Monthly Archives: October 2017

How Your Clothes Can Warm Hearts

Do you have a closet full of old clothes? Maybe some of your shirts don?t fit or your shoes are no longer in style. Perhaps you aren?t sure where those plaid pink jeans came from. Whatever the reason, you haven?t worn anything from this pile of clothes for a long time, but you want to reclaim your closet. The Environmental Protection Agency has found that the average American will throw away 10 pounds of clothes every year. Instead of contributing to this statistic, you might want to consider visiting a clothing donation center.

It?s easier than you might think!

When you donate clothing, you are both making more room for yourself, and providing someone less fortunate with a garment that could make all the difference in the world. Though it might not seem like much to you, that old jacket that is too tight for you could provide much-needed warmth in the winter months for one of those people without a home. In fact, on any night in January 2015, over 564,000 individuals were homeless in the United States. Used clothing donations from individuals like you also help many with limited income find affordable alternatives. So where should you donate?

The American Red Cross provides many drop-off locations throughout the country, but what if you don?t have a way, or the time, to go somewhere to donate? That?s perfectly fine! There is a way to schedule a Red Cross pickup. You can set a time for your clothes to be picked up at your house, and all you need to do is be ready with whichever articles of clothing you have decided to donate. The only requirements are that whatever items you choose to donate should be clean and in usable condition.

A Red Cross pickup is a simple process that can have such a positive impact in many ways. First, you will provide for someone less fortunate. Second, you will help reduce waste by recycling your articles of clothing. And finally, you can use these donations as a tax write-off. Used clothing donation is a charitable endeavor in which everybody wins and a strong sense of community can be cultivated.

Five Reasons a Professional Move Makes More Sense

Are you currently in the moving process? Are you overwhelmed and stressed? Do you wish you could outsource the task of packing and moving? What if you could? Professional moving services take all of the stress out of moving. They pack up your household items, load them into the moving truck, and transport them to your new location. From here, they move them into your new house and unpack them. You can move residences without all the added stress. Professional moving services provide the following advantages.

A completely organized move

Most homeowners intend to be organized when moving. They might start out with labeling boxes and carefully moving fragile items. They might even keep boxes for each room separated for maximum efficiency. However, as time runs out and you get to your hundredth box, this system tends to fail. If you want a move that is completely organized and efficient, consider professional moving services. The mover is trained in the best moving strategies and is sure to keep all of your items organized by room.

An endless supply of moving supplies

It might seem cheaper, initially, to move your items yourself. However, as you begin to purchase moving supplies, you will eventually realize that moving is expensive. The 10 boxes that you thought would be enough are not even close to enough. You have run out of box tape for the second time and cannot believe how expensive it is. You have decided to forgo the protective packaging bubbles because they are simply too expensive. When you work with professional moving services, all of the required moving supplies are included. You no longer have to worry about figuring out how many boxes you need.

Better protection to your valuable household items

Most households are filled with valuable and expensive items. If you have even a single TV, it can be difficult to move. The cost to replace a single TV can be expensive. Properly moving valuable household items requires special moving supplies and a trained mover. Additionally, if something happens to your TV by a professional mover, the company will cover the costs. If your friend accidentally dropped the TV while running out the door, you will have to replace it out of your own pocket. Going with a residential moving company can actually be a better financial decision.

Cut costs of storage facilities

Many people utilize storage facilities during their move. It can be difficult and impossible to move every single item from your house in the short moving period. Storage facility usage seems like the easy solution. The U.S. has more than 50,000 storage facilities, which is more than five times the number of Starbucks. Although convenient, storage facilities can be expensive. Also, once you move into your new house, you are not going to want to move even more items in, after you are settled in. It is best to move everything at once. When you work with a professional moving company, you can efficiently move everything at once, avoiding the use of storage facilities.

Avoid uncomfortable move times

You don?t always have control over the time of year that you move. Yet, most Americans choose to move in the summer. In fact, in 2016, 13.9% of moves occurred in June. December was the least popular month to move (3.3%). The summer, although more ideal than a winter move, can be extremely hot. A professional moving company can prevent you from having to lift heavy items and move numerous boxes in the middle of the summer heat.

