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Sometimes people take out a mortgage and are forced to accept less-than-favorable terms because of a low credit score or a high debt-to-income ratio. In other cases, homebuyers choose a mortgage that has a fixed rate for a specific number of years and then convert to an adjustable rate. That can save money in the short term, but when the interest rate is recalculated, monthly payments can skyrocket, causing homeowners to struggle to meet their obligations.

If you’ve been having trouble covering your monthly mortgage payments, refinancing the loan could be the solution. Refinancing could allow you to lock in a lower interest rate and significantly reduce your monthly payments.

Lower Costs
If your interest rate is higher than you’d like, refinancing your mortgage might lower it. A decrease of one or two percentage points could shave hundreds of dollars off your monthly payment. You can even use that extra money for credit card bills, home repairs, a new car, or savings for retirement or your childrens education.

Access to Equity
If you need cash to cover an unanticipated expense or to pay off high-interest credit cards, tapping into your homes equity is an option. You could refinance your home for more than the amount of principal you currently owe and use the extra money for other needs. While this could help you out if you’re strapped for cash, be aware that it would increase the size of the mortgage and might raise your monthly payments if your interest rate stays the same. If you are unable to cover your new monthly payments, your house could wind up in foreclosure.

Refinancing Process
If you want to refinance your mortgage, you’ll need to fill out paperwork and go through an approval process. The fact that you currently have a mortgage is no guarantee that you’ll be approved for refinancing. If your income has gone down, you have accumulated a lot of debt, or your credit score does not meet the lenders guidelines, your application could be denied, or you might not get the low interest rate you want.

If you decide to refinance, be prepared to pay for an appraisal, application fee, loan origination fee, closing costs and other expenses. In some cases, the lender will roll these fees into the loan balance, but other companies require refinancers to pay these costs out of pocket at the time of closing.

Explore Refinancing Options
If you’ve been struggling to pay your mortgage, you might be able to ease the burden by refinancing. This could allow you to reduce your interest rate and lower your monthly payments significantly, which would relieve stress and give you more money each month to devote to other priorities. Talk to your lender about your options.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Whether you like a rustic, industrial or mod look in your space, the next time you’re considering an interior redesign, don’t miss out on decorating with wood.

Floors
If you can, wood flooring is one of the loveliest ways to use wood in your space. Choose a stain that compliments your space”like a light blonde wood for smaller rooms or a darker variety to make wide open spaces seem intimate.

Furniture
If you do have a wood floor, choose a different wood tone for your furniture to avoid your pieces getting lost. Blonde wood furniture atop a darker, mahogany floor can be gorgeous.

Walls
Don’t let wood paneling taint your impression of wood walls. Choose a natural, grainy wood and apply it to one wall for a chic, rustic pop of color.

Art
Look for wood pieces so gorgeous you’d like to hang them on your wall. Turn to farmer’s markets, craft fairs and even Etsy for seriously gorgeous wooden art pieces.

Accessories
Wood coasters, wood coat racks by the door, wood crates as end tables and even staining your wooden window frames can all add a little extra wow factor to your space.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Between your desk job, your social media accounts and your nightly Netflix-a-thon, those hours in front of a screen really stack up. Too much time in front of a screen can seriously damage your vision and hinder your mental health. Below are a few tips for stepping away:

Host a weekly game night. Skip the TV time for a weekly game night with family or friends. Pick out your fav, old-school board game and get some healthy competition flowing, away from your phone.

Set a rule”no phones in bed. Leave your phone charging in another room when you head to bed. This will keep you from staying up late checking social media and checking your messages as soon as your eyes are open. You may need to revert to an old-school alarm clock, but the time away from your screen will be worth it.

Skip the video chat. While video chatting with friends and family can be a great way to see their faces, it does mean more screen time. Once in a while, opt for a regular phone call and let your eyes rest as you catch up.

Leave your phone at home. Once a month or, if you can swing it, once a week, go on an outing and leave your phone at home. For safety precautions, let your family know where you’ll be and that you’ll be out of reach. Head to a museum, park, movie or restaurant and let your mind wander, phone-free.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Does your fridge feel like a disaster zone whenever you open it? Does it have a lingering odor with a source you can’t quite find? Below are a handful of hacks to keep your fridge fresh and organized.

Build a basket system. Just like a well-organized closet, your fridge should have a place for everything. While you may be skilled at stashing your produce in the produce drawers, grab plastic baskets and use them for separating your leftovers, dry goods, liquids, condiments, animal products and more. Pro tip: Place items that need to be used fast in a basket, so you always know what edibles you should prioritize consuming or tossing.

Take inventory with dry erase. Did you know the front of many fridges work like dry-erase boards? Here you can take inventory of your items, so you never run out of milk again.

Line the shelves. Grab plastic mats and line your shelves with them. These mats are easier to slip out and wash than our fridge shelves. Pro tip: Instead of mats, use plastic wrap. Once every other week, remove the wrap and re-apply.

Utilize Lazy Susans. Grab a few plastic Lazy Susans and store things like condiments, leftovers or liquids on them for easy access.

Keep animal products low. Items like meat and dairy tend to drip and spoil faster. Store them low so unwanted spills don’t impact items below them.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Life can feel overwhelming. Work, traffic, family responsibilities and chores can cause you to feel understandably frazzled. While stress is unavoidable, there are simple things you can do to make it more manageable.

Change Your Mindset
When you’re rushing from one task to another, you may not pay attention to what’s going on around you. Take some time to breathe in fresh air, savor your food and live in the moment.

When life feels overwhelming, friends and family can be lifesavers. Reach out to your loved ones to talk about what’s troubling you. They might be able to help you see things from a different perspective or suggest a solution. If not, they can at least allow you to vent. Sometimes that’s all it takes to feel better.

Meditation or deep breathing can help you take a break from your thoughts and to-do lists. Taking some time to relax, even for five minutes a day, can make it easier to cope when life gets hectic.

Some people say laughter is the best medicine. A good laugh can instantly reduce stress and improve your mood. Take some time to watch a funny movie.

Music can reduce anxiety and lower your heart rate and blood pressure. Listen to soothing music while you take some time to relax. If you like to sing, feel free to belt out the words. That will reduce your stress even further.

When you’re feeling pulled in several directions, it can be hard to appreciate the good things in your life. Keep a journal where you write down things you’re grateful for so that when it feels like everything is going wrong, you can look at the list and be reminded of all the things that are right in your life.

You can easily feel overwhelmed if you try to do too much all at once. Figure out what needs to be done on a given day and which things are less important. Do what you can, and dont beat yourself up if you dont get to everything on your list. Tomorrow is another day.

Take Care of Your Body
Eating a healthy diet can give your body the nutrients it needs to be at the top of your game. Proper nutrition can give you more energy, reduce stress and help you avoid a host of physical problems.

Exercise has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety. Even a walk around the block can be enough to have an effect. As you see how exercise improves your mood and helps you manage stress, you may find yourself looking forward to it and decide to push yourself harder.

Ways to Cope
Dealing with stress is an unavoidable part of life, but there are plenty of ways that you can keep it from getting to you. Taking care of yourself and setting aside time to relax can help you get through the ups and downs of life.

Published with permission from RISMedia.