Category: Business

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Trading one for another

Stocks and bonds have never been my area of expertise.  I had a relative who was a stock broker for over 20 years and retired from that line of work.  They were really good at what they did and because of their strong abilities they now are all set for retirement.  During those times there was no such thing as online trading.  Calculators were the size of computers now used.  There were no such thing as an online broker.  There brokers were always met in person or on the telephone.

Many things have changed in this field.  One area that has not changed is stock trading.  Stock trading may have changed in method of trading but not in what they actually are.  Cell phones are now in high use so naturally the stock market has turned to mobile trading as a form of trading.  I have always heard people discuss their IRA accounts but I have never learned much about them.  Maybe I will look into them and see if it might be a good idea for me to set one up.

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Deep in the heart of Texas

Some friends of mine are thinking of moving to the big state of Texas.  Both of them are from the North but since the economy has declined, their jobs are in jeopardy of downsizing.  They have recently been looking for different jobs all over the country.  One of the most important areas to check out besides securing employment is securing a place to live.  They have been concentrating on Dallas real estate.  The husband is much more concerned about the available of Dallas homes for sale than his wife.

In my spare time I have helped them search as well for not only jobs but for Dallas homes for sale.  They are some- what picky about what kind of home them want.  the biggest attraction for them is having a large backyard and central air conditioning.  I do not think that any home in the state of Texas comes without central air conditioning.  That state can be so hot that it is nearly unbearable to anyone not used to it.  My friends will definitely will have some adjusting to do because they are used to 20 below winters and 70 degree summers.

 

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Packing up all my stuff for my new house

Guest post written by Amelia Hall

It’s a little bittersweet, leaving my first house that I could legally call my own. But, my job is moving and I love my job so I’m moving with it. I was careful about the new house that I picked out but I also didn’t want to have to renovate all the rooms in it like I did with my first house. I don’t have all that time to DIY a whole home into my ideal home this time around.

I’m taking lots of other steps to make sure that my move goes as easily as possible. But I also want living in my new home once I’m settled in as easy as possible. I’ve done a lot of comparison pricing for energy costs because I’m moving into an area that has unregulated energy. In my research I came across the website texaselectricityproviders.com and after I looked through it a little bit, I finally decided on an energy provider.

Now I just have to worry about all the packing that I have to do. At least I hired a moving company to do all the physical work for me.

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Satellite vs. Cable

Recently, I decided to switch back over to cable.  I had been using satellite for a couple of years because they were providing me a good deal.  However, they were not able to give me a good Internet deal so I was forced to still use the cable company to have my Internet.

This was very inconvenient and I was having to pay two bills when I could condense them into one.  Finally, my contract was up with the satellite company and I cancelled.  I talked with the cable company and they were able to bundle my Internet and cable so that it was still cheaper than paying for both with two different companies.  I had to laugh at the fact they also tried to sell me a phone bundle but I told them I use my cell phone so I didn’t need a land line.  I guess if I had a fax line it would be handy but I don’t right now so I said no thanks to them.  I hope to get a fax machine in the future because besides emails, faxing is the next best way to communicate quickly.

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Cabin Fever

About this time of year I start to get “cabin fever.”  The winter is so long where I live and it seems like the spring/ summer seasons are too short.  I have to find ways about this time to entertain myself so that I do not lose my mind. 

Winter sports have never really been popular with me.  I prefer to go outside and play when the weather is warmer and there are more creatures alive than dead/ sleeping.  One of the things that I like to do when the roads are not treacherous is to take a drive to a large shopping center or mall and browse through the spring/ summer activities equipment.  Sometimes I even go and visit a local greenhouse.  I think this weekend I will go visit my local greenhouse.  They are having an orchid expo that ought to be nice and cheerful. I like to think that I have a green thumb for orchid propagation but in reality I could use a few tips.  I am sure that my greenhouse will be able to fix me right up with some good advice.

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Daily deals

Everyday there is an opportunity to make, take or change and existing offer.  Offers come in all shapes and forms.  From personal to professional offers there is one probably available to you right now.

