If you are one of the millions of people that are looking for the functionality of a credit card, but want to avoid the risks that come with debt, then a Prepay credit card may be the ideal solution for you.
 
What is a Prepay credit card?
 
Basically, a prepay credit card works in a similar way to a debit card, in that you can only spend money that you have in your account (Prepay card account, rather than bank account). The most obvious benefit to prepay credit cards over debit cards is that they are, by and large, accepted anywhere that takes that brand of credit card. (MasterCard, for example)
 
Does a prepay credit card cost a lot?
 
Well, it depends how you use the card really! Here are the basics
 
1. Some providers charge an application fee, but not all of them do.
 
2. Some then charge a monthly service fee, but again, not all prepay card providers do.
 
3. Loading fees are sometimes also charged, but again, this is not always the case (Some providers offer both free and paid methods of topping up your card, depending on which outlet you choose to top up at)
 
4. Cash withdrawals – Many prepay credit card providers charge for cash withdrawals, so check this out before applying.
 
5. Specific transaction fees – Some providers may charge fees for specific things, such as online purchases.
  
Are prepay credit cards useful?
 
They can be. It really depends who you are, and what you want from a card. Prepay credit cards are ideally suited to those that may struggle to be approved for a standard credit card due to bad credit history. That said there are a number of other benefits:
 
1. Good for online purchases (Because you cannot usually spend more than you have in the account, there is less risk of hackers running you into bad debt if they got hold of your details)
 
2. For the similar reasons as mentioned above, these cards can be good for travelling in foreign countries, because again, you know there is a limit to the damage that anyone either stealing or copying your card can do. Also, as the card is separate to your main bank accounts, there is less chance of identity theft.
 
3. Some prepay credit cards are available in different currencies, making these cards ideal for travelling with.
 
4. Compared to debit cards, they are accepted in many more locations.
 
5. There is no interest charged on the balance of the credit cards, as this money is obviously yours in the first place!
 
6. Some parents whose children are away to university may wish to give them prepay credit cards as a backup funding source in case of emergencies. This is a great way to offer a safety buffer, without having the worry of the kids running up bad debt. For example, if you get an urgent “The electricity is about to be cut off” type of phone call, you can simply load the required amount onto their card, and they can pay the bill with the credit card at most banks. They cannot, however, run themselves into debt with the card by lavish spending on alcohol and parties.
 
7. To summarize, prepay credit cards are great for those with a poor credit history, people wanting to travel abroad, or for the parents of Uni students, wanting to provide a handy financial buffer.
As the offers and costs involved with prepay cards vary hugely, using a comparison website, such as creditchoices.co.uk would be highly recommended. 

  
When traveling abroad, having your credit and/or debit cards with you can be both a convenience and a lifeline in emergency situations. It can also, however, cost you dearly. We explore the options for you, so that you don’t get a nasty shock when you get your card bill on your return.
  

Are the Charges Obvious?

 
Whilst you may think that credit card charges abroad are pretty obvious, some are however a bit more under most card user’s radar. Detailed below are the 3 main fees related to using your credit card abroad.
  

Exchange Rate Loading Fees

 
These loading fees are actually added onto the exchange rate by the bank when card users make foreign transactions. The card exchange rate, as dictated by Visa or MasterCard’s wholesale rate, is often very competitive, but once the exchange rate loading fee has been added the rate may not be so good!
 
Possibly the most worrying part of exchange rate leading fees is the fact that they don’t normally appear on your credit card statement.
 
These fees can be avoided however – for example the post office card does not use these fees.
  

Foreign Spending Fees (for when you are on a foreign spending spree!)

 
Some debit cards carry a flat rate charge on all foreign transactions. Other banks do not do this. Again, check the www.creditchoices.co.uk site for more information about who does apply these charges, and who does not.
  

Charges for Withdrawing cash while abroad.

