Ways

One of the best ways to relieve stress is by taking a trip to the spa. While it’s the little things in life that matter, you may not be able to afford to have such luxuries. Thankfully, you don’t need to go out and about to create a spa day at home.

A spa day at home is a way for you to unwind and release some stress and tension that you carry around. There’s very little that they do at a spa that you cannot do at home. Additionally, it’s very beneficial to have some “you” time where you put the children and spouse on the back burner for a few minutes.

Pampering Yourself with A Spa Day at Home

If you have no idea where to begin, we have created a list for you to simplify the process. Grab some candles, essential oils, bath salts, and a beautiful, fuzzy robe, and you’re ready. Here are some ways to let the pampering begin.

1. Do a Cleansing Facial Mask

There are hundreds of facial masks on the market. You can find ones for dry, oily, or combination skin. There’s no need to spend a fortune as you can usually get sample packets that give you a one-time treatment before you buy a more significant portion.

Mud masks are great because they draw impurities from the skin as well as hydrate. The black charcoal masks are great for those who have acne and whiteheads. Though it’s challenging to pull off the cover once it’s dried, it brings with it all the dirt and debris that hides deep in your pores.

Masks and facial scrubs can stimulate the collagen in your skin to generate new cells. You will look and feel amazing when you scrub all the build-up off your face.

2. Pedicure for Pennies

Your feet take a lot of abuse, so a foot soak is in order. Do you have cracks and rough spots that are driving you crazy? Wintertime is the worst for dry skin on your heels. Thankfully, you can get rid of this before summer’s sandal season.

Start by pouring some Epson’s salt into a tub of moderately warm water. Put your feet into this tub to soak for 10-15 minutes. Once you pull them out, the skin will be softened and more comfortable to remove.

Take a pumice stone and work those rough patches out. Pay special attention to the sides and heel of the foot. One your feet are silky smooth, then rub a foot cream on them to seal in moisture.

Lastly, clip your toenails and add a color of polish, if you so desire. Your foot makeover can be a fantastic transformation that doesn’t cost a fortune.

3. Manicure Miracles

Your hands are busy throughout the day. Do you have hangnails and need to get them back into shape? Start by trimming off all the overgrown cuticles that are edging up your nail.

Next, clean out any debris from underneath the nail. Then, clip the nails to the desires shape. Finally, buff the top surface to promote growth and evenness. Now, you can color or gloss them to look like a million bucks.

4. Tweeze Those Brows

Are your brows on fleek? Having well-manicured eyebrows are all the rage. If you love threading, then you can accomplish the same thing with tweezers or wax. You can mold and shape those brows and then use color to make them stand out.

5. Laser Hair Removal

As you begin to age, you may notice that you have hair growing in places that it shouldn’t be. Even guys have hair creep up in the ears, eyebrows, and nostrils that can be unsightly. You don’t need to go to the spa to make your hair problems go away.

There are many laser hair removals system that you can buy to use from home. These systems are inexpensive and work well. Just be sure to read the reviews before purchasing as some are better than others.

Forget paying $100s for each treatment. You can get rid of that hair in your home for pennies for each session.

6. Have a Spot of Tea

One of the best things about going to the spa is all the gourmet teas that they offer. These teas are amazing and have the perfect herbal blend to put your mind, body, and soul at ease. Thankfully, you can make these drinks at home.

Chamomile tea is one of the best options for calming you, but don’t forget the power of peppermint, either. A lovely hot cinnamon tea is also refreshing. When you’re in the middle of a pamper session, a cup of tea will hit the spot.

7. Muscle Healing Massage

One of the best parts of going to a spa is the massage. They use oils and rub all those tired and overworked muscles. Now, you will need some help to pull off this part of your spa day at home, but it’s worth the effort.

Light some aromatic candles, put on some soft music, and grab your favorite essential oils. Your spa day at home wouldn’t be complete without a fantastic massage. Plus, you will feel so much lighter after the stress is rubbed away from your body.

8. Bubbling Bath

Who says bubble baths are just for kids? There is something mesmerizing about sitting in a tub of hot water with bubbles all around. Use the hottest water you can tolerate and fill the tub with oils and bubble bath.

Next, light candles and put them all around the tub for an ambient glow when you turn off the lights. Then, put some soft mood music on to help you relax your cares away. Fill the tub as high as you can get it, and then you can soak for as long as you like.

9. Take Care of Those Dark Circles

Do you have dark circles under your eyes? It’s a common problem for someone who isn’t getting enough rest, has sinus issues or is under stress. Get a few cucumbers to place on the eyes.

Cucumbers have been used for decades to help erase dark circles. They have cooling properties and are loaded with vitamins and minerals to stimulate healing in this area. They can also help with fine lines and wrinkles.

Leave the cucumbers on for about 10 minutes or until they become warm. A cold cucumber works best to help the dark circles. Plus, cucumbers can be used as sunscreen and hand sanitizer when juices and mixed with other agents.

10. Hot Oil Treatment

Your hair can develop split ends if it’s not cut promptly. Hot oil treatments can help with split ends as well as nourish every shaft. You simply heat the mixture, leave it on your hair for the allotted time, and wash it out.

Hot oil treatments can be done every month or more often if needed. They don’t leave the hair greasy afterward. Instead, the hair is silky, shiny, and repaired. If you don’t have the premade kit, then you can use olive oil too.

11. Yoga

Now that you’ve done all the things to have your body calmed, why not try some yoga. Doing deep breathing exercises will help to remove any lingering stress. Yoga is an excellent way to open your mind, as well as heal your body and soul.

Doing this ancient practice as often as possible will only help you. When you learn to control your breathing, you can stop anxiety and panic in its tracks. It can help you to gain control of your life and stress levels too.

12. Moisturize from Head to Toe

Lastly, you’ve pampered yourself with your spa day at home. Now, it’s essential to seal in everything you’ve done with a great moisturizer. From head to toe, your body needs hydration.

Now, you don’t want to use the same moisturizers on your face that you use on your feet. Buying a few different varieties will help to address the dryness issues wherever you need them. There’s nothing better than a silky-smooth body that feels great to touch.

Plus, when you feel good about you, then your confidence will radiate for others to see. No one wants alligator skin so that you can take care of that with the right moisturizer.

Final Thoughts on Treating Yourself to a Spa Day at Home

Once a week or so, enjoy a spa day at home for one. You will treasure the quiet moments and the time you’ll have to spend on self-care. Who knows? Maybe your in-home beauty treatments will add up so some serious savings of cash.

Our spirit animal is one of the most critical and influential spiritual forces in our lives. They act as a specific guide to help us cope with things going on in the world and find our unique spiritual path. Native Americans included these beings on animal totems, honoring their significance in life.

Everyone has a unique guide, and your guide can change throughout your life. It’s good to check in with the spiritual world regularly. Once you discover your animal guide, prepare for significant changes in your life, happiness, and health!

