Almost 50% Monthly Income Spent On Debt

It has been revealed that most Malaysians use almost 50% of their income to pay off their debt. For civil servants, more than 60% of their income is spent on debt, particularly the younger group of people in the workforce.

While "debt" may not necessarily be bad debt, it is still worrying as 50% - 60% is certainly a high level. This sounds like this group of people do not have any savings - no chance to save, more like. With the newly announced increment of salaries for civil servants from 7% - 13%, this situation would, of course, improve.

Still, getting into bad debt, is a bad thing and we must learn to manage our finances better.

Nirvana Tour Van On eBay

Someone has put Nirvana's tour van on eBay, and the current bid is US$99,999.99. Reserve not met yet. The van is said to be decorated by Kurt Cobain himself. And with the popularity of Nirvana and Kurt's tragic death, the van has appeared in many documentaries, books and such.

Said van is a 1972 Dodge Sportsman Royal that looks very old now. I wonder if it's still roadworthy. If the new owner refurbishes it, then it is no longer in its original Kurt Cobain/Nirvana condition, right? How much do you think fans would pay for this vehicle?

New Giant Bercham Opens 8th March 2012

Good news if you are in Ipoh. Giant Hypermarket, the second one in Ipoh, is opening its doors for business tomorrow at 10am. Many people are wondering if there'll be some super deals from Giant Hypermarket this time.

I remember the opening of the first Giant Superstore in Tambun, DVD players were selling at less than RM100 each. RM99 if not mistaken. No doubt, those were Made in China products but people were happily grabbing on to the items.

I'll probably be going to check out the new Giant Hypermarket tomorrow morning but whether it is worth the hassle or not, I do not know yet. I expect to be caught in a traffic jam!

iPad Trade-Ins On eBay Tenfold

People are trading in their first and second generation iPads in anticipation of iPad 3, expected to be in the market this March. The number of people has increased by tenfold compared to a year ago, at the same time, when the iPad 2 was expected to be released.

The top most traded in device is the first generation iPad 3G, followed by the wi-fi version. The iPad 2 wi-fi only version was the third most popular. This shows that those who purchased the first generation iPad are now trading in for iPad 3, after giving the second generation a miss.

Insurance Peace of Mind

I read about an insurance case recently, where tens of insurance policy holders were duped into buying hundreds of thousand dollars of insurance, which surprisingly, they didn't even understand exactly what they bought. The group went to seek help from a consumer group and after some months of wrangling, managed to recover their "investment".

When it comes to buying insurance, and for that matter any other product, whether tangible or not, it is very important to go through reliable sellers or agents. This applies to insurance, where reliable insurance brokers will give us peace of mind.

When I asked my friends their fears when it comes to purchasing insurance, they say their number one concern is difficulty in making a claim when the need arises, or when the agent runs off with their money. Of course, this wouldn't happen with reputable insurance companies.

So far, I haven't had any trouble with my insurance agent. I guess that's because he came highly recommended by friends who have been his customers for years. If you are looking for an insurance adviser or broker, just ask around, or search on the internet. I am sure a reliable insurance person will make the time spent searching worthwhile.

*** This post has been sponsored.

Top Rated Seller Discounts Reduced

I just read an announcement from eBay that they are reducing Top Rated Seller Discounts with effect from 1st May, 2012. Additionally, they are also increasing the fees of certain categories, so these moves make selling on eBay tough, some may not even be able to turn a profit.

So the new Top Rated Seller (TRS) Final Value Fee (FVF), after reduction of 10% will be 10%, 15% and 20%. This sucks for those sellers who had worked hard to enjoy this discount, though eBay had said it was just an incentive.

If you find your business is no longer sustainable, perhaps it is time to look for an alternative to sell your wares.

Back In Business

A friend has just revived her business, which she has set aside for the past ten years. At first, she stopped working because she was busy with her new baby. She thought that it would be a short break but in the blink of an eye, it has been ten years!

Now that she is back in the business, she has to start from scratch. It sounds like a tough job but then she has to start somewhere, right? The first thing she needs to do is to set up a website. She has been checking out webhosting news to see check out the reliable companies. I couldn't help her there are I am so out of touch as well.

Anyway, I have been helping her read up on website hosting reviews so as to make a more informed choice. Besides reliability, she would need a service which provides 24/7 technical support. For this service, she has to be willing to pay a little more, naturally. The most important aspect to look at before committing to a web hosting plan isn't the price but the specifications and service.

Furnish Your Bank With Latest Financial Info

Did you see the advertisement in the papers by Association of Banks in Malaysia (ABM) urging us to furnish our banks with our latest financial information? This is applicable to all credit card holders whose credit cards were issued prior to April 1, 2011.

