Home Buying

A Fresh Start: Moving to a New City After a Low Point by Karyn Winrich (financial literacy info)

Life can be unpredictable. One day you may feel on top of the world, and the next you may feel like you’re in the depths of despair. But no matter how low things get, it’s important to remember that there is always hope for a fresh start. If you’re feeling ready for a new beginning, consider moving to a new city and starting over. Here are some tips on how to make this transition as smooth as possible.

Research Cities

When selecting your new city, think about what kind of environment you want to live in and what kind of lifestyle you would like to have. Consider factors such as employment opportunities, cost of living, climate, culture, and safety when making your decision. Do some research online or talk with friends who live in different cities so that you can find the right fit for your needs.

Investigate Homes and Rentals

Once you have identified where you want to move, do some research into prices in the area so that you can find an affordable place to live. You can look into rental options such as apartments or houses so you can compare prices before committing to any one place. If you’re ready to buy, connect with a top realtor from Shippy Realty & Auction for exceptional service. It’s also important to consider other costs such as utilities and transportation when budgeting for your move.

Develop New Relationships

While leaving behind friends and family might be stressful, it also gives you the chance to meet new people in your new location. Take advantage of social media channels created especially for locals seeking companions or housemates. Additionally, participating in community activities like festivals or concerts might help you meet people while also having fun.

Pursue Your Passions by Earning an Online Degree

Moving away from home gives us all an opportunity for growth – both personally and professionally – so use this chance wisely. If you have been looking for a chance to explore new passions, such as earning a bachelor’s degree in education to become a teacher, then now is the perfect time to do so. There are plenty of accredited universities offering online degrees which could help open up doors later down the road if desired.

Register Your Business

Owning a business and planning a relocation? Make sure your transition is seamless and that all paperwork is taken care of correctly. If you need to file an LLC in your new state, you can register using a formation service. This way, you won’t have to stress about any potential tax implications, giving you peace of mind as you make the move.

Discover Your New Community

Explore all that your new city has to offer by visiting local attractions such as parks or museums; trying out restaurants; attending sporting events; checking out farmers markets; taking part in outdoor activities like hiking; joining clubs/organizations related to hobbies/interests; and volunteering at nonprofits. These experiences will help make this transition easier by giving insight into what makes your city unique while connecting with locals along the way.

Maintain a Positive Attitude

No matter how tough the transition process might be, try to stay upbeat. Just remember why you made the decision to move in the first place, and focus on all the amazing opportunities ahead. With a positive attitude, you can meet new friends, explore, and look forward to this new chapter with enthusiasm.

Moving away from home after hitting rock bottom can be intimidating but also liberating at the same time. But by taking steps like finding a new home, exploring your new community, and even pursuing your passions by earning an online degree, you can make a fresh start.

Starting seeds indoors

Growing Seeds Indoors

Growing seeds indoors isn’t hard; it’s keeping them alive that can be challenging. You can save a lot of money by growing seeds depending on how large your planting beds are, but only if they live and turn into robust plants. The main reason I start some plants is to get the varieties that you cannot find elsewhere.

I have killed more seedlings than I care to admit. Armies of tiny seedlings have fallen under my care (or lack thereof). Avoiding these common mistakes will greatly increase your odds of success.

It certainly is easy to swoon over the gorgeous pictures and glowing descriptions found in the tons of seed catalogs that come flying through the ether and into our mailboxes every winter. This often gets me into trouble, causing me to buy many more seeds than I can start, much less nurture into adulthood. Every year I bite off more than I can reasonably chew in the seed department and regret it. I am working on self-restraint in this area and suggest, particularly if you are a beginner, that starting modestly is the way to go. You can always do more direct planting in your beds when it gets warmer.

No matter what anyone tells you, chances are that you don’t have enough natural light in your house to grow robust seedlings because of the length of sunlight this time of year. Even a South facing window usually won’t do. Use artificial light. Either get some grow lights developed specifically for plants or a more economical solution, simply get some large fluorescent shop lights and put in one warm bulb and one cool one. Hang the lights from chains so that you can raise them as your seedlings grow. Keep the lights as close to the seedlings as possible without touching them (2 to 3 inches). After your seedlings appear, you’ll want to keep the lights on for 12 to 16 hours a day. To make this easier, you can easily hook up a timer to turn your lights on and off automatically. If warm outside, I place them in a cold frame or plastic greenhouse and bring them inside when I get home if the temperature is cold.

