If you have ever lived through a renovation project, you will know it’s not an easy thing to do. There are people in and out of your home, there’s a mess and it typically gets worse before it gets better.
I recommend anyone planning home renos add a little to the budget for marital counseling - or at least a vacation in the midst of it all! A kitchen reno has been on my to-do list for years. As a food writer, I spend a lot of time there testing recipes, styling and photographing them, besides the usual preparation of breakfast, lunch and dinner for the family. My kitchen was small and sunny, with an old workhorse of a GE electric stove, a hand-me-down fridge from my parents and old, splintering wood countertops that were at one point salvaged from the U of C science lab. The problem was, I couldn’t do without my kitchen - I’m always working on cookbooks or articles. But at one point, we decided to throw our hat over the fence. On a trip to Italy last June, I told my husband to tear it all out while I was gone - that would force us to renovate.
Are your garage, basement and closets overflowing from the heaps of stuff you’ve been saving ‘just in case’? Then it may be time to put it to good use in someone else’s home. Rummage sales are a great way to clear out, recycle and make some extra cash.
If you have a family, taxes can be a daunting task. Filing an income tax return is about more than just declaring what you owe - it’s an opportunity to take advantage of the many credits and child and family benefits available to support your family finances. This could translate into more money for groceries or kick-start that vacation fund for a fun-filled family getaway.
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