How to Decorate for Halloween on a Budget

Halloween brings out the kid in everyone! As the air starts to get cooler, pumpkins start appearing on grocery store shelves, and pumpkin spiced lattes are available, it only means one thing, Halloween is near!  Decorating your home for Halloween can be quite pricey but there are always ways to do it on a budget!

Create a backyard cemetery with shipping boxes.  Cut the boxes to look like tombstones and paint them to make them look like they are aging. 

Created haunted trees using oven-baked clay.  Create a pair of eyes, nose, and mouth for each tree and attach them to the trunk.

Purchase reusable Jack-o-Lanterns from any craft store to create your own carved pumpkin. 

Create a ghost-lit walkway with milk jugs.  Decorate the outside of each milk jug and line them up along your sidewalk.  Use battery powered candles to light them up at night.

Turn clear plastic gloves into severed hands and place them around your home.  Fill each glove with tissue paper, popcorn, or small shredded paper- you can even fill them with freshly mixed JELL-O for a realistic feel.

What Are Five Signs You Are Ready To Buy Your First Home?

Buying a home can be one of the biggest financial purchases you make in your life.  The dream of homeownership can be seductive, it’s important to make sure you are actually prepared and ready to make the purchase.

Your financial situation is stable- A good indicator to determine if you are ready to purchase your first home is if you have reached a place of financial stability.  All of your credit cards are paid off, student loans are under control, and you have reliable transportation.

The rest of your life is stable- Your financial stability is not the only item in your life that needs to be stable, you, yourself need to be stable and ready.  Ask yourself- is your work situation going well, is there anything in your personal life standing in the way, and do you feel comfortable in the city you are looking to purchase your home?

You are saving and not splurging- There is a mortgage for any budget but you may end up paying more in the long run.  FHSA programs for low-income/no deposit borrowers come with extra mortgage insurance in addition to your homeowner’s insurance and mortgage. 

Renting doesn’t make sense anymore- Whether you have a growing family, running out of space for your pet hobbies or a business you’ve started in your apartment, there comes a time when the cost per square foot doesn’t make sense anymore.  If you’ve looked around for apartments or lofts to fill your needs and found they are too pricey compared to a house, it might be a good time to buy.

You are willing to invest the time it takes to buy a home- Buying a home may not always be easy but it can also be quite time consuming.  The biggest mistake you can make is rushing through the process especially if you are not fully invested.  If you think you are ready to buy a home but you are not willing to wade through the ins and outs then you are not ready to buy.