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If you’re burdened by debt, the stress of having bills you can’t pay and receiving calls from creditors can be overwhelming. You might even be considering declaring bankruptcy. Before you take such a drastic step that could significantly lower your credit score and limit your future financial options, look for other solutions.

Earn More Money
If possible, increase your income. If you have been at your job long enough and your boss is pleased with your performance, ask for a raise. If that’s not possible, volunteer for projects that could put you in line for a promotion. If you work part-time, look for a full-time job or a second part-time one. Use your skills to earn extra money by freelancing or teaching others, or find odd jobs to generate additional income.

Reduce Expenditures
Look for ways to cut costs. If you live in an expensive apartment, look for a cheaper place, find a roommate or consider moving in with family or friends. Before you ask your loved ones for help, be honest about your circumstances, your ability to contribute to living expenses and how long you might need to stay with them.

You can also save money by cutting back on things like entertainment, eating out and clothing. If you spend a lot of money to commute to your job, ask if you can work from home, or consider public transportation.

Negotiate Repayment Terms
If you have explored these options and you’re still struggling to pay your bills, talk to your creditors. They would rather get some money than have your debts be discharged in bankruptcy court. Your creditors might be willing to lower your interest rates and allow you to make smaller payments over a longer period of time. A credit counseling company can help you negotiate with your creditors if you have not had success working with them directly.

Sell Property or Borrow Money
Another option is to sell some of your belongings to earn money quickly. Turn jewelry, clothing, accessories, electronics or even a vehicle into cash by selling them online or holding a yard sale.

If you’re in dire straits, you can borrow money from family or friends. Before you ask others for a loan, think about their financial situation. Your loved ones might feel obligated to help you, but it wouldn’t be fair to ask them for help if it means that they wouldn’t be able to pay their own rent or mortgage or feed their own families. If someone is willing and able to loan you money, agree to a plan with specific repayment terms and stick to it. If you don’t, it could cause irreparable harm to your relationship.

Explore All Options
If you’re buried in debt, you might feel that bankruptcy is the only option, but there are other solutions to explore first. With hard work and a combination of strategies, you can fight your way out of debt.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Like the generation its named for, millennial pink is all around us. Its a fun, daring, sophisticated hue that isnt exactly new, but lately seems to have caught the eye of legions of clothing and dcor designers.

Not quite salmon, not quite rose and a far cry from traditional Barbie pink”millennial pink can best be described as a soft, subtle pink with some gray tones and a slight hint of peach. Its hard to miss if youre browsing the racks for trendy clothes or checking out the newest paint colors.

At your hardware or home maintenance store, check out Victoriana or Precocious by Benjamin Moore or Everythings Rosy by Behr. If the hues appeal, and youre ready to add their subtle vibe to your home dcor, here’s few fun tips to maximize the colors sunshine-like qualities:

Mix it up. Paint the whole living room or bedroom pink, or paint just one wall pink and accent with white or other pale neutrals and a touch of black. Framing neutral artworks with simple black frames are a good way to help a pink wall sing.

Add bolder pinks. Accenting millennial pink walls with deeper pink vases, lamps, bed linens, furniture and/or pillows can make the overall look of the room both relaxing and cohesive.

Try it on a door. Want just a dash of millennial pink? Paint a door this color to create an eye-catching architectural statement without overwhelming the room. Switching out the hardware to something with a black or bronze finish can be a perfect punctuation mark.

Use it as an accent color in your guest bathroom. You can add personality to a white bathroom with rosy pink towels, soap trays and other fun accessories. Try a blush pink for small accents, then top off the look with a few fresh pink blossoms in a pink vase to make the small space stand out.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Carrying cash is becoming less common these days, which can be a nuisance for parents and their children”especially when it comes to paying children their allowance each week.

For many parents, cash allowances are becoming a thing of the past as they instead turn to prepaid debit cards that can be managed directly from their phones. In fact, by simply downloading an app onto their phone for the financial company they’re working with, parents can load money onto a debit card that their child can use at stores, gas stations and anywhere else where debit and credit cards are accepted.

Parents typically sign up for the account and then link their checking account or debit card to fund the child’s debit card.

Along with transferring an allowance, the app can be used to set spending limits, view expenses and automatically match money the child puts into a savings account. Taking this one step further, parents can receive a text message or email when their child makes a purchase”and they can even use the app to disable the card if the child loses it.

