Pets

Top 5 Reasons Your Algae Eaters Are Dying

Many people have the misconception that they don’t have to provide any food to their team of algae eaters. Unfortunately this is far from the truth and results in many fish casualties along the way. Here are some tips that can help you keep your next pleco alive.

1. Offer them a varied diet of fresh greens and vegetables.

There are many different types of algae that grow in the aquarium, and not all plecos eat all types. In fact, it would be difficult to find an algae-eating fish that shows an interest in algae species outside of their specialty. For this reason, it is important to supplement your diet with various greens and greens to prevent starvation. This also applies to snails, otocinclus, and any other algae-eating creatures you have in your tank.

2. Don’t keep multiple algae together by eating fish.

Make sure you don’t go overboard with fish and invertebrates that specialize in eating algae. If you do, there will be too much competition for one food source that just can’t sustain them all. Common plecos are also known to become territorial with their own species as they mature, so you may eventually end up having trouble keeping more than one in your fish tank.

3. Get rid of the salt in the aquarium.

Many species of plecostomus are very sensitive to salt, so if you add aquarium salt to your tank, you will have to decide between pleco or salt! The best thing to do is to research the species you have purchased to find out their ideal environment.

4. Buy only babies who have a well rounded stomach.

This is very important advice that is often overlooked. Don’t be afraid to order a specific pleco from the pet store, they can be quick but not impossible to catch! It is not advisable to bring home a baby with a very sunken stomach because it is a very good indication that it is not a healthy fish.

5. Research your chosen species before purchasing.

Taking the time to learn about your fish is a big part of keeping them alive. Many species of fish that feed on algae and pleco have very specific care requirements that you will have to meet. For example, some plecos rely heavily on a diet containing driftwood, and some of the so-called algae eaters are not herbivores at all! Rather, they prefer a very meaty diet that generally has them scooping chunks from the other peaceful fish in their community.

It is very important to remember that your pleco (or other fish / snail eating algae) are not going to do all the work for you. If you are having difficulty controlling excessive algae growth in your fish tank setup, you will need to find out what the root cause is.

Real Estate

Is it a good idea to buy an investment property?

Now that the housing market is on the rise, some homeowners are considering purchasing additional property to take advantage of remarkably low home prices coupled with low interest rates.

Is it wise to invest in a rental property?

If you’ve ever dabbled in the idea of ​​becoming a real estate investor, this may be the best time to take the plunge.

According to expert real estate agents, this is the first time in years that the perfect storm has struck: In many areas of the country, house prices are lower than ever and interest rates are just as low. This means that it is economical to borrow and buy, creating the perfect opportunity for both novice and seasoned investors to purchase a new property.

4 steps to follow before buying a rental property

But not so fast … Before deciding to invest in a second property, it is important to use the following criteria to ensure that you are buying a good home that will serve as a solid investment:

1. Start with the right realtor. Working with the right real estate agent can make or break your investment property buying experience. If you are looking for a home in a specific area, it is best if the real estate agent is well invested with the neighborhood and region to find the right home to suit your needs. If you are looking for a rental property in another city or state, work with a local real estate agent who knows what they are doing; A local real estate agent can also recommend an Austin insurance agent for affordable home insurance when shopping.

2. Research the quality of the neighborhood. The area where you buy can affect the current value of a property, as well as how much it appreciates or depreciates in the future. If you plan to rent your property to tenants, the local neighborhood will also determine how easy it is to find a new tenant after the lease ends. First-time homeowners may do better in a densely populated area with a regular rental rotation, such as near a university or medical center.

3. Check with your local school system. If you are renting a multi-bedroom home, you may want to count on the fact that a tenant is likely to have children and is looking for a good school district. Before you sign on the dotted line to buy a rental home, make sure you are satisfied with the grades of the elementary, middle, and high schools in the area.

4. Get more information on local crime statistics. If you buy a home in a high crime area, you are preparing for a disaster in the future. You may need to address tenant complaints about common criminal activity. When researching crime statistics for a neighborhood, it is best to consult public records or the local police station. Specifically, learn more about misdemeanors, felonies, and vandalism rates. Also, make sure you have a strong homeowners insurance policy that will protect you as a homeowner, as well as your tenants, in the event of theft or vandalism of your property.

