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	<title>ctpshow.com</title>
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	<link>http://ctpshow.com</link>
	<description>Finance and Everything Blog</description>
	<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:13:22 +0000</pubDate>
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		<title>Point of Sale Data</title>
		<link>http://ctpshow.com/point-of-sale-data.html</link>
		<comments>http://ctpshow.com/point-of-sale-data.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:13:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>tony</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ctpshow.com/?p=52</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When running my pizza joint one of the things that I bought first was the point of sale equipment.
We all need to collect data for our stores without fearing that the data collected is worthless. I had bought one that really was a headache to use. I was very frustrated untill my friend introduced me [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When running my pizza joint one of the things that I bought first was the point of sale equipment.</p>
<p>We all need to collect data for our stores without fearing that the data collected is worthless. I had bought one that really was a headache to use. I was very frustrated untill my friend introduced me to <a href="http://www.barcodegiant.com/zebra/labels.htm">zebra labels </a>.<br />
Their bar code equipment is cheaper and guess what, works better than what I was using before.</p>
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		<title>Plugging Family Spending Habits</title>
		<link>http://ctpshow.com/plugging-family-spending-habits.html</link>
		<comments>http://ctpshow.com/plugging-family-spending-habits.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:08:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>tony</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Personal Health]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ctpshow.com/?p=51</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There is always a solution to spending too much. It does not take a genius to figure out how to reduce spending and gain financial freedom. It’s actually funny when you think of how much money financial gurus have made just telling us things we already know.
After we had finished fighting among ourselves, my wife [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There is always a solution to <a href="http://ctpshow.com/my-wife-is-spending-too-much.html">spending too much</a>. It does not take a genius to figure out how to reduce spending and gain financial freedom. It’s actually funny when you think of how much money financial gurus have made just telling us things we already know.</p>
<p>After we had finished fighting among ourselves, my wife and I decided to look at our credit bills. Alas! We had accumulated $45,000 in credit card bills between the two of us. All the things we had bought had either been consumed or we could not remember them. I will not even go into how much our hot, 2 door sedan was costing us.</p>
<p>Here we were, we had actually accumulated enough debt to have bought a nice condo in the south. Yet we had nothing to show for it. We realized that in life you buy two types of things. You are either buying “wants” or “needs”.</p>
<p>Every time I saw a new plasma TV before the super bowl, I “wanted” it and did not “need” it. Every time she bought everything, she “wanted” it but did not “need “it. Ok that’s unfair, but it’s my blog so sue me.</p>
<p>Our credit card bills on further analysis were all “wants”. Now you know why they give you a store credit card at the check out counter. They know you will go back to the store to buy the crap goods once you are told you have been approved.</p>
<p>Before you go to buy another book by Suzy Ozman, try this method. It has worked for us perfectly and now even got rid of our credit cards. If we have any purchase above $100 we must first talk about it. After that, we must wait 7 days before the purchase and if we are still “excited” we buy.</p>
<p>It is a method that entails a lot of work and fights. However, it has saved us hundreds. At the same time, we also make up in a great fashion after every fight. You can say we blame the last 2 kids to this method too.</p>
<p> </p>
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		<item>
		<title>Bloggers Hearts</title>
		<link>http://ctpshow.com/bloggers-hearts.html</link>
		<comments>http://ctpshow.com/bloggers-hearts.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:11:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>tony</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Personal Health]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ctpshow.com/?p=49</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I once read an article that indicated that bloggers have a very high risk of poor health. It seems we sit too long on our computer desks eating a lot of junk food and no exercise.
I beg to defer.  Typing is not easy and if you think it is not exercise then you should try [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I once read an article that indicated that bloggers have a very high risk of poor health. It seems we sit too long on our computer desks eating a lot of junk food and no exercise.</p>
<p>I beg to defer.  Typing is not easy and if you think it is not exercise then you should try it. Neither is thinking about the next topic to write about. That is what I thought until I saw a video on sudden heart attacks and now I am converted.</p>
<p>The video was so scary I decided to put a list of <a href="http://www.insidecardiacarrest.com/heartattack_sca.aspx">symptoms of a heart attack</a> on my fridge just in case. May be everyone should be educated on heart attacks as it seems most of us aren&#8217;t until it is too late.</p>
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		<title>My Wife is Spending Too Much</title>
		<link>http://ctpshow.com/my-wife-is-spending-too-much.html</link>
		<comments>http://ctpshow.com/my-wife-is-spending-too-much.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:03:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>tony</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Personal Finance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ctpshow.com/?p=48</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It all started very well. It was an episode of Sex in the City. Boy meets beautiful girl, and girl says yes. Unfortunately that was the end of the story.
