Thursday, November 26, 2009

Some Black Friday Tips on Wacky Thursday

I am just in love with these crazy named days like Black Friday, Shipping Monday, Cyber Monday, etc. I decided this time that I will move away with these days but you know it is kind of hard and difficult for a finance blogger like me. So I decided instead of avoiding it I will share some of my personal tips with all of you regarding Black Friday.



I have decided that I am gonna hit at the noon time this year and see what happens though I really avoid all these dramas. I am sure even this time best buys gonna make some huge income tomorrow. Lets see what happens.

So now lets get back to some Black Friday interesting and funny Tips

You should be aware of what you need ahead of time - You should always check the stores just before the thanksgiving day. Talk to sales representatives in person and ask them which product will be reducing prices. I am pretty sure all goods are not in sale on Black Friday. The store people display them because they buy those goods in huge quantity.

Keep Your Ads with yourself - Now this is interesting. Same HP printer both Walmart and Target is selling. But Target is selling it at $10 discount. So until and unless you keep the ad with yourself as a proof wall-mart will not the match the price. So it is advisable to keep a copy of an ad with yourself.

Be a Gladiator and shop - Yes you saw it right. Place yourself in a war, a war of shopping. Consider yourself as a shopper with a mission. I will personally recommend that go for shopping with teenagers and not old people because they can run fast.

Take help from Big Boss i.e. Google - How can we forget our boss at this time. If you do not have time to go through the newspapers about the Ads, then please google it. You will get hundreds of websites with Black Friday sale information listed on Google. You can also view the websites of wal-mart and Target on Internet beforehand.

Make Friends with the Sales Associate - If you really want to get inside the scoop of everything, the most important thing is to befriend with the sales associate of the store. These sales associates are well versed with all the sales prices. They can easily get you from one department to another. Listen to their advice and then plan your shopping strategy.


The crowd outside wall-mart at 3 am last year

Just party dude - I don't think you need a reason for partying. Most of us go in a queue at 3 am but we are afraid what if we are not able to wake up. The best advice is party late night. Finish the party and run to get in to the queue.

Do not get Tired soon - After partying all night you might feel tiring and all the enthusiasm before reaching the store is dead. Do not allow this to happen. Party for sometime. Do not have too much brandy or vodka.

Choose the best crowd - As soon as you reach the store you will find at least 5-10 queues. Choose the best crowd and go and stand with your feet positioned properly there with loads of oxygen. Do not get too excited. Do not allow anyone to overtake you.

Have a back up pay plan - It might happen that you reach the cash counter and credit card is rejected. So at that point of time you should have a back up of your money. Carry some good amount of cash with yourself so that you dont feel embarrassed infront of thousand people.

Cross checking is a must - Always before reaching the cash counter do the cross checking of your list. Make sure you have purchased everything and nothing important is left out. If you miss even one thing you have to wait until next year turkey day.


You have to be very patient to stand in that queue. My goodness!!! Crazy People


Okay I guess that is more than enough for you guys. If you really find anything else out of this list please do share it with me.

The only thing you can learn from these tips is Planning. You should plan your activities before hand. This will help you in saving hours, if not dollars when you are shopping with full stamina. Most importantly enjoy thanksgiving not only with your family members but with everyone you know.

God Bless all!!!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Our Day in the Sun

Saving for the future can be a goal that is difficult to reach when it seems that everything is getting more and more expensive and salaries seem to stay stagnant. As we grow and our family size increases, we can get overwhelmed and often spend more than expected as a result. If we are even able to put money away, it seems as though we must tap that money way too quickly for our comfort.


the best financial tools to get some instant cash is payday loans


Sometimes, we think that using our credit cards is a good idea, and it can be, but only if we are able to pay off the balance before the end of the month. This action allows us to avoid interest that accrues on that balance and it is like using cash, but with a delayed payment. This can be good for those who may need a payday loan, but do not want to have to pay the fees and interest associated with them.

Payday loans can be good for some, as they will allow you to avoid the use of credit cards, which can be easy to not pay off before the end of month, resulting in interest and late fees if the minimum payment is not met before the due date. Consumers are often lured by promotions and low-interest credit cards and often sign up for way more than they need, which can result in mounting debt, which is no good for our financial health.