Give your seedlings too much or too little water – either way, they are toast. This is perhaps the most challenging part of growing plants from seeds. Because seedlings are so delicate, there is very little room for error when it comes to watering. You want to keep your sterile, seed-starting medium damp, but not wet. I water from the bottom when the plants are tiny.

  1. Cover your container with plastic, until the seeds germinate.
  2. Water from the bottom. By letting the plants soak up water through holes in their pots, there is less chance of overwatering.
  3. Check your plants at least once a day.

DO NOT START YOUR PLANTS TOO EARLY. Lots of plants don’t like the cold and exposing them to chilly air and soil will just stress them out and stressed-out plants are more susceptible to pests and disease. Most plants are ready to go outside four to six weeks after you start the seeds. For our area, the frost-free date is usually mid to end of May depending on the year.

Seeds are finicky when it comes to how deep they like to be planted. Some seeds need complete darkness to germinate and some like light as in head lettuce. This information is usually on the seed packet. If there isn’t any information, the rule of thumb is to plant seeds twice or three times as deep as they are wide. This can be a challenge to figure out, but if you’re not sure, err on the shallow side – don’t plant your seeds in too deep.

For seeds that need light to germinate, you’ll want to make sure that they are in contact with your seed starting medium, but not covered. To do this, first press the medium gently down to make a firm surface. Then place your seed on top of your medium and gently push down, making sure the seed is still exposed.

For seeds to germinate, most must be kept warm at 65 to 75°F. A favorite place to do this is on top of the refrigerator. There are special “seedling mats” that you can buy to put under your seeds. You can also use a small heater and put on a timer placed next to your seedlings. You will only need to worry about this until the seeds sprout. After that most can tolerate fluctuating temperatures (within reason). Also, whatever type of light you use, natural or artificial should produce enough heat to keep them happy. I use the back bedroom as my plant room for the growing lights and the temperature stays on the cool side.

Every year I am determined to do clear, organized labeling of my seeds, but I often find things growing and don’t quite remember what they are or when exactly I planted them. I have had labels get lost or moved or they have become illegible from being watered. Here’s my advice. Get popsicle sticks and write the name of the seeds and the day you planted them in permanent ink. Stick it into the soil next to the seeds you’ve planted or label by row. 

When it comes to planting labeling, Sharpies are your friends. Also taking photos with your phone always is a good idea for keeping track of everything.

Starting seeds can be a real pain. It takes dedication, attention, and time. That said you can’t beat eating a tomato that you have nurtured from day one. I would say that the biggest mistake in starting seeds would be to give up, even if you’ve made a few or even a few hundred seed-starting mistakes.

This year I am trying to sow a few seeds, just a little more than I can use in case some die. I am getting too old to leave plants at someone’s door, ring the bell, and run away.

Lawns

Time to Think about Spring Lawn Care

Now is the time to think about spring lawn care. First, rake up the dead grass under the growing grass. This is called thatch and if it is ½ thick or greater, you want to remove it to allow better water and air penetration to the soil. Thatch is usually caused by mowing too tall of grass blades several times during the summer.

If you have small areas of dead grass due to foot traffic, dogs, or heavy snow, you can overseed or dig up those areas and replant them. Fall is the preferred time to redo large areas of the lawn.

Fertilize with lawn fertilizer, especially if not done in the fall. A good time to apply is before rain or water in. Applications are made from May to early June. If you keep the clippings for mulch, wait till after two mowings before using so there is no herbicide residue left in the grass blades.

If you use a weed and feed type of fertilizer, wait till you see weed growth then fertilize. Always follow the rates and directions on the bag. You will have to go around later in the season and spot-treat those pesty weeks with a liquid fertilizer with a hand sprayer. In using a weed and feed fertilizer do not water and make sure there are at least 2 days without rain so the herbicide is not washed off. When applying, do it early in the morning when there is a due on the grass blades so the granules stick or water the lawn first.

The main question is always when to apply a preemergent crabgrass control. Crabgrass germinates when the soil temperature gets to 55 degrees. So, it is best to apply the crabgrass control granules before this. Crabgrass control usually lasts 4 weeks in the soil unless it rains heavily then much less time. The preemergent herbicide kills the crabgrass seeds as they germinate, so it does need to be watered down into the soil. This can usually be timed for when the lilac blossoms swell and when they start to open. Some people apply two applications four weeks apart if their lawns have been overtaken with crabgrass.