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by Erica Jahn

How To Bring More Sunlight Into Your Shaded Garden

In Lifestyle, Uncategorized
November 13, 2020
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Dealing with a garden that doesn’t get much sunlight is difficult. Plants love the sun, so if your garden is constantly in the shade, it’s tough to grow anything out there. It’s not a great space to relax and spend time either because you don’t get the benefit of the sun. 

But you don’t need to give up on your garden just yet because, with a few simple changes, you can completely transform it. These are the best ways to get more sunlight into your garden. 

Cut Back Trees 

It’s great to have some nice trees in the garden but they do block out a lot of sunlight. Depending on where they are positioned, they could be in the way of the sun for most of the day, which is why your garden is always shaded. If that’s the case, consider hiring somebody like the Sydney Tree Company to take a look for you. If necessary, you can take the entire tree out but you don’t always need to do that. In a lot of cases, you can just cut it back and it will make a huge difference. That way, you still get to keep your beautiful tree but you also get more light in the garden. 

Paint The Walls And Fences White 

Making the most of the sunlight that you do have is important in a shaded garden. If you can find ways to reflect the sunlight around the rest of the garden, that makes a big difference. White is one of the most effective ways to do that. If you have garden walls or fences, you should paint them in a bright white. Look at any other fixtures in the garden, like sheds or pergolas, and paint those white too. It doesn’t seem like it will make a big difference but you will notice that the garden feels a lot brighter. 

Add Some Water 

Water is another great option for reflecting sunlight around the garden. If you have space, why not add a small pond or a water feature? It’s a great addition to your garden that attracts lots of wildlife, and it will help solve your sunlight issue at the same time. Just make sure that you don’t place your pond at the bottom of a sloped garden, or you will have issues with flooding. 

Sculptures And Mirrors 

People often use mirrors in the home to make a space feel lighter and create the illusion of space, and you can do exactly the same thing in your garden. Adding some mirrors to the walls or fences is a cheap but effective way to boost the amount of sunlight that you get and direct it to the right places in the garden. Alternatively, if you want something a bit more interesting, why not get some glass sculptures instead? They make an amazing focal point for your garden and they reflect light in all directions. 

Parting Words

Don’t give up on your shaded garden just yet. Try some of these simple fixes and you will be amazed at the difference. 

Author

Erica Jahn

Erica is a former PR pro turned entrepreneur. Her greatest joys are family, blogging, music, skin care and social justice. As a Muay Thai enthusiast, Erica prides herself on working with increased focus, humility and diligence. She believes in living a fit life doing everything with a flair of creativity and love! Stalk her social channels @thegirlwiththemujihat

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Blog monetization: how much should you charge per sponsored post?

In Blogging, Uncategorized
March 17, 2021
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There are different ways to monetize your blog. In this post, I will address the most recent question I got from a few blogger friends: “How much can you earn from blogging through sponsored posts?” I will also discuss some related blogger services you can get paid from. 

The rate per blog/ social media post varies greatly depending on different factors. You can find Philippine-based bloggers in the Php1000 to Php10,000 range for one article post. A lot of this depends on (1) a blogger’s hourly rate (2) the blog site’s statistics, and (3) the brand’s proposed budget.

Let’s discuss these factors further:



(1) How much is your hourly rate?

If you are an educated writer, you can base your hourly rate on the current writer’s market rates that is Php1500-Php3000 per hour. You can also use your previous/current job’s hourly rate as a guideline to come up with the amount you want to charge. If you have a professional background in digital marketing or social media marketing, you can again, take this into consideration.

While it’s true you can charge any amount you want, always make sure you do it fair both for you and your client/ brand you work with. Charge what you’re truly worth.

(2) How much value do you give to the brand? 

This also means how much coverage does a brand get from posting on your blog, and it highly depends on your blog site’s key performance indicators.

What is your blog’s overall visit? How many unique visitors does it have per month? How much interaction does your post get on your social media accounts? What are your blog domain authority and page authority? Do you optimize your blog post for SEO?



(3) How much is the brand willing to pay? 

Because there is no set price for any blogging service, the amount you earn may be affected by the budget of your client. In most cases, you’d have to negotiate. But always remember: it’s all about what you’re bringing to the table and also, just because the brand is willing to pay you Php250 per post doesn’t mean you have to take it!

So how much should you charge for Sponsored Blog posts?

If you have an established readership and your blog has the ability to rank on Google search engine (know about website page authority, domain authority, and organic keywords here), you can definitely charge a decent amount per sponsored post.

Remember I mentioned earlier about your hourly rate. AFTER SETTING YOUR HOURLY RATE, know how many hours you actually spend creating the post. You can take into consideration how much time you need to style and photograph, to create/edit videos/ photos and write the blog post itself. AND THEN CALCULATE:

  • [message]
    • Calculate your sponsored post rate: 
      • The number of hours you spend creating/writing the post multiplied by your hourly rate (ex. Php1500) + the number of hours you spend for styling/ photography/ content planning multiplied by your specialist hourly rate (ex. Php1000) = This equals to the bare minimum you should be charging.

        e.g. 2 x Php1500 + 1 x Php1000 = Php4000 (MINIMUM Sponsored post cost)

Other ways to earn from blogging (aside from ads) are the following:

Guest posts

Clients would sometimes come to you and tell you they want to add value to your site by posting an article. You can charge them at least Php5000 if you have Blog DA/PA of >30. The rate also covers providing a maximum of two backlinks for them. 