Mystical animals are deeply steeped in many ancient traditions, including Native American practices. Even the scientific community concedes that animals may have souls and be far more divine than we think. Divine animals can help us on our journey, but how can we identify them?

Fortunately, there are a few helpful tips and tricks that will allow you to discover your unique spirit animal and enrich your life in positive and exciting ways!

10 Ways to Help Your Spirit Animal Reveal Itself

1 – Consider Your Favorite Animals–One is Your Spirit Animal

What type of animal do you find yourself drawn to? Are you surrounded by specific animal totems or types of jewelry? Identifying what animals you feel a kinship with will allow you to explore just what divinity has in store for you.

If you are attracted to a specific type of animal, your subconscious is giving you a compelling clue that connects deeply with your divine guide. Listen to it.

2 – See What Manifests In Your Dreams

Dreams provide us with an abundance of useful information, and we should never ignore their signs. Often, animals will appear in our thoughts.

Never ignore these nighttime manifestations. They might hold the key to your real spirit animal. If a specific creature keeps appearing in your dreams, particularly in a helpful way, it’s time to consider the fact that they might be intrinsically tied to you spiritually.

Common Animals That Appear In Dreams

• Cats
• Snakes
• Dogs
• Frogs
• Wolves
• Crows
• Butterflies
• Bears

3 – Pay Attention To Your Surroundings

Your animal guide might not only appear to you in dreams but in real life as well! Pay attention to your surroundings and make a special note of any animal that frequently crosses your path.

The animal can appear in your physical space, or represented in various forms of entertainment or art. For example, if you start seeing Blue Jays everywhere and then run into someone wearing a blue jay on a baseball hat, it could be a sign that the universe is trying to tell you something.

Don’t go searching for connections. They will make themselves evident to you. Simply be open to the possibility that the spirits are trying to communicate with you and listen to their message.

4 – Meditate On Your Spirit Animal

Meditation can unlock the doors of the spiritual realm and give us access to fresh ideas, thoughts, and paths that we never thought we had before. Whenever you want to embark on a new spiritual journey or have a question about the world beyond, meditation is a fantastic practice.

The biggest key to meditation is to be receptive to what the universe is trying to tell you. Don’t force it. Allow your body to leave this plane and invite your spirit animal to communicate with you.

You might not get the specific answers that you are looking for through meditation, and that’s okay. Sometimes the universe gives us puzzle pieces, and we need to put them together in due time. Be patient and receptive, and you will get the answers you seek.

5 – Listen To Your Intuition

Have you ever had that feeling where you just knew the answer to something? It could be a situation where, despite all of the evidence, you just knew inside of your bones what was real.

Our intuition is a powerful tool, and we don’t use it as often as we should in the modern world. If you feel an inevitable pull towards a type of animal, or have this familiar feeling that you just can’t shake, the universe is trying to tell you something important.

6 – Ask Your Spirit Animal To Reveal Itself

Sometimes the universe responds to direct questions, so there’s no harm in asking your spirit animal to reveal itself.

Your guide may or may not manifest in a mental image, physical appearance, or another telltale way, but you will have lost nothing by merely asking the question. It is not rude or invasive to be direct, but if you don’t get the answer you want, stop pushing. When you are ready to know, the universe will make the truth evident to you.

Once you ask the question, be on the lookout for the answer. Your divine animal can reveal itself in many different unconventional ways. If you see a creature from an animal totem and feel an instant pull towards it, you have your answer.

7 – Start Journaling Regularly

We know that journaling is a powerful way of manifesting your reality and can bring you amazing results rapidly and with high accuracy.

Journaling is a fantastic way to allow yourself to let go of the conventional trappings of this world and experience the divine on a whole new level. Don’t try to control the flow; simply write down anything that comes to your mind.

When you read through your journals, look for specific patterns. If an animal appears several times in your writing, this could be a huge clue that they play a significant role in your life and might even be a friendly spiritual guide!

8 – Think Of Animal Totems In Your Family Line

Totems are historically powerful symbols that are carried down through family lines. Many families and cultures have an animal totem weaved into their folklore, family stories, or art.

Your guide might not necessarily link up with this animal totem, but it could be related to it. Pay attention to the animals that are significant to you and your family, and you’ll get a clue as to who your mystical animal guide may be!

Additionally, astrology could hold the key to who your particular animal is. Understanding your animal sign is an excellent first step to uncovering who your real guide is.

9 – Be Aware Of Any Peculiar Animal Behavior

It’s possible that you may encounter your animal guide in real life. If this happens, count yourself exceptionally lucky to have had such a real-life brush with the spirit world.

Pay attention to animals behaving strangely around you. If an animal seems very familiar or is not afraid of you when it usually would be, you might be having a spiritual experience.

Of course, you should never approach a wild animal, but you can observe its behavior from a safe distance. Make sure that you document instances where animals behave strangely around you and look for patterns.

10 – Go Outside for Inspiration

The natural world is our most prominent link to the divine and has several restorative qualities that can help us stay centered and healthy.

Nature is also full of representatives from the animal kingdom, as well as a direct line to Mother Earth herself. If you want to experience spiritual fulfillment or get a jump on a new page in your development, it’s time to take a walk outside.

The best way to avoid distractions and make the most of your experience is to go alone. You will be able to plug into what the natural world is telling you. Keep your eyes peeled for curious creatures, and remember, they might not be large animals.

Butterflies are common spirit animals. These creatures represent transformation and grace, as well as rebirth. If you find yourself in a swarm of beautiful butterflies, get ready for an exciting new chapter in your life.

You can choose any type of nature activity that you would like. There are no wrong answers. Simply get outside and prepare to be impressed and amazed by the bounty that the divine world has to offer you.

Final Thoughts on Identifying Your Spirit Animal

Finding your spirit animal can seem like a daunting task, but it’s just a matter of being motivated to take the plunge, and being receptive to what the spiritual world has to show you.

Your spirit animal can help you tremendously through your life. They can act as an ally during dark times, provide guidance, and allow you to experience spiritual growth fully. By taking the steps outlined in this guide, you will be able to shed some light on who your particular animal is.

Once you’ve identified your guide, you will be able to communicate with them and use them as a resource. You will find that you’ll start to see physical manifestations of this animal everywhere and that you seem to move through the world with more ease and grace.

Why not tap into your full spiritual power? It’s time to start your journey today and become more aware, intuitive, and in control of your destiny.

Traditionally, men have always made the first move. They approach women, plan and pay for dates, and do a lot of the heavy lifting in the early stages of a budding relationship. It can be stressful, mentally taxing, and financially difficult for them, especially in this decade!

It’s not really fair to expect men always to make the first move. Shouldn’t women show their attraction, too? If there’s someone you like, you can take the first steps to make them a part of your life, no matter what your gender is!

Here are 21 subtle ways women make the first move.