Submission of documents will help card issuers determine our credit card limit, and the number of cards we hold. This is in line with Bank Negara's policy announced last year where the credit card limit of principal cardholders earning not more than RM36,000 a year cannot exceed twice their monthly income per credit card issued.

Home & Contents Insurance

Alicia, my good friend, is contemplating buying a house. She is single and still lives with her parents, and being the prudent person that she is, she said that she would continue with the living arrangements now even when she has a house to call her own. She would like to collect rental from her property!

According to Alicia, she is taking some time deciding on what type of house to purchase as her budget is tight. In addition to paying deposit on the house and servicing the monthly home loan, she would still need to purchase home and contents insurance, to keep the home and everything inside insured!

Buying a house is a heavy responsibility and it looks like Alicia, or anyone in her position, doesn't only need financial advice from her banker but also insurance advice from a reputable insurance adviser.

CGU Insurance Limited offers three levels of home insurance coverage that could be customized to suit the needs of different homeowners. I also like the fact that policy holders of their insurance will only pay for what they need covered, and that they have the assurance that valid claims are processed and paid out promptly and fairly. This is peace of mind every homeowner should enjoy.

*** This post has been sponsored.

eBay UK is Fastest Growing Territory

eBay has announced that eBay UK is their fastest growing territory, with about 17 million unique visitors a month, 10% of these from mobile devices. According the eBay, an item a second is sold through a mobile device. Now, I don't understand how anyone could be comfortable shopping on a small screen mobile device, I prefer to shop using my desktop, not even laptop!

eBay also states that the growth of eBay UK is even faster than their two largest markets, USA and Germany. I thought that eBay India would be somewhere up there but it is not. Anyway, I'd attribute this surge in eBaying to the lower cost of shopping online than making a physical visit to the store and the time it saves. Less hassle too! And lets not forget the online deals which are way more attractive than store deals!

New Home In Melbourne

A friend, who immigrated to Brisbane, Australia from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with her family some months ago, told me that due to change of work plans, they are moving to Melbourne now. My, I can't imagine the hassle of relocating to two different places in such a short time and with a young family in tow!

My friend doesn't like the idea of moving as they have just settled down nicely but she has no choice. I can understand that she doesn't relish the work of looking for a new home again, and in a new city too! Maybe I should recommend her to these builders melbourne whom, I am sure, have something good for this young family.

Dennis Family Homes have some amazing deals going on for people looking for a new home in Melbourne. These are promotional offers to start the New Year. They have also have a series of new single and double-storey designs to choose from, and these even come with land packages, to make home ownership in Melbourne a simple affair.

Whether one is new to Melbourne or a long time resident, already a homeowner or first timer in Melbourne, I believe that Dennis Family Homes would be helpful to anyone looking to build a new home.

*** This post has been sponsored.

PayPal to Announce 1,000 Call Centre Jobs In Ireland

PayPal is expected to announce the creation of 1000 call centre jobs in Ireland. Right now, there is no information on where the centre is set up but I read that they would not be close to their headquarters in Dublin, for whatever reason. PayPal wants people who could converse well in English and other native languages. After all, they have 123 million customers worldwide.

I wonder which geographical areas these 1000 people will serve. We do need more people who can communicate well in English, not just speak the language.

Anyway, PayPal has plans to move into shops, like how we currently shop at retail stores using our Visa or MasterCard credit and debit cards.

Unlimited Automated Backup

After having suffered data loss due to an unexpected break down of her computer hard disk, my friend began searching for a reliable automated windows backup solution. I can certainly relate to her experience, having gone through the same twice. Hard disk crash could happen anytime. Once, I lost most of my photos of my two beloved dogs and then I lost data of my online business, which I could not recover at all.

I found this solution called My PC Backup which seems like the perfect solution for those of us who keep adding data to our hard disk. We could enjoy automated unlimited backups; and depending on of subscription package, we could have unlimited online storage as well.

Another piece of good news is hat all files are encrypted and secure so there is no fear that our data is accessed by unauthorized parties. We could, however, easily share folders with selected friends, family and co-workers if we wish.

An advantage of storing files securely online is that we could easily access our files no matter where we are, from a computer or mobile device, as long as we are connected to the internet. This makes working a lot easier for people who are always on the move.

*** This post has been sponsored.

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Barbie Dolls

Barbie Doll maker, Mattel, will start selling Duke and Duchess of Cambridge dolls beginning 7th April, 2012, for a sum of $155 but these are only available in the UK. The rest of the world has to shop on eBay or other online marketplaces, but for a pricier sum!

