Finance Matters

Posts Tagged ‘holidays’

Not everyone takes to technology as easily as others.

It can be expensive, complicated, or downright intimidating.

Here are some cool gadget gifts for your Luddite friends and family, ranging from practical to WTF.

X-Mini Portable Speaker

Charge this speaker via USB, then plug it into any device with a headphone jack and you’ve got a miniature stereo.

We’ve tried this out for ourselves and we definitely like it for travel.

Price: $19

TK421 Tactile iPhone Keyboard

Some people will never like typing on a keyboard with no feedback. For those of that opinion, here’s the TK421 fold-out keyboard for iPhone.

Price: $40

Retron 3 Video Gaming System

This thing will accept your old Nintendo, SEGA Genesis and Super Nintendo games to play on your television. You might still have to blow in the cartridges, though.

Price: $55

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Please follow SAI: Tools on Twitter and Facebook.

See Also:

• 10 Stupid Gadgets That We Can’t Believe Exist
• 10 Killer Desktops That Won’t Disappoint For The Holidays
• 10 Sound Systems You Need To Pump Up Your Home Theater This Holiday Season

Not everyone takes to technology as easily as others.

It can be expensive, complicated, or downright intimidating.

Here are some cool gadget gifts for your Luddite friends and family, ranging from practical to WTF.

X-Mini Portable Speaker

Charge this speaker via USB, then plug it into any device with a headphone jack and you’ve got a miniature stereo.

We’ve tried this out for ourselves and we definitely like it for travel.

Price: $19

TK421 Tactile iPhone Keyboard

Some people will never like typing on a keyboard with no feedback. For those of that opinion, here’s the TK421 fold-out keyboard for iPhone.

Price: $40

Retron 3 Video Gaming System

This thing will accept your old Nintendo, SEGA Genesis and Super Nintendo games to play on your television. You might still have to blow in the cartridges, though.

Price: $55

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Please follow SAI: Tools on Twitter and Facebook.

See Also:

• 10 Stupid Gadgets That We Can’t Believe Exist
• 10 Killer Desktops That Won’t Disappoint For The Holidays
• 10 Sound Systems You Need To Pump Up Your Home Theater This Holiday Season

Sure, the New York dating seen can be rough, but we’re a bit taken about by this guy.

This 23 year-old “finance professional” from the Lower East Side/SOHO area evidently thinks he can get a girlfriend for the holidays by posting on Craigslist.

Mind you—he only wants the relationship to last until 11:59 PM on January 2.

We’re not sure if he’s sensitive or a little slow. Either way, we somehow doubt he’ll get the kind or responses he’s looking for (unless an escort really is what he’s after).

Read his desperate appeal (via Kevin Roose):

—

WANTED: Holiday Girlfriend – 23 (Lower East Side/SOHO)

Date: 2011-11-29, 4:26PM EST
Reply to:

Let me be clear. I want a girlfriend. But, I don’t really want a girlfriend.

I just want one for the holidays.

Let’s recognize something. The holidays suck, especially for us single people. All of your coupled friends are going to be doing couple things: snuggling by the fire, going to dinner at each others’ parents houses, blahblahbarf.

Let’s recognize another thing. Deep down inside, you don’t want to be alone for the holidays. You want someone to do all of those cute snuggly things with, someone to get fat and keep warm next to (let’s also recognize that it’s getting fucking cold here), and someone to accompany you to your friends’ coupley holiday parties so they don’t keep thinking you’re a loser destined for permanent solo status.

But, you’ve spent all year working on your career / finishing school / getting drunk and haven’t had the time or inclination to track down and capture a boyfriend. And even if you did, you’re not really sure you’d want to keep him after the holidays are over, anyway.

The solution:
Be my girlfriend for the holidays. And only for the holidays.

How it works:
You reply with a picture and a brief bio (250 words max. To give you an idea, this posting is 499). If it seems like a good fit we’ll set up a casual mini-date (coffee, beer, or whatever). If that’s a success and we’re both feeling it, we’ll date until 11:59PM, January 2nd, 2012. After that we can still be friends (unless we hate each other, then we can downshift to the occasional drunken booty call).

