Canadian-Money-Advisor.ca BLOG
What is a credit card - 2 ?
There are millions of credit cards in Canada, that come in all flavors and sizes. This article will help explain various aspects of what is a credit card.
Who provides credit cards? Plastic money, as it's called, is provided by companies who specialize in managing vast amounts of purchases by millions of people in countries around the world. A credit card companie must have the computer systems and database systems to be able to manage the individuals current personal and credit information, and help perform instant lending transactions.
This "systems lender" makes its money by annual fees charged to the vendor each time a purchase is made, along with interest fees charged, and service fees charge to the individual customers.
Who uses credit cards? Anybody who is of the age of majority who is able to sign legal agreement is able to have a charge card. Business people and individuals alike use credit cards for travel expenses, household purchases, electronics, online purchases, groceries etc. Pretty much everything can be bought with the instant loan card.
What types of credit cards are there? There are high interest cards, low interest cards, travel reward cards, line of credit cards, and other types of reward points cards. Credit cards themselves are usually made of thin plastic that you can fit in your wallet. Each company has a different logo and identifying and security marks to protect the customer. Each card has an electronic strip so that you can swipe it when making a purchase. The electronic strip holds your information which is instantly sent to the credit card processor which either approves or declines your purchase.
Where can I use a credit card? Convenience cards can be used at pretty much every retail store, restaurant, hotel, airline and online store around the world. It's good to ask a retailer which brands they take before making a purchase. Some retailers will take Visa and Mastercard, but not American Express. The beauty of carry a travelling charge card is that you can use them all over the world. Again, if you're travelling, you may want to call ahead to ensure that the countries and retailers, hotels etc use your credit card before you take your trip. I've heard of cases where people have gone on a trip and have been left cashless because they took the wrong credit cards.
When can I get a credit card? All Canadian banks offer their own version of Mastercard or Visa. They even offer American Express. There are other retailers like Canadian Tire, Capital One, MBNA that offer "independent" credit agreements.
Why do people use credit cards? People use credit cards for various reasons: 1) They don't want to carry cash with them. 2) They want to collect rewards points & cash back points. 3) They like other peoples money for as long as possible. 4) They are short of cash and need a loan to make purchases. 5) They want to buy something online in a secure fashion. That is the beauty of this type of loan facility. It offers flexibility and convenience.
How do I get a credit card You can go to a bank or credit union and go through the paper credit card application process. You can apply at retailers that have their own credit cards. You can apply online for cards such as Capital One. You need to ensure that your credit history and credit score will be within the requirements of the creditor. If you're not sure what this means, give your credit card company a call and ask them what qualifications such as credit history they will ask for to be approved for their various plastic money products.
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What is a Collection CallA collection call happens when a collection agent, working at a collection agency calls a debtor who is behind on payments as according to the terms and conditions of the credit agreement.
Who Makes Collection Calls?
Only Provincially licensed collection agents who are working at Provincially licensed collection agencies are allowed to make collection calls.
These third party collection agencies should have written agreements with creditors to collect debts that are past due or where payments have stopped
Who Receives Collection Calls?
An individual who is behind in making payments, or stopped payments altogether will receive notifications by telephone, or mail from a licensed firm.
In the agreement the debtor signed, they've allowed the creditor to use a third party bill collector should they not make payments up to date and as agreed to.
Where is a Collection Call Made to?
A collection call can be made to the individual's home, or to their place of employment. Agents will call all sorts of places trying to locate the debtor, if the debtor's contact records are out of date.
Usually a collection call is made to the debtors home, and there are rules and regulations that need to be followed by the debt manager. Each province has regulations that limit where and when a call can be made.
When is a Collection Call Made?
Contacting a debtor should usually be done at reasonable hours. Usually the hours are between 8 am and 9 pm, the same times that telephone solicitors are allowed to call.
Each province has different regulations on when collection calls are allowed. Most times collection personnel are not allowed to call on weekends or holidays and at certain hours.
Why are Collection Calls Made?
There is an agreement set in place between the debtor and the creditor. In short, the debtor borrows money from the creditor and agrees to make interest and principal payments at agreed times.
If these payments are not made, that usually triggers collection activities.
As to why the borrower isn't making payments could range from pure neglect to the fact that they just lost their job, or acquired an illness and their cash income has been cut off.
A creditor's income is the interest it charges to the borrower. It must be able to control the payments coming in from it's customers.
Understanding that it's customers payments are not always going to be smooth and steady, it has to use a system to encourage prompt payments. This ensures that the creditors cash flow is in tact.
How are Collection Calls Made?
When the payments are not made by the debt, the creditor's computer system flags the late payments automatically and then these database records are sent (hopefully securely) to the collection agencies computer system.
These days, collection agencies are usually automated with powerful computer systems and data management systems.
Many times collectors are based in call centers with several employers. Using an automated dialling system, the collection agent makes several calls over the course of a day. The more efficient the telephone and data system, the more calls can be made by the debt management company.
Collection calls are regulated by each province. If you're having more questions or problems please contact your local consumer protection for advice on how to deal with individuals and companies that work for creditors to herd in their payments.
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Michael Jackson - The machine was too much Despite how weird and uninteresting I thought Michael Jackson had become, I watched the news yesterday, as it was interesting on a business and personal finance level. The news agencies reported that Michael Jackson owed $500 million or 1/2 billion dollars, and that these debts were backed up by all of his musical and real estate assets and incomes.
I'm absolutely dumbfounded that an individual can owe $500 million. They had Michael Jackson's business consultant on CNBC this morning and the consultant mentioned that he had helped Jackson from avoiding bankruptcy in 2004.
The Machine is too big for an individual. In my opinion, Michael Jackson was on so many drugs, reports include demerol and morphine, just to avoid his life and his debt responsibilities.
He had a major tour scheduled in London and the revenue was reported at $50 million for 50 days. If the star is on that many drugs, and in that rough of shape, would he be able to even do a tour? The point that I'm getting at is this: business and individuals are great at building structures these days. But we're building things that are too large to handle. The banking system almost failed because it was too large for even the government to handle. In Michael Jackson's case, it seems that his empire was way too large for him to handle.
TOO BIG TO FAIL?!! This is certainly a attribute of our society these days. It seems that there are many companies that are too large to fail, including General Motors and AIG Insurance.
Many individuals have taken on considerable amounts of debt in their lifestyle, and it's causing structural problems for themselves and their families. Too much debt can be a problem if your health suffers, and you begin to lose control on how to make payments on the debt. I think this is definitely the case with Michael Jackson - especially since his debt was an unbelievable $500 million
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What is an annual percentage rate (APR) Annual Percentage rate is calculated on many consumer loans, mortgages and credit cards etc. It's a term that every body who has credit , or is interested in credit should learn about. The reason being is that this is how you're being charged interest on your loans. Just as you should know how to calculate GST & PST on purchases made, you should also know roughly how to calculate the interest costs on your loans.
If you're not a math wizard and do not understand the terms, then it would be prudent to get a friend or professional to help out. The more you understand how annual percentage rate is calculate, the better you can base your decisions on the types of credit you use, the amount of interest you pay, and which creditors are charge the highest, or lowest interest rates.