Shopping Product Reviews

Get an iPhone 8 case online

The iPhone 8 is finally hitting stores in countries around the world and Apple’s fanboys and fangirls in the world’s second-largest market for smartphones are finally getting their hands on Apple’s latest and greatest smartphone. While Cupertino’s latest smartphone is no longer Apple’s top-of-the-line phone, it is still more than enough smartphone for most people’s needs and for those who don’t want to spend the $ 1,000 asking price. of the iPhone X, the iPhone 8 is a very capable alternative. In fact, for anyone upgrading from an older device like a 5 or even a 6, the 8 should be a huge leap. The price difference between the iPhone 8 and X is even greater in countries outside the United States, once taxes and duties are taken into account. For die-hard Apple fans who have to own the company’s latest smartphone and want to show off the cool new bezel-less design and OLED display, the X is possibly worth any asking price, if only for bragging rights. . But for those iPhone users who just want a capable new device, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus have almost everyone’s needs.

But what if you want that amazing display and that bezel-less design? What if you totally agree with the notch at the top of the phone? What if you want to live your life on the cutting edge of technology and be one of the first people with a phone that uses FaceID to unlock it and as a means of verifying your identity to make purchases? What if you’re willing to pay the price of being an early adopter, both in terms of the ‘version one’ hassles that are sure to accompany any new technology and any first-generation hardware?

Well, in that case, the iPhone X is much easier to sell and its crazy price is a less difficult pill to swallow. What will be difficult to handle is the cost of replacing the back of the glass, or more importantly, the screen of the new phone if you drop it. Apple just announced repair and replacement prices for these parts and the prices are staggering. Going with the 8 alongside an iPhone 8 case should not only save you a lot of money, but the iPhone 8 covers the smartphone needs of just about everyone except those who absolutely must have the newest.

If you want a little more screen space, the iPhone 8 plus case is a breeze to make. Even the 8 Plus along with a pair of iPhone 8 Plus back covers should leave you with a few hundred dollars of change in your pocket from a thousand dollars. With almost all of the same internals as the much more expensive 10, the iPhone 8 should be a phone that will perform really well for more than a few years, if you take care of it.

Sports

Creating your list with paid advertising on E-Zine

A great way to build your e-Marketing list is with paid e-Zine advertising. By using this e-Zine advertising, you get almost instant results, something article marketing cannot do for you.

Let’s take this step by step. The first choice you should make is to promote your list registration or immediately promote one or more of your products. If you have a product that only has a short life, for example one related to a particular occasion or moment, then you need to attract buyers quickly. Direct paid e-Zine advertising for your product may be exactly the way to go.

For example, if you have a product or service specifically related to Valentine’s Day, you should present it to your potential buyers in the days leading up to February 14. Wait and your chance is gone one more year.

However, in most cases, the purpose of e-Zine advertising is to get more members so that you can build your marketing mailing list. In this way, you can email them details and offers that can progress over time. Building your list gives you the opportunity to make link sales or repeat sales so that you get payback on your ad spend over a period of time.

Advertising is always a risk. David Ogilvy, the marketing guru, said, “I know I’m wasting half of my ad spend, the problem is I don’t know which half.” And that’s from someone who spent their entire life generating really successful ads.

There are many ways to advertise paid on e-Zine that are relatively inexpensive. Not the thousands of dollars Ogilvy would spend per ad, but prices of $ 10 to $ 100 will do, depending on your market.

So what are the key points to consider when writing your ad and selecting your e-Zine? The three key points are ad quality, targeting, and e-Zine list quality.

Segmentation: does e-Zine publish in the market area it is targeting? For example, it is not good to advertise a puppy training course in a golf magazine. Even if readers are thinking about getting a puppy, a long shot in itself, that thought won’t be on the front of their minds as they contemplate how to improve their golf skills.

List quality: Do the members of the e-Zine publisher directory respond to the type of advertising you intend to place? This is difficult to judge as all you can follow is the publisher’s data and any historical reports you can find on internet forums. That is, except if you can discover someone who has had a real experience in paid e-Zine advertising with this post. So, try to see if you can see a sample of the product ahead of time and find out how long the publisher has been in business.

Ad quality: You only have a small space to make your presentation. A regular ad is 5 lines by 60 characters. In this ad, you must capture the attention of the reader, modify their interest and develop their desire so that they take the action you want. Do not forget that while you are composing – AID A. Or as another writer put it so succinctly – “Remember the reader and the result”

Allow repeated attempts on your budget. You can test variants on your copy and on different e-Zines. A single shot, unless you’re very lucky, won’t teach you much. That way, you’ll work to improve your bottom line and the value of your ad spend.

