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What Are The Pros and Cons of Buying a Larger Car?

November 14, 2017 By admin Leave a Comment

When buying a new car, one of the most important considerations to make is size. Now, more often than not, it will be your lifestyle, and your family situation which will dictate the size of the car that you buy.

Car sales statistics suggest that the majority of us who aren’t able to afford a large and luxurious 4×4 such as a Range Rover, would prefer to opt for something smaller, but there are in fact many benefits to purchasing a larger car. If you are in the decision-making process, here are some pros and cons of buying a larger car.

Pros

Storage Space

The obvious reason why so many people would buy a larger vehicle, comes down to the space which it provides in the trunk for you to store away your goods. You could be a keen golfer, have some children who love to cart toys and equipment about or perhaps you have physical needs and want to fit a folding mobility scooter in your car. If you need lots of space, large cars are the answer.

People Space

Naturally if you have a large family or you are regularly taking large groups of people from A to B, a larger car comes in very handy. Many of the larger vehicles out there today offer up to 9 seats in total, with folding options so that you can occupy seating space with any other cargo you wish to carry.

Security

Generally speaking, larger cars have more advanced crumple zones and sturdier impact barriers than small cars. From a family perspective in particular, the security which a large car gives you is a big plus.

Cons

There are, as always, some cons of purchasing a larger vehicle, let’s take a look.

Gas Guzzling

Large vehicles are without question the biggest gas consumers on the market and this must be something which you bear in mind when making the decision on the size of your car. There are some more economical large cars on the market but given their weight and size, they do guzzle much more gas than smaller vehicles.

Maintenance

More size and space means more places to keep clean and in good condition. In terms of under the hood, a large car will not have many more parts than a small car, but inside the car is a different story. If you clean the car yourself, a larger car will certainly present a bigger challenge to you.

Parking

If you do a lot of driving about in towns and cities, keep in mind how much more difficult it is to park a larger vehicle over a smaller one. You may need to look for longer for a space, and potentially face the embarrassment of giving up and moving on from time to time. When it comes to parking, large cars have a bigger turning circle, and far less manoeuvrability, make sure that you remember this before deciding how big a car you will buy.

The choice is yours, but it is always important to be well informed.

Filed Under: tips Tagged With: auto, car buying, large car, large vehicles

What to do When You Get Sick on The Road

April 12, 2017 By admin Leave a Comment

So there you are, out on the open road having left your responsibilities behind, your head filled with excitement and adventures, plans made for experiences of a lifetime and then bang… you get ill. You can never plan for it and it will make you frustrated beyond belief but it will be important that when the worst occurs, that you take the time out to rest up, take your medicine and get yourself better as soon as possible.

Whilst being laid up may not be your idea way of spending your travel time, it is important that you keep yourself busy during this time and here are some ideas on what you can be doing whilst you are recovering.

Movie Marathon

You need to embrace the fact that there is very little that you can do in this situation other than wait for your body to fix itself. During this time why not keep yourself occupied with a monster movie marathon. Make a list of those ‘classics’ that you never got around to watching or indulge in those super long movies like Lord of the Rings now that you have the time to watch them all in full. The choice is yours but resting up and watching lots of movies will be a great way to keep you busy as you get better.

Playing Games

I really love playing games although as an adult, it feels as though there is always something more important that I should be doing. When you are resting up following an illness however, there is nothing better to do and you can button bash away to your heart’s content. You can add an adult twist to your game playing and use this time to play on casino games in the hope of winning some cash as you rest, you could even play slots at online casino site in the hope of making the best of your bad situation.

Start an Online Business

Always wanted to start your online empire? Never felt as though you had the time? Well now you have nothing but time and you have the perfect opportunity to get your online business off the ground. Making connections, arranging for jobs to be done and setting up the core structure of your business can all be done from the comfort of your bed and whilst working long hours during this time is not recommend, you can certainly use a large chunk of it to get your business together.

