Whether it’s a house, a car, jewelry or something else, just about everyone is familiar with the saying … what I like I can’t afford, what I can afford I don’t like. I find this particularly true in my search for a new home.
I’ve seen about 100 condos online and have visited 3. To say that it’s not going very well is putting it mildly.
Last week I saw a very nice place. The condo had a luxurious white kitchen, a modern bathroom, beautiful wooden floors and big walls. I called the agent, but by the time an appointment could be made for a viewing, the unit was sold. I could have kicked myself. Such a beautiful place, for such a good price and reasonable maintenance fees. I was so angry, I could have scared a snake.
As luck would have it though, three days later another unit became available in the same building. The unit was not as nice, but for the asking price we could easily install a new kitchen, bathroom, and floors and make it to our liking. I called the agent and arrangements were made to visit the building the next day.
The first disappointment was the location. The intersection was Jane and Finch, an area known for its high crime rate. The second disappointment was the building. OMG I looked up at the façade I thought … I can’t possibly live here. As for the unit … I was quicker out than in. It was just terrible.
Suddenly I didn’t feel so bad about missing the first unit in that same building, just one floor below.
The second unit that I visited was in a rundown building, but the unit itself was beautiful, completely redone and modernized. I loved it, but unfortunately, it was too small.
The third I saw online yesterday, loved it on sight, called the agent and an appointment was made for 5:00 p.m. This time, I hit the jackpot. The neighborhood was nice, the building was nice with a charming garden, and the unit itself … hmmm, very, very nice. But, you might think … yeah, there was a but. Again, the place was too small.
When pictures of properties are taken to publish online, they are taken with a fisheye lens. While they give a nice view of the various rooms, the view is distorted and makes the rooms appear bigger as what they actually are.
Other than too small, the place was also rather dark. The windows weren’t big enough to light up the living room. So it was a no go.
This morning I came across another nice unit. A stacked condo of 1200 square feet for a very good price. Too good to be true actually. As I clicked through the pictures I couldn’t find fault though. The kitchen had nice white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, a renovated bathroom, good floors, large walls and a large balcony.
Before requesting a viewing I did some research online and found out that no less than 17 units were sold in that building in 2016 and 7 units were sold between January and June 2017. For a building with under 50 units, those numbers were alarming high.
I soon found out why. Several units had reported bedbugs. Well, that’s all I needed to know. No matter how cheap or how beautiful a unit is if there’s mention of bedbugs I run like hell.
I'll keep on looking, but I very much fear that I won’t find anything. None of the units are as big as where I live now, none of the balconies are as big, none of them have the view my unit has, and none of them are in a location where a supermarket, a bowling alley, and public transportation are within walking distance.
So perhaps the grass isn’t greener on the other side.
Plenty of people have lots of money and can buy anything their heart desires. Other have to make do with less and have to get creative when they want something. If you fall into the latter category, I’ll let you in on a little secret.
A while ago I wanted to change the kitchen countertop. I had a look at this item in home improvement stores and was in for a surprise. A granite countertop cost between $700 and $1,200 for the size that I needed, plus $100 to cut the shape of the sink in the countertop, plus $100 to have the granite slab delivered to my home.
This was ‘a little’ out of my budget. So, I went looking for an alternative.
The home improvement store also had faux granite countertops, made from chipboard and topped with some kind of plastic. I looked at a few slabs but found them still rather expensive. Between $200 and $300 to fit my kitchen.
And then, quite by accident, I came across vinyl. This vinyl gets smoothed over any existing countertop and gives a kitchen a whole new look. As for the cost $20 (two rolls of $10 each).
And the beauty is, if I want to change the look of my kitchen in a few years, the vinyl is easy to remove and replace with another design.
Before
After
I didn’t stop there though. I also installed a faux window in my kitchen.
I had first seen a virtual window at the Princess Margaret Hospital. With its LED light and the sound of birdsongs, it was so lifelike that I immediately went looking for a window of my own.
Unfortunately, such a window was not in my budget. The price of a small window was in the region of $6,000 and the bigger size was priced about $10,000. Ouch.
Never mind though, I am creative, so I went looking for an alternative. Before long I found a window that I liked, it wasn’t as nice as the virtual light box I had seen in the hospital, but it would have to do. Price … $23.
When the window arrived, it was put in the kitchen, and while nice, it was lacking something. The background was wrong. So, the background was changed from paint to bricks (wallpaper, not real bricks).
Before
After
So, for all of you who don’t have pots of money … with a little creativity, you can get what you want.
Just as millions of people decorate their homes for Christmas, so does Easter ask for creating a little atmosphere for the occasion. To be original or to save money, you can make Easter decorations yourself. It is fun, it is easy and it is something to do with the kids.
Most of what is needed you will already have around the house and where it comes to fun little projects like this, there will be no shortage of eager little hands to help either.
