july 20 2008
I've just watched a prgram on TV about debt consolidation loans.
It was very interesting, but it's not something for me.
I hate being in debt, and I'd rather eat bread 4 days a week (OK, 3 days is far more than enough), than spending money that I have to loan.
My dad taught me how to call money that needs to be payd back, and I use the same words when I talk to my children.
It's not mine and it's not yours, it's not ours.
It's a deep emotion that comes with the words.
Maybe that's why I can't understand why people cover one debt with another, sinking deeper and deeper in the financial mud.
Why on earth do they want to spend money that's not theirs?
I don't feel rich, and I wonder whether I'll ever be really rich.
But I feel happy with what I have.
I don't want to live at a higher level with money that's not mine.
loans
money and life insurance
july 11 2008
We've got the paperwork for the school of the girls.
They're starting august 26 on 9.00 hours, with a program to get used to the schools, it's rules and ofcourse the teachers and children.
The school stimulates creativity and starts immediately. They're asked to create a little theatre piece based on their experiences of the first days. The best will be performed in the grand hall.
The girls are thrilled!!
I was less thrilled with some other paperwork.
It's the financial part.
We're finally getting the main part of the costs for books back, which is marvellous, but there are so many additional costs that I have to sit down and add it all up to see the picture.
A friend says she doesn't worry because she's got life insurance for kids, but I don't think you should get money out of the fund at this age.
It's better to wait untill they're going to university or another way of education.
They're 4 to 6 years older than and you've build a larget sum, meaning you'll profit from interest more.
Maybe thinking that way has kept us out of debt.
Better no vacation abroad and paying for schoolcosts directly, than getting into debt or taking it from the money saved for the future.
What would you do?
...and the energy star goes to...
june 25 2008
None of my friends is amazed I'm the one who does the cleaning here.
They've witnessed the help I got half a lifetime ago, when we still lived at the student appartment.
My young, handsome and very intelligent husband dealt in a very creative way with cleaning the room.
Instead of vacuuming he just took the broom, lifted the carpet and....
Yes, he did!
Now 6 children and their friends crowd the house, we don't have a carpet in the middle of the livingroom anymore.
It wouldn't be able to cover all the dust he brushes underneath. LOL!
So I'm the vacuuming Queen.
Downstairs I use a nice red one, like I'm a firefighter.
Each day I lift it upstairs and clean everything there, with a special brush I even vacuum on top of things so the bright sparkling surfaces are my awards for taking the effort.
At the attick, I have a lovely tiny yellow one.
I bought it after I fell from the stairs with the red one.
It was a nasty accident.
Because we don't have electricity in the attick, I had to use a contact in the girls's room. The line got stuck behind the wardrobe and one of the children stumbled over it, pulling me and the vacuumcleaner backwards when I was going upstairs.
At the time I bought the yellow one. There wasn't a cordless vacuumcleaner on the market.
I certainly would have bought it.
I've used a kind of AccuCharge technology for a little handvacuum in the kitchen and I like it to bits.
One uses far less energy than with a normal vacuum, simply because one thinks first about efficient use. The thing is so old here, that the battery charges just a little of it's normal capacity. (Yes, we need a new one.)
The new Dirt Devil has an inbuilt reduced enery use, which means that in our household we would even use less energy.
Do you know that the Dirt Devil is the first cordless vacuum to be Energy Star approved? The cordless cleaner and the handvacuumcleaner use 70% less energy than normal vacuumcleaners.
That's enough to have a nice bouquet of flowers on the table each week to award yourself for all you do, and still save money!
Apart from that, the stickmodels are light and easy to use.
I hope these new Dirt Devil enters my house soon.
I've got only one problem.
I have to rename my entire family.
They're not the ones anymore that are called Dirt Devils.
Any suggestions?
About Discount Dental Plans
june 2 2008
After I blogged about my smiling face while leaving the dentist, I got quite a lot of comments.
And questions.
Some were about my insurance and I want to adress the subject here.
We used to have a traditional dental insurance.
We didn't know better, so we accepted filling in forms to claim our money back, filling in forms to ask for a crown, waiting endlessly to get an answer, having to call several times, and all those other irritations.
