Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate Federal Way & Puyallup

  Paul Frink Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate Making Financial Lessons a Family Tradition Teaching children manners and how to tie their shoes is one thing, but financial lessons are often pushed to the wayside until it’s too late. Budgeting and financial planning should be a focus in every household. Whether you are passing along your lessons to your children, nieces or nephews, keeping financial sense in the family can have longstanding benefits. Here are some financial lessons you can teach children before they leave home: How to Budget Whether it’s through a household budget that you let them become a part of, or a weekly allowance on which they have to determine how to spend and save, budgeting is a skill they will be able to use throughout their lives. Show the younger generations how t

  Paul Frink Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate Choose Your Shredder Carefully Protecting your personal information from identity thieves is a multi-step process; however, the biggest step you can take at home is to shred anything with personal information on it. “All a true identity thief needs to become you is your name and ZIP code,” said Frank Abagnale, an American security consultant, at a reception in November. “What you may think is worthless, is of value to an identity thief.” But you don’t want to use just any shredder. Some shredders only cut up paper enough so that it’s left in strips or cross sections. These papers can still be put back together by someone with enough time. How do you know which is the most secure? Go to an office supply store and you’re likely to see a wall full of shr

This is very easy to do. 

  Paul Frink Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate 5 Reasons to Paint Your Walls Gray When it comes to painting your space, there are myriad options: bright and sunny yellow, the classic eggshell white, a soothing blue or a fresh green. But one color you shouldn’t overlook when painting is gray. Below are five reasons why. It matches . Gray is a fluid, flexible color that pairs well with a large variety of accents. This means you can swap out your color scheme over the years and keep the same paint job. It’s elegant. Gray is a classic choice for a wall. Whether it’s a light smoky gray, a deep ash or a lavender tinted hue, gray doesn’t seem to age out. It’s calming. Along with green and some shades of blue, gray has been shown to soothe and relax. This makes it a great choice for your bedroom. It o

  Paul Frink Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate Alternative Ways to Fund a College Education The average student loan debt for a college graduate in 2016 was $37,172, according to Forbes. That’s a lot of debt to be saddled with when starting a career. However, you can help your children avoid student loan debt by looking into some alternatives: Save Early This takes years of forethought, but it can be one of the best ways to pay a large chunk of college expenses. Start contributing to a 529 college savings plan as soon as your child is born. Put in only $100 a month from birth and a high school graduate will have about $40,000—enough money to fund two years of going to a public college. If your child is working part-time or during the summer, they can also contribute to the fund. Payment Plans

  Paul Frink Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate Tips to Keep You Hydrated While we all know water is essential for our health, not all of us enjoy chugging those recommended eight daily glasses. Or maybe it’s your child who refuses to drink plain old water. Below are a few tips to help you up your water intake. Add flavor. A squeeze of citrus, fresh mint or a handful of blueberries can make drinking water a bit more fun. Make sure to keep these twists simple and fresh, and avoid sweeteners (artificial or otherwise), which can have health repercussions. Swap in tea. Unsweetened herbal tea can aid your water consumption, especially if you’re steeping the bags yourself, which helps assure there are no sneaky additives. Add a hot cup of herbal first thing in the morning and before bed to squeeze in