The average American moves about 12 times in their life. That is 12 times of boxing up every single item you own. That is 12 times of carrying heavy items and requesting the assistance of a friend that feels obligated to move you. Working with a professional moving company may be more beneficial to your move than the services of your friend. You have better protection of your belongings, more efficiency, and less overall stress.

Emergency Centers An Alternative to Traditional Hospital Emergency Room Visits

Currently, there are approximately 20,000 physicians practicing urgent care medicine. This specialty is experiencing fast growth, and has gained recognition as an important medical field. Given the convenient care that can be provided by urgent care clinics, they are a welcome alternative to traditional hospital emergency room visits.

Many people in the United States are attuned to and rely on the 24-hour access that is provided by traditional hospital emergency departments. While emergency room visits have actually increased over the past decade, a large percentage of these patients could be treated within an urgent care facility. Milliman conducted a private study on this issue, and determined that roughly 44% to 65% of emergency room visits could have been treated in a urgent care clinic.

The RAND Corporation conducted a study in 2009 that compared the difference between visits to emergency departments and urgent care centers. The results of this study showed that between 14% and 27% of emergency department visits could have been addressed at urgent care centers. Furthermore, they found that this alternative could save approximately $4.4 billion in health costs every year.

Every year, there are roughly 110 million emergency room visits. When an individual has an issue that could be treated in an urgent care clinic, it would cost an average of $2,039.00. However, when this same individual visits an urgent care facility for their issue, it would usually cost about $226.00.

Convenient care is now available in a facility that provides both emergency and urgent care. This new hybrid model provides the same 24-hour access that is associated with a traditional hospital emergency room. In addition to having an emergency center with doctors that can address urgent medical needs, these facilities provide evaluation and treatment for a variety of health issues and conditions. Furthermore, since an emergency center has advanced diagnostic and laboratory services, it is even more convenient because patients don’t need to visit another location for this.

When someone is faced with the decision of whether or not to go to the hospital emergency room, it’s important to know that there is an option. When someone is feeling short of breath or has sustained an injury, just knowing that there are emergency-trained physicians available when needed can potentially reduce the stress associated with this situation.

All The Facts on Self Storage Companies

Every single year a large number of Americans will look to self storage companies for help when they need to stow away valuable items. These items can include high-end motorcycles, recreational vehicles like old school muscle cars, and even boats. These self storage companies are one of the strongest industries in America, even though many Americans are ignorant to the services they provide.

If you are someone that owns a recreational vehicle or a boat, and you need to store them away then you should look into using one of these storage companies. When storing your boat with a storage company, you will be able to experience the many benefits that come along with such a smart move. Here is what you need to know about self storage companies in the United States.

When you buy or rent a self storage unit, it will allow you to store a summer vehicle or high-end motorcycle during the winter months so that you can avoid weather-related damage. The unfavorable weather that comes along with winter can rust away your vehicle or boat, and thus it helps to have a safe location where you can store it. For many boat owners, a high-quality storage unit will give them a great space in which they can store their boat during the off-season when the effects of the weather could possibly damage the boat.

So if you are someone that owns a valuable automobile or a boat, make sure you rent a storage unit space with a reliable and professional self storage company. You should be able to find a storage unit that is clean, secure, and offers access for their customers all 7 days a week. Doing business with self storage companies gives you a personal and private space to secure valuable belongings.

Right now in the United States, there is an estimated number of 52,500 storage facilities across the nation. These storage facilities across the United States employ just about 172,000 people. The industry of self storage companies manages to generate around $22 billion dollars annually in revenue. If you need to rent a storage unit, there is no shortage of space as there are an estimated 2.3 billion square feet of ready to rent storage space currently located in the United States.