Sleep

The most important aspect of all during your recuperation time will be to sleep and despite how annoyed you are that you’re sick, however frustrated you are that you cannot be out and about, the most important activity that you can do during this time will be to sleep. Try to get yourself into a good sleep routine which sees you getting at least 10 hours per day as your body rests.

Getting sick on the road is no fun and nobody wants to be confined to their bed when they should be having fun, with that being said it is important that you accept it, rest and et nature take its course.

Filed Under: tips Tagged With: entertainment, illness, sickness, travel tips

How To Live a Rich Life Without Lots of Money

September 14, 2016 By admin Leave a Comment

Rich life

A wise man should have money in his head, but not in his heart.

―Jonathan Swift

Many of us today, regret not being rich enough or not earning truck loads of cash we always wanted to buy. Many of us in fact get into depression because they think that their finances are poor.

Money might get you all the things you feel you need to be happy. But trust me honey, happiness actually comes from the things that money cannot really buy you!

Spending most of my vacation, in a rural setup, I have been around with people who has very little money to spare, yet live a rich life. Their lifestyle, their personal satisfaction, and their acceptance of themselves are what makes them seem rich. Non-materialistic things too can also make you happy and contended and eventually they turn out to be your biggest asset in the long run.

Here are a few ways you can live a rich life without lots of money.

1.Accept yourself

Make sure you are working hard to earn enough, but do not making money a top priority. Replace your personal desires with acceptance and learn to stay happy with what you have right now.

If you find yourself obsessing over things you want but don’t have, take a paper and write down that it’s okay to not have those things.

2.Become creative

You need to become creative to manage your personal finances and remain happy even if you don’t have much. Think of newer ideas to get some cash that’s handy. Let’s say you start a freelance review or a blog page wherein, you get paid to write. For instance, I am a frequent bingo player at GameVillage and I wrote a few GameVillage reviews, with authentic information and it did fill my pockets quite a bit that month.

3. Stay true to yourself

Stay loyal to yourself in order to live a rich life. Reflecting your inner-self and be at peace with what you are doing. If you still feel there is something wrong, accept it,that this job isn’t meant for you! There is no greater wealth than understanding what you are meant to do in life.

4. Do what you love

Making a lot of money is what most people might call being rich.But understand, if you are not happy with what you are being paid for, you would still be the poorest person on earth. People who pursue what they love have always prospered more than people who work out of compulsion. Imagine Bill Gates. He would not have been the richest man today, if it was not because of Microsoft. Follow your passion and eventually you’ll find your earning take a good pace, over the years if though initially it might seem a bit difficult.

5. Stay gentle

Gentleness was considered one of the greatest virtues by a philosopher named Confucius. When you are humble, you develop an ability to sense your environment and work accordingly.

7. Build relationships

People need to value their relationships more than anything else. Be gentle and nice to people and try to make emotional connections with your family, your friends, your partner, and people that you meet regularly. The real wealth that you make are the relationships you build over the years.

That which matters to heart are more more important to life. Always remember that with materialistic possessions you could be rich but finding yourself other means to stay rich including thinking of new money making ways, does make it count!

Filed Under: tips

Three Things to Remember to Stay Safe Online

August 19, 2016 By admin Leave a Comment

Staying safe online is more important than ever. Scammers are finding new ways to gather personal data of unsuspecting victims, and there are lots of ways you can keep yourself and your data safe online.

There are three fundamental things to think about – keeping your payment details safe, avoiding online fraud and enjoying safe online gaming. The Australian Federal Police lists all kinds of online fraud, from mobile baking fraud and phishing, to scams and spam. Here you can learn everything you need to know about each kind of fraud.

 Make Your Transactions Safe

Stay safe online

Before making a transaction, look at the protocol at the beginning of a website address. For instance, when a link begins with ‘http’ it is not secure, whereas a link beginning with ‘https’ is secure.

Furthermore, by using the latest release of your chosen browser, you should see the name of the website’s owner appear in green if it is safe. Modern browsers will typically warn you if the website appears fraudulent. Try and stick to websites you know and trust, too – Red Flush Casino, for instance, is a reputable and popular safe online gambling site which a user would consider more reliable than a less reputable site.

