by Mrs C | Feb 28, 2020 | Blog
Your HVAC system is a vital part of the comfort of your home. If you woke up this morning and your furnace wasn’t working, you know that there is a problem that needs expert help. Sadly, you may need to replace your entire unit. It’s difficult to know where to start when it comes to choosing a company to repair or replace your HVAC unit. Your foremost concern should be finding a company that has workers with a great appearance, has a reputation of success in the industry, and they are licensed, bonded, and insured. However, cost is also a significant factor. Furnace repairs can be costly, especially if you’re facing a unit replacement. Here are some tips to help you find a good company to do affordable repairs.
Online Reviews
The first place you should go when looking for someone to do HVAC repairs is the online community. There are several different ways you can check the online reputation of a company. When you read reviews from other consumers, it can give you a pretty good indication of how the business conducts itself. If they tend to have higher prices, then you will also be able to see that from the reviews. Keep in mind that there will always be some people that aren’t happy, no matter what a company does to try to help them. According to Podium, when companies receive positive feedback and high ratings, they naturally have a better impression of them and will choose them over other companies. Look for a business that has the highest number of stars and more positive than negative responses.
Ask Around
As Bambu says, word of mouth is always the best advertising a company receives. If a customer has a great experience, not only will they let people online know, but they will be eager to recommend a company to others. If you need an affordable HVAC company to do repairs, then ask friends, family, and coworkers for help. Sometimes the best-kept secrets are companies that are just starting and don’t have money for elaborate advertising campaigns and television commercials. It doesn’t mean that they have any less experience either. If you need a dependable company that will give you a fair price, then you had better ask around.
Look for Coupons
Coupons are king when it comes to saving money. Many HVAC companies will offer coupons or other discounts to lure in new customers. You can often find codes and offers on online coupon websites. However, it’s not uncommon for these repair companies to put the offer on their website. Additionally, it doesn’t hurt to call and see if they are offering any specials.
Sometimes, a company will offer a free inspection or evaluation of a repair issue to show you how competitive they can be. Don’t just assume a company is not within your budget. Frequently, larger companies are the ones that offer the best incentives.
Company Experience
According to Atlanta Insurance, while cost is always a consideration, one of the most important factors is experience. It’s perfectly acceptable to ask the company how long they have been in business, do they require their employees to be certified, and if they offer a warranty on repairs made. You don’t want someone that only works out of their van working on your HVAC system. Should they break something while attempting to fix something else, you want to make sure they are licensed, bonded, and insured for your protection.
Call for Estimates
Most companies don’t post prices online as things fluctuate, and each job is specific to the needs of the customer. However, there’s no reason why you can’t call several companies in your area for more information. You should find out what their hourly rate is and the after-hours cost for service calls. If you already know what is wrong with your furnace, like a compressor or it needs routine maintenance, then you can ask for a quote over the phone. All HVAC companies should give you a written estimate before they get started.
Don’t Choose Based on Price Alone
While the price is one of the most important factors, you can’t choose on cost alone. It pays to have a company with availability to come when you need them most. If it’s freezing outside and your furnace isn’t working, you may want to pay more to get your home back to a comfortable temperature. While cost is an important concern, don’t let it be the only reason you select a company. Reputation and experience should outweigh the cost any day. Wouldn’t you pay more to have someone with ample experience handling your unit?
Selecting an HVAC company you can afford to do your furnace repairs doesn’t need to be an overwhelming task. By doing a bit of research and making a few phone calls, you can find a company that can quickly get your unit up and running again at a good price.
Here’s another article you might like: Things You Might Be Able to Write Off on Your Taxes
by Mrs C | Feb 27, 2020 | Blog
There’s no question about it: Filing for taxes can be very stressful. That stress goes for anyone, but it can be even worse for beginners who have never done tax filing before. Fortunately, with a little bit of work and a good chunk of preparation, you can make this process much easier. Here are a few ways to make your life easier if you are a beginner when it comes to filing your taxes.
Using Tax Software
Thanks to the advent of the internet, there is no shortage of high-quality tax software that is simple to understand. All of these don’t require much tax knowledge, but you will have to have at least a basic understanding of your financial situation and have kept good records in order to understand your financial situation. There are costs associated with filing like this, but if your tax situation is relatively simple, these costs are usually minimal.
Seeing a Tax Professional
According to Buchheit Tax, tax professionals use computerized tax returns and electronic filing for federal and state returns. They are also aware of all of the recent changes in federal and state tax laws, ensuring that your taxes are up to date and legal when they file for you. Using a tax professional can be more expensive, but the expense is often worth it. This is particularly the case if you feel uncomfortable filing your own taxes or you have a more complicated tax situation that may prohibit you from doing your taxes on your own.
Maintaining Good Financial Records
Half of the battle of trying to file your taxes is tracking down old expenses. What about that $50 check you wrote to your local charity six months ago? Or the receipt for gas when you took a work trip? According to Patriot, much of the stress over taxes can be made much easier if you maintain good financial records throughout the year. Create a good filing system that is easy for you to maintain, or invest in low-cost financial software—there are even a few free options you can use. While heavy-duty computerized financial software is not necessary, you must have some way of keeping track of your financial expenses if you want to prevent last second, tax-time panic.
