Saving Up For A House

I am working hard to save up money to buy my own pad. Actually, I do have more than enough for 10% down payment for a house but this doesn't seem like a good time to buy property. Friends told me that the market is going to burst soon. According to my sister, there is never a "right" time to go in. If I have the funds, why not go in now?

Even though I don't have a particular house in mind yet, I definitely already have plans on how I want it set up. I will have my own jacuzzi, a home office and an entertainment room. I would also like to have a nice guest room so that friends or family who visit will have a place to put up without paying exorbitant hotel rates!

Anyway, I have been looking at a few auction houses but haven’t come across anything that appeals to me. I’m patiently waiting.

PayPal Reports 21% Gain in Payment Volume on Cyber Monday

PayPal has reported that they have seen a 21% increase in payment volume on Cyber Monday compared to the same day last year. This news follows PayPal's report that they saw a 27% increase on Black Friday payment volume compared to a year ago.

This shows that people are now more acceptable of online shopping and they have no problems doing so not only from the computer but also tablets and mobile phones. And shopping online is a great way to beat the traffic jams and queues. It definitely doesn't come with the risk of being crushed or killed in a stampede!

With the weakening of the US Dollar compared to other major currencies, more and more people are shopping at US online retail sites and most us these foreign shoppers pay by PayPal. It's the most convenient mode to pay, after all.

Thanksgiving Holiday

My sister, her husband and their friends, a pair of husband and wife, made a short trip to Texas last week during Thanksgiving holiday. They don't have family in the States so they usually take the opportunity to see some new places. Since it was Thanksgiving, I was afraid that they would have too much to drink. Besides, maybe Texas has different set of laws than Tennessee and they could unwittingly end up on the wrong side of the law.

I gave my sister the telephone numbers of a couple of Houston DWI lawyers so that IF they get pulled over because they are suspected to be driving under the influence of alcohol, they at least know whom to turn to! I understand that sometimes, charges are made even though the permissible level of blood alcohol concentration is not even breached. How unfair is that??

"The Italian Stallion" a.k.a. "The Party at Kitty and Stud's" Sold On eBay For US$400K

Those of us who watch even a little of Hollywood movies would know of Sylvester Stallone's past in the 1970s before he found fame and fortune with Rocky. If you don't, then let me fill you in. Stallone acted in a soft-porn flick by the name of "The party at Kitty and Stud's", where he said he worked two days for US$200.

As Sly found fame, the movie was rereleased with a new title, "The Italian Stallion". Back then, the rights owner of the movie tried to sell it for US$100,000 but there were no takers. Stallone himself said that he wouldn't pay $2 for it.

Now, 30-odd years down the line, someone has paid US400,000 for it on eBay. The identity of the new owner is undisclosed and we have no idea his or her intentions with the film. Perhaps it could be Stallone himself. He could definitely afford the money, and it would be a great opportunity to wipe off that dark spot in his career.

Starting A New Website

My sister told me that she has a start a new website for her boss. The boss is totally computer illiterate. My sister is not that good, but better. She also thinks that she could always call on me to help.

According to my sister, the website is done but it is very quite there and hardly gets one or two visitors a day. I remember the quiet days of my own websites. I submitted my website to many free directories and I did it manually. That certainly took a lot of time but it was worth it as search engine began taking notice of my site!

Now, there are many tools that could help with free web directory submission and we no longer have to do it manually, one by one. Imagine how much time it saves! I wish there was something like this back then!

WSOP 2008 Championship Bracelet Sold For US$147,500 On eBay For Charity

Peter Eastgate, 24, has sold his World Series of Poker 2008 champion bracelet on eBay to the highest bidder at US$147,500, after the listing grabbed 116 bids from the starting bid of US$16,000. Eastgate will be donating all proceeds to children's charity organisation, UNICEF. The World Series of Poker bracelet is made from 168 grams of 18-karat white gold and 291 diamonds.

Peter Eastgate, from Denmark, won the WSOP Championship in 2008, earning US$9.15 million and this diamond bracelet at the age of 22, the youngest ever champion, breaking the 19-year record held by 11-time bracelet winner, Phil Hellmuth, who won his first Championship at the age of 24 years old.

