Tips to Earn Extra Money and Stretch Your Dollar
(ARA) – With items like gas and groceries at record highs, it seems that virtually everyone is feeling the crunch from the increased cost of living. Many American families have been re-evaluating their budgets and contemplating ways to increase cash flow and still enjoy time with their nearest and dearest. As the cost of living increases and the holiday season draws near, it is worth looking at entrepreneurial ways to help ensure that your cash flow doesn’t fall short.
Believe it or not you can be your own boss and work part-time.
One way to earn extra money and still have a social life is to combine the two. Many popular brands have a direct selling arm, so you can become a consultant for them. For example, The Body Shop At Home is a business that is different, which allows consultants to throw parties and sell their favorite products, and represent a business that shares their own personal values. Consultants have flexible scheduling options and work as little or as much as they want hosting parties that feature a broad line of The Body Shop products, including some exclusives that can’t be bought anywhere else.
“Women and even men enjoy shopping this way because they get all their personal products in one place so as well as all the other great benefits they also save gas money,” says Jo Price, sales director for The Body Shop At Home. “Also they have the added benefit of knowing they are making a difference through their purchase. Many of the products contain Community Trade ingredients bought from small-scale farmers at a fair price, giving them a stable income and hope for the future. This means that every time you sell a product you know that you are supporting communities who would otherwise struggle to make a living wage, so when you buy The Body Shop At Home products you get the added feel-good factor of knowing you’re buying high quality beauty items made through fair business practices.”
“Additionally, the exclusive products we sell are really great and are something customers get really excited about because they can’t find them in stores or anywhere else. For example, the Rich Plum bath and body range is a best seller along with the Shimmer Cubes eye shadows, made with Community Trade Marula Oil. For the one stop makeover, women love the exclusive Eye, Lip and Cheek Palette that has everything you need for day or night. This job really allows women to do something they enjoy, be their own boss, and feel good about how they earn my money.”
If you’re looking for additional ways to earn or save cash, there are many options. Try having a garage sale, sell your items on eBay or to a second-hand store. When shopping, plan out your trips and stick to a budget. You might even consider trading services with someone. For example, offer childcare services in exchange for a neighbor fixing a leaky faucet.
For more information about becoming a Consultant for Then Body Shop at Home visit www.TheBodyShopatHome.com, call (866) 775-8049 or e-mail AtHomeLeads@TheBodyShop.com.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
RALEIGH - Raleigh police say Dillard Roe Johnson stole gas cards from an engineering company, then hung around gas stations offering motorists fill-ups for $20 a pop. Now police are trying to track down everyone who took advantage of the special offer — possibly hundreds of people.
Johnson, 27, of 507 Dacian Drive was charged Thursday with three felony counts of financial card fraud, three felony counts of breaking and entering into a motor vehicle and one count of financial card theft, according to a Wake County jail spokesman. Police said he broke into work trucks at Bass, Nixon and Kennedy in West Raleigh over the weekend.
Company president Ed Davenport said whoever stole the cards set up an illicit gas business at Triangle gas stations. “By Monday morning, $23,000 worth of gas had been charged on the cards,” he said.
Scott Wilson, the firm’s survey manager, said the cards were used more than 300 times at more than two dozen gas stations in Raleigh, Smithfield, Morrisville, Wake Forest and Youngsville. Gas purchases ranged from $5 to $400, with most falling between $50 and $100.
“He would stay at some stations for more than an hour, moving from pump to pump,” Wilson said.
Bass, Nixon & Kennedy officials learned of the break-ins Sunday morning. Wilson said they were not too concerned because the thieves did not have the cards’ activation numbers. Wilson said he isn’t sure how someone gained the cards’ numbers, though at some stores an activation number isn’t needed to purchase gas at the pumps.
Johnson confessed to the break-ins and card thefts, according to a search warrant made public Thursday.
Read More:News & Observer
(NewsUSA) - Maintenance costs are up, home values are falling and states are seeing more foreclosures than sales. But terrible times for homeowners make for terrific investment opportunities.
Why? The market sees constant ups and downs. Buying when the market’s high means greater upfront costs. And because the market cannot rise indefinitely, property investors must constantly watch for the bubble to pop.
In a down market, the question is not “if,” but “when” the market will improve. If investors can buy properties at rock-bottom prices, they can afford to maintain the home until the market improves. At that point, the investor can sell the home both to recoup their buying and operating costs and to make a profit.