Today’s offer is going to be a chance to make multiple people happy for Valentine’s Day.  I am going to check out the website www.offers.comto see what I can find for Valentine specials.  Valentine’s Day is the perfect way to not only make a person’s day a little more special but another opportunity to show the people in your life how much you care about them.  Holidays in general appear to be notorious for this.  Valentine’s Day in particular is no different with all of the chocolates, flowers and stuffed animals offered for purchase.

I was in a large department store yesterday and could not believe that they had stuffed animals available for $40.  I had to take  a double look.  In my opinion, this is an absolute waste of money.  That stuffed animal will be appreciated for about a week and then will be added to the summer lawn sale pile.  What a shame.  Personally, I think giving a card is the best way to show the Valentine’s in your life you care.  A $5 card is much cheaper than a $40 stuffed animal and will not end up at a yard sale come spring time.

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Clothing Growth Spurt

A couple of week ago I assisted one of my best friends with babysitting her God daughter.  Her God daughter is just a year old and boy, is she cute as a button.  Her name is Bella and she barely has any hair.  Her ears are pierced and stick out slightly.  I think this is what makes her so adorable.

Bella’s mother has a major fetish for clothing.  Ever since her daughter was born Bella’s mom has bought her every new piece of girls clothing that has come on the market.  She is one lucky little girl.  I only hope that one day she will grow up to appreciate all of the new and expensive accessories her parents have bought her.

I am amazed at how designer’s have adapted women’s clothing into mini baby versions.  Some have most definitely gone over the top.  One example is mini skirts and certain styles of dresses.  I think they have almost become to “sexy” for a little girl to wear.  What are these designer’s trying to prove?  These are little girls and babies.  We need to be protecting them instead of exploiting them.

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All Inked Up

Inkgrabber.com is a good website from what I have viewed.  On this website I mostly looked at their Kodak products.  The Kodak Company has been around for many years.  I have always trusted Kodak including their printers.  I was excited to see that this website offers great deals on Kodak ink.

Printer ink cartridges can be so expensive.  At times I have wondered why they are so expensive.  After all, it is only ink.  Finding inkgrabber.com was a super find because I can now purchase Kodak ink cartridges for less than what I was paying before.  It is important to me to stay with the Kodak brand and inkgrabber.com has a very user friendly website with plenty of Kodak brand items including Kodak printer ink.  In the future I plan to stay with the Kodak brand.  This website has shed new light on an old company.  I was glad to be exposed to their website.  I will be sure to pass along a good word for inkgrabber.com.

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Sunshine Law

I recently went to the state of Florida on a business trip.  The weather was absolutely beautiful.  There was nothing but sunshine and I would say that the temperature was about 75 degrees.  In other words perfect!  As I was lounging in my beach chair I picked up a copy of the local newspaper.  I happened to just open the paper to the wanted section.  I couldn’t believe the size of one of the  ads.  It was advertising a florida criminal attorney.  That ad must have cost a fortune to place.

Nearly parallel to this ad I saw another wanted ad for a florida defense lawyer.  This time the size was amazingly smaller than the previous ad I had looked at.  Obviously this ad would have cost less to place but what I cannot understand is why would this lawyer spend less than the other on a business advertisement?  Does this lawyer make less than the other?  Does this lawyer not need the business as badly as the other?  The answers to these questions will remain a mystery.  There could be multiple reasons why there is a difference but one thing is for sure is that I will not be too excited to leave this spot in the sand.

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New leadership

My state recently obtained a new governor, much like many other states.  This new governor has not even been in his position one month and we experienced a major blizzard.  This caused for a lot of complaints after the storm had passed.

During the storm, multiple businesses and agencies shut down early in an attempt to allow their employees a safe travel home.  While many of these retail stores and other places of business closed early, the state did not.

The governor received a great deal of flack for this.  The previous administration would have ordered a release.  The running joke now is that our state is able to tell we are under new administration – because the state employees are forced to remain at work during a storm.