Who Said Nothing in Life is Free?

We all know what it’s like to look in the mirror and not be totally happy. Life is busy, and it’s hard always to put a proper diet and regular exercise at the top of your list of priorities. Between work, school, caring for kids, and more, it’s easiest to eat what you need to get through the day and worry about how you look later.

These diets can also be expensive. There are so many fad diets, pills, and programs that cost a fortune and promise to help you lose weight fast. However, if you don’t have the funds to try every new weight loss plan that exists, then keep reading to learn four effective ways to slim down when you’re on a budget.

1) The Keto Diet

This diet has steadily risen in popularity over the last few years as it’s known to be a low-carb, high-fat diet with many health benefits. The keto diet, or ketogenic diet, basically involves cutting out carbs and replacing them with fat.

Upon first thought, purposely consuming high amounts of fat can seem counterproductive and a bit ridiculous. However, it works. Doing so forces your body into ketosis, a metabolic state that is best for burning fat for energy. This causes you to burn fat faster than ever and slim down.

There are many options like for ketosis, Pruvit, or you could start the diet with your own plan to cut out carbs.

2) Drink More Water

You should drink water every day for general hydration and health reasons, but doing so can also be an efficient way to help you lose weight. Water serves as a natural appetite suppressant. When your stomach is full, you no longer want to eat.

So, if you drink a lot of water and your stomach becomes full, you’ll naturally be less hungry. Also, many people feel that they are hungry when they’re just thirsty. This helps keep you from snacking unnecessarily.

Water also helps remove waste and toxins from the body. When you are dehydrated, you cannot possibly use the bathroom regularly. Water is necessary to prevent constipation and digestive problems. When your body retains waste, you’ll start to feel bloated and larger.

3) Cut Out Sugar

In a world where we have access to sugary, sweet foods at almost any corner, it’s difficult to avoid sugars or even notice how much you consume. Candies, baked goods, sodas, and juices are the most common ways people intake sugar.

Cutting out sugar is proven to help you lost weight faster. It can help lower triglycerides, a type of fat found in blood, and lower your risk of heart disease. Less sugar can lead to healthier teeth and dramatically decrease the risk of health issues.

4) Home Workouts

Not everyone has a gym membership or can afford one, which can be a deterrent for someone who wants to be more physically active. The great thing about living is in a digital age is that we have access to things like YouTube, where professional fitness trainers post workout videos that can be done anywhere. And the best part? They’re free!

Not having access to a gym doesn’t have to be an excuse for why you can’t work out a few days a week. Begin online and try different routines until you find one that you like a lot.

Conclusion

Losing weight doesn’t mean that you have to invest lots of money in workout plans and personal trainers. Simple life changes like drinking water, cutting our sugar, and working out regularly will make all the difference.

When the holidays arrive, it can be difficult to find the perfect creative gift for that special someone. You could always give a simple gift card or pre-made gift basket, but where is the fun in that?

All it takes to give someone an amazing holiday gift is time, effort, and some thought. Keep reading for five more helpful tips to find the best present this holiday season.

1) Buy Problem-Solver Gifts

The best gifts are the most useful ones. Try thinking of a problem in your loved one’s life and pick a present to solve it. For example, you could buy little things like black-out curtains for the windows. If you’re trying to find gifts for men, you can even hire a handyman to fix those pesky problems that come up around the house. Many guys love this gift, as it takes the pressure off their shoulders to do DIY projects around the house.

The gift doesn’t always have to be physical. You could also book a session with a physical therapist or chiropractor for a friend in your life that needs relief and relaxation the most.

2) Get Personalized Presents

By personalizing your gift for a loved one, it makes the occasion more unique and special. Personalizing does not mean putting your face on the present, but rather customizing the gift with the recipient’s initials, favorite colors/patterns, etc.

Pick out a high-quality necklace, ring, or another piece of jewelry and get it engraved. Any time someone asks about it, your loved one is sure to remember that moment.

3) Avoid Gift Cards and Similar Presents

When you buy someone a gift card, the chances are that they’ll lose it or forget to use it. Also, there is nothing memorable about giving a gift card for the holidays. If you want to give money, give cash instead. Your recipients will appreciate the extra flexibility.

Another thing to avoid giving is experiences without scheduling a date. You can buy someone cooking lessons, but they will probably never do it if they have to schedule it themselves. Set a date so your loved one has something to look forward to.

4) Make a List to Think of Unique Gifts

One of the biggest problems gift-givers face is finding a present to match their recipient’s interests. To get around this, start off by making a list of everything that you know your gift recipient is interested in, whether it’s big or small. Then, go down the list and think of a present to go with each item.

Chances are, you’ll run into a unique idea you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise. You may even get to incorporate more than one of their interests into one present. Your gift recipient will appreciate something specifically tailored to them.

5) Figure Out Their Style

Some of the best presents are items that you can place around the house. Try looking at your loved one’s home to get a sense of their style, taste, and the type of decor they’re into. Then, you can get a practical chair or another piece of furniture. Or you can easily pick out a unique decoration to go with their theme.

