Alternatives to Credit Cards

Are you one of those people who only ever got a credit card for the convenience of being able to pay without cash, or because you weren’t aware of any other easy way to borrow money? Millions of us are, thanks to the unavoidable advertising of the credit card industry, and few people realise just how many alternatives to credit cards there are. Let’s take a look at a few.

Debit Cards.

Debit cards are often used in many European countries, but are relatively unheard of elsewhere. Basically, they’re just like credit cards and are accepted everywhere credit cards are accepted – the only difference is that they take any money you spend directly from your bank account, instead of you getting a bill at the end of the month. You should be aware, though, that you aren’t as well-protected from fraud with a debit card as you would be with a credit card.

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Posted on November 27th, 2007 by Clive and filed under Credit Cards | No Comments »

Negotiating Your Debts.

If you’re in a really bad situation, and you just can’t even make your minimum payments this month, don’t worry. You can negotiate your debts, and pay back much less than you owe – as long as they get their debt plus interest in the end, no-one is expecting you to pay the full amount when you just can’t afford to.

Settling your debts takes a lot of time, and many people find it intimidating. If you do it right, though, you’ll be surprised at how kind your creditors (that is, the people you owe money to) can be.

Close My Account.

It might feel bad, but if you can’t afford to pay that credit card, you’ll have to close the account – that means you can’t borrow any more money with that card. To close the account, you’ll have to negotiate something called a ‘payment plan’.

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Posted on November 20th, 2007 by Clive and filed under Credit Cards | No Comments »

Do It Yourself Home Construction Real Estate!

Home construction real estate is a major concern among all of us. Yes, it is the American dream and we spend our entire life pursuing the dream, often to find ourselves disappointed with the construction. Relying on a builder, on a carpenter, on an interior designer and decorator is most of the times a good decision. But it often takes nightmarish turns with our realization that these professionals perhaps did not understand what exactly we wanted from our dream house! It is disheartening, isn’t it? To our utter dismay, our realizations do not cease their. We realize that the slightest intervention on our part could have made things closer to our own expectations.

So what made us keep from intervening? That is probably our lack of knowledge and more so our lack of confidence. We often lack the confidence of interfering with people who belong to a particular trade. But with a little knowledge and information, you ca ensure that your dream is well realized. So, having a basic knowledge regarding real estate home construction is a mandate. Manuals and modules on operating power tools, dimensions of lumber, reading tape measure, building cabinets, building doors, and many other such things are available in the market. These will give you a fair idea regarding construction nuances. With these you can at least identify where your ideas are going wrong and where there is still scope for improvement.

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Posted on November 13th, 2007 by Clive and filed under Construction | No Comments »

Why Credit Cards are a Bad Idea.

Credit cards are just so convenient, aren’t they? There’s no need to carry any money with you ever again: you can just take one with you to the shop and pay the exact amount just by handing it over. If you haven’t been paid yet, then you don’t need to worry, because the money will still be there.

When you shop on the Internet or over the phone, it’s the only good way to do it – what else are you going to do, post a cheque? Like anything convenient, though, credit cards have a flip side – in fact, they have lots.

Can You Keep Track?

When you walk into that shop and hand over the card, the money is taken from the card, and the card goes back into your wallet. You still have all the things you started with – there’s no less money in your purse or wallet to remind you of what you’ve spent.

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Posted on November 6th, 2007 by Clive and filed under Credit Cards | No Comments »
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