If you, your family member, or someone you know has to ever go through therapy, you need to understand that it can actually be a really stressful and worrying time. It doesn’t matter what they’re in therapy for, it’s the thought of having to talk to a stranger about problems that they might find personal to them. At the opposite end of the scale, it can be one of the most relieving things to do for some people. Another thing you also need to understand is the power of a family bond during a time of therapy. So to make sure you’re fully supporting someone who is in your family and might be going through therapy, here’s the power that it has.

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Comfort & Openness

If there’s one thing family has the power to bring, it’s comfort and openness. Unless your family bond is so ruined that there’s no communication at all, then for a family member to know you’re by their side is one of the best things you can do. As we’ve said, it’s a really scary time for said family member, so the more comfort the feel for you, the more they’re going to relax into their therapy. As for openness, you often find that family members will share the most with the people they know the best, so if you’re at the therapy session it could open up a whole new side of them that the therapist so desperately needed to see. It’s also important that you’re open and honest with them about your feelings with regards to what they’re going through. If you’re scared, talk to them, it could help to build a better connection.

The Road To Recovery

The road to recovery comes to quick when family is involved, it’s the support unit that was always needed. Not just in therapy, but outside of it to. For example, there are facilities such as the The Recovery Village that is a therapy and recovery center for people with problems such as addiction. So many people are now attending places like this to try and get their life back on track, because it is so easy to go off the rails. With places like this, the road to recovery is supported through the outside help of the family. Without it, it can often feel like the person in question is alone, meaning they’re more reluctant to to carry on with the treatment. Outside encouragement from family members could be all they need.

Stronger Connections

The more you involve yourself with the family member, the stronger connections you’re going to make. Not only with the person needing therapy, but with the therapist themselves. It is often the case that people assume a family member going through therapy, no matter what it is for, will lead to a family break up, when in fact, it can only make the bond stronger. The best thing you can do is make sure you’re not judging no matter what, and that you’re always by their side through thick and thin. Arguments will only prolong the process.

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One of the things that young people will learn very quickly once they leave home for the first time is just how expensive everything can be, especially the things that they have to start now buying for themselves. Just as certain politicians are caught out when asked how much a loaf of bread is (a question even the then UK Prime Minister David Cameron failed to answer correctly), some young people can find themselves overwhelmed by the pressures of managing their money  and knowing how to spend it. Their naivete stems from their parent’s always having bought everything. When they start living alone, or with other young people (at university for instance), they soon find that if they do not replace the toothpaste when it runs out, they will not be able to brush their teeth because there is no one there to do it for them. The same is true with groceries. For their entire lives, food just seemed to appear in the fridge every week but when they become adults, they realize that it takes a lot of energy to drive down to the store, pick out everything you want, pay for it and carry it all into the house. It is a life lesson but one that everyone has to learn at one point or another.

The sad truth, and they may not realize it yet, is that running a household does not get any easier. Looking after yourself can be tough enough, but when you are caring for small children, everything gets a whole lot more difficult. Firstly, it is immensely expensive. It is estimated that the cost of raising a child is $233,610. That is just one child though and includes all sorts of things like clothing and feeding them, buying them toys, paying for their transport to school and back as well as a million other things. If you have two or three children, you can expect to have to find between a half and three-quarters of a million dollars over the course of seventeen years. The figure above does not include college expenses which can be exorbitant on their own. Some estimates suggest that on average it can cost $57,000. As a point of reference, the average wage for a single person in the United States is just $34,940 with married couples managing to bring in an average of $117,795. Another cost that you have to factor in is the money you spend every day on running your household. You may not think about it every second, but you will be being charged for something all the time, even when you sleep. If you want to save money on your everyday household costs, here are a few tips:

Coupons can get a bad reputation especially since it is so frustrating to be stuck behind someone at the check out who seems to have been cutting them out for years and decided to use them all at once when there is a big queue behind them. However, they do save you money, and they are free. All you have to give is your time, and while many mothers do not have much of that, if you find that you could do with saving money at the grocery store, it is a good idea. You can expect to save around $50-$70 a week.

