Beginner’s Guide To Collecting Gold And Silver Coins

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More individuals are investing in gold and silver as concerns about economic stability rises. Based on its long history of resilience against other currencies and commodities, these precious metals are highly recommended for investments and wealth protection.

If the idea of collecting gold or silver is appealing to you, then read on to know the basics of collecting coins for the first time.

Getting Started With Your Coin Collection

1. Be familiar with “mint lingo.”

Coin collecting, just like any other specialised hobby, has its own language that collectors are familiar with. So, it is important for beginners to get to know the key terms in the industry in order to know what they are dealing with during transactions. 

For example, you should educate yourself on the many types of coins available, whether they are circulation coins, uncirculated coins, commemorative coins, proof coins, or numismatic coins that can be added to your collection. 



It would also help beginners to understand the difference between the face value (nominal value displayed on the coin) and its intrinsic value (actual value) because this would determine how much one should be willing to pay for a coin.

It is also important to learn the “coin anatomy” as the body of a coin has its own terms for reference. These include the obverse (“heads”) and the reverse (“tails”), relief, field, rim, and edge.

2. Start acquiring coins.

Typically, there are two ways to begin your coin collection: acquiring coins that appeal to you and acquiring coin sets. For collectors, any coin can be considered of high value for many reasons, including its emotional significance to the owner, its intrinsic value, or its rich component materials such as pure gold and pure silver. Gold or silver coins you can get from City Gold Bullion can be great starters for your upcoming coin collection.

Aside from procuring coins that pique your interest, you can also invest in coin sets, a collection of uncirculated or proof coins that are in true “mint” condition, as a beginner’s set.

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3. Determine what type of collection you are building.

Eventually, you will notice similar attributes in the coins that you are collecting. Whether it’s the design or the colours, or whatever characteristic, these will help define what your collection will be and influence the coin sets you will continue to collect. 

While collectors have the freedom and flexibility to collect bits and pieces of varying types, it will be more exciting to search for particular coin sets and more rewarding when you successfully acquire them.

For beginners, you can collect coins based on a particular year, a particular country, a specific time period, design themes, and metal or composition. 

Some collectors focus their efforts on coins made of certain metals like gold or silver. If you include high-end coins such as gold bullions in your collection, you will be happy to learn that their values generally increase over time too.

4. Invest in a starter kit.

As a beginner coin collector, you do not need to spend a lot on equipment in order to start collecting. You only need a basic reference book about coin collecting, a magnifying glass (at least 7x magnification) to help you inspect coins and check the details up close, a notebook or an app to keep track of your collection, a good quality storage holder, and cotton gloves for proper handling of coins to keep them in mint condition.

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Eventually, as your collection grows and your interest in the activity increases, you will also need to invest in tools and supplies specifically made for coin collecting.

Home Upgrades That Actually Increase Value

When you purchase a home, it’s important to remember that your home is an investment, as much as it is your living space. Even if you plan to stay in your current residence for years and years, you should still be thinking of what you can do to improve the value that you will eventually cash out on, way down the road. As you fix things and improve your home, do some research on what types of things are going to really boost that value.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do upgrades that will make you enjoy living there more, it just means that you should be aware of the potential benefits of each project. Here are some of the home upgrades that will go a long way towards increasing your home’s value...

Never Underestimate Curb Appeal

First of all, never, ever underestimate the power of curb appeal. Anything that makes your home more appealing on the exterior is going to have a two-phase impact when you sell it. First, curb appeal increases the overall value of the home. Second, it makes it more desirable and increases the number of people who take an interest in the home, making it quicker to sell.



You can increase your home’s curb appeal in a number of ways. One of these is to focus on landscaping. Putting in more bushes, trees, and flowers are a great way to improve curb appeal, but you need to make sure that you are doing it in a way that is aesthetically pleasing and guides the eye throughout your property.

Some other great ways to improve curb appeal are to update the siding on your home, make it a color that is currently in style, or add exterior shudders to your windows.