You could be spending more money on interest costs than you really need to. You could use any extra interest rate costs saved on paying down your debt. It's imporant to know that interest can be calculated daily, monthly, semi annually or annually. It all depends. It is good to ask your creditor how they're charging you, and if there is any more cost effective way you could pay.
Also...If you 're paying a high annual percentage rate, ask the creditor how you can get the lowest APR possible.
DEFINITIONS Who what where when why how?
According to http://www.businessdictionary.com annual percentage rate is Standardized method of quoting the effective interest rate (actual cost of credit) on consumer loans, specially where interest is computed on monthly or other non-annual basis. An APR includes all fees (except penalties), and takes into account the continual reduction of principal amount through amortization. See also add on loan.
According to http://www.mortgagefit.com/apr.html APR (Annual Percentage Rate) to compare mortgage lenders If you're willing to know how much your mortgage costs, the APR or Annual Percentage Rate is what you should watch out for. Lenders are required to disclose the APR as part of the Truth-in-Lending disclosure (as per the Truth-in-Lending Act). What is APR? The APR is not the actual rate or note rate advertised by the lender. It is the effective rate which represents the cost of borrowing a mortgage loan. Lenders calculate APR taking into account the closing costs and the interest rate on a mortgage. As a borrower, you too can calculate the APR using the APR Calculator.
The Annual Percentage Rate is often used to compare mortgage lenders and the programs they offer. However, it is not an effective tool for lender/loan comparison because a mortgage with high APR may often be a better option compared to one with a low APR.
What fees/costs does the APR include? Some of the fees/closing costs that the APR includes are: Points (discount and origination points) Prepaid interest (from closing date to the end of the month) Loan processing fee Underwriting fee Document preparation fee Private mortgage insurance
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What is high interest credit?High interest credit cards, and loans are pretty common these days. They can range from high interest car loans, credit cards, and lines of credit... even mortgages.
As the major source of income for banks, credit card companies and other lenders, high interest is charged as a way to make money, and build a reserve against non-payment of loans and other expenses.
Who, where, when, why, and how
Who Charges high interest
Any credit provider who has high risk clients. Generally, a creditor will charge high interest rates if they are in a higher risk situation.
Payday loan companies are usually the highest interest rates charged as they deal with people with all types of credit situations. Many times people with no credit rating use payday loan companies for loans because they can't get credit with more traditional lenders.
Merchant credit cards like Sears, or HBC, or HomeDepot will charge 29.99% on purchases where a balance is outstanding.. This is called retail interest rates. The retailer makes some of it's profit from the interest charged.
Who pays high interest rates?
There are two kinds of consumers who pay expensive interest rates.
The first are those who have bad or no credit score, and are penalized for their new credit history or less than perfect credit history.
The second are those who pay excessive interest costs because they aren't aware that they could lower their interest just by asking for lower interest rates. The truth is, creditors aren't going to promote their high interest products because this is where they make their money. So... if your credit score has gone from bad to good, they're not going to automatically to move you from a ballooned interest charge to lower interest without you asking.
Ask for a lower interest rate. the best thing that can happen is that you'll learn what the creditor requires to move you away from higher margin products.
Which rates are high interest?
High interest rates are considered to be 14.9% and higher. If you're getting lower than 14.9% you'll need to have a pretty good, low risk, credit story.
If you're paying 29.9%, this means that either you're really bad risk, or you're not really savvy when it is available in the market place.
When do you get charged high interest?
Interest charges are usually calculated monthly. On a credit card, the interest charged will be on the outstanding balance at the time of the statement. Please see your credit card agreement and contract for more explanation.
Some interest is compounding daily, but I'm sure that most interest is accumulating by the month.
Why do you get charged high interest?
As mentioned above, people who pay exhorbitant interest rates are those with little credit history, bad credit history, or people who don't know about asking for low interest rates.
Bad credit comes from not complying with your credit agreement. If you pay your bills late, or do debt settlement, consumer proposal etc, then these types of activities will lower your credit score, and indicate to the creditor that you're a bad credit risk.
A creditor who lends to higher risk clients has to assume that they'll have a certain percentage of clients who default on payments. Defaulting means that the customer doesn't pay the interest and principal amounts uptodate and as agreed.
How do you get charged high interest?
The creditor simply decides that the based on your credit history, and credit score, they'll charge you rates that make sense to them.
In the contract, usually, the creditor is able to increase your interest rate, by first giving you notice, whenever they feel like it. It's as easy as that.
If you get a notice that your interest rate is going to get higher, then I suggest asking them to keep the rate the same , or lower, and / or move the debt to a less expensive credit facility.
Please check the written agreement you received from the creditor . This could be at the time you signed up for the account, or a revision sent to you at a later date.
The creditor has a great deal of power to give you a more expensive interest rate, if they choose to.
Ultimately, a profitable interest rate means that you're paying more money for credit. This allows less money for spending on other necessities.
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What is Making Money?
The idea of making money is as complex as there are people and products and services in Canada.
Who Can Make Money?
Any individual at a responsible age and older can make money. That's a basic fact. Starting from a child of 10 years old with their newspaper carrier route all the way up to a 90 year old who is self employed with a home based business.
What Can Make You Money?
Any product or service that is found to be valuable by an individual or company. If a product or service is valuable and in demand then it is likely to make a return on investment. In the North American market place, there are thousands of products and services that individuals and corporations use in day to day living and operation.
The key to this is to find a product or service that you're passionate about, and that you have a competency in selling.
Making Money - Where Can You do it?
The location of where you make your money can range from an employers place of work, to your own home. While there are millions of employees who commute to work each day from their homes, there are also individuals who work out of their homes. It all depends on the lifestyle that you would prefer.
The place where you make money needs to make sense. If you're working out of your home, you would need to be doing selling a product or service that would lend itself to the home and neighbourhood.
It would not be appropriate to have a heavy manufacturing plant using toxic chemicals in your house. It could be appropriate to sell retail items or even do accounting or advertising out of your house.
Making Money - When Should You Do It?
Obviously there is a need to generate income all throughout our lives. From the time the children are young, til the time we retire, we need to have a source of income to then become wealthy enough support ourselves.
A teenager will usually want to make some extra money with a part time job, so that he/she can have some spending money to buy electronic gadgets, go to the movie, or buy junk food to hang out with their friends.
As adults we need to make money to pay for our basic needs such as food and shelter and transportation, and then afterwards buy the luxuries that we want to enjoy. Our goal should be to thrive and prosper.
By the time we get to retirement age, we'll need to have our retirement funds make money for us, so that we can enjoy our retirement without financial worries.
Making Money - How Can You Do It?
As talked about earlier, there are many different ways to generate income. You can "strike it rich" so to speak, by either being self employed, or by being employed.
If you're employed by a company, they will generally give you a job description and a corporate structure in which to work. They will have products or services that already have a demand to work with. Their marketing department, human resources, financing, software systems etc will already be in place so that you don't have to create them.. All you have to worry about is fulfilling your job description.
Being self employed is alot more complicated way to create dividends. Simply put, being self employed means that you need to create a product and/or service and then the business structure with which to sell & service your product.
