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Do you feel like you’re constantly battling clutter around the house? You’re not alone, and nothing can feel more frustrating than not being able to locate something when you need it, or wading through piles of items to get there. Below are five, easy organizational tips that can offer major upgrades:

Tension Rod for Pot Lids
If you store your pots and pans in a drawer, install a tension rod along the inside and slip your pot lids behind it. No more rattling pots or hard-to-find tops!

Gallon Bags for Drawers
Organize your underwear or t-shirt drawer by separating your items and storing them in gallon-sized plastic bags. You’ll never lose 10 minutes hunting for that pair of socks again.

CD Holders for Tupperware
Remember those old CD racks? Repurpose them in your Tupperware cabinet by using them to keep your lids separate, sorted and easy to grab.

Repurposed Wine Rack
Gifted a large wine rack that rarely feels full? Use it in a hallway or closet to store shoes, scarves and other items that need to be tucked away.

Muffin Tin Magic
Have a junk drawer that never stays organized? Slip a muffin tin inside to separate your odds and ends.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

One of the biggest responsibilities a child”or a family”can take on is adopting a dog as a pet.

Feeding, walking, grooming and cleaning up after a dog are daily responsibilities that everyone can do, and will also help teach children how to take care of something they love. For parents, however, there’s the extra task of paying for all the costs associated with the dog.

Here are some of the primary expenses of owning a dog that a family should consider before bringing one home:

Upfront Fees
Adoption fees are the first costs you’ll incur, whether from a pet store, private breeder or animal shelter.

Animal shelters will be the least expensive, though they’ll likely require your dog to be spayed or neutered at a cost of up to $200 or so. There are also the costs of vaccinations, license and microchip, all of which can easily add $100 or more to the initial cost.

Add in some initial necessities such as a leash, collar, food, dishware, bed and a crate, and you can easily spend $200 or so at a pet store to make your dog feel at home.

Veterinarian
Animal shelters may give you a coupon for a free visit to a local veterinarian for your dog’s first checkup. After that, you’ll have to pay for more vaccinations, annual physicals and any injuries that may pop up.

Bear in mind your vet may recommend akennel cough vaccination for your dog, heartworm test and prevention pills, flea and tick prevention tablets, and other services.

Pet Insurance
This is an optional cost, but one worth considering when adopting a dog. If your dog doesn’t have any serious illnesses and is spayed or neutered, $35 per month for a pet insurance plan is reasonable. That includes 80 percent reimbursement and $250 annual deductible. That’s $670 per year out of your pocket before medical costs are paid.

Having major surgery can more than pay for the cost, and even a middle-of-the road illness can make pet insurance worthwhile.

Daily Expenses
Daily care costs are minimal. You can probably get by spending $30 or less per month on dog food. You can give your dog a bath and haircut yourself, and dog toys are pretty cheap.

Once you’ve got a dog leash and collar in hand, walking your dog is free”and that may be the best part of these expenses: free exercise.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Feeling down? It happens. However, if the blues seem to follow you everywhere you go, consider these simple tips for raising your mood.

Surround yourself with flowers. Flowers have been shown to subtly lift the spirit of those around them. Grow a flower garden in the spring and summer and bring those blooms inside with you. Feeling low in the winter? Create a flower budget. Just $5 – $10 a week could bring a gorgeous bouquet into your life. Place it on your desk at work or wherever you spend a lot of time.

Adopt a pet. Furry friends bring an endless amount of joy into the lives of their owners, from play time to snuggling and beyond. If you have the schedule and resources that allow you to responsibly adopt a pet, do it, and let the smiling begin.

Do a random act of kindness. Kindness has a boomerang effect, so don’t be afraid to dole it out. Volunteer, help out a pal before they even ask for it or do something smaller. Next time you’re in line at the grocery store, offer the person with only one item waiting behind you to step ahead.

Create a happiness ritual. What makes you happy? A long bath with a good book? Journaling for 15 minutes every morning? Yoga? A walk with a pal? Incorporate more of this into your day to lift your mood.