The Kitchen is Your Best Investment (Usually)

One general rule of thumb for home upgrades is that your kitchen is always going to give you the most bang for your buck. On a dollar-to-dollar ratio of what you spend on a kitchen vs. its impact on home value, the kitchen can’t be beat. Kitchen upgrades can be thought of in different ways, too.

You can do a complete kitchen remodel for tens of thousands of dollars, which can be worth it in terms of value and your own quality of life within your home. However, you can also spend as little as $5,000-$8,000 and update the appliances in your home, put in new countertops, and give it a fresh coat of paint. 

Just doing those things will make you feel like you have a brand new kitchen! The cheaper option will still have a significant impact on the home’s value, too.

Your Bathroom Always Matters

Second to the kitchen, in terms of dollar value, is the bathrooms in the home. The quality of a bathroom can positively or negatively impact on your house’s value in a big way. For example, a bathroom that hasn’t been updated in years will look dated and is liable to have water damage in certain areas. 

That can greatly hurt your home’s value when it’s time to get appraised. Likewise, doing some simple updates or additions to your bathroom can make the whole home feel more desirable. Here are some simple bathroom updates that will help transform your bathroom.

Energy Improvements Save Money in More Ways than One

“Green” is a pretty big buzzword in any market, today. However, it’s a lot more than a fad. People are genuinely very interested in lowering the amount of energy consumption and waste in their lives. 

Because of this, upgrades that lower your home’s energy consumption is going to make your home a lot more attractive to potential buyers, who will be willing to spend a premium on “green” upgrades you have already put into the house.

Paint Packs a Punch

One of the simplest ways that you can make a room provide more value to your home is to give it a fresh coat of paint in whatever color is most popular. You don’t have to do this if you planning to live there for many years, still. 

At that point, by all means, paint it the color you want it to be! However, if you are getting your home ready to sell, painting to more neutral or “cooler” colors will help increase the overall value and attractiveness.

5 Ways to Reverse The Signs of Aging

Aging is a normal part of, well, aging. When people hear the term “aging”, they usually associate it with wrinkles, sagging, and slowing down. Aging doesn’t have to be those things, though. It can simply be just getting older. 

You know those people that you come across, like Jennifer Aniston, and you’re shocked to hear how old they actually are? We all want to age as gracefully as someone like Jennifer Aniston. 

So, how can you reverse the signs of aging without having to have a team of professionals and thousands of dollars keeping you looking young?

Don’t underestimate a good skincare routine

One of the fastest ways to get wrinkles, is to ignore your skin. A proper skincare routine can do wonders for both reversing aging and for preventing any signs of aging you are currently dealing with. If your wrinkles and crow's feet are really bad, scheduling an appointment with a dermatologist for specialized recommendations is a great idea. 

This way, you get a personalized skin care regime for your specific issues. If you don’t want to see a dermatologist, there are still some great ways to find anti aging products for you. 

It will probably take some trial and error to find what works for you, but you’ll want a product that has lactic acid(helps with skin elasticity), hyaluronic acid(helps retain moisture), and a really good spf(to prevent sun damage).

You are what you eat

Your diet has a much bigger effect on aging than what you’d think. Just like eating a lot of highly processed and sugary foods can cause you to break out, not maintaining a well balanced diet can accelerate aging. To prevent aging, you want to eat a diet that is high in greens. 

The more vegetables and fruits you can incorporate into your diet, the better. You should also add a collagen supplement into your daily diet. Collagen promotes the regrowth of skin cells, so having a collagen supplement in your diet will help your skin appear younger.

Drink more water

Your body is 70% water, and being dehydrated is a one way track to wrinkle town. Work on increasing your daily water intake. Carry a water bottle around with you all day, set reminders in your phone to drink water every 30 minutes, whatever it takes. The more water you drink, the less wrinkles you’ll have, because your skin will be plump and elasticized.

