Quick Tips to Prepare Your Home for Fall

It’s September! School is back in session and autumn is on its way. While many of us enjoy the cooler temperatures and beauty of the leaves changing colors, the arrival of autumn means that the cold, dark winter is not far behind.

Every season brings its own home maintenance projects.  Most of us focus on our home’s exterior, lawn, and garden in the summer. Fall means we’ll be spending more time inside, so it’s a good time to focus on indoor projects.

Below are a few routine household tasks to tackle this fall:

Clean your gutters. Keep the gutters clear of leaves and other debris.
    

 Have your heating system cleaned. Schedule an appointment with a reputable technician to service your oil burner or furnace. This is also a good time to clear out any soot or buildup in your fireplace, or hire a chimney sweep to do a thorough cleaning.

Secure windows and doors. Seal any gaps or cracks around your windows and doors with weather stripping and caulking. Air coming in through those cracks create annoying drafts; air seeping out means higher energy bills.

Inspect your roof.  Check for loose shingles, cracks, leaks, or other issues. A small problem can get big very quickly when snow and ice pile up on it in the winter.

        

Put a fire escape plan in place.  Check the battery in your smoke alarm or CO detector (most experts recommend doing this when you change your clocks, but it’s never too early!), make sure you have working fire extinguishers in your kitchen, and try to rid your home of any potential fire hazards.

How do you prepare your home for fall and the cooler weather? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Tips for an Affordable (and Still Beautiful!) Wedding

Weddings can be extremely expensive. It’s not unusual for a couple or their parents to spend several thousand dollars on their ideal wedding. Although not everyone has thousands of dollars to spend, all couples want a day that will be perfect, memorable, and unique.  There are ways to have the day of your dreams without going into massive debt.

Develop a budget. It’s very important to draw up a budget so you can see your anticipated expenses in black and white.  Budgets change; you may spend more or less on certain things, but try to stick to the numbers you’ve agreed on as much as you can. Discuss your budget with your fiancé regularly and keep track of your spending—fighting over your wedding isn’t the best way to start your life together.

Decide where to splurge. If you’re on a limited budget, choose a few “must have” items and splurge on them. Do you want an amazing dress, the best venue in town, tons of flowers, the most in-demand DJ or entertainment, or an incredible cake? Or are you willing to trim expenses for the ceremony and reception and have an unforgettable honeymoon, or have something very low-key and save your money for a large post-wedding expense, such as a down payment on a house?  Look at your budget and see where you can save money or eliminate something completely. Maybe you’re happy printing your own invitations or you decide you don’t want favors for your guests. Cut back on some areas so you can spend more on others.

Keep your guest list under control.  You want your nearest and dearest friends and family with you on your special day, but you don’t have to invite every acquaintance you’ve ever had. And don’t feel obligated to invite that great aunt you met once when you were five and barely remember. Huge weddings can be overwhelming and impersonal, not to mention expensive! Most reception venues charge a per-plate fee; even more affordable options like a buffet or family-style serving can get pricey if your guest list keeps growing.  

Do it yourself. As mentioned above, you can keep costs low if you do some things yourself.

Invitations, favors, centerpieces, and escort cards are just a few items that are relatively easy to make yourself (and therefore easy to customize to show some of your personality as a couple).  Some brides get very ambitious and design or sew their own dress or make their own wedding cake! If you have the skills and are willing to put in the time, do as much of the wedding prep as you can!

Use talent/skills of friends and family. Do you have a relative who’s a whiz with a needle and thread, a pro at arranging flowers, an expert baker, or has another skill that could help with some aspect of your day? Why not ask them? They’ll likely be touched that you asked, and if they use this skill professionally (for example, they own a bakery or flower shop), they could probably get you what you need at a deep discount or offer their service as a gift.

Ensure that everything goes smoothly on your big day with a wedding and special event insurance policy. ETA Benefits Group works with several carriers that sell this type of affordable coverage. Contact us to get a no obligation quote!  

Did you stick to your budget for your wedding? Was it low-key or over the top? We'd love to hear about it in the comments below!

Life Insurance Options for Children

Life insurance is one of those things that none of us want to think about.  But if the unthinkable happens, your loved ones will have the peace of mind and financial resources they need to pay your final expenses, everyday expenses like mortgage, or set a portion aside for the future (i.e., a child’s education or spouse’s retirement).

But life insurance isn’t just for adults. There are also policies available for children.  True, life insurance is a tough subject to discuss, and it’s even tougher when it applies to a child, but it’s also a wise long-term purchase for your child’s future.

Life insurance is essentially a means to replace lost income when the insured passes away. For this reason, it’s important that the parents have their own life insurance policies—if the unthinkable happens, the family will receive a lump sum payout from that policy and won’t have to rely on the children’s coverage for expenses.  There are two kinds of policies—term and permanent. Most agents will likely recommend a term life policy for a child, which can be cashed out when the term expires and used as an additional source of income.

The other option is a permanent life policy (also known as whole or universal life) which is suitable for parents or grandparents with a generous amount of disposable income.  These policies are more like an investment (such as bonds or stock) that combine a death benefit payout with a savings component.  Cash accumulates in the savings portion and in some instances the recipient can withdraw cash. Permanent life policies can be complicated, so it’s best to work with a financial planner or insurance agent to design the best plan for your needs.

ETA Benefits Group works with several carriers that sell life insurance policies for both children and adults. Contact us to learn more about the different types of coverage available.

Do you have life insurance for your child? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!