When you hear the word makeover, there is a good chance your husband isn’t the first thing that comes to find.

Movies and TV shows for decades have sold the idea of makeovers being exclusive to women, with men who do invest in self-care usually being the butt of a cheap joke. Which is unfortunate, as many men can really stand to benefit from a male makeover.

You have probably heard it a first impression happens in only about 30 seconds. If that is the case, then imagine your hubby going in for an interview, or meeting your boss for the first time. If he hasn’t updated his look since college, how well do you think that fact will reflect on him?

Makeovers can be expensive, though. Beyond convincing your husband to go for one, you need to minimize the cost.

Pulling off a Male Makeover on a Budget

Fortunately, from hair care to rapid weight-loss, we’re no strangers to doing health and beauty on a budget. 

To help give your husband a fresh look, we have come up with a list of seven points to hit. Starting with:

1. Review His Basic Hygiene

Look, it can happen to the best of us. As fast as life can come at us, it’s easy to convince ourselves to let little things slide once in a while. And whether earned or not, men have acquired a reputation for being particularly bad about it.

But those unkempt nails, stray hairs, and stained shirts add up. Let too many infractions fly, and he risks looking like he crawled out from under a pile of dirty laundry in a frat house.

Simply looking tidy and well put together can do wonders for a man’s image. So if your husband isn’t particularly conscious of the little things, you’ll want to encourage him to adopt a more comprehensive grooming routine.

2. Skin Care: The Cornerstone of a Makeover

Beyond the bare bones of grooming, proper skin care is the biggest component of a good makeover.

A good skincare routine is important for anyone. But as most men are make-up averse, this is especially true for your husband.

A solid regimen doesn’t have to cost a small fortune. Just covering the basics like sun protection and regular exfoliation will yield significant dividends.

In the more immediate term, consider giving him a face mask treatment. There are many affordable, DIY options, and can almost immediately make him look younger and healthier.

3. Take Him for a Fresh Cut

Few things will make your husband feel fresher than a new cut. Particularly if he’s been wearing the same style since his bachelor days.

If you like the style, but he just needs a trim, then he can probably get away with just clearing up the dead ends and cleaning up the fade.

If he is in need of more substantial work, just be sure to ecourage him to get something age approapriate. That’s not to say that a sculpted style can’t work, but ca hair in the wrong direction can look embarrassingly out-of-touch.

4. Clean Up that Facial Hair

If your husband sports a beard, mustache, or any combination thereof, then this tends to be another problem area. While big, wild beards were somewhat in vogue a few years ago, these days they are probably best reserved for lumberjacks and carnival showmen.

As with the hair on his head, a good, clean style is essential to keeping the hair on his face looking presentable. Get him a trimmer and see to it that they become well-acquainted.

Furthermore, styling his facial hair can keep him from looking scruffy. That’s not to say he should try to bring back the handlebar mustache fad from a few years ago, but a good wax can help him looking neat.

There are a number of boutique companies that offer a variety of beard and mustache waxes. Artius Man, for example, sells strong, affordable waxes that even come in different scents. Shop now to see some of the selection they have available.

5. Practice Regular Fitness

We all tend to put on a little extra weight with time. But if the extra poundage starts to add up, then a little exercise might be a component of your makeover plan.

Beyond the prospect of shedding a few pounds, exercise can have dramatic benefits for your husband’s overall sense of wellness. Exercise is associated with the release of endorphins into the body. These happy chemicals correlate to better moods and lower levels of stress.

Between smiling more and stressing less, routine exercise can help your husband look better and more lively whether he actually loses weight or not.

6. Overhaul His Diet

Along similar lines, a proper diet can make as much of a difference as haircut or new suit of clothes.

Again, a few extra pounds isn’t necessarily a big deal, but if your husband has experienced substantial weight gain then a change in diet may be needed.

But even ignoring weight loss, eating well promotes healthier skin, hair, nails, and overall appearance. And like exercise, a proper diet is also associated with psychological benefits. And a sense of self and well being should at least be a partial goal of any makeover.

7. Update His Wardrobe

Having cleaned up his appearance and adopted some healthier habits, the big item left is cleaning up the closet. They say the clothes make the man, after all.

We recommend updating his wardrobe piecemeal. Even if you could afford to replace everything at once, you could very well end up chasing trends that will look dreadfully dated in a year or two.

