Rain Online

There’s no question that designer handbags are all the rage these days. They are a must-have accessory for fashion-conscious women around the globe, and can be seen gracing the arms of such diverse consumer groups as Japanese high school girls, European supermodels, and powerful American executives. I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter so much which designer bag you actually own — simply being in possession of one is enough to get some attention these days.

Although there are lots of designer brand names out there to choose from, I’ve found that I like Prada purses the best. Prada purses come in many different styles, including messenger bags, pochettes, handbags, and backpacks. They are made from a variety of materials, but the most recognizable and popular ones are manufactured from soft black nylon with leather straps and metal hardware accents. And of course no offering from this design house would be complete without the inverted triangle logo.

If you think Prada purses sound rather simple, you’re right. That’s probably why I like them so much. I own one of the messenger-style bags, and have to say that I’m very impressed with it overall. First, the bag is so classic and versatile that it goes with any outfit that I wear. It looks equally as fabulous with a weekend ensemble consisting of jeans and a sweater as it does with my regular workday business suits. Not many other designer handbags give you that much flexibility in choosing your look.

A second reason that I love my Prada purse is because of its durability. Let’s face it: with other designer bags, you have to be extremely cautious about such things as the weather, spills, and stains. For example, I know a few women who refuse to carry makeup or pens in their designer handbags for fear of ruining the lining if a cap happens to fall off. I really wouldn’t have the energy to be constantly vigilant about what I’m putting in my handbag, and think that kind of behavior sort of defeats the purpose of carrying one around. With my black nylon Prada purse, I never have to worry about such things. The material is naturally stain-resistant and is very easy to clean. After nearly two years of constant daily use, my bag looks as good as new.

Finally, I recommend Prada purses because they are a good value compared to other designer handbags. Sure, there are all-leather offerings in Prada’s lineup that retail for more than a thousand dollars, but those are the exceptions rather than the rule. The nylon bags and backpacks are all very affordable — comparatively speaking, of course. I was able to buy a Prada purse and a matching wallet for less than the price of most other designer handbags alone. So if value is as important a factor in your purchasing decision as the quality of the handbag or the name on it, then I suggest you consider going with a Prada purse. Hopefully, you’ll end up enjoying your new bag as much as I’ve enjoyed mine!

Originally posted 2008-02-11 07:32:01. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Preparing all of your main dinners just once a month is a new concept that is catching on in the U.S. You might want to look into the idea because it’ll save you a lot of time during the month. Find out why it’s popular and how you can use it to make your life simple and easy. Granted, there is some work in learning and applying its concepts, but you’ll love the product you get by once a month cooking.

Life is at a fast pace in today’s society, and that’s why finding anything that can save time is so popular. Think of once a month cooking as TV dinners that taste good. It’s your cooking that you’re used to, but with a twist. A lot of others use it because it eliminates the hassle of preparing a meal everyday and clean up, sometimes up to 3 times a day. It doesn’t matter if you’re single, married or retired it fits in with all lifestyles when you use once a month cooking.

The great thing about it is that all of your meals are prepared on a weekend for the next month. Because your food is preplanned you also save on your energy bills. You won’t have to heat your home everyday either, and bring up your cooling costs in the summer.

Think about how many times you’ve opened the refrigerator door only to find forgotten food that has molded - wasted. This won’t happen with once a month cooking. Food is preplanned according to you or your family’s appetite. You’ll save money too by not going out to eat all the time. That is part of the appeal of fast food type restaurants - it’s fast. Your meals will be quick too when you use the idea of once a month cooking.

Your menu plans should include a balanced meal throughout the month. You’ll need to learn either how to include dishes like casseroles that have a variety of nutritional elements, or prepare several dishes for one meal. You’re lucky if you have a large freezer to store up your prepared once a month cooking meals, and if you don’t, large freezers can be bought that are affordable. Space might be the only thing that would limit you, but if you’ve got a garage, just place the freezer out there when once a month cooking happens at your house.

If you can’t afford a freezer or you simply don’t have the room for one, there are a few places that will let you do once a month cooking. Some restaurants will let you stop in and cook, but you’ll need to work out a schedule with them. Many churches have classes in this type of cooking. A benefit is you can exchange recipes, and learn how to cook a variety of meals. Once a month cooking frees you up for life. Enjoy!

