Thursday, July 16, 2009

Christmas budget shopping on a budget?

I am looking for online shopping that offers deffered payments with a credit card purchase. anyone know of any... I know lilian vernon did last year



Christmas budget shopping on a budget?





www.lillianvernon.com (A good place to start!)



www.collectionsetc.com



www.brylanehome.com



www.terrysvillage.com



www.thecountrydoor.com



www.swisscolony.com



www.ebay.com



www.current.com



Christmas budget shopping on a budget?

loan



I have learned that there are very few good deals online.



My family celebrates Christmas on the Epiphany (January 6) when the wise men brought the gifts. You can get bargains galore after Christmas and buy your kids much more. It also gives the kids something to look foward to when all the hype is over.|||ebay.com, amazon.com, cbd.com|||One year my husbands family did a white elephant gift exchange where we all bought cheap stuff between $1-$5 and played the white elephant game. It was so much fun and left us laughing for hours, and there was some neat little gifts. Way better than stressing about how much to spend on all the relatives. I plan to suggest this again for this year, becuase we just bought a new house and are %26#039;budgeting%26#039; too.|||It%26#039;s difficult, I know.



Are you at all %26quot;crafty%26quot;? There are a lot of good ideas on-line for homemade gifts. They aren%26#039;t all %26quot;corny%26quot; and personally, I always enjoy something that someone took the time to %26quot;make%26quot; for me.



You could make Christmas ornaments, baked goods, flavored oils and vinegars in fancy bottles (you need to start them early).



If you know how to crochet you can always make Christmas %26quot;kitchen towels%26quot; with the loop and button that hang on the stove.



Even if you aren%26#039;t %26quot;crafty%26quot; I%26#039;ll bet there are still lots of things you could make yourself. You%26#039;d be surprised at how much money you can save. Don%26#039;t bury yourself in credit card debt, no one wants to get a gift that you will be paying off for the next year!



Good luck to you.|||Hohoho :)



This site list online shops that will sure accept cc.



http://gift-ideas.christmasgifts.net|||http://www.swisscolony.com



The only way for deffered payments is to use the credit plan with the company. Then once the order processes (within about 2-3 business days), you can call in and pay off the full amount with your credit card. That doesn%26#039;t help with deffered payments with the company, but you can make payments to your credit card. If you want to check out the other catalogs that are affiliated with Swiss Colony, you can scroll to the bottom of the Swiss Colony page, and there are links to all their sister companies.



Happy Shopping!!!

Do we have to pay for this?

Went out to eat. Place accepts credit cards. Placed our order, ate dinner. Went to pay and their credit card machine wouldn%26#039;t work. Offered them check. They refused and said I had to leave and drive to a ATM and bring them back the money. I refused to do that. They then decided that we could just leave and leave our name and phone number, and they would call us to come back in the next day, after they get their machine working. So we left the place without paying as they would NOT accept a check, AFTER THEIR equipment failed. Now do I really have to go back and pay this bill? All they have is a name and phone number. I do know that morally it is the right thing to do, I%26#039;m asking about legally. Didn%26#039;t they REFUSE TO ACCEPT PAYMENT when we offered a different method??? Can they make us drive back out there just because their machine was broke?



Do we have to pay for this?





I think you may be exploring your intelligence, and raising a good question just for debate. It is, in fact, legal for you to not pay the bill. It should be their responsibility to tell you beforehand if their machine is malfunctioning. As long as your credit card company%26#039;s sticker is on their window or door, they are obliged to cater to your provider. Technically, they did not refuse to accept your payment, but were under curcumstances that deemed it impossible to. Just pay the bill, really, instead of having that bad karma.



Do we have to pay for this? loan



Bad Karma, pay the bill, don%26#039;t question it.|||Pay %26#039;em ... cheapo!|||Yes|||I recommend taking the high road.|||Pay it but on the condition that the price is reduced. Because they did refure your payment, and any company that can do electronic credit cards should have the paper slips to do a manual payment. I agree with the karma thing but I don%26#039;t agree for paying for terrible service. Tell them to make an offer.|||I would post them a check.|||Yes you still have to pay for the meal. You realize that, right?



