How To Make Your ‘Dad Car’ Cool Again

When you have kids, the days of having a reasonably cool car are long over. Out are the sweet little two-seater sports cars, and it is in with the big wagons that carry kids and all the associated paraphernalia to school, daycare and the million sports and music clubs they all seem to have. We no longer go out for pleasure drives; instead, we become ‘dad’s taxi’, ferrying the kids around at their beck and call.

Does that mean we have to lose all our coolness though? Absolutely not! Our article looks at the few things you can put in or do to your ‘dad car’ to make it just a little bit cool and regain a little bit of your street cred. Read on!

Alloys

Even the most boring of cars can look a million times better with a set of shiny new alloys, and they are generally an inexpensive and safe way of funking up your vehicle. Visit your local car repair store – they should have a massive range for you to choose from, including matte, chrome and glossy styles. All you need to know is how big you need them and how cool you want them!

Dash cams

These are not just about making your car look good, but about keeping you and your family safe. Think about all of the videos you have seen on the internet where people have captured bad driving and crashes – often, this leads to prosecution or at the very least, gets you off the hook if you are involved in an accident that wasn’t your fault. If you are in an accident it may be important to view this now and reach out for representation. You should never have to go at it alone. So having a dash cam and a good lawyer will help your case! Many insurance companies will even offer you a discount if you have a dash cam fitted in your car. Check out Blackboxmycar for a vast range of dash cams for all kinds of needs.

Tinted windows

No, you can’t pimp your car out and have the front windows tinted because, in many places, it is illegal, but it’s okay to have the back windows done. In fact, you may find it a blessing in disguise if you have little ones in the back. They often like to nap right? Well, this will keep the back of the car darker and free from the glare of the sun.

Seat covers

Kids are messy: fact. No matter how hard you try, you will never avoid sticky fingers and crumbs all over the seats, and let’s not even get started on those toilet accidents and sickness bugs that young children are oh-so-prone to having in the most inconvenient of places. Protect your seats with a set of quality seat covers. Look for some that can be removed quickly and can be washed, prolonging the life of your car seats.

A quality sound system

Ok, so you are more likely to be found listening to the Moana soundtrack these days than Eminem, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have those tunes banging. Most standard car stereo systems are pretty low quality, so invest in a decent one for those family Disney sing-alongs!

This post is a collaborative effort by St. Louis Dad.

Essential Questions To Answer Before You Buy New Wheels

Even if you’re not a petrol head, getting a new car can be pretty exciting. The trouble for most of us is that there’s too much choice. If you took a moment to search for new cars for sale, you’d be inundated with links and adverts, so how do you go about narrowing down your options and finding the one? If you’re thinking about swapping your car, here are some questions you should answer before you make a decision.

How much do you want to spend?

Budget is a factor for most prospective buyers. If you have a budget in mind, this will give you an idea of the kind of car you’re looking at. If you don’t want to spend a vast amount, you can probably rule out the latest sports cars, for example. Search online to get an idea of prices, and do a bit of research into the cost of makes and models that appeal to you. If you have a car in mind, but you can’t afford a new model, it’s worth looking at second-hand cars, which are likely to be significantly cheaper.

Do you know what you want, or are you open to ideas?

Have you got your heart set on a specific car, or are you open to ideas? If you know you want a Chevy, for example, visiting a Chevy dealer is a good idea. If you’re not sure, and you’re interested in taking a look at a variety of makes and models, taking a trip to a dealership that sells multiple car brands, or visiting a series of showrooms is wise. This way, you can have a look at different cars, arrange some test drives, and get a feel for each vehicle and an idea of how it would fit in with your lifestyle.

What do you use your car for?

There are multiple types of car available today. From sporty models and cool cabriolets to family-friendly estate cars and compact city hatchbacks, drivers have a huge range of options open to them. When you’re deciding which type of car to buy, think about what you use your car for, how much space you need, and how much driving you do. If you tend to use your car to nip around town and get to work a few miles away, and you don’t have kids, pets or tools to carry around, a hatchback is probably a good option. If you’ve got children, you have dogs, or you use your car to transport equipment for work or hobbies, you’ll need more space, and an estate, an SUV or an MPV may appeal.

What are your priorities?

When you’re looking at cars, what matters most to you? Are you all about looks or are you searching for a practical, reliable vehicle to get you and your family from A to B?

There’s a vast range of cars on the market today, and it’s always a good idea to explore different options and narrow down the contenders based on your budget and your individual requirements and preferences.

This post is a collaborative effort by St. Louis Dad.

7 Easy Ways To Make Money Online

Need to make some extra cash? There are lots of ways to use the web to make some money on the side. Here are just seven of the simplest ways to make money online.

