Use a Prepaid MasterCard, Avoid overspending on your Credit Card!

In previous article, I’ve written about the pros and cons of the Credit cards and how we need to be careful on how we use them. In this post, I write about another plastic/virtual MasterCard that can be used just like a credit card, but you will be less likely to overspend on!

Prepaid MasterCard is designated to be used exclusively for remote transactions, such as online shopping, phone purchases and ordering. With online prepaid MasterCard you can enjoy the great benefits of credit cards and at the same time have a secured online shopping and manage your spending as well as enjoying anonymous and discreet online purchase.

Enjoy an upgraded online shopping experience; control your monthly budgets, purchase discreetly and comfortably, be generous to people you care about, be in control with your kids’ spending – All in one virtual prepay credit card anywhere and anytime. You can find more information at https://tbffinance.com/visa-cards/.

Tight Economy? Tighter Budget!

Control bad spending habits with easy access to reliable credit. Secured prepaid plastic MasterCard enables you to stay on top of your monthly budgets and pay debts to avoid much needed utilities from being cut off due to late bills. If you cannot qualify for credit or have trouble staying on top of your debit card usage- you can now budget your monthly allowances by reserving cash in the form of a prepaid MasterCard and avoid the embarrassment and hassle of getting bills paid on time.

Let your family enjoy the freedom of a prepaid

With a prepaid MasterCard, parents all over the globe are letting out a collective sigh of relief. By utilizing prepaid money cards parents can now effectively monitor their children’s spending habits with an allowance card. Whether it’s a prepaid plastic money card for a monthly gas allowance or giving children the ability to shop online with constraint- virtual prepaid money cards is the new carefree alternative in giving children freedom with a budget.

Are you gifted?

Prepaid visa cards are the perfect gift for anyone, anywhere, anytime. Since a prepaid VISA card isn’t a just ordinary gift card or a voucher, and it is not restricted to a specific store or brand, it can be used through any online service. This, literally, puts a world of possibilities in your hands.

 

 

The Pros and Cons of Having a Credit Card

I am a full time student and recently I applied for a student credit card with a limit between $300-$500. This is not a lot but it will be very releasing for me to use my card online and begin to build up my business and be released to do that. I am very disciplined so I know that I will not get into excessive amounts of debt. I will be using my credit card to move my financial situation forward.

Seeing as I am applying for a credit card I thought I would share with you guys what I believe to be the pros and cons of having a credit card. You should weigh up the pros and cons for your situation before you ever decide to get a credit card for yourself.

Pros:

  • You can buy whatever you need to now and pay for it later
  • You can receive rewards for using it such as frequent flyer points
  • You can use it to make purchases online
  • Many hotels require a credit card to be able to check in
  • It allows you the freedom to do whatever you want
  • Many companies and stores accept credit card as the easiest form of payment
  • You can use the money you don’t have as a way of investing into your business (as long as your return is greater than the debt you pay).

Cons:

  • You can get into some nasty debt if you are not careful
  • If people find your credit card or details then they can easily use it to make purchases
  • You can live beyond your means spending more than you can afford
  • You have to pay sometimes over 20% in interest on your payments
  • Sometimes if you are not aware of the fees you can be charged fees for reasons you weren’t aware of

So I weighed up the pros and cons of getting a credit card and decided that I needed wanted a credit card because it would be useful to move my business forward and it would release me now to buy some things that I need which I can pay off when I start working full time.

Note: Personal Finance tip 101 is to never get a credit card if you can avoid it. But if it is seriously going to make your finances better through investing in appreciating assets then a credit card can be a great tool. But be careful you don’t get into too much debt or get stung by fees. The convenience of credit cards makes it extremely difficult to avoid accruing tons of debt. The general rule of thumb is: If you always ran out of money before your next paycheck, you probably shouldn’t be getting a card. On other other hand, if you saved your money and had some left before you got paid again, you probably can handle the freedom that comes with having credit.

Looking for investment property opportunities in South Florida

Perhaps you’re considering buying an investment property in South Florida through a unit trust or company structure, or you could simply be wanting to buy land with a view so you can build a house. Either way, you’ve thought about investing into a property and in an ever changing buying and investment market there is always more to learn. If you happen to be looking at buying an asset such as an investment property for extra passive income or a potential tax benefit then you are on your way to a good start by doing research on investment properties first. It doesn’t make a difference on whether you are a brand new to properties investment or if you already own significant real estate and have a portfolio, the more you know about investing, the smarter you are about buying.

What makes property investments so special is that they are highly leveraged, by using leverage with not many funds available you can potentially magnify your return greatly.

