Krazy Deal Daze

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

How to Create a Classic Look for Your Home

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Home decorating trends come and go, but a classic look is always in style. Clean and timeless, a classic décor can be easily updated to change with the seasons or prevailing fashions. Whatever the size or architecture of your home, you can bring a touch of elegance and tradition by focusing on a few key features.

Use Lots of Wood

The warm tones of wood create an atmosphere of luxury and sustainability. Wood is sturdy, natural, versatile, and easy to care for. Hardwood floors are a great investment since they last for decades and require very little maintenance. Wood floors lay the foundation for a classic design.

Even if your rooms have carpet, tile, or other flooring, you can still use wood furniture as a visual centerpiece of your room. A wood table in the dining room or a bedroom set of wood will draw the eye to its natural beauty. Wood can also be used in accent pieces, such as sculptures, clocks, shelves, and wall hangings.

Use Natural Color Tones

Natural color tones provide a neutral palette for your classic look. These colors are those found in nature, such as greens, browns, golds, and creams. Whether they’re used in light tints or dark, saturated tones, they are the perfect backdrop for your furniture and decorative items.

Natural colors harmonize well with one another, so you can easily mix and match. This will allow you to emphasize one color in each room while also creating a visual flow from room to room. When your room needs a fresh look, you can easily add any color as an accent.

Lay Down an Area Rug

Area rugs can define space, especially in homes with an open concept floor plan. In a living room, an area rug can create an intimate area for conversation. Placed under a dining room table, a rug draws everyone together in a welcoming place. Rugs can add to the theme of the room with their design, color, and texture.

Using an area rug also has practical benefits, especially if your floors are wood or tile. A rug will help reduce noise and cut down on echoes in a room with a high ceiling. It will also protect your floor from stains or dents. Finally, a rug makes a soft place for kids and pets to play.

Add a Fireplace

Fireplaces are classic, whatever their design. The fire and warmth naturally draw people in and provide a relaxing ambiance. Most fireplaces are made of brick, stone, and wood—natural materials—that blend perfectly with a classic décor.

Installing a wood-burning fireplace can be a major project because it requires constructing a chimney and adding protecting walls and floors. It’s better to hire a professional contractor rather than trying to do it yourself. After installation, you’ll need to learn to care for it. A fireplace requires a lot of work to maintain and keep clean. Gas and electric fireplaces tend to be cleaner and often less expensive alternatives to the wood-burning types.

Hang Curtains

Shades and blinds are popular for a contemporary look, but curtains will contribute better to a traditional, classic design. The wide range of fabrics and styles available allows you to create either a casual or more formal look to suit the use of the room and your personal taste.

Curtains soften a room through the flow of the fabric and by blocking harsh sunlight. They also make the room quieter and warmer. Curtains provide insulation that keeps out the cold in the winter and heat in the summer, thus lowering your energy bills. When drawn tight, they can give you complete privacy.

Decorate with Plants

Indoor plants are enjoying a comeback in popularity, but the truth is, they have always been a part of a classic look. Plants bring a bit of nature inside, where they freshen the air and surround you with peace and life energy. The various types and sizes of plants give you many options on how to use them. You can fill a corner with a potted palm or place a small spider plant on a shelf.

In choosing the right plant for the right space, pay attention to the light and temperature in the room. Some plants will not do well in dark places or near a heating or cooling vent. If you choose artificial plants, make sure they are high quality. It might be an option to mix real plants and artificial plants for a full look.

Use Lamps

Overhead lighting is useful but it can be harsh. For a softer, more classic look, use floor lamps and table lamps. They can provide needed light in dark spaces while also adding to the design of the room. Lamp bases can be wood, metal, ceramic, stone, or other materials, and the shades come in a variety of shapes and textures.

In choosing a lamp, look at the color and design, but also pay attention to the height. A lamp that is too tall can make the room look unbalanced. A too-small lamp may be inadequate as a light source.

Hang Paintings

In decorating the walls, many people like to get creative and hang up unusual things such as baskets, hats, or three-dimensional metal sculptures. But a classic look deserves classic wall hangings—framed paintings. You can choose prints of landscapes, florals, portraits, or even reproductions of famous paintings.

Keep in mind that the frame will add to your room design as much as the painting will. Wood frames are the most traditional. Framed mirrors work well, also. You can cluster small pictures together or fill a space with a larger painting. Consider hanging a large picture or mirror over your fireplace.

The design of your home should reflect your personal style and meet the needs of your lifestyle. A classic look is elegant and timeless, but also comfortable and welcoming. It’s an easy style to achieve with a few simple additions or changes.

Read this next: Top 10 Budgeting Strategies To Help You Curb Overspending

Thank you for stopping by and checking out our tips on How to Create a Classic Look for Your Home. Which tip was your favorite? What other tips would you suggest? Be sure to let us know in the comments below! If you enjoyed this post, we’d be very grateful if you’d help it spread by emailing it to a friend or sharing it on Twitter and/or Facebook. Don't want to lose this? Pin it on Pinterest so you can get back to it later!