There are many things to consider when we talk about the different aspects of What is Making Money?
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Review of www.onlinecasinoreports.caI was asked to do a review of this canadian online gambling guide, and, as it relates to spending money, I thought I would accept.
This is a new Canadian site that relates to: online bonuses
online games, Gaming, Entertainment, Gambling, Personal, Reviews, Sports, Media for Canadians.
This site is a canada gambling directory and it lists software and organizations such as responsible gambling to international trade agreements. It seems to be more of a full featured gambling reference.
Another feature of this site is that is lists canadian dollar online casinos. This page lists many sites that allow you to gamble online in Canadian dollars.
If you've got sufficient funds to gamble, this may be the site you want to check out.. if you're researching online gambling in Canada.
PLEASE NOTE: It is the strong opinion of this site that a person needs to use self control when gambling. Gambling should be treated as entertainment, and as such we recommend that you have a budget allocated for entertainment, and stick to this budget in a strict manner. IE... putting gambling expenses on your credit card when you don't have cash reserves to cover the gambling expense is a bad idea. Gambling is only a good idea if you have sufficient cash to make your expenses and then have enough room in your budget for extra entertainment expenses. This is the opinion of this website.
this is a sponsored review.
canadian online gambling guide
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What is a Collection Agency?
A collection agency is defined by Wikipedia as a business entity that pursues payments of debts owed by individuals or businesses. Most collection agencies operate as agents of creditor and collect debts for a fee or percentage of the total amount owed. There are many types of collection agencies. Most of first-party agencies are subsidiaries of the original company. Third-party agencies are separate companies contracted by a company to collect debts on their behalf for a fee. Debt buyers purchase the debt at a percentage of its value and then attempt to enforce collections.
Pls. refer to: wikipedia.org
The article talks about the collection agency, the Canada Collection Agencies Act, the recommended process of dealing with collection agencies and how to deal with collection agencies.
What is the Canada Collection Agencies Act?
In Canada, regulation is provided by the province or territory where the collection agencies operate. The law is called the Collection Agencies Act and permits a government ministry to make regulations as needed. Regulations include calling times, frequency of calls and requirements for mailing correspondence prior to making telephone contact. There is a limitation period of two years for debt collection in Ontario and Alberta. The limitation period for other provinces is six years. When the allotted period of the debtor’s formal intention to pay the debt expires, the collection agency nor anyone else has legal authority to collect it. Credit bureaus will still retain the debt and the collection on your credit file for 6–7 years depending on the province. Although the collection agency can continue to collect or attempt to collect the debt, they cannot garnish or place a lien on the debtor past the limitation period. This is the rule unless the court upholds a new date of last activity on the account. In Manitoba, the governing document is the Manitoba Consumer Protection Act. Complaints regarding violations of the Act should be directed to the Manitoba Consumer Protection Board which can mediate or enforce the act.
Pls Refer to: moneyproblems.ca
How to Deal with Collection Agencies?
You are behind in your payments and debt collectors or collection agencies start calling you. What should be your initial response? You will need to formulate the right strategy in dealing with collection agencies.
You should know your rights as a consumer. How do you stop collection calls? What are your responsibilities? How should you be dealing with collection agencies? These are the basic questions that come into your mind. Remember that the people that you owe money from or your creditors have a right to try and collect that money. If they do not talk to you, how will they become aware of and understand your situation. Thus, it is important to be informed about the rules about collection procedures.
What are the Rules regarding Collection Agencies?
Money Problems.ca has outlined the rules that Canadian’s must know about collection agencies. Be aware about what debt collectors can and cannot do. You must also understand fully what you need to do to help you deal with collection agencies. The rules for Ontario and the legislation is similar but not identical in other provinces and territories.
- Collection agencies may not harass you or your family. Calling you once or twice a day is acceptable but doing this ten times a day is harassment. If you believe a collection agency is harassing you, keep a record of the time, date and frequency of the calls. This information is required if you decide to make a formal complaint against the collection agency.
li> Collection agencies may not call you on a statutory holiday, on a Sunday before 1 pm or after 5 pm, or on any day before 7 am or after 9 p.m.
- Collection agencies may not contact you (by phone, voicemail, or e-mail) more than three times in any seven-day period on behalf of the same creditor.
- Collection agencies may not contact your friends, relatives, neighbours or employer for any information other than your address or telephone number, with limited exceptions. These involve special cases, when, for example, someone has co-signed for a good or service you have purchased.
You should deal with collection agencies in a straightforward and professional manner. Try to treat them the way that you like to be treated yourself. Don't allow them to bully you into making commitments that you know you cannot keep. If you do make a commitment - keep it. If you cannot, be certain to explain to the agent why this is not possible. Ignoring collection agencies' attempts to contact you will not help you solve your problems. It might stop the collection calls but they may simply proceed with the legal action.
How should you deal with collection agents?
- Do not ignore them as they will not just walk away. Talk to them and explain your situation. Tell them directly if you are not employed or cannot make any settlement. Avoid a long discussion with them. They want to keep you on the phone and upset you so you will pay them money. Tell them your situation and then hang up.
- If you can pay them, tell them what you can afford, and offer to send them the money. If you can afford $200 per month, offer to send them $200 per month. They may ask for $400, but never commit to pay more than you can afford.
- Finally, if you cannot afford any payment, consider your options. Debt problems will not simply go away. Bill collectors are calling because you owe money. If you eliminate the debt, you eliminate the phone calls.
Use the Debt Options Calculator to estimate your monthly payment if you find a way to actually eliminate your debts.
If your money problems have become too big and dealing with collection agencies is more than you can handle, seek professional help. Each of our consumer proposal administrators and licensed bankruptcy trustees provide free initial consultation. They will analyze your situation, possibly advise you on how to stop the collection calls, and explain the debt management solutions available to you.
Manage the Problem Smartly
Make sue to handle these issues properly and in a clever way. Since the guidelines and pointers have been given, follow the tips so there will be an early resolution of your problems.
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Platinum Awards Credit Card - Capital One
Canadian residents who may be in financial problems and want to secure a good credit and financial rating with a Canadian bank would benefit from a credit card. In Canada, your credit history is determined by how well you make payments to established debts, as in whether you make your monthly payments on time. Credit cards in Canada and other places can help you to do many things to either build, improve or repair your credit. If your credit is bad it can be hard to apply for loans, buy things or even get jobs. This is how important a good credit history is, so you should get a good credit card to start building a credit history. To build good credit history, always make your monthly payments. If you leave payments off your credit score in Canada will go down.
Credit cards can help you to establish a strong credit history in Canada. By making regular monthly payments, you can be sure to get started on the path to financial security Capital One has a card called the Platinum Rewards MasterCard Prime with 2.9% interest rate – this is a very low interest rate for credit cards. Usually, Canadian cards have interest rates of up to 20% or even higher. Capital One has credit cards with generally low interest even apart from this card. It also has other rewards and benefits available to residents of Canada. Some of the benefits of the Platinum Rewards MasterCard Prime 2.9%, apart from the low interest rate, are an easy transfer of account balances. This means that if you have multiple accounts, the balance can be transferred between them easily.