The ‘right’ investment loan depends on an individuals financial goals. There are several different borrowing options and strategies available for an investment property loans provider in South Florida.

The issue with assessing a range of possibilities and opportunities is simply dealing with the large number of different outcomes. Understanding your own needs before starting your venture and working with a good finance broker can come in handy. Although each project has unique financial needs, it’s not hard to understand the simple fact that some products on the market have better features or a bigger variety of features than others. Some loans you’ll find will offer large amounts of perks and benefits, if the loan is cheap; banks are making their money through those perks. On the other hand, some loans are cheaper than others and don’t offer the amount of perks. If you have the time to combine these two ideas and look at all of the loans with the most features that have a good price range you should head over to https://www.investmentproperty.loans/.

 

Residual Income – Extra Income For Moms at Home

One of the biggest challenge families face today are the conciliation of their job with their family obligations. We are not in the 50′s or 60′s anymore where the man provided the income for the entire family while the woman stayed at home to raise children and work on the household tasks. The economic factors has changed a lot since then and one income is not enough for the majority of American families. In today’s families, the mom and the dad have to go to work to support the cost of living, and it becomes a real race for the parents to manage the family tasks from the moment you put a foot out of the bed till you go back to sleep in the evening. Children to feed, dress, drive to school or daycare center, go to work, comeback on time before 5:00 PM (because most daycare centers closes), eat dinner, help children to do their school homework, bath time, put them to sleep, then maybe get a rest if there are no more household tasks to do. You see the big picture? In these different economic times we have no choice but to have two or multiple incomes to secure the future of the family.

New moms… get back to work

The point we want to emphasize in this article is the painful moment where the new mom has to go back to work. You went through pregnancy, gave birth to your baby and pass the last 6 to 12 months with your baby but now you have to put him in a daycare center so you can go back to work to bring back that second income. How do you feel about that? Many of you are probably happy to take back your respective career, and that’s very good. But I know that millions of moms would like to stay home with their little darling. Well, have you ever consider working from home?

Two Types of income exist: linear income and residual income

Linear income means trading your time for money. You work on a time basis. If you stop working, you stop being paid. Residual income or recurring income means being paid forever for a work you have done once. No matter what can of income you want, it is possible for moms to stay home and find a work that best suit your needs.

What kind of jobs can you do? Here is a list of simple ideas you could start with. We will not go deeper into everyone of them as we just want to give you a place to start. You can do your own research easily and gather the information on the one you prefer.

Internet Business – Most people will use the internet to create their home jobs. Earning residual income from affiliate programs is one of the most popular. Companies pay you for referring their products and services. If you google affiliate programs, you will find tons of information about the subject and how to start a home business on the internet.

Start a Childcare Referral Services – Thousands of parents need trustable childcare services. Many of them don’t know where to look or don’t have the time to search for the best one for their children. That’s where you could step in.

Start a Home Laundry Business – Take a look at your colleagues, neighbors, friends. How many of them are running after the clock. Maybe you could start a home laundry business and find many potential customers that need to unload their household tasks. You could easily earn a 100 dollars a day in short period of time.

Earn a Living With Your Writing – If you like to write, you could easily earn some good income writing for others. Many people need content for their websites but don’t have the time to write, so they outsource their works to others. A site like elance.com, gather the two parties. As a writer, you can find or submit to people who are looking for you.

10 Great Ways to Reduce Your Energy Bills

Winter is coming and the cost of gas and electricity continues to go through the roof. However, with a few simple adjustments, you can radically reduce the shock you receive every time a bill arrives. So read on and save lots of money.

Turn down your thermostat.

It may sound a little obvious but it’s amazing how many people fail to do this. Suppose your thermostat for your heating is set at 27ºC (81ºF). Turn it down slightly to 25ºC (77ºF) and see if you notice the difference.

Invest in double-glazing.

This might look like an expensive option but with the heat they trap, the money you’ll save, this year and every subsequent year, will soon pay off your initial layout (also double-glazing will add value to your home when you sell it).

If you can’t afford double-glazing, then buy thick curtains.

If you can’t afford double-glazing, then why not invest in other ways to trap in the heat? Big thick curtains are a good option, as are curtain liners. And don’t forget your front and back doors – get draught excluders and door curtains.

Insulate your loft and consider cavity wall insulation.

You’ve reinforced your doors and windows but that’s only part of the story. You also need to ensure you don’t leak heat through your roof and walls. In many areas, grants are available to make these options less expensive.

Lag your boiler and water pipes.

You’ve paid for the fuel to heat your hot water, so make sure it stays hot for as long as possible. Lagging your pipes and putting a jacket on your boiler will trap lots of the heat in for longer.

