Electronic Withdrawals Continue For PayPal India

Just three days after announcing that PayPal India will stop its electronic withdrawal service for account holders in India, PayPal posted a reverse decision on its official blog that the electronic withdrawal service will continue as usual. In addition, the US$5 refund on cheque request will still be valid until further notice.

I guess, besides the fact that India is a large market for PayPal and they would like to please the customers who have been agitated by the news, PayPal must have resolved issues with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) or perhaps requested for everything to go as normal whilst they work out the legal kinks in the background without inconveniencing their users.

Whatever it is, this is great news for users in India but I think that with the many troubles they have been facing since January this year, they really should look for an alternative way to accept payment from overseas.

For Convenience of Shoppers

I noticed that a hypermarket near where I live has so many lockers that have broken down. My friend works as a supervisor there and I told him that these are giving his store a bad reputation.

I know where he could find cheap lockers for sale to replace the old ones since he said that the management wanted to cut down on expenditure. Well, even if they wanted to save money, they really should buy new wood lockers.

More Lockers really have lots of locker designs to choose from and to meet whatever budget his store could set aside. I wish that I knew about this company I was still in school. I surely would have proposed installing school lockers! Boy, just thinking about the weight of my school bag tires me.

Anyway, my friend says that as a supervisor, he really doesn't have a say on what to buy and what not to buy but he surely is going to make a proposal to his management to get new lockers. Well, I hope they will take action for the convenience of shoppers.

Tricky Caller ID Systems

Authorities have warned that scammers are making calls to their victims trying to gain their personal details and we have been reminded not to disclose any of our particulars, especially our credit card details over the phone, even if the telephone number is the same as banks and other financial institutions.

According to the report, these scammers are getting more and more tricky and now, don't know what caller ID system they are using, but their phone numbers will be displayed on our phone as that of phone numbers that we are familiar with, or have even entered into our phone book.

With this trick, many people would presume wrongly that the phone call is legitimate and they wouldn't think twice about disclosing their personal details and even credit card numbers, especially the three security numbers at the back of the card, over the phone since they think that it was a call from the bank.

Anyway, banks are not supposed to call us on the phone for such information or even send us email. When in doubt, always call the bank using a listed number on their REAL website.

Income Protection Insurance

As the breadwinner of the household, I have this fear that if something unfortunate happens to me, my family would be left in a financial lurch. While I do have some savings, FD and stocks, I know that my family, especially my dad, would not know how to manage a lump sum of money and no matter how much I have would not be enough for them to utilize until they have found another income source.

I have contemplated getting life insurance but have procrastinated for about two years already. Somehow, I don't think that it's that suitable. However, I came across income protection insurance today and realize that this is the kind of policy that I have been searching for. How come my agent failed to mention it to me?

Income Protection Insurance is an insurance that protects one's income and it protects up to 75% of one's income in the unfortunate event that the policy holder is ill or involved in an accident and unable to work and income is affected.

InsuranceLine offers Income Protection Insurance to Australians, or Permanent Residents of Australia, who are aged between 18 to 55 and are employed for at least 20 hours a week. The self-employed also qualify if they have been so for at least six months. Virtually any adult would be eligible to get some level of coverage.

*** This post has been sponsored.

Top Listed Baseball Player On eBay

If you are one of the many eBay buyers who scour the marketplace for memorabilia of baseball players, your head would probably be spinning with the millions of listings. Have you ever wondered which baseball player has the most listings on eBay currently? Wonder no more. He is Cal Ripken Jr.

I am not an avid baseball fan so I don't have an in-depth understanding of the players or the game except for their names and the teams that they play for. However, I did follow the auctions of some of baseball legendary players and marvel at the prices that those baseball cards could command!

Quality Baby Prams

I have a friend who still puts her son in the pram even though he is already four years old. Friends would always ask why and she would explain that the pram is so good that she doesn't know what to do with it. She said that she didn't want to give it away either as she bought it at a high price.

When another friend was looking for baby prams for her first baby, she was advised to buy a similar good quality baby pram so that her subsequent children could also use it as good ones should last for years. It would be a solid investment.

I came across the website of Deals Direct just now and am quite surprised that prams nowadays are so advanced. They aren't just ordinary prams or strollers but also come with a combination of car seat, bassinett, carrycot and nappybag! Of course, one would have to pay the price to enjoy the functionality but then different people have different needs and these prams would be able to meet the needs of many parents.

If you are planning to buy a baby pram, you should check out the range of prams available on Deals Direct and try to catch their daily deals. You should be able to save some money.