Another benefit of the Platinum Rewards MasterCard Prime 2.9% is a reward points program. Every time you make a purchase with this credit card, you’ll earn a reward point for each dollar you spend. These points can be redeemed to Capital One for airline tickets, prizes, cash, merchandise and gift cards, among other things. This offers Canadian credit card users to pick this card, because you can receive additional rewards for your spending.
Because the Platinum Rewards MasterCard Prime has such a low interest rate, there is little to worry about for this Canadian credit card when paying your monthly balance. You can pay the balance and keep it low instead of constantly paying off interest as you would on other credit cards. The reward miles program is a good way to get extra merchandise and travel miles for your other purchases without having to pay extra for them. The Platinum Rewards MasterCard Prime is a good credit card for people in Canada for these reasons. To get started working with Capital One to build a strong credit history and getting good benefits along the way, choose the Platinum Rewards MasterCard Prime 2.9% interest. It’ll be one of the best financial decisions you can make as a Canadian resident.
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Prepaid Legal in Canada - New Hope!I'm just back from Winnipeg where I signed up with Prepaid Legal Canada.
I've been looking for a service to help out the members of this site fight identity theft, collection agencies, credit bureaus etc. I was quite impressed with what I found with Prepaid Legal.
The idea with Prepaid Legal is that you pay $36 per month year round. This gives you UNLIMITED access to lawyers in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario.
NO MORE $250 PER HOUR FOR LAWYERS!!
I thought this legal service is perfect for the visitors and members of this site. It's extremely expensive to hire a lawyer to write letters to collection agencies or credit bureaus etc. Now you can have your prepaid legal lawyer write as many letters as you need to get your credit fixed up.
Where do I start with this... The possibilities are endless.!
Let's say you get a call from a collection agency. What you would tell the collection agent is that you need to contact your lawyer before you talk to him any more. The next phone call is to your Prepaid Legal Canada lawyer. He'll advise you on your rights with regards to your debt and write a letter to the collection agency if you want. You get education and action for a very small price.
PEACE OF MIND IS FINALLY HERE!
Of course most of what we talk about on this site is financially related. Prepaid Legal will help you out with all aspects of your legal concerns. Divorce, DUI, traffic tickets, civil actions. It's all there.
This is something that I think everybody needs. It's like my CAA card that I've had for 19 years. I use it once in a while, but it gives me peace of mind everyday.
If you haven't done so already, check out Prepaid Legal Canada.
Again, this is ONLY AVAILABLE in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario.
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Off to Winnipeg to learn about Joint VenturesI'm driving to Winnipeg today to learn about joint ventures and how to make more money. I'll report on this as I go.
I'm interested in joint ventures as it's a great and creative way to make more money. One of the things I want to do on Canadian-Money-Advisor.ca is talk about how to make more money.
A friend of mine is putting on a dollarmakers.com bootcamp. Where as I've been in business for alot of years and have seen many many money making ideas come and go, I believe that joint ventures is a long lasting unhyped way to make more money.
Much of what we talk about on this site is credit and debt. While I do love those topics. I would like to talk more about making money and how to get people spending their own cash instead of using loans from banks and credit cards.
Joint venture
I'll check into the site periodically over the next few days, as I'll arrive back Tuesday June 24.
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Backgammon - Learning the terminologyBackgammon is a game that you play with one other opponent. As such, it's important to know the terminology of the game.
Online backgammon is the same way. You need to know the terminology of the game in order to know what to do, and enjoy the game in general.
bgprime.com has backgammon terminology from which I learned alot. They're explaining terms such as ace, acey-deucey, advanced anchor, combination shot and many more terms. To be honest, I've never heard of most of these terms, so the terminology page was a great help.
backgammon online has terms such as: drop point, end game, lover's leap, pip, suicide play etc... In all there are close to 60 backgammon terms explain on this one page.
I have to chuckle... terms like beaver, pip count, raccoon, and snake eyes are fun words to play. I like saying these types of words when I'm playing a game like backgammon. It makes the game more enjoyable from a personal point of view.
I also like to mention that you should learn the game terminologies thoroughly in order to learn the game inside out. This is especially the case if you're going to bet any type of money. Betting money without knowing the game inside out is irresponsible.
As always, I recommend that you play the game for free, and if you want to play for money, keep it at the level you would for any type of entertainment such as dinner and a movie. Spend responsibly at all time.
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Weight Loss is a Full Time Job!I keep wanting to apologize for not posting on my blog each day. I would like to talk about all sorts of things each day. I'm consumed these days with health and weight loss.
The reason people find it hard to lose weight, is because it's hard to do. It's hard work to change your lifestyle and generate consistent results.
Since February I've been on a weight loss learning curve, and exercise program. I've done alot of things right, and alot of things wrong. I'm finding that it takes a considerable amount of time each day to do the right things consistently.
Case and point: It takes time to burn calories.
Cycling 5 miles burns around 350 calories. It takes 20 minutes to cycle 5 miles. This is in city road cycling. The other day I did approximately 13 miles and it took me around 2 hours, as I went to stores etc.
You have to go out and do the miles on bicycle, or whatever exercise you prefer in order to burn the calories. You NEED TO burn more calories than you take in. If you don't, then you don't lose weight.
To consistently burn 3500 calories, or 1 pound of fat, on the bicycle you would need to travel 50 miles, taking 200 minutes. 200 minutes to burn one pound of fat each week. Being that I used to sit on the couch and watch TV, 200 minutes is alot of time to take up exercising.
It takes time to prepare food each day
This is just the exercising .. then there's food preparation.
I once talked to a body builder who said, "I spend more time in the kitchen then I do lifting weights"
At the time I didn't understand what he meant. I ate out at restaurants all the time and NEVER cooked my own meals.
These days I cook everything I eat from scratch. I don't use preprocessed foods at all. I don't want to spend 200 minutes of exercise time burning calories gotten from processed foods!
By cooking all of my own food, I know exactly what goes into my system, the approximate calories, and how I'm going to feel after eating them.
When I used to eat junk food and processed foods, I never felt full, and I was constantly binging on these unhealthy foods to try to get that full feeling.
Cooking my own foods saves alot of money. I rarely eat in restaurants, and don't ever buy expensive process foods. Eating whole foods costs me a fraction of what I used to spend on a weekly basis.
Exercising is saving me money as well. Instead of sitting in front of the television set, or going to movies, etc I am now spending way more time bicycling, going to the gym, doing the sauna for 30 minutes each day etc.
I've never felt better in the last 25+ years!! It's time consuming however, the results have been wonderful.
Losing weight takes commitment
Losing weight is hard work. I have to be committed to it each day in order to be successful. I have to remind myself why I'm changing my lifestyle and why I'm doing all of these things I'm not used to doing.
I guess I'll keep apologizing for the next few months for not blogging on a daily basis. I'm hoping that once I've lost the weight, I will only have to spend time doing maintainence exercises etc. Hopefully that will free up some time.
Until then, I am committed to losing weight, I am having great success, and will continue until I get down to my goal weight.
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Bicycle Road Trip to Lumsden, SK - Saving MoneyYesterday was the day that I took the plunge and rode out to Lumsden, Sk on my bike.
