Word of the Month…

Studies have shown your income and wealth are directly related to the size and depth of your vocabulary. Here is this month’s word so you can impress your friends (and maybe even fatten your wallet!)…

meet-cute (pronounced MEET-kyoot) noun 

Meaning: an adorably funny or sweet first meeting of people who become a couple
Sample Sentence: The groom shared the couple’s meet-cute at the reception—they literally bumped into one another trying to get to the last vacant seat on the subway.

Showerhead Rescue

If you have hard water, mineral deposits can clog your shower nozzle over time. Here’s how to get rid of them:

• Fill a plastic zip-top bag with white vinegar.
• Slide the bag over your shower head so the nozzle is immersed in the vinegar.
• Secure the bag tightly on the pipe behind the shower head.
• Let the shower head soak for 1-2 hours. Please don’t leave it too long as the acid can damage some finishes.
• Remove the bag, discard the vinegar, and wipe off the shower head. 
• Areas with hard water may need this once or twice a month.

Dad Joke...Arrrghhh

How much do pirates pay for earrings?

A bucc-an-eer.

Quotes To Live By…

“Failures, repeated failures, are finger posts on the road to achievement. One fails forward toward success.”

– C. S. Lewis, Author

“After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.”       

– Aldous Huxley, Author

“I’m always making a comeback but nobody ever tells me where I’ve been.”        – Billie Holiday, Musician

How To Deal With 'Tip Creep'

     As more payment transactions happen with credit cards and touchscreens, tipping behavior has changed. Although 15% is still considered a traditional tip rate by many, consumers are seeing tip prompts for as much as 30%. This so-called "tip creep" is backfiring, with some—fewer diners at sit-down restaurants tipping today than they did five years ago.

     In specific industries (restaurants and bars especially), wages are much less than minimum wage—the assumption is that tips will make up the difference. Increasingly, though, customers are being given the option to tip in places they never used to and where employees do earn minimum wage. At the outset of the pandemic, many people left tips where they never had before or rejected more significant recommendations than in previous years. What felt more like a gesture of kindness then feels to some like an expectation now, which has soured many consumers on tipping altogether.

     There are generally situations in which you should tip—dining in a sit-down restaurant, getting food delivered, going to the hairdresser—and others in which you can skip the tip without guilt. No information is needed when getting lunch at a kiosk, for instance, or in a fast-food restaurant. And if the touchscreen tips start at 18% or higher, you can enter a different amount instead of choosing a prompted option.

Upgrade Your RV Design 

     Whether your RV is only out in summer or you’ve moved to full-time RV life, there are dozens of ways to trick out an RV that make it more pleasant to use. Here are just a few to get you started.

• New mattress and seating: Upgrading the cushions you sleep and sit on makes every RV adventure more enjoyable.
• Peel-and-stick wall art: The options for easy wall decor are endless these days: think bathroom tiles, a kitchen backsplash, or a chalkboard-covered closet door.
• Better lighting: RV lighting can be poor and have a battery drain. Switch to energy-efficient LED lights and add motion-sensor lights to dark corners.
• Pops of color: Repaint the cabinets. Swap boring pillows and window shades for colorful textiles. Add a few potted plants (natural or not).
• Laminate flooring: RV carpets are hard to keep clean. Replace them with a durable laminate and use small rugs for added texture and cushioning in high-traffic areas.

 www.rudyperkinsrealty.com

Here's A Free, Valuable Resource...

Now You Can Search The Home Market, Get Helpful Community Information, AND Receive Important Resources For Saving Time And Money When Buying Or Selling At www.RudyPerkinsRealty.com. 

Brain Teaser…

A woman leaves the room with two legs. When she comes back, she has six. What happened?

 (See page 4 for the answer.)

Real Estate Question?

Maybe you want to know how much your home is worth. Or perhaps you need a recommendation for a handyman, carpet cleaner, or plumber…Either way, I love hearing from all my good friends and clients. And I’m happy to help answer questions you might have about anything relating to real estate or home ownership. If you have a question, tip, or idea, email me at [email protected]. I’m here to help!

The Hole Truth

Swiss cheese is recognizable thanks to its holes. But how do holes get inside a solid block of cheese? Turning milk into cheese requires certain bacteria, which give off carbon dioxide as they do their work. Some of the resulting air bubbles get trapped in the cheese. The longer Swiss cheese ages, the bigger the holes are likely to be.

'Gift Economy' Websites

We all love a deal, and it doesn't get much better than free. There's a growing number of neighborhood free exchange apps and websites out there, which are helpful whether you're looking for stuff or getting rid of it.

• buynothingproject.org: The best-known free exchange site started in 2013. Buy Nothing primarily focuses on their new app but also exists in location-based Facebook groups.
• freeya.com: This app shows listings based on geolocation and handles many logistical parts of coordinating pickups—including contacting the next person if the first person doesn't show.
• freecycle.org: This site, founded in 2003, boasts nine million members in 5,000 towns worldwide. If your town doesn't already have a Freecycle group, you can even start one.

Practicing Mindful Eating

     Practicing mindfulness can benefit many aspects of life, including our relationship with food. For some, mindful eating may help with overall health and fitness goals. For others, it may contribute to more eco-conscious food choices. Mindful eating can make everything from grocery shopping to cooking to eating a more satisfying experience.           