*** This post has been sponsored.

eBay Celebrity Charity Auction With Blackberry App

Blackberry is supporting the Motion Picture & Television Fund through MPTF's eBay Celebrity Charity Auction where users of Blackberry could download the eBay app and use it to follow this charity auction, bid on items and even pay for it via PayPal app for Blackberry.

The Blackberry eBay app is free to download so if you have a Blackberry and would like to do your part in charity yet stand a chance to be near celebrities, do check this series of charity auctions out. These auctions end on Friday, August 6, 2010 at 4:00PM PT.

Some of the items that you could expect to bid on include an invite to The Evening Before Pre-Party the night before the Emmys, celebrity signed BlackBerry smartphones, a walk-on part in a Brett Ratner movie, a day on the set of Criminal Minds, etc. Awesome!

Insurance In Australia

My friend, Grace, who lives in Sydney, has just bought a new car. I also bought a car recently so we exchanged notes about our Car Insurance policies.

Grace told me that next year, when it is time to renew her insurance policy, she will be going with another insurance company. At this point, she hasn't decided which yet but she said that her current one was chosen by the car dealer and it's too expensive for her liking.

As a new car owner, especially in this economic climate, I can certainly understand that we should make every cent count. Car insurance is something that all car owners must buy but there are cheap ones and there are expensive ones so it is up to us, the owner, to look for a policy that suits us the most.

Grace can use a website like iSelect where Australians who are planning to buy car insurance or even life insurance, health insurance and home loans could compare insurance plans and look for one which suits their budget and at the same time does not compromise on insurance benefits.

I too will try to look for a cheaper car insurance though I am not sure if there is one. I have done my research thoroughly already prior to my purchase!

*** This post has been sponsored.

Lelong Buyer Protection Programme (BPP)

Lelong has just launched a new programme for the benefit of both buyers and sellers of the marketplace, something similar like eBay's Buyer Protection Program. Although I don't have the chance yet to try it out, I think this is a positive step for Lelong to take to bring back trust to the marketplace which has been lost in the past couple of years where scam online has become increasingly rampant.

As a seller on Lelong, though I have not be active anymore because of other commitments, I welcome this move by Lelong to try their best to make the marketplace a safer place for all parties. When trust is lost, it is not easy to gain back. Hopefully, people will see that it's now a lot safer to shop on Lelong than before.

Confidential Credit Information Sold Illegally

Over the past few years, I have suspected that some companies, like financial companies, sell their customers' personal information to marketing companies so I was not surprised when I read about TransUnion, an American credit company, that allegedly illegally sold confidential credit information of their customers to marketing companies.

It is said that anyone who applied for credit in the United States from 1987 to 2000 can make a claim against the company and that there is an ongoing TransUnion Class Action Lawsuit. I am not affected but if you are, do contact O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath as soon as possible for free consultation and see what action you can take against TransUnion.

The Right Time

I have many friends, and even relatives, who are envious that I could work from home. It's not a bed of roses but at least I enjoy the time flexibility that most employed people are not able to.

Many have told me that "now" is not the right time to branch out on their own and they have to wait for such an such a year or after this or that event in their lives before they are able to move on. But seriously, is there ever a "right" time? I don't think so.

I remember my sister telling me that her employer was very encouraging when she wanted to purchase a house. My sister was afraid that she would not be able to cope with the additional financial commitment and she should wait till after this or that. The employer told her to just go ahead and buy. Things are working fine now, even though she has a 30-year loan on the house, but if she didn't start paying off her loan then, when would she?

In life, sometimes we shouldn't think too much and go with the flow. Don't you think so too?

War Hero's Medals Sold On eBay

A mother and sister of a Afghan war hero sold four of his medals, uniform and an inscribed memorial shell casing on eBay for 1,100 pounds to finance the Mediterranean cruise of the sister. It is appalling to know that family members would have the heart to do this in the memory of the dead but all is not lost in this world.

The buyer of the lot did some research to find out the story behind the dead war hero, Royal Marine Rob Deering, and then tracked down his fiancee to give her his purchase without asking anything in return.

It's heartening to know that there are still good people in this world and that there are people who don't just think of money or how much benefit they could obtain out of any situation!

Converting Jewelry To Bullion

My cousin just inherited a box of gold jewelry from his mother who just passed away. He told me that he is going to keep some of the jewelry that he likes the most while the rest will be sold, and he is going to use the money to buy gold bullion instead.

According to my cousin, it is more viable to keep gold bullion instead of gold jewelry, which may undergo changes in trend and fashion which would then affect its value. It's true but I guess when his mother bought gold jewelry, she never thought about that.