The total trip was around 60 KM or 37 miles.
I've been training for the last few months on the bicycle, riding around town. My goal for this summer is to go to Lumsden, SK (60 KM round trip) and back on the bicycle, and as well Regina Beach, SK (168 KM round trip).
I've driven by Lumsden many times over the years, but had only cycled out there once with my dad, and that was around 1970 ( I was 5 or 6 years old).
I didn't do this trip to save money. I did it as part of my losing weight program, however, I did think alot about saving money as there were hundreds of cars whizzing by me on the highway. They are paying $1.40 per litre for gas to travel around in the car. I was paying nothing except for snack fuel.
Being my first trip out of town, it was all about experimenting to see what it would be like to drive a bike instead of driving a car. Let me tell you that although it was difficult, it was highly satisfying. It wasn't a good selling point for people to get out of their cars and take their bikes though.
This trip really drove home why people are so reluctant to give up their cars and drive bikes. With the wind and elements, it was a difficult trip, and I am in reasonable shape.
I was trying to picture the cars going by as bicycles. Everybody driving bicycles instead of cars. It seemed like a ludicrous idea, since I've never seen anything like it in Canada in my lifetime.
Going green is going to be more difficult than it looks. People like their conveniences and are willing to pay for them.
In total, the 40 mile trip took me 4.5 hours which included a stop over in lumsden. By the time I got home I was pretty exhausted. I'm not used to road travelling on the bike just yet.
Monty Loree - June 14, 2008 - Ready to go to Lumsden, SK
Highway sign - Lumsden 21 KM - Ouch!
Saskatchewan open highways and prairies. And wind!
Approaching Lumsden Valley - Always beautiful this time of year!
What a relief! I'm here finally! After 38 years and 1 hour 15 minutes riding!!
Time to Celebrate - Victory Meal - That restaurant is cash only!!
Time to head back - 31 KM back to Regina, SK - My knees are aching!
Taking a break - I get weighed (with bike) at a Truckers weigh scale
That's the end of the tour. I enjoyed the ride thoroughly. I learned alot about bicycle touring, and what I'll need to do in the future to make it possible.
Bicycle touring is a lifestyle. It's certainly not about convenience. It's more about the enjoyment of being on the road and being self propelled and self sustaining. I got a big rush from this small trip to Lumsden and look forward to going again regularly in the future.
Finally, I would never stop to take pictures of these things when driving my car. I was more than pleased to stop (I NEEDED TO STOP) and take these pictures. It was VERY enjoyable.
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Online Backgammon Strategy- bgprime.comWith any type of game, you need a strategy. Backgammon is no different. If I were to start playing online backgammon, I would start by looking up some good references on the internet. Fortunately, this site has a page that talks about backgammon strategy.
This is good for me because as a beginner, I would like to get up to speed on this game before I tried to play backgammon online competitively.
The basic idea is to race your pieces around the board, and get them home as quickly as possible. Another strategy is to hold up the "back-men" of your opponent for as long as possible. Go fast yourself and try to make sure that the opponent goes as slow as possible. Your opponent would try to do the same, which makes the game as fun as it is.
I would recommend that you hone up your backgammon strategy a great deal before you played for money.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I strongly recommend that if you're going to play for money, you do so in a cautionary manner. IE.. only spend on the game what you would for your regular entertainment such as a dinner and a movie.
Gambling addiction has caused some people to go into debt way over their heads causing problems for them and their family.
In the meantime, if you want to learn some online backgammon strategy, check out bgprime.com
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Best Credit Cards in Canada
Overview
What is the best credit card in Canada?
When credit cards were first introduced, there were very few benefits that card holders could enjoy. The novelty of a credit card is that it allows you to spend money that you do not have and the convenience of not having to carry cash to make any purchase. You can pay the amount in full on your due date for payment so you won't have to pay any interest or you can pay in installment.
As became more popular and credit card companies became more abundant, more and more benefits were offered to the consumer. At the same time, consumers became more knowledgeable about credit cards and started demanding more based on their usage.
As the number of credit cards increase and the benefits they offer, customers can now make a choice as to which is the best credit card that suits their spending habits and credit types.
If you have good credit and carry a balance each month, then the best credit card for you is a low interest credit card. If you have good credit, but do not carry a balance, then the best credit card for you are the rewards type credit cards. For those with bad credit or new credit and carry a balance then the best credit card in Canada for you is a low interest secured credit card. But if you have bad credit and do not carry a balance then a guaranteed card with points is the best for you.
Good Credit - Carry A Balance
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If you regularly carry a balance on your card, then it is better if you use a low interest credit card. This is a card that gives you lower interest rate than other card based on your credit history. You do not typically receive plenty of other perks with this type of card, and the main benefit is that you will save money as long as you have an outstanding balance.
The credit card interest rate is always an important factor when choosing a card. However, it is not the only thing that contributes to how much you pay every end of a month. Interest rate and interest charge are not the same. Interest rate is the percentage of balance on the credit card used in which the interest charge is based on the payments made. Interest charge is the amount of money you are going to pay for the interest based on the interest rate.
For example:
When a credit card has a balance of $2000 in the account, this is multiplied with the interest rate set for the credit card which is usually ranging from 15% to 18% percent depending on the card company.
Illustration:
credit balance X interest rate = total interest charge per year
$2000 X 15% or 0.15 = $300
So, the total interest charge that you are going to pay is $300.
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There are three ways to determine the interest charges for credit card usesr. The card company must stipulate the charges as well as the terms and conditions of the credit card they are going to issue. The monthly interest rate is determined by the credit card company.
• Adjusted Balance
- This starts from the balance you have from the previous month's card usage. The card company adds all the charges for that month and deducts any payments you made. The company then computes the adjusted balance. The adjusted balance is multiplied by the interest rate. But the annual interest rate is divided by 12 months in order to get the interest charge every month. This will then reflect on your billing statement. This type of computation favors the credit card user.
• Average Daily Balance
- In this case, the company is keeping track of your everyday credit balance. The company adds charges and subtracts payments made by the card user. This is the usual way of card companies in computing for interest charges. At the end of a month, all the charges and payment made daily are averaged to arrived at an amount where the interest charge is based for computation.
For example:
During the first 20 days, the client’s balance is $150 and on the 21st day, the card holder used the card to buy a mobile phone for $300. This will then be computed to get the average daily balance. So, (20 days X $150) + (10 days X $300) divided by the total number of days in a month which is 30 days. The average daily balance is $200.
•Previous Balance
If the adjusted balance method favors the card user, the previous balance method favors the card company. Then again, this method is the simplest way and easily understood by the card holders. In computing for the charge interest, it starts with your balance in a month. For example, you have a balance of $300 at the start of the month and you paid $100 during the month, the company will be using the balance at the start of the month which is $300. The following month, the company will charge interest on the starting balance less the payment which is $200 even if your bill has reached $500 on that month.
Learning the different methods on how interest charges are computed will help the credit card applicants to choose the card that is best for them. This will also be a guide for the card holders to pay on time to avoid these unnecessary expenses.