Some companies are looking to profit on the down housing market. Deer Park Development Corporation, a Nevada-based company, is purchasing foreclosed homes in Arizona, Nevada, California and Florida, some of the areas most affected by the down market. Nevada, for example, sees more foreclosures than any other state -; million-dollar properties can be bought for half their building costs. Between May and June, Californian banks foreclosed on 40 percent of the homes on the market.
Deer Park Development Corporation’s agents and brokers draw on 35 years of experience -; they have seen down markets before, so they can easily identify promising properties.
When Deer Park Development Corporation finds a home that it wants to acquire as an investment, it works with the homeowner or bank to purchase the home at a 50 percent discount.
But the company does not profit at homeowner’s expense. It negotiates with homeowners so that people can rent their homes after the sale. When the original homeowner’s lease expires, Deer Park Development Corporation allows former homeowners to repurchase their properties for a predetermined price. In this way, the company invests in the down market while also helping down-and-out homeowners.
Currently, the company is searching for investors. For more information, visit deerparkdevelopmentcorp.com.
Aspiring real estate “flippers” should plan their selling strategy before they start renovations.
(NewsUSA) - Buy a run-down building in a nice area. Gut the rooms and rebuild state-of-the-art kitchens and bathrooms. Then sell the home for hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit.
The idea of “flipping” homes appeals to Americans. But for many aspiring flippers, reality does not live up to the expectations created by reality television and get-rich books.
Flippers buy distressed properties in nice neighborhoods. They often run into trouble with contractors to stay on budget for the home repairs or improvements. People attempt to make lavish improvements and don’t realize how much time and money the ambitious renovations will really cost. By the time they sell their real estate project, many flippers barely break even. In some cases, flippers lose money. Sometimes people create a dream property, put it on the market, then watch the home sit for months without exciting buyers’ interests. In the meantime, mortgage costs eat into flippers’ profits.
When it comes to flipping homes, profits depend on quick sales. Before buying properties, people should learn how to sell them. Californian real-estate professionals have created a step-by-step system for homeowners looking to quickly sell properties.
The “Fast Action Homes Sales System” teaches homeowners how to create bidding wars with or without a real estate agent. Homeowners using the guide learn how to attract buyers’ interest with signs, printed ads and custom-built Web sites. The advertisements lead to a frenzied weekend bidding war, giving sellers the advantage.
The whole process, from first step to exit, takes two or three weeks. Before potential real estate moguls invest in a property, they should start planning its final sale -; selling a newly renovated home quickly is key to making a profit-earning flip.
To access a quick-start guide to the Fast Action Home Sales System, either visit www.RealEstateKit.com or call 1-800-669-1038.
If you are worried about how long your home could be on the market, Fast Action Home Sales could have you handing over your keys in just weeks.
(NewsUSA) - For the many Americans whose front yards have had a “for sale” sign displayed for months on end, a new sell-it-yourself guide helps homeowners get bids and sell their homes in just weeks. Finally, some good news if you’re having a hard time selling property in today’s turtle-paced housing market.
It’s all laid out for you in a “sell-it-yourself” system, just published by California real estate pros who’ve been selling a different way for nearly 14 years with great success in any market.
It’s called the “Fast Action Home Sales System” -; a step-by-step guide that helps homeowners sell their homes quickly on their own, with or without a real estate agent.
The system uses unique “for sale” signs (and lots of them); compelling print ads; a custom-built web site; even your own 800 phone number to field dozens of calls sellers can expect from the blizzard of advertising they create leading up to one frenzied weekend.
“Even in today’s market, we typically get 75 to 150 prospective buyers to a home on Saturday and Sunday,” says Conrad Kuiken of Compass Realty in Carlsbad, Calif. “Then crowd psychology takes over. Buyers start bidding on the property, and we almost always get at least one bid at fair market value.”
System developers Kuiken and George Cappony have assisted in marketing thousands of houses in all parts of the country and in all price ranges using this system.
“Sellers have sold everything from $100,000 condos to $3 million mansions,” said Cappony. “Good market, bad market, it doesn’t matter; there are buyers out there, and our system will find them.”
The entire process normally takes between two and three weeks from start to finish.
