This is a guest post from Brittany Fisher:

​Easy Changes to Help You Gain Financial Freedom
 
Finances can often feel like a complicated subject. There are thousands of books on the topic, magazines dedicated to money management and investment; sections of the newspaper devoted to stocks and business, television channels exclusive to finances, podcasts, radio shows, and classes everywhere teaching some method or another on budgeting. While there’s a lot of information at your disposal, you don’t need to become a finance expert to have financial freedom. You can start improving your finances by implementing a few easy changes.
 
Look for Alternatives
 
We live in a world of options. No person or business has a monopoly on entertainment products or services, which gives you options on almost everything you consume. For instance, there are plenty of ways you can enjoy your favorite shows and movies. Streaming services are an affordable alternative to satellite or high-priced cable; and there are plenty of streaming device options that will suit your needs and offer you access to thousands of shows and movies.
 
If you enjoy audiobooks or books and pay for subscriptions, look into getting digitized library cards so you can tap into thousands of free book titles, including new releases. If you enjoy a gym membership, shop around to make sure you are getting the best deal in town. You don’t have to give up what you love to be smart with your money — just do a little research to ensure you’re getting the most for your dollar. You may find there are stores and providers that offer identical or comparable products or services at a lower price.
 
Change How You Give Gifts
 
Gift giving should be an enjoyable experience. Celebrating birthdays, weddings, holidays, new babies, and graduations should be stressless and not cause you anxiety about going into debt. When at all possible, plan ahead. If you know you will need to give gifts, as soon as possible, budget for the expenditure, shop sales and clearances, and use promo codes and/or coupons.
 
If you give gifts to groups of people, such as neighbors or co-workers, make homemade gifts that will show your effort and thoughtfulness while saving you money. Homemade gifts are not always cheaper than store-bought, of course, so do the cost benefit analysis first; but if you can save by making a crochet hat or baking cookies, that’s the way to go.
 
Reevaluate Subscriptions
 
“One month free.” “3 months for only $24.99.” “Cancel any time.” “Check out these spoilers!” That’s how they get you. Whether you’re subscribing to certain lifestyle items, books, games, magazines, monthly beauty boxes, and/or food delivery, subscription prices can add up quickly. If you forget to cancel at the end of the promotional period or you don’t use the subscription enough, it’s time to cancel now. It may only be $9.99 here or $14.99 there, but over the course of the year, those costs add up. Don’t get rid of subscriptions you love and use all the time, but do take time to evaluate how often you use each one, why you have it, and if you still need it.
 
You don’t need to invest hours of your life every day to understanding finances in order to be financially smart. Budgeting and financial planning don’t need to be painful, either. Every so often, take a look at where you are spending money.
 
If you have extra money going out to overpriced goods or services, then you should look for alternatives. If you spend over your budget every year on gifts, then it’s time to look at other options and bring the joy back into gift giving. If you have memberships or subscriptions that drain your bank every month, then take time to evaluate what you actually use. Smart budgeting is not deprivation — it’s just planning.
 

Homes are no longer the place where we spend all day relaxing. They’re our home offices and even schools. With everything that you and your family are responsible for, it can be difficult to make your home feel relaxing, but it is incredibly important to make it so. 

Here are a few ways that you can make your home now relaxing and help you feel more prepared for everything in your life. 

Remove Clutter
You should take some time with your family members to pare down any belongings that you don’t really need or have a sentimental attachment to. There are quite a few different ways to do that, so search for the downsizing method that will work well for you.

No matter whether you’re relaxing in your kitchen or in your bedroom, you need to hide the clutter in your space. If there are things you can’t get rid of, like your pots and pans, it can help you to hide it behind screens or cupboard doors instead of having it all out in the open. This will make a huge difference in your mental health when you are relaxing, and in general in the space. 

Relaxing Decorations
​It can be really fun to decorate your house with all sorts of wacky objects that draw your eye, but you want to avoid going overboard with things that are distracting. Things that make noise and that catch your attention are more likely to distract you from your goal of relaxation. Noisemakers are also likely to stress you out when you hear them unexpectedly, so avoid them whenever possible. Funnily enough, the most relaxing color you can paint your walls is a pastel matte blue. It brings to mind the idea of the sky and water which is very relaxing.

Phone-Free Zone
One of the ways we sabotage our relaxation is by spending tons of time on our phones. Not only are the notifications addictive, but the blue light emitted from the screen also makes us much more likely to continue paying attention. That blue light also makes it harder for us to go to sleep at night, making us more stressed overall. 

If you can, designate certain areas of your house phone free at certain times to maximize the amount of relaxation you can feel. When it’s bedtime, try and keep your phone on do not disturb and on night mode so that if you do have to use it, it does not emit as much blue light. Keeping your phone out of the bedroom altogether would be best for your relaxation and sleep habits. 

If you find yourself struggling to relax regularly as well as struggling to sleep, there might be more to it than you think. Talk to your doctor to see if there might be a medical issue causing you to struggle. Medication and treatment for sleep disorders can make a huge difference in the level of stress and sleeplessness you feel. 


​