Tone and tighten your skin

Wrinkles are caused when your skin gets loose. To get rid of these wrinkles, and prevent new ones, it’s important to tone up and tighten your skin. And not just on your face. Regular exercise will help tighten the skin all over your body, since we know that the skin on your face isn’t the only place to experience wrinkles and sagging skin. 

You don’t have to do anything incredibly intense, but a weekly workout routine will keep your skin tight. For your face, a great way to tighten your skin is to invest in a few different skin rollers. An ice roller is great for smoothing wrinkles as well as depuffing. 

A jade roller is great for tightening your skin. If you get a jade roller and store it in the freezer, it will do double duty and act as both a jade roller and an ice roller, leaving you with smooth, tight skin, if used regularly. 

Alternative and preventative methods of anti aging

In this age of body positivity, we want to make sure you know that there is nothing wrong with embracing your wrinkles and not minding what your body looks like as it ages. It’s beautiful no matter what! But it’s also okay to want to change the way your body looks if it makes you happy and feel more confident in yourself. 

For some people, that looks like embracing their natural body. And for other people, that may look like getting preventative plastic surgery, such as botox, to decrease the chances of wrinkles. However you choose to embrace your body, we just hope that you embrace it and know that there is no shame either way as you learn to love and accept your body. 

Plastic surgery has done wonders to help many people feel more confident in their skin and with their physical appearance. Never feel like you have to “fix” your body to conform to the nations standards of beauty. 

Outdoor Activities to Improve Your Mental Wellbeing

If we’re honest with ourselves, we can admit to living in a modern age full of stressors, daily pressure to perform at the highest standard and to be in near constant communication with others through social media. 

Existing perfectly within our modern society is nearly impossible. Whether you’re feeling the strain of “making appearances” in person and online, or just feel stressed by our daily work lives, you might end each day feeling ready to head the hay and the snooze button in the morning.

It’s tough to create a healthy distance from the things that bring on a lot more negative emotions than we might be able to acknowledge initially. Surely, we don’t always have the opportunity to go off the grid, both figuratively and literally, whenever we want. 

There are ways to promote our mental and physical wellness while taking a short break from our everyday routines, and it’s relatively simple. Get outside!




Nature is a natural healer. It may seem like too simple of a solution, but studies show that even 90 minutes outside in a natural setting can lower our levels of stress and even lower out cholesterol. 

Engaging in activities outside that require a bit of exercise can be a huge plus. You’ll be doing yourself the favor by giving your mind time to relax and also receive the mental benefits of getting your body moving.

Go hiking 

Easy and affordable, hiking is a great activity to get yourself outdoors and on your way to a happier you. There are physical benefits to getting outdoors and challenging yourself on a long hike, but the mental benefits out-way even that. Go on your own, or as a loved one to join you. 

It’ll give you a chance to connect with yourself or someone else without the temptation of modern screens. Not only can a quick hike, or even walk around your local park, help you rebalance your mind, but like any exercise, you’ll also get a boost to your endorphins. That natural high can keep you going throughout an otherwise stress-filled day.

Take your yoga session outside 

This can benefit you in several ways. Yoga is already a great way to “actively rest”, it’s an easy enough activity to let your body heal from more strenuous workouts while relieving stress. Your body is engaged in a physical activity that boosts your strength, flexibility, and coordination, but the action of yoga is relaxing on your muscles and mind. 

Most people choose to do their yoga routines indoors or in a classroom setting, but if the weather’s nice, try taking your matt outside! Get your daily Vitamin D, while finding the ideal balance between exercise and meditation.

Backpack

If you’re inclined to be outdoors for than more than a few hours, try out backpacking. Although even a short walk in the woods can be both mentally and physically beneficial, longer trips can give you the time you may need for personal reflection. 

Backpacking is an activity that can help you sit with your thoughts, figure out where you’re at emotionally, and even lead to a bit of self-therapy.

There are an endless amount of activities you can do outside that can help you promote some much-needed self-healing. If you don’t know where to start, the simplest thing to do is put down your phone, shut down your laptop, and take a few hours to yourself outside. 

