Credit Cards

Common Problem Among People Regarding Student Loans

By
January 25, 2020

Going to college is a sometimes considered a privileged endeavor for some people, however even though students come out more educated and perhaps well informed, the downside to going to college are the student loans. The student loan stories I have experienced myself and heard of are really hindering my skills in the job market as well as day to day living. At the moment I have over 52,000 dollars in debt to student loans. I find this obtrusive and a bit intimidating for somebody my age simply trying to settle down and make it.

Then, people like me often resort to getting more debts especially when needs arise. We often try to sort out credit scores to get Payday Loans Bad Credit. We need such payday loan since student loan undoubtedly affect credit scores.

I first went to UNC-Charlotte with aspirations of becoming an architect, however that did not exactly work out. As I continued my studies at UNC-C I earned a bachelor’s of arts in Political Science and a minor in Journalism. These 6 years I was at UNC-C resulted in both subsidized and unsubsidized loans, meaning some of them I have to pay back. Well in my fifth year at UNC-C I was selected by one Professor to advance into another program, a Latin American Studies BA, which I obtained 2 years later. As I progressed and was of course, learning more and feeling very optimistic about my future, my loan debt was adding up quickly. I finally finished both degree programs, which I have rarely gotten to even use in my everyday life. Since graduating I have sub-taught, worked in low income after-school programs and even had to wait tables to make ends meet. Recently I even applied to be a Spanish Tutor so I could help other fellow students grasp the Spanish language, but I was not selected for even an interview. I thought that obtaining another degree such as a Spanish Degree would help my communication patterns and skills in the workplace, however I have yet got to utilize it in a way that will help my career and the community.

Since my graduation I have deferred my loans due to lack of work in the fields I studied in. I found that the deferment process was easy for the first few years, as they do allow you to have grace periods. However as I kept sub teaching, making just enough to pay my rent and other intermediate bills, my loans were going into default. I received several emails and phone calls about these loans, in fact the College Foundation even calls my grandfather’s house to try to find out how I am going to repay these loans. One time part of my loans were sent out to a Loan Consolidation Company in California. I filled out all the paper work and spoke many times with a gentleman on the phone about this. He advised me to write a letter of support stating that there is a lack of jobs in the area I work in for my undergrads. I thought surly with all the information I sent and explained that my loans would at least be in deferment a little longer. Also I tried going to back to school at a local university that would help me obtain an ESOL certificate, but they also charged three times as much for classes, which resulted in yet another Sally Mae loan in deferment, even though I only remained in the classes for a total of 8 eight days. I have wrote letters to the Virginia School Education Foundation explaining this situation and I did have some luck with refinancing and telling my side of the story. The amount I owed Sally Mae was greatly reduced but it was still an obstacle to keep on top of the student loans.

At the current moment I am still receiving calls from the NC College Foundation but yet I am working on still finding a decent paying job with health benefits in Lynchburg, Va. Last year I filed my income taxes and it was ceased by the Federal Government for student loan debt. Since then I have collected Good-Will receipts to help itemize my donations in the future for my taxes so they can count somewhere towards my Federal Loan debt. In the mean time I am having to go back to wait tables and work on ebay for some income to pay for my immediate bills and my own health care out of pocket. I think that Student Loans should be forgiven to a degree. I have tried to work in other fields, which I can do but I feel that there is not enough job creation for my degrees in this area. If it comes down to the wire, I may have to move to a bigger metropolitan area just to make more money and maybe one day pay down some of my loans. Until then I hope that I, like many other students can count on policies in the near future that will perhaps relieve some of the loan debt.

adventureGuideTips & TricksTravel

Travelling Young

By
January 25, 2020

I remember my very first Caribbean cruise like it was yesterday. In fact it was about 18 years ago. 

That first one however was a real eye-opener for me. I was about 40 at the time and it was early in the first day of the cruise that I realized that I was one of the youngest passengers on the ship. Actually, during that entire trip I only saw about five people that appeared to be younger then I was. 

I remember someone telling me before I left on that first cruise that most passengers on cruise ships were “newly wed or nearly dead.” Of course I laughed it off, but soon came to realize that he was pretty well right on. Except for the newly wed part. On this particular trip I didn’t run across any of those. 

There were about 1300 passengers on the ship and I’m sure about 100 of them were in wheelchairs. Two people died during that 10 day cruise. 

 

 

Of old age. 

I know that’s true because I saw them take the bodies away by ambulance at two different ports. Later I found out what had happened. One stroke and one heart attack. 

Its safe to say that most of the people on the ship were retired. They had probably worked most of their lives in order to enjoy going on cruises and other holidays once the working years were over. Many of the ones I talked to were on their first cruises. Some were on their very first real vacation. 

To me there is something really wrong with that picture. Of Course people who are retired deserve great holidays. They’ve worked hard and saved their money for that reason. But to me it seems that leaving the fun times until you retire is not necessarily the best thing to do. You are gambling that your health will still be good when its time to put up your feet. 