When we left our former dentists we decided to leave not only bad treatment, but also all the hazzle in the past and give the recommendations of a friend a try.
Well, she was right about our present dentist. As you know. LOL!
But she was also right about the discount dental plan.
When we first went to the dentist, we were a little insecure about it.
In the traditional plan we needed to be insured at least 6 month to get anything paid. This insurance said we could use it immediately.
They'd sent us a list with all the dicounted procedures. Which was very long and covered the most common dental procedures a family might have to deal with, like check-ups, cleaning, fillings, root canal treatment and crowns,
Those procedures not on the list are normal rate.
I expected the dentist to send a bill and we going through the whole toodoo again of finding our how much we should get back from the insurance.
Not at all!
The prize mentioned is the prize he wants to have.
Referring one of my daughters to the orthodontist was free and the treatment she receives will be in the dental plan.
So this dental plan saves us not only time and stress, but also a lot of money, and waiting on waitinglists and for decisions.
The plan also gave us a list of dentists which praticipate in the plan, so when one of us needs a dentist in another town, there's no problem at all. (No direct payment anymore).
When you're interested go to: http://www.dentalplans.com.
Enter your zipcode, so the system can find participating plans in your area.
You can choose for a plan that completely fits yourself, your family or the people at your business.
When you're not sure what to choose, you can read the beginner's guide or contact a customer care respresentative of DentalPlans.
I for myself feel very happy with the fact that the insurance plan contracts dentists. So there is a quality insurance too.
After our bad experience that was a pro to the system.
Now we know we save 10 to 60% on most procedures.
All we have to do is show the DentalPlans card.
and comment here:
Thanks!
.
saving accounts
may 26 2008
Monday again.
Time flies.
As it's the last monday of the month there's not onlya lot to tidy and clean after the weekend, but also some administration that needs to be done.
I go through all the papers and leaflets the kids got from school, so to make sure those that need to are handed in in time.
Let's say it also cleans up the piles, because we get so many messages that are completely useless.
Then I update all the savings accounts.
Each child has one and each month they get 10 euro in it.
It's not much, but as we don't have much it's OK.
They can't take the money from the account before they're 18, and even then we keep the account away from them.
Some children don't know we've been saving for them from the day they were born.
I hope they use it well when times get rough.
and comment here:
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Moving to Spain
may 22 2008
I love to see the TV programs with people who leave family and friends behind and move to the Mediterranean to find a ruin and make it into a cosy home or dynamic hotel.
Last week a couple roamed the streets of an old Spanish town, looking for their dreamhouse with a bit of money in their wallet that wouldn't even get them a shed here.
Ofcourse they had a very long search, leaving lots of their plans and ideals behind, ending up with a couple of walls between old trees. And a shed. They bought that too, or it came with the buy.
After long long months struggling with building permits,plans, workers and lots of old bricks and wood, their money was gone. She stayed there in a caravan. He went back to England to earn more money.
Friend of mine took the easy road.
They contacted a property expert, sat down and made a list of what they wanted, and made a choice.
They bought a fully furnished 2 bedroom appartment, with a bath, a large private garden and a communal pool, and inspired another couple in the family to buy the appartment next door.
To be honest: how romatic the first way of dealing with your dreams might be, the second one enables you to enjoy your money and time far better.
Spanish Property Investments provides all sorts of property from appartments and townhouses to detached villas.
You can either choose for completely new builded property in a recently developed area, or resale houses, for the beach or inland.
On the site you can choose which areas, resorts, property types and price ranges are yours. Then you're presented the available properties, with photos and a clear description. You can even study the floorplans.
Included too are the property ratings of capital growth, rental investment, holiday home and permanent living.
It's nice to see how many properties are near the beach and near an airport.
Moving to Spain is an adventure, but I'm sure it pays off. The livingcosts are lower, and the weather is so much better!
What would you do?
and comment here:
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George Divel
may 22 2008
One of my best friends and former neighbour was an investment advisor.
He was rather young, intelligent, fresh and very ambitious.
On top of it he was handsome and had a smile that showed the brightness of heaven.
In no time he worked himself up from a grey student to a colourful partner in an investment organisation. He was fast, glamourous, and because he had a memory of gold he was always able to remember the names and other facts of clients and other people he met.
