How To Choose A Bank Account: 10 Things To Look For

Choosing a bank is like the initial stages of dating , there are certain attributes that you look for  and there are certain attributes that might just put you off. Sometimes people end up with someone they don’t really want to be with because they did  not carefully consider whether or not that person was suitable for their personality and lifestyle.  Does the person you are with share the same aspirations, do they genuinely care and do they help you grow?

A bad relationship can leave you feeling neglected, , undervalued , frustrated , disappointed and often cheated. You need to ask the right questions and make the right decisions even if they are heard.

 

We would like to know what type of relationship you would like to have with your bank. Please tell us about yourself, what you do and what your financial goals are in the comments section. Beneath are my responses to the following questions.

1. When choosing a bank, what do you look for in a bank?

Answer: I look for great service, I want a bank that understands me and makes an effort to establish a relationship. Low bank fees, transparency and excellent services are key.

 

2. What are your greatest concerns/fears you have of banks or banking ?

Answer: Security, I am petrified of online banking merely because the high level of cyber fraud

3. What frustrates you the most about banks?

Answer: Waiting in long queues and taking longer than a few hours to process payments.

4. What’s the most important thing you want our of your banking?

Answer: Easier, access to loans. In this financial crunch it’s good to know that you can turn to your bank when needed.

 

5. When saving, is a bank’s interest rates important to you?

Answer: Yes, I would leave my money in my account for longer if I had interest rates over 11%

6. Do you bank online? If not, why?

Answer: Yes I do. It was tricky at first but now I am use to it.

7. Do you make online purchases? If not, why?

Answer: Yes I do.

8. Do you make use of mobile banking including banking apps ?

Answer: Yes, they are so convenient

9. Do you have or use a credit card ,  If not , why ?

Answer: Nope, will never get one again. Having one caused me serious financial issues.

10. Would you switch to Capitec, why?

Answer: I use to bank with them but switched to FNB so I could have nicer looking card that doesn’t break all the time, kidding. It was more of a perception thing, I still own a Capitec account but my salary goes into FNB, I hate Standard Bank and might just give Nedbank a go but Capitec is the best.

Fashion – Trend Alert!

Now I know we’ve been biting our well manicured finger nails in anticipation of this autumn’s collection, well it’s here, brace yourselves fashionistas! My sources have indicated that kimono styled knits will be hitting runways soon. How to wear them? Couple your dark wash skinny jeans and a retro belt to synch the waist giving you that sexy sought after hourglass look.

Burgundy is the colour of this majestic season and lucky for us, it suits most skin tones. Yes the paler you are the more Goth you sill seem wearing it and darker hues but don’t let this stop the budding trend junky inside you, rather own the sex appeal that has men (and woman) falling at the feet of the likes of Angelina Jolie. If you still feel like you’re an extra on ‘night of the living dead” add mustard tights to a burgundy dress for a bit of colour revitalization.

Trend perfection comes from our inner ability to match our body and skin type to the fashion, designers throw at us. We’ve all had our fair share of fashionista mayhem at least once in our seasonal lives. Here’s how to avoid the ‘slave to fashion’ doom and gloom, identify your body type (very vital question); are you cone, pear or hourglass shaped?

If you are cone-shaped you want to choose clothes and colours to take the eye away from your bust and toward your hips, so pair solid colours on the top and break with a funky belt paired with bootleg jeans(this will even your body out). If you are pear-shaped wear a beautiful feminine blouse in a loud colour (such as yellow) with a pair of dark wash straight-leg jeans this will even out the butt and move the eye along your body uniformly. Ideally we’d all like to have an hourglass figure but there’s certainly nothing wrong with more ‘junk’ in either of your trunks.

On that note ladies lets hit the malls and hit ’em hard!

mwa

Your friend in fashion (oh check this out) Open a Truworths Account Click Here

Venus transit Wednesday Phenomenon

On Wednesday the 06 June 2012,  you will have the opportunity to witness the planet Venus Transit for the first and only time in your life. The planet that normally orbits 3% away from the sun will be orbiting across the face of the sun.  This is indeed a rare sight that will only happen again in the next 105 years, it’s no surprise that sky gazer around the world are anxious to get a glimpse of this phenomenon. According to astronomers, South Africa will be able to see this spectacle around sunset,  scientist at the Cape Town Observatory are hoping this event will spark a keen interest in the science of the universe. This is what it looks like, see below.

South Africa has long being manufacturing motor vehicles…

South Africa has long being manufacturing motor vehicles for large car companies such as Hummer, Mercedes-Benz and BMW but now we have something we can call our own. The Joule, South Africa’s first locally developed electric car designed by Keith Helfet will be put into mass production by a car company manufacturer called Optimal Energy in the year 2014.

