6 Affordable Ways to Give Back to Your Community

Research proves that volunteering combats depression, helps improve self-esteem and keeps you physically healthy. There’s a happiness effect when you give back to your community. Volunteering can help you in your career or business through networking and experience. Many people give money to charities to help others, but there’s something very special about giving your time to help others. When you reach out, you connect to other people. You make your community a better place. Here are six ideas to give back to your neighbors. 

Volunteer at Your Pet Shelter

Local animal rescue shelters rely on volunteers and donations to take care of stray animals. You could help clean up or engage with the animals to give them attention. Strays need socialization to help them get adopted. If you love animals, you may even decide to take one home or help foster one to be adopted.

Participate in a Local Food or Clothing Drive

Donate gently used items and clothing or food to a local clothing drive. Offer to help collect, sort and pass out items. Learn more about local options in Oakland by visiting Sullivan Community Space About Us. Most food banks are always stretched thin on staff, so any help you can offer frees the team up to focus on the mountains of administrative tasks behind the scenes.

Support Small Businesses and Local Events

Attend the local choir program at your school. Go to craft shows and shop with local artists. Buy tickets for local theater groups. Attend events and classes at Sullivan Community Space. Get your car washed by the cheerleaders. Go to sports events. You’re not only keeping your money in your community, but you’re also supporting local families who are doing the same.

Perform Random Acts of Kindness

Buy lunch for someone when you go to your local diner. Mow your neighbor’s yard or rake leaves. Shovel driveways for elderly neighbors who may not be as steady on their feet. Take flowers to your friend just because you wanted to make her smile. Fill up someone’s gas tank one day when you’re getting your own gas. Do something nice for someone in your community. 

Show Public Servants How Much You Appreciate Them

Police, EMTs, firefighters and other public servants work tirelessly in their community, often for much less than they would make in the private sector. Do something to let them know that their service doesn’t go unnoticed. Write an editorial for the paper. Send thank you notes. Drop off something yummy or have a meal catered for them for a shift.

Donate to Your Local Homeless Shelter

Take blankets, winter coats and gloves or socks to a homeless shelter. Low on money? Take yourself and visit with people who are homeless. A conversation with someone who listens can mean a lot to someone who is surviving on the streets. You don’t have to fix their problems. You’re just offering your ear and some time.

Ask Around to See Who Needs Help

Talk to a local clergy person to see if they know a family who could use groceries or some kind of help. Ask your domestic violence organization what they need. There may be a family at your work who is going through a difficult time and could use an extra tank of gas to get back and forth to medical treatments. A neighbor could tell you of another neighbor who can’t take care of their garden right now. Talk to your friends and family to see where you can step in and give assistance.

It doesn’t take a big pocketbook to give back to your community. You just need an investment of time and effort to let others in your community know that someone cares.  

Why Now Is The Best Time To Refinance Your Home + Tackle Those Home Renovation Projects

To say this year has been a wild one is quite an understatement! Many of us have been spending days on end at home trying to work, do virtual learning, and keeping ourselves safe and healthy. One of the things we have been doing is tackling projects around our house. For the most part, they have been small things like replacing old door knobs, purging closets, and cleaning out the yard and storage rooms. It's been wonderful having all hands on deck to help with these tasks. It's a great feeling when your home is organized and clutter-free. 

We do have some big projects and wishlist things that we would love to get done that definitely carry a larger price tag. Our home is very old, so we want to do some updates on the inside like kitchen counters and cabinets, as well as remodeling our master bath. We did some research and saw that mortgage rates are pretty low right now so we figured a refinance with some cash out would be the way to get those renovations done. We quickly realized that we haven't done a refi in over 10 years, and definitely needed to lower our interest rate and have a smaller monthly payment. 

We have been doing some virtual shopping for what type of counter tops we want, as well as cabinet finishes. I am beyond ready to trade out our 70s look for something modern. I know that all-white-everything trend has been very popular, but I am really thinking about going slightly more traditional with darker cabinets and white counter tops or even the opposite. Our kitchen is small, so it is imperative that we choose the right colors so it doesn't look or feel smaller. Since this project will be the most expensive, we will have to really sleep on it so we make the best decision for our household. 

While we think about what we want to do with the kitchen, we already know what we want to do with our master bathroom. We plan to remove the old tub and replace it with a shower only. We aren't bath people, so why even have it? My husband doesn't know it yet, but I also want to get some fancy wallpaper for our bedroom to do an accent wall behind our bed. I feel like we can do it ourselves, but he will probably wonder what's wrong with how it looks now. Men don't really care like that. HA! 

I am definitely looking forward to some modern updates in the upcoming year. Since it looks like we will be staying at home for an unknown amount of time, we might as well fix things up so we can enjoy it. Have you done any home renovations or updates this year? 

Why We Love Shopping Sam's Club During The Holiday Season

Can you believe that 2020 is almost over? Despite this year being so different in regards to the pandemic, I try to keep things as normal as I can in our household. With the holiday season here and in full swing, I make sure I keep treats and goodies available for my family to snack on in between work and school meetings. My favorite place to shop each month is Sam's Club. 

Today's conversation is sponsored. All opinions are 100% my own as always. 

