Yes, I have to admit, I'm in a bit of a money crunch right now.
LOL, nothing new there! Being a single parent is never easy.
Anyway, I got one of those "you can borrow" letters in the mail. The offer was about what I need to cover some very pressing bills. So I called, they said I could borrow this money, BUT I'd have to use my paid off truck as collateral.
You know, I just wasn't comfortable with this.
It smelled like BULL DROPPINGS to me!
But then, as I was thinking about this, it suddenly came to me. I called my credit union. Yes, I still have to use my truck as collateral, but since I have direct deposit, they take the money off the top (IE, I never see it) so I can never get behind or have any crazy issues about my vehicle.
On top of that, I got a little MORE money, at a lower interest rate, with a shorter term loan for a little bit lower payments. Plus, when it's auto-pay, you get a discount of 1/4 % off your interest rate!
A much better deal. Plus they're direct paying the bills, so I don't even have to worry about mailing out the checks. The credit union is taking care of everything.
So, my friends, be warned that when you get an offer in the mail, rather than go for the first and supposedly easy loan, check it out. You can probably get a better deal by checking with your own bank or credit union!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Orange Oil, Yes Or No?
Actually, I started hearing about ads for termite treatments using orange oil a while ago.
I was feeling pretty darn doubtful about this, but dang, I read on www.sfgate.com, that orange oil actually works as well or better than conventional pesticide treatments for drywood termites (the kind that usually requires the house to be tented, not to be confused with the ones that live in the ground and only come into your house to eat).
I am truly amazed, I thought it was another scam.
LOL, not everything is bull droppings! Now and then there really is a better way...
Links:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/05/HORHU4DO8.DTL&hw=orange+oil+termite&sn=002&sc=371
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/12/HO7VU075R.DTL&hw=orange+oil+termite&sn=001&sc=1000
I was feeling pretty darn doubtful about this, but dang, I read on www.sfgate.com, that orange oil actually works as well or better than conventional pesticide treatments for drywood termites (the kind that usually requires the house to be tented, not to be confused with the ones that live in the ground and only come into your house to eat).
I am truly amazed, I thought it was another scam.
LOL, not everything is bull droppings! Now and then there really is a better way...
Links:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/05/HORHU4DO8.DTL&hw=orange+oil+termite&sn=002&sc=371
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/12/HO7VU075R.DTL&hw=orange+oil+termite&sn=001&sc=1000
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Same Scams, Different Year
Yes, we're starting a new year today.
The scammers are going to keep trying to separate you from your money. You're going to see many of the same scams with a different faces.
I can promise you, if you have e-mail, you'll get warnings from banks that you don't have accounts with, PayPal confirmation e-mails for products you didn't order (and they won't have your name on the e-mail), threats, cons, begging letters and of course, the all-popular "you have won" scams.
If you have a phone, you may get calls from bill collectors about paid off accounts from 20 years ago. Or about "bounced" checks that you never wrote. Or accounts you've never heard of (hey, follow up on those by checking your credit reports, some are ID theft!).
And don't forget, NEVER give out your personal information over the phone, Internet or by mail to someone who contacts you, especially if it's "out of the blue". Even if you know you owe a bill, don't give your information over the phone. Make them send you a letter, or go directly to the appropriate website to pay the bill. NEVER pay bills over the phone to a "bill collector".
It's too hard to tell the real from the fake, so my personal response is always the same. "Send me a letter about it." With a letter, an address, a phone number, I can figure out if it's really something I owe or if it's just another scammer working at getting my money!
Be careful out there in cyberspace and the real world in the new year. I'll be careful too.
The scammers are going to keep trying to separate you from your money. You're going to see many of the same scams with a different faces.
I can promise you, if you have e-mail, you'll get warnings from banks that you don't have accounts with, PayPal confirmation e-mails for products you didn't order (and they won't have your name on the e-mail), threats, cons, begging letters and of course, the all-popular "you have won" scams.
If you have a phone, you may get calls from bill collectors about paid off accounts from 20 years ago. Or about "bounced" checks that you never wrote. Or accounts you've never heard of (hey, follow up on those by checking your credit reports, some are ID theft!).
And don't forget, NEVER give out your personal information over the phone, Internet or by mail to someone who contacts you, especially if it's "out of the blue". Even if you know you owe a bill, don't give your information over the phone. Make them send you a letter, or go directly to the appropriate website to pay the bill. NEVER pay bills over the phone to a "bill collector".
It's too hard to tell the real from the fake, so my personal response is always the same. "Send me a letter about it." With a letter, an address, a phone number, I can figure out if it's really something I owe or if it's just another scammer working at getting my money!
Be careful out there in cyberspace and the real world in the new year. I'll be careful too.
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