In no time he gained as much experience as someone else in a whole carreer.
I never thought there was another person like him in this world.
Well, there is and his name is: George Divel.
He's also an investment advisor, and like my friend he doesn't like the culture of do-it-yourself and short term plans.
He believes in experience and judgment, in knowing your clients and in making long-term financial goals.
That's why he left the socalled secure world of financial banks and firms and started his own investment firm, Global Wealth Advisors.
He provides investment advice, products and services to investors in the Baltimore area.
I'm sure we'll hear more about him.
commercial mortgages fitting your needs
may 22 2008
Now the financial markets are in turmoil planning for a business should be well considered.
But even in the time of relative stability, in 1980, a financial healthy business was of utmost importance.
So important, that banks didn't allow themselves any flexibility in their decisions, let alone that they were able to look forward for a considerable length of time.
Michael Thommes realised that companies who need commercial mortgages need more than a good businessplan.
he realised that sitting back in a chair in the office is not a way to gain insight in which business will lead to success and which not.
So he's set up his own business, the GFC: General Finance Centre and since then he's developed his own concept and approach.
He works with a team of experienced commercial finance managers, who visit all new companies wanting a Commercial Mortgage.
They take an interest in the people who manage the business and gain a real insight into the workings of the business.
When they consider the business to have a good prospect, they'll do whatever is necessary to find the financial means.
That way even business with no history and those with poor credit history have a chance to get Commercial Mortgages.
This attributes to a far more healthy economical situation, because not only the well established firms are able to take the lead.
15 years of experience has learned Michael Thommes and his team that a personal approach, and a relaxed, non-pressurising way of dealing with applications works far better than the paperwork focussed way the banks are dealing with matters.
Tailoring each morgage to the needs of the individual firm ensures a far more healthy financial situation in the near and far future.
Don't think that much time is lost.
Experience means a lot, and it pays also out in speed.
It's possible to visit a client within 24 hours and to arrange a bridging loan within 5 days.
You can start your application online at the site of General Finance Centre.
The online form is simple and requires only a bit of basic information.
Or you can call for an instant decision.
She rented a car!!
may 1 2008
Parties, even children's parties are such a good way to exchange information.
This afternoon I had to visit a birthdaycelebration.
I didn't expect to have a good time, but I had.
A mutual friend from england was there too.
She's a stewardess and told me she could benefit from a special discount at Advantage-rent a car, so she phoned to ask if someone was at home and came all the way to town.
Ofcourse she got quite some inquiries about the cost, if it was a lot of fuzz to rent one, the choice of cars etc. etc.
I learned that everyone who flies with Sun Country Airlines receives and extra day free of rent when they hire the car for two or more days.
But others who want to go on vacation can benefit from advantages, apart from the fact that they can choose from a complete line of cars, trucks, SUVs and minivans.
One of the men jumped from his seat to call his wife when he heard that one can
rent a car for a aret of $19,95 and higher.
He thought the lowest rates would be far more expensive.
It was fun to hear them plan their vacation after all.
I asked Anne how she knew about this special offers, discounts and about this marvellous service.
The way she smiled! You should have seen that!
She said they offer services all over the world, and she uses cars this way almost everywhere.
She gains points for renting, resulting in free days.
She also uses this car rental service when she arrives at an airport and has to depart from another. It's not always needed to bring the car at the same place it's rented.
It's best to visit the site to have a good look at all the opportunities.
You can book online and you'll always find low prices, regardless of the season.
You won't be disappointed!
For Autism Insurance
march 30 2008
WHEN: TUESDAY, APRIL 22nd, 2008
TIME: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
RALLY ON THE CAPITOL STEPS IN LANSING
FOR AUTISM INSURANCE.
Goal is to convince the legislators that autism insurance legislation should be passed in Michigan too.
There's no place for discrimination in the USA they say, well, proof it!!
The goal is to get more than 1,000 people to join together at this rally.
For more info and ongoing updates, including maps, what to bring, etc.
go to:
http://autisminsurancemi.blogspot.com and/or
http://michiganaction.org
Rising sales of cars
march 14 2008
In Europe the sales of cars are still rising.