My cousin may still be young but losing a mother so suddenly, he has transformed into an adult overnight. I am comforted that he is able to overcome his grief and plan for his future already. His inheritance may not be much but with proper planning, it will grow.

Credit Card Scam Targets Kiwis

I read about this credit card scam that's currently making the news in New Zealand right now, which I think I should highlight too as it could be applied to any credit card holder in any country.

In these cases in New Zealand, scammers have contacted credit card holders telling that they are eligible to receive reimbursement on credit card overcharges. However, in order to process it, the credit card holders will have to pay a certain amount of money, ranging from $100 to $300.

Scammers told their victims to send payment either by PayPal or the Post Office, which should, and I mean SHOULD, ring a bell, yet there are some people who have fallen victim. Well, they probably do have credit card overcharges and would like to expedite the process of reimbursement, without knowing there is no such reimbursement in the first place.

If you are in New Zealand right now and have been approached by these scammers, you are advised to make a report to The Commerce Commission of New Zealand at their website http://www.comcom.govt.nz/ or via email contact[at]comcom.govt.nz

Birthday Gift For Self

My friend very excitedly sent me a text message this morning, saying that the birthday present he bought himself arrived today, on his birthday! I thought that being a tech geek, he would have bought yet another high tech gadget again but surprisingly, he went online to buy gold coins. You won't believe the number of times I have suggested to him to invest some of his money instead of spending so much on electronic gadgets but he said that he wasn't interested.

You can imagine I am so happy for him that he finally sees sense and finally making use of the cash that has been sitting in his bank account. I have always thought that it is a waste to leave the money idle like that as savings account interest rates are so low.

Now that he has started to collect gold coins, I really should start buying gold coins too. It's something to keep for the future.

Couple Finds Stolen Custom Built Bike On eBay

A scientist couple in Colorado was able to track down the woman's custom built mountain bike that was stolen from the mount on the roof of her car on eBay after searching for it for weeks.

I wonder why thieves never learn that the first places that a victim of theft will look online are marketplaces like eBay and Craigslist. And when the stole item is rare, custom built or personalized, what chance does the thief have of getting away with it and selling off the item?

In this case, it was a custom built bike. Surely the owner would recognize it, even if it was sold on eBay successfully. The new owner, if confronted, would have to lead to the seller, providing information like bank account details to the police. Isn't that just dumb?

Compiling A List Of Suppliers

A friend told me that he has ventured into a business of selling salt crystal lamps. He said that he only has a few items for sale right now but is in the process of bringing in a larger shipment as soon as he has narrowed down his suppliers. He told me that his current supplier has not been as reliable as he had hoped.

I wondered if he ran a search on these companies prior to engaging in business with them. One could easily buy business credit reports on companies and receive information like the year it was founded, number of employees, bankruptcy indicator, basically, just find out how reliable the companies are.

As a retailer, my friend definitely could not afford to be stood up by his suppliers. A little groundwork on them, without their knowledge, of course, is a necessity!

Barefoot Bandit Bahamas Shootout Boat On eBay

The small boat that the teenage criminal dubbed the "Barefoot Bandit" because he was said to be shoeless in some of the crimes he carried out in the United States, has been put up on eBay by its owner.

The owner, William Sport, said that even if he could get a price of US$80,000 for it, he would still be losing money. He has been quoted a repair bill of US$30,000 - US$50,000 so anyone buying it should expect to fork out this extra on top of the purchase price.

It's a little surprising that a 19-year-old could create so much trouble with his thefts and yet, based on his Facebook fan page, could garner quite a fan base. Perhaps these people who idolise petty criminals like the Barefoot Bandit would come up with the money to buy the boat and then make a profit from ticket collections for people to view it or rent it to a movie production house or something. Whatever it is, surely someone would think of something to profit from it even though the Barefoot Bandit has not achieved legendary status.

DIY Home Office

My friend, Terrence, told me of his plans to convert the bedroom downstairs into a home office. He has worked from home for years but never had a proper work place. He has two overcrowded workstations, though. He said that because of his haphazard corner in the living room, his mother is not able to invite friends to the house and he feels bad about it.

Recently, he has been very involved in DIY projects around the home and said that he is now an expert in fixing curtains. He said he wants to buy a set for his new office too and asked me what color and pattern he should get.

I thought that it would be rather funny to have curtains for his office and proposed that he installs shutters instead. Shutters would look more formal and neat and with the many color and design options available, no, shutters are no longer boring. In fact, many people have successfully blended shutters into the overall theme of a room.