Payday loans with nationalpayday is just an another reason to smile :)

By controlling our credit card use and instilling budget routines into our daily life, we can slowly regain our financial health and remain on track to successfully save money for the future. Retirement is very close for many of us and we may feel that we are just not ready to do so, but by budgeting and controlling out-of-control spending habits, the sooner we can retire to spend our later years relaxing and soaking in the sun.

Performance Pays When It Comes to Business

When it comes to some business activities, the conventional method of paying first and measuring performance last is changing. In the advertising industry, for instance, it's no longer meaningful to simply role out a large advertising campaign without first knowing what the return on the investment will be.





With traditional types of online advertising, like pay-per-click, a campaign is rolled out even before you know if it will generate any sales. Unless you have money to spare (a rare condition in this recession) or business loans for this purpose, you can end up shelling out money that never returns a direct benefit in proportion to what you spent. Take a cue from modern methods and choose strategies that will lower the risk of loss and increase performance from the get go.


Cost-Per-Action Advertising


New affiliate networks call cost-per-action networks seek to reduce the risk and increase advertising performance for its advertisers by generating sales leads from advertising activities. These can later be mined for email marketing campaigns, increasing the performance of your advertising dollars by generating a valid email of a prospective customer. Now, instead of spending a few cents for each click and generating thousands in advertising costs with little to show for it, you can spend a few hundreds and get a valid sales information that helps you market people every time an action is taken. If the action requested is never completed, you don't have to pay for the publishing of your link. You only pay for performance on that link.




cost-per-action networks seek to reduce the risk and increase advertising performance


Hiring High Performance Individuals


Another way that businesses have be lowering the cost of hiring and increasing performance is to hire on a part-time or temporary basis. With the labor pool filled with qualified applicants, hiring people on a short-term basis can be a great way for business owners to try out candidates to see if they will work out. If they don't, then they can just end the relationship at the end of the contract period and start again with a new face. This keeps performance high and lowers costs of employee staffing.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

I seriously hate when people ask me about my Salary

I don't understand why people keep on asking me about my salary. Are we helping each other with any monetary transactions? Are we best friends? Are we relatives? If not then trust me it is really pissing me off. I wish I could have said this straight on the face, but unfortunately I cant. But trust I am happy in my own way.

I am always ready for open discussions related to finances but how can someone ask anyone about their salary.



It may sound a little weird from someone who keeps on writing articles on finances, but I really feel not to disclose few of my personal things like passwords and salary. The trust factor plays a very important role here. I can discuss this with my wife (I am single as of yet) but not with my friends, not even with close ones. I simply cannot trust them.

If someone comes and ask me about anything, I always welcome them. I can give them my opinion 100 % because I dont care whether you implement my suggestion or not. Maybe I do not the answer but I will definitely participate in the conversation. There are certain appropriate and inappropriate time to ask about the salary for anyone. And that is why I decided to write this post and let everyone know my preferences of when you should ask me and when you should not ask me about my salary?

Let me first discuss the Appropriate times:

1.) Human Resources: If you are my boss or my CEO, I would definitely tell you my salary figures without even hesitating (although you must be knowing it!)

2.) At Job Interviews: Please ask away! You have full authorities to do that and I have got no option that time. I have to tell you the exact figures.

3.) To my financial Adviser/consultant/Accountant: I guess he/she should know this, then only they can manage my finances well. You should never hide your finances from your accountant.

4.) when I am with my wife: She should know what I am spending on and where? Right? I guess she has full rights to do that. Always share your financial background with your to be so that there is no confusion later on.

5.) I asked you first situation: I am always open to tell you when the situation is like I have asked you about the salary first. You answer me about your figures and I will do the same.

I guess these points are more than enough when I am OK to share my salary. These are just my opinions, maybe others are not satisfied with my points (As if I care).



Now for some inappropriate times when please don't even dare to ask:

1.) When we are not talking about any monetary transactions: Why shall I even tell you about my salary when we are busy discussing about the baseball match?

2.) When I don't even know the person: It might happen that someone stands in front of your face stands up and ask you. Whats your payroll buddy? What crazy, cmon mind your own business dude.

3.) when talking with co-employees: keeping the bosses and HR aside, there are number of people who will interested in knowing about your salary and especially those who are sitting beside you.

4.) when you are traveling in a metro, train or anywhere there are hundreds of people around: I am comfortable in sharing with you but not with those hundred eyes balls staring at you. I am not at all ready for this.

I guess there is a wrong and right way to ask and also how much one can ask. If you know these points I am sure you can understand when the person is interested in answering you and when he is not.