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Another massive expense that you have to face when you are running a household is the utilities. Heating your home is not something about which you can afford to compromise because you cannot let your children be cold at home. It is not good for their health. However, with the prices of things like natural gas (used in half of US homes) set to rise by 22% or $116, and electricity set to become more expensive by 5% or about $49, the need to save money is ubiquitous. It may not seem like much, but with all of your other costs too, any increase can make itself felt. One of the things that you can do to combat this is join together with your friends, family, and neighbors and create a union of sorts. When you inform your current energy provider that you are all going to leave if they do not give you a better deal, they are likely to listen. Besides, if they refuse to reduce their price as much as you’d like, you can always go to one of their competitors and tell them that you can ensure them a whole group of new customers if the price is right. It can work on a small scale with just a few people. However, in the UK in 2012, Which? led a campaign that attracted 75,000 people who wanted to reduce the cost of their gas and electricity bills. It is estimated that those that made the switch ended up saving about £25 million (or about $32 million) between them. Another great tip is to look for deals online. Major energy companies have to spend money on sending out letters and to get them back they need an entire mail room. If you go paperless and conduct your business over email, they will likely give you a better deal.

There are other little things that you can do to reduce your bills yourself. The only problem is that you will have to convince your children to do the same. Leaving lights on when you are not in the room is just a waste of money, as is leaving electrical appliances on standby. An energy company in the UK estimates that it costs the average household about £80 a year (or about $103.50) if their appliances are left on all the time. It may not sound like much but if you think that over the course of a decade, it amounts to over a thousand dollars, it is a lot of money that you could be saving, and all you have to do is remember to turn things off at the socket. You should also not fill up your kettle to the top with water if you are only going to use it to make one drink. Kettles consume an incredible amount of energy. Installing insulation and double glazed windows can also save you money because they conserve the heat in your home which means you have to pay less to generate it. Not only do these initiatives save you money, they can help the environment too. You can also teach your children good money management skills at the same time.

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However, it is not just your utilities that present an opportunity to save money. However careful you are around the house, there will always be things that break. Fixing them can often be quite expensive. Unless you are a trained plumber or an electrician, you should hire someone to do the work for you (while saving money is good, the cost of potentially making the problem worse or injuring yourself is simply not worth it). The trick to saving money is shopping around. It takes time, but if you compare all of the service providers in your area and find the cheapest one (such as Logan City Electrical), you can make tremendous savings. Another thing that you can do is source any parts or materials that you need yourself. When someone gives you an invoice for both labor and materials, they will not always give you itemized receipts for everything. Some contractors apply a markup and this can be avoided if you get them yourself (especially from stock traders like builder’s merchants).

While saving money is great, there are ways that you can make money from home too. While recycling is good for the environment, you do not need to just put all your stuff on the curb each week so that it can just be taken away. If you sort the objects into different groups depending on the materials that they are made of, you can then take them to local recycling centers who will pay you for them. Items that can earn you money include bottles and cans, batteries and electronic equipment. If you want to find a place near you, check out earth911.com. Incidentally, buying rechargeable batteries is cheaper than using some once and then throwing them out. It may not save you much but it all adds up to quite a lot of money in the end.

You may not think about it all the time, but an insurance company in the UK calculated that over the course of an average person’s lifetime they will spend about £1.5 million (or about $1.94 million). That is a lot, but it also means that you will have a lot of change. Keeping track of all the nickels and dimes can mean that you save lots of money that you would otherwise lose. If you empty your wallet or purse of your change every week, by the end of the year, you will have quite the gift for yourself.
The former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once famously said that ‘any woman who understands the problems of running a home will be nearer to understanding the problems of running a country.’ With these tips, you will be ready to sort out the national deficit in no time.

When it comes to a family trip in the motorhome, some parents become full dread instead of enthusiasm. Holidays should be about relaxing and enjoying yourselves. The stress should be left behind, but when you have children to think about and a destination to get to, it’s easier said than done. Holidaying in a motorhome can create memories that the entire family treasure for a lifetime and the key to getting it right is planning. So, what do you need to do for a fabulous motorhome holiday?

