20 Lazy Ways To Save Money

1. Schedule Automatic Payments

Have (at least) your fixed monthly bills paid automatically to avoid missing a payment and having to fork over extra money for late fees and/or interest. You can set up auto-pay features through your bank’s online bill paying service or by arranging it directly with the company or service provider you owe.

2. Eat Your Groceries
Did you know that Americans regularly throw away nearly 15% of the food they buy at the grocery store each year? That can add up to hundreds or, depending on your supermarket budget, thousands of dollars each year. Save money by actually eating what you buy. Not sure how? Bypass the bookstore and borrow a cookbook from the library!

3. Bundle Services.
If you’re paying different vendors for similar services you may be overpaying. Call your communications providers to see what price you’ll be quoted if you switch and bundle your internet, phone and cable TV services.

4. Pay Off Your Credit Card
If you’re not paying off your credit card balance each month you’re paying interest and, for most Americans, it’s at a pretty steep rate. Pay this debt off and you could save a tidy sum by eliminating your interest charges.

5. Mark Your Calendar
Whenever you rent something – library books, videos, etc. – mark it on your calendar and save money by avoiding those quickly mounting late fees. Many stores and libraries also now offer email reminders to help the constantly harried, so sign up for the extra help!

6. File Your Taxes On Time
You should do everything you can to ensure that your taxes are paid in full and on time. However, if you need to file an extension, at least pay what you owe on the due date. You’ll avoid annoying notices from the IRS and, more importantly, save on penalties, fees and interest.

7. Roll It Over
If you’re switching jobs and you can’t leave your 401(k) invested with your current company, instead of withdrawing the money, roll it into either your new employer’s 401(k) or an IRA within the 60-day window. By doing so you’ll keep the money invested – and earning interest – and avoid those nasty taxes as well as the additional 10% penalty.

8. Switch Credit Cards
If you’re carrying a balance on a high-interest-rate credit card, check out other card issuers to see if you could transfer your balance to one with a lower interest rate and fewer fees. Use sites like Creditcard.com or Bankrate.com to compare card rates, and pay careful attention to how long those terms last, so you don’t wind up paying a higher rate and erasing any potential savings.

9. Use Your Privileges
Are you an AAA member? Do you belong to the AARP? What about your local credit union? Check organizations you have memberships with to see if they offer buying privileges or discounts – you could save a ton!

10. Rent Instead Of Buy
You might be excited to expand your driveway, but don’t let your enthusiasm overtake good sense. Hold off on buying that jackhammer and think before you spend on big-ticket items or items that you’ll use once or infrequently (like movies and books). For things you’ll only use once, renting or borrowing is the way to go.

11. Buy Instead Of Rent
Renting can be a good option in many cases, but don’t pay the exorbitantly high prices charged by rent-a-center type stores for items you’ll use regularly and keep long-term like computers, furniture and appliances.

12. Speak Up
If you’d like to save money, just ask. Why not ask if you can get the interest rate lowered on your credit cards or loans? You could also ask for a discount on services like your wireless phone, trash removal or pet care instead of switching to another vendor. And do try to to haggle with salespeople on any big ticket purchases like cars, appliances and furniture. In a tight economy it might be worth the seller’s while to cut the price instead of losing the sale, and you’ll both benefit in the end!

13. Just Say No
To the extended warranty, that is. These hardly ever make financial sense. Weigh the repair or replacement cost (and if you would even need or want to repair or replace the item down the road) against the cost of the warranty and graciously pass when offered.

14. Have The Awkward Conversation
Americans average more than $750 yearly on holiday gifts and that’s probably much more than most would like to spend. If your gift-giving is costing you more than you can realistically afford, there’s a good chance it’s more than your relatives can afford (or would like to spend) as well. Take the plunge and broach the subject. Offer a more reasonable alternative (say, limit giving to children or put a dollar amount on gifts per person). More than likely, your relatives will be grateful SOMEONE finally raised the subject and you’ll save money in the process.

15. Balance Your Checkbook
It might take a few minutes, but it’s something you should be doing anyway and it can pay huge dividends by helping you avoid bouncing a check and incurring steep overdraft fees (not to mention a little embarrassment)!