When I was just from college my spending habits were very simple. I would work the whole week and get a pay check on Friday. In [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It all started very well. It was an episode of Sex in the City. Boy meets beautiful girl, and girl says yes. Unfortunately that was the end of the story.</p>
<p>When I was just from college my spending habits were very simple. I would work the whole week and get a pay check on Friday. In the evening I would get the common phone call.</p>
<p>“What’s up dude? There’s a new spot …..” You know the rest.</p>
<p>Somehow, I always forgot to leave my paycheck at home. I would really see the town and whatever was left I would go buy the usual men toys and clothes. Of course I could not afford it but I owned the world then.</p>
<p>Soon after meeting my beauty, nothing much changed. Now I had a partner to really spend things on. We got married on credit. We bought our house on credit and even furnished it on credit cards. We had no kids so we could “afford” our spending.</p>
<p>The fact that we were paying 18% per year on credit cards bills and only paid the minimum balance, did not seem to worry us in the least. That is until we could no longer seem to find the extra money we always had.</p>
<p>We then started to learn that finances between spouses can actually bring wars. I wanted to continue playing golf on the weekend with my buddies. She just had to get the new fashion house bag. How could she spend money on her hair when I had not got the new plasma TV yet?</p>
<p>Then we had a kid and our world came crashing down in a hurry.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Never Ending Financial Problems</title>
		<link>http://ctpshow.com/never-ending-financial-problems.html</link>
		<comments>http://ctpshow.com/never-ending-financial-problems.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2008 09:09:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>tony</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Debt Management]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ctpshow.com/?p=47</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The reason I started this blog was simply to find a way to track and document why and how I was losing my battle against credit card bills. I started out using credit cards in college with the usual group think that we were now very rich kids.
The next thing I knew I was busy [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The reason I started this blog was simply to find a way to track and document why and how I was losing my battle against credit card bills. I started out using credit cards in college with the usual group think that we were now very rich kids.</p>
<p>The next thing I knew I was busy getting a student loan and someone came up with the great idea of buying a car on credit. I have to admit that since that time, credit card bills and debt in general have consumed my life. I can not think about something without thinking about my bills. I mean even watching the buffallo bills is a headache.</p>
<p>That is when I knew I had to do something about my situation and start getting rid of my debt . Now along came someone with <a href="http://www.bills.com/debt-help/">Debt help</a> that I needed. There is nothing better than knowing what kind of help you need without leaving the comfort of your computer. After all if you are getting into credit card debt on your computer, you might as well get out of it there too.</p>
<p>The debt help plan makes it very easy to identify the debt that needs to be paid. Know the options that you have to pay off the debt and finally make a plan to pay off the debt. The website does that for you all you have to do now is just stick to the plan and pay off your debt in a hurry.</p>
<p>Once in a while you need a helping hand that is not charging you an arm and a leg. The internet is bringing these things to fore now.<img src="http://tinyurl.com/4bj3ja" /><br />
<img src="http://tinyurl.com/6d2a6d" alt="" /></p>
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		<title>Why Travel Insurance</title>
		<link>http://ctpshow.com/why-travel-insurance.html</link>
		<comments>http://ctpshow.com/why-travel-insurance.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:58:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>tony</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Insurance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ctpshow.com/?p=46</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Why You May Need Travel Insurance:
    * accidents
    * diseases
    * dental care
    * trip cancellations
    * lost luggage
    * rental car damage
    * evacuations 
Using International Travel Insurance to Help Plan for the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Why You May Need Travel Insurance:</p>
<p>    * accidents<br />
    * diseases<br />
    * dental care<br />
    * trip cancellations<br />
    * lost luggage<br />
    * rental car damage<br />
    * evacuations </p>
<p>Using International Travel Insurance to Help Plan for the Unexpected</p>
<p>Planning a great trip starts with planning for the unexpected and the best way to cover the unexpected is by purchasing additional insurance when you travel. The first step in doing this is to gather up all the current insurance you have such as home, auto, health, life, personal property, dental, and umbrella policies. Next, check to see what travel health insurance and/or international travel insurance coverages you have on these policies. Some homeowners insurance policies and renter&#8217;s policies will cover your personal property and liability (such as you accidentally hitting someone with your golf club) anywhere in the world, so if you already have these coverages there is no point in paying again for them.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Great Aquariums</title>
		<link>http://ctpshow.com/great-aquariums.html</link>
