Personal Finance Journal

The necessity of having a access to reliable credit card processing services cannot be overstated if you’re running a business.  It’s still a wonder to think that some people, notably those looking to start small businesses, might overlook the necessity of such a service, but it is really key.  You are going to watch money walk out the door if you’re not prepared and have a good system in place. Nearly everyone will pay at some point with a credit card, so you have to have the processing system in place with to fit your particular business.

There really isn’t a one-size-fits-all credit card processing system since so much depends on the size of your business, the  specific goods your sell or services you provide and so forth.  It might be that you simply need appropriate POS systems.  A provider like Monexgroup has a few different styles of these machines available to fit your needs with various features like wireless or counter-top POS solutions.

For some businesses, it makes good sense to have the ability to provide ATM machines in their store or area because there are still customers who prefer to have access to cash, or may just need to utilize this machine.

The point ultimately is when you run a business you have to be ready for various types of transactions. Once you have the customers in your store and ready to make a purchase, you don’t want to blow it with an insufficient system.

We spent some time covering the importance of saving money yet finding a good deal on glasses recently, but I forgot to mention some of the more technical features that make this such an interesting way to acquire a quality product at a reasonable price.

The glasses at Zenni Optical have an oleophobic coating that helps repel the oils that are produced with your fingerprints. I am sure you have had glasses in the past that seem to breed finger marks. Well, this new Anti-Reflective, or AR, coating repels oils (thus the name “oleophobic”) as well as water, dust and fingerprints, yet also helping to reduce the reflection that you get from lights like when you’re driving at night or from reflections overhead.  Additionally, this special coating in the glasses help to reduce the reflective light while taking photographs.

Again, you can shop around and save money with inferior products, but it is not really necessary if you are able to both find a good price on quality like the glasses from Zenni. I’ve found that companies like this that are able to utilize an online presence to help cut costs that would otherwise make for an expensive product are a great way to shop. Features like the oleophobic coating in Zenni lenses help to insure you’re going to get something that is really a quality product without the corresponding price tag.

Finding regional assistance and services, be it for help around the house, personal financial information and investing advice or something as important as estate law can be a real challenge. The rub is finding a dependable firm at reasonable prices and know you’re not going to have to keep hunting around to find what you need.

We cover a lot of different issues here at PF Journal, mostly related to saving money, investing and general personal finance help, but we know that sometimes these topics extend to some specialized services.  For instance, looking for help with estate litigation might require a qualified estate lawyer Barrie, and the firm of Stewart Esten has lawyers that specialize in that field and can help you with your litigation and dispute resolution should things prove contentious.

It’s often most likely the time you need some specific help when you’re facing a serious problem that requires just the right kind of assistance. A firm that has served a community like Barrie for over 140 years can likely be trusted to help you with your particular needs and provide a professional service yet with a personal and helpful manner.

Tough Love

Thanks for the post from Sylvester Campbell

My mom and I both have direct tv and we like to watch shows at the same time from the different coast and talk about them over the phone. Our current show of choice is this monstrosity on VH1 called Tough Love and it’s all about these women who can’t find love and they go to a boot camp to figure out why they’re still single. I mean, I’m a single woman but the fact that these crazy girls can’t see why they’re not attracting men just blows my mind – clearly they don’t know what they’re doing! Some of them are desperate and some of them are dramatic and some just lie all the time – it’s a hoot watching them try and make a match on national TV. There’s another show called “Why Am I Still Single” (I know, really creative name) and it’s all about matchmaking these total losers – anyway, mom and I really get a kick out of watching them together then talking about it. That’s why we love reality TV!

I really love finding shopping bargains online, especially around the holidays when I can find a good deal on something with a nice holiday theme.  Zenni Optical not only has cheap eyeglasses, that are not just inexpensive yet still great quality, but they also have a nice assortment of themed glasses for this time of year with images of Santa or candy canes or just some nice holiday colors.

For instance, look at these great holiday themed glasses: 

The glasses at Zenni Optical are so inexpensive you could even afford to get a couple of pairs to mix it up a bit for different occasions.

While at ZenniOptical.com, you can spend some time on their easy-to-use site to find some more great deals on their eyeglasses. They’ve got a great selection and since they sell their glasses direct without any advertising or middlemen, you know you’re going to pay a price that’s very reasonable. Their glasses come with an anti-scratch coating, full UV protection, a protective case and a cleaning cloth as well–not to mention affordable shipping–or even free shipping on order over $50.

With the money I save on my glasses from Zennioptical.com I can afford extra presents for my family like the new Ipad my son’s been wanting all year.

Take a look around on the ZenniOptical website and let me know in the comments if you have a favorite set of frames.

Is it possible to sell your old mobile phones for some extra cash? It might seem unlikely, but in fact there are people out there looking for your old phones and they are willing to pay you for it.
If you are like me, you might have a drawer full of older mobile phones that seem too good to throw away, but have been replaced by a newer phone. It might seem like a waste to just throw them away since they are perfectly usable and considering all of the useful materials in phones, it is doubly wasteful to not recycle them in some way.

You are certainly free to donate your old phones as there are several organizations that accept them. Another option is to seek out a company that is buying an old phone in good working condition.  The amount you are able to get in return to sell mobile phones really depends on several factors such as the age and condition.

One very useful tool to make sure you’re getting the best price is to use a price comparison site to get a good sense of what your can truly expect to get. A company like SellMyMobile.com, the UK’s number one mobile phone recycling price comparison site, lets you conveniently enter your old mobile information and it will compare the leading phone buyers to make sure you get the best price.  You’ll get a easy-to-read list of the various offers with clear notes on the details of the offer such as whether the site pays for shipping and what payment methods are used.

There are a couple things you want to keep in mind before you send your phone off if you do sell it.

Make sure you remove all of your personal data from your phone. There is a lot of important and quite personal information on your phone including passwords to various accounts, names and phone numbers of close friends and family, old text messages and emails and possibly more. Unscrupulous people could choose to use this information for their own gains later, so you want to make sure it’s all wiped out.   You can usually find this information from your mobile phone provider.  You’ll also want to remove any removable SIM cards that might have important data.

A credit card certainly offers consumers a convenient way to buy like gifts, make purchases or pay for household essentials, but there are some drawbacks for certain people who either can’t qualify for a good card or have trouble using their credit cards responsibly.  A possible alternative to a convential card is to use a Green Dot card.

Essentially, whereas with a traditional credit card one makes purchases on the card and then pays down the balance later, a green dot prepaid card allows you to put your money on the Green dot card first and then use it to either make purchases anywhere a credit card is accepted or use an ATM to obtain money at over 18,000 ATMs for no additional charge. When you apply for the card, you can choose to either have a Visa or a MasterCard card.

Nearly anyone can obtain a card with minimal information, basically with no hidden fees and no credit check or bank account required. The monthly fee for using such a card varies but usually runs about $5.95 but can be free if you put enough money on the card or use it a certain number of times.  Additionally, you can reload the card for free in various ways or for a small fee through certain retailers.

The funds in your prepaid account are also safe as they are insured to the maximum provided by FDIC through a custodial account maintained and tracked by the bank that holds the funds of your account.  You can read about the specific ruling here from the FDIC.