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To avoid late fees and a possible increase in your credit card interest rate, make at least the minimum payment on your credit card bill each month. The minimum due will change from month to month, so it can be hard knowing ahead of time how much money you’ll have to come up with to pay that minimum amount.

Paying only the minimum, however, means it will take a while to pay off the credit card bill in full, resulting in interest payments on the balance. Paying the balance in full each month is the only way to avoid paying interest.

The minimum payment depends on the size of your balance and the rules of your credit card issuer, which are listed in your cardmember agreement. If you owe a small amount such as $25, you’ll usually have to pay it in full.

There are two basic ways to calculate the minimum payment when carrying a balance:

Flat Percentage
This is the percentage of your total statement balance, including finance charges and any fees. Most credit card issuers charge 5-7 percent of the balance as a minimum payment.

Percentage Plus Fees and Interest
This formula calculates 1 percent of your total balance, excluding finance charges and fees. Then the fees and interest accrued during the billing cycle are added to the minimum balance due. For example, a $2,500 balance at 15 percent interest would have a minimum payment of $56.25. One percent of the balance is $25 and the interest charged would be $31.25.

You can incur additional fees if you pay the previous month’s payment late, if you don’t pay the previous month at all or the past due amount, or you exceed your credit limit. If you carry a balance on your credit card, you’ll notice a small box on the first page of your statement that shows the payment required to pay off the debt in three years. It will also show how long it will take to pay off the debt by only making the minimum payment each month.

You can also find an online calculator to see how long it will take to pay off the debt and how much interest you’ll pay over time. You can plug in numbers to see how making more than the minimum payment can sharply lessen the amount of time needed to pay off the debt.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

A pet can become a beloved member of the family and a source of fun and companionship for everyone, but especially for children. If you’re planning to have a new pet join your family, the first interactions between the pet and your child are critical.

Tell Your Child What to Expect
Before you bring home a new pet, talk to your child about the type of animal you’re planning to get, its age, typical behavior and anything you know about that particular animals background that may affect its behavior, such as a history of abuse or life in a shelter, its age or any medical problems. Discussing these things with your child in advance can help them be sensitive and have reasonable expectations. This can also help the animal avoid feeling overwhelmed and can keep your child from misinterpreting the pets behavior and being hurt or disappointed.

Take Things Slow
When you introduce your child to the pet, give the animal some space. It’s better to allow a new pet to approach a child when it feels ready, rather than have it be immediately approached by a child who is eager to pet, play with or hold it. A new pet in an unfamiliar environment may interpret those innocent and well-intended actions as a threat and may run, scratch or bite.

In the first few days or weeks, stay in the room or yard and keep a close watch when your child and the new pet are interacting. Teach your child how to interpret the pets body language. Talk about signs that an animal is happy, nervous, angry or fearful so your child will know when to back off. Tell your child if any of his or her behaviors are inappropriate or might be perceived as threatening, or if you think the animal needs some space. Continue to keep a close eye on things until you’re sure that your child and the pet are comfortable with each other.

Fun and Responsibility
Buy some toys and encourage your child to play with the pet. Not only will this help them bond, it’ll also teach your child patience, teach your new pet to obey commands and help them both get some exercise.

Have your child help you take care of the pet. A child of nearly any age can help feed a pet, and a child who is old enough to walk can go with you when you walk a dog. Those who are older can do more involved tasks, such as cleaning a cats litter box. Including your child in the pets care can go a long way toward teaching responsibility.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

If you’re revamping your interior design scheme, you may be considering a new color palette. Should you go with earthy hues? Vibrant jewel tones? Cool blues and grays? Below are five ways to pick a color scheme that will work for you.

Choose from what you have. If you’re not revamping with an entirely new furniture set, then you may want to pick a color from what you already have. A boldly patterned sofa or floor rug can serve as a jumping off point.

Start with three. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with options, choose three colors you love and keep it to there, with one as your main color, another as your secondary and a third for accents. (Four if you count white, which is more of a neutral).

Base with black. If you can tie black into your color scheme, you’ll always have something easy (and versatile) to return to. No need to get macabre”think black appliances in the kitchen, black end and coffee tables in the living room, and black cabinetry in the bathroom.

Decorate with 60-30-10. This rule, used by many interior designers, gives you a mathematical breakdown of how much of each color you should use to give your space balance. Go with 60 percent of your main color (like, your walls), 30 percent your secondary (hello, furniture) and 10 percent that pop of accent”light sconces, art, throw pillows, blankets, etc.

Move from dark to light. So, you have your chosen colors”now what? A top designer tip when adding color to your home is to place the darkest colors low, like the carpet, floor or furniture, and then move to medium shades for the walls and art, and the lightest hue on the ceiling.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Whether you adore your new carpet or can’t afford to replace it every few years, below are a handful of ways to extend the life of your carpet”even if you have kids and pets.

1. Lay down a rug in high traffic spots. It may seem weird to lay a rug over your carpet, but in places that see a ton of foot traffic”like by the bed, couch or doorways”adding an extra layer of protection in the form of a rug or mat can seriously prolong your carpet’s life.

2. Vacuum frequently. Make sure you vacuum once a week to pull up damaging dirt and dander that can wear down your carpet overtime.

3. Take off your shoes. By enforcing a “no shoes inside” policy in your home, you will reduce the amount of dirt that gets tracked in. Add a shoe rack by the front door to help make it easy.

4. Act fast with spills. If you get a splash or spill on your carpet, tackle it immediately, but don’t rub it in. Instead, use a spray bottle to mist a bit of water onto the stain and then blot it up gently with a towel as many times as needed. If it needs more work, create a solution that is 1:1 white vinegar and water and repeat the process.

5. Deep clean. Once a year, deep clean your carpet with a professional carpet cleaning device. Often, you can rent out these cleaners, or hire someone to do it for you.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Regardless of the shade, adding elements of green to your home can improve your mood, complement your design, and more. Below are a few reasons to choose green for your interior design scheme.

It’s soothing. Green has long been used in decorating for its calming effect. Add some green curtains to your bedroom, paint the wall across from your sleeping space green and snag some easier ahhhhs.

It looks great with wood. If you have wood floors or furniture, tying in a shade of green will make your space even more lustrous.

It’s complimentary. There are so many gorgeous shades of green that it will be easy to thread a little green into your decorating scheme.

It’s natural. Don’t want to add any permanent green to your home? No problem! Just grab a few fresh houseplants and pepper them throughout your room for a fresh splash of green.

It may bring money. While you may not believe in this superstition, some swear that the color green brings wealth. Add some green to your home to call in a little windfall. It can’t hurt!

Published with permission from RISMedia.