Peter Eastgate has since retired from poker. His act of selling his bracelet for charity is most commendable.

Travel Outbreak

I have been traveling a lot this past year and it seems like every time, I will have acne all over my face. i wonder if it's because I don’t get enough fluid or the weather. This seems to happen to some of my friends as well but these people normally have good skin and their acne goes off so quickly, without leaving scars.

As for me, I have had bad skin since puberty and have only since found a solution to keep acne at bay. However, the rear their ugly heads when I travel and take ages to go away. Worse, they leave behind scars so I am currently looking for a good acne scar removal cream to "cure" my skin. I have had enough of kids looking at my face weirdly.

Aussie Online Shoppers Spared GST For Now

With the strong Australian Dollars, more and more Australian shoppers are shopping online, especially from US webstores. This puts pressure on Australian retailers who are not as competitive in their pricing because of GST. And these are the people who are calling on the Government to imposed GST on goods bought online.

The opposition is against that which makes it difficult for the Government to look for a balance to keep every party pleased. It will be interesting to see what solution they will come out with in the end, but it looks like it would not be so worthy to shop online anymore for Australian online shoppers if GST is imposed.

Cheap Hair Cut

I was in Penang yesterday and was very surprised that a "quick" haircut was only RM13 for two people. The catch is that we would need to go in pairs. Even so, that's very cheap! Cheaper than Ipoh!

I had wanted to get a perm, actually, but couldn't find time so far. When I bumped into this super deal, i couldn't resist so my mom and I took up the offer. No, I would need to wait till my hair is longer before getting the perm.

People are never satisfied anyway. If we have straight hair, we would get it all curly. If we are born with curly hair, we would get it straightened, Just like fair people would invest a lot of money in tanning lotions to get a nice tan but dark people would do the same on creams that promises to make us fairer.

But I am so happy that I saved a lot of money on my latest hair cut!

Top Toys For Boys & Girls This Holiday Season

I believe a lot of us are working what toys to get for the children in the family. Even if we are not parents ourselves, we would still need to buy toys that, maybe for our sibling's or friend's kids.

Top toys for children could be pretty expensive near holidays like Christmas but at the same time, even if they are not expensive, it's not easy to get our hands on them! Remember Cabbage Patch Kids, Tickle Me Elmo, Beanie Babies, Obama girls and Zhu Zhu Pets? People were willing to pay so much more for them on eBay and other online auction site just because their kids MUST have them.

Here we have the top ten toys for boys and girls for this holiday but perhaps when we are nearer Christmas, Justin Bieber Singing Figures and Style Figures will be the top toy to have for both boys and girls. Who knows?

2010 Top Toys for Boys
1. Video Games
2. LEGO
3. Cars (generic)
4. Disney Toy Story
5. Hot Wheels
6. Transformers
7. Xbox 360
8. Fisher-Price Toys
9. Iron Man
10. Nintendo Wii (tied)
10. Trucks (generic) (tied)

2010 Top Toys for Girls
1. Barbie
2. Dolls
3. Dora the Explorer
4. Video Games
5. Disney Princess
6. Zhu Zhu Pets
7. American Girl
8. Fisher-Price Toys
9. Disney Hannah Montana
10. Bratz

Holiday Party Supplies

If you are like my sister, given the task of organizing a year-end holiday party of company staff, I am sure you would be searching for ideas on how to go about it. My sister sent me an urgent message last night so I went looking for party supplies online and found Party Pro, the largest online party supplies store.

Party Pro not only has a great selection of party supplies to choose from just about for any occasion, yes, including Christmas, these supplies are sold at a great discount too. I have actually been to a few other party supplies store on the web not too long ago, so I know that discounts offered at Party Pro are genuine.

If you are looking for a themed party, Party Pro is the place to get your supplies. I am amazed at the many different party themes offered for many different life's events like birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, holidays and many more. My sister, who is the party organizer, will have a field day picking up Christmas holiday party supplies here at Party Pro!

Going through the many different discount party supplies has given me a tremendous party ideas and I think I am going to host the party that I have dreaded to host all these years. After all, picking up my party supplies from Party Pro wouldn't put a dent on my pocket!