To benefit from these safety features in your browser, be sure to keep the Auto Update option switched on for all your PC software. Chrome has a really handy auto update feature.

Use Trusted Websites and Companies

Another method of keeping your personal information secure is to stick to websites and companies you know you can trust. Whether you’re entering your payment details for online gambling or gaming, or making a payment for goods to be delivered to your home, it’s important to double check that a site is secure. This is key to making safe transactions online.

Stay safe online

A really effective way to find out how trusted and well-known a company or website is, is to perform online searches before making payments or providing your details. Searching the name of a company with the word ‘review’ afterwards will bring you to websites where people discuss the company. If there are any cases of people having their identity or payment details stolen, then they are bound to appear in these reviews.

When it comes to gaming for instance, you know you can count on Red Flush. Enjoy secure gambling at Red Flush and be careful when choosing other online gambling and gaming sites.

Avoid Online Viruses

Finally, be wary of viruses! Download the latest version of your anti-virus software, and if you don’t already have some, make sure to download one of the many free and paid options from McAfee, Kaspersky and others.

Also be wary of fake emails, which are a common way for virus software to be installed on computers. The general rule to remember is that you should never give out your information in response to an unexpected email request. Government officials or companies will not contact you out of the blue by email to ask for information. Call the company’s public phone number if you receive an unexpected request to confirm.

Filed Under: Technology, tips

Top Things You Should Absolutely Know about Solo Holidays

June 15, 2014 By admin 1 Comment

There are many holidays organized for single people who love solo travelling and the truth is that they can make for a great option if you want to get away from your mundane activities even if just for a couple of days. Here are the most important things you should keep in mind when it comes to these holidays:

The People in the Group Will Also be Single

It does not really matter why you want to or have to travel alone this time because if you choose one of the solo holidays for single people out there, you have all the chances to feel really good while away on it. The truth is that one of the reasons many single people choose not to go on holidays is that they think they will feel awkward if there are a lot of couples in the tour group. However, holidays organized for singles are just for singles, which will enable you to make a lot of friends and, who knows, maybe even meet someone nice.

Footprint in the Sand (creative commons)a

Footprint in the Sand (creative commons)a

There Will Be a Holiday for Everyone

It does not really matter what you want from your holiday either, because the agencies organizing such trips know that they have to be suitable for multiple types of travellers. Consequently, this means that you will have a chance of choosing whatever holiday you find to be most enjoyable. You can choose to explore a new place (or re-discover an old one, for that matter). You can choose to lounge on the beach and simply enjoy the sunlight. You can choose to travel well-known destinations or to discover less known wonderful place. Whatever type of holiday you’re into, you will definitely find one to suit your style.

It will be Safe

One of the most important reasons for which single people do not travel as much as those who travel as couples or in groups of friends is related to the fact that they do not feel safe being alone, far from home. However, you should also know the fact that one of the main points with these agency-organized holidays is precisely the fact that they will be completely safe for you because they are organized in such a way as to make you feel comfortable, to entertain you and to guard your safety at all times.

Footprint in the Sand (creative commons)a

Footprint in the Sand (creative commons)a

As you can see, there is absolutely no reason you should not travel if you are alone. On the contrary though, you have all the reasons in the world to pack your bags and get ready to visit one of the many amazing destinations available.

Filed Under: tips

Saving for an epic trip abroad

May 26, 2013 By admin Leave a Comment

Piggy-Bank-Creative-Commons- Arts on Earth

Piggy-Bank-Creative-Commons- Arts on Earth

Who doesn’t wish to go on the perfect holiday where you can tickle your creative side? Imagine yourself sitting on the pavement opposite a scenic temple in India and sketch it on paper, or going surfing all day in the crystal blue waters of Australia or go hiking somewhere in Europe, letting yourself free, roaming like a nomad and collecting some of life’s worthiest moments. Well if you this has already gotten you day dreaming, its time you roll your sleeves and focus on getting that epic holiday.

