My husband and I will hopefully be homeowners within the next year. We’re saving for a down payment and considering what we’ll need to furnish and maintain a home - including homeowners insurance. Finding cheap home insurance is tricky, because like anything else - just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean it’s good.
If you’re in the UK, a great resource to make sure that you’re getting what you need in terms of coverage at the lowest possible price is the Norwich & Peterborough building society. They offer financing, financial advising, insurance, savings, and more - making them experts in the industry. They’ve been around since 1852, so I’d say they know their stuff.
So, not only do we not have cable, we now don’t even have basic television because we never purchased a digital converter box. I don’t plan on rushing out to purchase one either because of Spreety TV Online where you can find where to watch the latest episodes of your favorite shows.
I may have gotten a nasty virus on my work computer while trying to watch the latest episode of Property Virgins (which I am absolutely obsessed with since buying a home is in our foreseeable future) so it’s good to know that Spreety TV is safe and legal and FREE.
I’m fairly compulsive about my credit rating. I take advantage of acquiring my free credit report every year and I always request a copy whenever I’m entitled to one - in the US, that’s whenever a company takes adverse action against you based on your credit, say when you’re denied a credit, insurance, or employment.
No matter where you live or what you do, you need to be keeping tabs on your credit in case of inconsistencies, identity fraud, or just bad spending habits.
If you happen to live in the UK and want to instantly check credit report then you need to head over to Callcredit, the top UK credit reference agency. We all need to see what the lenders are seeing when they consider doing business with us, and Callcredit can help keep you informed and able to better monitor your credit.
I think it’s a well known fact that I like nice, shiny things - but sometimes nice, shiny things aren’t in the budget. GE apparently understands the need for nice, shiny things because they are offering free stainless steel upgrade on select products - including two different refrigerators, range, dishwasher, and microwave oven - so that you can outfit your entire kitchen in stainless steal for the same price as you would boring white appliances!
To celebrate the durability of GE stainless steel appliances, GE created the Strong as Steel workout - another tongue in cheek benefit of stainless steel appliances! Allison Sweeny from The Biggest Loser is a fan!
If you’re in the market for new appliances, make sure to get to your local GE retailer before July 6th to take advantage of the free stainless steel upgrade!
We’ve been talking about getting bikes for almost two years and since we’re in the process of selling my old car, we decided to use that money to buy Treks. My husband got a fancy Bike Path 7.3 FX and I got the Pure Deluxe Lowstep and we had a great time on our first ride last night - 4.8 miles!
$1100 Trek
$100 Target (bike pump, bike lock, and workout clothes)
$18 Jimmy Johns (lunch after a long bike ride)
$113 Amazon (bells, baskets, and odometers)
I also made $250 selling an elliptical on Craigs list and have some exciting blogging work coming up!
Personal savings increased to 6.9% in May - the highest it’s been in 15 years - after hovering around 0% in 2008. The increase is being credited to the whopping $10 extra that many are seeing in their weekly paycheck courtesy of the $787 billion stimulus plan. We did put $500 into savings in May, but have not had any extra this month to stash away.
Have you noticed extra in your paycheck? Have you increased your savings? Or are you going hog wild with that extra $10 a week?
To say the job market is competitive is an understatement. Perfectly qualified individuals who are willing to work hard are being turned away from the most menial of positions because so many people are vying for employment. The only way to make sure you stand out from the crowd is by making sure you have the Job skills necessary to make yourself invaluable to a potential employer.
A great way to learn those necessary skills is to take advantage of online training courses through Learn.com, which has recently launched a set of training courses aimed at helping individuals development the “job ready” skills that employers are looking for. By taking classes through Learn.com, individuals are given a tangible Skill Score that represents their skill and knowledge in a particular area ranging from business, management, and administration to marketing, sales, and service that they can take to potential employers to show that they are “job read.”
Before I was married, I worked as an Executive Assistant - a great position with reasonable hours, benefits, and good pay - a position many people would love to have. When Learn.com gave me the opportunity to try their online courses, I thought focusing on administration would be perfect because I know what’s needed for the position and could judge if the courses could help someone in the position.
As soon as I signed up, I was immediately impressed with the range of skills. Just the entry level course, which only costs $29, includes all of these skill sets:
Basics: Math and Grammar
Courses
Grammar - Punctuation
Basics of Business Math: Percents
Basics of Business Math: Reports
Grammar: Advanced Grammar
Grammar: Complex Sentence Structures
Grammar: Fundamental Sentence Structures
Business Ethics I
Courses
Business Ethics: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You
Communication: Telephone I
Courses
Communication (Videos): Telephone Etiquette
Communication Essentials
Communication: Written I
Courses
Effective Business Communication: Letters
Effective Business Communication: Memos, E-Mail and Other Communications
Effective Business Communication: Writing Skills
Computer Use
Courses
Internet Explorer 7: Learning the New Interface and Features
Introduction to PCs: Basic Peripherals
Introduction to PCs: Inside Your PC
Introduction to PCs: Internet and E-mail Tips
Introduction to PCs: Introducing the Internet
Introduction to PCs: Introducing the PC
Introduction to PCs: Other Peripherals
Introduction to PCs: Troubleshooting and Tips
Introduction to PCs: Understanding Software
Introduction to PCs: Using Your PC
Introduction to PCs: Working with Folders and Files
Microsoft Office: Entry
Courses
Microsoft Office Access 2007 Fundamentals
Microsoft Office Word 2007 Fundamentals
Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 Fundamentals
Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 Fundamentals
Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Fundamentals
I completed grammar and punctuation (I didn’t do so well on numbers and abbreviations - I only scored 46%) and Microsoft Office 2007 Fundamentals. The grammar course was an interactive slide show that taught then asked you to answer questions. I think it’s really help that you are able to take notes and print courses and the summary at the end of each course is very helpful in reviewing what you have learned. The Microsoft course was a more elaborate interactive video and even allowed you to review missed questions.
Whether you’re reentering the workforce and need to brush up on skills, looking for a new career path and are learning skills for the first time, or are hoping to snag a promotion - Learn.com offers a great selection of courses that are very thorough and informative. I was very impressed with the courses I interacted with and even learned a few things myself!
I had a contest sponsor back out, so I bought the prizes myself from Amazon (of course, I bought a similar product and not their product - I wasn’t giving them any money!) and a few books may have made it into my cart as well.
Through the education offered by Bettertrade, the dark clouds have been lifted and a new avenue has been revealed for those looking to make money in option trading
Car needs repair? Need to make an important trip? Get a payday loan. A $500 payday loan is for people who want to manage their expenses before their expenses manage them.