Parents can allow children to use their debit card anywhere or can limit it to certain stores and websites. Once these settings are in place, the card will be declined if the child tries to buy something at a non-approved store, or if they try to spend more money than is available on the card.

If the child has their own cellphone, they can get their own version of the app and check balances or get a parent’s permission to buy a certain item. Better yet, some cards can be used at ATMs.

Some financial services allow parents to set chores for the child to complete and then pay the child through the app when the chore has been finished.

If you’re looking to take advantage of this growing trend, some of the financial services that currently offer debit cards for children include Greenlight, Current, goHenry, FamZoo and Akimbo. TD Bank, American Express and Capital One also have debit cards for teens; however, some of these financial institutions require that teens have a checking account with the bank.

The debit cards usually have monthly fees of $5 or so, and some have annual fees. They usually don’t charge extra for adding money onto the card, though parents should carefully read the fee schedule before enrolling in a program because some charge fees for reloading, as well as other services.

Before giving your child a debit card, make sure they understand how it works and how they can check the balance. Use it as a chance to discuss budgeting and saving, and to get them started on a solid financial foot that will hopefully follow them into adulthood.

This article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional or legal advice.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

For many of us, a good night’s sleep can be elusive, especially when it comes to snagging deep, thorough hours. Before you turn to a medication, consider your pre-sleep habits. Pluck out any contenders for disruption (scrolling social media while you lay in bed?) and try a few of the following:

Power down. By now you’ve heard using electronics before bed can stress your sleep cycle. Turn off your phone and TV an hour before bed and opt for a book instead.

Stretch before bed. While high-impact exercises before bed will raise your heart rate and could keep you up, gentle stretching can help you ease into sleep.

Eat a high-protein snack. While eating a large meal late at night isn’t a good idea, a small high-protein snack like a handful of almonds can help you sleep through the night.

Clean your bedroom. Okay, a power wash won’t be helpful for sleep, but picking up any items on the floor or surfaces before bed can help create a soothing, calm sleeping space.

Create a ritual. A pre-bed ritual can help you alert your system that rest is on the way. Any of the earlier tips can be threaded together to create a ritual, as can nightly cuddles with your family or pets.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Smart appliances can make life easier and more convenient. Since the technology is relatively new, many manufacturers are still working out problems and resolving glitches. Before you purchase a smart appliance, it’s important to understand what they have to offer and to be aware of potential pitfalls.

Popular Smart Appliances
A smart refrigerator can make grocery shopping easier. A camera allows you to peek inside the fridge even if you arent home, and you can keep a running list of what you need. You can also control the temperature and humidity to keep your food fresh as long as possible.

Smart refrigerators are much more expensive than traditional ones, and they are more expensive to repair. There is also the risk of viruses. If you have linked your email and social media accounts to the smart refrigerator, they could be at risk.

A smart dishwasher can help you get sparkling dishes every time. It can tell you if you need more detergent and can let you know when the cycle is done so you dont have to get up and check. It can also help you save energy and water and notify you if the dishwasher is leaking.

A smart dishwasher is more expensive than a traditional one in terms of both purchase price and repair costs. You might be able to purchase an extended warranty for an additional cost.

Smart washers and dryers can make doing laundry a breeze. You can control the cycle from anywhere in your house and be notified when a load is done. You can even figure out which time of day is the best in terms of energy efficiency.

Companies that make smart washers and dryers still have some bugs to work out, and updates are not always provided automatically if the appliance was not purchased recently. That means you might be on the hook for updates and repairs.

Things to Consider
If you have several smart appliances, they can all be controlled from your phone. That can make it easy to monitor and control things at home no matter where you are.

With any type of smart appliance, hacking is a serious concern. Although safety measures are in place, they vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, and hackers are always looking for ways around them. You can protect yourself by using a secure internet connection, changing your passwords frequently and promptly installing updates.

Sometimes adjusting to smart appliances poses a challenge. If you aren’t tech savvy, you might find it confusing and overwhelming at first. The person who installs the smart appliances should thoroughly explain how they work, and you should be able to call tech support for help.

Are Smart Appliances Right for You?
Smart appliances can make life much easier, but they carry some risks. Security features need to be fine-tuned, but there are ways that you can protect yourself until they are perfected. You may decide that smart appliances are a worthwhile investment that can greatly improve your life.

Published with permission from RISMedia.