The Pros And Cons Of Shopping Online

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The benefits of online shopping are well-documented; it is convenient, quick and largely secure. The benefits of online shopping also extend to the various attractive offers and discounts that are given by the companies. The internet also offers a large choice for buyers to suit different tastes. Shoppers are no longer limited to products offered by local retailers because the vast majority of online retailers offer shipping to many different locations. This can make it easy for online shoppers to acquire hard to find items or items which are a regional specialty of a particular area. Consumers are therefore becoming used to a richer, faster, and more socially interactive shopping experience.

What they cannot do is try out products for fit, look, feel, appropriateness and ease of use before buying, or even benefit from the immediacy of collecting the item at time of purchase, which are the core benefits of buying in-store. Consumers today are now more comfortable buying products over the internet and more confident navigating online stores. Shoppers are increasingly able to find suitable the deals they want online.

Sales promotions are carried out with the main objective to increase the revenue through the website. These promotions are effectively performed to attract the attention of the targeted consumers of a company and product and the application thereof needs to accommodate the appropriate image these consumers will easily identify with.

Social interaction implies the opportunity to interact with a salesperson. Social position strongly influences individual preferences and tastes in popular culture. According to research, if we focus on the demographic characteristics of the in-home shopper, in general, the higher the level of education, income, and occupation of the head of the household, the more favourable the perception of non-store shopping.

Shoppers who avoid online shopping may not trust that it’s safe, are not confident about how to do it, and/or think it is inefficient. Or they may just enjoy the physical experience of shopping in a traditional brick-and-mortar store. At some sites you can now skip the frustration of doing battle in a dressing room with standardized sizes that don’t fit exactly, thanks to new shopping tools and technology that offer custom-tailoring of clothing online. And shoppers response to customization suggests these two retailers could be at the top of a trend.

Identity theft is one of the most frequent concerns that consumers have about shopping online. This is a very real concern because Identity theft can do some real damage to your credit store or financial situation. Identity theft appears to be the biggest concern.

The evolution of technology has had its impact on virtually every business or private aspect of our lives. From privacy to liability issues, the impact of technology on business is only limited to imagination. Security in general create an entirely new concern in addition to the traditional issues. The mere evolution of technology including the World Wide Web have created rather newly businesses which are subject to potential danger in terms of liability and for consumer in terms of privacy and data security.

Nevertheless the main topic of security is not new. It is rather a universal topic that concerns virtually everyone. Before the evolution of technology physical and employee access to hard collected data such as consumer credit card numbers were equally of great concern. Hence it is fair to say that the evolution of technology has simply added new issues. Consumers can shop online, by catalog or through call centers, and pay for their purchases at their bank, credit union, or bill pay portal, with the security and convenience of online banking.

5 Steps to Living a Debt Free Lifestyle

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Everyone has a difficult time figuring out how to get out of debt and staying out of it.  Sometimes we pay off our debts and feel a sense of victory and then go right back into debt again figuring we have conquered the monster so it won’t get us again.  What we don’t realize is that that debt monster will sneak up on us again, and the next time may bite us even harder. 

The first step to getting out of debt is to change your belief system around money and debt.  Ninety percent of the problem is behavior.  Our behavior is driven by our belief system.  If we believe that we will always have a car payment and that we’ll always have a mortgage payment, then we always will.  If we believe that credit cards are necessary and required in today’s society, then we will fulfill that prophecy by becoming completely dependent on them.  This is probably the most difficult step of all, and it is the one often ignored by financial experts.  We have to learn more about money and how it works, as well as how debt really works, so we can see the truth about it.  Too often what we believe has been formed by advertising and peer competition.  We have been indoctrinated by our society to believe that debt is a tool of “leverage” that we use to make ourselves wealthy.  What we don’t realize, is that it makes the lenders wealthy, not the borrowers.

Once you get past the first hurdle, and you have learned the truth about money and debt, you are ready to implement those new beliefs into your life.  You have to establish a $1000 to $1500 Crisis Fund.  However you can come up with the cash, you need this to be a cushion between you and the next financial emergency.  Don’t use a credit card as a source of funds for an emergency, which is how you get into debt not out.

The third step is to have a plan to get out of debt.  Accelerate the payments on your debts and put everything you have extra into paying down those debts until they are gone.

The fourth step is to take the monthly cash you were using to pay down debt and start saving it to bring your Crisis Fund into a balance that can cover six months of expenses.

The fifth step comes after you have fully funded the Crisis Fund.  Now you have extra cash each month to save toward retirement, and to pay off your mortgage.  If you pay off your mortgage it would provide thousands of dollars extra a month to invest.  By this time you will have changed your habits and will be living a debt free lifestyle that gives you tremendous peace of mind.  You will be living a lifestyle that now allows you to spend like you wanted to before, but couldn’t afford it.  The difference is that now if something happens like an economic crisis or a personal financial crisis, you will be prepared and not go into survival mode.  