Savings plan

Before you even start looking at brochures and researching what to do in your favourite holiday spot, you have to get your finances sorted. If you really want your dream vacation you would need to start a savings plan too. The first step to starting a savings plan for your vacation, is to have a savings account. Do your research and look up banks that offer the best rate of interest for our savings. Another great way to save is to invest some cash into an ISA, which stands for Individual Savings account. What’s more, ISA’s are tax free! Give yourself a target of stashing away a certain amount a week or every month, and you will be pleasantly surprised with the cash you will have left for you to plan your holiday.

Budget

The budget card is something almost every financial guru keeps playing, but believe me, it is really important. The first step to having a budget, is figuring out how much you spend on a weekly/monthly basis. Try keeping a diary, where you note down your expenditure. This will help you realise what it is you spend on the most, where you can afford to pull back a little. Once you have figured that out, you can go ahead and give yourself a budget for your expenses, and stash away the rest in your savings account.

budget by iwona kellie creative commons

budget by iwona kellie creative commons

Book tickets and hotels offseason

Keep on the lookout for great deals on the internet and newspaper. Subscribe to sites that frequently have such deals available. Don’t shy away from using Groupons, you can really find some great deals out there. If you have decided where you want to go, compare prices within sites, and book your ticket in advance, they are given away at great prices. The same applies to hotel bookings. Another thing to remember is fares are always lower in off peak season, that’s all year except during summers and Christmas.

Filed Under: tips, Travel tips

Adventure Check List – Tips on what to pack

May 17, 2013 By admin 37 Comments

When it comes to going on a trip, not just any trip but an adventurous one, being versatile is the golden rule in packing. Knowing exactly where and how long you are going to stay will be the baseline on what to bring along. One thing you should always keep in mind when packing is always pack cloths that can do “double duty”.  Sun hats can become shelter hats from rain and other weather obstacles and being smart and practical when packing clothes can save you the frustration when things go not according to planned. Take into consideration the climates you are going to be facing. Warmer climates = light packing, Cooler climates = naturally heavy wardrobe.

If you want to have a successful, none frustrating adventure then being fashionable about what you are going to where is out of the question. Darker colors blend in almost every ware and save the hassle of constant washing and trying to look clean rants. To make things easier, when packing, make to heaps of cloths. One heap is all the MUSTS and the other WANTS. From the two, create a third heap; this will be your final wardrobe selection of cloths to bring. Doing this can take time but can help you pick out the essentials on what to bring thus making you ready and comfortable with what you have packed.

Packing for your adventure (creative commons)

Packing for your adventure (creative commons)

If you plan to travel by bike, you have to be very careful when it comes to your luggage. Most cyclist end up sending stuff home or just leave their excess things not even half way on their journey because they realize how little they actually need on cycle trips. The less you carry the easier and fun it is to ride. Also knowing your body limits is a vital thing to take not of before heading out. Knowing whether you body can handle the terrain or weather can save your life.

Travel light when biking (creative commons)

Travel light when biking (creative commons)

Always double check every detail of you adventure before you leave hand and make sure you are fully packed for the trip. Going on an adventure is taking a risk and being prepared is the only weapon you have against unforeseen events. Whether by bike or foot make sure you know where you are headed or have a tour guide with you at all times. Keeping these tips in mind can help you make your adventure a fun filled memorable experience that you can cherish for the rest of your life.

 

 

 

Filed Under: tips

Travel Smart

March 26, 2013 By admin Leave a Comment

Although holidays can leave you with an everlasting impression, there are a few glitches that come with travelling abroad. One of the major issues you will find yourself facing is the exchange rate. The fact is, the rates you see online or in banks are not exactly what you will find when converting your funds. This is because when you use current accounts abroad, your local bank has the transaction converted into the local currency for billing and a little fee is charged for doing so. These fees are unavoidable but there are ways to help you get the best rates possible.

Credit card companies are known to have the best conversion rates which are closest to the official rate. Before you decide to use your credit card overseas, make sure that you confirm whether there are any charges for using your card overseas. Though some credit card companies do not have any fees when used abroad, others charge up to 3% so make sure you are aware of your companies’ policies before doing anything.