I love the fact that you can buy food and household items in bulk sizes which means you won't run out too quickly. When you have a family of 5, it's easy to run low on those staple items. Having all of us home so much means I need more items on hand and all of the savings I can get! Aside from the everyday items, we love browsing the aisles of Sam's Club for limited edition products, as well as seasonal goods. 

Sam's Club carries such an amazing variety of ready-to-give holiday gifts. It's my go-to place to buy wine and treats to give my neighbors every Christmas. The prices are unbeatable, and the variety makes it easy to find something for just about anyone on your shopping list. 

This year I am hoping to snag a few deals on small appliances and some new kitchen gadgets. I have been slowly replacing and upgrading some of my small appliances, so I stalk my Sam's Club app for the latest sales and promotions. I definitely take advantage of those Sam's Club Coupons to get even mores savings. 

Don't forget that Sam's Club also carries electronics, jewelry, dishware, clothing, gift cards and so much more. You will be able to mark off so many items from your holiday shopping list in no time, without breaking the bank. Make sure you check out Slickdeals as a resource for coupons, and to save money on your purchases. 

Do you shop at Sam's Club? What are you must-have items you buy each time you go? 

4 Smart Reasons to Utilize Video Marketing Within Your Business

Branded video content has never been more popular, with both businesses and consumers alike. Studies, year on year have shown that consumers are far more likely to engage with video material as it’s a simple yet efficient way to absorb information about a brand or product. So, while you may be wondering how video marketing can benefit your business – the real question is why aren’t you using it yet? 

With increased engagement and interactivity with your potential clients, it makes sense to produce high-quality video content and share it throughout your digital channels. Here we'll explore some amazing reasons to utilize video marketing within your business. 

It’s never been easier

One of the biggest problems facing business owners and video marketing is their lack of experience. If you've never created video products before, then you may be wondering where to begin. While it's tempting to bring in videographers and experts in the industry it's both time consuming and incredibly costly. This is why turning to branded video content software is your best solution. With this straightforward and in-depth video creation software, you no longer need to rely on creative experts to share your company message and products 

throughout your online platforms.

Regardless of your creative prowess, you can create, edit and upload these videos with ease. And you get the added benefit of in-depth data insights so you can see how well your videos are performing throughout your campaigns. 

It seamlessly complements your other marketing campaigns

Are you releasing a blog post every week? Or are you posting about your products a couple of times a day? Well, working with video marketing can help increase your engagement with its ability to seamlessly compliment your marketing strategy as a whole. You could turn your latest product post into a video showing the product and discussing its features. Or instead of posting about the daily happenings in your office, convert these facts into a video instead. It’s an easier way to convey your message and it’s far more interactive and engaging.

It helps create transparency and trust

Well produced videos can help build trust with your clients, as it allows you to create candid and honest product reviews, allows you to provide advice and makes you and your organization appear much more human. Something which many businesses struggle with. With video marketing, you're effectively building a relationship with your customers, getting them on board with your brand and educating them about your company. And guess what – customers who watch a video, are more likely to buy!

And finally, it promotes engagement 

Video is a simple but highly effective way to engage with your customers. Customers are more inclined to ask questions and want to find out more about the topic of your video. They may tag friends and family who may also be interested or share your video on their own accounts. Therefore, paving the way for you to capitalize within your industry and set yourself apart from your competitors. 

5 Ways Parents Can Teach Their Kids Important Money Lessons During the Holiday Season

The holiday season is especially fun for kids, but it also provides parents a great opportunity to teach their little ones important lessons about money. What are the best ways mom and dad can do this without their children losing interest?

Steve Siebold is a Certified Financial Educator (CFEd) and author of the book “How Money Works,” which is written on a level that even children can understand the basics of money. www.howmoneyworks.com

His 5 tips to help parents better explain money to their kids this time of year:

Invest any money they are gifted: When your children receive checks from relatives far away or if you decide to gift your children money as a holiday present, don’t just put it away in a savings account that will yield practically no interest. Teach them to invest their money so it can work for them. Show them the different places they can put that money, the potential for growth and risk for loss.

Let them get involved with budgeting: As you do your holiday shopping this year, involve your kids. Let them see how money work, how you create and stick to a budget. Explain to them the benefits of a budget, and how it prevents you from overspending. Be frank with them and show them that if you go over a budget, it impacts other important things you need money for.

Explain wants vs. needs: The holiday season is a great time to explain to your kids the difference between wants and needs. For example: they might want a Play Station 5, a new iPad or that new bicycle. Let them know a need is something like clothes, food, a place to call home and a bed to sleep in. Explain that there’s nothing wrong with “want” gifts, but that needs always supersede wants.

Teach them to think before spending: One of the biggest reasons so many people struggle with money is because they don’t think before they spend. That’s even more so during the holidays because Madison Avenue does a good job of convincing us of all the things we supposedly need to buy. Teach your kids to stick to logic when it comes to spending this time of year, and to leave their emotions on the shelf.

Teach them it’s better to give: Most children love waking up on Christmas morning to open up all those gifts under the Christmas tree. Use the holiday season to also teach your kids the importance of giving. Explain to them how it’s nice to help others in general, but especially this time of year. One of the greatest lessons you can share with your children is purchasing a gift for a child who wouldn’t otherwise receive one this holiday season.