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April 2018

News

4 Funeral Tips for Planning Ahead

When setting up a funeral for a loved one it can be an extremely distressing and emotive period, especially if the deceased person was someone close to you.  Trying to get the balance correct to ensure that the person affected has all their wishes respected.  Sometimes trying to second guess all of these can be difficult and even seem unachievable.

Funeral Plans – Many people nowadays have set up their own dedicated funeral plan.  There are clearly many advantages of this which include ensuring that the actual funeral itself is paid for in advance so that this reduces the stress connected to this with the family members who will deal with this.  By looking in the internet you can check the Funeral Advice Centre for lots of good credible information including costs, specific services offered, payment plan options and any law and paperwork issues.  Contacting companies like this direct will ensure that you have some good professional advice in advance.

Will and legal documents – Clearly the guidance to everyone is to have a Will.  By not having this, you are leaving yourself exposed to family disagreements and potentially your items or money being handed to someone that you don’t want.  In your Will you can almost do as you please (there are some laws in different countries though that mandate specific handouts to your children for example).  In your Will you can be very specific and the lawyer will keep you right on how this complies with the law.  Nowadays, these are not specifically expensive and will cost a few hundred pounds maximum for a reputable company to complete this.  Once the person has died, the Will comes into force which can even have specific requests on the type of funeral they want.

Costs – There is lots of information on the internet on funeral director companies where you can compare costs.  It’s far too easy for people to just use their local company.  This may be great to support your local business however could be costly.  Using funeral comparison sites (just like you do with banking or cars) is probably the most cost effective way to do this.  You can make direct contact with the companies and give more specific details in order to receive a more competitive quote.  Funerals are not cheap by any means and will take a big dent out of your pocket if you have got a funeral plan and are expected to cough up the cash immediately so shop around.

Religious beliefs – Remembering that the funeral is for the person that passed away you should be respectful enough to take their religious beliefs fully into consideration.  This may involve people attending a religious service that they do not connect to however people should remain curious and be respectful.  Sometimes in order to execute a religious service effectively planning is required.  In addition, some religions require people to be buried or cremated immediately and others require it to be some distance away from the date of death.  Be sure to be aware of this and take this into account.

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Indoor Activities for Kids

When you are based in the UK, the weather isn’t always great – let’s face it.  It can be unpredictable at best.  When it’s rainy outside, it can be difficult to think of ways to entertain the kids and stop them from being bored.  We have put a list of some ideas for you for indoor activities to help you out if the weather isn’t up to scratch.

Watch a Movie

There are always new movie releases, so you can hit the cinema if it’s looking a little cloudy outside. There are always lots of showtimes to suit your schedule too.  Cinemas’ can be a little pricey these days, so make sure you bring your own snacks if you are on a budget.  Alternatively, you could chill out together on the sofa and watch a movie in your home and get some popcorn.

Go to a Trampoline Park

Next on our fun family activities list is an indoor trampoline park.  There are lots of these across the UK – and work for kids of all ages.  For example, with Rush UK, they have all kinds of things such as gladiator battles, dodgeball and great challenge courses.  They have discount offers on family tickets – and some great food and drink deals.  This is something that has massively increased in popularity in the last couple of years.

Some Home Baking

There’s nothing like a little sugar to make a dreary day a little bit more fun.  Why not treat the kids to some home baking? You don’t need to do all of the work yourself of course, it’s meant to be a fun family activity and something you can do together. You can get easy to make baking kits in most supermarkets – or if you are feeling a little bit more adventurous you could go online and check out some recipes and give it a go.  The clean-up after might be a bit of a pain.

Arts and Crafts

When it’s raining outside – it’s a good chance to let the kids be creative and do some arts and crafts.  It could be anything from pictures to put on the fridge, or you can do some colouring in.  if you are feeling particularly creative you may want to go as far as to make your own jewellery, make posters with poster paints, or these days you can even make your own slime!  Make sure you cover all of the tables and chairs before you get started.

There we have it – if you are struggling to entertain the kids when it’s not the greatest of weathers outside, we hope we have felt.  We’ve also included options for you if you are on a budget.  Remember not everything needs to cost a fortune for you to be able to have fun with he kids.

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Travel

New Ideas for Hobbies

Are you looking for a new hobby to take up? It can be a bit boring sitting in front of the TV sometimes – and you might want to get out and about particularly in the summer time.  Hobbies are also a great way to meet new people and broaden the mind. That’s why we have put together a list of new hobbies you may want to try.

Photography

Have you ever seen a beautiful photograph of a picturesque scene or a special moment captured and wondered how it’s done? Well you could try a beginners photography course that can help you on your way to becoming a great photographer. It’s a great way to get out and about and learn a new skill.  It’s a perfect option for those of you who are on the creative side.

Learn a New Language

Do you have a favourite country that you love visiting and wish you could speak the language? There are plenty of online courses that will make it as easy as possible for you to learn and they are cost effective too – so you don’t need to spend a fortune. You can even treat yourself to a holiday there once you have got the basics covered to test out your new skills.