16. Stick With Your Bank
When withdrawing cash, drive or walk the extra minute it takes to use your bank’s ATM and avoid the fee that could come with another bank’s machine. Better yet – switch to a bank that doesn’t charge fees at all!

17. Use Your TV
If you’re paying for cable why not use all of it – and save some money in the process? Cancel the video membership and watch movies through cable movie packages you’re already paying for or check out your free “on demand” shows. Drop the gym membership and work out at home to channels like FitTV, and bag the magazine subscriptions and watch the same shows (like Martha Stewart) on TV instead.

18. Snuff Out Expensive Habits
Smoking, overeating and drinking are costly habits to maintain. OK, this is the “lazy” way to save, not necessarily the easy way. But you can save boatloads of money by saying sayonara to your favorite vices. You’ll save money by cutting out on the regular spending it’s costing you, and you’ll probably save on insurance premiums and long-term health costs. It’s the ultimate win-win.

19. Forget The Doggie In Window
Sure it sounds heartless, but do you realize that welcoming home a little Fido can cost you an average of more than $1,500 a year – or $15,000 over 10 years? Feline fluffies are pricey too – just under $1,000 a year or approximately $9,000 for 10 years of care. Looking at the long-term picture, that’s a new car or the down payment on a home! Keep walking right past that pet store and put the money in your pocket instead.

20. Dine In
If the idea of cooking for yourself seems like too much work at least opt for take-out – you’ll save on the tip, the alcohol and most likely the cost for appetizers or dessert.

Most people will say they are interested in saving money. Money saved from one area can be spent in another area. Or even better, the money can actually grow as an investment for the future. But despite the benefits of putting some money away, most people take a passing interest in actually doing it. As young adults, they don’t think much about retirement; then, as adults, credit card debt becomes a way of life.

But the tough economic times that hit the U.S. in 2007 through 2009 were a wake-up call for many people, causing the public’s view of saving to shift. If you’d like to make regular saving a part of your life, read on to find out how to conquer the first step: finding that extra money.

You can begin by paying attention to these top money wasting activities.

Convenience Stores
Many people don’t think about the mark-up they pay for convenience store items. Here’s a hint: it’s huge. This is because, unlike a grocery store, convenience stores don’t purchase food in large quantitiesand also because they make you pay more for the convenience they provide. So, unless it’s an emergency situation, avoid shopping at convenience stores. The premium you pay for convenience is not worth the assumed convenience you get.

For example, a Coke at a convenience store might cost you a dollar, while you can go to the grocery store and buy a 12 pack for $4. If you tend to pull over for a drink, buy a 12-pack and keep it in your car. If you visit convenience stores often, the annual savings of cutting out these visits can be tremendous. (Follow these five simple steps to keep your spending under control. Read 5 Ways To Control Emotional Spending.)

Cell Phone Plans
Take the time to check your monthly cell phone bill – you may be paying more than you need to. If you are using fewer minutes than your monthly plan allows, switch to a lower-rate plan. If you are using more minutes than your monthly allotment, then upgrade to a higher minute plan. Before making any changes to your plan, sit down with a list of your cell phone company’s offerings and compare and determine which plan provides the most value based on your needs. Most cell phone companies charge 40 to 50 cents per additional minute, so going over your allowed minutes by 100 minutes one month will cost you $40 to $50 in that month alone. With many minute plan upgrades costing $10 to $20 a month, they’ll easily pay for themselves.

You should also scan through your cell phone plan for added features like text messaging and mobile internet. If you aren’t really using these features, get rid of them – they’re costing you money each month!

Soft Drinks
This one is a sneaky money waster. Not only does ordering beverages along with a restaurant meal boost your total expenses, but soft drinks also have one of the highest mark-ups of any restaurant item, and thus provide lower value for your money. Consider a typical family of four that eats out twice a week at fast casual restaurants (typical for a middle class family even today).