Second on the list of best conversion rate companies are ATM machines. If your current account is linked to an ATM, then use this instead of going to exchange offices who offer the worst rates. Although ATMs cannot beat the rate of the credit card companies because of the fees that are deducted during transactions, they are still better than exchange offices.

Changing money at airports can be by far the worst thing you could ever do. It may seem like a quick fix option since you simply get the new currency over the counter without hassle but the truth is you will be slowly losing money the more you do this. Rule of thumb is never to exchange money for cash unless in an emergency.

Another smart thing to do when travelling is to keep a close eye on the exchange rates and then withdraw a bulk amount when they are in your favour. Though there may only be a very little difference as the rates change, when you are converting large amounts of money, it still makes a difference. The only disadvantage in this regard is that you’ll have to carry around large amounts of cash.

Avoiding extremely bad exchange rates is possible if you keep in mind these few tips and resist the temptation to exchange money over the counter.

Filed Under: tips

Channel Crossing

March 5, 2013 By admin Leave a Comment

Not available on Eurostar

Not available on Eurostar

The English and French have always been contriving ways of getting at each other sooner, even going so far as proposing a channel tunnel as early as 1804. The current quickest invasion route is Ashford International Station to Calais in France at a mind-boggling 31 minutes. In literally less time than it takes to board the ferry in Dover, you can have crossed the channel or, more precisely, crossed under the channel in the comfort of a high-speed train.

And frankly if you’re travelling in the dark under 50 km of open sea you might just as well get it over with as rapidly as possible. It’s at best a little dull and your phone won’t work.

If, on the other hand, you’re of a mind to treat the journey as part of your trip, you might consider at least once not taking the fastest route possible and dedicating just one part of one leg of your voyage to the sea.

P&O Ferries operates between Dover and Calais and destinations in Belgium and offers an appreciably different experience to the inimitable Eurostar. For one thing, it might actually be more efficient if, for instance, you’re selling your car in Dover or popping over to France to fill your trunk with low-tax cigarettes and wine. But it’s also a proper throwback experience — it’s an actual boat on the sea and it’s susceptible to waves and fog and the rain and it feels like actual travel in a way that a high-speed drawing room in a tunnel simply never can. And your phone works — at least mine stayed on an English carrier until about twenty minutes out of Calais when it switched seamlessly to a French network.

To the pedestrian passenger — or the driver who leaves his car during the voyage — the ferries are more like junior cruise ships then they are vehicle transports. There’s an expansive view to be had foreship in the pub that wraps itself entirely around the view of flat France as you depart or, much more inspiringly beautiful, the famous white cliffs as you arrive. Or you can pass part of the short 90 minute voyage on the observation deck, complete with telescopes, in the aft. I recommend this very much because you’re outside with the elements and the smell of the sea and sound of the gulls and it’s magic.

Making the trip from, say, London, means getting first to Dover and I recommend arriving early and seeing a bit of this charming little seaside town, particularly the monstrous 12th century Dover Castle and its stunning views. A Dover pedestrian departure is surprisingly uncomplicated — Dover Priory train station is within the town and a delightful walk from the ferry docks. From the terminal you’re taken by bus to the gangplank and board the ship the way people have been boarding ships for hundreds of years. By car it’s even easier if considerably less romantic.

The best that can be said about the Calais side, if you’re not going there specifically for cheap tipple, is that it’s easy to leave. That’s slightly less true if you’re on foot from the ferry docks but there’s a handy bus to Calais train station. In fact the train station is technically within walking distance but the walk is anything but charming characterised largely by hideous corrugated tin depots. In any case the approach to the ferry terminal is very distinctly designed for automotive traffic and walking to or from it would be like walking to or from an airport.

Remember that the crossing is only 90 minutes and make a point of taking in as much sea air and scenery as you can. There’s no perspective of Dover’s moving white cliffs like that which you get from the sea and while there are obviously quicker and more convenient crossings there’s no experience exactly like a channel crossing.