		<comments>http://ctpshow.com/great-aquariums.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:46:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>tony</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ctpshow.com/?p=45</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We all love having a beautiful environment in our homes. You can imagine how it feels like to come to your home and find beautiful looking fish in your home. It is much better to look at soothing fish than it is to look at your tv that is all about sad news somewhere in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We all love having a beautiful environment in our homes. You can imagine how it feels like to come to your home and find beautiful looking fish in your home. It is much better to look at soothing fish than it is to look at your tv that is all about sad news somewhere in the world.</p>
<p>Now add beautiful looking at exotic fish and <a href="http://www.reefhotspot.com/">aquarium saltwater fish</a> and you have the best living space a family can have. I know my kids would love it and in my case, if I got bored of all the noise, I would just pretend that I am adding some fish food to my aquarium.</p>
<p>The only problem with such a plan would be trying to get a good <a href="http://www.reefhotspot.com/store/siteinfo.php">Saltwater Fish Store</a> in you area. Most fish stores just stock things for the sake of it. I once took the effort to go to a mall and you could imagine my disappointment when all I could get was algae in aquariums and no good <a href="http://www.reefhotspot.com/store/index1.php?cPath=51">Live coral</a> .</p>
<p>The shopping experience will be a breeze especially if you start looking for the best aquariums online. The selection of exotic fish is never ending. Take a look at one of my favourites. <img src="http://tinyurl.com/5gwrr7" alt="" /><br />
Now take a chance and find the best fish that a kid would love . I know I am and so far the experience is expected to be wonderful. I love free shipping and guarantees. By the way, don&#8217;t forget to look at the live rock that is in the site.<br />
<img src="http://tinyurl.com/6ct52s" /></p>
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		<title>Long Term Care Insurance</title>
		<link>http://ctpshow.com/long-term-care-insurance.html</link>
		<comments>http://ctpshow.com/long-term-care-insurance.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:27:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>tony</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Insurance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ctpshow.com/?p=44</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[4 Things You Will Want to Have in a Long Term Care Insurance Policy
1. Inflation Protection: Get a policy that raises your long term care benefit amount automatically&#8230; the cost of a nursing home today will be much higher 20-30 years from now.
2. Variable Coverage: Make sure your policy includes coverage for not only nursing [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>4 Things You Will Want to Have in a Long Term Care Insurance Policy</p>
<p>1. Inflation Protection: Get a policy that raises your long term care benefit amount automatically&#8230; the cost of a nursing home today will be much higher 20-30 years from now.</p>
<p>2. Variable Coverage: Make sure your policy includes coverage for not only nursing homes but home health aids, adult day care providers, and assisted living facilities so you will have a choice of care.</p>
<p>3. Independent Care Management: If you have a claim, the insurance company will send a representative to determine your benefit needs&#8230; make sure your policy gives you the option to have an independent licensed health care provider to manage your care and not someone working for the insurance company.</p>
<p>4. 70% Minimum Daily Benefit: If you need services, don&#8217;t just choose the cheapest daily benefit amount but find out what is the average daily cost of nursing homes in your area and request at least 70% of that. Also, make sure this amount is adjusted annually to reflect 70% of the current yearly amount.</p>
<p>Estimating Your Long Term Care Projected Costs and Insurance Premiums: Long term care costs can vary depending on what state you live in and the nursing facility or home care staff you choose. It is good to know what long term care facilities are charging in your area so you can get an idea of the benefit amount you would like for your long term care insurance policy. Genworth Financial long term care website offers an interactive map where you can scroll over your state to get an idea of current annual nursing home and assisted living costs. You can also simply pick up the phone book and call local nursing home facilities and ask them what their annual costs are.</p>
<p>When it comes to long term care premiums, that can vary greatly depending on the type of policy you choose, the age that you choose to start your policy, and the benefit amount. Of course the younger and healthier you are when you start your policy then the lower your premiums will be. Also, the lower your benefit amount is, then the lower your premiums will be. So, the best time to check into long term care insurance is now, before you get any older! Although it is best to try not to cut corners when choosing your long term care benefits, there are additional ways to reduce your long term care premium costs.</p>
<p>Where and How to Purchase Long Term Care Insurance: There are many places that you can purchase long term care insurance. Your employer may offer group long term care insurance. You can also purchase long term care insurance from individual insurance companies or agents. If you or a family member has or does work for the federal or state government then you may be able to purchase a long term care insurance policy from those sources. Also, another place to look for long term care insurance policies are associations or membership groups.</p>
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		<title>Protecting Your Assets</title>
		<link>http://ctpshow.com/protecting-your-assets.html</link>
		<comments>http://ctpshow.com/protecting-your-assets.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:20:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>tony</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Investements]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ctpshow.com/?p=43</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After working for a life time trying to earn as much as possible and then saving as much as possible, someone comes in and takes your property from your kids.