Assuming an average price of $1.50 for a fountain soft drink, that totals $12 a week, $48 a month, $624 a year. Just cutting out this one item from your meal could mean significant savings that could go into something much more productive, such as a retirement savings plan. If you invest $624 at the market average of 9% a year every year, you would have almost $32,000 at the end of 20 years. So dine out, but opt for water!

Unnecessary Bank Fees
Many people unknowingly pay a lot to their banks in the form of fees. If you don’t know what fees your accounts are subject to, spend a few minutes finding out. Some banks charge ATM fees for using another bank’s ATM, for example. These can be as high as $5! This amounts to a 25% one-time fee for a $20 withdrawal. The key with this type of fee is simply knowing about it. You would be better off using a credit card to make the purchase. Go back and examine the rules governing your checking and savings accounts. Many people have accounts with a fixed number of withdrawals and deposits per month. You would be better off with an account maintenance fee of $10 a month than getting hit with two or three different fees a month.

Magazines
If you’re the type of person who likes to occasionally pick up your favorite magazine from the local grocery store or newsstand, consider getting an annual subscription. Even if you don’t want the magazine every month, a couple of issues at the newsstand are enough to cover the entire annual subscription. For example, a 26-issue subscription to Forbes Magazine will cost you less than $25, while one issue at the newsstand costs $5. (Conspicuous consumption could be robbing you of future wealth. See Stop Keeping Up With The Joneses – They’re Broke.)

Credit Card Fees
Unless you have a poor credit history, there is no reason to pay annual credit card fees. A host of Visa (NYSE:V), MasterCard (NYSE:MA) and Discover (NYSE:DFS) cards have no annual fee, yet many people pay up to $100 a year for the privilege of holding a credit card. Unless you’re an ultra-wealthy, exclusive holder of an elite-level credit card with exclusive perks, most people should not be paying annual credit card fees. And speaking of credit cards, make sure you make a payment on time every month, even if it’s the minimum. Many credit cards charge $39 monthly late fee charges, charges which accrue interest along with your existing balance.

Be Proactive
Spend a couple of hours and go over the above categories along with any other regular habits you may have accumulated over the years. The time will be well spent as it could mean hundreds of dollars of recurring annual savings.

Read more: Top 6 Mindless Money Wasters – Slideshow | Investopedia

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nice one

good post

Why Doesn’t Anyone Ever Feel Rich? (Or Even Happy)?

One day I’d like to meet someone who is actually rich. Sometimes I think I’ve found one but it always turns out I’m wrong. No matter how rich I assumed the person to be… within a few minutes I find out just how “poor” that person really is.

Take the guy who sold his company for more than $40 million. (Well, actually $100 million in total; $40 million is his share.) I was sure he was rich.

Then he told me how for tax and estate planning purposes he had structured the disbursement of funds over 10 years. So sure, on paper he may be “worth” $40 million, but he only gets around $4 million each year. And despite all that nifty financial planning the taxes are still so high he doesn’t see nearly that much. It’s a bummer.

Or take the guy who just splashed a cool $450 grand on a Lexus LFA with the Nürburgring package. His everyday car is a Porsche 911 Turbo S. I was sure hewas rich.

Then he told me what he wants most in life is a Bugatti Veyron only they cost about $2 million. Sure, he has money, he said, but he doesn’t have that kind of money. He thinks about it all the time. It’s a bummer.

Or take the guy with the 110-foot yacht. Strictly speaking it’s a ship, not a boat, since it’s big enough to carry several small boats and a couple of jet skis on a platform at the stern. And it has a pool. I was sure he was rich.

Then he told me how expensive the yacht is just to own: fixed costs like cleaning, upkeep, berth, and crew run over six figures a year. And what about the expense of actually taking it for a cruise? He told me firing it up is so expensive he sometimes has to think twice about whether to take it out of the harbor. It’s a bummer.

Or take the guy who — I know it’s a cliché, but it’s still true — started a company in his garage, financing it with credit cards and a loan from his father-in-law. A couple decades later his company owns its building (and a few more), employs 500 people, and generates tens of millions in annual revenue. And he put his three kids through Ivy League schools and then gave them significant seed money to start their own businesses. I was sure he was rich.