My family are big believers in DIY. Our motto is … “If you want something done right,
do it yourself”.
It started with my grandmother who used to
wallpaper and paint. She was so good at
it, she quickly became in demand among family and friends.
My mother made most of our clothes. Nobody could ever tell the difference between
her creations and store bought items.
When our house was built, my father dug and
prepared the foundation. Dad had done such
a good job, the builder said that this wasn’t just a foundation for a house,
it was a foundation fit for a fortress.
When my ex and I bought our first house, it was only
natural that I tried my hand at wallpapering.
Of all, grandma claimed there was nothing to it.
That wasn’t quite right. I struggled so much with the first strips of
paper and the glue that I nearly pasted myself to the wall. When I’d finally hung the strip, I noticed it
was upside down.
Over time it indeed become easier and along the
way I also learned how to paint, do flooring, install a back splash and do minor
repairs around the house.
My son took an interest in DIY projects from a
very early age. If I remember correctly,
he was only 6 when he handled his first paint roller.
He gradually took on more and more tasks until
eventually he wanted to try his hand installing hardwood flooring.It would be his DIY exam.Unfortunately he failed miserably.
Perhaps it wasn’t his fault. Perhaps it was the poor quality of the boards
and the lack of decent measuring and cutting equipment.
He had watched a couple of videos on YouTube and
installing hardwood didn’t seem all that difficult. It was a matter of laying down the boards,
clicking them into place and voila, that was it.
Sadly for Dieter it didn’t go so
effortlessly. The boards didn’t click
and there were gaps. Dieter, ever the
perfectionist, got very agitated, had a couple of one-way conversations with
the good Lord and great Carpenter in the sky and eventually threw in the towel.
To cut a long story short, we called on our
neighbor, a contractor who has done flooring (and other projects) for a good
number of years.
The first thing he asked was “Where did you buy
the flooring?” When we said “Home Depot”
he grunted his disapproval. In his
opinion, what we had bought was nothing less than crap and the number one
reason why Dieter’s work was less than perfect.
He took us to a specialty store, guided us to
the wood section and then left us to pick a color. The first thing I noticed was the thickness
of the boards. The Home Depot boards
were barely 8 mm thick, while these boards were 16 mm. In addition, the color was better and the
shine was better. Yes, the new boards
were a bit more expensive than the Home Depot boards, but this was really
quality flooring.
Which brings me to another thing my family is
really good at … speaking in phrases.
One of my parents favorite sayings was … “Goeie koop is dure koop”,
meaning, buy it cheap and it will turn out expensive.
Next Monday the new boards will be delivered and
the works can start all over again.
Until then, our place looks like a bomb hit it, and due to lack of a
proper bed I’m sleeping on the floor.
Based in Toronto, Ontario, we are a company looking for qualified individuals
to help out with writing tasks such as:
- short stories
- movie scripts
- sales scripts
- articles
- news feeds
- PR websites
- blog posts
. . . and more.
Job Duties Include:
- Draft and create consumer content for lifestyle and health related websites
- Research new products and services with the relation to the consumers
- Create projects for blogs and other new media
- Brand messages with reaching a large online audience
You'll have the opportunity to work big name companies and popular websites in
several niches from news, geography, sports,
entertainment, travel, and others.
Qualifications:
- Highschool Graduate or GED qualified with an interest in writing for blogs,
stories, and other publications
- Experience in Journalism, English, Communications or other related fields
- Strong written communication skills with ability to proofread effectively
- Ability to manage multiple projects
- Experience with Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel)
- Internet access / online access
This is a part-time and full-time job, depending on your availability. Hours
are flexible from 10 to 40 hours per week.
Travel is not required. Pay is discussed via communication after application
process.
Please email us at rebeccaworkingjob@gmail.com with your full name and resume.
We will contact you soon within 24 hours Location: Toronto
Compensation: TBD
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Please, no phone calls about this job!
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or
commercial interests.
EARN A
PART-TIME OR FULL TIME INCOME FROM YOUR HOME
With Your New Writing Career You Can...
·Work From Home
·Set Your Own Hours
·Work Directly Online
·Earn An Excellent Income
·Pick Topics To Write About
·View New Jobs Everyday
Get Paid To
Write Articles & StoriesThousands of topics to write about!You get paid for every article you write!
Help Improve
Books & Movie ScriptsGive your suggestions and input and get paid $$$!Turn your spare time into real money!
Get Cash For
Writing Blog PostsCreate
simple blog posts or comment on blogs!Get paid cash for writing blog posts!
No Experience Required to Join
On the following page comes the catch
RealWritingJobs.com
- Get Paid To Write
URGENT:DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!
SEE HOW YOU CAN START EARNING MONEYDOING
SIMPLE WRITING JOBS!