Originally posted 2006-08-02 03:09:25. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Today, I am going to start a multi-part series about how to go from being a beginning investor to being “financially independent” in a steady and predictable way. At our website, we get tons of e-mails about how do I start, how do I start with little $’s, etc., etc., etc. If you are asking this question, congratulations because you are ahead of most. All of us have been there at some point.

I must warn you…. What I am about to share here for free is what “gurus” across the nation charge thousands of dollars for in weekend seminars. The “secrets” revealed are going to seem pretty simple because quite frankly, there are no secrets. The methods used here have been done for centuries and there is no real reason to complicate them. Let’s apply these principles to see how fast someone might become financially independent without betting the farm.

Realize that everybody has wildly different starting points and different financial goals. For this series of articles, we assume that an individual has access to at least $15,000 liquid capital (or home equity) to start, is at least breaking even with their current income versus expenses, and has decent credit to obtain financing.

To start, what you need is to make your money grow while keeping your current income stream, and current expense level in place. I can’t say this more plainly…..To change your current financial path, you have to us your money and your time to grow additional income streams that increase wealth. There is many ways to do this but we are going to use investing in real estate as an example.

Now for beginners, here is the really bad news…… As an investor, you reap rewards by putting your money in HARMS WAY. You do everything in your power to minimize your risk but bottom line is that real investors make money by taking CONTROLLED risks. As investors get better, they learn how to make fantastic investment returns doing things that all their friends and relatives thing is crazy….. However, they know exactly what risks they are taking are why those risks are small in comparison to the potential rewards.

One reason people really like real estate investing is leverage; i.e, you can purchase an expensive property using 0-20% of your own money while financing the rest. So if you put 10% down for example, and then the property goes up by 20%, you have made a 200% return (ignoring expenses, taxes, etc. for simplicity). Of course this works in reverse… If the property drops by 20%, you have lost not only your original investment but have to come up with another 10% as well….. Ouch!

For someone beginning, here is what I would suggest:

1) Look for an opportunity that will return at least 150% in 2 yrs or less;

2) Be mentally and financially prepared if the investment does not work out;

3) Have VERY good reasons why you don’t think you will lose money…… You may not make as much as expected but you would rather not lose money at this stage.

4) Be patient. This single result should not either make or break you but it is crucial to a longer term plan.

In our Mastermind Group, we are bringing out a land project (see related article Land Investing that appears to meet these criterion (each investor has to decide for themselves). So let’s say the purchase price is $150,000, with 10% down and another $3,500 in closing costs. With good credit, then the financing obtained would make the land payments for 2 years while waiting for growth.

Now let’s say after you did your analysis, looked at what had happened in the past, looked at why you thought more and more people would want this property, etc., you decide that you think this property will average 20%/Yr escalation over the next 2 years. MORE IMPORTANTLY, you decide that barring a major meltdown in the market, you think there is little chance that you can’t at least break even after 2 years.

So if you end up being right about the growth, then you might net a tidy $43,000 (before taxes) or so after everything is considered. After long term capital gains at 15% let’s say, then you just picked up about $36,000 of the “market’s money”. That is money that if you take a loss on the next investment will not be nearly as painful as if you lost your original money. When you combine this with your original investment amount, you now have around $55,000 of operating capital for step 2.

Realistically, you cannot predict how much you will make from the investment. When I invest, I try to establish in my mind what is reasonable. Frequently, I have been surprised to the positive and made much more than expected. Sometimes I have made less. The key being to put yourself in a low risk situation where you have a strong reason to believe the market will go in your favor.

To accomplish this first step, let’s look at what you really had to do:

1) Had to be willing to put $$ in harm’s way;

2) Had to educate yourself enough to evaluate the risk and the opportunity;

3) Had to find the opportunity or be in a position to have the opportunity presented to them;

4) Have to act.

I would like to comment on the education side. As a former professor, I have seen very smart people spend 1,000’s of hours and 10,000’s of thousands of dollars educating themselves to “earn a living”; this is a great move in many cases. On the other side, I have seen very smart people who want investing to be a major source of income but will not spend any time or any money educating themselves.