My approach is quite a bit different. It was actually that very trip that convinced me that I was not going to wait until retirement to travel and take in the world. Since then I’ve been on 11 more cruises. By the way, I found out later that the cruise line my agent chose for me that first time catered to the over 50’s. Since then I have found the cruise line of choice for the younger partying crowd. 

 

 

I’ve also been to 4 Club Meds, Vegas 6 times, Hawaii twice, and to Switzerland and Cuba. I still work full time and probably will work until I’m 65. My theory is to do all my holidaying now while I’m in excellent physical condition. Its much more fun to arrive at a Caribbean island, put on your backpack and go exploring on foot then it is to have someone push you around in a wheelchair. 

Of course all this is expensive and I’m not able to save too much for retirement. I’m prepared to accept that however. If I can’t afford to travel when I retire, then that’s fine. I’ll do the things that don’t cost much. I’ll go for long walks along the river, write a book, learn how to fly fish or volunteer somewhere. 

Life is extremely unpredictable and I have no desire to work for 50 years and gamble that I will still be alive or in good enough health to take advantage of all the spare time that retiring will leave me with. 

Traveling had become a hobby to me at one point and nothing gives more pleasure than a trip down the countryside or to the nearest hill station to make you feel good. I still want to run atop the hill or mountain as I am young at heart, unfortunately my health does not keep up with me so I want to have limbs that are functioning till my last breath and not dependent on anyone. I call over friends for company and we have a list of the best AARP senior tour travels in 2020, though of course it won’t be as gala as the previous ones as age won’t permit any of us. 

Guide

Websites for Free Printable Business Cards

By
January 25, 2020

Printable business card websites offer a business a unique way to advertise that involves little cost other than your time. In this article I describe five websites that offer free printable business cards, describe how they work and explain their costs. I also offer some tips on how to use your business cards to market your business. Most of the companies I reviewed offer the same set of data on the printable business card including:

Business Name

Message

Name

Job Title

Address 1

Address 2

Address 3

Phone

Fax

Email address

Website

If you don’t provide the data, most will leave a blank line in its place. Also, most will allow your message to wrap onto the next line. So how is it that companies can offer free products and make money? When they sell you your free printable business cards, they only offer 250 cards. Then you pay for delivery. Most try to convince you to have your printable business cards shipped quicker, slow delivery takes 21 days and costs about $5.50. These businesses also put an ad for their own business on the back of your free printable business card.

VistaPrint

Stationary Stationary, Free Business Card Printer, Lowest Price Printing are pseudonyms of VistaPrint.

This website really works hard at convincing you to buy extra products. They offer 42 styles of business cards that are unique and interesting. The send you through three pages of additional items for sale, a page of selling different deliveries, than two more opportunities to buy more during check out, then two more opportunities to buy more after your order is completed. Cost of delivery is $5.45. You must create an account to order.

GigglePrints

This website is kinder about selling you additional products. They offer 60 styles of business cards, but well over half are sideways print designs that are duplicates of the earlier designs. They have a good Mt. Rainier card that’s fun. Cost of delivery is $5.25. You must create an account to order.

Prints Made Easy

This web site offers 60 styles of business cards. Their pricing is advertised as free for 100 cards and only $6.95 for shipping. Yet, when I looked to order them, 100 cards was always listed as $14.99. The neat thing about this web site is it offers an editor that allows you to view and move your text around, changes to fonts, and really colorful graphics. Too bad their free printable business cards aren’t free. The only good thing was you weren’t required to set up an account.

DCP Print

This web site offered a huge list of categories of designs that ranged from business like, to subtle nature, to flamboyant. They also offered the ability to upload your own design. The text entry portion was with an editing tool that provided a great deal of flexible entry including changes to fonts, font colors, and design layout. Shipping the slow method cost $9.95 for 21 days for delivery. They did not try to sell other items on your way to checking out but you were required to set up an account.

Print Pelican

Print Pelican offers designs via industry, with 2 or 3 designs that fit that you can select from. Entering data is pretty easy, but it is hard to proof read the card because the display shows it very small. When you go to check out, you create an account and find that ground delivery will cost you $14.85 with options available. The good news is they will send you 500 business cards.

Once you have your business cards, be sure to leave one at restaurants where you dine, especially with the bill and in win free dinner options. Stick them on community billboards at shopping centers. Tape them to message boards. Anytime you mail in a bill or send a letter by snail mail, be sure to tuck one of your business cards inside. Leave them in the folds of magazines you read at the library or on an airplane.

If you are a writer, consider printing clear labels with your most recent publications and sticking them onto the back side of your business card along with web sites where your columns are featured.

In conclusion, business cards will allow you to expand your business not only in your home country but anywhere else in the world, not just limited to restaurants and limited period offers. Even for healthcare, you can use it to get medicines at relatively lower costs in case of emergencies and there are numerous examples of great healthcare website designs to help you out in case you are stuck somewhere, which is normally the case with beginners.