Boomer Financial Advice to Ditch

Seven Items To Keep Your Desk Organized

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They say a messy desk is a sign of creativity (at least the messy people do) but wouldn't some organization be a breath of fresh air? Papers everywhere, not a pen in sight, and Post-Its floating around like a ticker tape parade may make it seem like you're working hard, but when your 2:00 meeting rolls in, your area looks more "pigsty" than professional. Get your items in order, clear your chaos, and you can still be as "creative" as before…just now you'll know where your staple remover is. Here are seven desk top items that add style, sophistication, and storage.

Gold 4 Cup Kiara Desk Organizer with Tray

Gold 4 Cup Via worldmarket.com

Give your desk the royal treatment by keeping your odds and ends neatly stowed away in cups of gold. The Gold 4 Cup Kiara Desk Organizer with Tray adds a high-end touch to your workspace, keeping your things in order while serving up stylish appeal. The golden metal cups are attached to the tray, so everything stays in one area, leaving you plenty of desk space to work. Place your pens, paper clips, thumbtacks, and other items in the gold cups, giving way to a tidy space that shines.

Cost: $22.49 (on sale!)

PBteen Organize It System Homework Caddy

PBteen CaddyVia pbteen.com

While this caddy is catered towards tweens and teens, anyone can make use of this fashionable and functional setup, perfect for office or cubicle use. The PBteen Organize It System Homework Caddy is just as effective for workplace organization, with handy places to keep desk supplies, a calendar for marking appointments, and other areas for notes, reminders, and everyday to-dos. Hang on the wall for convenience and a clearer desk top, and transform your space into something more stylish.

Cost: $9.99 - $34.99 (various size options)

Mind Reader Axel Desk Organizer with Charging Station

Mind Reader Via bedbathandbeyond.com

Keep your space sleek, "juice" up your tech gear, and even tuck your keyboard away with one snazzy on-desk organizer. The Mind Reader Axel Desk Organizer with Charging Station is super for maintaining an organized desk with all the bells and whistles you need for modern convenience. You can even place your coffee mug on top when you need a full desk for papers and projects. Charge your devices, confine your gear, and feel put together when everything has its place.

Cost: $19.99

Lipper 4-Tier Bamboo Desk Organizer

Lipper 4-TierVia bedbathandbeyond.com

Stow away your staples, spreadsheets, and everything in-between inside the Lipper 4-Tier Bamboo Desk Organizer. Use the top shelf for easy reach, the storage shelf for books or files, and the bottom drawers for items you want to keep out of site. The natural bamboo is neutral and classic, the design is simple and sturdy, and you'll feel much better about the state of your desk top when everything is orderly and organized.

Cost: $25.99

White House Marketplace Three Bin Desk Organizer

White House MarketplaceVia thewhitehousemarketplace.com

Rustic and reliable, the White House Marketplace Three Bin Desk Organizer is a "shabby chic" storage piece for a desk that's prone to become untidy. Various compartments of different sizes provide space for the usual desktops items that haven't had a "home" until now. The handle and fixtures add a nice touch when you want something eye-catching as well as organizational.

Cost: $24.49

Offex Supplies Organizer

Offex Via overstock.com

Bold and beautiful with a carousel shape and lots of labeling, the Offex Supplies Organizer will turn your previously disheveled desk into a cleaner corner. This organizer rotates for convenience as you keep the essentials in order yet ready when you need something in a snap. Made of all wood and richly colored in deep brown, this supplies organizer will be the centerpiece of a much cleaner workspace.

Cost: $55.99

Tilt Desktop Storage Bin

Tilt Storage BinVia ldproducts.com

Placed on your desktop or mounted to the wall, the Tilt Desktop Storage Bin is the perfect way to stock supplies nicely and neatly within reach. The clear bins let you peer inside so you know where everything is without rummaging through drawers like you used to do. Fill them up with pens, pencils, tape, note pads, you name it. All of your supplies will be stocked seamlessly.

Cost: $25.39

A clear desk = a clear mind. Get organized!

Landscaping Options to Increase Your Home's Curb Appeal

Home garden and porch

As anyone who has ever sold a house will tell you, you must prioritize curb appeal. Before a potential buyer even considers looking inside your house, they notice the outside first. Does it attract the right kind of attention? Does it take away from the feel you're going for? If you plan to sell sometime soon, you must think about these things. Here are some landscaping options to increase your home's curb appeal, so you can get the best price on your home.

Extensive Plants and Greenery

A barren front yard won't get you the price you want on your home. So, invest in at least a little bit of greenery to keep the surrounding area from looking too dead. Shrubs and bushes tie the house to the lawn that precedes it, and flower beds bring a pop of color to an otherwise drab structure. You can also strategically plant some trees to improve the overall feel of your home's exterior.

Lawn Care

As we mentioned, your lawn is one of the most prominent features of your home's exterior. A patchy, dried-up lawn will quickly drive your home's price way down. Some of the best landscaping options for your home's curb appeal involve improving your lawn for the next inhabitant. Overall fertilization, ground aeration, underbrush removal, proper mowing—all of these lawn care tasks contribute to a greener and more lively area that invites people to see your house, rather than stay away from it.