Optical energy Ltd is a privately owned South African company based in the mother city of Cape Town. Founded in 2005, everything about the company is South African even the name of their CEO, Kobus Mering. The venture was made possible by the South Africans governments Department of Science and Technology.  The Joule is an invention strongly welcomed considering that the world’s major energy resources are diminishing rapidly and pollution is increasing significantly. This is a fact that seems unimportant if you look at the number of carbon fumed cars being put on the road each year. The name is derived from the symbol for energy, Optical Energy’s introduction of the battery operated, 5 seater energy saver aims to decrease energy wastage and the company also have their eyes set on the international market.

So why would you want to buy the Joule?

Despite its fragile look the car is extremely functional, designed to achieve a 4 star safety rating that complies with Europe rigorous safety standards. The Joule can reach a top speed of 135km/per hour (Governed) covering a distance of 300km and has impressive acceleration of 0- 60km/per hour in 5 seconds. The car is also fitted with ABS breaking systems and optional vehicle tracking. Accompanied with superb handling that can compete with most luxury cars, the Joule is possibly the answer to urban transportation? Designer Keith Helfet is a former Chief Designer for Jaguar and has taken his expertise into account in the designing of the Joule. This car is perfect for urban dwellers, allowing them to get from point A to B with maximum comfort and less damage to the environment. Watch out South Africa the Joule of South Africa is on its way.

Sponsored by Fleet Management Systems , master’s in Vehicle Tracking

Best Clip in Hair Extensions of 2012.

Can anyone really compete with Jessica Simpson when it comes to clip in hair extensions? She is the best self-styled celebrity to take full advantage of clip in hair extensions. You will always see Jessica sporting various looks at the VMA’s or International music awards with a variety of heart throbbing hairstyles. In this article we will look at a few hairstyles that she has managed to conjure using her consistent blonde clip in hair extensions. Because clip in hair won’t cause any damage to your own hair it’s easy to frequently change hairdos, you can now have waves, locks, curls or straight hair without the need of a salon visit in half the time and money.

If Blonde is not your thing then try the 100% Remy Indian Human hair for the absolutely gorgeous shine. You can have it at various lengths and textures, Clipinhair Extensions only take a few minutes to attach.The hair extensions range anywhere between R1000- R1300 and can last as long as you want them to provided that you take good care of them. Apart from Indian Remy and Brazilian Hair these colours below are also available on-line.

Jet Black
Off-Black
Dark Brown
Chocolate Brown
Chestnut Brown

Caramel Blonde
Toffee Blonde
Strawberry Blonde
Light Blonde
Platinum Blonde

Check out what Jessica Simpson was able to do with her hair extensions; you can order your own quality Clip In Hair extensions for affordable prices and fast delivery by clicking on this banner.

Clip in Hair Extensions Available in South Africa

Clip-in Hair extensions have taken South Africa by storm, most women prefer using clip in hair extensions over adhesive based extension simply due to the fact that it lasts longer and it’s much cheaper. I remember being amazed at just how fantastic African American women’s hairstyles were; this was of cause in the time of the South African braids and weaves epidemic that started in the early 2000’s. Since the introduction of clip in hair extension the amount of gorgeous women have tripled , the streets and night clubs are filled with 100’s of Halle Berry look- alike and it’s hard to distinguish  celebrity from fan. Women just look so good nowadays, many women of all races are able to take advantage of clip in hair extensions and they have.

Clip in Hair Extensions are available in various colours, lengths and texture that can suit a variety of hairstyles and looks. This type of hair extensions are made from actual 100% human hair, varying for Indian Remy hair to Brazilian Hair. You can find them in assorted colours, dark brown, blonde, black, cherry, red and many more. Though it’ not advised you can sleep in them, guess what? They can be curled and straightened with a GHD.

So you want to know how to get your hands on Clip in Hair Extension don’t you? Well I am pleased to tell you that they are available all over South Africa and even have a head office in Cape Town. Simply go to their website and order online, they have the lowest prices and a 48 hour courier service. Now you can also enjoy the benefits of versatile hair without using your own hair as the canvas.

Diamond Shape for your engagement ring

Though most diamond engagement rings sparkle like the surface of the ocean at sunset they are actually cut quite differently beneath the surface. Diamonds are cut in an array of sizes and shapes, the most important aspects in choosing a diamond stone is deciding on the shape that seamlessly matches you and your style. Most people choose safety and go with traditional shapes such as the classic Round, Asscher and Emerald cuts. Some are a lot more daring and choose fancy shapes such as the, Heart, Pear or even Marquise.

On most wedding rings you will find “The classic cut”, the most popular of them is the prestigious Round Brilliant cut diamond and are found on most engagement rings. The shape of a diamond should not be confused with a cut, they are two different things. Shape Refers to the form, and cut refers to the ability of a diamond to reflect light otherwise known as proportion, symmetry or make. The Round Brilliant cut diamond’s 57 sides/facets sparkles the most out of all shapes and generally the most expensive.