Good Credit - Does Not Carry A Balance
Rewards Cards
These type of credit cards are cards that give points which is redeemable for rewards. Most of these cards are give points based on the usage. Usually, every dollar spent has an equivalent point from the card company or from their tied up shops or merchandisers. They also give double points when they are celebrating anniversaries or special events and also when using the card to a sponsoring company.
These cards offer rewards, gifts and surprises. Card users that use these kinds of credit cards want to have convenience especially when they are to settle the payments of every month. Once they have paid their balances, they will enjoy more rewards based on the amount they spent with their cards. They can collect points and redeem rewards as much as they want depending on the amount of accumulated points the card users have gained and collected.
However, these cards come with an annual fee depending on the company. Occasionally, companies waive annual fees but this is done when the card holder pays off the balance regularly every end of the month.
New Credit / Bad Credit
For a card applicant who does not have a credit history, these cards are available. These cards are used to build up a credit history in order for them to be qualified to apply for conventional cards or special kind of cards. Credit cards under this category are also for those card holders who encountered problems in the past with their finances.
This is caused by either not being able to pay their balance or they got bankrupt due to too much credit usage. The credit cards offered in this portion are categorized into three. The categories are: Secured credit cards, Carry a Balance and Don’t Carry a Balance.
Secured Card
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Credit card companies are catering card applicants who do not have history of using credit cards. Sometimes, these group of individuals have a bad credit history that could also affect their credit rating.
Some does not have any credit history yet as they are first timers in applying for a credit card. These credit cards are the key in building an excellent credit history. These cards also offer less interest which means less risk for the client to be troubled in paying their balances. All of the card applicants are guaranteed to have the card which means that whether you are a first time credit card applicant or not, everything is granted.
Carry A Balance
Credit balance is what comprises the credit card. The card holders can use the balance within the card until reaching the credit limit. But it doesn’t stop there since the client can extend the usage of credits beyond the credit limit but certain charges will be given. Low rate cards are offered and this does not let the card users get into trouble. These credit cards are the key in getting a good start of building an excellent credit history again. This cards are for clients who has bad or fair credit as well as new credit card holder who has none or limited credit. In addition, a client who has bad credit history belongs in this category.
Don't Carry a Balance
Coming from the category, it says don’t carry a balance. This means that these cards do nt have a credit to use but is based on the monthly payment you are making every month. But the focus of the card holders here is the rewards given. So many different rewards are offered with these cards.
It may be travel, merchandise or gift rewards. Best Credit Cards in Canada. Card holders are considered convenience users as they use the card credit and pay them off each month when their billing statement is received. They spend less but get many rewards points in the process. The acquired points can then be redeemed with rewards. In addition, cash backs are given in certain percentage of the purchases made.
For the perspective of this article, the best credit cards in Canada relate to two categories: Low Interest Credit Cards and Rewards Credit Cards. Good Credit And Bad Credit.
Low Interest Credit Cards
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Carry a balance or Not
Typically if you carry a balance, then you will need the lowest interest credit card possible to keep your costs down. You must keep in mind that these interest charges are being added up to your bill and you must settle this every month. The higher balance you are not paying with the company, the bigger the interest rate. That is why credit card users are certain with the interest rate. They go for a card that has very low interest rate to keep them safe from any financial problems in time of paying the bills. Furthermore, when the interest is low, they are not afraid to spend much compared to high interest charging cards which almost doubles your balances during settlements.
Types of Interest Rates
Based on your usage of the credit cards there are various types of interest rates charged.
Interest rates are the card companies’ source of revenue. There are specific interests that these card companies charge the card users depending on what kind of transactions they are dealing with. Usually, card users are subjected to annual interest rate because this is automatically activated once a card user has started to purchase or use the credits of the card. But it will still depend on the cards you have in hand. For cash back cards, they have a different rate compared to a regular or ordinary conventional card. The interest rate for cash back cards is at 17% based on the average of the different card issuers.
For cards that have high credit limits and have exclusive benefits and features, it is commonly at 22%. For low interest rate credit cards, the card issuer gives the lowest possible interest rate which is at 10%. Other variable cards then have an interest of 14%. Other interest rates are charged only when they have made a certain transaction like balance transfer or cash advance. The average interest rate that the card issuer gives to the client in doing a balance transfer is at 16% where in cash advance service, it is at 17%.
This interest rate is charged and added to the billing statements given after end of a month. Interest rates are one way of the card issuer to remind their card holders that they must pay the amount of credits they have used or settle what is reflected on the account. These interest rates vary in different percentage but card users can surpass this only if they are punctual in paying what they need to pay.
Customers need on to take note of their payables every month and once settled, paid interest charges won’t be given or added to their accounts. Another tip for the card holders is that they must not use the card beyond what they can afford to pay. When a client gets into financial trouble, this is the best time for interest rates to barge in to your account building your billing statement very fast to the point that you can no longer pay what is due for payment. Bankruptcy will then set in making everything miserable for the card holder.
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Introductory Interest Rates
An introductory rate is an interest rate that is given at the start of the card holder’s use of the card. It is only available for a specific span of time. After the time has expired, the interest rate will return to its original rate. Best Credit Cards in Canada. Commonly, the introductory rate ranges from 0% to 4%. This is one way of the card issuers to attract card applicants because this can give much saving for the client when introductory rates are low or at 0% for 4 months up to 12 months. Cardholders can best take advantage of the low introductory rate by paying the credit used before the rate gets back to its usual rate.
Purchase Interest Rates
This interest rate varies depending to what card you have applied for. If you have gotten the low interest rate cards, then the purchase interest rate is low compared to other cards. What differs then are the benefits and features of the cards. For ordinary cards, interest rate plays at around 16% to 19% compared to low interest card which is at 12% to 14%. This purchase interest rate is charged once you have not settled your payable before or on the day of the due date. The interest amount is added directly to your account and when the next billing statement is received, it is reflected on the account.
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Balance Transfer Interest Rates
Average balance transfer interest rate is at 16%. This is based on the different rate coming from various card issuers. Client who transfers balance to their other credit cards try to check and compare the rate to where they are able to save more. Best Credit Cards in Canada. Most of them transfer balance from their high interest cards to their low interest cards so that when they are not able to pay the bills on time, they are charged only with low interest rate. But the client settles the payable bills of the high interest credit card on time so that no interest is charged in the account. They just keep on doing balance transfer but the balance goes to the low interest card where that card will be utilized for purchases or other transactions.
Cash Advance Interest Rates
For cash advances, the common interest rate is at 17% after averaging most of the card issuers’ respective rates. This type of transaction is not too common but is there in case the card holder wants to use the service.
Usually, card users depend on the credits they have used. Cash advance are utilized when the client does transactions that involve cash. Most of the businesses now accept credit cards to where the payment is deducted. Almost all credit cards are accepted to millions of locations around the world. It is then safe to bring only a credit card rather than bringing along cash. The client will also be able to trace out the expenses made because in the billing statement, everything is in detail or itemized on where you have used your credits.
Rewards Cards
We're assuming with this discussion that any person that uses a rewards credit card DOES NOT carry a balance on his/her account.
