Archive for the ‘Personal Finance’ category

3 Ways to Make Extra Money on the Side Offline

July 14th, 2011

The tough economic situation may require you to find a way to supplement your income to ensure all bills are paid and you live comfortably. While many people are moving on the internet to make money, there are also numerous offline ways to make extra money on the side. The internet has become so pervasive in our lives we sometimes forget that part time income doesn’t always begin online. Here are some ideas you can implement during your free time to earn additional income.

Get a Part Time Job

If you have a full time job, one of the ways to make extra money on the side is to get a part time job you can do during your free time. You can get a weekend gig or a night or evening gig to bring in the extra coin. This extra job does not have to be very lucrative. Depending on your interests, you can get a job taking care of kids, mowing lawns, serving in a pub, running simple errands and many others. You just need to identify part time opportunities in your area and apply for them. You can also identify the services people need in your area and provide them for a fee.

Make Money from Your Hobbies

There is that activity you find yourself doing every time you are free. You can turn this into an additional stream of income. If you love knitting, you can sell the items you make to neighbors and friends. If you enjoy jewelry making, you have a very huge local offline market to sell what you make and earn extra cash on the side. No matter what your hobby is, you can find a way to make money from it. The money you make doing what you love is the sweetest and comes almost effortlessly since you would be doing it even if you were not getting paid. » Read more: 3 Ways to Make Extra Money on the Side Offline

10 Instances to Avoid Using Debit Cards

July 14th, 2011

Reaching out to your wallet is like taking a multiple choice exam: How do you want to pay for your shopping? Credit cards and debit cards look identical; however, not all plastics are the same. The transactions are processed differently and protection offered to users are not the same. Debit cards are not suited for all occasions. Since they are a direct line to your bank account, there are instances where you have to avoid handing them over – at least for your peace of mind. Here are 10 instances to avoid using your debit card.

1. Online Transactions

You have potential vulnerability when you use your debit card online. If you encounter problems with a purchase or your card information gets “hijacked,” your vulnerability increases because it is lined to an account. This also includes all phone orders.

2. Buying Very Expensive Items

Your card has fewer protection with very expensive items. Unlike credit cards, most debit cards do not offer dispute rights in case something goes wrong with the merchandise or the purchase.

3. Transactions Where Deposits Are Required

There are certain transactions, like renting a home improvement equipment, that require a sizable amount of deposit. You would never want to use that card that links to your bank account for this; you could use your credit card instead. By this, you can still have all the access to your bank account. Chances are, you will never actually have to part with a dollar. » Read more: 10 Instances to Avoid Using Debit Cards

Using Cashback Sites To Save Money

July 14th, 2011

When it comes to saving money on the things that everybody has to buy yearly, being able to get a bit of that money back by using cashback sites is one of the ways to reduce the costs of those items. Depending on the other items that people would normally be buying online, there are a lot of things which can actually be bought by utilizing one of these cashback sites in order to get a percentage of the price of the item, or a flat referral fee back from that company.

Financial Products

One of the most common things that can be bought online through cashback sites to earn money back from retailers are financial products. These can be things like home, car, and travel insurances. These products tend to offer quite good levels of cashback, along with other items like credit cards and other credit products where a percentage of the interest that would be paid can be received as cashback. An area where the cashback sites can really come into their own is when they have exclusive deals with banks or other financial companies where a financial incentive is offered to switch products such as current accounts and savings products. People can actually make money without having to make a financial outlay simply by switching between one provider and another through the cashback sites. » Read more: Using Cashback Sites To Save Money