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Posts tagged with: budget travel

How to Budget for Bathroom Remodeling

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Bathroom remodeling is one of the most common home improvement projects for a reason. It not only enhances the functionality and aesthetic appeal of your home but can also increase property value. However, planning a bathroom renovation requires careful budgeting to ensure the project stays within your financial limits while still achieving your desired results. Here’s how you can effectively budget for a bathroom remodel while keeping in mind some important factors.

1. Assess the Size and Scope of Your Project

The first step in budgeting for a bathroom remodel is understanding the scope of the project. The size of your bathroom will significantly affect the overall cost. For example, compact bathrooms—those that take up less space—make up about 14.81% of all bathrooms. Remodeling a smaller bathroom typically costs less than renovating a large one due to fewer materials and less labor required. However, even a small space can become expensive if you opt for high-end materials or luxury fixtures.

Before setting your budget, evaluate the size of your bathroom and the specific changes you want to make. Are you planning to replace the fixtures, update the flooring, or overhaul the entire layout? Make a list of your priorities to get a clearer idea of how much each element will cost.

2. Consider Bathroom Remodeling Trends

Bathroom renovations are a highly popular home improvement project. In fact, bathroom remodeling ranks as the second-most popular home upgrade among homeowners, according to RubyHome. This trend can influence both the availability of materials and the cost of labor, as high demand can sometimes lead to increased prices. Staying informed about current remodeling trends can help you plan your project more effectively, allowing you to decide whether to follow popular styles or opt for a more timeless design.

Keeping up with these trends can also help you prioritize where to invest your money. For example, upgrading the shower, installing modern lighting, or adding more storage space are common focuses in bathroom renovations.

3. Research Material Costs

Another critical factor in budgeting for a bathroom remodel is the cost of materials. Whether you’re replacing tiles, upgrading countertops, or installing a new vanity, material prices can vary widely. High-end materials like marble or quartz will significantly increase your budget, while more affordable options such as ceramic tiles or laminate countertops can help you keep costs down without sacrificing style.

Additionally, if you’re considering eco-friendly materials, they may come with a higher price tag upfront but offer long-term savings in terms of energy efficiency and water usage. When planning your budget, research different material options and decide which ones best fit your style and price range.

4. Factor in Labor Costs

Labor is another significant expense in any bathroom renovation. The more complex the remodel, the higher the labor costs will be. For example, moving plumbing fixtures, such as the toilet or shower, will increase labor costs significantly. On average, labor can account for about 20-40% of the total remodeling cost.

To keep costs in check, it’s essential to get multiple quotes from contractors. Hiring a reliable contractor with experience in bathroom remodeling can help ensure the project runs smoothly and stays within budget. When comparing quotes, don’t just look at the price—also consider the contractor’s reputation, experience, and estimated timeline.

5. Consider Bathroom Size and Canadian Homeowners’ Preferences

It’s also worth noting that bathrooms are one of the most commonly renovated spaces, especially in Canada. Nearly one-third of Canadian homeowners have plans to renovate their bathrooms, making it the second-most popular area for home improvements. This growing interest in bathroom remodeling highlights the importance of creating a budget that reflects both your needs and the current market.

Smaller bathrooms, though compact, can still be transformed into functional and beautiful spaces. The key is to prioritize your spending based on the most important upgrades, such as new fixtures, improved storage, or better lighting. If your bathroom is on the smaller side, focus on maximizing space efficiency while keeping costs in line with your budget.

Budgeting for a bathroom remodel involves careful planning and consideration of several factors, from the size of your bathroom to the cost of materials and labor. With nearly one-third of Canadian homeowners planning to renovate their bathrooms and bathroom renovations ranking as one of the most popular home improvement projects overall, it’s clear that investing in this space can yield significant benefits. By setting a realistic budget, researching costs, and planning for unexpected expenses, you can achieve the bathroom of your dreams without breaking the bank.

September (Food & Money) Diet – UPDATE

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I wrote at the end of August about starting a MONEY and FOOD diet for the month of September. Has anyone been joining me? I wanted to check in with a progress update now that we’re nearing the end of the month!

Meal Planning & Eating At Home

I give us a solid A for eating at home. I’ve only relied on take out a couple of times and it’s been “healthier” fast food type foods so it’s been relatively inexpensive. For example, I’ve gotten a grilled chicken salad from Chick-Fil-A one week and from Salad-and-Go another week.

I’ve meal planned a variety of healthy foods to have at home. And I took a different approach than normal. Instead of meal planning for a single week at a time, I meal planned for the entire month of September. This allowed me to think strategically about foods I might have leftover one week, and how I could repurpose it later in the week or early the following week, etc.

To give an idea, I made 3 separate meals out of a large pork loin. The first meal was crockpot pork loin with mini potatoes and carrots. For the second meal, I took about half the leftover pork and pulled it, tossed with BBQ sauce, and served with baked beans and broccoli as sides. For the third meal, I took the other half of the pork, pulled it, and pan fried it up with some taco seasoning to make it like carnitas. I served it on flour tortillas for the family (and just on lettuce for me since I’m doing low carb), with a fresh pico-de-gallo chalked full of flavorful veggies.

I love how crockpot meals simplify things at dinner time, and I’m also a big fan of the “cook once, eat twice” motto of basically repurposing food after its been cooked to use in a second meal. It speeds along the prep part of dinner and saves time and money.

Money Diet

My goal was to have total food spending this month be $750 or below and, although we still have a week to go, I just placed my final grocery pick-up order and we’re barely going to squeak by at our goal!

I think having a grocery plan for the month helped dramatically, as well as doing online pickup orders so I wasn’t tempted with point-of-sale purchases. I will say that I did not do a Costco shopping trip this month and, if I had, I definitely would have gone over. Even though we use Costco mostly for paper products (e.g., paper towels, toilet paper, paper plates), I still put this in our “grocery” budget. I’m happy with the “win” of meeting our goal……but also fully acknowledge that I certainly would NOT have, had I done our typically monthly Costco trip. It’s progress, but still more room to improve, too.

Recipes

I want to share a couple of fun recipes I used this month, just in case anyone else is looking for new meal ideas.

  • Blueberry Sweet Potato Breakfast Meatballs

    These are a new favorite! I got the recipe from a friend and had initially given it major side-eye. It’s a lot of flavors together and sounds odd. But I’m here to tell you – it comes together beautifully and is delicious! I’ve already made the recipe twice! I make a big batch, then freeze so I can pull out just a couple balls at a time to re-heat for breakfast.

  • Hawaiian Shrimp Taco Bowls

    These are amazing! It’s nice to have something different (we otherwise eat a lot of chicken and pork), and the homemade cilantro lime crema is the star of the show! I eat mine with cauliflower rice, while the rest of the family eats jasmine rice. I won’t lie the cauliflower rice is not as good. But it’s a nice low-carb substitution.

  • Ginger Steak Salad

    This is technically not Whole 30 due to the sugar in the marinade and salad dressing. But this is where I say I’m doing Whole 30-ish because this is still much healthier than what I might otherwise eat (like fried chicken or pizza! Ha!), so I call it a win! In fact, we’ve had a LOT of salads this month. Feels good to get in the fresh veggies. And a homemade dressing is always better than store-bought, in my opinion.

Has anyone else followed along this month with a food and money diet? How did you do? Have any favorite Whole 30 (or Whole 30-ish) recipes you want to share? Drop them in the comments!