Instead, look for the problem areas: worn or stained shirts, outdated coats, scuffed shoes, that sort of thing. Address these issues first, buying one or two quality articles at a time. Avoid fads to maximize their longevity, and above all else, see to it that he dresses his age.

Look His Best, Feel His Best

If you’ve ever had a full makeover yourself, then you understand how fresh and rejuvenated it can make you feel. A male makeover will have your husband not just looking good, but feeling like a new man every time he looks in the mirror.

If giving your husband a makeover has left you feeling inspired to follow suit, then check out our tips on planning a spa day for yourself.

Ahh, yes, summertime. The sun is out, school is finished (for now), and you’re ready to hit the road for an amazing vacation or just hang out near home and explore the community. Either way, you know you can easily have tons of fun without breaking the bank.

With kids in tow, finding fun outdoor summer activities is paramount. And doing that on a budget makes it a tad bit challenging.

Pondering all of this incredible summer action should inspire you to come up with a few ideas that might just help you enjoy your next big summer break on a budget.

Don’t know where to start? Keep reading to discover our guide to the best summer activities.

1. Hit the Beach (It’s Free)

If you live near the beach, or even if you don’t, it’s fun to stroll the sandy shore as a family. Not only will you get to enjoy the soothing sounds of the surf hitting the sand, but the kids will love it, too.

After everyone’s done swimming and building sandcastles, take a leisurely stroll down the boardwalk. A few ice creams and maybe a souvenir later, and everyone’s happy.

One word of advice: always remember your sunscreen, and make sure you apply it multiple times if you’re hanging out for a few hours.

2. Explore the Great Outdoors

Nature has a lot to offer, and other than perhaps some park fees, you can explore it for a low price. Consider heading out to your nearest camping grounds and pitch a tent for a few nights. Memories are guaranteed to be made.

3. Go on an Adventure

If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, why not try your hand at something completely new, like whitewater rafting with Quest Expeditions? When summer ends, you and your kids will have plenty of amazing stories to tell.

The number of outdoor summer activities is endless so get creative and look at hiking trails, local ranger programs, or fishing trips to truly immerse yourselves in the great outdoors.

4. Make the Backyard a Haven for Outdoor Summer Activities

You can easily transform your own backyard into an outdoor play area. Set up a space for some fun arts and crafts where you can build things like birdhouses or planters. 

Get creative and come up with some awesome outdoor games the kids will love. A simple sandbox is a fabulous choice for toddlers. Invite neighbors over, and you’ve got yourself a party. 

Have water balloon fights, roast marshmallows over a fire, and go exploring for birds and insects. These activities aren’t just inexpensive, they’re also a fantastic way to teach your kids and have some low-cost, authentic bonding time. 

Summer Doesn’t Have to Break the Bank

Whether it’s a chill day at the beach or a camping trip, you can experience a myriad of awesome outdoor summer activities all at a reasonable cost.

Remember that your kids want to spend time with you, and in the long run, they’d much prefer that over an expensive luxury vacation.

Be sure to check out our blog for some more awesome frugal travel tips so you can make this summer one you’ll always remember.

Getting rid of clutter gets rid of 40% of housework.

Is your disorganization costing you time?

If so, you need to pause and re-assess. You have heard the term, “time is money“, right?

Here are 10 random organization hacks to stop wasting time by decluttering your home. As a bonus, these are things you can find around your house or for cheap at a dollar store.

1. Plastic Lids

I can count on one hand how many people I’ve met my entire life that have their Tupperware cabinet under control.

It gets hectic quick, which is why you need to use an old CD holder or file rack to organize that mess.

2. Plastic Bags

We shouldn’t have any of these things considering what we know about how harmful plastic is to the environment.

Nonetheless, we’ve all been to the grocery store and forgotten our reusable bags.

When that happens — keep them!

You can store them neatly in an old, washed out Dura-lite container with the lid cut off. Then you’ll get two birds with one stone by re-using two plastic items.

3. Bath Toys

This works the same with loofahs and sponges, 

Use a hanging basket (perhaps a fruit one) to keep bath toys from dripping outside of the tub.

This trick works with loofahs and sponges, too.

4. Office Supplies: Pens and Scizzors

All right, there are a few things you can do in this department.

The first is to repurpose soup cans into pen holders. You can even decorate them for style points.