Make sure to run your ads in such a way that you can measure your results. For example, create a new list especially for this campaign’s respondents, use a dedicated landing page, or run it at a time when the rest of the activity is very low. What you can measure in your paid e-Zine advertising can improve.

So should you try building your list with paid e-Zine advertising? It won’t take long to find out, and by following the guide above, you’ll be doing your best. If it doesn’t work for you, you can move on with that additional knowledge. When it works, and the results are flowing, you can continue to build your e-marketing list with valued members by repeating your successful paid e-Zine advertising formula.

Tours Travel

Study groups for non-traditional college students

WHY STUDY GROUPS ARE SO USEFUL

A study group for a college class is very helpful for many reasons. A study group can help you get a much better grade. Also, you can meet people in your class in study group sessions and get to know them better. Plus, the people in your group can help you focus on important study topics in class so you can cover more in less time. Non-traditional students can meet other types of students in a study group. In addition, you will even feel more comfortable in class after meeting in your study group several times.

STUDY GROUPS IN PERSON VS. ONLINE GROUPS

You can form study groups in person or online. I find in-person study groups easier, but it’s nice to have both types of groups. Most of my study group experiences come from groups created for face-to-face classes, but I had at least one study group online. They both helped me a lot. If you have the option of having your study group meet online or in person, I would choose in person, because it is so much more fun. They can talk and get to know each other much more easily. But online study groups are good too. You can make a profile in these groups and they will help you break the ice with other members of your group.

CHOOSING A GOOD TIME TO HOLD A STUDY MEETING

Most of the time when a study group was formed, everyone met first after class to decide when we would meet. Some people would like the study group to meet after class. Some would want to meet before class (that was generally my idea). Others thought it would be helpful to gather extra time before a trial test. We all voted for when everyone could attend. Most of the time, my groups decided to meet before class for a week or two. This would not require an additional trip to school, and it was helpful to meet in an area in the same building as the class so that we could go directly to class after meeting each other.

DIVIDING THE WORK

We had to prepare for some difficult exams and tests; so my study groups used to divide the work into sections. One person covered a topic or question and the others did the rest. We also made test cards and brought them to meetings. Sometimes we question each other, using cards or questions that we brought. This helped a lot to focus on what we knew and what we didn’t know, and it helped each of us know what we most needed to study.

In addition, making the cards also helped us learn the material. The effort of writing questions helped me learn the facts better. We also help each other by reminding each other of assignments and answering questions from others.

DOING THE MEETINGS

Sometimes work or family responsibilities interfered with meetings and some people were unable to attend one or more meetings. But usually we still had enough people to make each study group worthwhile. I found that having more than two people total in the study group really made sense. If I only had one other person, if that person missed the study group meeting, they wouldn’t be able to study with anyone at all, and it was a waste of time. This didn’t matter as much with three or more people in the group.

ASK PEOPLE ABOUT BEING IN A STUDY GROUP

At first I was shy to ask people around me if I was in a study group. But he knew he needed the help and he knew that others probably needed it too. I had to force myself to ask the people around me. I tried to ask people before class, or at least before the teacher arrived. And of course I asked people who I thought were smart, had a good work ethic, and seemed friendly. Also, because I asked the people who were there early, I got the more motivated students to join. I would stop asking after four or five people said yes, because a larger group seemed too big.

Then I made a list of everyone’s name, phone number, and email, and gave everyone mine as well. I asked everyone if we could talk after class and decide when to stay after that. If someone had a class immediately after that, we offered to call or email them to find out when it was good for him or her. But it usually didn’t take long to decide when it was good for everyone.

Everything fell into place easily after that. We all decide when and how often to meet, and whether or not to have special study sessions right before an exam. Sometimes we would meet in the class building and sometimes in other places on campus.

After I started my first study group, it was easier to start with other groups, because I got used to it and wasn’t that shy or nervous about it. I was surprised to find that many other people also thought that a study group was a good idea!

SOME PEOPLE SAID NO

Not everyone wanted to be in a study group. When I asked people around me in class if they wanted to be in a study group, some people just said no. I didn’t let this bother me. Even if only two or three people would be interested, I thought it was still a large enough group. The largest group I had when I was in college was about six people. The smallest was two (which I don’t recommend because sometimes someone forgets about it and then you don’t get a good profit from it. But if those are all the members you can get, then I would do it anyway.