I visited the website of Premier Shutters and am pretty amazed with the many custom designs available, including shapes like arc, circle and triangle. Shutters like these would surely be of interest to any visitor. One could even determine the size of the louvre. Different people have different requirements, anyway.

If you are giving a room a makeover, you too should consider installing shutters instead of the usual curtains. Premier Shutters will give you plenty of ideas.

*** This post has been sponsored.

RHB Cards ‘Win Like Crazy‘ Contest

If you are a RHB customer and hold either their credit or debit card then this contest should be of interest to you. RHB's new "Win Like Crazy" only requires you to spend RM80 in a single transaction to try your luck. If the last two digits of the transaction number match the last two digits of your MyKad, then you stand to win cash prizes. You will have to send a text message to a dedicated number to participate though, and that would be extra charge on your mobile bill.

According to what I read, customers could participate as many times as they like as long as they have made a minimum of RM80 each transaction. Moreover, the more times a person wins, the higher the price money.

Well, I've been thinking of this although I am not a customer of RHB, it really is not easy to match the two digits of a transaction ID with MyKad number. If you really have a big purchase then it's OK but don't go and make a purchase on purpose just to participate!

Gold Prospect Investments

A friend wrote an email to me asking if I would like to buy some shares in a company that holds a gold mine prospect. Coming from a mining family, I am always interested in minerals and metals, I am changing the way we invest in these natural resources. I have never agreed with the way my father worked. He loved being involved in the entire process of mining from prospecting to production but me, I love to do things the short cut way.

It's because of this that I have turned down my friend's proposal though I didn't tell him that I am planning to buy gold coins. I have no idea yet how many I would be buying but of course, it's not going to be a one day purchase buy a collection built over time.

Having said this, I don't see investing in gold coins giving as much returns as a successful gold prospect would but then the risk is so much lower, if there is any at all!

4 Shipping Options For eBay Sellers

eBay will be making changes to its shipping options and will offer four types of shipping modes for their eBay sellers to choose from: economy, standard, expedited and one-day. According to eBay, these four options are "standard" language buyers are accustomed to when shopping online in major online retail websites.

By offering a specific shipping option(s), buyers will have a clearer idea when they will receive their purchase, and hopefully, this will help in buyers not rating sellers low on DSR through no fault of the seller when packages are delayed in delivery.

Besides this change, there are also a few changes that will be implemented between 7th to 13th September, 2010. I can't remember exactly but it appears that eBay has made quite a few changes this year online, surpassing their promise of not implementing changes 3 or 4 times a year. But then, I may be wrong. I never claimed to have a good memory anyway.

Getting Help With Addiction

A friend told me about her colleague whom she suspects is a drug addict. I am sure that you would notice that nowadays, someone who is addicted to a substance is not as obvious as addicts of the old days. My friend would like to help the colleague out but don't know how.

When she sought my advice, all I could tell her is that drug rehab is the only way for him, if it's really true that he is addicted to a substance. Getting drug treatment is nothing to be shameful about. In fact, it takes guts to admit that he has a problem and seeks help from professionals.

I have a friend who found success at an alcohol treatment center. I would like to recommend it to another friend of mine who is seriously addicted to alcohol but he denies that he needs alcohol treatment. What can I do when he is living in self denial?

I have read through the website of Axis House, a drug and alcohol rehab center and I really like what they are doing to help people to kick off an addiction. I think that this friend, and everyone who is in the same shoes, should give themselves a chance by allowing others to help them.

Killer Raoul Moat Tribute Merchandise Pulled From eBay

Enterprising eBay sellers who produced merchandise to sell on eBay in tribute of British killer, Raoul Moat, have had their wares pulled from the auction site as these merchandise are deemed offensive.

This policy is in stark contrast to Facebook which refused to block the "fan page" that was created for the killer which has garnered 15,000 fans thus far. I don't see how anyone would want to pay tribute to a killer like him, and it's really bad taste to wear his t-shirt in orange, just like the CCTV image of him. And the sicker thing is that these t-shirts even target children. Why should people teach kids to glorify a killer?

Anyway, eBay has done well in pulling down auctions of such merchandise. They can do without this business.

Stocking Up An Online Store

My friend, Linda, told me that she is planning to be an online entrepreneur. She thinks it's something easy to do and all she had to do was set it up and see money rolling it. An online store needs a lot of attention too, actually, but I have seen how a couple of friends found success with stores that they stocked up with dollar store wholesale items.

Actually, I have thought of setting up a similar store too since I myself love to shop for dollar store products but right now, my niche is still lingerie but if I can manage my time, it would be great to run such a store since I have already found reputable and reliable dollar store suppliers.