5. Office Supplies: Drawers

The second is to use old baking sheets or muffin tins inside of drawers. This is great for shallow spaces or those junk drawers we cram shut (oops).

6. Bobby Pins

Do you lose more bobby pins than you use?

Try storing hairpins in an old Tic-Tac container or on a magnetic strip.

7. Jewelry When Traveling

It’s easy to throw your jewelry into a tangled mess when traveling…and then spend forever untangling necklaces and earrings.

Put small earrings and rings in pill organizers to keep you from having to sort them out after your trip.

8. Loose Cords

Am I the only one who has drawers and piles of random cords?

Hopefully not… Regardless, we should all make use of binder clips by clipping cords in a bundle.

9. Tank Tops

Besides the kids’ room, our own closet might be the most disorganized space in the house.

To slowly start tackling that mess, put your cami tank tops all on one hook or hanger. When you’re ready, check out these other closet organization tricks.

10. The Most Versatile of Organization Hacks: Repurposing Old Glass Jars

I could go on all day about the various uses for mason jars. Cupcake liners, cotton balls, flour, you name it.

Here’s one way you can clean out used jars for repurposing.

All Organization Counts — No Matter How Small

To hype yourself up about getting the little and big stuff cleaned up, tell yourself this:  

It’s one small step for organization hacks, one large step for time well spent.

Once you get fully organized and regain 40% of the time you were spending due to chaotic clutter, now you can move on to saving money on cleaning.

There are about 700,000 construction companies in the U.S. today. And almost all of them spend tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of dollars on construction equipment each and every year.

A single piece of equipment like a backhoe can start at $85,000 and go all the way up to $150,000. And that’s just one of the many, many pieces of equipment that you need to run a successful construction business.

Whether you’re the owner of a construction company and you’re looking to save money on equipment or you’re just an average Joe tackling construction jobs on your property, there are ways you can cut your equipment costs.

You can get access to the equipment you need without blowing your budget.

Here are 15 easy ways to do it.

1. Consider What Equipment You Need

There are all kinds of heavy equipment that construction companies can buy. Some examples include:

• Excavators
• Bulldozers
• Loaders
• Cranes
• Compactors
• Dump trucks
• Pavers

But here’s the thing: Not every construction company needs all of this equipment!

In fact, there’s a good chance that your company doesn’t need a lot of the construction equipment that you’re thinking about buying.

Instead of spending a fortune snatching up every possible piece of equipment, limit purchases to what you need. This will prevent you from putting yourself into a huge hole to pay for a bunch of equipment that you’re not even using to its full potential.

2. Rent Equipment Rather Than Buying It

Is there a piece of construction equipment that you need every so often when you’re working on projects?

Instead of running out and buying, say, a bulldozer or a crane, rent that kind of equipment as needed. This will help you avoid having to pay to store and maintain it while also saving you from the huge bill that you’ll get when you buy it in the first place.

3. See If Leasing Equipment Makes Sense

If you don’t have the funds to buy an expensive piece of equipment for your company but you know that you’re going to need it for more than a few days, leasing is another great option.

Leasing will allow you to take ownership of a piece of equipment for a set period of time for much less than you would pay to own it. And once the lease period is up, all you’ll have to do is return the equipment to the company you leased it from and move on.

4. Borrow Equipment From Other Companies

The construction industry is very competitive, so you’re not going to be buddy-buddy with too many other construction owners. You will, after all, be bidding against one another when jobs come up in your community.

This means you’re going to have a hard time convincing a construction company that works across town to let you borrow one of their larger pieces of equipment. But you might stand a chance if you ask for something smaller like an air compressor.

For as competitive as the construction industry is, those people inside of it often tend to look out for one another. Use that to your advantage and borrow equipment from your fellow construction workers when you can.

5. Purchase Used Equipment Over New Equipment

In almost all walks of life, you can save money by buying something that’s used over something that’s new. This goes for everything from cars and couches to big-screen TVs and, yes, construction equipment.

Before you sign on the dotted line and agree to buy a fancy new excavator for your company, think about if you really need a new model. A used model might do the same exact job at a fraction of the cost.

6. Sell Old Equipment to Buy New Equipment

Do you have old equipment that you don’t use anymore lying around on your construction company’s property? Rather than letting it rot, why not turn it into a pile of cash that you can use to buy, rent, or lease new equipment?

