An extreme makeover doesn’t always have to involve a complete overhaul of the entire room. One of the best things about the bedroom is that a few small changes will have a big impact.

We know that everyone is different but the following rules are a framework for everyone to create their own extreme makeover.

1. Never underestimate the importance of a good bed

Everyone enjoys being in bed. It’s more or less a scientific fact (okay, we don’t have any proof but, seriously, who doesn’t enjoy it?). Of course, you might enjoy it more if your bed was even more comfortable. When was the last time you changed the mattress? They do wear out over the years, meaning you might not be getting the level of support you need. It’s also a good idea to think about mattress toppers and pillows for that little extra bit of comfort under the covers. It might not sound extreme but believe us, this could make a very big difference.

2. Out of sight, out of mind

Bedrooms can easily get cluttered. Clothes on the floor, beauty products lying around the place – sound familiar? With the right bedroom furniture there should be a place to store everything (and easily find it again too). A wardrobe, a chest of drawers and a dressing table should satisfy most bedroom storage needs (or at least doubling up on one of them).

3. Pick a color

Bedrooms always look better when there is a coherent color theme going on. Some people prefer bright colors that will look clean and fresh in the morning. Others like darker colors that make them feel cozy and snug. Decide what kind of color scheme you want and then start to build up layers of color, using the bedding, curtains and throw cushions. It’s amazing what a dash of coordinated color can do to even a small bedroom space.

The bigger the change you want to make the bolder you should go with your choices. Choose bright colors for bedding and pick bold bedroom furniture, and you can totally change the feel of a bedroom in just three easy steps.

This is a guest post from Sainsbury’s. Check out the great range of bedroom furniture at Sainsbury’s to see how you could makeover your bedroom. Visit their website today to find all you need for the bedroom, home and more.

Cost of living 1973 versus 2013

In the last 40 years prices have increased quite a bit. But let’s look at percent increases for the cost of living in 1973 compared to 2013:

• Salaries have increased almost 400% since 1973, BUT…

Compared to cost increases since 1973…

• Housing has increased 4.61 times, or 461%
• Groceries have increased 4.5 times, or 450%
• New car has increased 8 times, or 800% 
• Gasoline has kept pace with car price increases at 9.37 times, or 937% 
• Average rent has increased 5.8 times, or 580%

Not surprising, but salaries have just not kept pace with daily expenses. (I did a similar cost of living comparison two years ago with similarly dismal results.)

Of course, averages are just averages. There are plenty of people making more than the average annual salary in their particular state. For those that make more, the cost of living doesn’t affect their pocketbooks quite as much.

As for housing, cost is completely dependent on where you live. New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles on one end of the spectrum might push that average price a bit higher than average home prices in the mid-west or the southern states. In Arizona, a state hit hard by the housing bust, average home sales are now at a very low $128,000 (Phoenix area 2012). That’s a bit less than the even the national average of $152K.

Bottom line: No matter how much income you generate you should always try to live in a state you can afford, save more than you spend and keep your debt in check.

Has your salary increased as much as groceries? Is your rent half of your income?

Let me preface this by saying, I’m no chicken. I wouldn’t call myself an avid hiker, but I’ve hiked plenty: Grand Canyon twice, Half-Dome in one day (okay, I was really young then), and many, many day hikes. Up until last weekend, I never thought of taking more than a bottle of water, sunscreen, and maybe a snack. But that mountain lion got me thinking; it got me thinking about expanding my paraphernalia of hiking crap that I take with me. Now, I don’t want to scare anyone or freak myself out – in the past the only real imminent danger were rattle snakes – but I realize a few key items will keep me and my hiking partner safer than just a bottle of water.

So here goes my expanded “What to take on a day hike” list:

• Water (of course)
• Good shoes – on a day hike, I wear my Keen sandals since I’m not traversing a steep mountain slope.
• Sunscreen and a hat – I really need to get better about wearing hats!
• A simple snack – I personally like Clif Bar, but trail mix works too.
• Walking stick – okay, so my first instinct after spotting the mountain lion was to grab a big stick, that way it would keep some distance between me and the lion if need be.
• Snake Bite Kit – in all my years of roaming the shrub-lined hills in my area, snakes were really the only danger, a snake bite kit would be practical.
• Bear spray – maybe this is a bit overkill; I’ve been watching too much Discover Channel, Alaska  I think.

What to take on a day hike

What do you take with you on a day hike?

P.S. If you’re wondering about a cell phone, the only comment I have on that is sometimes there’s no reception in a canyon or in heavy trees.

The style of furniture sold by Pottery Barn is very popular on the West Coast. This company makes it easy to shop for their products, with storefront locations, a sophisticated web site and printed catalogs that come in the mail. Pottery Barn has sections of furniture and furnishing for every room in the house, and their online catalog has special section called their “Design Studio,” with complimentary designs tips and advice. Pottery Barn furniture works well in a baby’s nursery, a child’s room, and a teen’s bedroom.