Identify downers. Some downers, like a stressful job or a sick family member, cannot be avoided. But others, like a long commute or a toxic relationship, can be identified and cut. Ask your boss if you can work from home one day a week to avoid the commute, or if possible, look for another job closer to home. Another downer that may be hiding in plain view? Social media. Monitor how you feel before and after you spend time on Instagram or Facebook and act accordingly.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Children are often oblivious to the many dangers around them. Accidents in the home are a leading cause of injury and death among children. Here are a few ways to childproof your home and keep your little one safe.

Potential Hazards
Look at your home from a babys or toddlers perspective. Ask yourself: What would catch my eye if I were low to the ground? Look for those things that your child would reach for, pull down, play with or put in their mouth.

When babies are learning to walk, they grab furniture and bookcases for support. Many injuries and deaths occur each year when young children pull on furniture or televisions and the objects fall on top of them. Secure heavy objects to the walls to prevent this. Keep dressers and filing cabinets closed when you’re not using them. Cover sharp corners on furniture to prevent injuries if your child falls.

Use childproof gates to keep your baby or toddler out of hazardous areas, such as specific rooms or stairs. Choose gates that are difficult to climb and do not have V-shaped openings, which can trap children.

Open windows from the top or keep them closed. A screen is not strong enough to prevent a child from falling out of a window. Do not place furniture near windows because that can make it easy for a child to climb onto a windowsill. Children can be strangled by cords on blinds. Use window coverings without cords.

Outlets are a common source of injuries. Children are tempted to play with them and stick objects in the openings, which can lead to electrocution. Use outlet covers with safety latches to protect your child.

Store any medications, vitamins, cleaning supplies or other chemicals in cabinets with childproof locks to keep them out of reach. Properly dispose of any expired medication. Store the phone number for your local poison control center in your cell phone.

A child can drown in just a few inches of water. Never leave a child unattended in a bath, even if he or she is sitting in a chair. Install a latch on the toilets lid to keep it closed. If you use a bucket of water for cleaning, never leave it unattended and dump it as soon as you finish. Always supervise a child using a pool or kiddie pool.

Install smoke detectors throughout your house and check the batteries regularly. When your child is old enough, explain the dangers of fire and how to prevent accidents and injuries. Never allow a child to touch the stove. Put away any appliances that use heat, such as a hair dryer and curling iron, when they’re not being used.

Look Around Your Home
Your child will want to explore your house as soon as they’re able to crawl. Dangers are everywhere, and they will increase as your child becomes more mobile. Take the time to childproof each room in your home to prevent accidents.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

A debit card is a smart way to shop if you want to avoid using a credit card that will charge you interest if you dont pay the balance in full each month. But because a debit card is directly tied to your bank account, you can lose a lot of protections.

Debit Card Hassles
While a debit card can be seen as safer than carrying cash, it can be a costly mistake if a thief steals it or your personal information to empty your bank account.

If your credit card is lost or stolen, or the information on it is stolen, you cant lose more than $50 in unauthorized transactions, according to federal law. The same is true for an ATM or debit card if you report it within two business days, according to the Federal Trade Commission. You wont be responsible for any unauthorized withdrawals if you report the card missing before someone uses it without your permission”thats the good news. But it can get much worse with a debit or ATM card, the FTC says, if unauthorized use happens before you report it.

If you report a debit card loss within 60 days after your statement is mailed to you, you could lose up to $500 in unauthorized transfers. If you dont report it within 60 days, you risk unlimited loss. You could lose all of the money in that account and the unused portion of your maximum line of credit for overdrafts. The thieves could overdraft your account if you wait more than two months to report it.

Once you report the loss or theft of your debit card to the issuer, youre not responsible for additional unauthorized use.

Credit Card Protections
If your credit card or number is stolen, federal law offers a simple protection: Youre only liable for up to $50 in unauthorized transactions. That comes with one important caveat”you must report it to your credit card issuer.

Some issuers wont charge you the $50 and are vigilant, alerting customers when they see potential credit card fraud.

The $50 limit after quickly reporting the loss of a credit or debit card is great if you do it within two days. But wait any longer than that and a debit card could be much costlier than a credit card if thieves get their hands on it.

Published with permission from RISMedia.