Financial Planning

I forgot to mention, I met with a financial planner this week. I almost want to laugh when I say that. Actually, I will... LOL!

Why am I laughing? Because it's almost embarrassing to meet with a financial adviser over such a measly amount like I got. But, it's like he said, you gotta start somewhere and it's always better to start sooner than later and a little late is always earlier than later. Makes sense? In other words, just jump into it.

I don't know much about IRAs, mutual funds, futures trading, investment funds, and such so I just rely on guys like him (the financial adviser dude) to handle my investments for me. Finance and my brain just don't mix well, you know? It's like oil and water. Start talking investments, interests, annuities and all that and you've lost me. HOWEVER, just because I'm an investment dummy doesn't mean I shouldn't invest. I NEED to invest what little money I have because I have daughters going to college and I do not like to eat cat food in my old age. So, my tip for today, even if you don't think you have anything to invest (which you do even if you're earning minimum wage, you can start saving) or know anything about investing, I suggest start saving NOW. When they say pay yourself first it doesn't mean pay yourself and go shopping. It means pay yourself and save it.

Making Money From Your Hobby

My husband turned a natural talent into a career, he's an artist. Some people would have been content to simply use their talent as a hobby, but he knew early on that art is where his passion lies and he stuck with it. Unfortunately, not all of us are like that. We aren't as focused and usually turn to traditional careers and simply use our artistic tendencies to occupy our spare time.

My girls, and I'm sure they get their tendencies from their father, love all kinds of crafts and art. They make paper accessories, knitted scarves, sewn handbags, handcrafted jewelry, clay sculptures and many other things that catch their interest. Jade has been trying to find ways to turn their hobbies into money. She's at that stage when money is becoming important to do the things she wants to do, so she's putting her skills to work. She's thinking of opening an online store to sell their wares, and I'm not discouraging her. More power to her endeavors and I do hope she starts making her own money soon. Maybe I can start keeping more of mine in my wallet. LOL!

On Mortgages

eHomeMortgages.com is a national directory which allows consumers to search for mortgage and real estate professionals in their local area. Back in December, we were investigating mortgage rates in our area because we wanted to get an equity loan on our house. Our house is paid for, see, and we just needed a small loan to pay off some things and we figured a home loan is cheaper than credit cards. The NC Mortgage Rate is not too bad, compared to the rest of the county but it still can be a nightmare to wade through all the information and conflicting rates for mortgages. It helps when there is a central location you can go to to compare rates and services that are available in your area.

E-Commerce Software

Jade and I have been working for the last couple of weeks on her dad's website. Neither one of us have ever designed a website from scratch before, and we are up to our necks with 'things to do'. Considering we had zero experience between the two of us, three including her dad, we've done pretty well. The website is actually up and running with real information already posted! Yeah, we're proud of ourselves.

Now the next hurdle for us to find and set up a Shopping Cart Software. My husband eventually want to utilize the website to sell his artwork, you see, so the software needs to be able to accept all major credit cards and also PayPal. From talking to other people who have had experience setting up e-stores, it is no easy task integrating this software into your website.

Ecommerce Software is one that we have been looking to use for the website. This is on the median range pricewise and according to their website, the software is one of the more intuitive and user friendly software available. The site design is fully customizable to make your whole site seem seamless and it comes equipped with wysiwyg (what you see is what you get) editor. One of the more usefull things about this software is the set-up checklist which guides you step-by-step through the set up process.

It still comes equipped with the basic estore capabilities like accepting all major credit cards and PayPal, fraud screening and security, and other merchandising tools. Best of all, they offer 24/7 tech support for when you get stuck doing something in the middle of the night. If, like us, you need a reliable ecommerce software, this solutions may just fit your specific needs.

Mint Credit Cards

UK residents have another credit card option with Mint credit cards. The first thing I usually look for in credit cards is the interest rate. The Mint offers a 14.9% interest which is not bad. It is about average among the many credit cards offered today. Another advantage is that there is no annual fee, which I think is ridiculous anyway and is an immediate disqualifier for me when choosing credit cards. I also like that free online account management is available. I do most of my banking online now. I just like the convenience of having access to my account information when I need it. If you shop online frequently, the Mint also offers online fraud protection.

The Mint, like most credit cards, is accepted worldwide, wherever MasterCard or Visa is accepted. With up to 7,500 euros credit limit that is offered, you can pretty much have a good time anywhere you go.

UK Credit Cards

Here again is another great opportunity for U.K. residents looking for a credit card. The Cooperative Bank offers several credit cards depending on your needs. They all have reasonable interest rates ranging from 11.9% to 18.9%. Some of them have an introductory interest rate of 0% and some even include additional incentives like travel insurance, purchase protection insurance, affiliate discounts and medical and legal assistance overseas. For instance, if you use one of these credit cards to purchase your vacation tickets the travel insurance included with some of the cards will provide coverage for up to 100,000 pounds. When you are traveling overseas, some of the cards also provide medical and legal assistance in addition to emergency cash and legal assistance services. As if these incentives weren't enough, they also have an affiliate program where you can help raise money for your favorite charitable organization just by using your credit card! Among the many affiliated charities include: Greenpeace, Christian Aid, Amnesty International and Save the Children.

"Details accurate at date of publishing." This post sponsored by Co-operative Bank.