have always dreamed of in your old days.

Make ideal investment choices

Your lifetime savings might come in handy during your retirement period if you decide to invest them in good ventures. Through a financial planner, you will choose investments that meet your goals and needs, whether you want them to be in the long-run or short-term. 



You can reduce the risks of losing your savings since the adviser is more knowledgeable of the stocks, capital, and investments market.

Get professional insights

When you need medical help, you will head to the doctor’s office for professional and quality assistance. If you want to eat better, you will talk to a dietitian. The same case applies when you need to plan for your retirement days. 

Seek the expert services of a retirement planner to have a serious conversation about your retirement, your goals, and ideas on how to execute them. You are likely to walk out with valuable information that you wouldn’t have managed to gather anywhere else.

Plan for the unexpected

We don’t like to talk about the unfortunate events that life has to offer. You might have a plan in mind and be faithful to the plan until life happens. What do you do if you lose your job before the retirement period? 

In the event you lose a spouse unexpectedly, how do you take care of your family while staying on track with your retirement plans? A wealth management provider can help you plan for unexpected life events, so you don’t have to change your plans.

Nothing beats the feeling of taking charge of your life and staying in control. Now you have four reasons to start looking for the right financial planner and start preparing for your retirement period.