Shoptimist Social Shopping

With renewed focus on social media, PayPal has created an application on Facebook called Shoptimist, which functions like Groupon. The more people buy an item, the cheaper it gets. I don't know if the deals will be limited to our friends (or contacts) only, or all users of Shoptimist.

In addition, people who use Shoptimist would be entered into sweepstakes, which popular electronic consumer devices to be won. I don't know how this one works yet, or if it will be limited to residents of the United States. You know how difficult it is to ship electronics out of the country, with taxes and what-not.

PayPal is not the first company to offer group deals and social shopping but it could easily grow to be the most popular since they have one of the easiest methods of payment!

Ever Growing Holiday Gift List

My sister told me that with new colleagues, her gifting list for this holiday has grown so long. She has to buy gifts for friends, family, old colleagues, former colleagues whom she is still close to, and a bunch of new people in the office. And then there are gifts for her husband’s friends, family, colleagues and bosses.

She told me that she needs more time to scout for gifts, with values appropriate to the level of friendship and it looks like the one month that we still have until Christmas is insufficient! My sister says that she hopes that one day, she could just close one eye and buy whatever gifts she fancies without first looking at the price tag!

That remains wishful thinking, though. She says maybe taking out cash advance would lessen the stress of buying too many gifts for everyone! I think she exaggerated!!

Price Increase For Garments

Garment manufacturers and importers have said that they will have to pass the cost of manufacturing and importing garments to consumers because of the price increase of raw material, in particular cotton. Cotton-producing countries like China, India and Pakistan have suffered from floods in recent months, causing the price of cotton to surge.

This translates to an increase of price to the consumer by about 30% and it is not only Malaysia but worldwide. So for those of us who are shopping for new clothes for Christmas and New Year, why wait till next month? But then, manufacturers claim that price for cotton will stabilise when polyester fibre producers can increase production to meet this demand for raw material and that would only happen in the second half of next year.

Oh well, if we need new clothes, we need them but it's wise to plan when to buy them. Shall we buy enough this month and make them last until the second half of 2011?

Anger Management Center

A few years ago, a friend told me that her husband hits her. I couldn't help her and felt very bad. The only solution I thought then was to leave him but the Chinese has a saying that we can teach others to hit their children but we can't break other up a family.

Now, I know that the solution of getting help for the husband to learn to control his anger and manage his emotions better, after reading about this Houston Anger Management therapy. Of course, I have no idea the underlying causes of his anger or the specifics of what went on in that household but I think that if this couple were to seek therapy together, they could resolve this.

This Houston anger management center sees not only couples but also individuals and groups. I think there are people who prefer to deal with this alone and there are people who feel they can handle this better if they do so in a group. They are not alone, after all.

55% of Web Users Will Shop Online This Christmas

Internet security solutions company, Webroot, ran a survey recently and found that 55% of respondents who are web users said they will be shopping online this Christmas. Out of this 55%, 48% say they will be using Google to search for gifts, trusting the first few pages of search results.

I find this 55% pretty low, considering that shopping online is so convenient, time-saving and let's not forget, cheaper! My sister, who hardly shops online, told me that she bought three items on eBay recently, with the intention to give them out as gifts this Christmas. According to my sister, she shopped early to give time for her purchases to be delivered and then as surprised when the sellers acted so quickly to get the purchases shipped out to her. LOL

Even as American shoppers are cutting down on expenses because of record unemployment rate, I think that American retailers would still be enjoying a bumper year end because of the support from Australia shoppers who currency is as strong as the American Dollar.

Cashing In On Prince William & Kate Middleton's Engagement

Business-minded people are already coming out with all sorts of souvenirs to mark the engagement of Prince William and his long-time girlfriend, Kate Middleton, from mugs to coasters, tea-towels and t-shirts and what-not. Some have taken these souvenirs online. Such an occasion is a cause to celebrate for its, and it is also a time to make extra money!

British companies that deal in souvenirs are busy rushing memorabilia into the market since the announcement of the royal engagement and people are just lapping them up! It's not only memorabilia, actually. Anything that looked like what Kate wore during the engagement announcement, like her midnight blue dress and her engagement ring that once belonged to Princess Diana, increased in sales by a few hundred-fold, some were even sold out.

Indeed, this is really a time to make money for enterprising Brits. Can you think of any way to cash in on the occasion?