Sell your clutter

Many of us have unused possessions gathering dust in our home that other people would gladly pay for. This could include old clothes, inherited furniture, books, electronics and video games. Whilst you can take these items down to your local second hand shop and sell them to the owner, you can often make more money selling these items online. Amazon and Ebay are popular platforms for selling items second hand, although you will have to factor in the price of packaging and postage. Sites like Gumtree.com meanwhile can allow you to sell items to local buyers who can pick up the item from your home (this could save you the cost of delivery). When selling items online, always take photos and provide an honest description of the condition – if you rip off buyers by selling them items in poor condition, you could start getting some negative reviews on your seller profile, which will then affect your ability to sell using these sites in the future.

Answer surveys

Another simple way to make money is to answer paid online surveys. Many companies will pay online users to complete surveys as a form of market research. There are survey sites that compile all these surveys for you to pick and choose from. Generally, the longer and more niche the survey, the more well paid. Survey sites may only offer you the well-paid surveys once you’ve completed a few lower-paid surveys. It’s worth noting that not all sites pay in cash and some may prefer to pay in coupons some sites may even pay in other ways. 

Try online gambling

You can also make money through online gambling. By taking a strategic approach, you can maximise your chance of winning. For example, there are many free casino games and games that offer bonuses that you can find listed at sites like critiquesdecasino.com. You can also take a strategic approach to sports betting by taking advantage of free bets and trying matched betting. Make sure to double-check the small print when it comes to free betting, as some websites do charge you through your phone company. It’s interesting to check out which sites accept Payforit, as this might make you a little more confident with using your phone for payments.

Try peer to peer lending

Peer-to-peer lending is ideal if you’re looking for an easy investment opportunity – unlike other money-making methods on this list, you won’t make a profit straight away. Peer-to-peer lending sites allow you to loan money to other users. These users then pay you back the money in instalments along with interest, which allows you to then make a return. The more you lend, the more interest you’ll make. It’s best to always use credible peer-to-peer lending sites so that you know you’re going to get your money back.

Make money searching the web

Did you know that you can make money simply by using search engines like Google and Bing? Sites like Qmee.com allow you to do this – by signing up to their services and allowing ads to feature next to search listing, you’ll be rewarded with small payments. If you spend lots of time online, this could be a great to make an extra bit of money on the side.

Get paid to write reviews

You can also get paid to write reviews. There are many companies out there willing to pay people to review their product for cash. If you own a blog, you may be able to charge people for these reviews, using sites like Fiverr to find people willing to pay. Alternatively, you can find reviews sites where you can contribute paid guest posts. On top of product reviews, you can also make money reviewing books, albums, games, apps and all other kinds of mediums.

Get paid royalties from photos

If photography is a keen hobby of yours, consider making money from some of your photos by sharing them on sites like ShutterStock.com. Such sites allow people to use your photos, but only by paying a royalty fee. There’s no guarantee that people will find your photo, but given that uploading a photo to these sites is easy, you may as well as try it and see what happens.

This post is a collaborative effort by St. Louis Dad.

How to Plan a Fun Family Day Out

If you want to have a really fun, family day out then this is easier than ever to do. With a little planning, you can be sure to help everyone to have a great time while also staying on budget as well.

Look around for Discounts

It is a really good idea for you to look for discounts online. A lot of attractions will give you the chance to save money when you book online as well, so this is another major benefit that you need to be aware of. If you buy the local paper, then it is also a good idea for you to look for discounts on there too.

Plan Way Ahead

The more you can plan ahead, the better. Some attractions will give you a significant discount when you book in advance and you can also avoid the stress of last-minute payments. You can also spend more time learning the route when you do this as well, so you don’t have to worry about getting lost along the way.  If you are driving over a very long distance, then it may be a good idea for you to set off a little bit earlier than what you planned. After all, there is no telling what the traffic is going to be like and if you do end up getting caught in a jam, the last thing that you want is to miss out on time at the destination.

Spare Clothes

It doesn’t matter how old your kids are, they always need to take some spare clothes with them. This way you can relax knowing that they are going to be comfortable and you can also worry less about them getting too wet or muddy. If possible, you should always take some unisex clothes with you. This way it doesn’t matter who ends up wearing them, and you can pack less too. If you just can’t decide on a location to visit, then why not find somewhere that has some dinosaur props?

Snacks

You can never take too many snacks with you. Sometimes it helps to have snack boxes or even bags for each child. When you do this, you can help to stop any arguments and they can even carry each one themselves as well. This will give them some level of responsibility and it will also help them to feel as though they are part of the adventure.

Money

It’s always a good idea for you to take some loose change with you. Sometimes change can really be handy if you need to pay for the toilets or even if you need to buy an ice-cream. A lot of attractions also have “additional activities” that you can pay a small fee for as well. This could include things like feeding the animals or even going on a ride. It’s always a good idea for you to have cash for these reasons and you can even empty your change jar at home if you want. This will stop the money from coming out of your bank and it puts it to a really good use.

This post is a collaborative effort by St. Louis Dad.