“Pick a date, get everything ready, follow the system, and it’s very likely you’ll sell your property,” Kuiken said.
For more details, you can access a “quick-start guide” to the FAST Action Home Sale System at http://www.RealEstateKit.com , or call 1-800-669-1038.
Corporations are now joining barter networks to help move their millions of dollars worth of excess inventory.
(NewsUSA) - In years past, people didn’t always buy needed goods, they also bartered, or traded, items of equal worth. Today, modern barter proves highly sophisticated.
Companies join business-to-business barter networks that allow them to convert their products or services into “trade dollars” or bartering currency. Businesses can then use their trade dollars to purchase needed products and services without using cold, hard currency.
Businesses that belong to barter networks are not just neighborhood stores. Large barter networks, such as International Monetary Systems (IMS), also support corporate barter opportunities alongside their commercial barter network and therefore maintain a membership that includes large corporations and manufacturers. IMS, now with over 18,000 members, is the country’s largest barter network that offers both commercial and corporate barter solutions to businesses.
“Corporations, manufacturers, the media industry, and the hospitality industry can all benefit from the barter model. In addition to our commercial barter network, IMS also maintains one of the most respected and successful corporate barter networks in the nation, National Trade Association (NTA),” says Don Mardak, CEO of IMS.
Large corporations and manufacturers use barter to keep costs down. But when companies such as this decide to barter, they tend to focus less on trading goods and services and more on moving their inventory or excess capacity.
Every company produces excess inventory, phased-out products or those beyond their selling cycle. The marketplace is competitive, and consumers change their tastes quickly, leaving billions of new, working products unsold. Storing and securing those products puts an unnecessary strain on company finances. Liquidators, or organizations that buy excess inventory, do so for a fraction of its worth for resale. Bartering allows corporations to move excess inventory without taking huge losses.
“Businesses are always surprised to learn what their excess inventory and excess capacity can be worth when applied to a barter model. And for us, providing both commercial and corporate barter channels creates an unparalleled marketplace of products and services for our member businesses to purchase from. It’s a win for everyone.” says Mardak.
For more information, visit www.IMSbarter.com or www.NTAtrade.com.
(ARA) – Last summer you fell in love. Now, just three short seasons later, your beloved has let you down. Time has revealed that your love affair — not to mention the object of your affection – wasn’t nearly as timeless or as durable as you thought.
How did this happen, you wonder. How could you have so badly misjudged the quality and style of the dining-room set you bought just one year ago?
“For most people, furniture-buying decisions are either based on emotion – ‘falling in love’ with a piece – or on the lowest price,” says Brad Haas, a furniture expert with manufacturer Carrington Court. “Neither way is likely to lead to a happy, satisfying long-term relationship with your furniture. This is especially true of upholstered furniture, where poor construction and quality can be hidden beneath layers of fabric and padding.”
Successful furniture shopping requires a careful balance between emotion and intellect, Haas points out. If you’re planning to update your décor with some new furniture this summer, here are two important areas to examine when assessing furniture. If the piece measures up to these standards, chances are you’ll still be able to love it next summer.
Frame Construction
If you’re shopping in a showroom, be sure to ask the sales person about the frame under the upholstery. If you’re shopping online, be sure it’s with a company that can answer this basic question – what is the frame made of? Hardwood frames like oak, maple and poplar provide a strong, solid foundation for the furniture. Avoid soft woods like pine or plywood.
Wood should be kiln-dried hardwood, which imparts strength and durability. Several types of hardwood are good; Carrington Court Direct uses maple/poplar and ash. “Of course, the strongest wood in the world is no good if it’s cut too thin,” Haas notes. Many manufacturers use 5/4-inch lumber, Carrington Court uses 8/4-inch lumber, meaning the wood is nearly 65 percent thicker than planks commonly found in wood frames.
Fabric
If you’re buying from a big-box furniture store, you’ll likely have only a few fabric selections to choose from. Limited fabric choices allow manufacturers to buy their fabric in volume, keeping their costs down. If you go with a smaller company you may find yourself with more choices – or even the ability to supply your own fabric; Carrington Court offers 200 fabrics and has a “customer’s own material” program. If you’re having furniture made for you, the manufacturer should be willing to send you sample swatches of the fabric you choose.