9% increase the figures show for the month of february 2008 alone, that's 1,2 million cars. Volkswagen and Peugeot were sold most.
Part of the increase is due to riding living standards in eastern europe.
Another increase is because of the rise of restrictions aiming to decrease pollution.
Cars with special features to bring down pollution might be more expensive, but the owners have to pay less taxes.
We still don't have a car here, and I don't expect us to have a car, unless we move to a place where we can't live without.
crisis
march 13 2008
Some time ago I blogged about the behaviour of investors in times of crisis.
Now the dollar is at a very low value, investors turn to materials that keep their value, like gold.
Today oil reached a prize of $110,70.
A new record.
And gold reached a price of $997,50 per troy ounce (31 grams).
The risk associated with these developments is that people get insecure and too careful with their money.
Which might even worsen the crisis.
ARC Marketing Inc.
march 13 2008
When I was in high school I organised the school's fundraiser.
It was during a week full of creative and cultural events.
The money we raised went to a school at the other side of the world, a school with the same name as ours.
We didn't have any gadgets to sell.
We just used the schoolpaper to sprad the word.
That's different today.
ARC Marketing Inc. provides the most important gadgets in fundraising: custom car magnets and silicone bracelets.
Experienced designers assist you to create the best tools to make your name known everywhere.
It doesn't matter if the fundraiser is for a new sportshall for your school, a vacation for autistic children, a new roof for the church or sending a talented pupil to an important contest.
Each and every fundraiser can rely on the best gadget available.
You can reach ARC Marketing by phone, fax and email.
You can use the form at the site to have a representative to contact you.
Good luck!!
new 5 dollar bill
march 13 2008
The people in the USA can enjoy a new 5 dollar bill.
A large, purple numeral "5" is featured on the back of the note's lower right.
With 3 other, old fashioned, 5's, people can't make a mistake anymore.
The bill also features 2 new watermarks, which can be seen when the bill is held against the light.
Tourists will love the new bill, because the 5 is clearly seen.
I haven't heard of any braille points or other marks for the blinds.
Do USA bills have those features?
Up2drive for your auto loan
March 10 2008
Buying a car is for most people a huge investment.
Especially now the ecomony creates feelings of insecurity people are hesitant to keep their own way of living.
They'd rather take a financial step back.
But this is not always possible.
Many families need a car, because they live too far away from shops, towncenters and family.
And for most of them boying a car means applying for a loan.
Up2drive is a loan specialist which finances all car models and makes.
They have a straightforward system to calculate your loan. You won't be confronted with application fees, policy fees or other hidden costs.
At their site you can find an automobile loan calculator.
You can provide loan type, amount, credit rating and state to get a free estimate of the monthly payments.
In case of questions you can always can in contact, tollfree, with the award winning customer service.
The decision to take a loan is yours. Up2drive wants to assist you.
CVTY-HealthInsurance.com
march 9 2008
Sometimes I feel like I'm working at a helpdesk.
OK. A special for a friend in Coventry who needs health insurance.
She doesn't have group health insurance anymore now she has started her own practice.
I asked her to write down all she wants from a health insurance plan.
Among her wishes were free mammograms and vision ccoverage. And ofcourse the lowest rate for the best benefits.
I adviced her to get information about CoventryOne.
This coverage is ideal for self-employed individuals, part-time employees, students, singles and families.
It;s provided by CVTY-HealthInsurance.com® an authorized independent agent of Coventry Health Care, Inc. (Coventry).
Ofcourse I can't decide which plan she has to take. That's her own decision.
But I could tell her that she can choose from various plans, including deductible plans ranging from $500 to $10,000.
It's best to get in contact with one of the agents. They are expereinced and can give good advice.
So she did.
We also found out that the site provides important information.
One can easily friend the locations of physicians, hospitals and even pharmacies and other services.
I'm happy I was able to help her out.
UK Mortgages and news
march 6 2008
The UK government is taking it's responsibility to inform people about financial issues.
Among them are managing debt, saving for a mortgage deposit, planning for retirement in a new scheme and reading small print.
The UK government wants people to take control of their financial budget and make the most of their savings.