1.    Standing Close

A woman may make the first move by entering someone’s bubble. This proximity is a good indicator of a woman’s interest, as they will intentionally move or stand unusually tightly next to a person they are interested in.

Some women have, unfortunately, been taught to move backward and away from people they’re interested in, to entice a sort of “chase.” This tactic doesn’t work, and women actively trying to make the first move won’t (and shouldn’t!) consider that a good option.

2.    Common Nonverbal Cues

Some women make the first move by prompting men to take the first physical steps. What does this mean? Essentially, they perform common nonverbal cues that are signs of openness that say “Approach me!”.

Men typically have a positive reaction to these cues, as they are long-understood signals of interest. For example:

• Prolonged eye contact, where a woman meets a man’s eye and holds his gaze
• Eyebrow flashes, where the eyebrows are quickly raised and lowered upon eye contact
• Smiles, showing an openness to being approached

3.    Striking Up A Relaxed Conversation

A simple, no-pressure conversation is a common way women make the first move. As a small talk type of exchange, there’s no tension, and either party can leave if desired. They may talk about:

• The weather
• What someone is doing somewhere
• A few details about each other
• Shared interests or connections

4.    Using A Simple, Warm Greeting

Sometimes, a woman’s chosen method for making the first move is to provide a warm greeting, a subtle signal to their person of interest to start the real conversation. They may say hello or use any other greeting, taking care to use a welcoming tone that indicates they are open to the company.

5.    Buying Drinks

A woman may buy drinks for someone at the bar that they’re interested in. This usually prompts the object of their interest to at least thank them, which opens the door for more conversation.

Besides, buying drinks for someone is one of the oldest ways to make the first move in the book! As such, though it’s relatively subtle, it’s difficult for anyone to misinterpret, which is a positive bonus.

6.    Group Date Invites

Inviting someone to hang out in a bigger group is a subtle manner of making the first move, as it doesn’t force a romantic connotation over the event. If the group date goes well, it serves as a jumping-off point for a follow-up, one-on-one date.

In general, date invites can also be a woman’s way of making an obvious first move in a safe way, especially if they don’t know the other person yet. They’ll be in the company of others, and it’s a great way to gauge compatibility.

7.    Wearing Red

Red is an inflammatory color of sorts. It presents an automatic appearance of femininity and attractiveness that easily hooks a lot of guys, putting them in a state of positive thinking for the approach. This red doesn’t have to be a dressed-from-head-to-toe color. It can be used in many, many ways, such as:

• As lipstick
• In accessories
• In shoes
• Little pops of color

Of course, do note that color is not consent, and women wear red for preference reasons – but combining red with cues of interest is definitely a way of making the first move!

8.    Dropping Hints

A woman may drop hints if they’re interested in someone. The more obvious the hint, the more likely it is that they’re seriously trying to make the first move without losing subtlety. They might talk a lot about wanting to see a movie or go to an event, hoping to be asked out. The problem, of course, is that not everyone notices those hints!

9.    Messaging First

A woman who reached out to someone they’re interested in first is making the first move, in a way. They’re taking the first steps to form a longer connection, in a way that makes them very easy to reach. They might go directly for flirtation, crack a few jokes, or just make small talk as they build up momentum.

10. Getting Spare Tickets

A woman who knows what the person they’re interested in likes may attempt to score bonus tickets to something that person would definitely want to take part in. Then, when the opportunity arises, they’d offer the spare ticket – and it becomes a date! Sneaky!

11. Asking Questions

When someone asks another person questions, it’s because they’re trying to get to know them. As such, a woman may subtly make the first move by asking someone questions about themselves. These can involve:

• Personal questions
• Questions about interests and hobbies
• Questions about opinions on current events
• Silly, fun questions, like “would you rather”s or icebreaker-type questions
• Risque, flirtatious questions
• Any open-ended questions that leave room for further discussion

These questions usually become progressively more personal as the asker sees how far they can get, as this is usually a good indicator of the other party’s interest.

12. Teasing

A lot of women like to engage in banter with the people they are attracted to. It’s a good test of whether the other person’s wit matches theirs if the senses of humor are compatible, and if there’s interest in general.

Playful, flirtatious teasing rarely goes overboard into hurtful insult territory, so it’s not difficult for most people on the receiving end to notice it as the first move of sorts!

13. Showing More Skin

Putting skin on display tends to catch the eye, and it certainly works to make others approach you! Research has even found a jumping-off point that indicates women who are undergoing ovulation tend to naturally decide to dress less conservatively, without even thinking about it.

Do note – importantly! – that revealing clothing is not consent, and plenty of women dress like this out of preference. However, a combination of certain kinds of clothing and signals of interest is a reason to believe a woman may be making the first move.

14. Gentle Touches

Gentle, soft touches of a seemingly innocent kind are another way that women make the first move, especially with men. This is because they know that men are often more physical in their preferences and responses, and may have a more positive response to touch. These touches may include:

• Patting a shoulder
• Lightly touching a forearm or knee
• Brushing something off their clothes, hair, or face
• “Accidentally” bumping into them
• Standing close enough to be lightly touching sometimes

15. Expressing Desire To Keep In Touch

After a first meeting, a woman may make the first move by saying they want to keep in touch. They may use phrases like:

• I’d love to hear more about this!
• It’d be a pity if we couldn’t talk some more.
• Hey, what’s your (social media)?
• I can text you the details about (the topic of discussion) if you like.
• Will you be at (event)?

These methods are very subtle, but they’re how a woman gets or gives contact information that will lead to something more. Sometimes, it’s platonic – but a lot of the time, there’s room to explore a deeper relationship!

16. Compliments

Few people will respond negatively to a well-placed compliment. A woman will find something to compliment in the person they’re interested in, ranging from appearance-based to deeper in meaning, depending on how much they already know the person they’re attracted to. They may compliment:

• Clothing
• Natural appearance features
• Personality traits
• Strength
• Job-status

17. Asking Relationship Status

Generally, there’s no reason for anyone to ask about someone’s relationship status unless you’re at least someone interested – but it’s subtle because it doesn’t spell out a woman’s intentions. When she asks this question, the person who has caught her interest is likely to know quickly why she’s asking, even if she’s not crystal clear about it.

18. Pulling Onto The Dancefloor

The jury’s out on whether this can be considered “subtle,” but a woman may pull someone they like out to the dance floor to have a good time together.

It makes the first move in a non-committal way, as dancing together doesn’t mean you’re definitely going to date, but it also tests compatibility and potential intimacy in a slightly non-platonic way!

19. Spending More Time

For women who often come into contact with someone they like, they may go out of their way to spend more time with them. For example, they might:

• Join them for meals
• Just hang out with them
• Walk or travel to common destinations with them
• Join gatherings or events where they’ll be
• Prolong conversations

20. Getting Friends To Help

A woman’s friends are her closest confidants. They may all work together to nudge someone’s interest in the woman in question. When a whole group of friends is trying to set two people up, it makes the first move in a subtle and roundabout – but definitely effective – way.

