This will be Chuva's temporary home until I can find a new host. Bluehost just kicked my sites out because of "causing performance issues on their server". Well, hallerrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!! If I could fix it, I would but I'm not a techie! I tried many times to fix the errors and was really careful in adding plugins and so forth..
But this one last time,they just disabled my blogs.. hmmmfff!
I will be blogging from this site from now until I get the new hosting up and running!
Friday, January 09, 2009
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Money-Saving Tips Around the Home
From Yahoo Finance
April 5, 9:17 am ET
By Motley Fool Staff
April 5, 9:17 am ET
By Motley Fool Staff
With a few changes in your behavior in your life, you can reap big rewards. Here are a few housekeeping ideas to help boost your net worth.
- Keep your thermostat turned down (or up in the summer) for when you're not home.
Insulate your water heater and turn its thermostat down for when you're away.
Consider using compact fluorescent light bulbs -- they're cheaper in the long run than ordinary light bulbs. - Install dimming switches. They allow you to use softer lighting when you don't need full-power lighting, and they'll save you money in the process.
- Close the blinds. This will keep your home cooler during the day and might keep some heat in at night.
- Turn off lights and appliances when they're not in use.
- When your liquid soaps are half-finished, add some water to make them last a little longer.
- Consider using Procter & Gamble's (NYSE: PG - News) Dryel or similar at-home dry-cleaning products for items that require dry-cleaning.
- When using cleaning agents, try using less than you're directed to. You'll often get just-as-good results, and you'll spend less. Also take a look at the ingredients in name-brand cleaning agents you use and consider making your own. A gallon of bleach costs just a few dollars and goes a long way. A little Clorox (NYSE: CLX - News) bleach mixed with water in a squirt bottle makes a great anti-bacterial cleaning spray for the kitchen and any hard, colorfast surfaces. (Just be careful and label the bottle clearly to avoid accidents with carpet and fabrics.) The bleach solution also kills mold and mildew on bathroom surfaces, just like the pricier Tilex-type products. (In fact, Clorox is the company that makes Tilex!) Likewise, white vinegar mixed with water makes a great glass cleaner, and it costs just pennies. Use it with old newspaper for streak- and lint-free sparkling windows and glass.
- If you need a desk, you can make one with a door resting on a pair of two-drawer filing cabinets. Buy the door before the doorknob hole is cut, and stain it if you wish. Office-supply stores such as Staples (Nasdaq: SPLS - News) also carry sturdy folding tables meant for office environments that make great portable desks -- usually for less than $50.
- Don't toss out that tube of toothpaste until it's really empty. And know that you really only need about a pea-sized amount of toothpaste when you brush your fangs. Don't overuse that paste, or you'll end up buying more than you need to.
- Measure things. If you're supposed to use 2 tablespoons of dishwasher detergent, don't guess at what that is -- because you'll very possibly use more than you need to.
- Reuse your zip-seal bags. You can wash them and turn them inside out to help them dry.
- Learn to do more of your home maintenance yourself.
Monday, April 03, 2006
An AHA moment today...
I have to be perfectly honest. We all have AHA moments, some are clearer than others but nevertheless, we get them. Today was one of those days that an AHA moment was very clear when it came to me today.
I was outside my office building, taking a cigarette break (yes, one of the habits I am hoping to eventually quit!) when all of a sudden, I realized how we are placed in situations to discover things we would have never discovered if we didn't take chances.
I recently applied for a loan by trying to refinance my home in order to get my kitchen remodelled and pay off a few things. It looked great on paper when I planned it so I went ahead and applied at Lendingtree.com - - like they say, when banks compete - - you win. Well, I thought I won. After a gruesome number-crunching and speaking with the lenders, weighing pros and cons, I decided to go with one lender which will remain unnamed. The offer was so convincing that I have actually forgone the lenders whose offers made more sense. The sales talk was prime and she could have sold me sand in Dubai and I would have bought it. She sold me to a thought of paying a FEE to lock-in a rate (the pitch is that interest rates are rising and would be better to lock in before it goes up - - the fee, $595.00) with a condition that should I not accept the terms of the contract, it will be refunded in full. Quite safe right? In short, I went with the offer given the good faith estimate of my home. I saw the offer, with all the details and it showed that I will get a substantial amount in cash back to be able to cover my remodelling expenses and then some. I tried to read the multi page contract in detail before signing anything. The offer made was prior to the appraisal being completed and therefore going by a fictitious figure of how much my home is worth. It all made sense at the time, so I signed and returned it.