Why not just mail them a check? They might call you an @sshole (to themselves) but they will probably just try to cash it, and as long as it doesn%26#039;t bounce, then you will be ok, without having to drive back there.



Oh if it is less than 15mins away then there is something wrong with you. Just so you know.|||Yes, you are legally obligated to pay.



Somewhere on the premises is a sign that says %26quot;No checks%26quot; or %26quot;We do not accept personal checks%26quot;, or something like that. That protects them and takes the leg out from under you.



If you don%26#039;t pay, you could possibly receive a visit from a city official wearing a badge and a gun, although I%26#039;m sure the restaurant would try other measures instead.



You could mail them a money order, if you REALLY don%26#039;t want to go back.|||Since I%26#039;m assuming you left your information, that%26#039;s likely indirect consent to what they asked you to do - that is, give your payment at another time. Private companies have every right to refuse certain forms of payment (ie personal checks). You made a deal with them, you should honor it.|||I work in retail, and even when the system was down for several hours, and our registers were not approving credit card transactions, we still had ways to get them approved. It%26#039;s dreadfully annoying to call in credit cards, but it%26#039;s not at all impossible.



Why didn%26#039;t they just have you leave your credit card information with them to run at a later time?|||They are not obligated to take a check just because you want to use one if that is not their normal course of business. Checks are not legal tender.



Why are you making this such a big deal? You sound like loads of fun - as in %26quot;free%26quot; loads.

College student in desperate need of a Laptop. Need some help locating a company who can help?

Ok, I am a 28 year old guy with 2 kids and I am trying to further my education. I am currently in community college and having a very hard time advancing with my lack of technology. I am in desperate need of a Laptop computer which I can bring to class and to work so I can finish assignments on time, create powerpoint ect ect. However, I am a former US Marine, and while I was in the Corps I made a few financial mistakes which has destroyed my credit. So credit cards are out of the question. The school recommended me to this website. They said there are companies out there that offer guaranteed credit/grants ect for students. I can not find any... I need help



College student in desperate need of a Laptop. Need some help locating a company who can help?





Talk to the financial aids office at your school to find out if you can request for additional unsubsidized Stafford loan or something similar to it.

Suppose there is a rather dramatic increase in the price of oil. What type of inflation might this c

What impact could this have on the level of production and therefore the unemployment rate?



Suppose there is a rather dramatic increase in the price of oil. What type of inflation might this create?heart rate





The price of oil going up dramatically, would increase real prices across the board, because of transportion of products would greatly increase, and the fuels that are needed to produce products would increase.



Unemployment should rise as companies will not be able to afford as many employees.



Production levels should decrease as demand should also decrease.

If Republicans are all for "small government", what's with the "War on Drugs&quo

...Who is the government to come in and say that a PLANT is illegal and you are a criminal for growing it and a criminal for what you choose to put in your own body?



Who is the government to build massive amounts of jails and a criminal justice beurocracy just to house political %26quot;criminals%26quot; ie NON violent drug offenders (50% of jail population),



diverting the police and investigators attention away from REAL criminals, like murderers, child molesters and rapists?



And filling our court houses with BS red tape?



Is this all to create government jobs



and kill two birds with one stone, the poor are sedated and have drugs to sell, and when caught, are housed in jails keeping the unemployment rate low while creating more jobs for government workers?



If Republicans are all for %26quot;small government%26quot;, what%26#039;s with the %26quot;War on Drugs%26quot;?





I think you are confusing several distinctly separate issues and are attempting to tie them all together into one neat little package.



First, who is the government? It is %26quot;We The People...%26quot; You may have been too zoned out in your governments class to catch the part about the basis of all civilizations being built upon governing laws designed to protect. You don%26#039;t strike me as the type to REALLY study the chemical composition of the various %26quot;plants to which you refer, their effects on the cell structure as well as the residule effects. Perhaps you should.



Your spelling (%26quot;beurocracy%26quot;) is even worse than mine! You were sitting in the back of the class? Or, you simply didn%26#039;t see a need to make it that day...