WHAT MY STUDY GROUPS ACHIEVED

I truly believe that having study groups for class (especially difficult classes) made a huge difference to my grades. I think it helped at least one grade point every time I was in a study group. Also, the study groups really helped before the tests. Talking to other people and hearing what they thought would be on the test really made me remember the facts much better than just trying to put them in on my own.

Also, many times, people in the study group had noticed points that the teacher said were not even in my notes. Then I would see these things in the test and remember them. What a great boost that was. I found that I felt more prepared and was not as nervous before testing as well. That helped me a lot.

The other people in my study groups told me that they were also happy to join the group. They said it made learning much easier for them. I agreed with them!

AN ADDITIONAL BENEFIT FOR STUDY GROUPS

I think I really connected better with other students by being in a study group with them. Sometimes we talked about things other than class, and that made study groups so much more fun. We got to know more personal things about each other, like what everyone’s lives were like at home and what people’s hobbies and interests were. It was a great way to make friends. Most of the people in each group were much younger, but when we had time (in study group time) to get to know each other, it was easier to be friends. That made going to class and studying a lot more fun.

Now I had people I knew in class with me. It made being in class so much more comfortable. I found it more fun to wait for the teacher to arrive and it also made group work more enjoyable. And today some of us still keep in touch. I feel like I really made good friends this way. I also felt more connected.

It was easier to be in class and also less intimidating. I felt a lot more comfortable, and people talked to me more, too. It was a win-win situation for everyone to meet the people in my study groups, plus it really helped me improve my grades.

So … I would definitely recommend being in a study group if you are taking a face-to-face class or an online class. It sure helped me!

Arts Entertainments

Boys will be boys (or why do men need to fight)

I had twenty-five boys in fight club tonight, twenty-five boys and a girl, and she certainly stood out.
It’s surprising how obvious gender differences are in a ring setting. In the general flow of life in an industrialized society, men and women mingle and blend in their daily routines, doing the same kinds of work, taking on the same kinds of responsibilities, etc. – barely distinguishable. But in the ring environment something different is happening. Here the men take their shirts off, flex their muscles, and get physical with each other in a very primitive and very heterosexual way. Here we play roughly with each other, in a way that inevitably excludes most women and children.
There is something very basic but very beautiful about the ring. The shouts of the combatants date back to a time when women and men knew who they were and what was expected of them as members of their gender. The fight club is a kind of physical probe in the collective subconscious, embodying that repressed memory of a culture in which women fed and nurtured the community while men fought to defend it.
That is why wrestling is such a natural form of rite of passage for young men. Modern Australians desperately need a rite of passage for our young people. Our nation continues to be swept away by waves of teenagers who never become men. They develop adult male bodies, but they are bodies that have never been nurtured with the ideals of a mature community, ideals that are necessary for those bodies to be well utilized.
I seriously believe that our community would benefit enormously if all teenagers, when they reached the age of, say, 16 or 17, were forced to train for a fight.
That wrestling training would be carried out by the boy’s father and the older men in the family, as well as other selected men from the community. When fight day came, the men would meet up with all the boys who had been training and tell them stories, stories of the great Australians who came before them; the men who stormed the beaches of Gallipoli, the men who opened the land for agriculture and industry, the great Aboriginal warriors who fought and died resisting the white invasion. The boys would then dress up in their wrestling gear and be led to the side of the ring where the grown men would push the boys into the center. There they would be forced to rely on their own resources for three rounds, after which they would be welcomed as men, and then perhaps they would be taken to the tattoo parlor to have the date of their fight and perhaps some emblem of courage etched on their skin. . and integrity that had been chosen for them.
It’s all a dream, of course, but it’s great. We get closer every time I take a kid into the ring for the first time, with his father by my side working in his corner. We’ve had wonderful moments like that: great fights fought by great guys who show all the signs of becoming great men.
I claim that we’ve had a 100% success rate in terms of guys that I got involved with in amateur contests that came out of trouble they were in. By the time we get them to the side of the ring, they stopped using drugs, they no longer have problems with the law, they are not causing problems at school, etc. Of course, the difficulty is in taking them that far, and that’s where we could do it with more support from friends and family and less interference from the politically correct.
I am aware of the fact that the focus of my work here is with the boys more than with the girls, but I do believe that the crisis that we are experiencing in our community is with the boys. Most of the time it is children who use drugs. It is the boys who are doing the break and they come in and roll. It is children who get in trouble with the law and children who commit suicide. Of course, none of this should undermine the importance of rites of passage for girls, nor the significant effect that fights in the ring can have on a girl’s life.
In fact, we occasionally have the feisty woman who joins us, but she is a special kind of woman: one who is capable of going toe-to-toe with men, who can receive and punch hard in the nose, and who can. so demand the respect of men.
In my time as a fight coach, I had the privilege of training one of my girls, Wendy, to win the Australian lightweight title in kickboxing. However, she was a special girl. There aren’t many like Wendy. For the most part, the girls just come and sit near the side of the ring and watch with wide eyes as their men beat their chests and punch each other.
What about this girl who first joined us tonight? Could it be another Wendy? It is not probable. She doesn’t look like the part at all. She is a slim Vietnamese girl with a daring hairstyle and a T-shirt that prominently displays the words “Too busy to fuck.”
I told him that if he wanted to train with us he would have to change into a different shirt. I offered him one of our club shirts, the ones with “Christianity with Punch” on the back. Unsurprisingly, she was reluctant to wear it, but eventually put it on. Once we had her in a different shirt, she disappeared from view as the center of everyone’s attention. Still, I suspect that the excellent performance the guys put on tonight was partly inspired by a desire to impress our visitor. You cannot escape the sexual dynamics in this game.
A friend of mine in the military told me that despite all the talk about gender equality in the forces, the Australian military still refuses to allow women to enter the front line, and rightly so. She said that the Israeli experience had been well documented (Israel is one of the only countries that put women on the front line) and that they were experiencing huge problems. He said that, for one thing, the statistics showed that men would always come back for a woman who had been shot, even if she was dead, and even if that put the rest of the squad in grave danger. He also said that the effect on morale of the death of a woman on the front line was much more serious than the effect of the death of any number of men (and morale is considered to be one-third of the fighting force! of any army)! Gender differences just can’t seem to be ignored in a war zone.
I am a huge advocate for women in the fighting arts, and in fact, I have had issues with our state government on more than one occasion due to my role in promoting, training, and officiating in women’s wrestling contests (which are still is illegal in NSW). But I don’t do this because I think there is no difference between men and women in the ring. In the office there may not be any relevant difference, and in the pulpit I cannot see or hear any, but in the ring, in the most fundamental and primitive arena of human encounter, women are women and men are better than not. to be.