Paved Pathways

There's nothing like a broken and disheveled pathway to make someone think twice about buying a property. Just as you want the entryway in your house to be welcoming, so too should the pathway leading up to the house be inviting. The pathway from the street to your front door provides plenty of real estate to get creative with. You don't have to settle for a boring concrete pathway. Consider something more eye catching, like a cobblestone path or intermittent brick patterns, as a way to better welcome potential buyers.

Usable Outdoor Furniture

Landscaping doesn't just involve the ground you walk on; also included are the items you use as extras to the overall look. Outdoor furniture is one such extra that you don't necessarily need but can look quite attractive if done correctly. Staging is important with outdoor furniture. Old, broken-down pieces will only look like more work to the potential buyer. A few comfortable chairs, a bench, or a table with an umbrella really go a long way to improving your outdoor aesthetics.

A good tip for deciding on curb appeal items is to decide what you personally would want to see as a part of a welcoming home's exterior. You don't need to go overboard, but a little bit of forethought could net you quite a lot of extra cash in the sale.

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Common Mistakes Made When Giving to Charity

Unfortunately, giving back can sometimes go haywire. If you're ready to make a donation, first consider common mistakes made when giving back.

Many people strive to support their community by donating their time or their money. When you find a meaningful cause, you might be quick to cut a donation check. Though it's admirable to be quick to act charitably, you should be wary of several common mistakes made when giving to charity. Being mindful of these mistakes and learning tips for making informed charitable choices can help you make the most out of your generous check.

Acting Quickly Out of Emotion

Mission statements are meant to be compelling. If you're an emotionally driven individual, it's natural to pull out your wallet at the sight of a sad puppy on TV or when informed about food insecurity over the phone. Unfortunately, not all charities are as effective or official as they may seem.

Take your passion for helping others one step further by making sure your chosen charity is legit. Speaking with a representative, reviewing their website and social media accounts, and looking at testaments online can give you a better idea of whether the organization is worth your donation.

Forgetting to Keep Record of the Donation

Don't forget that you can reap some financial perks from giving back! With the proper documentation of your donation, you can acquire a better tax deductible.

If you donate more than $12,400 as a single filer or $24,800 as one of two joint filers, you're eligible to deduct that amount from your taxes. So, when a charity asks if you'd like a receipt of donation, always answer yes.

Donating Unusable Materials

Most charities can utilize a monetary donation—it's the physical donations that usually cause some issues. Providing a local nonprofit with irrelevant materials or gifting them with unusable products are surprisingly common mistakes made when giving to charity.

Always check your intended charity's website for a list of things they do and do not accept. The majority of places will provide a guideline to donating or offer contact information to clarify any questions.

Strictly Giving at Year's End

As more and more people get into the holiday spirit at the end of the year, nonprofit organizations see an influx of donations. While it's great to spread holiday cheer via a monetary donation, it's important to keep that spirit going year-round.

With regular donations, charities can more effectively allocate their annual budget. Setting up an automatic monthly donation with the charity of your choosing can maximize your impact. You can account for a monthly donation by foregoing a costly coffee every once in a while.

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How Much You Should Spend on Home Maintenance

Knowing how much you should spend on home maintenance each year is hard to figure out and may be preventing you from buying your first home. The types of costs you'll incur depend on the house you buy and its location. The one certainty is that you should start saving now. Read on to figure out how much to start setting aside based on the home you own.

The Age of Your House

Consider several factors when budgeting for home repairs. If you've purchased a new home, your house likely won't require as much maintenance for a few years. Homes built 20 or more years ago are likely to require more maintenance, including replacing and keeping your windows clean. Further, depending on your home's location, weather can cause additional strain over time, so you may need to budget for more repairs.

The One-Percent Rule

An easy way to budget for home repairs is to follow the one-percent rule. Set aside one percent of your home's purchase price each year to cover maintenance costs. For instance, if you paid $200,000 for your home, you would set aside $2,000 each year. This plan is not foolproof. If you bought your home for a good deal during a buyer's market, your home could require more repairs than you've budgeted for.

The Square-Foot Rule

Easy to calculate, you can also budget for home maintenance by saving one dollar for every square foot of your home. This pricing method is more consistent than pricing it by how much you paid because the rate relies on the objective size of your home. Unfortunately, it does not consider inflation for the area where you live, so make sure you also budget for increased taxes and labor costs if you live in or near a city.

The Mix and Match Method

Since there is no infallible rule for how much you should spend on home maintenance, you can combine both methods to get an idea for a budget. Average your results from the square-foot rule and the one-percent rule to arrive at a budget that works for you. You should also increase your savings by 10 percent for each risk factor that affects your home, such as weather and age.

Holding on to savings is easier in theory than practice. Once you know how much you should spend on home maintenance, you'll know what to aim for and be more prepared for an emergency. If you are having trouble securing funds for home repairs, consider taking out a home equity loan, borrowing money from friends or family, or applying for funds through a home repair program through your local government for low-income individuals.