If you notice that you haven’t used the dump truck behind your office in more than a year now, stop holding on to it “just in case.” Slap a “For Sale” sign on it and turn a profit on it so that you can get your hands on equipment you’ll use.

7. Monitor Sales on Equipment

You shouldn’t necessarily run around buying up construction equipment that you’ll never use just because you find a great deal for it. But you should keep your eyes peeled for discounts on equipment at almost all times.

You might be fine with renting a crane for now. But if you’ve noticed that you’re renting cranes more and more often these days, you might want to strike while the iron is hot if you happen to come across a crane that’s on sale.

8. Inspect Equipment Before Using It

Up until this point, we’ve talked a lot about ways to save money on construction equipment when you’re buying, renting, or leasing it. But it’s important to remember that you can also save money on equipment you already own.

The first way you can do it is by inspecting your equipment each and every time you use it. Before you fire up a backhoe or load up a loader, perform a thorough inspection on it to make sure there aren’t any issues with it.

You can prevent small issues with your equipment from turning into large issues by taking this approach.

9. Maintain Equipment on a Regular Basis

In addition to inspecting your equipment prior to using it, you should also get into the habit of maintaining it on a regular basis.

Read through the owner’s manuals for your equipment and see what different manufacturers recommend as far as maintenance is concerned. By maintaining your equipment, you’ll make it last a lot longer and avoid having to replace it sooner than you should have to.

10. Train Employees on How to Use Equipment

Even though your construction employees have earned certifications to operate different equipment, you should still make it a point to train them on the ins and outs of your specific equipment.

Set up a training course for each piece of equipment you use and put your employees through it before you let them climb on it.

11. Stay Safe When Operating Equipment

While you’re training your employees to work on your construction equipment, you should also show them the safety precautions they’ll need to take when using it. Reinforce the importance of safety over and over again to those who work for you.

If your workers aren’t safe on your equipment, there’s a decent chance your equipment could be put into risky situations. This could result in damage to your equipment and force you to make expensive repairs. 

12. Store Equipment in the Proper Places

When you’re not using your equipment, avoid leaving it out in the open where it’ll be exposed to the elements.

This won’t be possible with, say, a crane. But you should make every effort to get any equipment that can fit into a garage or another covered storage area inside of it. This will stop rain, snow, hail, sun, wind, and more from doing damage to your equipment when you’re not using it.

By storing your equipment, you’ll also reduce the chances of it getting stolen or vandalized.

13. Keep Accurate Equipment Records

If you only have a few pieces of construction equipment right now, you might not have a hard time keeping track of how often they’re being used and when they’re being maintained.

But as your equipment fleet grows, it’ll become more difficult to monitor what has been maintained and what hasn’t. You’ll also struggle to keep up with how many hours you’re putting on your equipment.

Do your best to keep accurate equipment records. It’ll ensure you don’t miss doing maintenance and help you later when you go to sell old equipment. 

14. Limit Equipment-Related Waste

Are your employees allowing your equipment to idle a little too often? Are they burning through way more gas and oil than they should? Or are they using equipment for something other than its intended purpose?

This all adds up to a lot of wasted time and resources. By limiting waste, you can cut your operational costs and steer clear of having to replace any equipment ahead of schedule.

15. Invest in New Equipment at the Right Times

If your construction company experienced a down year in 2018, it’s probably not the right time to break out your checkbook and buy a bunch of new equipment. But if you had a banner year in 2018 and want to keep the momentum going, that sounds like a good excuse to invest in new equipment.

You can save money by picking your spots and spending when you can afford to do it. You’ll make better decisions when it doesn’t feel like your back is up against the wall.

Start Saving Money on Construction Equipment Today

On a global level, the construction industry is worth more than $10 trillion (yes, trillion with a t!). And that might lead you to believe that construction companies don’t have to concern themselves with saving money.

But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Construction companies need to watch their spending, especially when it comes to construction equipment. They could find themselves in the red year after year if they don’t.

Check out our blog for tips on how construction companies can promote their businesses without breaking the bank.

Bones are living tissue, constantly rebuilding themselves over time. Unfortunately, this rebuilding process tends to slow as we get older, leaving us susceptible to issues such as osteoporosis. Osteoporosis can come with some rough side effects including excessive pain and bone fractures.