Technology

Message: Social media is toxic for kids

According to research from Common Sense Media, teens now spend an average of nine hours a day glued to their devices, and tweens aren’t far behind at six. And that doesn’t take into account the use of technology in our nation’s classrooms, nor all the required computer assignments that follow our children home after school.

Considered a learning tool, many teachers now incorporate Twitter and video games into their lessons, negatively impacting attention span and critical thinking, along with spelling and writing skills.

As for teachers who refuse to jump on the educational technology train? They are called “tough” and are often criticized for being old school and very backward.

Fortunately, they are not alone.

Among those concerned are Steve Fischer, eBay’s chief technology officer, who sends his children to a Waldorf school rather than the local high-tech public school; so do many Silicon Valley employees.

That’s because founder Rudolf Steiner designed the Waldorf curriculum to focus on the academic, artistic, and practical with an eye toward developing students’ imaginations and preparing them for the real world, without the need for screens.

However, the result for everyone else’s kids is a world driven by technology, both in and out of school.

In fact, Common Sense Media CEO and founder Jim Stryer says the amount of media technology in children’s lives is “mind-boggling.” As he points out, he rules their world and they can’t seem to resist his appeal.

One result: multitasking. Now, 50% of adolescents say that they “often” or “sometimes” use social networks or watch television while doing their homework; 60% say they text and 75% + listen to music at the same time.

However, the pushback is growing with ensembles like The Truth About Tech: How Tech’s Got Kids Hooked. “Sponsored by Common Sense Media, the Center for Human Technology and others, it held an event in DC earlier this year. Its mission is to expose the techniques that technology companies use to hook our children and find a way to guarantee their digital well-being as well.

As the Center points out, “technology is taking over our minds and society.”

And everything has been done on purpose.

In fact, Facebook’s founding president, Sean Parker, has admitted that he and other top brass created “a social validation feedback loop” that makes the social media platform addictive.

At one point, another FB executive, Chalmath Palihapitiya, accused his company of creating “short-term, dopamine-powered feedback loops that are destroying the way society works.”

