Sunday, Sep 7, 2008
Many people are easily tempted to collect credit cards. It doesn’t help that nowadays, almost all credit companies send pre-approved cards often with high credit limits. Unless the recipient has good sense of control over his/her spending, the risk starts once the credit card is made ready for use.
There is a company called Comparecards.com that helps to check for suitable credit cards depending on the financial standing and spending needs of a person. There are a lot of different types out there but what I would look out for is a low interest credit card.
Ideally though, the safest of all to use are pre-paid debit cards. Having to set a spending limit is easier than working to pay for credit interests alone.
Posted in Money Talk, Piggy Bank
Saturday, Sep 6, 2008
Up to this point, we haven’t bought a replacement for our trusty Philips vacuum cleaner. We’re supposed to buy a Dyson unit a few months ago but other things on our shopping list were given priority.
Hopefully the list clears up after Christmas so we can start to scout for a Dyson. There are so many cheap vacuum cleaners out there but this time around we want to buy a really good brand.
Posted in Home and Living, Piggy Bank
Tagged as vacuum cleaner
Friday, Sep 5, 2008
In a little over two months, the US will have a new President. Both contenders for this top post have officially accepted their party nominations and therefore marked the start of the 60-day campaign.
During the televised rallies and conventions, it is noticeable that many celebrities from the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Jessica Alba support Barack Obama. Winfrey was even in tears after Barack’s acceptance speech.
The supporters of the first African-American presidential candidate wear Obama t-shirts or sweatshirts, put up posters and flags to help in the campaign.
This is indeed a tight presidential race. People all over the world have their eyes on the US. I, too, have been following the news and campaign-related updates. I have never been this interested with the US politics. Like most of us, I wish for the best candidate to win and for the country to be in a better economic state.
Posted in People, Piggy Bank
Tagged as US presidential campaign
Thursday, Sep 4, 2008
For real couch potatoes, having access to DirecTV is a must have. Imagine the array of shows and movies that are available 24/7, who needs to go out and watch on the big screen?
There are DirecTV deals to choose from. Like free access to premier or DVR service for a limited period, free HD receiver upgrade, 60+ channels and a lot more! Whether it’s news, music, movies or sports, the DirecTV offers are simply irresistible.
A quick quote page on Direct Sat TV’s website is available for interested subscribers. So, what are you waiting for? Get into the satellite TV bandwagon!
Posted in General Technology, Piggy Bank
Tagged as satellite TV
Thursday, Sep 4, 2008
Since white gold became popular, I started collecting a few simple pieces of jewelry for everyday wear. Then silver became a trend as well and a lot more people started to wear neat and crafty silver jewelry.
Now there are stainless steel items like magnetic bracelets, copper bracelets that look really nice and are therapeutic, too. This steel wire bracelet was once pretty popular. Do you own one?
Posted in Health, Piggy Bank
Tagged as bracelets
Wednesday, Sep 3, 2008
I have lost count of how many times a telemarketer has called our home phone to offer telecommunication services. Some are polite and some are rude. Either way, getting those calls a few times a day is just annoying. At one point, I had to hang-up the phone because the caller won’t stop ringing our line. How nasty is that?
Currently, we don’t have a caller ID feature and maybe when we renew our contract (we’re looking at changing carriers), we should consider having that feature. It might be a good idea to take note of the caller’s number and see whether they call us frequently on purpose. I understand the pressures that telemarketers go through to reach their sales quota. But I believe that it should not be done at the expense of other people.
In the US and Canada, there is a look-up service provided by WhoOwnsThisPhone.com. It is a reverse phone look-up that can help to trace numbers of unknown callers.
Posted in Home and Living, Piggy Bank
Tagged as telemarketers
Wednesday, Sep 3, 2008
We have been indulging in sweets lately. Aside from the usual stock of chocolate bars in the fridge, we have fruit salad, muffins and fruits. Well, it is safe to say that fruits can be taken out of the list but then our overall dessert servings may be getting a bit out of proportion.
Aside from getting diabetes (which already runs in my husband’s family), it is our weight that we should be conscious about. With our daily schedules that keep us busy, my husband with work and I at home, we can’t commit to an exercise regime anymore.