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Don’t Rely on the SAT NAV

Getting a satellite navigation system is a brilliant investment. More often than not, they’ll get you to your destination in perfect time. However, if you’re travelling far, they’re not always 100% reliable. You don’t want to come across a closed road and have the SAT NAV direct you into a farmer’s field. There will always be mishaps when it comes to driving somewhere you’ve never been before. It often takes a while for SAT NAVS to update when roads have been rebuilt and re-directed. That being said, take a map and written directions with you just in case.

Entertainment

If you know you’ve got a long drive ahead of you, it’s wise to plan some entertainment for the kids that isn’t packed away in bags and suitcases. Let the kids choose a few toys and games to keep out while you’re on the road. Card games, soft toys and portable DVD players can be a god send. They may need some drinks and snacks too, but remember that, that usually results in more toilet breaks. So, if you’re without a toilet in your motorhome be prepared to stop every now and then.

Choose the Right Place

Before you head off, it’s a good idea to do your research into sites, the same way you did with your  RV dealer. Is it clean? Is there plenty to do nearby? Are pets allowed? If you want to know you’re headed for a great holiday, you need to ask questions first. Getting recommendations from people who have already stayed there is always a good idea. You’ll also find reviews online if you look hard enough.

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Make the Most of the Outdoors

If you know you’re going to be outdoors a lot throughout the holiday, plan some activities. For instance, you could take your bikes with you or hire some when you arrive. A family bike ride is always fun and works up an appetite for later in the day. If there’s a beach nearby, remember to take swimwear and paddling boards for the kids. You can find a list of great outdoor activities here so you have plenty to choose from.

A holiday in a motorhome can be as expensive as a holiday abroad, so make sure you’ve put some money aside for things like food, clothing, treats and paying for activities. A motorhome can be a home away from home, so once you’re settled in, forget everything else and have your perfect family holiday.

Man posing in front of beautiful sunrise by the medieval house in rural countryside of Slovenia

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Not all of us seem to have the luxury of looking for homes at some point in our lives. They’re no longer something that we can just assume anyone who is reading an article is going to do. Still, there are a lot of people out there who are looking to buy a home, and it’s crucial that they find the home that’s going to serve them best.

The housing market may not give you as much flexibility of choice as you may want. Here are the things you really need to consider when looking for a home!

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Your needs

Your needs and abilities are going to play a huge part in this decision. You need to think of this in terms of immediate needs as well as long-term ones. Let’s say you’re someone with a heart condition that makes overexertion dangerous. If the property you’re looking at relies too much on big staircases, then this might not be the home for you, even if it’s other qualities are on the money. This could also be a problem in your later years, if you’re planning on getting a home that will keep you for a long time.

The various complications involved in this are why more people are looking at actually building their own homes instead of putting themselves at the mercy of the housing market’s whims. This doesn’t mean you need to get the hammer and nails out yourself (not that that’s all you need); you can actually work with a professional home builder to get it done. It may be worth considering.

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Your dreams

So what do you actually want to accomplish with your life? “Raising a family” is a fairly common one, and will be on the minds of many when they’re looking for a home. But raising a family isn’t the only aspiration that comes into play when looking for a home. Maybe you want to write more. In that case, you’ll probably want a home that has a room you can use as a writing office. Remember your ultimate personal and career aspirations when you’re looking for a property to buy.

Your price range

Hey, it’s the part of home buying that no-one really wants to talk about! At the end of the day, the home that you end up selecting is probably going to be determined largely by either how much you have or how much you can borrow. It may not be the most romantic or inspiring way of looking at the process, but it is very practical. So take another look at all the other factors we’ve been considering. Maybe the properties you can actually afford don’t quite fit everything in the way you want it too.

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I’m not saying that you should expect a property to be perfect. But are you sure you’re not willing to wait a little while longer so you can boost your price range a bit? It might be worth spending some time either saving up some more money or even strengthening your credit score so you can get your hands on a bit more capital. This will make it easier to get the property you’re after.