Filing for taxes can be stressful, but as long as you keep track of your financial paperwork and put a little bit of effort into your taxes when tax time comes, you’ll be in great shape. It may cost you a little bit in time or money, but you can make filing for your taxes a breeze.
Here’s another article you might like: Things You Might Be Able to Write Off on Your Taxes
by Mrs C | Feb 26, 2020 | Blog
By its very definition, a hobby farm is not designed to make money. That is an important distinction to keep in mind because, unlike a small farm, you must have a separate income or wealth set aside to live on. At the same time, most hobby farmers are not interested in becoming self-sufficient. They enjoy the passion of raising food and animals with their loved ones. Here are several factors to keep in mind if you’re thinking of setting up a hobby farm with your family.
Research In-Depth
Before you and your family start a hobby farm, you need to perform detailed research. You need to know what crops will grow in your area. You also need to know what equipment you need to buy new and which to buy used. If you are going to be raising animals, then you need to understand what makes a great market animal, common medical problems, and which animals and breeds will thrive in your environment. If you have children, be mindful of how they might interact with the animals. If you end up raising animals that are larger, advise your kids to avoid those animals until they are a little older and can behave around them.
Think About Finances
Owning and operating a hobby farm can be expensive. It gets even trickier when putting the finances of your family into play. You need to create a detailed financial plan. Understand that if you are trying to start a hobby farm in the United States as a tax break, there are none. You will need to upgrade to at least a small farm. You may still be able to sell some of your products to the public as a hobby farmer to earn money to put back into the farm. If your family is going to raise animals, then you need some cash set aside for veterinary care. You also need money put back for machine repairs as there are often short windows of time when tasks must be completed.
Start Small
It is essential to start out small when your family decides to start a hobby farm. You can quickly eat through all your savings and have nothing to show for all your hard work. This can put you and your family in a tough spot. At the same time, you will make mistakes and need to learn from them. If you start out too big, then it can be hard to learn everything you need to know to be successful at one time. You may also discover that while you thought that you would enjoy owning a hobby farm, you actually hate it, so you want money available to pursue something else.
Decide What You Want to Grow
Many different factors go into deciding which plants your family should grow. You may want to consider which vegetables your kids enjoy eating the most. Then, consider the number of growing days in your environment. Find out which plants thrive in climates similar to yours. For example, if you live in a warm climate, then growing cool weather vegetables can be challenging — and vice versa. You also need to consider the number of hours of sunlight and the average rainfall. Have your soil tested and see what you must do to amend it. You will also need to decide if growing vegetables organically or growing heirloom vegetables is right for you. Finally, you need to learn about common pests and weeds and effective means of fighting them.
Machinery
Depending on the size and type of hobby farm that you want to start, you may need a variety of farm equipment. Almost every hobby farm needs some kind of tractor, but the size depends on how large your hobby farm is going to be and what type of hobby farm you want to create. When choosing a tractor, consider one with a canopy. A tractor canopy will protect you from dangers while driving a tractor or similar vehicle. You may spend many hours in the sun when driving a tractor, and the canopy helps keep the sun off of you, which can help you stay hydrated and may help prevent skin cancer. Be sure to teach your kids to be careful around machinery. It can be really dangerous to any person but especially young children. Teach them proper safety precautions for when they’re using or are around the machinery.
Join a Farming Community
It is essential not to try to start a hobby farm by yourself. Instead, you need to find a farming community where people will share their favorite tips for you and your family to learn from regularly. Social media can be a great asset in connecting with other farmers who share the same dream. You may also want to consider programs like the United States Department of Agriculture’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Grant. This will help you get financing to start your hobby farm while connecting you with a mentor who will guide and teach you.
Plan Your Animals
The size of your farm will help determine which animals your family can raise successfully. For example, chickens take up much less space than cattle. They are also a great, small animal that kids can interact with easily. Regardless of which type of animal that you decide to raise, concentrate on getting that best quality foundation stock that you can afford. It costs the same amount of money to feed a quality animal as a poorer one, and they will produce better offspring for you. If you are raising goats, pigs, lambs, cattle, or meat rabbits, take a special look at their hindquarters. It should have a “C” shape in the hindquarters because this allows plenty of room for the animal to put on meat, which you can later enjoy on the table.
Time Commitment
Another aspect that you will want to consider before starting a hobby farm is a time commitment. You need to take both you and your kids’ schedules into consideration. If they participate in a lot of after school activities and aren’t able to help on your hobby farm as much as you’d like, it might be wise to reconsider. If you are growing food, then you may need to water the plants daily. You also need to inspect for pests and make sure that no weeds get started. If you are going to raise animals on your hobby farm, then the time commitment may be even more. Animals seem to have babies when the weather is absolutely at its worst. A sick animal can quickly cancel your dinner plans. Make sure everyone in your family is on the same page.
Make Room for Fun
At the end of the day, however, operating a hobby farm can be a lot of fun. You and your family have the opportunity to grow closer and make memories together. You will experience the joys of picking a harvest that you have worked hard to produce. Your collective labor will produce the meat that you put on your dinner table. Your kids will also learn a great sense of worth ethic that they may not learn anywhere else.
These are just a few of the things to think about before starting a hobby farm. Overall, running a hobby farm can be rewarding. It can be a great way to enjoy a quieter way of life in a rural area where people still enjoy being neighborly.
