How to Financially Prepare for Being a Parent

06/17/2022 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

When you and your partner come to the decision that you would like to start a family together, there are bound to be many emotions that arise. The first is likely excitement as you look forward to all of the joy that the future holds. However, it is completely natural to find yourself feeling a bit apprehensive about some aspects of parenthood.

Becoming a parent involves a great deal of responsibility. Whichever way you look at it, your entire life will change. In many ways, these changes are for the better, but acknowledging this can still result in feeling overwhelmed at times.

By and large, the area in which most parents-to-be find the most stress is that of money. To be sure, there are a few aspects of starting a family that can prove to be as overwhelming as financial ones.

The simple fact is that there are many things that you will need to purchase and plan for in order to prepare for the arrival of your little one. The best thing that you can do from a practical standpoint as well as for your mental health is to start preparing as soon as possible. The sooner you have a handle on your finances, the better you will feel overall.

With that in mind, if you are about to start your family, here are a few tips that can help you to be financially prepared for parenthood.

Look at Big Expenses First

When you perform a simple search online for what you will need for your baby, you will be faced with countless lists discussing items that you have never even heard of before. Unfortunately, there are times when all you will be able to see are the dollar signs.

In order to get a better sense of just how much you will need to spend so as to properly prepare for the baby, start with the big-ticket items. Things like a crib, a car seat, and the nursery will be important to have when you bring the baby home. While there are plenty of smaller items that you will want to acquire, the bigger items are the things that will eat into your budget sooner rather than later.

Once you know how much you are going to need to spend on these bigger items, you can come up with a realistic plan for how you will afford them. Some retailers offer payment plans for expensive items like cribs which can help to spread out the cost. If you anticipate several large expenses to convert a room in your home into a nursery, such as electrical work and drywall repair, a home improvement loan from OneMain Financial can be a good place to start.

Ignore the “Experts”

Everyone who has a baby blog claims to be an “expert” in preparing for a baby. Unfortunately, most of these “experts” are simply trying to push products so that they can receive a cut of the sales.

Instead of obsessing over such lists, have a look at trusted sources in order to get a good sense of what items you will need for the baby. Remember that different items will be needed for formula-fed babies and breastfed babies. Think about what your parenting journey will be like, and then build your own list from there.

Going Healthy, Going Reviews, Lifestyle

Oaza Cold Brew: Where Will it Take You?

06/10/2022 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

Translated from Czech, Polish and other Slavic dialects, “Oaza” means “oasis” in English. An oasis is an aspirational vision – a destination you are trying to get to even as you might be uncertain of its exact location or nature. Moreover, upon toiling and eventually arriving at your oasis goal, you might then and there realize that it was not what you expected or even truly wanted… which prompts you to regroup, recalibrate and set off undaunted and undeterred onto your new path in pursuit of the next glittering yet hazy “Oaza” that catches your eye far off on your horizon.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by RC Liley (@going_dad)

Oaza has become one of my favorite “go to” morning drinks for a clean energy that helps me get things done. There are numerous positives about Oaza, but just as I told them, the only negative is that the drinks need to be bigger! But of course, that would be more caffeine than I ~~want~~ should have.

Your goals and your visions may more often than not be half-formed, in flux and/or a work in progress. Nevertheless, actualizing them requires that your plan, path and process be grounded, focused and systematic. Let’s face it: the world caters to go-getters over mere goal-setters, and achieving your vision requires focusing on your path. The roadmap you set and the journey you execute to get to your oasis is both inspired by and fueled by Oaza Cold Brew Coffee.

Oaza offers a line of premium ready-to-drink cold brew coffees that are healthy, hydrating, and packed with energy, consisting of 3 delicious flavors: Black, Oat Milk, and Cacao Mocha. Oaza is the first cold brew coffee on the market infused with electrolytes to aid in hydration, sustained energy and active lifestyle performance. Low-calorie and no sugar added with clean and simple all-natural ingredients, Oaza’s low-acidity pH yields smooth finish without ever compromising taste or refreshment.

oaza cold brew coffee, ready-to-drink, coffee, electrolytes

Electrolytes: To sustain energy and support hydration by offsetting caffeine’s diuretic effect.
L-Theanine: For improved focus and mental performance.
Lean Ingredients: Sugar-free with clean ingredients that are less than 30 calories.
Caffeine: High energy with 200mg caffeine in all flavors.
Higher pH: Less acidity vs. traditional coffees for easier digestion and smoother taste.

Average people drink coffee just to wake up and pull themselves together. Oaza is an innovative functional coffee formula that aims to do more than just wake you up – it propels you upward and forward through the grind of your daily path to achieve near-term goals you set for yourself, bringing you incremental steps closer to your long-term goals. Oaza is a elevated lifestyle beverage that caters to planners, path setters, and trailblazers. Clean, simple, and healthy for you, it is the optimal daily drink of choice for those who have opted in to a challenging yet rewarding daily journey towards personal success and growth.

Oaza embodies the marriage of envisioning with executing and the fusion of fashionable with functional. Most coffee is about where it’s from… Oaza is about where it can take you.

Going Strong, Health, Lifestyle

4 Simple Changes That Will Boost Your Confidence

06/09/2022 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

If you ask a group of people what they would most like to change about themselves, one thing that many of them would say is that they would like to have more confidence. After all, those who are confident do seem to be able to get further ahead in life because they aren’t afraid to ask for things, for example. Simply having more confidence is not something that can happen without some thought and effort on your part, but that effort doesn’t have to be too strenuous. It can even be fun. So here are some simple changes you can make in your life to give yourself more confidence.

Photo by Pixabay

Sleep Well

Having a positive mindset can make all the difference when you want to be more confident. If you are feeling tired or overworked, that positive mindset and the exterior that goes with it can be swamped by negative emotions instead. Getting a good night’s sleep can help you to feel a lot more confident. Firstly, you will be more productive when you are well-rested, and that will be a sure sign to yourself that you are capable of doing whatever it is you want to do. Secondly, getting enough sleep is good for your health too, because sleep is when our bodies are able to rejuvenate. When you wake up feeling healthy and happy and looking great, your confidence can’t help but be more confident in everything you do.

See The Dentist

Your smile is something that you can use to promote confidence and friendliness, and if it doesn’t look its best, you can certainly lack that confidence which can have a detrimental effect in many other parts of your life too. Regular visits to the dentist can help you because your dentist will be able to spot anything happening to your teeth before it becomes a much bigger problem. Good teeth, healthy breath, and an engaging smile are all part of what makes you confident on the outside, and that will lead to confidence on the inside. If you’re afraid or nervous about seeing a dentist, take a list of questions with you, such as does laughing gas put you to sleep and how to brush your teeth properly. Once you have the answers, you’ll be less nervous.

Visualization

Something that many people do when they feel they are lacking in confidence is to use visualization techniques. This involves imagining an image of yourself doing something incredible that you can be really proud of. It could be anything from getting a new job to gaining a degree or other qualification to buying a new house. Whatever it is that you want to achieve needs to be in your mind. Visualizing yourself achieving your goals can often help to give you the confidence to go for it in real life too.

Learn New Things

There is always something new to be learned in life, and by learning new things – perhaps a language, joining in with an art class, or reading a biography – you will feel better educated and more informed in life. This will give you much more confidence to join in with discussions and give your opinion, and the more you do that, the better you will feel and be perceived.