21. Just Asking Someone Out

Not everyone is good at picking up subtlety, and if you really like someone, sometimes the only way to make the first move is to be very clear and honest about it.

If you’re feeling confident enough for it, this is the one guaranteed way to get your message across with open and positive communication. It’s the 21st century – there’s no reason a woman can’t be direct about their desires, and plenty of women today make the first move boldly! So take a deep breath, get your positive thinking going, and ask someone out!

Final Thoughts On Some Subtle Ways Women Make The First Move

In this day and age, women are making the first move all the time, and there’s no reason you can’t do the same. If you don’t want to come on too strong, using these subtle ways to take that step can be a big help – but ultimately, don’t shy away from being direct and honest about your intentions!

Do you ever have feelings of Deja Vu, as you’ve experienced certain events before? Do you ever have a “feeling” that things are going to happen before actually experiencing them? Have you experienced a dream that has come true? Or do you happen to think or say something at the same time as someone else? Then you are using what is known as your “sixth sense.”

Your sixth sense can help you navigate your way through life—to better relationships, improved health and well being, and even success in your career. It can help you to realize your full potential and lead a life that you were always destined to live.

What is the sixth sense?

Your sixth sense is an inner sense of guidance. So use those intuitive promptings that urge you to take specific steps in life that lead you in a “right and true” direction for you. It is a cumulative power of all your other senses—sight, sound, taste, touch, smell. Indeed, these senses culminate to form a stronger sense of inner knowing.

We are all born with inherent tendencies; the degree to which we develop them will make an impact on our lives and the lives of those around us as we seek to build these inner knowings that lead us, quite often, to bigger and better things.

We experience higher levels of intuition when keen insight, subconscious nudges, and senses bring us to a conclusion that would otherwise not be reached using the five senses. When trying to understand your extra sense, it is essential to keep in mind that everyone has it, it has its basis in science, and it is not to be feared.

You have most likely already used this sense to navigate your way through life; it is just as powerful and beneficial as the rest of your senses, if not more! Your intuition will lead you to magical places if you allow the power inside of you to be expressed through you, and these places can definitely be more exciting than if you were to approach the world through your five-sense lens.

As you develop your powers of intuition, they add a whole new dimension to life and living, empowering us with confidence and infusing us with passion.

Can you develop your sixth sense?

This psychic ability is not only innate. It can be developed. In fact, you are probably already using your natural skills to predict specific outcomes in your life.

Stories abound of people who get a “bad feeling” about a flight, so they cancel their trip. Later, the person finds out that the plane they were to be riding on has crashed.

Others have a nudge that they should call to check on a neighbor or loved one. Upon arrival, they find that the person they have had a prompting to call has suffered an illness or injury and needs care.

The more you work with this “power” to develop it, the more you will be guided to those types of experiences that increase your faith in your abilities.

Taking some “natural” steps to exercise your “supernatural” powers could lead you to magical things in your life.

Consider these ways to work with and sharpen your sixth sense:

1. Take time out

We live in a busy, noisy world. The more you can tune into the wisdom of silence within you, the more likely it is that you will hear your inner voice speaking to you. It may not come in words, but pictures, hunches, and feelings; begin to act on the information that is given to you and open yourself up to the process of trusting your intuition.

2. Listen to your gut

We don’t say “gut feelings” for nothing—-we’ve all had those feelings roiling around in our midsections that tell us to steer clear of danger or to move toward a particular outcome. It may seem illogical at first, but the more you follow this gut feeling, the more likely it is that it will lead you in a real direction for your situation.

3. Follow the signs

The more you open yourself up to the possibility of a sixth sense in yourself and others, the more synchronicities will begin to show up in your life. Do you hear the same song over and over? Does a particular animal or icon catch your eye? Pay attention to the signals the universe is giving you; there may be hidden meaning in these visible clues.

4. Take note of when you experience your sixth sense

At times, your sixth sense may present you with a lightbulb moment. This occurrence may be a flash of inspiration, an answer to a problem, or a burst of awareness that leads you to a new level of understanding. Take notice of the events, and celebrate them as they happen. The more you acknowledge and appreciate your inner wisdom, the more likely you are to see moments like these happening regularly.

5. Guess!

Don’t take your psychic ability too seriously; play with your inner powers, and don’t be afraid to guess once in a while—who knows? You might hit the mark. Try to predict who is calling you, or see how many emails you will encounter when you open up your account. Playing with inconsequential outcomes such as these will increase your faith as you discover that you can be right—most of the time.

6. Pay attention to your dreams and visions

Whether you acknowledge it or not, we all have dreams and inner visions that lead us in a specific direction. Pay attention to the information that you get, and ask what the purpose of this information is and how it is meant to serve you in life. Asking will open up a whole new world of answers, and the ride is exhilarating.

7. Write it down!

When you first begin to open to the world of intuitive awareness, it can seem very overwhelming and a bit frightening. As you go through your daily experiences, begin to write down those “stories” that seem outlandish or unbelievable. If nothing else, they will be good conversation pieces as you start to share your experience with others. Revisiting your process as you look over past diaries will give you confidence that you chose to follow something valid.

8. Pay attention to your feelings

Have you ever met someone and had an instant “feeling” about them? When walking home on a dark evening, have you ever been tempted to look behind you to see if someone is following you? Those feelings are real, and you should pay attention to them.

If so, your own hunches are attempting to speak to you and guide you in a specific direction. Over time, these feelings will get more reliable and more persistent. So always be grateful for them, for they can lead you to opportunities, help you avoid calamity, and keep you safe from harm.

9. Visualize, and speak your intentions

Your subconscious mind, intuition, and dreams regularly speak to you; you should consider sending messages back to your subconscious!

Visualize an inevitable outcome. Or, tell your subconscious mind what you wish to achieve or accomplish in a situation. Perhaps you can plant a seed that will later bloom into the outcome that you intended.

The more you can develop a path between your conscious intent and your subconscious mind, the more it will go to work for you. Eventually, it will present itself in the form of people, places, and experiences that will move you toward your goals.

10. Stop saying “no”

To open up to your sixth sense completely, you must stop saying “no” to those inner hunches as they come through.

When you ask, be prepared for an answer, and do not brush off that inner voice that is trying to communicate with you. It may not be an answer that you are ready to receive or accept. But the process is not about getting the answer you want every single time. Instead, it’s about letting information come through that may serve a higher purpose to you or to someone else.

Final thoughts on sharpening your sixth sense to make serious breakthroughs

Like any sense or ability, you must practice with your intuition for it to bloom. Only them can you put it to work for you. As you do, you will eventually be able to call on your abilities at a moment’s notice; you may also wish to incorporate other healing modalities into your training for additional benefits. Practices like yoga, meditation, and tai chi all do their part to sharpen your skill and make the process of “at-will” direction even more accessible.