The benefits:
• You have someone to keep you company on these witch-tit-cold New York City nights. Did I mention I’m an excellent cuddler? (I have references.)
• I like to cook. Especially for others. Nothing too fancy, but always tasty and satisfying. As long as you’re an omnivore, you win.
• Having done it professionally for some years to pay for school, I know my way around a bar. Same goes for wine cellars and beer coolers. Homemade winter warmers? Done.
• Hate holiday music? Me too. Seeing as every other establishment or event you step into will be playing it, I’ll spare you the excess.
• Love taking photos? Sweet. Let’s wear gaudy holiday attire and make ridiculous Xmas postcards to send your friends and family. Just for the lulz.
• Worried about finding someone to kiss on New Year’s Eve who doesn’t look (or sound) like Sloth’s cousin? Boom! Got you covered.

About Me:
23 years old, financial professional, active, outgoing, easy on the eyes.
Not About You (aka Dealbreakers or, Don’t Bother if You Exhibit the Following):
Heavy drug use, laziness, prudishness, still in love with old boy or girlfriend from years past (or if you secretly are, at least have the damn decency to not blab on about it).

Interested? Then send your pic and bio and get this ball rolling.

Please follow Clusterstock on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

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We’ve all been there.

After renting a car or checking into a hotel, you head to the store to make a small purchase. You hand over your your credit card and wait for the receipt, just as the cashier turns around slowly, lips pursed.

“Sorry, but your card was declined.”

Prickling with embarrassment, you ignore the line of nosy customers behind you and rush out to check your account balance on your phone. Just as you thought, you have more than enough to cover your purchase. 

What gives? 

Like millions of consumers each day, you were just card blocked.

Card blocking is a perfectly legal practice used by retailers to put a hold on a certain amount of money in your account once you’ve made an advance purchase. 

Car rental agencies, hotels and even gas stations will often “debit” your account for however much your expected charges will be, which sends a signal to your bank to temporarily deduct the funds. Once you’ve turned over the car keys or checked out, the charge will be replaced by the final price. 

It’s a type of insurance that they’ll get their money even if you skip town, says financial advisor Chris Zeches, of Zeches Financial. 

The only plus to card blocking is that banks are able to freeze your account if any fraudulent activity pops up. Otherwise, it’s a pretty big pain.

“Businesses do this because they want to make sure they get paid,” Zeches says. “(The charge) may show up on your account, but I’m not sure if it’s always going to be there or not.” 

Given the number of people who will travel during the holidays and likely book hotel stays, it’s important to take steps to be prepared for any possible card blocks.

Zeches offers five ways to prepare yourself: 

1. When it doubt, just ask. When you’re making a hotel reservation, ask the clerk to let you know if they plan on putting a hold on your account and what the amount will be. Don’t let yourself be surprised when you try to use the card and realize half your funds have disappeared. Like Zeches says, you won’t always see the charge on your account right away even though it could still be there. Check your balance often if you’re unsure. 

2. Use the same card. If you make a reservation or rent a car, be sure to use the same card when you close the transaction. Blocked funds can take up to two weeks to disappear from your account and you don’t want two cards charged separately for the same purchase. 

3. Always have a Plan B. Carry a second credit or debit card, Zeches says. “If one card is denied or you go over your limit, you’ll have a second card you can continue your vacation on.” Carrying extra cash is also a smart idea, Zeches says, just in case both of your cards are jeopardized or you need funds for an emergency purchase. 

4. Tell your bank what to expect. If you’re traveling or know that you’ll be shopping at several stores in a short period of time, you should call your bank and alert them in advance. Otherwise, they’re liable to interpret speedy or out-of-town spending as a fraud attempt and put a freeze on your account. That would certainly put a damper on your holiday shopping plans. 

5. Pay upfront. If you’re booking a hotel, try paying upfront rather than at check out. That way, you’ll see the funds have been charged and won’t have to keep reminding yourself that you’ve spent that money. 

Not everyone’s a financial advisor. See the WORST money advice friends and family can give you >

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In an effort to attract new buyers and motivate current customers during holidays, Halifax announced the extension of the 0% introductory rate deal on its all-in-one credit card to 15 months (up from 13 months) for both purchases and balance transfers.
This is the longest combined balance transfer and purchase card deal currently in the market [...]