Dollars spent
If you don't carry a balance on your card then certain cards give more benefits. If you're a higher spender, it is more beneficial to use certain cards, as they have greater benefits and rewards. Every time you spend a dollar, it is equivalent to a point that you can collect. These points can then be redeemed with rewards offered by the card issuer or the companies that they have tied up with. Usually, rewards come in gift certificates, merchandises or the services that their companies offer.
If you are a convenience user of the credit card then this cards give much advantage on you. The client can spend less but gets so many rewards by just collecting points and taking advantage on the offers that the card companies give. Some card issuers give double points offer or bonus points which help the card holder gather much point and redeem it with the rewards.
Travel Rewards Points Discussion
Types of Points Collected
The points that are collected by the card users are usually coming from the purchases they have made. Some comes from the dollars spent in which every dollar is equivalent to a point. Other cards give extra or bonus points when special event happens like anniversaries or other events.
These points are accumulated and would be redeemed or exchanged with rewards that are offered by the company. Travel, hotel reservations, merchandise, insurance and gift certificates are the usual rewards offered.
Annual Fees
This is a fee charged by the company for having their card. This is one of the sources of the card companies’ revenues and in payment of the service they have provided. Annual fees usually have an average range from 0% to 10% depending on the card company. The card issuers waived the first year of the annual fee but would charge the client of the amount on the succeeding years of card usage.
Annual fees are waived by the cards company even if it’s not on the first year once the card holder pays the billing statement given on time. Another way is when the card user most of the time reaches the credit limit of the card and settles the payable before or on the due date of payment. This will give savings to the card user as the annual fee comprises a certain amount.
Insurances Offered
The credit card comes with many benefits and one of it is the insurance that the card gives to the card user. There is a great deal of insurance provided by the card companies but it really depends on the card you have applied for. The card can give accidental insurance, financial insurance, merchandise insurance and a lot more. These are offered as a way of a marketing strategy of the company. This will attract the clients to apply for their cards as the cards have a lot of benefits and features being offered.
BEST CREDIT CARDS IN CANADA
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Bicycle touring - Taken to the limitAs I've been riding my bicycle all spring and summer so far, I started thinking about doing a little bicycle touring. Bicycle touring in my opinion would be trips of 50 -100 miles. Pack a lunch and some snacks and go for a few days.
The idea really gets me excited, and it's relatively inexpensive entertainment. I happened by my childrens school teacher, who is/was an avid bicyclist and repair guy, Ron Keall. Ron knows his bikes inside out, and walked me through the parts on my bicycle while helping out tuning up the bike at the same time. I was amazed at how much better the bike ran when I knew what the tweeks were.!!
Ron mentioned that his longest cycling tour trip was 3,000+ kilometers from Nova Scotia to Minneapolis. I was immediately intrigued by his stories. He spent 33 days on his trip and did everything from staying hotels, to gypsie camping.
Ron mentioned that http://www.warmshowers.org is another good source for people that may help you on your way with warm showers, a place to stay, and maybe even a meal.!
I'm kind of intrigued with the idea. The major cost would be getting the bicycle up to speed, and then getting the panniers (bike luggage), tent, and accessories for the bicycle trip.
The cost of the trip would be limited to food, camp grounds, or hotels, bike repairs, and any entertainment you wanted to take in. From what I could read at http://www.crazyguyonabike.com most people didn't really go out for too much entertainment when they're on the road. They seem to be tired from all the riding.!
When you talk about dollar cost of adventure, bicycle touring has to be one of the cheapest ways to go. It's a little extreme as you're in the elements the whole time, however, if you plan well, you can deal with most of adversities reasonably. To get a hotel every night would make the costs prohibitive.
I'm curious to know if any of our visitors have done any extensive bicycle touring in the U.S. or Canada. I would love to hear your stories.
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NetDebt.com - Online Debt Settlement SiteThis site is U.S. based debt settlement site, and is useful for those people who find themselves over their heads in debt.
I always try to explain debt settlement as an alternative to bankruptcy. Most people want to honor their debts, and this is a way to negotiate a discount on the debt principal and lower or eliminate the interest payments.
NetDebt.com will help you with debt relief. On this site, there are many people who talk about how debt is causing them too much stress, and even health problems. It's affecting their family in a negative way.
Debt settlement is a way that you can get credit card debt relief and pay off your debts in a few short years.
The beauty of debt settlement is that it's negotiated with the creditors. You can negotiate lower principal and interest with the creditors in an organized fashion. And.. it's also nice that you can use an online debt settlement service to help you out with the process.
One thing I like about netdebt.com is that they've got little video tutorials on their site which help the different aspect of debt settlement. The site is nice and professionally done.
If you live in the U.S. and need this type of service, it may be a good idea to click over to netdebt.com
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Consumers Can't Save Economy - money.cnn.comhttp://money.cnn.com/2008/05/21/news/economy/consumer/
I'm finally glad that a big site such as CNN is admitting publicly that it's not the consumer's responsibility to save the economy.
This article was a few weeks ago, but it's still important to talk about.
According to this article, "Consumers are too tapped out to lead the economy out of its troubles".
Hooray for somebody finally admitting it. It will take the pressure off of consumers for not feeling they have the responsibility of spending the economy back into the black.
Over the last few decades, the priorities have been to spend, spend, spend. Keep up with the Jones. Have the latest technology. Buy the newest toy. Renovate your house to the maximum that you can afford.
I'm hoping that the government authorities will stop asking people to stimulate the economy for them.
It would be nice if consumers took a rest from their gluttonous spending for the next few years, and paid down some of their debt. Instead of being constantly tapped out, they need to be paying down debt and getting back into control of their personal finances.
That is the message that I would like the federal government to start promoting to people. "Pay down debt and save money!"
People aren't mechanical. They've got alot of issues to deal with. I'm sure that alot of marriages are having trouble because of the high level of debt they're carrying. The family is suffering because of all of the interest and debt payments they're making. Is it prudent to ask the consumer family to put themselves even more at risk? I don't think so.!!
Again, I am glad that CNN is admitting that consumers can't pull the economy out of debt. Hopefully this is the start of discussion that changes people's attitudes about their gluttonous spending.
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Playing Backgammon OnlineOne of the nice things about the internet are the different types of games you can play online.
Backgammon Prime is a site where you can play online backgammon . The nice thing about the site is they have a FREE area where you can practice up your backgammon skills.
This site is for novices and experts. I noticed that the bgprime.com has a page that defines backgammon terms. This is good if you're a person like myself who hasn't spent much time playing backgammon. I did watch backgammon on TV once and didn't really understand the language. To have a page of backgammon terms explained is very helpful.
I also noticed that this site offers free backgammon software that you would download onto your computer at home.
To be honest, I haven't really played backgammon online, but it looks like it could be fun if that was your game.
I noticed that they'll give you $5.00 worth of FREE money to play the paid games if you desire to compete for money with other backgammon players.
I have to express caution about playing any types of gambling games, unless you have got a all of your savings and cash reserves in place. Gambling or competing for money can be a costly form of entertainment.
I would recommend trying the free backgammon games before you spend any money at all.
Gaming online is a source of entertainment, just as you would go to a movie and restaurant. If you play on line, set a limit of what you would normally spend for entertainment, and then stop if you've run out of money.