The worldwide recession has resulted in tens of millions of
layoffs with many predicting that the layoffs will only continue in the coming
years. Maybe you've already been laid off or you're worried about it possibly
happening to you in the future, RealWritingJobs is the perfect solution to help
you make money part or full time.
One job industry experiencing**EXPLOSIVE GROWTH**is online writing jobs!
Companies NEED your help creating content so they can attract more visitors to
their web sites and blogs and we'll show you how people aremaking TONS of moneywriting from the comfort
of their own home!
Let's talk about the proof!
This was the
first checkI received after
completing my first writing job. Yes, it is only for $110 and it isn’t going to
pay your rent, but this was just the beginning... the next thing I knew, I was
writing all the time. I began to make afull-time incomefrom writing jobs right
from the comfort of my own home!
Just imagine getting checks like this every single month! Some
people are earning in EXCESS OF $100 PER DAY! We can't guarantee you'll make
that much, but if you're not making at least $20 / day with this program, then
the only excuse you can have is that you're turning down too many writing jobs.
Look at how people are earning
a FULL TIME INCOME writing online: *These are real earnings observed by individuals participating
in job freelancing websites
We have positions open right now!!
Here are some examples of past jobs available:
PROOF READERS NEEDED
Looking for online proofreaders to start as soon as possible!
Will be working on pieces for corporate communications, ad copy, direct mail,
ads and web content. $18/hr to start. Part Time and Full Time positions available.
REVIEW LOCAL RESTAURANTS
We're a new worldwide restaurant review directory and we need
reviews for tens of thousands of restaurants worldwide. We will pay $27 for
each restaurant review you write for us. 150-200 words per review.
REVIEW WEB SITES FOR INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT
We need to hire 20 people to review web sites for our child
protection software. We need you to find sites to block that are not kid
friendly. YOU MUST BE 18 OR OLDER. Pay is $20 per hour, it is part time to
start with full time potential if you do a good job.
Your earnings are 100%
dependent on your skill level and amount of time dedicated*
How is this possible?
The only other
"industry" that has this huge of a demand for new "workers"
is the military! To get started writing you just need to be 18 and willing to
work, no experience required for many cases, although obviously some employers
will require experience or a particular area of expertise. Believe me, writing
a few articles is not only fun when it is something you are interested in, but
it is also a lot easier than going through boot camp!
With content becoming more and more important online, the demand
has been surging for people to run company blogs, write short articles and
maintain different company facebook/twitter/myspace accounts. This type of work
is still new, andMANY PEOPLE DO NOT EVEN
KNOW ABOUT THESE JOBSor how to find them even
if they do.
We have done the hard part for you, and can give you direct
access to top employers! There is such a huge demand for online content, that
we literally cannot send them enough job candidates!
Exactly who can Join?
We
accept members from all countries however we are giving preference to people
living in United States of America and offer you instant access to THOUSANDS of
available jobs so you can get started right away!
In order to participate in this incredible opportunity, we do have some
requirements. Please see below:
·Must be 18 years or older to join
·Must have access to the internet
·Have at least 1 hour a week to dedicate to this
·The ability to follow directions
·Complete the writing jobs you are given
·Some assignments may require previous experience / requirements
If you meet these requirements, you can sign up today and start
picking which writing jobs you want to start working on TODAY! We just ask that
you are professional to whoever you are doing these easy assignments for.
Please don’t make us look bad by not finishing a writing project once you start
one.
JOIN TODAY AND GET THIS INCREDIBLE BONUS!
$3780 IN FREE WRITER’S TOOLS!!!s long as
you have at least an 8th grade education, with these incredible tools you can
start writing high quality articles and stories quickly and easily which means
money in your pocket today!
Here is what you get with this incredible bonus package:
Because we need
additional writers immediately in United States of America, we are offering
a 50% off coupon today! Act now because we cannot guarantee this will be
available in the future.
Enter the Coupon CodeCoupon Issued: January 27th,
2013
Enter the coupon
code below
to get your HALF OFF
discount for Real Writing Jobs
Select Your Payment Method
A membership to RealWritingJobs.com can be ordered anytime
night and day! Even if it is 3 a.m. on a holiday, you can still receive instant
access to the members area where you can start doing writing jobs and making
money right away!
Price: $68.00(before coupon code)One
Time Billing. No hidden charges. Safe, Secure and Discreet billing.
This is a one time fee only. You will never be re-billed.
Clickbank sells our products/services - they are a trusted online retailer
specializing in digitally delivered products.
60 Day Money Back Guarantee Receive instant access to our
members' area for 60 full days and if at anytime you are not happy you can
receive a 100% full refund on your membership fee!
When you read an ad that promises writers TONS of money you should already smell a rat. Writers don't make tons of money, if they did everyone would become a writer.
That is
not the end of it though. There are NO
writing jobs, but for every sucker Rebecca snags, SHE GET CASH.
.jpg)