A schedule for closing was made even before I saw the final figures after the appraisal was done. I had to ask the lender what the figures were (post appraisal) in order to make my final decision. When the final figures were returned to me, the cash back was much lower than I expected which would not be sufficient to complete my kitchen project and paying off debts that had me consider the refinance in the first place. I declined and said that the offer is not good because of the reason I just stated. I politely asked when I could get my $595.00 back. I was told, "Unfortunately, you cannot get the amount back. Do you know how many people worked on your loan? We had to rush to get you processed as soon as possible!". Hold on a second, didn't I "conditionally" pay for a lock-in fee that would be refundable if the terms are not accepted? "You signed the papers, it's clear in black and white - you are not getting your money back!", she said. What was that again, "people that worked on my loan" - - is that what a rate lock-in fee was for??
I may not be as savvy as I would like to be when it comes to understanding contracts. It is a blessing that at the current time, I am enrolled at a community college trying to obtain credits for my bachelor's degree, and the topic is about "CONTRACTS". In order to have a VALID contract, there must be an offer and an acceptance. There should be what we call "mutual assent" or meeting of the minds. Once the acceptance is made, the contract will be considered valid PROVIDED there was no counteroffer made. If for example, I tried to sell you a car for $500.00, as-is, and you accepted - there is a contract. If you said to me, I will buy it for $300.00, as-is - it nullifies the original offer of $500.00. Therefore, the original contract dies and cannot be made valid.
If the lender had offered me terms based on a fictitious figure, and then comes back with the actual figures - - that would have constituted a counteroffer. Therefore, the papers that I signed and returned to them is considered NULL and VOID. The new offer would have been the documents that I would sign at the time of closing. I respectfully cancelled the closing as the terms were not agreeable to me. There was no "meeting of the minds".
I contacted my credit card to put a dispute on the amount and would gladly offer back up documents to support my claim. On top of this, I consulted with my professor who confirmed that because there was a change in "PRICE", the original offer is NULL and VOID and that I have every leg to stand on should I try to dispute the charge.
There are certain things that I learned today.
1) Never give out your credit card number to someone who is eager to get your number than to get your loan approved and completed.
2) There is no such thing as a rate lock-in fee. If there is, you should find out more about it before you pay for it.
3) Do not sign any documentation for a refinance WITHOUT the completed appraisal amount of your home.
4) Always always always read the fine print. (By the way, there is a law that disclaimers must be written in bold, readable, and conspicuous on any document. If this is not the case, do not sign anything).
If the lender was watching out for my own benefit, why would they charge me 4K in closing costs and tell me that I am saving money by refinancing?
So - what's the AHA moment? Knowledge is power. If I had researched way before I signed anything, I will not be in this predicament.
NOW, I will try my damndest to post anything here that has to do with finances. Whether it be interest rates, refinancing your home, saving dollars, penny pinching... I will research everything on the internet that would be of some benefit to anyone of you that might fall into the trap that I was almost got caught into. Keep an eye on this blog - - I will be back with a vengeance.
I was outside my office building, taking a cigarette break (yes, one of the habits I am hoping to eventually quit!) when all of a sudden, I realized how we are placed in situations to discover things we would have never discovered if we didn't take chances.
I recently applied for a loan by trying to refinance my home in order to get my kitchen remodelled and pay off a few things. It looked great on paper when I planned it so I went ahead and applied at Lendingtree.com - - like they say, when banks compete - - you win. Well, I thought I won. After a gruesome number-crunching and speaking with the lenders, weighing pros and cons, I decided to go with one lender which will remain unnamed. The offer was so convincing that I have actually forgone the lenders whose offers made more sense. The sales talk was prime and she could have sold me sand in Dubai and I would have bought it. She sold me to a thought of paying a FEE to lock-in a rate (the pitch is that interest rates are rising and would be better to lock in before it goes up - - the fee, $595.00) with a condition that should I not accept the terms of the contract, it will be refunded in full. Quite safe right? In short, I went with the offer given the good faith estimate of my home. I saw the offer, with all the details and it showed that I will get a substantial amount in cash back to be able to cover my remodelling expenses and then some. I tried to read the multi page contract in detail before signing anything. The offer made was prior to the appraisal being completed and therefore going by a fictitious figure of how much my home is worth. It all made sense at the time, so I signed and returned it.