When choosing a fabric type for your upholstered furniture, keep in mind that durability is a key consideration. Some materials commonly used include:
* Cotton – A natural fiber, cotton resists wear, fading and piling, but is less resistant to soiling. Blending cotton with other fabrics can address soiling issues.
* Acrylic – Originally developed as imitation wool, this synthetic fabric resists wear, wrinkling, soiling and fading.
* Nylon – One of the most resilient fabrics, nylon is rarely used alone. Most often, it is blended with other fibers, making it one of the strongest upholstery fabrics. It’s highly resistant to soiling and fading.
* Olefin – Often used in blends with other fibers, olefin is a perfect choice for furniture that will get heavy use and wear.
* Polyester – Most often blended with other fibers, polyester resists wrinkles.
* Rayon – Developed as a silk alternative, this synthetic is more durable than silk but does wrinkle.
If you’re furniture shopping in a showroom, carefully inspect the upholstery and repeat your inspection when the furniture is delivered to your home. Look for fabric that is clean, free of rips, tears or stains. Also, if the fabric is patterned, be sure the patterns line up at fabric seams.
Carrington Court Direct has sold furniture for 23 years. Its Parsons and dining-room chairs can be found in dining rooms, bedrooms and living areas of homes across the country, as well as in quality hotels, designer showrooms, restaurants and offices. To learn more, or purchase furniture online, visit www.CarringtonCourtDirect.com.
(ARA) – From Star Wars stamps to Pez dispensers, collectors all over the world scour everything from auctions to antique festivals searching for pieces equal to the “holy grail” in their collectible categories. What drives them? For some, it’s the thrill of the hunt. For others, it’s having the most prized possession in the palm of their hands. For all, however, it’s the camaraderie amongst like collectors looking for that same big find.
For the avid collector or amateur, the world’s most devout — fanatics of Fiesta Dinnerware — share their secrets to building a collection that will make your collecting comrades green with envy.
Determine your goals
There are two goals in collecting: buying what you love and buying what will resell at a higher price. First, determine if you love to collect this item or if you plan to buy, sell or even trade. Then collect accordingly, says Wendy English of Arizona. English is literally “driven” by her love of Fiesta. Vanity plates on both her vehicles are: FIESTA1 and LVDISHES.
Pick your passion
People start collections for as many reasons as there are items to collect — nostalgia, as a means of investment and carrying on a tradition. For Harvey Linn of North Carolina, it’s personal. He ate off of a Fiesta plate (always Cobalt blue) at his grandmother’s house in the mid 1960s. With her passing in 1986, he found that same, now vintage, plate and became a collector of his grandmother’s beloved dinnerware.
Do your homework
If you don’t know much about the category you’re collecting, you might be duped when purchasing a coveted item. Know the value of certain items, how rare they are compared to others and what conditions are acceptable for resale, especially if you plan to sell or trade.
Make friends
What better way to find the latest and greatest information about your collectables than from your peers? Join a club dedicated to your desires. You’ll find everything you want to know about the category and you’ll make friends that share your passion.
Display the prize
Don’t make the mistake of storing items in a cardboard box in the garage. Maintain them by keeping them out where you and others can enjoy them. And what better way to keep inventory of what you have and need? However, be sure to keep fragile and extremely rare items behind glass or in cases to keep them from being broken or soiled.
Display by theme, style or time period
To create an eye-catching display, look for commonalities like color or time period. English collects only vintage pieces and displays them by the place setting in her kitchen. “I have a set in every color, except Sapphire,” she says. While shelving or cabinets are ideal, some collectors designate entire rooms to their collections. “It really depends on the size of your items, and overall collection,” adds English.
Don’t settle
Settling for a specific piece that is less than perfect is a big mistake. For instance, don’t purchase the sugar bowl sans lid — it will surely disappoint. Most collectors buy an item thinking they’ll find the missing lid or accessory, which is rarely the case. Purchase only intact, well-maintained pieces for the best return on investment.
Look for “numbered” items or limited editions
Linn collects for quality, not quantity. “I used to pick up odds and ends,” he says. “Now, I only buy numbered or special edition items.”
Shop “secondary” markets
Linn looks to the Internet, online shopping sites and even blogs for hard-to-find pieces. “I look for items made in a year ending in five or zero,” he says. This year, Fiesta collectors are buzzing about the first of three anniversary collections. Considered an American icon, the brand turns 75 in 2011. “When there is a limited color collection with special back-stamp, it makes the collecting community very happy,” he says. Today, the 75th anniversary mixing bowls are available at retail stores, but next year the item retires and says Linn, “will trickle into secondary markets and become the newest must-have.”