Linda said that she too would like to run a niche store and not a general merchandise store. It's not difficult to go into a niche; to me the difficult part is to find out what niche we would like to go in to. Imagine, once we have decided, we will be facing that product day in and out so one really needs to have a passion dealing and handling that specific product.

A dollar store products supplier like Pride Products Corporation is treasure trove for people like Linda and I. There are just so many different products to choose from and at very affordable prices too that we could easily place and order and start planning an online store while we wait for our order to arrive at our doorstep!

FIFA World Cup 2010 Final Ball Sold For £48K For Charity On eBay

The football that was used in the FIFA World Cup 2010 final match between the Netherlands and Spain which saw Spain's 1-0 victory, was auction off on eBay and fetched just over £48,000 or US$74,000.

The Jabulani ball, named "Jo'bulani" because the final game was played in Johannesburg, South Africa, which locals call Jo'burg, was sold for the '46664' HIV/AIDS charity, a charity named after Nelson Mandela's prisoner number when he was held at Robben Island for 18 of his 27 years in prison.

Some people will say that US$74,000 is too much to pay for just a ball, albeit a ball that Spain made history with as it was their first ever World Cup victory but then when you think about it, some people have even donated more money towards charity without any keepsakes. In this case, as least the donor has a ball to keep. It would be more meaningful if the buyer is a Spaniard.

New Image

I bumped into an old friend a couple of days ago and was surprised that she looked so much prettier than when we were in school. We didn't keep in touch all these years but we could still recognize each other. The thing that strikes me the most is that she doesn't wear glasses anymore. I thought that she underwent laser surgery to correct her eyesight but she said that she is actually wearing contact lens now and has been since graduating from college.

I have to admit that I know nothing about contact lenses but my niece has been hankering us about ditching her glasses and going for contacts but we are worried that wearing contacts would damage her eyes somehow. Yes, that's how ignorant we are.

I took the opportunity to ask my friend about Acuvue oasys contacts since she is a user and I would be able to get first hand feedback from a user's perspective. She said that besides Acuvue oasys there are also many other variety of contact lenses offered by Acuvue.

According to her, Acuvue is one of the most trusted brands as their products are based on the latest special technology and offer UV protection too. Their product range is so broad, they are able to meet the needs of any user, whether they need contact lens for Astigmatism or Presbyopia or perhaps just looking for lens of different colors and tint.

The good news for people looking for 1-Day Acuvue Moist 20 and 90 packs is that they could get them a lot cheaper at PriceContactLenses.com thanks to their special rebate.

MOL PayPal Digital Card

MOL AccessPortal Berhad (MOL), a Malaysian company that's making waves as the leader in payment systems in Asia, and PayPal Asia Pacific have formed a strategic partnership in offering a co-branded prepaid card for the convenience of users in Malaysia, especially for people who do not have a credit card or do not feel comfortable using one online.

This prepaid card is sold at all 7-Eleven outlets in Malaysia at RM15 each and could be funded at physical outlets or through online banking. Malaysians using the Digital Card will be able to shop online conveniently or to reload their MOL points to purchase online game products and services; game coins come into mind.

While I think that it's a good step forward for Malaysians, like I said, especially for people who do not own a credit card, for me, it is just another avenue to spend so, no, I don't need this at the moment. LOL

Buying Authentic Sports Memorabilia

If you are a collector like me, and into collecting memorabilia of sporting figures, you would have heard of the recent autographed baseball card of rookie Stephen Strasburg. Right now, the card has failed to transact but a second attempt to auction it off is on the cards.

A friend told me that even though Stephen Strasburg is hot property right now, it's still extremely risky to invest so much in a rookie baseball card who has yet to proof himself further in the game of baseball. He is a major baseball fan so he knows what he's talking about.

I came across a website that sells autographed sports memorabilia and I think that my friend, who collects them, would appreciate that he could buy and collect such memorabilia without going through and auction and fighting it out with other collectors, hence pushing the price up.

As a collector myself, I don't proclaim myself to be a collector of sports memorabilia, though, even though I do have autographed photos of some sports heroes, I am very careful of the source of the memorabilia purchased. It is most important to buy from a reputable dealer who will ensure that only authentic items are offered.

Since my friend has been looking to expand his collection of autographed baseballs, he should really take a look at what Hollywood Collectibles Inc. has. Their free shipping offer will definitely help him save some money, which he could use to further invest in his already huge collection sports memorabilia!