This is to commemorate the first year wedding anniversary of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The dolls will be dressed to the nines; for the Duke, in red military jacket and for the Duchess, in her Alexander McQueen wedding gown.

While there may be too many Will & Kate memorabilia already, for die-hard fans, there could never be enough. So stay tuned!

Luxurious Gift

My sister called me up to ask me if I have a cashmere sweater. I did not as mine are cotton and leather. She said she bought one recently and it feels so soft and luxurious. Cashmere, unlike other material, can keep one cozy during cool days and cool during warmer days.

Since I do not have any cashmere sweaters, she asked me for my favorite color as she is going to buy one for me. I asked for black so that I could use it for many different occasions. I can't wait for my gift to arrive! This sounds like a clothing item that I would be using regularly!

Jeremy Lin Jersey Sold on eBay For US$40K

Linsanity? Linmania? When there's someone shelling out US$40K for a worn jersey, you bet it is happening! The uniform that was worn by Jeremy Lin on Dec 28th, 2011 against the Golden State Warriors was Jeremy's first ever game with the New York Knicks.

For that price, the winner received Jersey (XL2), Shorts (XL +2), Warm Up Pants and Warm Up Shirt. Not a bad deal, really, considering that Jeremy now seems to have his very own cult following! Would you spend this amount of money to purchase any Jeremy Lin memorabilia?

Shopping In The City

A friend told me that he's going to check out guild acoustic guitars in the capital city and asked if I would accompany him. HHmm I would love to even though I do not know anything about guitars, as they are all the same to me, but it would be great to get away from routine, just for a day or two.

Even though my friend knows that I would be of no help when it comes to shopping for guitars, and I would probably be looking at clothes and shoes instead, he is still trying to persuade me to go along so that at least he would have someone to talk to during the 3-hour journey.

Well, maybe I'll just keep work aside and go. It would be refreshing and I'll come back inspired with new ideas, hopefully!

Direct Checkout For Etsy Sellers

Etsy will soon roll out direct checkout service for all US-based sellers, though sellers have the option to continue using PayPal. This is done so that shoppers will have a more streamlined shopping experience at Etsy, where they will remain on the website at all times.

Although the fees of using Etsy's own direct checkout service is marginally more expensive that using PayPal, this looks like a welcomed feature among Etsy sellers. Let's see how well-received it is when everyone gets to use this over the next few months.

Jose Reyes Dreadlocks Sold For US$10,200

Jose Reyes' dreadlocks, which were put up on eBay recently in aid of Make-A-Wish foundation of Southern Florida, were sold for US$10,200. Jose's hair, which he grew and kept since 2007, was cut on TV, to keep to the rules of his new team, the Miami Marlins.

Right now, the winner of the auction has yet to be identified; let's hope that the sale is genuine. What would be buyer do with the dreadlocks? Maybe put the hair in a bottle and display it at home.

Easy Video Downloader

I just helped a friend shoot some videos of his magic show. I uploaded the videos of his routine on YouTube so that more people can see how good a magician he is. At first, he is happy, but then he changed his mind and told me to remove my videos from the public domain as he doesn't want others to copy his tricks.

Before removing, he used a free downloader to grab my video files directly from YouTube so that I didn't have to transfer the videos to him later. It was very quick and easy. Once completed, he informed me and then only I deleted my videos from the site.

Valentine's Day Shopping

It's less than a week to Valentine's Day and if you are planning to purchase a Valentine's Day gift online, then you only have about two to three days to shop. This is because you would need to allow the seller time to pack and ship, right?

When I was still a seller, I used to get a lot of people who would make a purchase at the last minute. I would let some of them know that it is not possible to ship their item in time for Valentine's Day, but there was on buyer who wanted me to deliver it myself, which was fine since the recipient and I live in the same city.

Jose Reyes Dreadlocks On eBay For Charity

Jose Reyes, newly signed by the Miami Marlins to a 6-year contract worth US$106 million, finally got his haircut, dreadlocks that he has kept for three years. Miami Marlins do not allow players to keep long hair for whatever reason.

But Jose Reyes isn't just getting his hair cut. He is doing this at the same time, for charity, where proceeds from his eBay auction will go to the Make-A-Wish foundation.

Pottery Barn Coupon Codes

My sister just sent me a message asking me to check out PotteryBarn.com. She would like to have my opinion on certain items. It pays to have a second opinion since she is so indecisive, with so many beautiful items to choose from. Her husband doesn't care how the home is decorated, as long as she likes it.

I told her what would look nice, what would match and wouldn't. I checked the prices and although they are reasonable, I still advised her to look for pottery barn coupons. That way, she could save even more on her purchases at that store.

After spending time checking out the website, I too now have the urge to redecorate my house, or at least my room. Urgh!