Funny Stuff is all around

Archive for May 18th, 2008

Are your credit card bills causing you heartache? Are your creditors hounding you for their money, or are you beginning to worry about losing your home and possessions because of your outstanding credit debt?

These are the types of problems that many people lie in bed worrying over night-after-night. However, dealing with debt from credit cards is not as huge an issue as you may assume.

Many people are going through – or will go through - financial turmoil. It’s a life crisis that a surprisingly large percentage of the population will face at some point in their lifetime. Typically the financial crunch is due to credit card debts and their high interest rates.

More often than not, the root cause comes down to a case of a person spending more than he earns, then fighting to get every last dime to make a dent in payments or simply to make a payment at all. Just because you are in some stage of a financial crisis doesn’t mean that you need to take drastic steps of action.

Here are some tips that should help you deal with your credit cards and help to reduce your debt:

1. Make a Budget

This is something any person should have in place beginning life outside of school or upon landing that first job. If you don’t have one now, then it’s time to remedy the problem. It’s not too late. A budget is an integral component of your financial health and adherence to it helps to keep you out of debt in the first place.

The first thing that you need to do when putting a budget together is add up how much money you make each month and then make a list of all your expenses as they currently are starting with your “must pays” such as mortgage, electric, groceries, phone, car, loan payments, and other life requirements.

Follow that up with a list of all credit cards debts, store charges, spending on friends and family, and current expenses that are not required.

Having done that, you should know how much you make and how much you spend each month. Now look to see where you might be able to pay a bit less so that you can pay more for a higher priority expense. Any excess money you have should go to your to your bills to pay them off faster.

2. Contact Your Creditors

Avoiding your creditors doesn’t solve a debt problem. Instead, choose to address it directly. If you are having difficulty repaying a debt or making a payment on a given month, then it’s more prudent to speak with your creditors openly about the circumstances you are facing.

You may be delightfully surprised at how easy most of them are to work with. Many have their own in-house department and plans specifically to address such issues. At the very least you may be able to buy more time from them to pay without watching your debt grow out of control.

The extra time also stops the credit company from going through a collection agency against you. If you talk with them, you might come up with better, more creative payment options too. So give it a chance and don’t leave your creditors with the impression that you are trying to run away from your financial obligations to them.

3. Debt Collectors

There are laws in place that protect you. If you are not able to pay your debts on time, there are limits on the means that debt collectors can use to collect money from you.

The Fair Debt Protection Act allows a company to file a case against you to collect money; however, if you at least make an attempt to pay, you are protected. For example, if you send $5.00 and they cash the check, they cannot come after you.

Also, your credit report is an important tool under the law. You’re allowed to dispute any charges or notations on your credit report.

4. Credit Counseling

There are professionals who can assist. When you think you are getting into a financial crisis or are fighting to get out of one, then you can consider companies that specialize in improving your payment arrangements. These credit counseling organizations are able to develop plans tailored to your specific financial needs.

Wherever possible, constrain your ongoing spending habits and limit future borrowing only to loans you truly need.

5. Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy should always be your last ditch option in a financial crisis. Going this route will get all existing debt off your back; however, being eligibility for future loans or credit cards won’t be an option for you for a good 10 years.

It might even sway a potential employer from hiring you, so this option should be weighed with great caution.

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Cabbage is a strong vegetable, which is easy to grow. It inexpensive, and is found in almost all parts of the world.

Cabbage has been known throughout the ages, both for its nutritional values, and for its medicinal values. It has recently become recognized that it can reduce the risk of certain forms of cancer (such as colon cancer and breast cancer).

Cabbage is also used in the famous Cabbage Soup Diet Recipe which has become a popular method of weight loss.

Following is a short listing of the nutritional facts of cabbage:

- Cabbage helps to promote weight loss in some people. This is because of its content of Vitamin C, which helps burn fat, as well as of Vitamin B, which increases metabolism and thereby helps the body burn off fat.
- If one is looking for ingredients for Low Calorie Recipes, cabbage is at the top of the list. One cup of cabbage only holds about 15 calories. It is an ideal food for weight loss.
- Vitamin C: Due to its relatively high amount of Vitamin C, cabbage helps boost the Immune System. It assists in removing toxins from the body, and plays a role in burning fat.
- Vitamin A: Cabbage is a source of Vitamin A, which your body needs for healthy skin and eyes.
- Vitamin E: Vitamin E is known for keeping the skin healthy, as well as for assisting oxygen uptake of the blood cells. Having sufficient amounts of Vitamin E in one’s body also helps to reduce acne.
- Vitamin B: An essential vitamin for your nervous system, also known to assist in reducing stress and in boosting metabolism. - Drinking juiced cabbage is known to assist in curing stomach and intestinal ulcers.
- Cabbage is even known to help keep your skin in a healthy condition, due to its vitamin E content. - It contains quantities of fiber and iron, which help to keep the digestive tract and colon in a healthy condition.

This is by no means a complete list of all the benefits of cabbage. It serves to give you a general outline.
In earlier times, the ashes of burnt cabbage leaves were a key ingredient in disinfectant ointments. These days, commercial disinfectants are widely available, so one need not go through motions of burning cabbage in order to disinfect a small cut.
The primary benefit of cabbage in modern times comes when it is simply made part of one’s diet. Special diets exist which are based on cabbage.
There are many different varieties of cabbage. Green Cabbage and Red Cabbage are the most common, and are the types we are most familiar with. Other types include Savoy Cabbage, Bok Choy cabbage, and Nappa cabbage (which are used in many Asian dishes, but are equally useful within other recipes).
Does this mean one should switch to a diet of eating only cabbage? Of course not. There are many more vegetables with equally important nutritional ingredients. But it including cabbage in one’s diet on a regular basis can be beneficial health, weight loss, and well-being.

- by Anna Stone

Anna Stone is always looking for new recipes to share with the world. If you have a recipe you would like to share, you may sign up for a free account and publish it at Your Vegetarian and Low Calorie Recipes

While on vacation in Michigan, I was hoping to come across something different to bring home to my good friend. Tourist stuff was always ok, but, to me, lacked thought when it came to someone who I thought of as a great friend. Walking down a small side street, in a shop window, there it was! A beautiful silver necklace with symbols on it that, I must admit, I was not quite sure what they meant. Chinese symbol jewelry was what had caught my eye. There are many symbols, this store alone boasted 275, and if they did not have it, they could make it. I chose “best friend” for the necklace I purchased for my friend. She loved it and I have never regretted finding that special gift for her.