PayPal, Paymate OR Merchant Credit Card Account

After forcing Australian eBay sellers to accept payment by PayPal only and making a U-turn only upon the scrutiny and intervention of the ACCC government regulatory agency, eBay Australia now stipulates that eBayers who intend to sell on eBay Australia will have to offer any one of these payment options: PayPal, Paymate or a merchant credit card account.

While this still isn't what most Australia eBay sellers want because of restrictions and limitations, I believe it is still better than only offering PayPal to their buyers. I believe that given a choice, many people who rather receive payment by other means, like Google Checkout or cheque but still, PayPal, though charges rather exorbitantly, is still one of the fastest payment mode, though it may not be as safe as it claims to be for both parties of buyers and sellers.

Cheaper Health Insurance

I asked a friend for directions to a specialist hospital in the capital city as I have to take my mother there to do a scan next week. With my aunt ill with cancer right now and my mother going for further investigation to her health, my friend advised me to get my health insurance as soon as possible. Life is so fragile, isn't it?

I know that I do need health insurance since I do not qualify for free health care like my mother and my aunt and that is getting me worried too. However, I plan to get cheap insurance because I am still young and there are still many months of installments that I have to make.

Even so, I know that I can't delay this any longer and have to keep looking fast for a suitable insurance that fits my budget.

Obtaining A Recognized Qualification

A neighborhood beautician was recommended to me by my mother. My mother said that she wants to support her because she knows the mother. Chinese people are like that. So I visited her shop once and found out that she has a qualification in cosmetology from a school that I never even heard about and it's supposed to be in our city!

I asked her if she has plans to further her course but she said that she is in the midst of saving up money for it. It would be best if she could enroll in a school like Jacksonville Cosmetology School as with a recognized qualification, it would open up more windows of opportunities for her.

It's not that I look down on local institutions but I think that she isn't making the most of her potential, and that's a pity, isn't it?

New Malware Scam Targets Ebayers

Sophos, a top security software vendor, has sounded an alert that there is a new malware scam that is targetting eBayers with fake email requests for for payment on purchases made through eBay that never took place.

Some of the things to look out for in such scam emails are the subject title which starts with "Payment request from" and a phony return email address of "eBay@reply1.ebay.com". These emails have no text but are attached with a file with the name "form.html"

Of course, in the first place, if you have received such an email and know that you did not make any purchase on eBay recently, you should just disregard the email. However, to be sure, you can log in directly to eBay and if there is a request for payment, it will be listed in your personal messages box.

The main rule of the thumb is to never click on any links, let alone download a file, that come in your email especially from someone whom you do not know.

Superb Value Bathroom Furniture

My parents took a "tour" of our neighbor's house and they reported that the house, although looks luxurious like a large hotel suite, isn't very practical. I guess it is because of space constraints that caused them to make some changes to their initial plan or design ideas.

The lady owner told us that she wanted to put bathroom furniture but couldn't do so yet. Perhaps after looking at the selection of bathroom furniture on Better Bathrooms, she would change her mind and do away with the unnecessary stuff in her bathroom!

Actually, I have also wanted to install furniture in the bathroom to get it better organized. Many times, I find that I have no place to store certain items that I would like to be within easy reach in the bathroom itself. The range of bathroom furniture that I have browsed through on Better Bathrooms has indeed given me an idea.

I am actually quite surprised that bathroom furniture, especially quality furniture, isn't as expensive as I had thought. I especially like bathroom cabinets that are concealed by the mirror. That would save a lot of space even though we do have enough of space but no doubt, these would be particularly beneficial to my neighbor.

*** This post has been sponsored.

UPS Canada Savings Program for eBay Canada PowerSellers

Good news if you are an eBay seller in Canada with PowerSeller status. eBay Canada issued an announcement that they are working with UPS Canada to offer special rates to such sellers but these sellers who would like to take advantage of this offer will have to register themselves with UPS Canada first.

This offer is only for Canada PowerSellers of good standing. Still, UPS Canada may at anytime close this offer to new PowerSellers or even terminate this program entirely so get in early to enjoy cheaper shipping rates as long as it's available. If you're eligible, why not, right?

As for the amount that a seller would get to save being in this program, that is difficult to say since it will depend on volume per week, service used and the dimensional weight of each shipment.

For further information, check this LINK.

Home Renovation Completed

Our neighbor's home has just been completed. He bought the property, had the old house torn down, and had a new house constructed. This all took much longer than he anticipated and also ended up being well above what he had budgeted. Although he is happy that his house is finished, he says he wishes he had taken a bit longer in the planning for the house. He made some fairly quick decisions about the house floor plans and once the house was built he realized he was not happy with some of his decisions. My parents think that the house looks like a 5-star hotel now, so of course that takes money to build.