Then he explained how he still has to work 60- to 70-hour weeks and can maybe take one week of vacation a year. Sure, he would like to have more free time, but running a company that size requires constant and total attention. Why, it could all go away in an instant, he said. And then what would happen to his family? The very thought makes him shudder. It’s a bummer.

So I decided to set my sights on a different target. By definition there can’t be that many rich people; maybe statistical probability was the problem? So I decided to look for someone who is happy. After all, not everyone can be rich… but anyone can be happy.

I thought I found one when I met an entrepreneur who had just landed her first big customer. Not just a big customer, a truly enabling customer, one who made it possible for her to hire much-needed employees, make long-delayed equipment purchases, and finally get creditors off her back. I figured that surely made her feel happy.

Then she told me how much she hates to recruit and interview … and then actually having to supervise those employees on a daily basis? Ugh. She told me how adding equipment, maintaining a larger inventory, and managing the huge increase in production was such a pain. Don’t get her wrong, she told me as she looked around to make sure no one overheard, but she often longs for the good old days when life was a lot simpler. It’s kind of a bummer.

Or take the guy who, after years of putting out feelers and constant hints, was finally invited to serve on the board of a startup. The company has potential, he said, but it’s not Twitter. Or Facebook. Or even Fancy. Now serving on one of those boards would be cool. This? He thought it would be fun, but it’s kind of a bummer.

The guy who just bought a bigger house? Bummed because it takes so much work to clean. The guy who just doubled his income? Bummed because now his taxes are higher. The gal who just landed her dream job? Bummed because now her daily commute is half an hour longer.

Seems no one I meet, no matter how much money or success they’ve achieved, is actually rich. Not really. And although I’m stretching the premise to make a point, it seems no one I meet, no matter how fulfilling and gratifying their life might be, is actually happy. Not really.

But that’s okay. I’ll keep looking. Someday I might find someone.

And hopefully that someone is you

Source: linkedin

@Magus @Gr@h@m@lkene™
@Achilles @Secretagent @FeelMyL0Ve

10 Countries With Lower Interest Rates Than the US

As of October 2015, the interest rate (also known as the federal funds rate) in the United States is 0.25%, remaining unchanged since December 2008. The Federal Reserve System sets the interest rate as a form of monetary policy with the goal of managing the inflation rate, maximizing employment and stabilizing banking systems. To adjust to a growing economy, a country’s central bank can decide to raise its national interest rate, signifying that policymakers are forecasting a positive future economic outlook in terms of increasing employment and increasing inflation rates.

Currently, there are only 10 countries in the world with interest rates lower than 0.25%. In the past six months, the countries with the lowest interest rates in the global economyhave not moved substantially. Future increases in the interest rate of the U.S. would prompt investors holding funds overseas to reallocate assets into U.S. financial instruments. Likewise, increases in the interest rate in another country would encourage foreign investment into that nation’s loans, savings accounts and mortgages.

SINGAPORE (SIBOR REFERENCE RATE: 0.21%)

Singapore’s interest rate is reflective of the country’s quarterly growth of 0.1%, the slowest since the first quarter of 2012. Singapore’s interest rate is not projected to increase markedly for the next period, as policymakers assume a nonaggressive approach toward the appreciation of the Singapore dollar.

PANAMA (MONEY MARKET RATE: 0.18%)

With Panama’s shrinking inflation rate in October 2015 at a reported -0.4%, the fall in consumer prices mirrors a previous month of deflationary behavior in February 2015, when inflation dropped 0.4%.

ISRAEL (BENCHMARK INTEREST RATE: 0.1%)

The interest rate in Israel has been steadily falling since the end of 2011, when it was 3.25%. The Bank of Israel has only reduced the interest rate since then, with the current rate of 0.1% remaining level since March 2015 and reaching a record low since 1996.

EURO AREA (BENCHMARK INTEREST RATE: 0.05%)

Consisting of all countries that have chosen to adopt the euro, the Euro Area’s economic metrics are an important indicator for multiple countries in Europe. (Other European countries on this list are outside of the Euro Area.) The Euro Area’s interest rate, fixed by the Governing Council of the European Central Bank, has remained at a low of 0.05% since September 2015. Recent statements issued by the president of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, express concerns over assets placed in volatile emerging markets, and the outlook of economic growth appears to be largely negative.