Always Give Gifts That Keep On Giving

When it comes to gift-giving, thoughtful and personalized gifts are always the most heartfelt. Giving a special present like a necklace will mean so much more to your loved one than a simple gift card.

Be attentive to your gift recipient and figure out the things and hobbies they love the most. Once the holidays arrive, you’ll pick something unique that brightens up their season.

Online shopping is the most perfect and purpose-built way to wreck your monthly finances ever devised. But only if you let it. If you know how to do it properly, online shopping is the most beautiful way to get stuff you’d have to spend days looking for downtown at prices you wouldn’t dare to dream.

How do we end up spending so much and getting so little, then? It’s because we don’t plan.

Have you ever gone out to buy a dress for an occasion and come back with two dresses for different occasions, a gorgeous little cardigan and so, so many shoes? And a necklace you saw later that goes with one of the dresses?

Online shopping multiplies this problem because you can be in all the shops at once. You need a plan to stop things from getting out of hand, but there’s no point trying to avoid it altogether. It’s just too much fun.

Here’s what to do and what not to do. Follow this guide, and you can avoid so much waste and still get what you want.

1) DO: Shop International

What’s the point of the internet if you have to stick to domestic options? There’s so much more range if you look at international sellers and deals like you wouldn’t believe.

A great way to manage your international shopping is to use a parcel forwarding service. These services specialize in looking after parcels until you need them delivered and then sent out promptly. It helps manage your international purchases if you get them sent out in batches rather than individually because international delivery fees can be steep.

2) DON’T: Shop International in Little Bits

If you’re in the habit of making a purchase and then getting online the next day and going back for that thing you hadn’t quite decided on, your shipping fees can rack up quickly.

The shipping fees are all the more reason to use a parcel forwarding service. Using a service that you can ship to in the country of sale, you can consolidate your international shipping into bulk deliveries and avoid paying a hefty charge every time.

Helpful merchants will consolidate your orders for you, but you can’t expect or rely on this. Some parcel forwarding services offer free storage for quite some time, and you should take advantage of this.

3) DO: Take Advantage of Huge Sales

Some online retailers use a model where almost everything is on discount, all the time. But on some days, there’s a crazy discount. It’s so clever. It keeps you watching and waiting.

It is all part of the good, clean fun of online shopping. Window shopping never hurt anyone, and taking advantage of a big sales day is something you should do.

But you have to make sure you’re the one gaining.

4) DON’T: Buy It Just Because

So you waited patiently. The day came around, and now you have hundreds of dollars’ worth of clothes in your cart. So. Many. Clothes.

And how many of those did you throw in because they were so cheap? If you spend $500 on three gorgeous items that you love and ten things that you’ll never actually wear, you’ve just spent $500 on three items of clothing.

5) DO: Treat Yourself

There’s nothing wrong with an impulse buy as a treat. You deserve it.

Without a plan, though, impulse buys begin to stack up. Are you impulsive? Then you need to be prepared to be impulsive.

6) DON’T: Put Impulse Over Essentials

If you know that you give in to temptation (and let’s face it: who doesn’t?), try to put aside some money in your budget to be impulsive.

You’d be surprised what you can afford when you have a plan — and what you can’t afford when you don’t.

Do It Right!

It’s a win-win situation: you can have the things you want and none of the things you didn’t want, and you can afford it! Make a plan and let online shopping work for you.

This holiday season, Crayola Experience has unveiled the must-have item for any 2020 Holiday Gift Guide: Crayola Experience at Home – Holiday Passport Edition.  In a brand-new activity, unlike any other, Crayola Experience at Home brings the magic of color (physically and virtually) to your own home and is available to ship anywhere in the U.S.  It is the perfect surprise gift for every child.

ITEM DESCRIPTION: Embark on an immersive, wintery holiday adventure blending a unique, digital experience with hands-on creativity! Guided by Crayola crayons, kids will journey around the world from the comfort of their own home. As they go, they’ll learn about different holiday traditions and craft keepsakes to celebrate them—all with a colorful Crayola twist.

This one-of-a-kind, creative voyage will engage children with its interactive video content featuring nine activities, including an exclusive snowman painting step-by-step tutorial with a Crayola illustrator. The self-paced adventure comes will all the supplies you need for more than three hours of colorful fun!

Getting started is simple. Order this LIMITED EDITION HOLIDAY PASSPORT EDITION kit online for each participant, and Crayola Experience will ship all the Crayola goodies to you with a link for the online portion of the experience… and you’re off!

Also, check out the attraction’s original at-home interactive kit: Crayola Experience at Home – Scavenger Hunt. Go on a mission through Crayola Experience to help find Granny Smith’s top secret blue recipe – complete with crafting activities, pre-recorded Crayon Factory and Silly Putty shows, and Jazzy, your Crayon Character guide.

PRICE: The Crayola Experience at Home Holiday Passport and Scavenger Hunt editions are priced at $24.99 per kit + shipping. The kits can be shipped anywhere in the U.S. for $8.  For families and groups interested in purchasing four (4) or more Crayola Experience at Home Holiday Edition kits, there is a 10% discount!