I asked my neighbor if he had ever heard about the HDA website, HousePlansandMore.com. This site has house plans that you can buy online. The plans are done by experienced professionals and there are over ten thousand different home plans to choose from. You can browse through the plans on your computer, taking all the time you like to look at the different house floor plans. I think it is a good idea to look at a variety of floor plans before making any final decisions about your house plan. The benefit being that while you may not like all of the features of a particular house or plan there may be a few things you like and may want to add to your final plan. That is why this website is so useful. There are so many plans to look at, it is such a great source of ideas.

My neighbor had never heard of the website, and he agreed with me it would have been very helpful when he was having his house plan drawn up. I told him that if he had found house floor plans that he liked he could just order them from the website or request to have them customized if there were changes he would have liked. The website also has a cost estimator to evaluate approximately how much it would cost to have the home built in the area you live.

My neighbor said that it's not that he is not satisfied with his new house now, but he would have been a lot happier if it didn't cost as much and a few changes had been made in the design. With so many house floor plans to choose from at houseplansandmore I am sure my neighbour's new house would have been exactly to his liking had he spent some time at this website, and his new home may have even been within his budget.

For me, I just love browsing through the plans at HousePlansandMore.com. It is fun to look at the different house styles, the ways the rooms are arranged, and the features that are special to each house. I feel like I get to peak behind the doors of so many different houses and imagine living there, if just for a minute or two.

Doctor Who Star David Tennant Warns Fans Of Fake Memorabilia On eBay

The star of Doctor Who, David Tennant, has issued an announcement on his official website saying that it has come to his attention that fake memorabilia of himself has been detected on eBay. He said that those items, whether they are said to carry his autograph, whether they were used by him or belonged to him, and some even purportedly come with an authentication letter from David Tennant himself, all have nothing to do with him.

David Tennant also advised that whoever who would like to get hold of his autograph to go by official means. Well, you can probably write to him via his official website. Sometimes, celebrities do send out their photos or autographs this way.

If you are a collector of celebrity memorabilia, this should be a good reminder that you should always double confirm the sources of the memorabilia before parting with your hard-earned cash.

Investing For The Future

My neighbor has invited us to the birthday party of her grandson. She loves this boy exceptionally because he is her first grandchild. Let's face it, no matter how parents and grandparents deny that they are biased towards the children and grandchildren, they can't help it since they are humans after all.

Anyway, as I was wondering what sort of gift that I should buy, she told me that she will buy gold coins for him as the value will increase by the time the boy reaches 18. I wonder how many gold coins she is planning to buy. Perhaps that's what she will buy yearly!

Now that she has given me an idea, perhaps that's what I could buy for him too. I actually think that's a very good idea to invest for the future for him. Gold coins may not be what he is looking forward to on his birthday but he will surely appreciate it when he is older!

Keeping Fit Indoors

I told a friend that I hardly the chance to put in some exercise because the weather has been so wet lately. In fact, we just had a pretty bad thunderstorm last evening. Of course, this is not an excuse not to exercise, my friend said.

She suggested I buy a fitness equipment so that I could exercise at home. She didn't tell me exactly what to get or where I could buy it cheaply but she says that she has a stationary bicycle that she uses every evening and it has been very helpful, especially when the weather is not favorable for outdoor exercise.

I think I will take up her suggestion and get myself something similar too. I feel so guilty when I don't exercise and I know that I will slip into laziness soon!

eBay Terminates PPC Program

eBay announced that they will be canceling their Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising program which is used by eBay sellers to buy ad space to drive traffic to their own eBay stores and listings.

Although I don't use eBay's PPC, I am still surprised by this move seeing how eBay had so aggressively promoted their PPC program but then again, isn't this so typical of eBay?

Even though this PPC program is going away, eBay is going to continue with their sponsored text ads which are placed at the bottom of search results pages. I think that's just dumb as it takes away business from eBay sellers. Don't you think so?

Avoid Falling Into Scam Traps

I recently found out that a friend is taking a diet pill called apidexin. I confess that I know nothing about diet pills or how effective they are. I do know, though, that there are so many different types of diet pills that I couldn't keep up with them!

Anyway, I came across an apidexin scam not too long ago which I thought that my friend, as a user of this diet pill, should know. I am not saying that she is a victim or anything but one should be alerted of such things.

Perhaps it's just my nature, perhaps it's because I am a blogger. I feel that it is my responsibility to inform people when I come across something like this. I am happy when people write in to let me know that they managed to avoid being victimized!