Whether it’s in your own backyard, a park, or a nearby hiking trail. Give your mind the peace and quiet it deserves every now and again. 

4 Easy Ways to Make Extra Income after Retirement

Most people look forward to their retirement. It is their time to relax, travel some, and start enjoying life. Unfortunately, many retirees find that the dream they had to enjoy their retirement is not within their reach due to a lack of finances. 

Luckily, it is not that difficult to fatten your wallet without taking on a full time job. Here are some easy ways for retirees to make an extra income.

House Sitting

This is one of my favorite ways to make some cash. While traveling, many people do not like to leave their home empty. They would be very happy to pay you to stay at their house while away. 

Home owners like having seniors who have reached retirement age watch their house because older people are usually more responsible than their younger counterparts. It’s very easy to find work doing house sitting by searching online for house sitting jobs. You will find many websites offering such a service.

Pet Sitting

This is very similar to the house sitting jobs mentioned above. People don’t like to leave their pets locked up in a cage while traveling away from home. 

They would rather find someone who will take good care of their pet. This arrangement allows their pet the freedom to run and play while staying with you at your house.

Sell Stuff for Quick Cash

If you are just looking for fast money to finance some travel or give yourself a little treat, then there is no easier way than to sell something that you don’t use anymore. This is especially true for retirees. You spent your entire life accumulating belongings that you probably haven’t used in years. Take some of the items and sell them online. 

You can sell smaller items on Ebay or Amazon. Also, there are companies that will give you money for junk cars if you happen to have an old one in your garage that you don’t want anymore. You get to clear up space, and you make cash at the same time. Nice deal!

Find Part Time Work Online

Since you’re retired now, you probably don’t want to work a full-time job anymore. Have you thought about working part-time? There are many jobs available where you perform work online. The best part about these jobs is that many are very flexible with your work schedule. If you search for online jobs, then you will find many that suit your skills.

In conclusion, retirement should be the time to do the things that you always wanted, but you’ve never had the time to do them before because you were too busy working. With some creative brainstorming, you’ll discover some easy ways to finance your new lifestyle and start enjoying life for real.

Which Emergencies Should You Save for in Your Retirement?

Even if you have saved up quite a bit for your retirement, you might still run into a few emergencies that put your finances in jeopardy. That is why everyone who is nearing their retirement should spend some time putting money away for a few expensive situations that could pop up in the coming years.

Household Repairs

Carrying out preventative maintenance should keep your household appliances running smoothly for years, but there will come a point when some of those devices need to be repaired or replaced entirely. 

You must also be ready to replace your HVAC system if it is more than 10 or 15 years old. Replacing an HVAC unit can be a huge investment, and your home insurance probably won’t cover a new condenser or the installation fees.

Unexpected Travel

You should be able to plan most of your trips months in advance, but emergencies can happen at any time. If a family member becomes ill and you would like to see them right away, your ticket is going to be quite expensive. 

You don’t need to save up tens of thousands of dollars for unexpected travel, but you should have enough to cover one or two flights and a few nights in a motel room.

Long-Term Illness

Long-term illnesses are extremely common among the elderly, and most basic insurance policies won’t cover those health problems. At the very least, your emergency fund needs to be large enough to help you deal with a medical emergency that lasts for a few weeks. 

That will give you plenty of time to contact your insurance provider and file a claim. You should also consider upgrading your insurance policy if you have a family history of chronic illnesses.

Auto Accident

A serious auto accident can happen in the blink of an eye, and one of those collisions could wipe out your savings if you aren’t careful. Your auto insurance policy should help you after most accidents, but major collisions can be very expensive. 

If you aren’t fairly compensated after an accident, then you need to contact a personal injury lawyer to explore all of your legal options. You might need to take the other driver to court if they are under-insured or completely uninsured.

For many of these situations, a world-class insurance policy is going to be your first line of defense. A solid policy will cover a wide variety of expenses following an accident, injury, or illness.