Here%26#039;s a thought for you: The poor are poor because of bad life decisions -- repeated decisions. You honestly think getting blasted out of one%26#039;s mind is going to help them make better decisions? They have little to no money, so you condone the idea of them spending what little they do not have on %26quot;recreation%26quot; such as Ipods, cell phones, beer, cigarettes and %26quot;plants?%26quot; I thought that was what cable TV was for!!! Personally, I%26#039;m tired of my tax dollars being wasted on this class of people and those who would condone the advocacy of such %26quot;lifestyles.%26quot;



If Republicans are all for %26quot;small government%26quot;, what%26#039;s with the %26quot;War on Drugs%26quot;?

loan



....cont.



Are you one of them by chance? Report It

|||Todays republicans are not the true republicans.|||looks as if you could land a job a NORML...go...|||You%26#039;ve got them all figured out. Good for you.



You left out the part about the evil Republicans and the CIA running the drug trade and making billions off of the misery of the poor minorities.|||I couldn%26#039;t agree more. And there is not much I could add to your thoughts...except that the decriminalization (note, not legalization) of marijuana would cut down the criminal statistics dramatically. This would be a very good first step. That, and the government getting their priorities straight...and focussing their attentions on issues that are important to the country, and winnable!|||Actually just to add to this. If that is their mission in which they claim it is, why do they avoid talking about it? Maybe because under this administration they have added something near 200,000 govt. jobs since Buttwipe took office. Seems kind of backwards huh.|||If you can%26#039;t see why preventing the flow of illegal drugs into America is important, you need some serious help.|||Also, they pretend to want to keep %26quot;big brother%26quot; out of America, yet see no problem with our army standing behind the Iraqi government and pointing a gun at the population.|||That is another interesting paradox of the supposed get rich republicans. If they wanted to get rich, they quit the war on drugs and tax them. Then they would have their friends import them for the fabulous profits.



And for Aslonas 鈥?you might think about what are the differences between republicans and conservatives.



%26quot;People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.%26quot;



- George Orwell|||You sound like you%26#039;re on drugs.|||Today%26#039;s republicans are more interested in the government regulating morality than they are about them upholding the Constitution of the United States of America.|||Because the GOP has too many fianancial ties to the drug industry to REALLY care about our kids more than money!|||The %26quot;War on Drugs%26quot; is just propaganda for show. There is no war it%26#039;s for appearences only. If they really wanted to get rid of drugs in the US they would have already.



I believe the government keeps illegal drugs in the market because honestly it controls Americans. It keeps people satiated and content. Imagine what it would be like if alcohol was suddenly banned? If it%26#039;s a violent place now, it we would be 100 times more so. Same reason cigarettes are not banned even though it%26#039;s proven harmful to your health.|||This is a very good question, but the dilemma is that most street drugs cause such things as paranoia and extreme anger and these lead very easily to violent behavior. And the truth is that most violent crimes, statistically, are performed by people who are on these street drugs at the time. So your question almost answers itself. I will say, though, I believe the government contributes to the drug problem in this country because there%26#039;s no way they can%26#039;t stop these illegal drugs from coming into our country - just no way. So, in the end, the whole thing, as you said, really does just perpetuate itself, doesn%26#039;t it?|||Their claims about a small government are purely propaganda...totally false......



Under the current administration, the size of the government in both number of people working, as well as expenditures, have risen to their highest levels in the history of the republic.



Dont be fooled.......|||The only difference between republicans and democrats is that I detest democrats more than I detest republicans.



I am a constitutional conservative and I DON%26#039;T support big government or the stupid war on drugs.



I consider both democrat and republicans to be looking out for what is best for them politically. Give a government money and power they shouldn%26#039;t have in the first place and you%26#039;ll rarely get it back.



The government, republican and democrat both are OUT OF CONTROL and we need a CLEAN SWEEP of the entire government to get rid of these career politicians that form the political class and are out for their own interests, NOT what is right and good for the country.|||The %26quot;small government%26quot; claim is just propoganda. Over the last 5 years the United States government has mushroomed in size and accumulated 3 TRILLION dollars of debt. All of this while under GOP control.