The more you use your sixth sense abilities, the more sensitive they will become. Enhanced intuition is healing for yourself and for others. Indeed, you will learn to eventually shift your focus in life from one of fear and separation to one of love and gratitude. This change will make your daily walk with intuition even more powerful and impactful.

While it may seem like a drag to go to the gym or eat healthy all the time, you can increase your willpower gradually with repetitive action. The body only does what the mind tells it to do, so if you feed your brain with positivity, willpower will come naturally. However, in our world of instant gratification, our minds can quickly become hijacked by advertisements and enticing products around us.

To strengthen our willpower, we must learn to tune out these messages and look inside ourselves for answers instead. While we should give in to our desires, sparingly, indulging in them too often leads to weakened willpower. According to the American Psychological Association, willpower can become depleted from overuse or underuse, just like a muscle.

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Here are five easy ways to increase your willpower:

1 – Meditate

A lack of willpower means a lack of self-control. By giving in to all of our urges and desires, we don’t get to practice delayed gratification. However, meditation helps us resist the ego’s constant desires by helping us focus our attention and quiet our minds. A chaotic mind leads to a stressful, directionless life, but meditation can help you sift through the chatter and access your potential.

Studies show that regular long-term meditators have improved function in areas of the brain related to self-regulation and executive attention. In other words, they have better control of their emotions and attention spans, both of which play a role in exercising willpower. If you have power over your feelings, you can more easily choose a healthy dinner over a fast food meal, for example. Having a longer attention span means you can use your willpower to do complicated tasks, such as work out or stick to a business plan.

Meditation will seem unpleasant at first as your mind wanders, but just 10 minutes per day can make a huge difference. As you train your brain to focus for more extended periods, you will notice increased focus and more balanced emotions in your daily life.

2 – Get out of your comfort zone by creating goals

The comfort zone may seem cozy and safe, but nothing ever grows there. If you want to break the mold and achieve your goals, you’ll have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Pushing yourself every day in some type of way helps to increase your willpower. Remember – your mind will give out long before your body will. This truth applies to exercise, eating healthy, working on business plans, or anything else you desire.

This outcome doesn’t mean you need to run a marathon or hike up Mount Everest, but you should set small goals for yourself, so you have something to work towards. This goal will help you exercise your willpower by utilizing self-control and delaying gratification.

Researchers found that by creating and meeting self-imposed deadlines, you can increase your willpower. To accomplish this, just pick a project that you’ve been putting off and set a deadline to complete it. In the study, the participants crossed some items off their to-do lists while also eating healthier, exercising more, and cutting back on cigarettes and alcohol.

3 – Keep track of your finances

Many of us have automatic deductions taken out for things we don’t even remember we signed up for, such as credit monitoring programs or music subscriptions. While these may cost only a minimal amount each month, they can add up quickly. Researchers found that monitoring finances helped people improve their willpower.

By either writing down expenses or using budgeting apps to track spending, you can more easily see where your money goes each month. If you know that you spend $500 a month on eating out, you may decide you want to cut back by buying more food from the grocery store, for example. If you’re going to work on your willpower, your finances make a great place to start because many of us don’t control our spending.

For example, after a long day of work, you might feel tempted to drive through McDonald’s or order from a delivery service. However, doing this too often can drain your bank account and deplete willpower. No one feels like cooking after spending eight hours at work, but you will save money and have a healthier meal.

Tracking finances can also help you see how your emotions play a role in your spending. When you feel tired and stressed out, you may use food to cope, as we talked about in the example above. You might also go on shopping sprees when you feel sad or lonely, as many people use material items to deal with unpleasant emotions. By seeing your expenses in front of you, you’ll get an idea of how you can cut back and utilize willpower to achieve financial goals.

4 – Keep something tempting with you

If you want to increase your willpower, carrying around something that tempts you will put you to the ultimate test. For example, if you’re going to eat healthier, you could take a cookie or a couple of pieces of candy around with you at work or school. Researchers did a study where they gave participants a box of Hershey Kisses to carry with them for two days. They told them not to eat the candy and gave some of the participants instructions on coping strategies.

They found that the participants who successfully resisted temptations to eat the candy exercised better control in other areas of their lives as well.

After a few days of resisting, you could choose to eat the candy so that you don’t deplete your willpower completely. This will help you to keep up your good habits while also remembering that everyone deserves a treat sometimes!

5 – Analyze your patterns and emotions

Many of us go through our lives on autopilot without really taking time to examine why we do the things we do. For example, if you get fast food several times a week after work, it starts to become a habit. Humans love routine and can get stuck in bad habits without even realizing it. However, our choices have the power to either hurt or help us in the long run.

If you find yourself feeling generally unhappy and tired the majority of the time, you should analyze your habits. Do you eat healthy, exercise, maintain a regular sleep schedule, work on your goals, and engage in positive self-talk? If not, you can cultivate these habits over time. Many of us engage in self-destructive habits to quell negative emotions such as stress, loneliness, fatigue, boredom, or discontent.

However, the habits and choices we make to deal with our emotions can cause a lot of harm over time. If you want to increase your willpower, work on challenging your feelings instead of giving in to them.

Here are some tips on how to deal with negative emotions:

• Go for a nature walk. Spending time outdoors in the sunshine can boost our mood, help fight mental fatigue, and release feel-good hormones. Try to spend at least 20 minutes outside per day.
• Put down the technology. Speaking of willpower, using too much technology can destroy our self-control. We often reach for our phones or tablets in the morning without even realizing it, and spend hours mindlessly scrolling through social media. Instead, meditate, do yoga, or stretch to begin your day.
• Nothing feels better than pushing yourself through that last quarter mile of your run or doing just one more deadlift in the gym. When you feel down or stressed out, increase your willpower by exercising. Your body and mind will thank you for it.

Final thoughts about how to increase your willpower

In our world of endless temptations, having willpower seems almost impossible sometimes. However, just remember that you don’t need all the items and foods that companies want to sell you. You don’t need to open your Facebook 80 times a day to check for updates. Watching that new show on Netflix could probably wait until you have crossed some items off your to-do list.

If you always give in to your desires, you won’t give your willpower muscle a chance to exercise itself. Just like the muscles in your body, it takes work to maintain it. So, to increase your willpower, start small. Deny yourself treats when you want them, track your finances so you can see where you spend unnecessarily, and keep tabs on your emotions and behaviors. Many times, we act irrationally and don’t even realize it.

Also, getting out of your comfort zone by setting realistic goals will help you boost your willpower. You’ll feel empowered when you reach your goals and deny yourself cravings that only hinder your progress. Finally, meditate to increase your mental stamina and focus.

Artificial intelligence has paved its way to every industry, and there is a multitude of applications in each field it gets implemented on. Not only manufacturing and production, but it also introduces newer concepts and easier ways of generating results in medical and various technical fields. By automating the mundane tasks, it becomes possible to generate accurate results at a great pace.