If you want to avoid osteoporosis when you age, you should definitely start to take care of your bones now. There are various ways you can take care of your bones, and they should all work in conjunction. While some you may have heard of, there’s a good chance you don’t know all of them. 

Without further ado, here are 10 ways to build up healthy bones.

1. Drink Milk

The age-old lesson on how to keep your bones strong may be criticized more and more, but it’s impossible to doubt that the calcium in milk helps to shore up your bones. While milk does have calcium, you can also look to other dairies such as yogurt.

Be sure to look into foods that have a high concentration of calcium as these foods will build up your bones and your teeth as well.

2. Avoid Caffeine

While caffeine does have some health benefits, too much of it can actually hurt your bone health. Caffeine gets in the way of our body’s ability to take in calcium, meaning that each extra cup of coffee may lead to weaker bones and frailer teeth for you in the future.

If you do need that morning coffee, as many of us do, look to limit your caffeine to that, or combine your caffeine with some milk in order to make up for the lack of absorption. 

3. Know Your Family’s Past

Osteoporosis can have some genetic background to it, as can the inability to absorb calcium and having weak bones in general. If you have noticed that your parents are struggling with bone density issues, you may need to act sooner to prevent these issues for yourself rather than later.

If bone issues run in the family, reach out to your doctor to find out what you can do to avoid more problems in the future. 

4. Take Vitamin D Supplements

Upping your intake of calcium is almost pointless if your body can’t use it. This is exactly where vitamin D comes in. Vitamin D is crucial for our bodies’ ability to use this calcium in building up our bones.

In fact, vitamin D has a crucial role in absorbing many important nutrients on top of just calcium, making it a top vitamin for women to take.

5. Collagen Supplements

Vitamin D isn’t the only supplement you should look into to promote good bone health. Collagen is another protein that comes in supplement form that you can use to promote good bone health. 

Collagen also has great benefits such as strengthening the joints and muscles around your bones to give your bones additional support. Be sure to shop now for your next collagen supplement.

6. Exercise Regularly

As any expert will tell you, staying healthy is about both what you take in and what you do with it. If you truly want your bones to stay healthy, exercising will be key. 

The best exercises for improving bone density are those that make the bones go under some duress to build up their strength. This includes weight-bearing exercises, running, and stair climbing. Exercising also has the added impact of keeping your weight low, which we will discuss later as an added benefit.

7. Avoid the Alcohol

Heavy alcohol consumption is known for interfering with the ability of vitamin D to properly absorb nutrients. This means that alcohol directly impacts your ability to absorb calcium, thus making your bones stronger. 

That doesn’t mean you need to stop all forms of alcohol consumption. Moderate consumption, meaning one drink for women or two for men, can actually have many health benefits. Some research has even shown that some alcohols can actually contribute to long-term bone health.

8. Quit Smoking

One vice that research has shown to have basically no benefits is smoking. The negatives of smoking are countless, and negatively impacting your bone density is just a part of it. As we have shown, the absorption of calcium is key to healthy bones, and smoking prevents that.

Smoking even in moderation can harm your body and your bone density. For that reason, it is important to avoid smoking as much as possible for your overall health.

9. Eat Meat (But Not Too Much)

Our average bone is made up of about 50% protein. This means that our bodies need protein in order to regenerate our bones and keep them healthy. Protein has many other health benefits including keeping our red blood cell counts high.

Some experts have warned, though, that too much protein leads to the acidity in our bodies growing far too much. This, in turn, makes it so that our body has to use calcium to counteract this acidity instead of using it to strengthen our bones. So, when you eat meat, make sure to balance it out with milk or limit your intake for healthy bones.

10. Keep Your Weight In Check

One of the most damning factors for our long-term bone health is our weight. Being around a healthy weight for your body is key for your bone health.

Too much weight and your bones could suffer from the stress of your weight and lead to more fractures. 

But, too little weight is not great. Too little weight implies a lack of nutrition and possible lack of calcium and other necessary vitamins. Be sure to constantly exercise and eat healthy to keep your weight in check.

How to Ensure Healthy Bones In the Future

Having healthy bones is a challenge to many of us, but it is something we can prepare for now. If you want to keep your bones healthy and avoid osteoporosis in the long run, be sure to follow the tips above.

For more health and fitness tips like these check out our other articles!