Backgammon has traditionally been a "gentleman's game". I like the concept more than poker, which is a high risk, high emotion type game.
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SITE REVIEW: money.co.ukMoney.co.uk is a UK based site that has a lot of information related to personal finance products.
The following are the sections listed on their site:
- Credit Cards
- Loans
- Mortgages
- Savings
- Insurance
- Banking
- Investing
- Utilities
The site is a combination of news articles about personal finance, and pages where you can shop and compare prices for the products listed above.
One of the things I was curious about was the FREE INSURANCE contest in the insurance section. They're giving away FREE car, home, pet, travel and breakdown to the lucky contestant.
It's good to have a site that has all of the personal finance products listed on it. That allows you to be able to review all of your money requirements at once. It's interesting to see all of the categories that you deal with on a regular basis when it comes to your household finances.
It's important to research as many of the costs of borrowing and insurance as you can. It's also good to compare prices on savings accounts. You should be earning as much interest as you can on your hard earned savings.
If you live in the UK, and are interested in learning about personal finances and comparing prices and interest rates, I recommend that you check out http://money.co.uk.
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Should Weight Loss Cost Money?
Herbal MagicI had an interesting experience this week. I decided to do some research on dieticians and nutritionists in the area. I wanted to see who could advise me of diet and coach me on meal portions etc.
Being that I like to research everything on the internet first, I wanted to get the answers first hand from people who are certified or licensed in the area of food and nutrition.
My goal is to lose 2 pounds per week, and I would like to do so consistently week in and week out.
Herbal Magic - Food and Diet Coaches
I made an appointment to visit the Herbal Magic office and have a visit to see what their business could offer me.
I like the idea that they want you to eat supermarket bought foods, and that you need to keep with in the Canada Food Guide recommendations.
The cost up front seemed to be $250+ per month for their "mandatory" supplements. The Herbal Magic rep didn't talk about any further fees, but I'm sure there are up front admin charges that they'll hit you with when you sign the contract. After all, if you're desperate to lose weight, you'll pay what ever the cost is.
I thought I better do some research before I committed myself to their program. I went to the health food store and priced out similar products to what Herbal Magic was going to give me. I think I came in at at least half the price for the supplements. I'm not sure how the quality differed, but on the surface they seemed like the same products.
I'm fine with buying supplements if they're required, however, I would like to pay a reasonable amount for them.
While at the health food store, I mentioned to the store clerk that I was trying to find the equivalent products that Herbal Magic offers. The clerk told me that earlier in the day, a lady came in and mentioned that she had lost 25 pounds with the Herbal Magic program. She has some success with their program, which is good.
The lady paid $2,000 to Herbal Magic to help her lose the 25 pounds!! That's $80 cost to lose each pound!!
What are you paying for with a weight loss program like Herbal Magic.? You're paying for their advice, consultation, coaching and accountability. It's a high price, but if you need to lose the weight it might be a good idea. If you don't have the self discipline, Herbal Magic might be able to help you lose the weight.
When I say Herbal Magic, I also should say, your local dietician, weight watchers, LA Weight Loss, etc. Anybody who coaches with weight loss.
Getting back to the Canada Food Guide.
I went onto the Canadian Federal Government's site that hosts the Food Guide. It's pretty simple to follow.
I'll admit that I think the portions are a bit light. (That's probably why I'm overweight. ) I decided to try eating the recommended Canada Food Guide recommended diet for one month and see how I make out with weight loss.
At first I'm going to have to take some appetite suppressants until my system gets used to the reduced amount of food. That's what Herbal Magic was going to have me do anyway.
CANADA FOOD GUIDE IS CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP!!
I went the whole day today eating the recommended amount of food. I said to myself, this is really going to be a cheap diet. There's not much to it.
If you want to lose weight and save money, just stick to the Canada Food Guide portion amounts.
The funny thing is, as I was reviewing the Canada Food Guide portions, I was trying to remember which restaurant meal portions would resemble the food guide. I couldn't think of too many off the top.
To eat the Canada Food Guide portions means that I will have to cut my food consumption to about a quarter of what I've been eating with my already restricted diet. My restricted diet was about half of what I would eat before I started my weight loss program.
I'm saving tons of money on food!!
IT'S CHEAPEST TO LOSE WEIGHT UNDER YOUR OWN DISCIPLINE.
Bottom line is this: If you're overweight, it's important to lose the weight , and learn the lifestyle that will keep it off forever. If you're able to have the discipline to do that yourself, that's the cheapest way to go.
If you're not disciplined and need coaching than a place like Herbal Magic, may be for you. It's much more expensive, but it might make the difference in your weight loss program.
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2012-11-13 23:08:19
Cbv Collection Services Problems
same deal,,these criminals sent a bill saying i owe 18,000$..hilarious,,they call me 5x per day..i am taking rogers to court..small claimes..why not y
Comment By:karen cliff
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2012-11-13 13:18:44
Retail Theft Could Get You Sued
I keep receiving emails and phone calls from people who think they can simply ignore the letters from these Civil Recovery lawyers.
Don't.
They
Comment By:Gerry Laarakker
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2012-10-18 08:23:07
Retail Theft Could Get You Sued
Bank statements can be demanded or balloon a day even fail to repay the debts incurred from the varied lenders. The offered amount in such cash untill
Comment By:Spadiatrere
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2012-10-09 12:42:44
Credit Repair Canada 3 Things You Should Know
to , take up a new job. Also, reflect on investing in generating a payday advance loan while using classmates and more, typically the segments. The in
Comment By:WarbabsjamY
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2012-09-30 20:03:01
Cbv Collection Services Problems
I had a telus pay as you go phone from 2003 2008 and now cbv collectons is claiming that i owe over 1500 dollars, the last time they called i called
Comment By:marcus
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2012-09-25 10:19:31
Cbv Collection Services Problems
Had a bogus 'roaming charge' bill from Telus a few years back. Got mad at them and switched providers. It went to CBV. Yes, they are persistent and
Comment By:Scammed
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2012-09-23 07:37:50
First Canadian Finance Scam Site
While these aforementioned dangers are a cause for legitimate concern, there are other dangers that derive from perceptions that often have no basis i
Comment By:effomicok
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2012-09-16 16:42:15
Retail Theft Could Get You Sued
I am sick of all you so called legal counsel, wanting money from me , there was a reason i was stealing the items in the first place, i have no money!
Comment By:a shopplifter
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2012-09-13 11:18:04
Car Repossessed Trouble With High Risk Car Loans
Our car loan was with wellsfargo to begin with then transfered to carfinco,. Have never had a problem with them yet and have less than 2 years left on
Comment By:Darlene Fougere
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2012-09-02 18:27:17
15 Blog Post Articles That Talk About Equifax
obviously like www.canadianmoneyadvisor.ca however you need to test the spelling on several of your posts. A number of them are rife with spelling p
Comment By:promotion site
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2012-08-31 11:32:19
Retail Theft Could Get You Sued
so i went in zellers and i baught bus tickets. then walked around playing with toys, and i was with a friend, we're both adults who like stupid toys.
Comment By:Aj.
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