Slim Trend

On my way to the capital city recently, my new found friend told me that I would never see a fat girl. I didn't really believe her but she said that even though she is NOT fat, she feels the pressure being among the city dwellers with her little bit of excess fat.

What shocked me was that she confessed to secretly taking Phentermine 37.5 without the knowledge of her mother. I am sure her mother would have a fit if and when she finds out. Like I said, this girl isn't even fat in the first place. She does have some fat but that's OK, that's natural.

I tried to convince her that she shouldn't pressure herself to be slim just to follow the trend but she has already set her mind to be even slimmer. As a new friend, that was the most I could do, I felt.

PayPal Not Required For iPhone 4 Sales On eBay

eBay, which had placed restrictions on iPhone 4 sales on eBay websites, one of which makes it compulsory for sellers to only offer PayPal as a mode of payment, has dropped this requirement.

I don't know why this was dropped but apparently, it was first enforced because eBay felt that by using PayPal only, it would help prevent a lot of people from getting conned because of the Seller/Buyer Protection Policies.

Besides this PayPal demand on eBay sellers who are planning to sell Apple iPhone 4, all other restrictions, like the limit on iPhones that each seller could sell, apply.

Stylish Window Boxes

A friend is making renovations to his house section by section since he is planning to do everything by himself. He loves DIY projects but this one is the ultimate DIY project. I visited his home last week and gave him a few pointers and what should be done to make it friendly to the elderly since his mother is getting on in age.

Moreover, I told him that his house needs a touch of nature. I have seen how window flower boxes enhanced the general feel of my neighbors house. She told me that the window boxes that she bought are inexpensive and they certainly made a huge difference. In fact, the flowers make guests feel welcomed.

Right now, my friend is taking care of the interior of the house. He said that he will be doing the practical stuff first, aesthetics will have to come later. Still, he took the opportunity to check out garden window boxes online and agrees that having these would change the look of the house completely. In a good way, of course!

Promoting Hair Growth

My uncle told me that he felt the reason he is balding prematurely is because he used shampoo that was too "strong" last time when he was a kid. He said that because he was poor and couldn't afford to use shampoo daily, he felt that he should buy a strong one so that it would be sufficient to wash his hair only once a week.

According to my uncle, the shampoo was so strong that he felt bits of scalp tissue came off after every wash. I don't know if he's just pulling my leg because many men his age do experience the same hair problems.

My uncle is using a hair growth shampoo now which he hopes can help promote hair growth. He said that if it works, he will once again have a full head of hair. He says that it will feel funny too after not having as much hair for years!

Hot Stephen Strasburg Autographed Baseball Card Auction On eBay Cancelled

I received news that the owner of the Stephen Strasburg autographed baseball card that was auctioned on eBay has decided to pull it from the auction marketplace when bidding was close to a million dollars; he realized that it was so messy, he couldn't determine if the bids were genuine.

Right now, the owner has already contacted another auctioneer to have them handle this auction which is likely to start this July with a price of US$9000 with no reserve. They are confident that it will fetch a good price but definitely wouldn't hit six figures like it did, phantomly, on eBay.

Stephen Strasburg may be extremely hot right now but he is still a rookie pitcher. How he performs in future baseball tournaments will determine how much the baseball card will worth and if this investment had been a sound one.

Young Women's Worries

The two times I was on a train to the capital city, I had the chance to sit next to young ladies. They are at least ten years younger than I am but I am so surprised that they are very knowledgeable with beauty products in the market.

One of them told me that she is worried about her eye bags. ALREADY?? I don't think that hers are any worse than mine but if she is so concerned about her eye bags then should I be also? She told me that she has just started to use prototype 37-c and recommends it to me too.

The other young lady's worry was mainly about her weight. It's pretty incredulous when she isn't even fat in the first place! SIGH if they are so worried, I guess I have way more issues to over about!

Netbook Choices

I am researching on netbooks now even though I have no plans to buy one yet. My notebook is only 26 months old and I plan to buy my netbook only after the 36 month warranty is over, which will be next April. Even then, I plan to install it in 12 months since a lot of retailers are offering 0% interest-free plans.

My sister recently bought an HP mini but I think I will get something else. I am looking at Acer Aspire One, Dell Mini or even Asus Eee PC. I don't know which one I will ultimately buy since I have no brand preference at this point but I will be asking around for opinion from friends.

Of course, ultimately, the netbook that I will buy will very much depend on my budget and the special deal that is being offered by these companies. As you know, I am someone who looks for value for money!