Recall Of Hip Replacement Systems

I recently bumped into an old friend who told me that she underwent hip replacement surgery not too long ago. She said she suffered a terrible fall and because of that had to go for surgery. Much to her dismay, even though the surgery went OK, she still felt discomfort and sometimes, even pain. She said that she had no idea why and the doctors couldn't help much.

When I read about this hip recall lawsuit that is being filed by an experienced Texas truck accident lawyer, I wonder if she is a victim of this defective product! I called her up and asked her to find out what her surgeon gave her and maybe, she can fight for compensation for the extra pain and suffering that she went through after using the product.

If you know of anyone who is in a similar situation, you should point him or her to the right person!

O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath – Personal Injury Lawyers – 808 West Avenue, Austin, TX. 78701 – 512-494-9949

Auction Properties

I recently gained access to an online property auction database and am having a confusing time going through the many, many properties that are going to go under the hammer soon.

While I always have a bad feeling buying something like this, because I know that these people are forced to part with their properties because they are unable to service their loan or something, my friend, who is a veteran when it comes to bidding for properties and winning some, told me that in a lot of cases, it is worth buying auction properties because it could be 30% cheaper than the current market.

Well, I really don't know if I should since I am buying for my own use with a view for further investment and not purely for investment only, like what my friend is doing. Still, I am not ready to commit myself to a property yet. Just thinking about the duration of the home loan gives me the creeps!

Business Meetings & Conferences

I attended a business conference the other day at one of the top hotels in Kuala Lumpur. While it was my first business conference and also my first visit to the hotel and I was impressed with the grandeur, one of the participants told me that the atmosphere felt quite stiff.

Well, I have no where to compare but trust her to let me know how much she is looking forward to attend a conference at Holiday Inn Italy, well-known for top of the class "sale riunioni e conferenze" which I am sure the atmosphere will be totally different. I guess different cultures work in a different way!

Anyway, I found out that the organizers of such business conferences, or even banquets, like for weddings, could easily look for the "perfect" venue by comparing hotels through websites like Holiday Inn Meetings. Whether they are looking for a small or large room, in the city or by the beach and of course, one that suits their budget, all these could be customized through the website.

One of the most challenging aspects for the organizers of business conferences is to keep delegates or participants as interested as possible. Hence, getting the right venue, with the right atmosphere, is of utmost importance!

*** This post has been sponsored.

Watch Out For Late Shoppers

As an online seller, it puzzles me all the time why shoppers love shopping at the last minute. They tend to forget that to shop online, we have to allow a few extra days for the item to be delivered and it's always more busy during the weeks close to Christmas.

Yet, some shoppers love to do so. Perhaps they didn't have the budget earlier or perhaps they are shopping for gifts for these people as an after thought. There was one time I had to deliver the gift by hand too. Luckily the recipient lives in my city and it was no a problem for me. I was happy that I could get that sale!

Whatever the reason, sometimes there are such buyers who would refuse to pay extra for express shipping and then blame the seller for the late delivery! Yes there are such people. Sometimes, it's better to pay the extra ourselves so that the purchases will be delivered on time.

I know this eats into our profit but I am sure for most of our sales, our profit margin is surely more that one or two bucks, right? This is what I do to keep everyone happy. What about you?

Buy.com Amazing Weekly Deals

I just bought a digital camera yesterday. Little did I know that I could just go to buy.com and get a digital camera at just a fraction of the price I paid.

Luckily it's not the same as mine is a Samsung but still, it's also a camera that is just as good! For this week, if you are looking to buy a digital camera, you can get a Canon PowerShot SD1400 for only US$179, a fraction of What I paid for yesterday for the Samsung.

Do you think I should buy it so that I could have a spare camera? I am so tempted!

St. Louis Riverboat Failed To Sell

The St. Louis Admiral Riverboat has failed to garner interest or serious bids, according to the company overseeing the auction of the icon on eBay.

News reports on the auction mentioned that a bank has offered to buy it at a six-figure sum but it is nothing close to the US$1.5 million that the owners are looking at. I remember reading that the owner was very eager to let go of it at any cost. Looks like the offers that were received weren't good enough.