When it comes to losing weight, many consider diet pills or cheap phentermine as fall back. Some swear by its safety and effectiveness. I have friends who achieved their desired weight just by taking these pills. But hopefully, it won’t come to a point where out of carelessness with our food intake, we’d resort to drastic dieting.
Posted in Health, Piggy Bank
Tagged as diet pills
Wednesday, Sep 3, 2008
For non-technical bloggers like me, it is pretty helpful to bookmark sites that provide reviews, tips and tricks in setting up a website. Web Hosting Geeks do just that. They provide very exhaustive information on hosting reviews, templates, domain names and a lot more.
If you’d like to self-host on a budget, there is page dedicated to the best budget hosting company for the year. The features, host ratings and customer ratings will be very helpful when deciding which company to get.
Also, if you prefer free domain name registration to go with web hosting, there is about 21 companies listed to choose from. I really admire the geeks behind this very helpful website. They really know what they’re talking about!
Posted in General Blogging, Piggy Bank
Tagged as web host
Tuesday, Sep 2, 2008
It’s spring now in Australia! Although the weather’s still very much winter-y (is there such a term?), we are excited in welcoming yet another season. The coming two seasons are the best times to do house maintenance or repairs in preparation for the hard rain and the harsh winter the following year.
Most homeowners would have their preferred seamless rain gutters contractor. Unless the owner knows roofing work, then a handyman is needed. I guess it is safe to have a contractor do the work to avoid accidents that we usually hear happen to inexperienced people clearing, cleaning or repairing roofs or other critical parts of the house.
I heard before (though I’m pretty sure the amount may differ now) that homeowners should prepare for house repairs and allot a budget of 10k USD every 5 years. It will help to keep everything in check and in order so that major renovation can be prevented.
This is also a good time to plan for a house repainting. Changing color schemes or themes of a house can give a “fresh” feeling to any body living there. There are so many colors fit for autumn and summer that can truly liven up the spirits!
Posted in Home and Living, Piggy Bank
Tagged as house repairs
Tuesday, Sep 2, 2008
Since I started using a digital camera in 2004, I’ve stopped having my photos printed. It is mainly because I have more photos to choose from and it can get really costly to have them all printed and framed.
Although I still prefer my favorite shots to be printed, my dilemma starts in deciding which ones to display. I don’t want our apartment to look like a gallery for sure! So one of these days, I’d set aside time to go over all my photos and select the ones I really like. With digital picture frames now becoming popular alternatives to traditional frames, it will not be a problem to display 10 or even a 100 of my favorite shots.
What’s nice about digital frames is that it doesn’t take a lot of space. I just need a memory card that has the capacity to hold all the photos I want to display.
Posted in Gadgets, Piggy Bank
Tagged as digital frame
Tuesday, Sep 2, 2008
It is now very easy to locate friends or family whom you have lost contact with through the years. There is a reverse phone lookup website that will provide details on any given phone number in the US. Now, keeping in touch with the important people in our lives is just a few clicks away.
Posted in Piggy Bank
Tuesday, Sep 2, 2008
For those of us who moved to a new country, it can get be difficult to start building friendships or business partnerships. And if you’re the type who can be cynical about the people you meet, then the anxiety and stress double. Good thing, there is a website that stores information of people in the US with court records. This will quickly provide references that you need right at the comforts of your own home.
Posted in Piggy Bank
Tuesday, Sep 2, 2008
There is a website that provides a wealth of information on court records for people in the United States. On its main page, there are a few search fields like First Name and Last Name to be filled in. The database will then churn out information on public court records, criminal records and a lot more.
This is pretty useful when you need to do a background check of people that you do business with or when you simply want to perform a quick character check. At the comforts of home, you can get the peace of mind knowing that the people you deal with are being transparent or sincere.
Posted in Piggy Bank
Monday, Sep 1, 2008
There are so many things to do in New York City. From visiting museums, parks, watching Broadways and seeing the major attractions like Ellis Island, Lady Liberty Statue or Central Park, there is some thing for each member of the family to enjoy. Also, there are available NYC Bus charters available for big group tours, which is a good option if you want a free and easy look-see of New York City.
Although we maximized the few days we allotted during our visit a few years ago, we felt that we should have stayed at least a week (or even longer if possible) to explore more places. I remember how tired we were at the end of each day since we spent the most part walking. It is expensive to take a cab and not all tourist spots are accessible by train. Anyway, that’s how to best explore the big Apple, on foot.