To me, this is a recipe for disaster. By the time we finish this series, you will see that with a few simple steps, implemented over time, many people can easily produce more money than from their regular job. Furthermore, many people will put 100’s of thousands of dollars at risk but know almost nothing about what they are doing. If you chose the path of making your investment dollars grow steadily with time, I hope this does not end up describing you.

Chris Anderson is a leading authority on preconstruction real estate investing and has been referenced in many venues including the New York Times and USA Today. Free sign up at GetPreconstructionDeals.com to get continuing education and articles or visit his Investing Mastermind Group to get access to world class investing projects.

Originally posted 2007-01-02 20:10:16. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Bowflex

If you want to get fit, maybe you should try out a Bowflex strength training workout. Bowflex guarantees that you can have the body you want in six weeks, by working out only twenty minutes a day three times a week. Few companies can make this type of guarantee, not even your gym! The Bowflex workout uses strength training to build muscle that will increase your metabolism, help you to burn more calories, and give you more energy. Bowflex will help you reshape your body to lose the fat by gaining more fat burning muscle. Bowflex guarantees it!

Bowflex has many different models from which to choose; just go to www.bowflex.com to help you decide which machine is the right one for you. One of the most versatile models, called the Versatrainer, is designed for people with limited mobility or physical ability. It is used by physical rehabilitation centers and hospitals in helping patients to gain strength, as well as provide them with a cardio workout. Through Bowflex, you can also purchase it for home use. In addition to this model, Bowflex has six other models available, the Motivator, the Sport, the Xtreme, the Xtreme 2, the Ultimate XTLU, and the Ultimate 2, all ranging from least to most expensive respectively. The Bowflex limited warranty ranges from two to twelve years on the machine itself, and also includes a no-time-limit warranty on the Bowflex Power Rods. If by chance you wear them out, Bowflex will replace them free of charge.

If after six weeks, you have not met your fitness goal, simply contact Bowflex for a refund certificate, which you return with the Bowflex in its original condition in the original packaging. Bowflex will refund your purchase price less shipping and handling. If you want to have the convenience of having a home gym but with only one piece of equipment, then you should give Bowflex a try. You can check out all the different machines Bowflex offers on their website, www.bowflex.com. Convenient payment plans are also available, with monthly payment plans ranging from $13-34 per month for up to twelve months. Additional financing information is available on the website. Financing can be applied for directly online, and operates basically like a credit card. It couldn’t be any easier to get fit, and you don’t need to shell out a ton of money at once. You will feel better and look better in no time!

Originally posted 2007-02-28 11:08:26. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Awe man; is it time to do taxes again? It seems like it comes around so fast. Well, the up-side is that healthy return you should be getting back. Now, if you can only figure out how to do it correctly this time. No worries; you can always acquire a helping hand from one of those local companies. Although they will charge you a slight fee, you’ll surely get your taxes back and done correctly. Don’t they even guarantee “no mistakes” whatsoever now days? Furthermore, there are other options close at hand. You can thank all the software companies for this one. Did you know that you could simply take care of you tax return online? Pop open your Google search engine and bring up a tax return calculator. It’s all about simplicity now days. Are you hip with that? I know I am.

Have you ever used a tax return calculator? This is a great way to estimate your total tax return for this past year. Go ahead and do it ahead of time. Save yourself the big mystery. We all want to know as soon as possible how much cash we’ll get back, because we always have plans for that extra dough. Maybe you’re using it as a down payment on a new car, or maybe you’re finally going to take care of those credit card bills. Regardless of your intentions, a tax return calculator can get you ahead of the game. How many dependents are you claiming this year? This of course can make a significant difference in your overall tax return. Let a tax return calculator tell you how much you’ll get back. What I love about doing my taxes these days is that it’s all online. I never complain when things are all online. Now you can simply kick back on your sofa and run through the filing process like it’s no big thing. Who cares if you never understood how to do your taxes in the past. Things have changed to say the least my friend. With the contemporary tax return programs, you will basically get walked through it, step by step. Even my mother does her own taxes now.

If you’re in search of some high-tech software that will help you this tax season, then look no further than your local Best Buy. This superstore has all you need to get those taxes filed right. And don’t forget to take advantage of your high speed Internet service and resort to a tax return calculator online. Find out what’s coming back before you get it.

Originally posted 2006-06-10 10:24:00. Republished by Old Post Promoter