You can and should book your crossing a bit in advance at www.poferries.com but these aren’t flights — you can book as late the day before departure and a one-way crossing for a pedestrian is around €30. If you don’t book in advance you can buy your tickets right at the terminal — it’s not like they’re going to run out of space — but it’ll cost you about €100.

Filed Under: Europe, tips, trains

London Layover

January 29, 2013 By Phillip Fitzsimmons Leave a Comment

If you’ve got a layover at Heathrow, even one of those diabolical short overnight layovers where it’s not economical or practical to get a hotel, consider yourself lucky — it could be Gatwick. Or worse, it could be a train station and you’ll be standing outside waiting for it to open or tramping up and down the banks of the Thames in the rain like you’re being narrated by Tom Waits.

Or you can make the most of it and leverage some of the lesser known overnight pastimes London offers.

The Gym
It’s hard to work it out from just the name, but this London institution is a gym. The Gym offers four advantages to the layover victim.
1. It’s a gym. Get a workout and get a shower or just get a workout or just a shower or just sit about sipping juice smoothies and discreetly watching the pathologically fit remain that way.
2. It’s everywhere. There are eleven London locations so you can almost certainly get to one, have an early morning workout or ogle or whatever you choose from the above menu while remaining within walking distance of your platform. There’s a The Gym in West Hampstead, convenient to Eurostar. There’s one at Waterloo if you’ve got an early train to Portsmouth or Windsor. They’re in Hounslow literally walking distance from Heathrow airport. They’re opening more locations as we speak.
3 and 4. It’s open 24 hours and offers a £5 one-day membership. I’m not counseling loitering (I’m kind of counseling loitering) but even if you’re not planning on running the risk of getting healthy that’s a pretty good deal for a clean, warm place with showers and fit people.

The Prince Charles Cinema
The Prince Charles is the only repertory cinema in the UK that “does not receive funding from the Arts Council”! And apparently, that’s meaningful!
Whatever it might mean in theory in practice the Prince Charles is a casual, evocative little centrally located cinema that seems to have a mandate to bring cheer to the layover casualty. They’re open 24-hours (or they wouldn’t be on this list) and they do unashamedly low-brow marathons like Alien, Schwarzenegger vs Stallone and Die Hard — and they go on all night long. The only downside to this arrangement is that you’ll likely have to leave in the middle of a feature.
The Prince Charles has a snack bar, of course, in addition to a real bar but anyway it’s located just off Leicester Square in London’s tiny Chinatown so you can cram a pretty intense London experience into a fairly short layover. Note that this is a tiny, 50-seat theatre so if you know about your layover in advance you might want to buy your tickets online.

A Casino
The cynical might suggest that the recent loosening of the rules governing London casinos are a wholesale money-grab at the expense of those with no self-restraint. To the layover patsy, though, 24-hour opening times and instant registration mean multiple locations throughout London where they can risk their entire vacation budget in exchange for a happy, well-lit, entertaining environment in which to while away the hours until departure.
Unfortunately the rule changes also heralded a new age of wall-to-wall bling and where it was once possible to hang around a casino, watch sports on TV and linger at the bar there’s no more room for that and you’ll either have to play or loiter very cleverly. Entry is free, though, so you could consider money lost on the slot machines a fair price to pay for shelter during your layover or you can try just getting some chips and lingering at the table games disguised as a high-roller biding your time.
There are twenty casinos scattered over London so you’ll probably find something near where you need to be in the morning but the more central you are the easier it’ll be. Don’t forget to have your passport with you and to be at least 18 years old.

What I first said
Having said all that I’d like to give a final endorsement to the first proposal which involved the Thames and the rain and Tom Waits playing in your head — this might still be among the very best ways to spend an overnight layover in London.

Wholly inappropriate image courtesy of Frankfurt Airport “lounge” (Joi Ito) / CC BY 2.0

Filed Under: Europe, hitchhiking, tips, trains Tagged With: slide

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