I just hope we can visit New York again someday. It should be easier to plan for now. However, we should plan for a side trip to Philadelphia since Sesame Place is a must-visit for our daughter. I can’t wait to see her reaction when she finally meets her all-time favorite, Elmo.
Posted in Piggy Bank, Travels
Monday, Sep 1, 2008
More and more of our friends are migrating to Canada. It goes without saying that some of them are convincing us to consider moving there. Aside from good work opportunities, it is the quiet and laid-back lifestyle that they consider as its “selling” points.
If ever we’ll consider moving to another country (again), we will first go for a visit and have a first-hand feel of the place. Like, if it is Canada, we can try going to BC and get Whistler accommodation. They offer different types of Whistler lodging, ranging from town homes, condos, apartments or condos. Since we will go as a family, it might be a good idea to rent an individual property like Cedar Ridge 17.
It will be nice to eventually visit Canada and compare the lifestyle with Australia. This is in our long list of must-see places anyway, so I hope it materializes in the near future. The best part is we’ll get to meet long-time friends that we haven’t seen in years. So, Canada, we’ll see you someday.
Posted in Piggy Bank, Travels
Monday, Sep 1, 2008
The next exciting thing that comes after purchasing your own home is shopping for furniture. There is definitely a type of antique or modern furniture that would suit any theme chosen for each room in the house.
I would love our lounge area to-be to be a bit colorful, with bright wall paintings, comfy sofas and lots of pillows. The living room will have less modern furniture but more antique pieces. The colors will be neutral yet not the dull shades. Most of the decorations will be cool to eyes and will bring a homey feeling.
The other rooms in the house will have different themes, too. Our family room to-be will have a mix of casual and modern furniture. Since this room will hold most of the simple get-togethers like DVD nights or when you just want to listen to music, the ambiance should definitely be easy-going.
It is very expensive to furnish a home so there should be a good balance between must-haves and nice-to-haves.
Posted in Home and Living, Piggy Bank
Saturday, Aug 30, 2008
I somehow regret having to choose a bulky TV stand. Looking back, I remember being drawn to its antique finish and I liked that it has a matching side and centre tables. Now, without the luxury of space in our living room, I wished we just got a TV lift cabinet.
It still looks pretty elegant and sturdy. The caramel finish looks pretty much like antique and the compartments for the DVD players are spacious enough. Sigh, I wish I can trade what we have now for this.
Posted in Piggy Bank
Friday, Aug 29, 2008
Internet connection has become somewhat a necessity these days. Searching for recipes, product feedback and even shopping for clothes, books and what not any time, anywhere is made possible with mobile broadband.
If the mobile phone has the capability and is subscribed to Internet service, all you need to do is to find a good spot at a café, with a cup of coffee on one hand while your surfing the Internet with the other.
Also, it is highly noticeable that people nowadays do their work using their mobile phones. They can access their emails or even join conference calls while on the road. I wonder what other functionalities will be available for the tech-savvy users in the not so distant future.
Posted in Gadgets, Piggy Bank
Thursday, Aug 28, 2008
With more and more people searching for suitable jobs overseas, many manpower agencies have sprung in order to meet the demand. I have met a lot of people who have worked with at least one recruitment agency and found Engineering jobs in as far as Europe.
Choosing the right agency to trust is not an easy process. Therefore, job seekers must ensure that the company has proper government’s accreditation and permits before closing a deal.
Before, working abroad is only for a few selected industries like Information Technology or Medical field. These days, there is a big demand for construction or manufacturing industry workers. This means that looking for jobs in Birmingham or Glasgow is not as difficult as it used to be.
Posted in Piggy Bank
Wednesday, Aug 27, 2008
It is the time of year when companies start preparing for Christmas. Too early you think? Well, not really. Preparing a recipients’ list, scouting for good corporate gifts, finding a good supplier and distributing them are major activities for big companies.
No wonder trading promotional items is a huge business. Before, pens, mugs and calendars are the usual promotional products given away. Now, people have become more innovative that even computer accessories like flash drives or screen sweeps make great company gifts.
I used to look forward to the year-end, when I get to bring home gifts from my clients. No matter how little or non-essential they are, it’s the thought of unwrapping the gifts that I love.
Flash drives as perfect give-aways
Posted in Piggy Bank
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