The GOP has always attacked Democrats and %26quot;Tax and Spend%26quot; but the story they won%26#039;t tell everyone is that the Republicans %26quot;BORROW and SPEND MORE%26quot;.



It will finally come to a nasty conclusion in 2020 when 33% of the US budget will be to pay interest on the DEBT !!! Wait until you see what the taxes will have to grow to in order to keep enverything else funded.



The only thing small about the GOP government is the long term planning.|||You are talking about a major, life-threatening epidemic in this counry! Small government or big government needs to step in for the safety issues. What in hell would this world be like w/ 1/2 the population stoned or high and putting their lives as well as innocent lives in constant danger? We have enough degenerates running loose as is and there are times when government mandates are necessary.|||I believe that the so called war on drugs is a farce. If you want to find the truth about why drugs, especially certain ones, are illegal, follow the money. What industries, for example, benefit the most from the fact that marijuana is illegal? If you want to learn the truth about most anything, the same thing applies...follow the money. Whoever has the most to gain, in terms of profit, is most likely behind whatever you are asking about! *sm*|||First, you%26#039;re statistics about 50% of jailed offenders in prison for drug offenses is inaccurate. The majority of those incarcerated for drug related offenses are for the sale and distribution of drugs!



Second, it is not the US government alone that provides for law making marijuana and THC illegal.



The United States with its International Treaties and agreements relate the following:



The Congressional findings in 21 U.S.C. 搂 801(7), 21 U.S.C. 搂 801(a)(2), and Template:21 state that a major purpose of the CSA is to %26quot;enable the United States to meet all of its obligations%26quot; under international treaties - specifically, the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. The CSA bears many resemblances to these Conventions. Both the CSA and the treaties set out a system for classifying controlled substances in several Schedules in accordance with the binding scientific and medical findings of a public health authority. Under 21 U.S.C. 搂 811 of the CSA, that authority is the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Under Article 3 of the Single Convention and Article 2 of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, the World Health Organization is that authority.



A provision for automatic compliance with treaty obligations is found at 21 U.S.C. 搂 811(d), which also establishes mechanisms for amending international drug control regulations to correspond with HHS findings on scientific and medical issues.



Unfortunately, many young drivers don%26#039;t understand the risks associated with marijuana use. Approximately one in six (15%) teens reported driving under the influence of marijuana, a number nearly equivalent to those who reported driving under the influence of alcohol (16%), despite higher prevalence of alcohol consumption among teens.



Research shows that smoking pot affects concentration, perception, coordination and reaction time, many of the skills required for safe driving.



In 2001, an approximately 38,000 high school seniors in the U.S. crashed while driving under the influence of marijuana and 46,000 crashed after driving under the influence of alcohol.



This response is NOT to make judgement against anybody...but to provide facts from reliable sources and not from teenage friends. There is no mistake that marijuana COULD be used responsibly just as drinking alcohol.



The problem lies with those who drink/drug and drive (in my own opinion). Additionally, my opinion is that until our government, based upon the majority vote, decides to rescind those international treaties and sway the medical authorities to change their opinion of marijuana, it will stay classified as a Schedule I drug!



Best wishes!|||The %26quot;small government%26quot; rhetoric of Republicans has been aimed primarily at the topic of ECONOMIC regulations. Historically, the federal government%26#039;s most important priorities have been to ensure a healthy, growing national economy and to ensure national security. Drug regulation was traditionally understood as being a subject regulable by the states.



The federal-jurisdiction/state-jurisdiction dichotomy has been signifigantly blurred during the 20th century. The federal government has been taking on an increasing sense of responsibility to %26quot;fight crime%26quot; and to nationalize issues which were previously at the discretion of the states instead. Much of the reason for this has been because of the Supreme Court%26#039;s interpretations of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.



I am not interested in addressing your belief that drugs are used by non-violent persons and are less dangerous than murderers, child molesters, and rapists. I am only trying to respond to the issue of why the Republicans seem to have abandoned their belief in %26quot;small government.%26quot;|||There is no war on drugs. To much money is being made from drugs. The police department make money from seize property, lawyers make money from the arrest, Rich people get rich by up fronting money to dealers,politician skimming money from programs and making jobs for friends, etc.