Cut:

Shape & style of the diamond,  The best cut will reflect light from facet to facet and return light through the top of the diamond.

Clarity:

Clarity of a diamond refers to the clarity the less the imperfection the greater the quality grading of a diamond. Most of these inclusions cannot be seen with the naked eye.

Princess Cut Diamond 

The Princess-cut diamond is the second most popular shape; it’s both modern and magnificent. Princess cut diamonds is a quite popular on western engagement rings ,boasting a rectangular form with uncut corners, it’s a fairly new diamond cut with 76 facets.

It would take forever to highlight the features of the other diamond cuts such as the Emerald-cut diamond, Baguette cut Diamonds ,Cushion , Heart Shaped Marquise cut diamond so I will move on to the more general features of diamonds found on common engagement rings. Below you will find a gallery with images of diamond Colour, Carat weight , rough diamonds and birthstones. The carat of a diamond ring refers to weight of the diamond and is sub-divided in 100 e.g 1.00ct = 1  Colour refers to the array of colour which diamonds can be found in e.g yellow , pink ,blue , green, red and some diamonds win tints of grey and brown.

How to let go – Hoarders Storage Solutions

I was watching a reality TV series called Hoarders last week on DSTV; it’s about American families who are confined within their own living space due to their inability of getting rid of things. This show might not be riveting or adrenalin pumping but it does leave you with an emotionally intense viewer experience. The act of hoarding is more physiological than anything else; some people have a strong emotional attachment to possessions that are no longer in practical use or relevant to their lives.

A few years ago before finding the love of my life, I too was once a victim of excessive collectiveness. Most of my belongings were memoirs, souvenirs and antiques which I had regarded as potential artefacts. My collection of treasures included high school love letters, doodles, favourite t-shirts (worn out) and little bits of collectables I had acquire in my youth.

The situation really frustrated my girlfriend, she kept throwing out what she thought was rubbish only to find it in the same place the next day. There was no way I  was going to let go years of history and precious memories, my mind set ultimately caused a rift between us and Taryn was soon out of the house. Apart from suffering from ODC (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), Taryn actually had a valid point; the junk I had been collecting in my life was really starting to get out of control. Our home had become a dump site, a heaven for dust mites and I was not able to see this. I thought the solution was getting a bigger house but the resolution had to start from me.

Taryn was going to be my future wife and I had to make some drastic changes in my life in order to save our relationship. After reading books on how to get organised (Strangely, these books were muddled around the house) I was determined to free up my living space and create a healthy environment for myself and Taryn to work and live in. The first thing I had to learn was “Letting Go”, it took me 5 days to clear the monstrous mess that I had caused over the last 5 years.

One Day

I cleared up all spaces that were not being used regularly, like my closet, garage and basement. After piling up all my unwanted junk in large plastic bins, I headed off to the local Brick & Brack store and sold the entire pile for R1500.

Day Two

Then, after drowning myself in red bull energy drinks, I had managed to install multiple racks and storage systems in all areas of the house.

Day Three

With the help of my best friend where, I was able to re-arrange the existing furniture and also add new decorations that I had bought from the money I received for my unwanted goods. I must say at the point the house was looking pretty sterling.

Day Four

Apart from tapping into my fanshui , I has to clean up my mentality and rid my mind of old habits . The fourth day was the hardest for me as I spend most of my time chucking love letters into my fire place.

Day 5

Day five I called Taryn to come over and surprised her, including myself with lovely romantic dinner in a clean and cosy setting.

I have since managed to keep our new home clutter free with  help of this  cool website that offer great storage solutions in South Africa.  Though we might have our quarrels about living space, my life has never been as organised as it is today. Cleaning up my act has sparked a lot of great things in my life, we have to learn to let go of things that are no longer relevant in our lives especially it is directly affecting the people we love.

Jessica Leandra Dos Santos Racist tweets

Jessica Leandra Dos Santos has released some controversially racist tweets on Twitters on Friday. “Just, well took on a on arrogant and disrespectful kaffir inside Spar. Should have punched him, should have”. Some of her details Age: 20, born 20 March 1992

Model Jessica Leandra dos Santos is last years winner in the FHM Models 2011 competition. FHM has release a public tweet stating that they have stripped her of FHM Model Book 2011 title and all sponsorship , Ouch!!  She has also deleted her Twitter account after fail to gain support from her fans for racist remarks she made today.  Instead of apologizing Jessica dug her grave deeper by tweet somewhat oblivious statements like this one for example “Would u all stop!   These are the kinds of people that land up raping young girls of our country! I wasn’t going to let him get away with it.” Shame on you Jessy!!!

FHM also released an official an official statement on their website regarding, Jessica Leandra Dos Santos Racist tweets.  The magazine claim to be appalled by her blatant racist tweets and has stripped her of her title with immediate effect. Jessica’s photo’s have been removed from the FHM website and want nothing to do with her at all.

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