We're Almost Here: February 2012

Monday 27 February 2012

Does using credit cards is a good move?

How often have you seen someone going through their wallet searching for a credit card in the checkout line- and were shocked by the number of cards they had in their wallet? Credit cards can be used as a form of identification when applying for a major purchase, or when renting a car; and they can be used for convenient purchases that you would not have to pay for until a month after you buy them. For many people, managing a credit card is harder than getting one. Any time you use a credit card, you are borrowing money you must repay. Think very carefully before you decide to get your first card. Is a credit card or borrowing money really necessary, or would another option works just as well? Maybe you should consider to invest in any investment company and get a lot of profit more than you can use by credit card that might burden you and plunging you to the destruction, which is for the worst; bankruptcy. Furthermore, you might think twice before applying a card credit if you know its pros and contras such as overspending, high interest rate and credit card fraud.

The using of credit cards during shopping is encouraging us to overspend and eventually blowing our budget. As we know, we can spend money that at reality we don’t actually have it. The ‘free money’ that we have, making us eager to shop and buy goods even they are not necessary at all. This is because normally, people with a credit card in their hands and surrounded with too much consumer goods and advertising tend to lose their heads. Well, it is easy enough to whip out the credit card and charged items but when the bill comes due, problems maybe roll in. Besides that, the credit card gives us chance to spend over the balance that we have. For example, when we have balance at RM500 we can still spend over RM1000. It’s incredible, right? Unluckily, this is the main reason that makes us spend over our budget, instead of helping us during shortage of money. On top of that, as the credit card companies charge interests on us, we will finally have massive interest rates and indirectly cripple our finances and might cause bankrupt. In overall, the credit cards are totally burdening our lives with a lot of loans if we don't use them wisely. Thus, they are very risky.

Using credit card might risk its user with high interest rate if they are not careful enough. Why does this problem could arise? This is because credit card in the other hand carries a limited credit line but with a very high interest rate and fees. In addition, with your bad financial management, then you use these high interest cards the wrong way, and further aggravate your financial situation it might drag you to be in high debt. For instance, if you spend a lot on buying expensive things, you may not be able of paying them exactly at the end of the month and carry the balance for the next month. If you still continue with this habit, gradually, your debt will increase as well as the interest rate. If this happen, just imagine for the next five months, what are your debt amount? Do you want to be declared as bankrupt? How would you continue your normal life without any property after that because once you have bad credit, you’re considered you a high-risk borrower. As a recommendation, before applying any credit card, you must know the detail. moreover, if a card issuer won't cut your rate after a year of good behavior, close the account and find another deal. After one year of on-time payments, ask the issuer to give you a better interest rate. Lenders won't make that offer; it's up to the customer to request it. As a conclusion, try to avoid using credit card.

Besides, the mushrooming growth of credit card usage is not considered as a good thing since it widely usage in our daily life can lead into credit card fraud and identity theft. Broadly speaking, it is a form of illegal obtaining of goods or services by using another person card and obviously it can also involve other form of card fraud-debit card or store cards for example. This can be done by creating a copy of a card, skimming the details during a routine transaction, stealing a card or intercepting it in the post and many other creative uses. Furthermore, it is a catastrophe to know that the fact which according to Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) statistics based on year 2004, the total amount of credit card fraud was 68 mil and this surely a nightmare for us if we become one of those victims. Although the government introduces the usage of chip based card in order to reduce credit card fraud, but it is still not enough to combat this crime by 100%. Spooked by the risk you are exposed to as credit card holder? You should be think about it right now because fraud is a serious problem that affecting most everyone from every corner of Earth.

Last but not least, the usage of credit cards gives us a lot of side effects such that making us overspending, charged by high interest and exposed to fraud. Instead of helping us during shortage of funds, it becomes a burden in our lives from any side of views. However, if we are able to use it wisely, there is no reason why we must avoid to use it as it can totally help us. Some of the wise ways are do not spend more than you can afford to pay on a monthly basis and please limit the number of your credit cards. These are the best way that can make you out of loan and interest burden, that is sometimes more dangerous than loan shark. Indeed, there are other alternative ways such as short term loan and using debit card or the most easiest way is to save up money since childhood.

Friday 24 February 2012

Recycling is mandatory for us . . ! !