And even though he tried to back away from that statement, he still has legs, so to speak.

Even Apple CEO Tim Cook gets it. Although he is childless himself, not only does he set firm limits for his nephew when it comes to social media, but he doesn’t consider it a success if we all use technology all the time.

As it is, 50% of teens are addicted to their cell phones, and 60% of their parents agree.

One teenager told her, “I’d rather not eat for a week than have my phone taken away. It’s really bad.”

Additionally, Jean Twenge, a San Diego State University psychology professor and author of iGen, says heavy device users (more than 5 hours a day) are:

  • 56% more likely to say they are unhappy;

  • 27% more likely to be depressed; Y

  • 35% more likely to have a suicide risk factor.

These numbers are backed by numerous experts and also backed by brain imaging studies.

However, Dr. Nicholas Kardaras, author of Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction Is Kidnapping Our Children, notes that none of us want “some to tell the truth that they kill the buzz and tell us the emperor has no clothes” and that the devices we are so attached to pose a problem, especially for the developing brain of children. kids.

However, regardless of the disturbing evidence, Facebook will not stop, not even remotely.

Not satisfied with his current 2.13 billion users, presumably all 13 and older, he is now aiming lower with Messenger Kids, created with children as young as six in mind.

This video, calling and messaging app allows kids to connect with friends and family via tablet or smartphone, and boasts that countless parents and child advocates participated in its design.

However, many of those contributors received funding from Facebook …

Meanwhile, among Messenger Kids boasts: Parents must first approve all contacts, and this causes children and parents to converse with each other in “a safe and controlled environment.”

Safer than what, face-to-face conversations?

Countless child development experts and others disapprove.

Organized by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, several of them recently sent a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, urging him to take down Messenger Kids. Citing its potential for harm, they noted that young children are developmentally unprepared to handle social media, online relationships, or the misunderstandings and conflicts that can arise from them.

However, Messenger Kids is still working, so …

Bottom line: keep it personal, not virtual.

Home Kitchen

Which countertop is best for my Georgian home: quartz, granite, or marble?

A new home is a wonderful experience! You want everything special about it: exquisite furniture, wall textures, dreamy interiors, attractive quartz, marble or quartz countertops for the kitchen, and the list is never ending. Depending on where in Georgia your home is located and what look you prefer for your home, decide which stone countertop will best suit your home.

Georgia: nature and modernity
Georgia, USA is a beautiful place with a rich diversity of extremes – a vibrant city with high-rise buildings and astonishingly serene municipalities, and lush green mountain ranges and a roaring sea. It has a humid subtropical climate and part of its edge acts as a coastline, which means high humidity. Your countertops are continuously exposed to moisture and react based on their chemical composition. Sandstones and limestones are part of the Georgian terrain, but that doesn’t limit your options.

The countertops are differentiated by their chemical composition such as granite, marble, quartz or others. As they are exposed to the elements of nature, their composition can be a crucial factor in selection.

Granite Kitchen Countertops
If a shiny look is what you prefer for your kitchen, go for granites. Granite countertops are strong and durable, and with beautiful glass patterns they can make any room look luxurious. Now the question is whether it is suitable for your Georgian home!

These countertops are porous and easily react with moisture resulting in discoloration. Keeping them in humid conditions for prolonged periods can cause flaking or flaking. So, in case you are determined to buy a granite kitchen countertop for your home, take care to keep it clean and dry.

Quartz Kitchen Countertops
Make your home look modern and versatile with quartz countertops. The elegant appearance and attractive quartz colors easily add to the beauty of your kitchen. These stones have a non-porous surface and are more durable than granites. They are made of broken quartz, resins and color pigments with attractive color combinations. Quartz is diminished compared to granites, but it is much stronger.

Quartz stones are resistant to moisture and are the perfect countertops for the kitchen. But keep them out of direct sunlight and heat, as their color fades with exposure. They are cheap, hygienic, impact resistant and require no maintenance.

Marble Kitchen Countertops
Add timelessness to your home with marble countertops. They are the easiest options to remove the old look from your home and give it a whole new look. Its sense of richness with each part acting like a canvas makes you ignore its little downsides, like the affinity for liquids and scratches. Consider a theme for your kitchen and choose the right marble.

Marble countertops add an aesthetic appearance to your home. Since these stones are porous, they must be sealed to prevent moisture absorption. They can handle hot bowls and heavy weights effectively, but keep sharp, heavy objects away as their impact can damage the surface.