 
Banks tend to make a considerable amount of money out from foreign cash withdrawals. They do this in various ways, some of which are detailed below:

1. Usually you are charge somewhere in the region of 2% of the withdrawal amount, or a minimum fee of £2.
2. As soon as you withdraw the cash, you will be paying interest on the money
3. Because of the way that most credit card repayments are tiered, you will pay off your cheaper debt first, meaning the expensive debt (ie. The cash withdrawals you make) will be the last thing to be paid off.
4. Often you will be charged a higher interest rate than your standard APR.

Should I take my credit cards abroad with me, or leave them at home?

 
Having your credit cards with you whilst abroad, as stated at the start of this article, can be very useful. For example, if you are in an emergency situation, having your plastic friend with you can get you out of trouble quick, whether you pay a breakdown company, hire a car, or book a hotel… the plastic in your pocket can save the day when things go wrong abroad.
 

One thing worth noting however is that if you do not tell your bank that you are going abroad, then they may put a stop on the card when they see foreign transactions. For this reason, we recommend you always tell the bank where you are going, and when.
 

It is also advisable to take your card providers contact details with you, especially if they use 0870 or 0845 numbers, as these may not work when dialed abroad – so ask them for their international numbers.

Top London theatre shows have always sold out fast, sometimes making it very hard to get to see the show you want. In 2008 however, there is a much better chance of getting a ticket if you are internet savvy.
 
2007 was announced as the West End’s most successful year since the records started (in 1908!). A record number of people attended shows (13,636,540 to be precise!). The London Theatre business definitely enjoyed a good year last year that is for sure.
 
There is no denying that there has been a big increase in the number of new theatre shows in the last few years, and it is doubtful that this will change, but the credit crunch has started to have some impact on the world of the theatre. More and more discounts are being offered, even for the top shows, in an attempt to keep the seats filled.
 
As well as the standard offers and reductions, theatre breaks are becoming better and better value, making obtaining tickets for a top west end show, along with great hotel accommodation both easier and much more cost effective than if you were to buy them separately.
 
Websites like westendtheatrebreaks.com are now able to offer amazing deals, such as dirty dancing theatre breaks, Oliver theatre breaks, and phantom of the opera theatre breaks.

Graphic Design is a very specialist skill, and one that can be both rewarding on a personal level, and also on a financial one.
 

In the day and age of the web that we are in today, there are huge prospects for a good graphic designer to get work. Website are becoming more and more important for businesses, and the quality of a companies website is often a deciding factor in its success.
 

But how do you ensure your site is up to scratch both visually, and in terms of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)?
 

White-hat-design.com is fast establishing itself as a market leader in this field. The website has design tutorials, Photoshop tutorials, and also offers professional webs design and organic SEO services.
 

For anyone that is considering having any kind of web presence, white-hat-design.com is a good starting point for advice and tips on the direction to take.
 

We have been told that the SEO side of the website is undergoing a major update at the moment, and the whole site will be full functioning in about a weeks time.
 

Now is a very good time to get in early, and pick up on some great design tips, and SEO news.
 


The team are very friendly, and never use hard sell tactics on those that ask them questions.
 

It you believe some members of the online world, making money ionline is simple. All you need to do is buy an ebook from one of the ‘Gurus’, follow their formula, and all will be hunky dory!

 
The so called Gurus of the internet marketing world (IM) promise to sell you their ‘Secret Techniques’ that only they know… they then tend to set some sort of time delay, such as having “Hurry, this offer ends___” – and a date. What some people don’t know however, is that the date is automatically set to be the current day, or the day after. 

They do this to create a sense of urgency, and to try to stop you thinking. What they want is for you to react whilst in a kind of consumer version of the classic ‘Fight or Flight’ mode.
 

The thing is… Lets face it, if they really knew of a way to make lots of money that quickly and easily, why would they be punting their ebook for a few $$ ??? 

• Oh! Wait! – Maybe that IS the way to make money online, selling ebooks?
  

In which case…
 
Don’t buy their ebook! – Pop to a freelancer type of site, and pay someone to write an internet marketing book for you, complete with a sales pitch page. Then join clickbank, and let others promote it for you!
 

