When it comes to money, many families are increasingly becoming more intentional about spending; especially considering the financial uncertainty currently plaguing many homes. Instead of just splashing the cash on the latest gadgets, many homeowners are beginning to focus on purchases that add value to their homes or help ease stress.
Different families may have different priorities when it comes to which areas around the home require extra funds to maintain. However, the bottom line is to focus your budget on purchases that’ll keep you out of future regret — financially or emotionally. Here are five ways to spend money around the house.
Home Insurance
The first thing any homeowner should invest in is homeowner’s insurance. A homeowner’s insurance policy is a form of property insurance covering damages, theft, and sometimes contents. Besides raising your home’s value, this insurance will protect your property when disaster strikes, covering all the assets and furnishings in your home. It’s vital to get the right liability coverage from the natural perils of a flood or even earthquakes. Picking the right home insurance company can be a little challenging, as several options are competing for your attention. The good news is that online platforms like iSelect.com.au help to make your search process less burdensome.
iSelect.com.au is a home insurance compare site that allows you to conduct a comparison search of prices in an easy way. This means you can compare different insurance contents to select the best for you. From insurance quotes to the amount of coverage, iSelect.com.au makes different home insurance policies and policyholders available to you on one platform. It comes at no additional cost, gives you greater peace of mind, and saves you hours of research. And whether you’re still in the process of building your new home or worried about its content, it’s a good idea to use this online platform to help you decide what type of insurance suits you best.
Curb Appeal
Whether you’re trying to put your home up for sale or just trying to spruce up its appearance, boosting your home’s curb appeal is a worthy investment decision. Like investing in an insurance policy, increasing your curb appeal will raise the value of your home.
Beautifying your home’s exterior and its surroundings is a great way to make it stand out. Tidy up the hedges or any bush that leads to your home’s entrance to improve the landscape and amend any broken fences. Install a lighting fixture to illuminate your driveway at night. Also, get rid of all dead plants and paint your front door to flow with your home’s general theme. These are some of the things any potential buyer will look at before taking a closer inspection, and the last thing you want is your home being an eyesore.
However, as much as you want the exterior of your home to make a good first impression, you also want to ensure that you increase the curb appeal at minimal cost. The last thing you want is to make unhealthy deductions from your bank account for your home improvements. You can opt for more energy-efficient upgrades while focusing more on DIY projects, as these will come at lesser costs.
Home Essentials
Many homeowners spend a lot of money to improve their homes. According to experts, the average homeowner spends about 60% of their monthly income on home-related costs. However, it’s essential to only spend in the right areas of your home, especially when you’re also concerned about saving money.
The right flooring can improve the quality of your life, just as poor flooring can lead to sore feet and lackluster aesthetics. A good choice of sofa and mattress will also make it possible to rest better and recuperate faster. The right ceiling and lighting will add value to your home while improving the ambiance. The right towels and linens can keep you safe from germs, bacteria, and fungi that home in such materials. If you’re spending a lot more time at home (especially because of the Coronavirus), take advantage of your time at home to invest in improvements that’ll make staging at home more enjoyable.
Family Activities
With the onset of the COVID-19, not only are families beginning to spend more time at home, but there is also so much stress and anxiety. As a result, it’s essential to start spending on at-home activities to ease the stress at home. Now is the perfect time to speak to your spouse and each family member to understand the activities that bring the most joy and laughter into your home. This will go a long way in strengthening your family bond. For example, you can invest in a family indoor board game or video games, as they’ll help bring your family together to have fun.
While you remain at home, set aside some money to gradually build a family game library. The idea behind this is to give your family several game options to choose from for different times. If you have enough space outside, investing in a trampoline or a portable pool shouldn’t be a bad idea. Because some animals have a natural way of helping humans cope with stress, anxiety, and even depression, you can also purchase a pet. However, before you become a pet owner, you should take the time to consider the right changes to make at home before getting a pet.
Budgeting
Getting your budget in order should be the foundation of any attempt to spend money around the house. Create and stick to a home budget that ensures that you don’t run into debt, especially if you live from pay-check to pay-check. For example, if you’re still making mortgage payments on your home, make sure that your budget makes enough room to cover those. Your budget should make it possible to pay about 30 to 35% monthly on your mortgage — which means you should take the time to pick the right lender from the start. Getting discounts from your lender is also a great idea. Also, make sure that you create a three-month emergency saving pool to cushion you through unexpected financial difficulties.
In conclusion, intentional spending at home is a vital part of proper home management. Whether you’re planning to sell your home or make your surroundings more comfortable, it’s important to know how to spend money around your home wisely. Doing this will help you avoid getting yourself or your family into financial difficulties.