A schedule for closing was made even before I saw the final figures after the appraisal was done. I had to ask the lender what the figures were (post appraisal) in order to make my final decision. When the final figures were returned to me, the cash back was much lower than I expected which would not be sufficient to complete my kitchen project and paying off debts that had me consider the refinance in the first place. I declined and said that the offer is not good because of the reason I just stated. I politely asked when I could get my $595.00 back. I was told, "Unfortunately, you cannot get the amount back. Do you know how many people worked on your loan? We had to rush to get you processed as soon as possible!". Hold on a second, didn't I "conditionally" pay for a lock-in fee that would be refundable if the terms are not accepted? "You signed the papers, it's clear in black and white - you are not getting your money back!", she said. What was that again, "people that worked on my loan" - - is that what a rate lock-in fee was for??
I may not be as savvy as I would like to be when it comes to understanding contracts. It is a blessing that at the current time, I am enrolled at a community college trying to obtain credits for my bachelor's degree, and the topic is about "CONTRACTS". In order to have a VALID contract, there must be an offer and an acceptance. There should be what we call "mutual assent" or meeting of the minds. Once the acceptance is made, the contract will be considered valid PROVIDED there was no counteroffer made. If for example, I tried to sell you a car for $500.00, as-is, and you accepted - there is a contract. If you said to me, I will buy it for $300.00, as-is - it nullifies the original offer of $500.00. Therefore, the original contract dies and cannot be made valid.
If the lender had offered me terms based on a fictitious figure, and then comes back with the actual figures - - that would have constituted a counteroffer. Therefore, the papers that I signed and returned to them is considered NULL and VOID. The new offer would have been the documents that I would sign at the time of closing. I respectfully cancelled the closing as the terms were not agreeable to me. There was no "meeting of the minds".
I contacted my credit card to put a dispute on the amount and would gladly offer back up documents to support my claim. On top of this, I consulted with my professor who confirmed that because there was a change in "PRICE", the original offer is NULL and VOID and that I have every leg to stand on should I try to dispute the charge.
There are certain things that I learned today.
1) Never give out your credit card number to someone who is eager to get your number than to get your loan approved and completed.
2) There is no such thing as a rate lock-in fee. If there is, you should find out more about it before you pay for it.
3) Do not sign any documentation for a refinance WITHOUT the completed appraisal amount of your home.
4) Always always always read the fine print. (By the way, there is a law that disclaimers must be written in bold, readable, and conspicuous on any document. If this is not the case, do not sign anything).
If the lender was watching out for my own benefit, why would they charge me 4K in closing costs and tell me that I am saving money by refinancing?
So - what's the AHA moment? Knowledge is power. If I had researched way before I signed anything, I will not be in this predicament.
NOW, I will try my damndest to post anything here that has to do with finances. Whether it be interest rates, refinancing your home, saving dollars, penny pinching... I will research everything on the internet that would be of some benefit to anyone of you that might fall into the trap that I was almost got caught into. Keep an eye on this blog - - I will be back with a vengeance.
Friday, March 10, 2006
"Is today the day?", the bird whispered.
Still reading "Tuesdays with Morrie". There is a section where they talked about how Morrie looks at life differently now that he is dying. Morrie mentions that Buddhists believes that a bird on their shoulder whispers to them daily, "Is today going to be the day?". It refers to death. By having this whispered question into one's daily life, one tends to think of things that really matter. I don't believe it means forget the dirty dishes, or the bills - but it makes one look at life differently. What if today's the day? What would you do?
I got into this topic because my neighbors, a couple who's become very close to me, recently disappeared for two weeks. Normally, they would let me know where they are going or planning to go. This case was a bit strange since they just disappeared without letting me know.
I found out last night that they had to fly home due to an emergency. The girl's father was murdered. Imagine the shock. I couldn't. I sensed even from just speaking with her that she is still shaken by the whole thing. It makes us wonder how short life is. I'm not saying that it is better if her father would have died of a heart attack or some illness, but at least - with a cause such as that - it would have closure. This one is open-ended and there are no suspects. So, my friend - Is today the day?
I got into this topic because my neighbors, a couple who's become very close to me, recently disappeared for two weeks. Normally, they would let me know where they are going or planning to go. This case was a bit strange since they just disappeared without letting me know.
I found out last night that they had to fly home due to an emergency. The girl's father was murdered. Imagine the shock. I couldn't. I sensed even from just speaking with her that she is still shaken by the whole thing. It makes us wonder how short life is. I'm not saying that it is better if her father would have died of a heart attack or some illness, but at least - with a cause such as that - it would have closure. This one is open-ended and there are no suspects. So, my friend - Is today the day?
Friday, October 14, 2005
Thursday, October 13, 2005
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