The future of this century-old icon of St. Louis remains uncertain. I personally think that it's a pity there is no local company willing to do anything to retain the riverboat.

Wrapping Up

My friend read about my desperate cry to reduce my spare tire and said that I should try slimming body wrap. Of course, I shouldn't expect it to be a miracle solution but she says that she has been using body wrap for some time now and it is effective.

In fact, she loves it as it gives her a chance to rest and relax. However, she also said that some people have said that it doesn't work for them and that although they may feel different for awhile, their body fat is nor burned away.

I guess like every product, there are people who find that it works and there are others who find that it doesn't. Whatever it is, I hope that it works for me, if only for just a little while!

Shopping Promotions, Discounts, Offers, Specials

With Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year just around the corner, going online to shopping sites, we are bombarded with words like promotions, discounts, offers, specials, coupons. I know this is common but during holidays, we tend to believe these words more. LOL

Many people will be shopping online and I think that it's important that people follow strict rules when shopping online and always pay attention to certain security rules, like only shopping at secured sites and to leave if a site is not secured.

Also, although you may be a regular shopper with a certain online retailer, it is advisable not to register or create an account with that particular site. I know it's very convenient and I too hate to input the same information every time I shop but then there is no denying that this is an excellent online shopping security tip.

Of course, there are other tips that we should observe as well but the main thing is to use common sense when shopping online and if a deal is too good to be true, especially at an unverified shopping "portal".

Business Casual Dress Code

I registered for a business conference the other day and then found out that the dress code was "business casual". As you know, I work for myself from home and I do not own any business suits. Because of this conference, I went to buy clothes that I think business women wear. LOL

To my chagrin, perhaps it's because of lack of exercise and the long hours I sit in front of the computer, I didn't look good in any of those slim fitting business wear. I didn't even realize it. Since when did my "spare tire" expand so? I was desperate to know how to lose stomach fat fast!

In the end, I had to buy something loose. I didn't look good but I didn't have a choice. That get up had to do for the time being.

PayPal Expands Consumer Protection In Asia Pacific

PayPal has just announced they will expand consumer protection in Asia Pacific, just in time for the holidays where it is expected that more people will be shopping online, using PayPal as a payment mode. Beginning this month (November), online shoppers who shop at one of the 8 million merchants worldwide and pay with PayPal will be protected if the item that they receive is significantly different than described by a merchant.

According to PayPal, there are about 16 million PayPal users in this Asia Pacific region alone and PayPal Plaza features 60 merchants in this region. There has been an increase in shopping activity by Asians over the past five years since the launch of the original PayPal Buyer Protection Policy in June, 2010.

This protection truly builds shopper confidence but at the same time, it could work against sellers as well if they have the bad luck to come across buyers who make use of this loophole in the policy.

Superbike Helmets

My sister told me that her husband bought a superbike. Well, actually they bought it together but he is the one who will be riding it. My sister considers the bike as his birthday and Christmas present. Boy, is it an expensive gift! Now, my sister has started to scour eBay and other online marketplaces to look for a matching helmet for the two of them. Sometimes, my sister will be taken for a spin, too!

According to my sister, the racing helmets that she came across thus far aren't cheap either. As luck would have it, I came across this online store that carries sports bike gear and there is an excellent selection of bell helmets for sale. I think my sister will be delighted with the quality of the helmets and to think that she will get to enjoy 50% discount on these helmets! Where else could she find such a good deal?

A friend, who knows about helmets, tells me that one doesn't have a "helmet" until he has a Bell. My sister should really buy a pair of "couple" Bell helmets and it would be so cool if the helmets match the design on the bike. When these Bell helmets are so affordable, buying two wouldn't dent a hole in her pocket.

Black Friday Deals

Black Friday falls on 26th November this year, traditionally the first Friday following Thanksgiving. I have no idea why Black Friday even came into existence; I think it's just another excuse to shop!

My sister told me that she is already checking out Black Friday deals online and has asked me to help her to compile a list. Seriously, there are so many merchants offering various not-to-be-missed deals that I wonder how one could be at so many stores at the same time.

Indeed, Black Friday seems to be serious business. I remember reading about people queuing up outside stores early in the morning before sunrise, the sky is so dark, hence the word "black" and there were more than once when shoppers have been killed by stampedes when shoppers became disorderly and rushed into the stores as soon as the doors are open. Do you remember when even the doors were broken down?