(ARA) - When the time comes to make a significant purchase, whether it be a new TV, video game, pair of shoes or a new appliance, most shoppers do a bit of homework before swiping the credit card.Before the days of the Internet, doing your “shopping homework” consisted of hitting three or four major retailers to find the best price for the product. Nowadays, the Internet has evolved into a phenomenal resource for finding the perfect gift for your loved ones or yourself. Products are not only much easier to obtain online but can be purchased at significantly discounted rates.
Here are some suggestions for shopping online that are sure to find you the best deal without spending hours surfing the net.
* When making major purchases, know the product before you buy it. While you can often find the best deals online, when buying an expensive item such as a plasma TV or digital camera, check out product reviews before you make your purchase. Consider dropping by your local Best Buy or Circuit City to have a sales associate talk you through your options. You will find some of the best product information from a sales associate; however the best deals when it’s time to make the actual purchase can be found online.
* Use online coupon sites to uncover additional savings from your favorite merchants. Online coupon sites are a fabulous addition to online shopping. These sites offer coupon deals that you may not find in-store or even on the Web site of a particular merchant. For example, CouponCabin.com is updated throughout the day and provides deals from over 900 online merchants.
* Use shopping comparison sites when you have a final product in mind and want to search multiple merchants. Once a specific item has been identified and you want to know which retailer offers the best price, a shopping comparison site is the way to go. These sites find the lowest price on a particular product by searching hundreds of online merchants. A new web site, http://www.CheapUncle.com , recently launched that merges comparison shopping and online couponing, giving consumers the best possible price.
* You can still save money even after an online purchase is final. Most of the major online retailers have a customer protection policy. This policy enables you to ask for a refund of the price difference if the price drops soon after your purchase an item. Some online merchants will even beat a competitor’s price if you find a better deal soon after your purchase.
* If you’re still stumped on what to get for your family, friend or significant other, let them decide with a gift card. Gift cards are a convenient option and now Web sites like http://www.Cardways.com allow shoppers the ability to upload photos and add a personal message on the gift card, making it a little more personal and less generic.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
(ARA) - It’s no wonder that online shopping has become so popular when you can shop from home, work, and now - thanks to Blackberries and cell phones - even on the go. New shopping sites pop up every day, making it extremely easy for you and your money to get lost in the virtual world. Any savvy online shopper will agree that it is possible to spend frugally while still living fabulously.
Here are some smart tips for saving money online that will leave cash in your wallet and a smile on your face:
Read the Reviews
Before you buy anything, read the reviews. Just because a product is flashy and has a high ticket price does not mean that it works well or even at all. Trust your fellow shoppers, and let their advice guide you to the perfect product.
Compare Prices
Comparison shopping sites are great for shoppers who already know exactly what they want but don’t want to spend the time searching multiple merchants for the best price. These sites search hundreds of online merchants to find the lowest price on your chosen item.
Think With Your Head, Not Your Heart
How many times have you fallen so hard for a hot pair of shoes, the newest MP3 player, or even a 12-cup coffee maker that you overlooked the unnecessarily high sticker price in order to get the object of your affection, only to feel guilty later? Next time, stop yourself before you add the item to your virtual cart. Take a couple of hours or even a couple of days to think about your purchase. Do you really want it? Do you really need it? If the answer is still “yes,” you’ll be able to make the purchase with a clear conscience.
Search for Online Coupons
Before making your final purchase, be sure to check out an online couponing site to save extra cash. Online couponing sites provide deals that you may not find in-store or even on the Web site of a particular merchant. CouponCabin.com (www.couponcabin.com), for example, is updated throughout the day and provides deals from over 900 merchants.
Save Money Even after You’ve Spent It
Most of the major online retailers have a customer protection policy that allows shoppers to ask for a refund of the price difference if the price drops shortly after you purchased the item. Some online merchants will even beat a competitor’s price. This requires some follow-up on your part, but it will pay off in the end - literally.
Online shopping may be an open frontier, but you don’t have to be afraid. With these tips in mind, you and your wallet can tame any shopping Web site.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