Convert to a condensing boiler.

A new boiler, with all of today’s efficiency features can save you up to 40% on your fuel bills. If you add a brand new control panel, which will be much more accurate, then you could increase your savings to up to 50%.

Buy a dishwasher.

Once viewed as a luxury, modern dishwashers are much more efficient than their old counterparts. A recent studied showed that a full dishwasher used on an economy cycle once a day is more cost-effective than manual washing-up at a sink.

Don’t leave appliances on Standby.

If you leave your TV on standby when you go to bed, then it uses more electricity than it did while you were watching it that evening. Many appliances when on standby use up to 50% of the energy they’d use when fully on. So say goodbye to that little red light. And while you’re at it, do you really need to light empty rooms?

Go Solar. Go Wind.

This may still sound like something out of science fiction but more and more homes are fitting solar panels and wind turbines. The cost of these is going down all the time and their technology is advancing at a rapid rate – making them not only affordable to more and more people but also paying for themselves in less and less time. And, they’re incredibly Green!

Use Price Comparison websites.

There are now lots of these – just Google ‘price comparisons’ to find a wide choice of them. Next, get your last few gas and electricity bills (if you have them) and enter your details. The more information you can give about your patterns of fuel use, then the more accurate savings these sites can give you.

Remember small changes can add up to make a huge difference.

If you implemented all of these changes, then you’d certainly save lots of money. But why stop there? Think of your daily uses. When you wash your hands, do you leave the warm tap running? Do you boil more than one cup of water when you make a coffee? See? The extra changes are adding up already.

The Importance of Business Insurance

Whether you are a small business or a big business, the importance of having business insurance is just as important as any other aspect of your company you are in. There are all types of business insurance policies available that any business should consider adding to their portfolio. Not only can these types of business insurance protect you and your company from unforeseen problems, but can also help offset any costs associated with problems that may occur.

Finding the best business insurance quotes depends on the insurance you are shopping for and how much coverage you will need for that particular policy. Many businesses need some kind of Worker’s Compensation insurance. Other businesses might need quotes for Business Auto insurance policies. Business Property insurance could be advisable for any business where people could get injured on the grounds where they are located. There is also Employment Practices insurance, Commercial General Liability insurance, as well as business insurance for Bonds. There are many things to consider for any business when deciding if one or all of these insurances can be beneficial to them.

This insurance is meant to help owners be able to keep the business intact even after the occurrence of an unfortunate event. There is nothing more frustrating, especially to a small business owner, than having to close up shop because of losing a battle in the court room. To know more about Insurance and its benefits you can read more here.

Small business owners beware

As a small business owner you don’t want to work hard for your business to get where you can be happy with it only to lose it because of some unfortunate event that you could have had protection against. Business insurance can help protect you and your business from financial ruin, as well as make you feel comfortable about not losing everything you worked so hard to build.

There are three types of insurance recommended for small business owners.

  1. Workers compensation is now required by law for any business employing more than one person. It is also highly recommended that small business owners retain some form of
  2. Liability and
  3. Property insurance

While bigger companies may be able to handle some kind of lawsuit, getting sued as a small business could put an end to the business as a whole. Deciding against these types of insurance, especially in a society where people are more eager to sue than ever, could have dire consequences should a lawsuit come out unfavorable for the small business owner. In addition to workmen’s compensation, most businesses should consider some kind of liability and property insurance to protect themselves and their property.

Small business property insurance that can be purchased covers you in case of fire or other catastrophic occurrence. You will also be covered for any expenses to move an object to protect it from further damage. There are three ways to determine what amount the property insurance will cover. It can be based on an agreed upon amount, the replacement value, or the property’s actual cash value. The agreed upon amount usually applies to unique property such as artwork. The replacement value is determined by the cost of replacing an item, with no depreciation being allowed on the property. The actual cash value is the replacement cost minus the depreciation.

According to the Hartford’s “Business Owner’s Handbook” there are over 15 things any small business should have insurance for. Among these are your buildings and structures, leased equipment, inventory, and furniture. The rest are pretty much made up of everything that is used in a business. Don’t forget whatever you use to help your business needs to be insured or you could run the risk of having to start your business all over again. There are more affordable plans becoming available all the time, so check out some free quotes while you are here. It might just be worth your time.

Take an account of all the things you use in your business, and then come to a value on each. Depending on the amount you come out with you need to be sure there will be enough insurance coverage to replace those items if needed. Business owners who rent should be aware that their equipment by not be covered, no matter how good their landlord’s insurance may be. Make sure you don’t lose your livelihood because you thought someone else had it covered. Get a free business quote now and see what could be the best decision you’ve made.