Anyway, because my sister asked, I will be keeping a look out for Black Friday deals for her. I just told her to be careful when she goes shopping on Black Friday. There is no point getting injured just to grab something sold "slightly" cheaper than day!

Investing Wisely

It's my friend's birthday today and he told me that this birthday is different from previous birthdays because both his sons are already working and he no longer has to support them. The sons asked him if he has any special birthday gift request but he said that he advised them to use the money on something else, instead of buying him a birthday gift since he could always buy what he wants.

According to my friend, he told them that they should buy gold because gold is one of the best investment options which does not require constant monitoring or topping up of capital. As they two sons are new to the work force, they don't have time or money to invest in something else that may require more money.

I know that my friend is a proud father now and that he has waited for this day for a long time. Seeing how obedient his two sons are, I too feel happy for him.

Vulnerability of Online Retail

My sister, who manages the online store of her company, selling beauty products, told me that she dreads going to work now. The other day, she accidentally clicked on a link that came in an iTunes invoice and caused her computer to be infected with a malware that took technicians hours to arrest and isolate it. It was the second incident in two months!

Besides the continuous threat of viruses, malware, Trojans and whatnot, my sister said that online fraud is very rampant. There was once that she shipped an order out to Canada only to receive a charge back from the "real" owner of the credit card, claiming that she did not make the purchase. And of course, this is only one of the many cases that she shared with me. In this case, the company lost more than US$600.

As an online seller, I too have to be extra vigilant and try not to rejoice when I receive an order, especially from a new buyer. This could turn out to be a fraud attempt! LOL

Floral House

My friend sent me this photo this morning and asked me to forward it to my brother-in-law, who has tried to quit smoking but failed. He said that perhaps picking up a new hobby, after seeing how beautiful these flowers are, would occupy his free time and keep his hands busy. As you know, being a gardener requires plenty of time and energy.

The owner of this house is a retiree so he has plenty of time on his hands. My brother-in-law, on the other hand, is a working adult and time is luxury. However, he could still decorate his house with plants and flowers, even though he doesn't grow them himself.

I understand there is a local nursery nearby with very nice flowers, which he could buy and put a decorative planter. Tada! Multiply this by tens of times and he could also have a heavily decorated house like this man! Wouldn't that be nice?

There are so many different planters to choose from at eplanters.com that he will never run out of ideas. I personally like window box planters because it decorates the windows, and we do have plenty of windows at home! Looking at these photos has also given me an idea to cheer up my own house in a similar way, when I do own a house!

eBay Boots Under Performing Sellers

As a seller on eBay, it's very disconcerting to read that a number of long-time eBay sellers have been given the boot, Thursday, and restricted from selling on the eBay marketplace because, according to eBay, they are under performing, using DSR as a basis.

Although I have always maintained that eBay is just one venue that sellers could sell online, and if sellers are not comfortable with selling on eBay, they could set up business elsewhere, I think that by booting out sellers because of something as vague and non-transparent as DSRs that could be easily manipulated, even jeopardised by buyers, eBay has certainly gone too far.

Mind you, some of these affected sellers are sellers who have used eBay successfully for the past ten years. I am sure they know what buyers expect, what the marketplace wants and how to run a successful business online. Still, having a number of 1s and 2s on their DSR for shipping, through no fault of their own, could shockingly pull down one's overall DSR rating, and worse, overturn one's rice bowl!

Energy Saving Geothermal Systems

When my friend was building his million dollar home, I asked him if it would be eco-friendly and solar-powered. He said it wouldn't be energy-independent, unfortunately. According to him, solar technology is not advanced so it is not dependable. I have a dream that when I build my own home, I would like it to be as energy independent as possible. After listening to him, who is an engineer, I thought that it wouldn't be possible, at least not in the near future.

However, I feel disappointed that my friend did not do his research before giving me this information on solar energy. GeOasis is a leading company that provides geothermal heating and cooling solutions the natural way.

Using geothermal systems by GeOasis, we can heat or cool indoor spaces like homes and offices, all using solar energy from the earth. Using this solar energy, it will power the geothermal heat pump to cool the house during hot summer days and to heat it during the cold winter. As you can see, this system works both ways. In addition, it also supplies the house with hot water.