The Pottery Barn web site often features deep discounts on new styles as well as the classics. Another way to save is using Pottery Barn Kids coupons. Just shop their web site for the items you want, and when ready to place the order, enter the special coupon code at check out.

Here is a trick I learned early on – you can save the most money by not using your own money for your purchases. How does that work? Sign up with Pottery Barn for their baby registry or their registry for kids, and have the family and friends make the purchases for you! Registries are a great way for family members to know exactly what you want and decide how much they are willing to spend on your child’s gift, and they can have it delivered to your door.

Speaking of birthday parties…

If planning a birthday party for your child and your family will be traveling to San Francisco to join the festivities, you might want to consider suggesting shuttles that run from SFO airport to locations downtown and throughout the Bay Area. If you cannot be there to meet them at the arrivals gate, there are many transportation options for travelers arriving at SFO, including:

• Taxi Cab
• Rental Car
• BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)
• Caltrain
• Shuttle Service

San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge

Taxi’s are plentiful but probably the most expensive way to get from SFO to downtown. Many people assume that getting a rental car will be the most convenient way to travel. However traffic congestion should be taken into consideration, and if the driver is unfamiliar with San Francisco roads, there is the chance of getting lost or the stress of making a wrong turn. Having a car also means that you will have to find a parking spot and pay for the privilege of parking.

BART and Caltrain are trains that have stations at SFO and through the Bay area. They are affordable and reliable, for the most part, as long as you’re fine with handling your own luggage.

Shuttles are a very popular and affordable way to get from the airport to just about any hotel or the downtown area. Shuttle bus drivers handle your luggage for you at the shuttle pickup location and when you have arrived at your destination, therefore a tip is in order. Once you get to the hotel or downtown, you can get around the city by cab, cable car or trolley.

Rearrange your furniture

Although you might wish you could knock down a wall to add a bit more space, that’s not always possible. Instead, simply rearranging the furniture can really open up a room and prevent it looking cramped.

Start by moving any furniture out the way of the walkways and from the behind the doors – this will immediately help it feel like there is more space in the room.

If your living room is fairly small already, remove the coffee table. The room will look much better and more spacious if you can see more of the floor. If you still want somewhere to put your coffee cups and magazines then add side tables instead.

Change the décor

A different color scheme could completely change the look of a room and trick you into thinking that you have more space. If you have an enclosed space, try using light, bright hues and avoid grey tones.

Using colors from the same family on walls and upholstery will create a sense of continuity and a more open space. The furniture will blend into the room rather than breaking it up if it’s a similar color too.

Increase natural light.

Increase natural light

Just about every single room will look bigger if it is flooded by light. If it is difficult to increase the natural light, artificial light is the next best thing, so try adding lamps or wall lights. Instead of hanging heavy curtains, opt for voiles or blinds to create more space and let in more light or select thinner curtain materials like translucent sheer fabrics.

Once you’ve increased the light coming in, changing how it moves around the room will open up even more space. If you have a dividing wall, try glass bricks. If you have a compact bedroom, try an open wood or metal bed frame instead of a sleigh or divan bed.

Hanging mirrors also has a huge impact on how we perceive the size of a room as it allows the light to reflect around the room and prevents that enclosed feeling. Place mirrors at strategic places but don’t go overboard or you may feel achieve the opposite effect.

Smaller furniture

It seems like a no-brainer. Smaller furniture increases the space available. However, you would be surprised at the number of people that cram a king-size beds into small bedrooms. Try swapping it for a double or even a four foot bed in the master room. In the spare room, opt for a foldaway or sofa bed to increase the space when it’s not in use.

• Cook at home more often
• Make your own coffee
• Brown bag your lunch
• Drink tap water
• Exercise/stay in shape
• Reduce your car expenses (gas, maintenance, monthly payments)
• Shop sales/use coupons
• Have a yard sale/sell the stuff you don’t use anymore
• Check books out from the library

For those visual learners, or folks that just don’t have much time to read, here’s a graphic for you:

A Penny Saved, is a Penny Earned

Where do you save a penny or two?

Thanks to those that mentioned my articles in their carnivals this past week:

• Reach Financial Independence
• Hurricanes, Panties, and Dollars
• Growing Money Smart
• Money, Life, and More
• Faithful with a Few
• Brick by Brick Investing

Cutting down your bills seems impossible at first, but it’s important to look at everything in front of you and keep an open mind about what you actually need versus things that are just convenient.