In Malaysia we produce 19,000 tones of waste every day, and a majority of that ends up in landfills. In addition, Malaysia currently has 230 landfill sites and 80% of them will reach capacity within the next two years, and with land for landfill sites being at a premium there is soon going to be a big problem right on our doorsteps. To put in perspective 19,000 tonnes of rubbish, if you piled it all up it would be as high as 36 Twin Towers, that’s an awful lot of rubbish to deal with on a daily basis. However, approximately 60% from all of those rubbish can be recycled. If this thing continue to happen, our world would be filled up with rubbish as more land will required to be the disposal sites. Our task now is to try and reduce the amount of rubbish going into these landfills. If everybody does their little bit then it amounts up to a lot. That's why the government urged us by the campaign 3R which are Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in order to avoid pollution as well as preserving the natural sources and save money. In short, authorities should consider to make recycling mandatory to all citizen.

It is clearly showed that recycling is the only best way to reduce pollution which arises from this garbage. recycling process reduces the amount of air pollution produced by power plants and the amount of water pollution produced by chemicals used in the manufacturing process. In this case you may save energy, which is good since producing energy also causes pollution. Now, this is all fine and dandy so long as the process of recycling does not use more energy or cause more pollution than it saves.In the other words, recycling reduces pollution by reducing the amount of garbage that goes into the dump, reusing items in order to reduce the amount of new items that need to be manufactured and the organic waste can be recycled to reduce the volume of waste going into landfills. For example, it causes 20% less air pollution and 50% less water pollution than when a new bottle is made from raw materials. Thus, this will conserve the amount of energy needed to create new items, the amount of trash and also toxic contamination resulting from the manufacture of recyclable items which can causes pollution. Hence,there is no doubt to inculcate awareness among public in order to emphasize to them that recycling is paramount in reducing the pollution nowadays.

In order to produce new products, more trees will be sacrificed, more oil is needed and more water is wasted. Thus, recycling reduces the need for raw materials; it also uses less energy, therefore preserving natural resources for the future generations. Maybe some of you will think like this, "Why should I care about future generations? What have they ever done for me?" Undoubtedly, the answer is in yourselves. What will you feel if you live in the world full with destruction and pollution? Moreover, we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. Furthermore, based on a research, a ton of recycled paper saves 17 trees. In the other hand, it can refrain logging and deforestation while protecting the rainforests. Besides, habitat destruction and global warming which are some of the affects caused by deforestation can be minimized. Consequently, the balanced ecosystem would also be protected and saving endangered biodiversity from extinction. Franklin Delano Roosevelt had said, "A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people". As conclusion, recycling can preserve natural sources.

On the other hand, recycling saves production cost and energy. Why? This is because the money we spend on landfills would be much less since the dump grounds will fill up slower. Therefore, the city will not have to buy other land for a garbage dump. This is definitely a cost save. Furthermore, the city will not have to pick up the trash as often, and therefore the city will be saving money on gas. Since the city is saving money, taxes will decrease, thus the citizens of the town will also save money. Instead, the country can reduce financial expenditure in the economy. Comparatively, less cost is needed by recycling old item than manufacturing new product. Indeed, the person that send the rubbish to the recycling center also get the money as you can sell recyclable materials to organizations that are willing to buy it. Moreover, products made from recycled materials are less expensive than products made from fresh materials. At home, you can recycle biodegradable waste like eggshells, vegetable and fruit peelings and use them to fertilize plants. Still, by doing a little research and getting creative you can save money and trips to the market while being kind to the planet. Thus, are we still want to use the hard and not conducive way just to get the same products later on?

Subsequently, by sliding further into the advantages, it clearly emphasize that recycling should be mandatory as it is the best remedy for this problem, before it deteriorates. Our choices at all levels—individual, community, corporate and government—affect nature and they affect us. Eventually we'll realize that if we destroy the ecosystem, we destroy ourselves. Do we still need to wait the Mother Earth showing its anger by punishing us with its major catastrophes. What are you going to do now? Just let this matter behind and continue with your arrogance or get up from your place and start recycling? It is all in your hand. As a saying goes, "It's a job that's never started that takes the longest to finish." Think about all the reasons behind recycling the next time you begin to wonder if your meager contribution really makes a difference or you will filled with remorse. The combined efforts of all people to recycle do in fact make a huge difference in our world. Look around your community and you are likely to see first hand the importance of recycling to your city or town in several different ways.