College can be a lonely time for students. They may get homesick or just want a reminder of something familiar. Sending them something from home to keep in their dorm room can help them feel more comfortable in their new space.  Include an old family photo in your care package. The best photo is one that the student is familiar with and has fond memories of.  Find something in your backyard that will immediately make them think of home. For example, if you're from the Midwest and your child is in college in Arizona, send a colored leaf in the fall to remind them of home. Dig up an old trophy or award. If your child has a sports trophy or a first place ribbon for a spelling bee, include it in your care package. It will make your child laugh and will also be a good story for them to share with their new friends at college. With all of the prepackaged food your child is likely eating at college, they'll appreciate some home cooking. Think of your child's favorite baked goods and include them in a care package.  Include enough to share. Your child will be the most popular kid on their floor if they have a dozen cookies to pass around. If your child is on a diet, make health-conscious baked goods that use a zero-calorie sugar substitute. Make sure you package the baked goods in a way that they won't melt or spill out. Wrap them in several layers of foil and place in a smaller box inside the larger care package. Find a few of your child's favorite movies that they left behind and put them in a box with microwave popcorn, milk duds, and other movie theater treats.  If you child watches everything online, send them a few Amazon video credits so they can rent a movie. You can print off the gift receipt and include it in your care package. If your child gets homesick, send them an old favorite childhood movie to remind them of home. Your child probably doesn't have a lot of extra money for clothes. But it's important for college students to feel well put-together and stylish. You need to know your child's style to pull this off, but there are a few places where you can't go wrong.  Go to your child's college bookstore website and order sweatshirt or hat with the school's logo. Send them workout clothes. The gym is one of the places college students like to show off the most. They'll appreciate a new pair of running shoes or tank top.
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One-sentence summary -- Send them a memento. Make some baked goods. Give them a movie night in a box. Spruce up their wardrobe.


It sounds easier said than done, but the way to start is by separating your bills into three categories: necessities, secured debts, and unsecured debts.  Necessities are the types of bills you need to pay in order to survive. Thing like mortgage or rent, your utility bills, your grocery bills, and any bills that allow you to work, such as child care or car payments. A secured debt is a debt that is secured by some type of collateral. That means that if the debt goes unpaid, then the creditor can repossess whatever you have as collateral without first taking you to court. This includes mortgage and car payments (which are also necessities), as well as child support (which uses your wages as collateral) and back taxes. After you've paid off your necessities, pay these.  Lastly, pay your unsecured debts. In order for a creditor to seize your property in order to satisfy an unsecured debt, they first have to take you to court. Since it takes a long time for a court case to come to bar, even if you get behind on these debts, you will have more time make things right with your creditors than you do with secured debts and necessities. Try to pay big, irregular bills over several monthly if you can't pay all at once. You may be able to negotiate with your creditor to space out your payments. Either way, it's better to pay what you can rather than nothing at all. Of course, this is the last thing you want to do. But if you are coming up short every month, you may need to make some cuts in recurring expenses. You may have to cut off your cable or smartphone (get a flip-phone instead), or liquidate assets until you get back on your feet. Many lenders or utility companies, for instance, will work with you to negotiate lower bill payments if you're in a bind. For example you can opt for a higher deductible on your auto insurance or shop around for cheaper insurance that fits into your budget. Contact a nonprofit credit counseling or financial planning organization. Counselors can help you set up a budget and can negotiate with creditors on your behalf. The Justice Department keeps a list of approved credit counseling agencies here: http://www.justice.gov/ust/list-credit-counseling-agencies-approved-pursuant-11-usc-111, but others are available.  There are a fair amount of charlatans hawking credit counseling advice, so be cautious when choosing one. Make sure they are non-profit, ask about the qualifications of their counselors, fees, contract terms, and how their counselors get paid.
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One-sentence summary -- Start by paying your most important bills. Cut the non-essentials. Talk to your creditors early. Find ways to lower your rates. Get financial counseling.


1 light, solid color to make the room look bigger. If you are primarily concerned with opening the space up, sticking with one solid color is a good way to accomplish your goal. A light colour will help the room look bright, fresh, and open. White and light yellow are especially effective at creating the appearance of additional light.  Painting is an inexpensive way to quickly change the look of your room. Before you paint the space, take paint charts into the room to help you imagine what the new colour will look like. Avoid feature walls in attic bedrooms, as this makes the space look smaller. This is especially important for slanted ceilings, as darker colours can make the room feel oppressive and can make the ceiling feel closer than it really is. Paint the ceiling the same colour (or a lighter colour) than your walls to accentuate the height of the room and to make it feel bright. Bright white paint makes attic ceilings look fresh and light. If your attic bedroom already has natural wooden beams, brick walls, or a stone fireplace, consider keeping these features to add to the rustic and unique feeling of the room. If they are in poor condition, use your DIY skills to restore them or hire a professional to bring them back to their former glory. To draw attention to these natural textures, expose them as much as possible and avoid placing furniture in front of them. If you don’t like the look of your bricks, consider painting them white. This is a popular look that makes the space look nice and light. Install a skylight on one of the sloping walls in your room. Consider placing it over your bed, as this allows you to stargaze at night and will provide natural light in the morning. Alternatively, place it in a dark corner of your room, to brighten it up. Consider choosing a skylight that can be opened, as this will give you the option of extra ventilation in your room.
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One-sentence summary --
Paint the walls Paint the ceiling the same colour as the walls to open up the space. Leave beams or brick exposed for a natural feel. Hire a builder to add a skylight to maximise the natural light in the room.