CZECH REPUBLIC (REPO RATE: 0.05%)

The Czech Republic has also experienced a record low interest rate since 1995, with an interest rate of 0.05% reflective of a modest core inflation rate of 0.15% and a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate at 1.1%.

BULGARIA (BENCHMARK RATE: 0.01%)

The interest rate in Bulgaria experienced a rapid decline from the end of 2008 to the beginning of 2010 until it bottomed at 0.18% in the first quarter of 2010. It has since fallen below 0.1% since the third quarter of 2012.

JAPAN (DISCOUNT RATE: 0%)

With Japan’s interest rate flat-lining at 0% since 2011 after making a short appearance between 0.1 and 0.5% between the first quarter of 2009 and the third quarter of 2010, as part of a purposeful zero interest-rate policy making its debut in 2009, the Japanese economy has experienced a number of quarters with negative GDP growth. The most recent was 0.3% in the second quarter of 2015, one of 10 negative GDP quarters since 2010.

SWEDEN (BENCHMARK RATE: -0.35%)

Sweden’s interest rate fell below 0% in February 2015 and it then steadily declined toward the current rate of -0.35%. The Executive Board of the Riksbank announced it would be purchasing government bonds until the end of 2015, and inflation is expected to rise.

DENMARK (BENCHMARK RATE: -0.75%)

Denmark has held its negative interest rate of -0.75% since March 2015. It reflects an effort on behalf of the National Bank of Denmark to control inflation rates. The rate was once above 5% in 2009 and has declined in conjunction with the government budget, which has also shrunk since 2009.

SWITZERLAND (BENCHMARK RATE: -0.75%)

The beginning of 2015 marked the fall of the interest rate in Switzerland from 0 to -0.75%. Before the fall, the interest rate had been kept steady at 0% since the third quarter of 2011. An overvalued Swiss franc has been cited as being a partial culprit for the consistently low interest rate.

Domino’s Pizza on Friday tied up with Zippr, a startup that creates a unique eight-character code that replaces the usual four-line address. While placing an order, online consumers of Domino’s can provide a Zippr code instead of the complete address. Founded in 2013 by Aditya Vuchi, Zippr simplifies address into a unique code accepted by delivery, emergency and cab services.
- http://goo.gl/...L8

@BUTTERFLYBOY

“I had known a friend of mine who used to say that he misplaces and loses his pen very often. He will use only very cheap pens so that he need not worry about losing them. He was worried about carelessness habit.

I suggested to him to buy the costliest pen he could afford and see what happens. He did that and purchased a 22 carat Cross pen. After nearly six months I met him and asked him if he continues to misplace his pen. He said that he is very careful about his costly pen and he is surprised how he has changed!

I explained to him that the value of the pen made the difference and there was nothing wrong with him as a person!

This is what happens in our life. We are careful with things which we value most.

• If we value our health, we will be careful about what and how we eat;

• If we value our friends, we will treat them with respect;

• If we value money, we will be careful while spending;

• If we value our time, we will not waste it.

• If we value relationship we will not break it.

• If we value our parents love/care we will not break it.

Carefulness is a basic trait all of us have,we know when to be careful!

Carelessness only shows what we don’t value……”

Amazon free delivery method.

https://www.quora.com/What-is-an-amazon-in-tric...
Suppose I want to order something of amazon.in but the total cart value doesn’t reaches 500 rs and hence to get free delivery either I have to increase my cart value to 500 rs or pay 50rs as delivery charges. How do I find a way around it?

Here’s the trick! (applicable only for amazon fulfilled product)

Suppose I only want to buy the following USB cable from amazon.in, the total order value is 99rs.

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​I would have to add 400rs of eligible items to get free delivery.

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​The trick is to add a beauty care product along with the order which are generally delivered free of cost for example this Dove conditioner costing 40rs.

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By adding this item I will get the whole cart delivered for free.