Our suggestion
Georgia is a humid state, quartz or marble kitchen countertops are the best options. Each stone is different and special, so if you take the right precautions, any natural stone can last a lifetime. Finally, weigh your options and choose the one you like the most.

Digital Marketing

How to sell more affiliate products as a blogger

As a blogger, if you sell affiliate products in an attempt to maximize your passive income potential, there may be several things you could be doing to make it even better.

Selling affiliate products allows you to place links on your blog and receive commissions every time someone buys those products or other products by clicking the link on your site.

These are some of the ways you can sell more affiliate products as a blogger.

Make it personal

It has been statistically shown that people are much more likely to buy (or avoid) something after reading a personal review. With that in mind, instead of just posting some objective reviews about the products you are promoting as an affiliate, buy them and try them out for yourself.

You can then write about what you liked and what you didn’t like, and the people who follow your blog religiously will really value your thoughts. You can even contact the seller and agree on free trial products for you to review on their blog.

Write about other things

If everything you write is focused on a product and why other people should buy it, you will have a hard time making a lot of money through affiliate marketing.

People want to read something that sounds genuine, so only review and promote products that you really believe in. Your blog will stand out and sound more real, and you can benefit from quality buyers and readers.

Give things away

This can vary depending on what your blog is about, but you can give away guides, tutorials, checklists, newsletters, magazines, or even physical articles sent in the mail. By giving away free stuff on your blog, as well as promoting or reviewing expensive items for sale, your readers will come to see your blog as fun and exciting, rather than just a platform to try and get a commission from them.

Offer something extra

If you really want people to buy the item through your blog rather than through another affiliate marketer’s website, you will need to offer something extra. People will buy without hesitation if they feel like they are getting a good deal. This could be your own personal guide to using the item, or it could be a little extra that you would like to use with it and send it to all buyers separately.

Business

How can you afford to become a freelancer?

“Annual income twenty pounds, annual spending nineteen-six, results in happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual spending twenty pounds and six, the result of misery” Charles Dickens

The question of “how will I allow myself to make the change” comes up with every person who is considering self-employment.

Research shows that people who move easily and successfully into self-employment have plans to ensure some kind of positive cash flow or income stream during their initial start-up period. A general rule of thumb is that people feel they need a guaranteed lump sum that covers six months of living expenses.

An essential part of planning to become self-employed has to be an analysis of your financial situation. Here are the three key steps you need to take:

1. Calculate the personal expenses you need to cover A good idea when you become self-employed is to reduce your monthly living expenses as much as is reasonably possible. This has to be an accurate calculation. You can’t lower your rent payments (although you might be able to change your mortgage to a lower payment plan), but you can postpone a holiday this year. You can’t lower your heating bill, but you can eat out less often.

Start by completing a IDB Survival budget. BID means:

  • Bbasic necessities, for example, mortgage or rent payments, home insurance, life insurance, gas, electricity, water, city taxes, telephone, car, and cleaning
  • Iimportant needs, for example, television, school fees, gym membership
  • Ddesirable, e.g. holidays, gifts, meals away from home

Most people are amazed to discover how little they really need to survive. Whether you are planning to jump in or waiting to be pushed, knowing your true financial situation can be very empowering and will allow you to identify the lowest monthly spending level that you (and your family) can reasonably commit to.

2. Calculate the business expenses you need to cover A helpful rule of thumb when starting out is never spend until you need to. But you must also recognize that all businesses face one-time startup costs that you will have to bear. These start-up costs are often easy to overlook, especially if you’ve been working in a large company where they are part of the infrastructure. It’s also important to plan for all your monthly expenses, no matter how small.

Having taken these first two steps, you should now be able to determine how much money you need to manage during the first six months of self-employment, so next you need to

3. Establish a fund for the first six months To have a financial cushion, you need to find enough money (guaranteed money, not business or future projections) to finance your personal and business expenses for at least the first six months when you must assume that you have expenses but not extra income from earnings.

There are several options for financing your transition to self-employment. For some, it may involve savings and investments, and for others it may involve the use of a severance pay. Financial support from a partner may be an option or landing a part-time job may be the short-term answer.

Analyze your financial situation, slowly and carefully. Talk to people you trust. And most importantly, follow the advice. It is wise to seek professional financial advice for your particular circumstance.