Fashion Jewelry – Ten Ways to Stay Ahead of the Pack This Season

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Let’s face it – sometimes, you can feel a little overwhelmed when it comes to staying on trend, let alone staying one step ahead of the pack when it comes to fashion jewellery. With so many designers and different trends emerging from all the different shows, it’s a challenge to keep your look stylish and original.

Building on some of the exciting new trends, these 10 pointers suggest easy ways you can take this season’s trends to the next level.

1. It’s a little inappropriate to flash the cash with the biggest bling right now. But neither are you expected to put on sackcloth and lose all sense of style! Playfully scoffing at economic woes with bright colours and happy-go-lucky designs is fine.

2. Unexpected materials are set to be really hot in 2009 and beyond. We’re talking about recycled beads, or rainforest seeds contrasted with base metals like brass. There’s no such thing as too wacky! Remember – talking points are always good, and interesting materials in fashion jewellery, like seed jewellery, are guaranteed to get people asking where you got your jewellery from.

3. Bib Necklaces are back! And the great thing is that you can keep it cheap and look great by wearing a simple white T-shirt with a striking bib necklace to make your statement. A trend that won’t break your bank account!

4. Eccentricity is good. Be eccentric, be idiosyncratic. For example, don’t be afraid to clash bold colours. Just be yourself.

5. Asymmetry, which was taking off in 2008, is growing in popularity but hasn’t yet saturated the market. In particular, asymmetric necklaces are just so different and really catch the eye.

6. This may sound a little weird, but do not underestimate the Michelle Obama effect. The new fashion-conscious First Lady is likely to have huge influence over fashion trends as people look to what she’s wearing. Expect understated chic from the White House.

7. Be nature’s friend. Mother Nature featured strongly during New York Fashion Week 2009, both in clothing and accessories. Any seed jewellery, or fashion jewellery using leaf or tree motifs, natural organic materials or wood is bang on-trend this season.

8. White Shirts are featuring very strongly at the moment. The risk with a white shirt is that, twinned with a black skirt or trousers, it can make you look like a waitress. Why not take this trend to the next level and offset the white shirt trend by adding a colourful necklace?

9. It has been said before, but it’s worth saying again. Tribal remains big, both in clothes (with batiks and exotic prints) and in jewellery, with khaki-coloured palm fibre jewellery and big cuffs remaining something that will work really well in 2009 and no doubt in 2010.

10. Dangling Earrings. Chandeliers that graze your shoulders are set to become a little bit stale this season (not to mention unpractical!), but simple dangling earrings will remain stylish.

It’s not all doom and gloom in 2009, but maybe this is the year to think before you buy. These fashion jewellery tips are a great, and affordable, way of staying ahead of the pack this season.

Important Things to Know Before Going for a FUE Hair Transplant

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While facing the problem of male pattern baldness, you will come across lots of potential hair restoration choices. However, it is recommended that individuals should make inquiries and do in-depth research as possible. Numerous answers can be achieved by visiting the hair transplant surgeon. Here are some FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), which are related to FUE (follicular unit extraction). Have a look.

  • What Is FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction)?

FUE or Follicular Unit Extraction is a hair transplant technique in which the hair transplant surgeon extracts hair from the donor area 1 follicular unit at a time. Usually, the donor area can be between anywhere like at the back and sides of the scalp. This helps to include better quality hair either from above the neck or behind the ears. This extracted hair is then embedded into the area on the scalp which is facing the problem of baldness.

  • How FUE Is Done Step By Step

  • The patient is asked to lie down on a specially made operating bed.
  • Anaesthesia is administered.
  • Under a magnifier, a device and needle are utilised, to extract the required number of follicular units from the head.
  • Follicular units are kept in a chemical solution until the extraction is finished.
  • The patient is then asked to sit up and then the anaesthesia is administered into the area where the follicles are meant to be placed.
  • In the recipient area, cuts are made by using customised blades.
  • Follicular units are implanted into the cuts by the hair transplant surgeon.
  • The surgeon gives detailed guidelines of after care.
  • You’ll be prescribed antibiotics and a few pain killers which you have to consume as recommended by the surgeon.

  • How Long Is The Recovery Period?

You should know that in FUE hair transplant surgery, minimal invasion in the skin is made, which requires no stitches, staples, or dressing. Therefore, the recovery time period is usually quite quick, sometimes even quicker than you could imagine. The donor area ought to heal in 1 week, and the hair will start growing again by the 2nd week post hair transplant surgery. The area where hair is implanted will drop all scabs inside 2 weeks, but it is common that the shedding process may proceed in the area for 8 weeks.

  • When Will The Hair Starts Growing Normally Again?

After the hair transplant has been performed successfully, it will take around 4 to 6 months for the new hair to grow and this growth will continue even after a year until the new hair becomes thick, healthy and fully mature, blending elegantly with the surrounding natural hair.