Utilities

Your utility bills are more than likely a big chunk of your monthly income, and they’re a good place to look when you’re searching for ways to save a little bit of money.  It’s true that you need electricity to survive, but you can look into a different energy provider such to save a good bit of money every month.

Manage your energy usage – from turning off lights, unplugging electronics to taking shorter showers – and follow other energy-saving tips.

There’s a wealth of information available on the internet. By researching thoroughly, not only will it save you money now, but it will save you much more money in the long run.

Cell Phone and Cable Services

If you have a cell phone that you use regularly, you probably don’t need a landline service.  While it might be nice to have two phones dedicated for different things, it’s not a necessity and you can cut the landline service and save a nice chunk of change every month.

This is also true of television and cable services. Cable packages are quite nice, however, providers purposely bundle their services knowing customers will most likely never utilize all of it.

A personal story: When I was coming out of college and earning my own paychecks, I took full advantage of the bundle system from a local cable provider. I had one of the best packages – over 300 high-definition channels on my 56″ plasma television along with the highest-speed internet for my laptop – but I never used my phone service and my monthly bill was $156.75.

I didn’t research or budget prior to agreeing for their service. I couldn’t afford it after a few months.

I ended up downgrading my cable after a year, but with extra costs to change the plan I wish I would have started off small. To add insult to injury – because I was spoiled with the many channels and fast internet, I missed them when I gave them up for a better price.

Lesson? Don’t bundle up unless you need to.

With services such as Netflix, Hulu, and even YouTube to a lesser extent, cable may as well be irrelevant. Netflix and Hulu both offer monthly subscriptions to a variety of television shows and movies on demand for less than $15 – which obliterates the price of most television services.

Purchase an internet service and stick with it. Use the internet service to subscribe to Netflix or Hulu to watch your favorite shows whenever you want. Use your cell phone instead of your home phone. If you don’t need cable or phone service, skip them in your bundles to save money.

Consolidating Your Bills

If you do need the cable or phone packages in addition to your Internet, consider utilizing one company for all three.  Most companies offer bundle deals when you subscribe through them and it will end up being cheaper for you to do it that way.  It could be a little bit of a hassle getting everything transferred over to a new company, but it’s definitely worth it.

Talk to your utility, phone, and internet companies and see if they can give you a better deal.  A lot of companies have unadvertised offers or discounts that they’ll give you if you simply call them up and ask for them.  If you’ve been with a particular company for a long period of time (this is especially true of car insurance providers), they might be willing to give you a loyalty discount for having stuck with them so long.  The kick is that you have to ask because most of them won’t advertise it.

There are also many cable provider representatives who are hired to market their products with bundles and savings. They’re usually found in malls stopping shoppers, at businesses promoting their services, or traveling to others’ homes to talk to consumers personally. Take advantage of these representatives by asking questions and communicating concerns about their product – and don’t forget to ask for savings.

Bills aren’t going to go away and there’s not much you can do on that front, but you can lower them if you look into them enough.  By examining your spending each month, you’ll be able to better assess what you actually need (versus what you think you need) and look into ways to saving money such as switching to a better electricity provider.  It will end up saving you quite a bit of cash in the long run.

• Save as little as $6.66 per day and I’ll accrue between $138K – $190K. Not enough to live off of for 20+ years, but it would be a nice supplement to my income. Of course, with inflation this amount would barely cover groceries.
• Save a little more at $16.66 per day and I’ll accrue between $346K – $475K. Better. I’d average about $1,750 per month for 20 years.
• If I can scrape up $23.33 per day, I’d accrue around $485K – $667K. This would actually bring in around $2,400 monthly for 20 years. This isn’t too shabby once I factor in some other sources of income.

Compounding calculations for retirement planning.

How is your retirement planning coming? Be honest!

Carnivals I’ve been in this past week..Many thanks to the following:

• Carnival of MoneyPros
• Carnival of Financial Independence
• Carnival of Financial Planning
• Yakezie Carnival
• Carnival of Financial Camaraderie
• Reach Financial Independence Carnival
• Carnival of Financial Planning B

There is a plethora of information in the world about eating well and exercising, but this infographic from OnlinePHDPrograms is an interesting look at how improper sleeping habits (including lack of) can lead to a domino effect in your life and is not helping your financial management decisions.

Sleep patterns can make you poor!

Getting proper sleep is just as important as a good diet. There are many informative resources to help you learn more about the importance of a good sleep pattern and ways you can improve it. I have found an extensive, free library of video and pdf resources here at SleepSage.com. All of which can be useful. They also have a free SleepWizard that will give you a personalized sleep analysis.

The National Sleep Foundation also has a huge amount of content ranging from jet lag to snoring. I highly encourage you to explore the information and make sure you are getting proper sleep so you can live a financially healthy life.

How many hours of quality sleep do you get? (Little House says, “I get at least 8!”)