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In any case we buy our Shampoos and Conditioner from the local general store. Here we are getting it delivered free of cost at our doorstep along with an other item.

Edit1 – This is the lowest free delivery product I found :-

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Edit2 – Please note only on Amazon Fullfilled Products.

@VaibhavJain

babajee pranam

@@some1@@ wrote:

babajee pranam

http://m.timesofindia.com/india/is-clean-india-...

Aluminum foil is one of those things a kitchen just can’t do without, but it’s mainly used for cooking and wrapping food. Well I’m here to tell you that this household item has many more uses than just those 2, and can help you in a number of areas, for instance…

1. Separate brown sugar lumps
Brown sugar is a great product, but hard to work with as it tends to harden into lumps. If that happens, wrap a lump of brown sugar in metal foil and put it in the oven on 150 (Celsius) for about 5 minutes. The sugar will soften and separate.

2. Protect pie dough
Sometimes, when we bake a pie in the oven, the filling hasn’t finished cooking but the dough at the edges is getting burnt. Fold a piece of metal foil over the edges of the pie dough to prevent them from burning up.

3. Make cakes in various shapes easily.
To bake cakes in many special shapes, simply make the shape in a regular baking pan and use 2-3 layers of the foil to strengthen and fix the internal pattern. It will hold and bake in that shape.

4. Keep the oven clean
The worst kind of dirt to clean in the oven is the fat that drops from meat and onto the basd. Cover your oven’s base with aluminum foil to protect it from hard to remove stains. Make sure to make it thick so it doesn’t melt and stick to the oven base.

5. Protect your solid soap
Cover the bottom of a soap bar with aluminum foil so it doesn’t melt and become a lump.

6. Keep birds away
Many birds get frightened by shiny objects. Hang pieces of aluminum foil on your fruit tree, and most birds will pass it, looking for an easier meal. You can also draw eyes on the foil to make it even more effective.

Note: This won’t work with crows, who love shiny things and may actually steal the foil.
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7. Get rid of stains on your silverware
Use this scientific method to get rid of stains on your silverware.
Lay some foil in a shallow pan and spill some hot water on it. Add a little salt and baking soda to the water. Now put the silverware in the pan and make sure that they are touching each other and are all on the foil. After soaking the silverware for a few hours, wash the it in cold water and dry with a cloth.

8. Easily scrub pots
It’s fun to use a pot, not so much fun cleaning it afterwards. Make a ball (not dense) from aluminum foil, and use it to scrub the pan. You can use this method for all kitchen tools that need a serious scrubbing.

9. Move furniture with ease
Sometimes we need to move heavy furniture pieces and have a hard time sliding them on the rug. Use a piece of foil under the legs of the furniture piece to slide it easily along.

10. Sharpen your scissors
Return the sharpness to your old pair of scissors with this method: Fold a piece of foil into 8 layers, and then cut it using the old scissors. The more you cut, the sharper they will become, as the foil will remove a layer off the old metal and make it sharp again.

scissors
May also interest you:

I Knew Baking Soda Was Helpful, I Just Never Knew How Much!
10 Everyday Home Hacks To Make Your Life Easier
Mouthwash Can Do So Much More Than Just Freshen Your Breath

11. Prevent static electricity on your clothes
If you hate the way your clothes come out of the dryer full of static electricity, add a ball of aluminum foil into the dryer next time, and it will prevent this from happening.

12. Quick ironing
Wrap the iron board with aluminum foil to shorten the process of ironing. The foil will return the heat from the iron to the clothes, so you’re actually ironing both sides at the same time.

13. Clean the iron
You can use the aluminum foil to clean the bottom of the iron from any dirt that has clung to it. Spread out a piece of foil and sprinkle a little salt on it. Heat the iron and use it to ‘iron’ the foil. The combination of metal and salt will easily clean the bottom of the iron.

14. Protect table legs
Usually our table legs tend to be full of scratches and bruises. You can use foil to cover the lowest points of the table legs to keep them intact.

15. Buff that chrome exterior
Sometimes even chrome gets little stains of rust on it. Use a little foil and very little water to scrub the chrome until the stains are gone.

