SoFi Blog

You might have fallen in love with the neighborhood and the bones of the house you purchased, but the interior design? Not so much. Maybe the home is on the older side and you’re looking forward to replacing the outdated tile in the bathroom. Perhaps you’re ready to say good-bye to the wood paneling in the basement.

Whatever it is, remodeling an old house is a rite of passage when it comes to owning a home. After all, unless you’re building your own house, there will most likely be something you want to change when you move into your new place. But remodeling an old house can also be stressful. It can be expensive and require complex planning in order to remodel successfully.

Whether you plan to DIY as much as possible or are placing your trust in a contractor for the renovations, it is highly likely that at some point during the remodel, you’re going to feel overwhelmed by costs, deadlines, or the design decisions that come with remodeling.

Ever wish you could quit your 9-5 job but still have enough to live on? Are you looking for ways to supplement your income so you can afford that dream house or trip around the world? Or do you fantasize about being able to earn money while laying on a beach or pursuing your passion? These are some of the reasons that inspire people to turn to passive income.

When it comes to do-it-yourself (DIY) home projects, “easy” can be a tricky word to define. If you have a crafty background or a few home improvement skills and tools, what’s easy for you may not be easy for someone else, and vice versa. And sometimes, “easy” doesn’t necessarily mean “fast.”

On the plus side, if you have two or three sets of hands doing the work, then a more in-depth and complicated project may be quite doable. So take a look at these “easy” DIY home projects to see which ones strikes your fancy, and then decide whether it’s a one-person job or one where teamwork matters.

If you’re thinking about going green with your home, good for you! Benefits of doing so can be significant for the environment and the economy, and in terms of making a positive social impact. Green buildings use less energy, less water, fewer natural resources, and can even have a net positive effect in creating energy. Economically, you can save money on utilities, while living in a healthier environment. You can find a significant amount of information about these benefits from the World Green Building Council .

More specifically, the council shares the following message: “The world over, evidence is growing that green buildings bring multiple benefits. They provide some of the most effective means to achieving a range of global goals, such as addressing climate change, creating sustainable and thriving communities, and driving economic growth.”

And the good news is that there is no one “right” version of environmentally-friendly homes. You can choose from a huge range of strategies to go green, some large and significant, while others are small yet mighty. To help you go green your own way, we’ve scoured the web for resources to help.

There’s an old rumor floating around out there about how much to spend on an engagement ring, and it goes like this: When you’re ready to propose, you should spend the equivalent of two months’ gross salary on the engagement ring.

Two months? That’s a lot of money.

Well, we have good news: it’s simply not true. The two-month “standard” holds no weight or authority from any expert. In fact, it’s nothing more than an old marketing campaign that fed its way into the lexicon via catchy slogans and peer pressure. What’s more, the digital age has allowed us to grow into savvy shoppers who understand that making a large purchase based on hearsay isn’t the way to go.