In every household in the United States, there is believed to be about 21 square feet of storage space. Between the years of 1995 and 2012, the number of Americans renting storage units has increased by 65%. The storage unit industry has managed to help contribute just about $3 billion in state and local taxes each year. Nearly 1 in 10 adults will use a storage unit in order to store a valuable item as of the year 2012.

More often than not, recreational vehicles will consume a lot of space and will require a lot of maintenance when left outdoors. Storing them in a secure storage unit will allow you to both free up space and will allow you to protect your valuable investments from any damage. When you want to rent a storage unit make sure that it is one that offers you access and convenience throughout out the week. Also, check out space inside to ensure it is clean and dry for your items of value.

If you want you can find self storage companies that offer storage units with drive up access. This will allow convenience in terms of loading and unloading valuable items because you will not have to walk long distances or upstairs. You can also find high-quality storage units that provide electronic gates. These types of storage units provide extra security just in case you believe that your valuable item is considered to be extra valuable by someone else.

In Conclusion

The storage unit is incredibly strong in the United States and there is no question that if you need a storage unit that you should definitely rent one. Seeing as how there are now self storage companies that offer electronic gates and security details for protection, your valuable item will be kept safe behind all of this extra security. There is no need to worry about anything being stolen.

Five Ways to Cut Your Health Care Costs

A convenient quality and cost effective er alterna

Despite economic depressions and recessions, medical care is something that remains needed and significant. However, this does not mean that you should not price shop for the best medical care coverage. Medical care can be expensive, but with the right amount of research and knowledge, you can cut the costs of your medical care.

Understand your insurance coverage
Even patients with health insurance find themselves paying high medical bills. The insurance coverage policy can be confusing and difficult to navigate. You might assume that you are covered for a certain medical procedure, only to receive high medical bill weeks later. If possible, understand the specifics of your health insurance. Know which providers are covered and which are not. If you require a medical procedure, discuss it with your insurance provider ahead of time. They might recommend switching medical providers or the location of your procedure to cut costs. Too many people do not understand the details of their current health insurance plan.

Create an emergency plan
The highest medical bills that put people into debt are often from a medical emergency. When medical care is immediate and you do not have time to search for approved medical providers, you can be left with a huge bill. However, creating an emergency plan ahead of time can help you avoid these costs. For example, going to a childrens urgent care versus the local emergency room can save you thousands. Average reimbursement for an urgent care visit is approximately $103 per patient, compared to $302 per patient on average in a hospital emergency department, according to a medical report. You can prepare yourself for these after hours pediatrics emergencies by looking up 24 hour emergency room near me ahead of time.

Always go with the generic prescription
After you have searched for a 24 hour emergency room near me and visited with your medical emergency, it is likely that you are prescribed a medication. Even if the physician prescribes you a non generic medication, you can request a generic version. In most cases, the generic medication is comprised of the same ingredients and the only difference is that it comes at a cheaper price. Prescription costs can get expensive, especially following a 24 hour emergency room near me visit. Always inquire about the generic prescription option.

Know when to visit 24 hour urgent care locations
It can also be financially smart to know when to visit 24 hour urgent care locations and when a 24 hour emergency room near me visit is required. Learning about the most commonly treated conditions in an urgent care location can help you make your medical care decision, even in the middle of an emergency. Most urgent care centers offer a convenient quality and cost for some of the most common medical conditions. A 2009 RAND Corp. study reported 14 to 27% of emergency department visits could be handled by Urgent Care centers or retail clinics, saving up to $4.4 billion a year in health costs.

Choose a primary care physician
If you see multiple physicians, it can also be difficult to keep your medical needs straight. When you choose a primary care physician, they are responsible for all of your medical records. When you visit a local emergency department or urgent care convenient medical treatment center, you can then follow up with your primary physician. This keeps your medical treatment needs in one place and can save you the cost of high copays by seeing multiple physicians.

Americans rely heavily on the 24 hour access to care provided by emergency departments and visits have increased by 22% over the past decade. These visits are often extremely expensive especially if you have minimal or no health insurance. Fortunately, there are ways to cut your health care expenses. Understanding your health insurance, knowing when to visit an urgent care center, and developing an emergency medical care treatment plan can help you cut your medical care costs.