16. Fix devices that work on batteries
One of the most common problems in battery operated devices is that the little spring in the battery compartment loses its elasticity and becomes flat, which prevents the battery from connecting to it well enough to operate the device. Fold a piece of aluminum foil a few times and stick it between the battery and the spring to conduct the electricity and easily fix the problem.

17. Use your radiator more efficiently
When you have a radiator that is placed against a wall, half of its heat is wasted on the wall. Instead, take a thin plank of wood, wrap it in foil and place it behind the radiator, thus directing all the heat back in your direction.

Credit Card Ke Side Effects!, Let’s understand this better

How did you make the payment for your shopping bills lately? I think credit card! Right, as they are usually more convenient to use than cash. Well, if used sensibly, credit cards can be an important financial instrument. There are several psychological reasons which prove that the use of credit cards can be hazardous to your financial health and one of the biggest issues being “overspending”. Let’s understand this better:
Use of credit cards stimulates overspending
We tend to spend more while paying with credit cards than cash. It also arouses a desire which ultimately compels us to go beyond our means. With the power of credit cards and the EMI culture, each one of us can buy helicopters also! Sounds funny, but it’s very simple. All you need to pay is Rs.6,667 per month for the next 200 years.

Now one may laugh at this, but if you delve further, you will realise that the use of credit cards has literally removed the difference between ‘Buying’ and ‘Affordability’. It has made us believe that we cannot only buy, but we can afford each and everything that is available on earth. This phenomenon has extended to all the products we buy like mobile, car, TV, camera and even apparel!
Pleasure of buying v/s Pain of paying
Whenever and whatever you buy, there will always be a pain and that is called the pain of ‘paying’, especially while making payments with cash. Parting with cash causes great pain inspite of the pleasure of owning your desired object. And what is a better way out than using a credit card to avoid this pain? The use of credit cards delays the payment and ultimately the pain of paying.
Benefits vs Costs

You pay more attention to the benefits of a product while paying through credit cards and focus more on the costs associated with the product while paying cash. Credit cards prompt you to purchase things you really don’t need and way beyond your budget. It makes you lose control over your spending too. Retailers surely know these very well and therefore use various tactics to stimulate your pleasure points and desperately want you to use your credit cards. This enables a shift in focus towards the benefits than the cost.
So, what should you do?
Start making payments in cash or use a debit card if at all using plastic money is a necessity. Debit card would bring more alertness than using credit cards as the money is coming from your account balance only. If using a credit card is a must, then be alert about the price of the product and other factors as discussed and set aside cash immediately. It would stop you from spending money that you don’t have.

And always remember the fact that it doesn’t matter how much you earn if you spend it all!

Record Date

The record date is the cut-off date established by a company in order to determine which shareholders are eligible to receive a dividend or distribution. The determination of a record date is required to ascertain who the company’s shareholders are as of that date, since the shareholders of an actively traded stock are continually changing. The shareholders of record as of the record date will be entitled to receive the dividend or distribution declared by the company. Also known as the date of record.

Substitute

A “substitute” or “substitute good” in economics and consumer theory is a product or service that a consumer sees as the same or similar to another product. In the formal language of economics, X and Y are substitutes if the demand for X increases when the price of Y increases, or a positive cross elasticity of demand.

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Len Markidan

A story about my local dry cleaner

(Yes, I know. Stay with me here.)

Not long after we moved to a new neighborhood about 8 months ago, we had a pile of clothes that needed to be dry cleaned.

The problem was that my previous dry cleaner was far enough away to make getting there and back on a regular basis a hassle.

And, to be honest, I was never that excited about going there anyway.

So I did a quick search on Yelp, and was a little bit surprised by what I found.

A local cleaner—only a few blocks from me—stood out from the rest of the list in a big way. Not only did they have 4.5 stars (something I’ve never seen for a business like dry cleaning… who gets that excited about pressed shirts?), but they had more than a few raving reviews!

Intrigued, I walked over there that very afternoon to drop off my clothes, and was hit with my first pleasant surprise as I walked through the front door.

“Good afternoon”, said the smiling man behind the counter. “How are you doing today?”