And hence, the concepts of artificial intelligence can also be implemented with digital marketing as it helps produce better results. By studying the data and analyzing the possible patterns that can be used to generate great results, digital marketers can guarantee excellent results to their clients. And as the implementation of artificial intelligence is increasing by leaps and bounds, the revenue and global share of this market are also skyrocketing.

Artificial Intelligence for Digital Marketing: 5 Ways You Can Generate Great Results

By delivering support for automating the tasks, it becomes easier for marketers to perform the best digital marketing activities with enhanced prediction control. It helps them know the effects of their efforts in advance and helps in planning them. Moreover, the benefits offered by AI for digital marketing tasks empower businesses to deliver excellent results.

1. PPC Advertising

Pay per click advertising is one of the best ways to promote your products to potential customers. And by analyzing what these customers are regularly searching, you can rely on capturing their attention in a small span of time. Artificial intelligence can make this possible for you in every way possible. By implementing the AI-powered analysis system, you can quickly identify the potential customers from a vast set and place the advertisements on websites where these users usually go to.

Machine learning algorithms have their own ways of separating the entries, and they are excellent at optimizing the outputs in the best way possible. Without having to concern much about the ways how they do it, the final outputs can be achieved if you believe in the power of AI to introduce business benefits.

2. Visitor Experience

According to reports, 70% of businesses that fail lacked the sense of user experience. Their websites were unable to deliver an excellent experience, and hence, they lost out the majority of their target audiences from the start. Therefore, the visitor experience holds importance when it comes to leading a business to success.

And artificial intelligence can help you out with that. By garnering an excellent user experience, you can produce results that are highly business-centric and attract profits. Wondering how? Let’s understand. By understanding what your target user wants and likes, the AI-enabled system can point out the possibility of change where you can make a difference.

3. Chatbots

Customer support has always remained one of the best ways to create a loyal customer base. How you answer the queries of your existing customers indeed makes a difference when it comes to attracting new ones. Your loyal customer base can become the most significant proof of the best services you provide, and if you fail at it, it might hit you back in the hardest way you can think of.

Artificial intelligence has introduced chatbots who are great at providing excellent customer support without asking for human intervention. Websites of today have become one of the most accessible entities of the entire business, and chatbots placed over your website plays a major role in analyzing how your digital marketing should proceed.

For example, consider a development company that is interested in using a chatbot on their website to initiate a conversation with their visitors. Now, if the angularjs development company uses it, they can store and use the data of user queries for the betterment of their services. This can help them produce results that their clients are looking for, and therefore, it helps increase the user base and profits as well.

4. Customer Engagement

Engaging your customers through smart insights is what AI aims to provide. By following what your customers are viewing, these insights can give you the information about the possible ways you can ensure they love what you place on your website. Starting from the design of your website to the content that you place, customer engagement can be excellently enhanced using these approaches.

5. Tailored Web Experience

Artificial intelligence aims to generate an experience that all customers love. By helping you achieve a personalized website experience for every visitor you ever have, artificial intelligence can help the digital marketer to understand what particular section needs to go where. Moreover, it helps analyze the competitor websites and their results and helps find out the possible reasons why they are winning over the customers that you lost.

Summing Up

Businesses can achieve more with the implementation of artificial intelligence. By empowering the insights used for digital marketing, AI helps produce better results that can mean a lot for most of the businesses and digital marketers around the world. Hence, by making use of these concepts, you can ensure you produce the profit-driven insights that help a business make great progress over time.

9 Ways to Expand My Construction Business Online

The number of worldwide internet users reached almost 3.9 billion in 2018.

With so many people online, asking yourself, “How can I expand my construction business online?” is a good place to start.

Marketing online helps you reach new potential customers you miss with traditional advertising methods. 

Online marketing is fast and cost-effective. You can customize your message to better reach your target audience. 

Keep reading for nine tips to expand your construction business online.

1. Develop a Professional Website

Consumers go online when they need products or services, and they look for websites to check out potential businesses. 

Having a quality website that’s easy to navigate shows that you’re a professional construction company and that you take your business seriously.

It also helps people decide if they want to use your services or look for someone else.

Hiring a web designer to create your website is a smart investment. Creating a professional website is time-consuming, especially if you don’t know anything about web design. A pro can get your website running quickly, so you can continue focusing on your business.

2. Use SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is important in helping potential clients find your website. Using good SEO helps you land closer to the top of search results. That increases your chances of getting traffic to your website.

Without strong SEO, potential customers have a more difficult time finding your website.

Keyword planner tools help you find keywords you can integrate naturally into your website content. Since you typically work with people in your area, include local keywords, such as Dallas construction companies or Fort Worth contractors.

A good layout with subheadings and short paragraphs also helps your SEO and readability. 

3. Write Educational Content

Writing blog posts or creating videos about construction topics is a good way to draw more traffic to your website. People searching for those topics may find your content online.

If they’re local, they may look into hiring you for work. Your content also shows that you know your stuff when it comes to construction. You build confidence in potential customers by establishing yourself as a construction authority.

Choose topics that your prospective clients might research. Examples include the cost of different projects, design ideas, how to do home repairs, and how to find contractors.

4. Promote on Social Media

Social media is another online avenue for attracting potential customers. Consumers spend a lot of time on various social media platforms. The average time spent daily on social media is 2 hours and 23 minutes.

Do your best to capture attention during that time by being active on social media. You don’t need to use all platforms. Find one that best works for you and your target audience.

If you’re targeting established professionals with plenty of money to spend, you don’t need to waste your time on SnapChat, where younger people normally spend more time. Facebook is likely a better platform.

If you want to show off professional-quality images of your work, Instagram may be a good option for you.

You don’t need to post non-stop, but you do need to post regularly to keep your company on the radar. If you’re inconsistent or rarely post, you’re not reminding your followers about your company.

5. Develop Your Brand

If you don’t have a solid brand yet, work on creating one. Your branding includes everything that creates your image, including visuals, the wording you use, and the experience your customers get.

When you have a solid brand image both online and in person, your company becomes more familiar to locals. They see your construction signs in the community, and they see similar branding online. You become more recognizable, which makes people want to check you out.

Having consistent branding boosts revenue by 23% on average. Color is an important part of branding, increasing recognition by 80%.

Think about the branding elements of your business, and make sure they’re consistent everywhere you present your company.

6. Use Online Directories

Submitting your information to online directories makes you visible to the consumers who search there for contractors. Look for construction-specific directories as well as general business directories.

Many trade organizations also post company directories on their websites. Check with the construction organizations you already belong to, or consider joining additional groups to get exposure through those websites.

Another option is a local business directory. Your city or other organizations in the area may have business listings on their sites. Make sure your company is listed there to get more local exposure.

7. Consider Paid Advertising

Paid online advertising can help you get your name in front of more prospective customers. You can buy ads on various social media platforms to promote those accounts and increase familiarity with those users.