The new activities are not only meant for those already dealing with financial troubles but also for ordinary families.
It's hoped that there won't be as many victims of loan sharks, and that people are more aware of their own responsibility in seeing through financial offers.
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has developed a checklist for homeowners to help them planning and budgetting. It helps to make important decisions about mortgages and seeking help.
Far too often people forget certain costs when calculating and meet difficulties paying when they're faces with unexpected circumstances.
Educating people might prevent these problems in the future.
Right now new ideas are launched to keep the housing and financial market in motion.
Capital Fortune has proposed a plan for buy-to-rent student mortgage and Alliance & Leicester are adding new products to their range of UK Mortgages: three and five year mortgages and a new tracker product. Not changed are their rates on its existing fixed-rate mortgages.
Other news can be found on the Money Magic site.
You can also find explanation about all the different mortgages types and loans.
Options are available to ask your questions and to apply for free quotes, for both private persons and business people.
The wealthiest people
march 6 2008
Well after so much "moneytalk" yesterday, you certainly can read one more blog about the same subject.
Bill Gates is thrown from his thrown... he isn't the wealthiest man anymore.
After 13 years being number 1 he finally can blend in with the others. He's third on the list now, with a simple 58 billion dollars. Which means his capital has grown in a year with 2 billion dollars. Isn't that nice: loosing and winning at the same time.
According to Forbes Magazine the richest person now is the american invester Warren Buffett. He has to live with the burden of 62 billion dollars.
He made 10 billion dollars this last year. Me oh my... and I have to struggle for each and every dollar to be able to buy a set of smallpipes.
That guy can provide me with the training, practice and a private jet to play bagpipes at the 10 highest mountains of the world.
According to Luisa Kroll in a speciasl report at Forbes.com the second place is for the mexican businessman Carlos Slim Helú.
He's a father of 6, I hope healthy, children.
I've never heard his name before, but it's said he has spend 7 billion dollars to fund education and health projects.
Well, I hope all those wealthy people will go on spending their money to make the world a better place.
I wish peace could be bought.
I would certainly ask for the money.
Creditnet for consumers and merchants
march 5 2008
These last months there are so many people asking me for help, because they are in debt or want to prevent problems.
Keeping your financial situation healthy is as much part of life as eating and drinking.
Many people have creditcards that cost a lot.
Stop using them and go to Creditnet and look for a low interest rate credit card, if you want one.
At the right side of the page you can find a credit card search engine.
Creditnet offers many services to give you information and help you take responsibility.
Subscribe to the newsletter and register for the forum.
You can ask all your questions there and reading the newsletter and the items at the forum and the site might give you more insight in your own circumstances and provide means of saving money.
Talking with people in the same circumstances will certainly support you, and you can share information about popular credit cards, credit card offers, bad credit repair services, company reviews, credit alerts and a lot more.
I can tell you that I've learned a lot at the site a long time ago, and it has helped me to run a family of 8 and stay out of debt.
Creditnet is a premier credit card resource site for consumers and merchants alike.
Kaiser Permanente health insurance quotes
march 5 2008
Just a few minutes ago I had the most interesting online discussion with a friend.
She lives in California.
We started talking about our children with ADHD.
Here Concerta and Strattera aren't covered, and we talked about how I might find ways to solve that problem.
It's difficult because we have a kind of group insurance at the work of the father of the children. That's less expensive when one doesn't need anything special.
When my friend, her family and her mother moved and needed health insurance in California, she applied for Kaiser Permanente health insurance quotes.
In California medical underwriting is required for individual health plans, and those with pre-existing health conditions may be denied coverage.
That happened to her mother, who was dealing with some medical problems.
Kaiser Quotes adviced to ask her employer for any group insurance. She worked well above the requested 20 hours per week, and it turned out there were no other problems to be admitted to group insurance.
My friend asked advice about health care plans to cover the costs of maternity care.
She got very good recommendations. She was able to choose between a deductible plan and a copayment plan.
Now everyone of her family is insured for affordable rates and fitting their needs.
They are very well informed about their insurances, so they won't have to deal with unexpected problems.
You can get the same information on the site. Dowload the pdf files, ask a quote, or call the information number.