Not exactly the welcome I was used to.

I greeted him and put my clothes on the counter.

“I don’t recognize you,” he said, still smiling. “Is this your first time here?”

It was, I told him. I was new to the neighborhood.

“How exciting! Welcome. And thank you very much for coming by. I really appreciate it, and I’ll take good care of your clothes for you.”

Within a minute of entering the store, I was having a conversation with a guy who felt like an old friend, and who, more than simply wanting my business, wanted to make sure I was comfortably settling into my new home.

Soon after, he printed my receipt and handed it to me, pointing to a line toward the bottom showing a 10% discount.

“To thank you for being a new customer. See you soon.”

The Power Of A Magical First Impression

When I walked out of that dry cleaner that day, I was sold.

I was going to be a loyal, long-term customer.

Now, of course the work had to be good. And it was.

But I don’t have the knowledge or expertise to know if their dry cleaning is any better than the work done by the dozen other cleaners in my neighborhood.

And, I suspect, neither do most of their customers.

But the way that they made me feel on that first visit—like they genuinely cared about me and my clothes—is what is going to keep me coming back.

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Maya Angelou

I’ve since learned that these dry cleaners are not the cheapest in the area. Nor are they necessarily the most convenient for me (there’s another less than two blocks away from my house).

But I’m still a loyal and happy customer.

And a lot of it has to do with that first impression.

3 Ways To Leave A Lasting First Impression On Your Customers

It would be a mistake to think that the first impression in this story was all about the 10% discount.

It’s not about the discount, and simply offering a discount is NOT going to accomplish what we’re after here.

A magical first impression is about recognizing that the customer has a choice, and showing genuine appreciation that they chose you.

A great first impression makes them feel brilliant for making the choice to do business with you.

That doesn’t have to mean any sort of grand gestures; my story certainly didn’t have any.

Below are five ways you can create a lasting first impression that will keep your customers coming back for more, and more, and more…

1) A Personal Note

When someone signs up for your service or buys from you, sending a heartfelt, personal note is a great way to make it clear how grateful you are for their business.

And if it comes from an actual person (it should!), it can also go a long way in beginning to build a personal relationship with that customer.

Here’s the note we use at Groove, which also helps us collect great feedback on what our customers hope to accomplish with Groove:

2) A Magically Simple Onboarding Flow

A super-simple onboarding flow (how you guide a customer through the initial steps they need to take inside of your product) shows them that you respect their time and attention, and want to make life easy for them; a clear sign of a business that’s looking out for you.

One of the reasons that Slack has become such a success is the magic of their onboarding flow; it’s ridiculously easy.

Slack walks you through the steps that they know successful users complete quickly:

Check out our guide to building a great onboarding flow, and always keep this simple rule in mind: your users should never be left wondering what to do next, or why.

3) A Welcome Gift

Another effective way to ingratiate yourself with your customers is with a meaningful welcome gift.

In a world where most of our business is done digitally, physical gifts are rare, and anything from a t-shirt—like MailChimp and Rackspace send to new customers—to a simple handwritten note can make a big impact.

For more welcome gift ideas, see our customer gifting guide.

A Great First Impression Can Last Forever

As customers, we’re not used to businesses making amazing first impressions, because most businesses simply don’t bother.

But that’s why focusing on that first impression can be such a huge win, setting your business far, far apart from the competition.

What’s the best first impression you’ve ever gotten from a business? Have you had success with optimizing your own business’ first impre ssion?

About the Author

Len Markidan heads up marketing at Groove. He’s focused on helping startups and small businesses build better relationships with their customers

@anthrax.ut

bas kar pagle rulaega kya

@mahidada

प्राचीन काल के विद्यार्थी के पाँच लक्षण-

काकचेष्टा वको ध्यानम् श्वाननिद्रा तथैव च
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आधुनिक विद्यार्थी के पाँच लक्षण-

फिल्मचेष्टा इश्कध्यानम् घोरनिद्रा तथैव च
मुर्गाहारी बोतलधारी विद्यार्थी पंच लक्षणम् !!!!!

@Troll @mahidada