You can also try pay-per-click (PPC) ads, which help you show up on search results near the top of the page. It can take time to rank high in searches organically. Paid ads help you get noticed faster.

8. Interact Online

Building rapport with potential customers happens over time through positive interactions with your company. Online marketing is an easy way to interact directly with customers in real time.

That’s especially true on social media platforms. Don’t just post and forget it. Look at the comments, shares, and likes, and interact with those people.

Answer questions you get online as fast as possible. This includes social media inquiries as well as emails and inquiries from forms on your website. Fast response times impress potential customers and may encourage them to hire your company.

9. Watch Your Online Reputation

Just like going online can help grow your business, the wrong kind of attention can hurt it. Unhappy customers can quickly ruin your name online if they post about their negative experiences.

You can limit that negative press by always providing the best service possible. People are happy to share positive experiences, so make sure you’re giving your customers those noteworthy encounters.

If something doesn’t go right with a customer, do what you can to make it right. Mistakes happen, but how you deal with them can make a difference in your reputation.

Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews for your company. Your Facebook page is a good place to do this. You can also post customer testimonials and reviews on your website.

If you notice someone leaving a bad review, look into the situation to see if it’s a valid complaint. Never argue with a reviewer online. You may be able to minimize the damage by responding to the negative review in a professional way.

Expand My Construction Business

When you’re wondering, “How can I expand my construction business?” going online is an affordable and effective way to do it. You can reach a wide range of local customers to build your name in the community. Check out the rest of our articles for more information on digital marketing to help grow your construction business.

In this recent era of dramatic changes, creating a strategic focus for your business is more important than ever before.

This is because an unfaltering focus on CLV (Customer Lifetime Value) provides the right foundation that companies need to enjoy everlasting success and business growth.
Now, looking at customer acquisition and relationship through the lens of quantitative and analytical science, CLV constitutes of an ultimate virtuous cycle, which is much like the one that helped Jeff Bezos create Amazon into a powerhouse of market innovations that we see today.

Therefore here are a few ways you can optimize CLV in 2019 for also for the years to come:

Get wired for customer journeys, not just transactions

Businesses and brands that provide the best experience to their consumers throughout the customer journey achieve much higher levels of sales, retention and customer satisfaction, than companies that only focus on ameliorating transactional touch-points, as suggested by research conducted by McKinsey & Company.

This implies a brand may be losing customers in spite of its individual teams getting higher customer service ratings.

In the research conducted by McKinsey & Company it was also found that this often happens when customers view their overall experience with a brand unsatisfactory or frustrating and so when and if this happens businesses need to reexamine the entire customer journey, locate the root cause and across different functional areas and eliminate silos to achieve solution to this issue.

Hence if your business is committed to improving customer experience, it is imperative that your company must buy CRM or any other business growth technology and tools that are capable of predicting advanced journey analytics to better perceive customer behaviors and motivations across touch-points over time.

This is because once your business finds better insights and visibility across the entire customer lifecycle (right from marketing to sales and service) it will allow your business to demolish the walls between internal silos and ease the greatest pain points of your customers.

In fact, once you buy CRM the journey analytics capability of the software not only helps to test and identify the best ways to interact with customers at specific points in their journey, but it also help influence the purchaser’s next step to attain targeted business results like an increase in renewal rates or acceptance of new offerings through up-selling and cross-selling activities.

Engage customers through chatbots and messaging apps

According to eMarketer, more than even 1.4 billion consumers use messaging apps like Whatapp, Facebook Messenger and WeChat, and this number is expected to hit more than 2 billion within the next one year and even more in the days to come.

Therefore owing to the increasing popularity of messaging apps in the modern times, chatbots will play a very critical role in boosting customer experience and developing deeper customer relationships in 2019, and so now messaging app providers are allowing businesses to use their apps to interact with customers turning them into new consumer-interaction channels for rapid business growth.

Enabled by advances in machine learning, AI (Artificial Intelligence) and NLP (Natural Language Processing) business growth technology and tools are nowadays engaging in more personalized, relevant and helpful interactions with their customers at scale, creating a new form of “conversational commerce” by which customers can now chat with company reps, find customer support, get personalized recommendations, ask questions, read reviews, and thereafter click to buy without even having the need to leave the messaging app that they prefer to use for resolving their issues.

Now among the many paybacks of the AI-driven app-based conversations is the consumer’s ability to use their preferred platform of choice and so unlike email interactions that can always become disjointed and thereby cause delays, messaging provides a seamlessly continuous thread of conversation between the customers and their brands, which not only makes these interactions more like dialogues but it also facilitates managing a tracking communications from both sides.

Therefore, now with a more natural flow of interactions between the company and its consumers, there are more scopes for cross-selling, seeking feedback and even sharing information and news with people at large in the marketplace for branding and business growth.

Gain tangible results with machine learning and AI

Even though the terms “machine” and “artificial” may apparently seem impersonal and robotic, nevertheless rapidly developing AI-based business growth technology is actually helping brands to deliver a much more personalized customer experience to an even larger customer base than it was not possible in the past.

For example, researches have proved in the recent times that this kind of personalization is leading to more engagement rates compared to traditional inventory browsing in online retail brands by pairing NLU (Natural Language Understanding) with deep learning algorithms to help customers express their requirements naturally through Facebook Messenger-based chatbots, when it is integrated in easy to use CRM software(s).

Apart from this, nowadays top-performing AI-powered chatbots can even recognize when it is the best to transfer the customer-facing interaction to live customer support reps, which makes these transfers seem natural and seamless for the customers.

Although technologies like Bot and AI are still in their early and preliminary phases, however, as bots are learning more from user-generated behaviors, they are also constantly evolving and adapting to create richer experience that predicts better results both for brands and their customers.

Merge sales and customer service mindsets to drive revenue

In the modern hypercompetitive marketplace, businesses can no longer have their sales and customer support teams operate in silos, with single-function mindsets.

This is because nowadays both support and sales teams need to recognize that to the customer, there is no difference between these two teams.

Hence, in the modern time, service and sales professionals need to see their roles as helping customers resolve problems and thereby achieve success, which may mean for sales educating customers on how they might choose the best pricing and products or services for their needs while for support reps it may imply aiding customers to find more information about additional offerings, which can result in more sales and business growth.

However, to adopt a more blended sales and service culture, organizations need to adjust their evaluation metrics and incentive plans for reach role to drive new behavior and provide training to achieve this change empowering both these teams to share information across department lines, with a common mission to improve customer experience and thereby create more sale value, customer lifetime value, retention rate and profitability.

Conclusion

Therefore the common theme in customer experience trends and business (in general) in 2019 is the requirement to eliminate silos, use business growth technology and tools and thereby maximize CLV by delivering an outstanding customer experience that can help in building a long-lasting relationship by creating cross-functional coordination for rapid business growth. 

How to Be More Charismatic: 4 Ways to Develop Yourself

Meeting new people is scary, and it’s natural to feel nervous. If you fear going out and talking to people, it’s possible you have a condition called social anxiety. But for most people, it doesn’t go that far. 