Have a great day!

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Monday, December 6, 2021

How to Save Money on Your Car

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For most people in the United States, owning an automobile is a need. Public transit is not readily available, and urban sprawl ensures that the places you need to go are likely a significant distance away. At the same time, it is no secret that cars can be money pits. Here are some ways to lower the costs associated with owning a car.

Get Better Loan Terms

You might be able to find a better deal on your auto loan than what you got when you purchased the car. Look into refinancing it. There are two ways this can save you money, and the type you choose is up to you. If you need more cash in hand each month, you might be able to find a lower interest rate with another company. This will, in turn, lower your monthly payments and the total amount that you will end up paying on the car. You can also find a loan that allows you to pay off your car sooner. This will raise your monthly payments, but a shorter-term means money saved in the long run.

Take it in for Maintenance

It may seem counterintuitive, but sometimes you have to spend money to save money. Regular maintenance minimizes the risk of major repairs down the road. It also keeps your car running smoothly, which gives you better gas mileage. Follow the recommendations included in your owner’s manual, but most cars have a similar list of general maintenance needs. This includes regular oil changes, fluid replacements, new filters, alignment checks, and tire rotations, among other things. Being meticulous about maintenance will extend the life of the car and save you money.

Learn to Make Minor Repairs

You can save a great deal of money by learning to make minor repairs yourself. Some of the most common car troubles are ones that you can fix on your own. All you need is the right tools and a good online tutorial. Some things that you should be able to learn how to do are replacing worn down brake pads, changing a drained battery, replacing windshield wiper blades, changing out the lights, performing routine oil changes and coolant replacement, trading out spark plugs, and more. While you will still have to pay for the parts, you will be saving a lot of money on labor costs.

Make it More Efficient

There are simple ways to keep your car running more efficiently. Both the condition of your car and the choices you make as a driver can have a major impact. Some things you can do to your car to help it be more efficient are to check the tire pressure monthly and adjust when needed, keep your tires aligned, use the type of oil suggested in your owner’s manual, run the air conditioning less, and change out dirty air filters. Some steps you can take as a driver to increase your fuel efficiency include driving more slowly, never idling the car for longer than a minute, parking in the shade, and running your daily errands in one longer excursion, as opposed to taking many smaller trips. You also might want to consider getting your windows tinted. Window tinting can block 98% of solar heat, making your car more efficient to keep cool.

Stop Buying Premium Gasoline

Unless premium fuel is required for your car, you can save money by purchasing regular gas. In the past, only premium gasoline had the necessary additives to make them cleaner and more efficient. Now, most brands of regular unleaded gasoline feature the same inclusions. Additionally, modern cars are generally made to handle lower-octane gasoline. Historically, some cars were not able to deal with the engine knock that would occur with lower-grade gasoline. Now, most new car engines have built-in control systems that limit knocking. Again, it is important that you follow the manufacturer's directions and use premium fuel if it is required for your car. But if not, your car will perform just fine with regular unleaded, and that means money in your pocket.

Lower Your Car Insurance Rates

It is possible to lower your car insurance rate. Start by calling your insurance company to find out if they have any discounts. Some insurers offer savings to people with a good driving record, to people who take a defensive driving course, if you have reached a certain age, and if you have taken steps to improve your credit scores. If there is nothing for you there, feel free to shop around. You may have chosen a car insurance company without comparing prices, and there could be some less expensive options. Additionally, you can probably drop some of your coverage if your car is older and low in value. It is definitely worth looking into.

Pay it Off

The sooner you can pay your car off, the less it will cost you in the end. If you have some extra cash flowing in, consider using it to pay off your car. You can do this by paying larger lump sums when you get them, or you can add a little bit to your loan payment each month.

Make Insurance Claims Wisely

You don’t have to make a claim to your insurance for every fender-bender or minor bump. You raise your premium significantly whenever you make a claim, especially if you are at fault. Consider paying out of pocket for minor accidents where there are no injuries. Most motorists will be happy to work with you directly. Even if you aren’t at fault, it is a good idea not to make a claim for small repairs. Work with the other driver or, if necessary, pay for any repairs yourself.

You don’t have to break the bank to keep up with a car. There are many ways to save money, and wise consumers take advantage of all of them. By following these tips, you can save hundreds and even thousands of dollars a year on auto expenses.

Thank you for stopping by and checking out our tips on How to Save Money on Your Car. Which tip was your favorite? What other tips would you suggest? Be sure to let us know in the comments below! If you enjoyed this post, we’d be very grateful if you’d help it spread by emailing it to a friend or sharing it on Twitter and/or Facebook. Don't want to lose this? Pin it on Pinterest so you can get back to it later!