Are You Looking for a Way to Improve the Landscaping in Front of Your Home?

When you have outdoor space, it always looks better when it has been landscaped. If you need landscape supplies, you can often find them in local big-box stores as well as at smaller nurseries. You can get supplies such as backyard landscaping stones that are helpful for creating hardscapes that are great contrasts to the plants in your landscaping. These and other backyard materials can help you transform a lawn into a park-like oasis where you will want to spend time.

To get some beautiful garden ideas for home landscaping, look at pictures on Pinterest and Instagram. There are pictures of every type of landscaped area, allowing you to get a few ideas for your own yard. The best residential landscape design often uses plants that do well in your local climate. If you choose plants that aren’t native to the area, they will likely need a lot more work than native plants. They also need more water and fertilizer much of the time. Using native plants is better for the environment, and it ensures that you aren’t introducing invasive plants to the area. When you have your space landscaped, you will love the way it looks and may entertain more often.

One of the advantages to hardscaping ideas is that they do not waste water in order to look beautiful.As the hot days of summer finally end, you are looking at making some major changes about the landscaping around your home. And while the plants, flowers, and shrubs that you currently have are looking so great right now, you are growing weary of all of the work. With a goal of increasing more of your space to hardscaping, you are going to rethink the areas in front of and behind the house to see what changes you might want to make. The fact that you are rethinking these spaces that have been the same for so many years is an indicator of the popular changes that more and more people are making in an effort to create spaces that require less watering and less care.
Taking the time and spending the money and water that it takes to keep landscaping alive in the southwestern part of the country has always been slightly foolish. As the custom hardscaping services are a reaction to the environment in the Southwest, this same approach is also growing in popularity in other parts of the country as well. The idea of continually having to water landscaping and later trim it is a never ending circle. Transforming spaces to recommendations from custom hardscaping services, however, can help you turn a space into something that can remain beautiful and unchanged without much maintenance. Consider some of these facts and figures about the landscaping and hardscaping industries and the contributions they make to the economy:

- Unless you like to spend hours pruning and weeding, hardscaping is a popular option.
- The average lawn needs about one inch of water per week to stay healthy.
- Dry, thirsty lawns show two very visible warning signs.
- One of the signs of a thirsty lawn is footprinting. This is when after walking across the lawn, footprints are still visible an hour or more later.
- One other sign of a thirsty lawn is a color change, when the grass color changes from a lush green to a bluish-gray color.
- Relying on experienced landscapers can help you achieve the goal of a beautiful space that is as attractive from the street as it is from your front door.

Contracting with hardscaping professionals can help you create the perfect space that does not require watering or daily maintenance.
Having a tree that shades an outdoor air conditioner can increase the unit’s efficiency by as much as 10%.
Outdoor fireplace designs can help create a great gathering spot for friends and family during many months of the year.
Installing paver patios is another great way to help create another outdoor gathering space that both friends and family will be able to enjoy.
Custom water features add another dimension to outdoor areas by providing a beautiful background music to the area.
Estimates indicate that 67% of landscaping projects in the U.S. involve single family residential homes.
Sideyards are one area that many home owners forget about. These are great space, however, where it is possible to combine beautiful sounding water features with hardscaping or landscaping designs.

No matter what part of the country that you live you in, custom hardscaping services are growing in popularity. As an attractive ground cover that dies not need to be watered, the combination of rocks and other options create a designs that do not need to be watered or carefully maintained.
Whether you are a new home owner planning for your first outdoor projects or you are a long time home owner who is looking to make updates to your current space, working with design specialists can help you imagine all of the possibilities that you can use.
In a time when more and more parts of the country are worried about the conservation of water, it should come as no surprise that custom hardscaping services are growing in popularity. Given that Money Magazine reports that landscaping and hardscaping can bring a recovery value between 100% and 200 % at selling time, it makes sense that more and more homeowners are investing in the various areas outside their homes.