We want to be liked, but we often fear that we’re annoying the people around us. That, in turn, just makes us more insecure. 

If you want to know how to be more charismatic, the first step is ditching the insecurity. Confidence in yourself doesn’t mean you’re arrogant, but it does mean you accept the person you are. 

Keep reading for four tips on how to be more likable. 

Be Interested

There’s a cliche that “Interesting people are interested.” That oversimplifies things a bit. Yet if you don’t know what to say in a social situation, start off by listening as much as possible. 

How do you let people know you’re paying attention? Nodding along in agreement is one way to do this. But don’t nod so much that you sprain your neck. 

Ditch the Phone

We’ve all been to parties where everyone sits on the couch and stares at their phones. But a party should not feel like the waiting room at your dentist’s office.

Yes, smartphones are cool. But checking your phone hundreds of times a day means you’re missing out on conversations. 

Phones can act as a shield to keep us from feeling vulnerable. If possible, put your phone on silent before walking into a social situation.

If that’s not possible, at least limit how often you check it. Unless you get an urgent email or text message, once an hour is plenty. 

Ask People Questions

You’ve been listening for a bit and are ready to speak up. But you’re not sure what to say.

Keep the focus on other people by asking them a question about what they just said. For instance, let’s say they mentioned a childhood in California. You can ask, “What part of California are you from?”

That’s an easy question that gives them an opening to discuss their life more. In turn, that makes them feel important. 

What if you’re a girl wanting to flirt with a guy? This site has the best questions for catching a guy’s interest. 

But don’t only ask questions. If you do that, you’ll start to sound like a game show host, or worse yet, a police interrogator. 

Make (Some) Jokes About Yourself

Self-deprecation often helps put people at ease. But don’t go overboard with the jokes about yourself.

For instance, making a joke about the year you dropped out of college to try and make it as an actor in New York is fine. But saying, “I’m such an idiot. Someone should have thrown me into the Hudson River” is not. 

You can admit you’re not perfect without acting like you hate yourself. People respond a lot better to the former than the latter. 

How to Be More Charismatic

A few people seem like naturals, but they, too, had to learn how to be more charismatic. 

Figuring out how to be more influential is a lengthy process. Give yourself some breathing room as you figure things out. 

Want more tips on confidence? Bookmark our site for advice that will help you lead a bolder, better life. 

On a Budget? Here are 11 Ways to Save on Prescriptions

According to one study, 1 in 4 Americans said that it was difficult to afford prescription medications.

While medications can be expensive, sometimes it’s necessary to have them. 

Do you need medication, but don’t have a lot of extra funds? In this guide, discover how to save on prescriptions.

1. Get Generic Drugs

One thing you can do to save on prescriptions is by getting generic brands. The name brand prescriptions typically cost more than the generic ones.

However, most of the time the only difference is the price.

With some generic drugs, there are different fillers than ones that have a name brand attached to them. However, the generic drugs are still regulated by the FDA and held to the same standards as the other drug. That means the generic one should work just as well as the name-brand one. 

Some doctors may not even be thinking about prescribing a generic drug, so you should make sure that you ask them. Some drugs aren’t available with a generic brand. 

If there isn’t a generic alternative, you could ask your doctor about having a different drug that has a generic one. Doctors have all kinds of reasons for prescribing the drugs that they do, but ultimately you should try and choose the one that will best help your condition.

2. Get a Flex Spending Account

A flex spending account (FSA) is sometimes available through your healthcare provider. This healthcare account takes money from your paycheck and puts it in a bank that you can use to pay for medical expenses. That means you can use it to pay for your prescriptions.

You will also be saving money because this money comes out before taxes are taken out. That way you are making sure that you put more money back in your pocket. 

If you aren’t great at saving, this will also help you be able to have enough money for any prescription drugs. You won’t have to take a bunch of money out of your own savings and be left with a lot of debt wondering how to make ends meet.

Before you sign for this type of account, make sure you fully understand what you will be able to use the money for.  Most accounts don’t roll over at the end of the year, so you have to make sure that you use the money put away, or you will lose it.

3. Compare Pharmacies

Some pharmacies offer different prices, so make sure that you shop around first. If you don’t have a copay, this could make a huge difference.

Look around at different apps and websites to see what your local pharmacies are selling the drug for. If you can’t find any, you could also talk to your pharmacist and see if they could help you out.

After all, they do want to make sure that their customers are satisfied and keep coming back. 

4. Join a Patient Assitance Program

There are patient assistance programs that are out there that you can join to help you afford your medical bills as well.

If you can’t afford to pay for your prescription, the pharmacy may have programs listed on their website to help you. These groups sometimes offer discount cards or other ways to help make sure that you get the medicine you need. 

One patient assistance program you could check out is available for a Neupro Patch.

5. Do Some Math

A lot of medicines come in different doses. 

If you sit down and look at the math, sometimes you’ll realize there are cheaper options. For example, if one prescription comes with more pills, it may be more expensive then, but in the long run, you would save more money than if you had bought a smaller deal.

Sometimes you can also try and split pills and make them last longer, but you should only do this if it is approved by the pharmacist or your doctor. 

6. Skip the Pharmacy

If you can’t find a discount card or a pharmacy with a good deal, you may just want to skip the pharmacy altogether. 

You can check directly with the drug companies to see if they offer patient assistance as well. sometimes they run promotions where you can save money or still get the drug if you can’t afford it. 

7. Search for Discounts

Before you head to the pharmacy, check online to see if there are any coupon codes are discounts that you could apply toward your purchase. 

Pharmacies have started accepting different coupons that are found online, but you should make sure that they are verified before you do that. 

8. Figure Out What Your Copays Are

If you have health insurance, you should have a copay. 

You should look at what your benefits are before getting your medication. Know exactly what your copay should be so that you can make sure that you’re not paying more. 

Most health insurances have different tiers of copays as well. 

9. Ask for Free Samples

Sometimes you can ask your doctor if they have a free sample that you could try. Sometimes they do have full-size samples for some medicines for blood pressure or asthma. 

10. Get a NACo Card

A NACo card is good for different United States counties. This service can help you get discounted prescriptions, and it’s free to join.

If you don’t have any insurance, you could save about 25% on prescription drugs.

To sign up, you just need to fill out a form. 

11. Talk to Your Doctor

If nothing else works, one of the most important things you can do is to talk to your doctor. 

If you don’t know where to start looking, your doctor may be able to point you in the right direction. They should know what kind of drugs are out there and be able to recommend the best one for your condition and your budget.

If you explain your predicament to them, they should be understanding and figure out a way to make sure you can still get your medication.

Save on Prescriptions Today!

If you follow these tips, you should be able to save on prescriptions and still get the care that you need.

Don’t let the cost of prescriptions scare you from getting the help you need.

Make an appointment to talk to your doctor today!