Using GeOasis Systems, one can expect to save lots of money because natural energy is used. Also, the lifespan of these systems is said to be about 30 years, which means that once the system is installed, we don't have to worry about it except for regular maintenance.

Win A Year's Salary With PayPal

This is definitely good news to PayPal users in the United Kingdom. PayPal is running a competition where winners will win a cash prize of £40,000, which PayPal has calculated to be "more" than a year's salary of the average working person (male or female) in the United Kingdom.

This contest began on 21st October, 2010 and ends on 5th December, 2010. A prize drawing will be held every week from 2nd November, 2010 onwards with the last drawing held on 7th December, 2010. So it means that every week, someone will be walking away with a cash prize of £40,000.

This promotion is only open to people in the United Kingdom, but if you qualify, what do you have to do? Just shop and pay with your valid PayPal account or send money to another person using your PayPal account. Remember, your PayPal account has to be in good standing at all times.

To read the terms and conditions of this contest, do visit this PayPal PAGE.

Phoenix Cosmetology School

A former classmate of mine told me that she has lost her job a few months ago and couldn't secure another job until today. I feel bad for her and tried to think of a solution for her. I think she should go back to school and being a creative person that she is, a cosmetology course would suit her very well. I know of a reputable cosmetology school in Phoenix which also helps with job placement upon graduation so she should not worry about getting a job.

I am going to let her check out the website of Regency Beauty Institute. It's a very popular cosmetology school which has a few campuses in major cities across the United States. I think that holding a qualification in cosmetology will open a lot of doors for her.

This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com or contact Regency Beauty Institute – 10217 North Metro Parkway West – Phoenix, AZ 85051

St. Louis Icon Admiral Riverboat On eBay

The St. Louis icon, an admiral riverboat that was used as a night club and then casino (President Casino) has been vacant since the casino lost its license. The owners are open to any buyer and would even consider selling it as scrap. On eBay, where it is listed, the Buy It Now (BIN) price is listed at US$1.5 million.

The riverboat, though old, looks nice, and I think that any rich person who is from St. Louis, or originally from there, should try to salvage it. I am sure it wouldn't cost that much to restore the riverboat. Well, if one has the moolah, it is a good way to spend, isn't it?

eBay Promo: Fixed-Price Added To Free-Auction

Here is good news to all eBay sellers. eBay is running a promotion that allows non-Store eBay sellers to sell their wares, 100 of them monthly, without any insertion fee until 7th January, 2010 but at the same time, these sellers can place a Buy It Now (BIN) price for free until 7th Nov, 2010.

This is good news, of course, since BIN feature would have cost extra expenses to sellers, at least 5 cents. Well, it may be chicken feed to some people but it all adds up, especially when sellers have more than 100 items listed every month.

To read all about terms and restrictions, visit this eBay page.

Head Lice Treatment

My friend told me about her two kids who started school this year and the horrible time she had when BOTH caught head lice. She said that since she keeps long hair, it was a very stressful time for her. Her husband suggested that they take the boys to the barber and cut their hair as short as possible, which she did. She told me that it was a good solution and she managed to eliminate the head lice.

I read about a company in Texas that provides Houston lice treatment which I like because they are discreet and they would come to the house or workplace to run head checks on the affected person and also of family members and those who share the same house.

With professional treatment and monitoring, head lice is no longer such a scary thing. I think it is still a social stigma to be infested with head lice, only because of the speed it infests.

eBay 10 cents Listing Promotion

Good news to all eBay sellers on eBay.com and eBay Canada. eBay is running a listing promotion where listing fees will be 10 cents only irrespective of starting price, from 29th October to 1st November, 2010. This promotion is available to all eBay sellers, even those who have a store subscription.

This low-priced listing fee is in addition to the 100 monthly free listing that eBay sellers are currently enjoying and will enjoy until 7th January, 2011. So this means that once a seller exceeds this free insertion for 100 listings, he or she will be charged 10 cents per listing above the first 100 items for the month.

Of course, every promotion comes with its terms and conditions. To read all about restrictions and such, visit this page on eBay.