     Here are some aspects of mindful eating that you may find helpful. Keep in mind that this practice is about paying attention to our body’s relationship with food but not about judging or criticizing ourselves for that relationship.

• How does it smell? How does it taste? Mindful eating increases focus on the different physical aspects of making and consuming food—like the taste of a ripe peach or the smell of onions frying in butter. Try to engage your senses, whether you’re cooking or eating.
• Are you hungry? Are you full? Experts say that mindfulness can make the whole dining experience more enjoyable. In some cases, mindfulness before or during a meal means preventing discomfort later—it’s about listening to our bodies, whether the signal is that we’re full and don’t need anymore or that we’re getting hungry and should eat sooner rather than later.
• How did food get to your plate? Whether or not you cook or garden, you can be conscious of where your food comes from and how it ends up on your plate—including the farm workers who grew and harvested the produce and the cooks who prepared a microwave-ready meal. And, if you’re the cook, think about the feeling of satisfaction you get from serving dinner to your loved ones or preparing a meal with loving kindness for yourself.

      Adoption of mindful eating practices may be challenging for anyone who has ever struggled with diets or eating disorders, so it’s essential to keep in mind that some people may need professional help incorporating mindfulness into their healthy lifestyle. If you or someone you know struggles with an eating disorder, the phone number for the National Eating Disorders Association Helpline is 1-800-931-2237.

 www.rudyperkinsrealty.com

Please Welcome New Clients And Good Friends Into Our Real Estate Family...

 I want to take a moment to welcome my newest clients and good friends who have supported my business over the years.  And special thanks to everyone who thought of me with your referrals! 

Thanks For Thinking of Me!

Did you know I can help you or any of your friends or family save time and money when buying or selling a home? Thanks for keeping me in mind with your referrals…and spreading the word about my services.

Brain Teaser Answer: 

She brought a chair back with her.

Armchair Travel Quiz

If you love to travel, here’s a guessing game to test your global knowledge.

The City Guesser quiz (virtualvacation.us/guess) features video clips taken in places worldwide—street scenes, monuments, and more—and your job is to guess the location by clicking on a map.

Clues might be obvious (legs of the Eiffel Tower in the background, for instance) or more challenging. The game suggests you watch license plates, shop names, and road signs. You can change the speed as the video moves through a scene, rewind a few seconds to get a better look or restart the video entirely.

Once you guess, the site tells you how close (or far away!) you are.

THANK YOU for reading Rudy Perkins Realty, my newsletter. I wanted to produce a newsletter that has great content and is fun and valuable to you. Your constructive feedback is always welcome.

AND…whether you’re thinking of buying, selling or financing real estate, or just want to stop by and say “Hi,” I’d love to hear from you…

RUDOLPH PERKINS

Rudy Perkins Realty

12032433820

[email protected]

_{Disclaimer: The information contained in this letter is intended for informational purposes. It should not substitute as legal, accounting, investment, medical or other professional services advice. Always seek a competent professional for answers to your specific questions. This letter is not intended to solicit real estate properties currently for sale.}

Real Estate Corner…

Q: My home isn’t selling. What should I change about my marketing tactics?

A: Homes may not sell for various reasons, including your asking price, your home’s condition, and the timing of when you put your home on the market. If you’ve taken it off the market and are looking to try again, interview several different REALTORS^® and choose a new one who shares your goals and stands out as a Home Marketing Expert. As a Home Marketing Expert, your REALTOR^® should provide you with a dynamic new marketing plan beyond holding open houses and sending out flyers. It should include: 

• We offer updated ideas about your home’s condition, staging, and asking price. 
• You were using all advertising avenues, including the Internet. Did you post compelling pictures of your home the first time you tried to sell it? Did you include a virtual home tour? People selling more significant properties even use drone videos to show all the home’s outside features.  
• They are posting on social media. Does this person use social media to showcase properties (in an appropriate manner)? 
• They are getting the attention of other REALTORS^®. Does this person have contacts with REALTORS^® who are already working with out-of-town buyers who may be moving to the area?    

     To learn more about how to sell your home the second time, email me at [email protected] and ask for my Free Consumer Report called “4 Tips To Guarantee Your Home Sells The Second Time.”   I’ll send a copy right over to you. Do you have a real estate question you want answered? Feel free to call me at (203) 243-3820. Perhaps I’ll feature it in my next issue!

 www.rudyperkinsrealty.com

"Who Wants To Win

A $50.00 Gift Certificate?"

     Then, be the first person to answer correctly this month's Guess  Trivia Question. 

Last Month's Trivia Question:  

The most common first name among U.S. presidents is James—there have been six. But how many presidents
Had no middle name at all?

a) 3 b) 8 c) 11 d) 16

      The answer is d) 16. The first one was the first president, George Washington...

So, let's move on to this month's trivia question.

There are two gems, each synonymous with their color, that both happen to be the same mineral. What are they?

a) Amethyst and Ruby b) Sapphire and Ruby
c) Emerald and Sapphire d) Emerald and Amethyst

Email Me At [email protected] And You Could Be One Of My Next Winners!