Funny Stuff is all around

Holiday scams occur more frequently than most people know about. Besides criminal, it is distressing when con artists take advantage of sympathetic people and the holiday season.

Because internet scams are carried out so often, the Attorney General of Texas has put out a summary with tips and pointers for local consumers. The Attorney General’s note concerns gifts card scams and website security for online ordering. Plus, it calls attention to the prevalent scam where scammers tell you that you have won a contest then ask for private information so you can collect.

Scammers are always searching for compassionate people and especially those in the giving spirit. So to get the most out of the holiday season, stay alert and remember think back about this advice that can prevent you from becoming a victim of consumer scam.

• Look for a secure website when ordering gifts online
• Use a local known lender for holiday loans
• Ask questions before making a donation

Quite a few of the tips may seem plain and simple, but they are important reminders for those that tend to feel inordinately generous during the holidays. And that is precisely the reason the Attorney General put out this notice— to many consumers become unguarded towards internet scams while in the holiday spirit.

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As a close and happy family we really enjoyed our two week holiday in Ibiza to the full this year, I felt great, wearing a bikini in public, it was the first time in about five years that I have had the confidence to wear a bikini in public. Ever since the birth of our second daughter, just over 5 years ago, I have not been able to wear anything like this. There has been a couple of reasons for this, the first is the extra weight I put on whilst in pregnancy, far more this time than my first daughter, I have heard that this is common and plenty of women tend to carry extra weight whilst in there second or third pregnancy.

It is expected that a women will put on weight whilst pregnant but 3 or 4 months after the birth though, this is when it started to be an issue for me, this is when I felt I should of lost the extra weight (if only I had known about Strip That Fat at this time!) you see, my weight was still going up! Something my husband noticed and I refused to see, was that my eating habits were changing. It was very rare in the past that I would ever eat snacks between meals and my portion size at meal time was fairly small, also I would leave food on the plate as soon as I started to feel that full sensation.

Now things had changed, I was eating between meals, not much but enough though if you know what I mean. Two or 3 biscuits with a cup of coffee mid morning and a Snickers bar in the afternoon with a cup of tea. Now that does not sound excessive really, but it was something I never used to do before, also I never used to touch coffee, but a mug of black tea in the afternoon has always been a favourite with me!

Another modification to my eating habits my husband could see was at meal times and was simply this; I was putting more food on my plate, eating it faster and more importantly was the fact that I would now, never leave even a scrap of food on the plate any more. The mixture of the snack between meals and eating more at meal time is simple, more calories enter your body every day, more calories and energy than you need to maintain your body, the resulting product; weight gain!

My husband was never rude to me about my changing eating habits, he was simply responding to me and my questions about why can’t I lose weight.

My weight gain continued for several years after the birth of my second daughter, which resulted in to me growing in to quite a big girl, with the side effect to me of a lack of confidence and even Panic Attacks, you know the sort of thing, wearing baggy clothes, covering up as much as possible whilst out in public, if you have been there, you know just how it feels!

Anyway, about 18 months ago things changed big time for me, Julie, a friend of mine with the same weight problems tried a program called Strip That Fat, now she did not really think it was going to help at the time, but she gave it a try. Now this is the good bit of my blog, she got great results and started a steady, consistent but noticeable weight loss! There was nothing for it, I had to give the Strip That Fat program my best shot.

Stunning effects have happened to me too, which was great as over about 18 moths I have worked my way down to a size10, which gave me the confidence to wear the bikini this summer! Now I would recommend Strip That Fat to any women who feel they need to lose some weight, not only do you lose weight, but you change the way you relate to food, which is the only long term solution to weight problems.

Anyway, I must apologise as this post was meant to be about our holiday in Ibiza before I went of the subject and started rambling on about weight loss and my post natal eating habits. I will tell you about Ibiza real soon…

Ah, the holiday season! Truly a season of giving. Unfortunately most of us suffer from the gift that keeps on giving: holiday debt. Americans on average will take 6 months to pay off Christmas debt. Here are a few tips to keep your holidays bright and debt free this year.

Before the holidays arrive, do some careful plotting and planning. A few hours spent in preparation can mean less money spent on gifts. You don’t have to be Scrooge, you just have to be smart.

1) Decide how much you are willing to spend, and stick to it. Pretend you are spending cash. How much can you afford out of pocket this month? If you cannot afford it right now, consider that you cannot afford it at all.

2) Make a list of everyone you will be buying gifts for, and estimate how much you want to spend on each person. Include the smaller gifts for teachers or your mailman. Include the price of cards and stamps, because Christmas cards count as gifts when it comes to your budget. Then, add it up and compare the total to your budgeted amount. Make the necessary adjustments. Your brother-in-law may only get socks this year.

3) Cut down your list. This may sound harsh, but look closely at who you are buying gifts for. When saving money is an issue, you don’t need to give gifts to everyone you know.

4) Be creative. Determine if maybe some people wouldn’t be happy with a nice card or maybe some home-baked cookies. Remember, the holidays aren’t about presents, but about good will towards man. Good will comes in many forms and does not always need wrapping paper. If you have a skill or a hobby, use it: needlework, knitting, art, poems. Make a photo album, or offer to plant their garden.

5) Carry your shopping list with you. Take every opportunity to shop. Start early and look for sales. This gives you a chance to comparison shop. It also takes away some of the stress and reduces your risk of overspending just for the sake of getting shopping over with.

6) Have willpower. Stick to your estimates and you won’t go over budget. eBay is a wonderful shopping tool if you remember to start early enough to account for shipping time. Find the right item, bid your budget price and leave it. If someone outbids you, don’t get into a bidding war, just bid on something else within your price range.

7) Increase your income for the season. During the holidays there are lots of ways to make a little extra money. Many stores hire part-time workers for the holidays. Since it is a party season, babysitting is in high demand. Be imaginative. You could be the Official Gift Wrapper in your neighborhood and wraps gifts for friends and neighbors for a small fee.

Last January, when you started paying those credit card bills, you probably mumbled to yourself, “Next year will be different!” It can be. A few hours spent planning can save you lots of money come January, and can make next year start off happy and holiday debt free.

American Credit Foundation offers a free self-help holiday spending guide. You can get one by clicking on the following link for a debt free holidays handbook.