BETTER STILL – Forget the idea that you will make a fortune overnight! – Accept the fact that if you want to earn real money online, then you will have to put some work in!
 

IT IS possible to make a living from your spare room, using nothing more than a PC (or mac, if you are so inclined!) and a decent internet connection. However, it will require some level of work.

 
There are various routes to go down, depending on your particular skill. If you know lots about a particular subject, start a blog (or two!) and setup adsense, and other monetizing systems on the blog.
 

You may have the option of getting some affiliates also, so you can review products etc, and get a % of sales… But make your blog more than a sales pitch! – Make it interesting and informative, with the odd sales post here and there, coupled with adsense etc.
 

If you really want to read about other ways of earning cash online, then read someone elses trials and tribulations. Mark Watsons Freedom Products is a decent place to start. This guy aims to try lots of different web based money making systems, and then report their effectiveness on his blog and website.
 

If making money online interests you, then be sure to bookmark his site, and check back every so often to see what’s new.
 

When your server is running smoothly, its easily forgotten. What happens, however when your server goes down, where can you turn?
 
Do you replace the whole server? Or simply the components that have broken down? Obviously, it would be more economically rewarding to replace just the parts, but where do you find them?
 


You can try Googling terms like Server Parts, or Server Spares… Alternatively, you can try searching for your specific server name, for example: dl server parts, dl360 parts, dl380 – and don’t forget to put a space in there also… “dl 360“.
 
The problem that you may have is that there are many websites that will sell you either the latest server whole or spare parts for a new server, but parts for older servers can be much harder to source.
 
Do not despair however, as there are websites that exist to cater for the older machines as well as the newer beasties.
 

www.microbite.co.uk is one such website. You can look under specific headings (such as Servers) – or be looking for specific product codes.
 
This site sells hundreds of thousands of spares, if you are stuck then it is a good idea to search on the specific product code that you are looking for.
 

We all like to escape the drib drab monotony of everyday existence every once in a while don’t we? I know I do!

One of my favourite escape routes is a trip to the theatre. I can’t quite put my finger on why, but within the ranks of all the instruments of escapism that I know of, the Theatre is by far the most intense, engulfing and real (yet magical).

Television, Cinema, and radio all have their place of course, but there is something truly captivating about a live theatre show.

Return to realism

When I leave the theatre though, the real world seeps back into being, the magic fades, and all too soon the experience is just a distant memory… That is why I love theatre breaks…

With a theatre break, once the show is over, instead of returning to the real world with a jolt, you retire to a top London hotel to carry on the magic. The following morning you awake to a full English breakfast, to fortify you before you return to the real world completely.

This all sounds quite lavish, but in fact a theatre break like this can costs as little as #100.

Theatre Breaks – A Great Anniversary or Birthday Present

It is hard to imagine a present that would keep the magic alive quite as much as a trip to a west end show followed by a stay in a top London hotel. Yep, a London theatre break would definitely make for a memorable anniversary!

The number of plastic bottles enetering the waste systems of the UK alone is approximately just over half a million tones per year. This works out at an estimated 13billion bottles!!! (Sourced)

Try to imagine what that mountain of plastic bottles would look like dumped on your lawn! (or in a landfill)

Now, many of those bottles are recycled these days, but what into???

Step forward, the Act2 Bag!!!

The Act2 range of bags are made from recycled plastic bottles… yes, that’s right! – Some of that huge pile of plastic bottles is actually turned into bags! – And we are not talking some shabby, rough looking shopping bag here either!

Act2 bags look very professional, and are designed with the businessman in mind.

If more products like this came onto the market, then perhaps the amount of waste bottles we recycle would go up, which would obviously be better for the environment, not to mention the fact that this reduces the amount of other materials, that would be used in the manufacture process.

Lets be honest, we don’t always do everything we should for the environment, most of us meant to, but our lives are so busy its hard to ‘do you bit’.

Maybe one thing we can all do is support companies that try to make ‘greener’ products, thus encouraging more companies to ‘take up the cause’ on our behalf.

So go on, make your next laptop bag a recycled bag.