Do a Dance Class

If you have ever watched Strictly Come Dancing, you may want to get some moves of your own. The success of that hit TV show has brought dance classes around everywhere. You will find dance classes for pretty much every genre these days such as salsa, swing etc. It’s also a good way to keep fit without even thinking about it and to meet new people.

Take up a Cooking Class

Ever wanted to be a whizz in the kitchen? Cooking can be great fun. You can explore different food cultures and new recipes – all the while feeding your family and friends. You can even get cooking classes based on your favourite types of foods these days. So, you could go to a class that specialises in Italian food, or Asian food. Whatever tickles your tastebuds.  Take up a cooking class and you could be the next Gordon Ramsey.

Become a collector

If you have a specific interest – whether it be a favourite movie genre or actor – you could become a collector. Due to the likes of eBay – there are lots of people selling collectors items online. Once you get good at the bidding strategy you could get your collectors items for a steal. You can go as far as to visit premiers of some blockbuster movies and actively collect autographs.

If you are stuck when looking for a new interest, why not try some of the above? You might find something you love doing and it could become a lifelong pass time.

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Travel

Unusual Things to do with your Friends in London

If you are heading out with a group of friends in London, it can be a bit boring just going for dinner and drinks all the time even with the vast options they have, and luckily for you – London is full of different things that you and your mates can enjoy and create new experiences.  We have put a list of things that you may not yet have tried in the capital city.

Go to an Outdoor Cinema

Going to the movies in general, is probably something you have done quite a few times, but have you visited any of London’s outdoor cinemas?  You can watch some of your favourite movies under the stars on a nice summer night.  There are some rooftop ones where you can look forward to stunning views of London at the same time.

Have Breakfast in the Sky

The Aqua Shard is on the 31st floor and has a fantastic breakfast menu, which is more reasonable than you ay think.  You can take in spectacular London views whilst enjoying an early morning breakfast and cup of coffee.  It also means that you then have the entire day ahead to do lots of other things.  It’s a great experience, although you will need to make sure you book a bit in advance.

Become a Cave Dweller

This one definitely a little unusual.  You can head to the suburbs with your friends and pay the Chislehurst Caves a visit.  It’s a little bit of a labyrinth inside with lots of different tunnels.  It was originally excavated, then became an air raid shelter – and has since become home to some amazing acts such as David Bowie, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones amongst others.

An Escape Room

Omescape the room games are a great way to have fun.  Effectively you and your friends will be locked in a room and then asked to uncover clues and solve puzzles and beat the clock.  It’s a fully immersive experience so you will think that you are in another world, and it will probably bring out a side of your friends that you have never seen before.

The Harry Potter Tour

The Harry Potter tour in London is fairly new to London, so it’s conceivable that you haven’t been there yet despite it’s popularity.  This experience will allow you to visit sets such as the Forbidden Forest, Diagon Alley and the great Hall.  You can also check out some of the props that were used in the movie and look at some of the costumes.  While you are at it, you may even want to indulge in a butter beer.

If you are stuck for things to do with your friends in London, then why not try some of these unusual options? They will be a different experience for you and if nothing else will give you a talking point!

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News

Making Money On Airbnb

If you are considering becoming an Airbnb host then you probably already know how it works. If not, Airbnb offers you the online service of renting out a space for a short period of time to people who want to pay. This is a great service but often people struggle with figuring out how much to advertise their room for or how to manage the guests coming in and out all the time. This can often mean that the service does not actually make them money which is obviously disappointing. Therefore, we have come up with some ways that you can make sure that you are making money on your listing and taking full advantage of the service.

Write a Great Description

You’ll want to get the attention of guests when they are looking through all the listings to make them choose you. Writing a great description that isn’t too long and complicated will bring you in more guests and get you more money quickly.

Price Your Room Right

Choosing the right price for the room that you are offering is very important. You don’t want to have it low to attract customers if it is not bringing you in as much money as it could. If you live in somewhere like London, you could be charging a decent amount for your room and still be cheaper than a hotel. Look at similar properties to yours to figure out what the best price is for you.

Offer Something Unique

A great way to increase the popularity of your listing is to offer something unique. This doesn’t have to be something expensive, you could offer to cook them a meal or provide a map and tourist information. Little things like this will make people more likely to choose you and it means you can increase your prices accordingly.

Getting Professional Help

Believe it or not there are professional services out there that can help you improve your Airbnb listing. This includes Hostmaker Airbnb Services which can give you everything you need to have a perfect Airbnb home. Things that they offer include daily pricing, professional photography, maintenance and interior design. These are all things that can massively increase how much money you make on your listing and could make it all worthwhile.

Keep Your Guests Happy

Having great reviews on your profile is very important and the best way to do this is to keep your guests happy. If you can have a chat with them to build some sort of relationship, they are more likely to give you a good review. Good reviews will increase your chances of being booked again and bringing in more money.

Summary

If you want to list your home on Airbnb, make sure to go through all of the right steps before doing so. Often if you live in the same house or flat, you will be slightly inconvenienced by these guests. This is why you should try and make lots of money to make it worth your time!

Image: Pixabay

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