If they wanted to stop cocaine from coming to the US, if would be cheaper to buy all the coca leaves in South America and burn them.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

What is the best way to handle a store line of credit once you no longer use the account?

I recently made a one time purchase from a store with a 0% APR credit line in which they offered. I have paid the balance in full and never intend on using the card again. Is the best option still to not close the account?



What is the best way to handle a store line of credit once you no longer use the account?





As long as you have other credit accounts, then yes, it is generally best to close it. Credit bureaus give you additional points for accounts that have been open for many years. However, those points generally are not as high for a store card as they would be for a major credit card account.



What is the best way to handle a store line of credit once you no longer use the account? loan



The credit scoring formulas are complex and can ding your credit for either opening OR closing accounts. But generally speaking for the scenario you mentioned, I would definitely close it out and not take out additional cards in the future...even though the retailer offers a one-time 10% discount to get you to do it (they do this for a reason...it%26#039;s still profitable for them!). Even if closing it were to ding your credit, it wouldn%26#039;t likely be significant at this point.|||As long as the loan balance is not that high, there is no need for closing it. If it is high, your credit report will reflect it by showing a lot of credit available ot you, making a lender more weary at lending you money. If you were to max it out, would you still be able to pay there loan back. But what if you need it again 5 years from now.

My husband quit his job last last summer and i had major surgery at this same time. our bills got ve

I can handle rent, utilities, food, insurance and so on, but i haven%26#039;t been able to pay my three credit cards. we live in michigan and my husban hasn%26#039;t been able to find another job. i owe arount 2,000 on three credit cards. will they take you to court? i really don%26#039;t know what to do. i tried a credit counseling place, but the credit card companies wouldn%26#039;t accept their offers. we are also paying the IRS monthly because of not having anything to claim every year, so that added up. every day seems like a nightmare. please help.



My husband quit his job last last summer and i had major surgery at this same time. our bills got very behind





This happens all too often.. I know that on each credit card you have a minimum payment. and as long as you keep paying this mininum you will not be sent to collections.. HOWEVER the minimum is normally enough to only cover the interest, so consider payin a little more than the mininum.. And honestly if hubby can%26#039;t find work for over a year maybe he isnt lookin in right places. or looking for work that doesn%26#039;t exist. I would suggest you tell him its time to consider a new career~



My husband quit his job last last summer and i had major surgery at this same time. our bills got very behind loan



Try reasoning with the credit card companies again. Either they take the offers or you declare bankruptcy right? They can get their money overtime, or they won%26#039;t get a penny. Put it in those terms and see what they would prefer.|||Check with your town officials to see if there is some kind of program in your community to help you guys get back on your feet.



I don%26#039;t mean to sound crude, but, there%26#039;s GOTTA be a job out there! Why did your husband quit his job, anyway? If he doesn%26#039;t like the conditions, it%26#039;s better than not having a job at



all.



Good luck.|||Having lived in Michigan I compleatly understand and sympothize with your situation.



I can%26#039;t believe that the credit card companies have refused the credit counsleors offers. Usually the credit counsleors have been doing this for so long they know exactly what to offer and what the companies will take. I don%26#039;t know who you used but I have used Greenpath Debt Solutions and they were wonderful (www.greenpath.com).



Have you contacted your local Department of Human Services. It sounds like you have no income and they should be able to assist you with rent and food (http://www.michigan.gov/dhs). Also you should try contacting your local Michigan Works office to help your husband find a job.



My mother has been a vollunteer services coordinator with the State of Michigan for more than 30 years. If you go and fill out papers and they tell you that they cannot help you for some reason or another ask to speak with their vollunteer services coordinator. This person can often help you find assistance that is not necessarily income based (for example, I have some friends who both work full time but they were behind on their mortgage to the point of forclosure, the did not qualify for assistance because your income has to be almost non existant to qualify...she was able to help them with a grant she had access to that paid one month%26#039;s mortgage payement).



We wound up having to move to another state with a better income base to find better jobs. Unfourtonatly Michigan is last in the nation when it comes to unemployment. It is a difficult situation, too bad Granholm couldn%26#039;t make it better. Good luck and hang in there!