If your DA/PA is lower, but you’re positive you can drive traffic back to your client’s site and deliver sales/ profit, then don’t be afraid to charge what’s your worth.

Blogger fee from participating in an event

As a blogger, you can be invited to participate in some events to blog about the event, judge a competition, or be a blogger guide/ tour guide.

In such a case, you can charge them with your professional fee. Again, this depends on YOUR hourly rate. In my case, I charge at least Php2,500 per day depending on the tasks I’d need to do for the event/ organizer.

Some events pay at least Php1000 for your attendance plus tokens in the form of products or gift certificates. You’d need to write a post-event article for this. Again, it is up to you to accept the invitation.

Press release posting

Brands pay Php300 – Php2000 per posting of their press release. Again, this depends on your blog statistics. The higher the domain authority your website has, the higher the amount you can charge.

Instagram/ Facebook posts

I know brands who pay Php2.00 per like on Instagram for influencers who have at least 5K followers. So you should charge them depending on how many likes you have for a certain post. But sometimes, the brand would tell you they only have a budget and can pay depending on the number of followers you have. On average brands pay Php2,500 for one post or carousel post cross-posted on Facebook. Some brands pay Php5,000 per campaign even if your followers are just 10,000. It’s up to you to take it.

PIN ME!

Parting Words

No one can really dictate how much you should charge for your blog post/ blogger service. It’s completely up to you. But make sure both parties mutually benefit and that what you’re charging is right for a service you provide. Remember to always charge what you are worth!

What do you think of this article? Did you find it useful? I’d love to hear about your thoughts on blogger rates and services too! I know I haven’t covered everything! Will try to update this every time! I’d also appreciate if you share this to people you know this post may be useful to! Thanks!

3 Simple Ways to Find Out if You Can Afford a Car

In Uncategorized
October 7, 2020
0

For many Filipinos, buying their first car represents a significant upgrade in their lifestyle. Owning a vehicle means they have the ability to travel wherever and the choice to skip the often-miserable experience of using public transportation. This comes at a price though, as purchasing and owning a vehicle can cause a significant strain on one’s personal funds. 

Financial capability is a primary concern for many of those who are thinking of buying a car for the first time. If you’re looking for a vehicle, how much can you really afford? Also, how certain are you that your auto payments won’t compromise your monthly budget? In a country where cars are still seen as a status symbol, it’s important to answer these questions to ensure that you’re making a responsible and financially sound choice. Below, we offer a few tips that can help you gauge your capacity to pay for a new car. 

Do the math first

There are a few guidelines that you should keep in mind when canvasing your car options. Some financial experts suggest abiding by the 20/4/10 ratio. You should be able to put down a 20 percent initial payment for the car that you’re planning to buy, which is what most car dealerships ask for anyway. Then, you should be able to pay for the car in full in 4 years’ time using 10 percent of your gross income. Allotting this percent of your gross income to your car payments gives you enough room to save for an emergency fund or to pay for a mortgage without compromising your current lifestyle. 

If you’re willing to take a bit more risk, though, you can push your car payments to take up to 40 percent of your monthly income. This may force you to give up some of life’s little pleasures like your daily milk tea or going on weekend holidays, but these small sacrifices can go a long way in making sure that your car loan is paid in full by the end of its term.

You can use the amount of monthly amortization that you can afford as a guide for determining the ideal price range of your vehicle. If, for example, you can comfortably part ways with PHP 20,000 per month for the next 4 years, plus you’ve already saved PHP 240,000 for the 20 percent down payment, then you can probably go with a crossover SUV that’s worth PHP 1.2 million in total. 

Keep depreciation in mind

Before buying a vehicle, decide first if you’re going to keep it or if you’ll be selling it to fund your next vehicle purchase. If the car’s a keeper, then you don’t have to think much about depreciation because you’re probably going to use the car for as long as it’s still road worthy. Never mind that a daily driver can lose around 10 percent of its value as soon as you drive away from the dealership. In a year’s time, the vehicle’s value can drop down by 20 percent. If your car loan has a term of 5 years, then the vehicle’s value would have decreased by 60 percent by the time it’s fully paid.

If you’re planning on selling the car in the future, however, you need to be more careful about choosing the brand and model of the vehicle, as the rate of depreciation can vary depending on these factors. Some brands can be sold at a favorable price even after years of use, and you’ll have a better chance of getting your money back if you go with these reputable vehicle brands. 

Factor in the cost of ownership

Transitioning from an everyday commuter to a car owner is a big change. Owning a car has plenty of benefits, but at the same time, it also comes with its own set of responsibilities, including added expenses. 

Aside from thinking of the price of the car itself, it’s also an important consideration to see if you’re ready to shoulder fuel, parking fees, insurance premiums, and regular maintenance services for your vehicle. You’ll need to include these expenses in your monthly budget, plus you also have to set aside funds to cover any unexpected repairs and damages. 

Buying a car is a big decision that requires a lot of thought. Before setting your sights on a particular model or deciding on your non-negotiables for your vehicle, consider first if you have the long-term capability to pay for this new property and to keep it in tiptop condition. Preparing yourself and your finances properly means that you’ll fully enjoy the benefits and conveniences of owning a car. At the same time, it’s also a solid step in making sure that making on-time payments for your vehicle won’t be a cause of considerable stress in the future.

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