Small Business Coverage Can Be Found

There are companies that actually specialize in small business coverage, and you can find them here at (GGGGGG). Some policies you will find can cover you if you also own the building or if the building you are in is destroyed. You can even be insured for damaged landscaping or any signs that you use for your business. Always keep these things at the forefront of any discussions about business insurance because many are not standard, so be sure to know exactly what your covered for so there will be no surprises. You don’t want to lose your tools in a storm and then be told they weren’t part of the policy. Be sure you cover what you need, because there will be insurance that could be worth the investment down the road.

The companies are not hard to find, and instead of chasing them have them chasing you.

Do I Need Liability Insurance?

Don’t lose everything because your business is being sued. You can protect your assets with liability insurance. Sometimes people sue businesses without even having a case. This insurance will cover your legal fees to defend yourself and your company against any fraudulent accusations. There are certain things liability insurance won’t normally cover, such as sexual harassment or wrongful termination cases, but this insurance can be purchased to include these options as well.

Specialized Liability Policies

  1. Business Identity Theft
  2. Employment Practices insurance
  3. Professional Liability, can include Errors and Omissions insurance
  4. Director’s and Officers Liability insurance

Making Your $ Go Further – Supermarket Shopping

What you pay at the register seems to increase every time your visit the supermarket. Organize your supermarket shop around what you need, what’s on sale and where’s best to go.

  • If you’re only doing a little shop, pick a small supermarket. You may pay a fraction more, but if you’re only after a few bits you’ll be less tempted to buy extras you don’t really need at a small basic supermarket.
  • If you’re buying in bulk, go large. If you’ve a tribe to feed, you’re having a party or you’re a pro at freezer meals, buy what you can in bulk from the supermarkets when it’s on sale.
  • Watch out for sell-by dates. Late in the day, produce that’s about to go past its sell-by date (not the use-by date) gets marked down. Have a look in the bakery section and you could save yourself a good few dollars, but remember it’s only a bargain if you can use the food up straight away!
  • Always make a list. Buy what you need to make the meals you’ve planned and to restock your cupboards, not just at whim. Plan a few days ahead and pop back in for extras rather than buy food you end up throwing away.
  • Shop around. You can save a lot at bargain basement supermarkets, even if you buy certain items elsewhere. It’s a jungle out there, so the golden rule is try everything once. Decide where you’d rather spend your hard-earned cash on quality items and where you can get hold of the same quality for less.
  • Don’t be fooled by swish packaging and ignore your own prejudices. The supermarket’s own brand products can also be just as good as the pricey big brands and save you dollars, so road test them. Try out the different supermarket brands as well: once you’ve got the packaging off, it may be you can’t tell the difference between the glossy premium brand and the smiley budget brand…and you don’t need a degree in marketing to figure out which one the supermarket wants you to buy!
  • Items like flour, rice, pasta, noodles, tomato sauce, milk, cream, paper towel are all great examples of home brand items that you don’t know the difference with. In fact, if you read the labels on some of them, they are probably made in the same factory.
  • Compare the price per 100g only. The supermarkets are starting to show this on the price tickets. It’s the best measure for price comparison. Don’t forget – just cause the small box is on special, doesn’t mean the big box isn’t cheaper at the regular price.
  • Don’t be a slave to supermarket gimmicks. There’s a reason why the chocolate and magazines are placed by the register, the children’s sweets are placed at their eye (and hand) level, and you have to spend hours cruising the aisles to find the few little bits you popped in for (you never find the bread, milk and eggs together in the first aisle). Another trick: take a closer look and you’ll see that the most expensive products are tactically placed on the middle shelf, at your eye level. Look up and down for the lower prices.
  • Special offers, reductions, and other promotions can be false economics. Especially if the supermarket puts the price up just before reducing it, to con you into thinking you’re saving more. If the reduced item is on your shopping list, it’s in the bag. If not, look at the price per kilo, check how much you’re actually saving and only buy it if you’re sure you’ll actually use it.
  • Shop on a full stomach. The smell of fresh bread from the bakery or the BBQ chicken’s from the deli is wafted over to entice you as soon as you walk in. If you’re full, you’re more likely to stick to what you need rather than filling your trolley with pricey, processed cakes, biscuits and chocolate.
  • If you only need a few things, don’t get a trolley; get a basket. You are more likely to grab extra things you don’t need if you have a trolley.
  • Get a loyalty card. Don’t tie yourself down to one supermarket just because you can earn points there, but by all means get loyalty cards for all the supermarkets you shop in and save up your points to use at Christmas or earn yourself gifts.