Consider the current need to look for a tax haven just to protect your hard earned money from the tax man. Every day new companies are [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>After working for a life time trying to earn as much as possible and then saving as much as possible, someone comes in and takes your property from your kids.</p>
<p>Consider the current need to look for a <a href="http://www.assetlawyer.com/pub/estate_tax_planning_dva_vul.shtml">tax haven</a> just to protect your hard earned money from the tax man. Every day new companies are being formed just for the sake of trying to hide your money offshore after getting rid of all the debt. The only problem is that in this day and age, it is not only the tax man who is coming for your property. The current need to litigate for whatever reason is now affecting every single high worth individual.</p>
<p>Think of all the celebrities and high net worth individuals who have to work at <a href="http://www.assetlawyer.com/pub/index.shtml">wealth preservation</a> from all manner of litigants. There was a case in which a celebrity had to protect his assets after his own child was involved in an accident. Why would anyone wish to subject his family to gold diggers when he can easily be able to get asset protection services from a reputable company?</p>
<p>If you are afraid of someone coming for your property in your own country, then it is time to think about <a href="http://www.assetlawyer.com/pub/asset_protection_doctors_under_attack.shtml">offshore asset protection</a> . Physician heal thyself. How does the medical practitioner protect his assets after he has done his duty to save someone&#8217;s life. The issue of being sued for trying to save someone&#8217;s life is really an ethical issue. Do we want all doctors to stop practising because they are afraid of being sued ?</p>
<p><img src="http://tinyurl.com/65qoyk" /></p>
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		<title>Reducing Heating Costs</title>
		<link>http://ctpshow.com/reducing-heating-costs.html</link>
		<comments>http://ctpshow.com/reducing-heating-costs.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2008 07:18:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>tony</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Personal Health]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ctpshow.com/reducing-heating-costs.html</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you live in a region that is cold in the winter, heating costs take a big bite out of your monthly budget for 25 - 50% of the year. Due to the rapidly escalating costs of home heating oil, propane, and kerosene, you may be paying twice as much to heat your house as [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you live in a region that is cold in the winter, heating costs take a big bite out of your monthly budget for 25 - 50% of the year. Due to the rapidly escalating costs of home heating oil, propane, and kerosene, you may be paying twice as much to heat your house as you did just a few years ago. You can cut your heating costs significantly by following these money-saving tips.</p>
<ul>
<li>Do an energy audit of your house, identifying areas where heated air is leaking out. Check around doors, windows, fireplaces, and other areas that may feel drafty. Use caulk, weather stripping, door sweeps, plastic, and other appropriate means to close off these leaks. If your house is poorly insulated, adding additional insulation will pay for itself in reduced heating costs.</li>
<li>Minimize your use of ventilation fans such as bathroom fans and kitchen hood fans in winter. A bathroom fan can suck all the heated air out of the average house in little more than an hour. Over the course of the winter, ventilation fans can increase your heating costs by a surprising amount.</li>
<li>Don&#8217;t heat areas of your house you don&#8217;t use regularly, such as guest rooms. Close heating vents or turn back thermostats in those areas and close the doors for a painless reduction in heating costs.</li>
<li>Turn down the heat and use space heaters to heat the room you spend time in.</li>
<li>Keep your furnace, heat pump, or other heating equipment in top operating condition. Dirty filters reduce the efficiency of your furnace or heat pump. Poorly tuned units are inefficient and use more fuel. An annual maintenance agreement is well worth the money to ensure that your equipment is properly maintained and will last as long as possible.</li>
<li>Don&#8217;t turn your thermostat up above the desired temperature. It won&#8217;t heat up any more quickly and will make your furnace work harder. Also, while it makes sense to turn the heat back when you&#8217;re sleeping or not at home, turning it down too low can actually cost you more because the contents of the house have to be re-heated in addition to the air. 68 to 70 degrees while you&#8217;re home and awake, and 60 to 65% while you&#8217;re asleep or not at home are reasonable temperatures.</li>
<li>Consider a programmable thermostat to raise and lower the temperature at pre-set times.</li>
<li>Check the temperature setting on your hot water heater. If you have a dishwasher, your water should be heated to 120%. Otherwise, it can be somewhat lower.</li>
<li>If your water heater is in an unheated space like an unfinished basement, wrap it in an insulation blanket available at hardware stores to prevent heat loss.</li>
<li>Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible.</li>
<li>It&#8217;s tempting to stand under a hot shower on a cold morning for as long as possible, but cutting your shower time in half can save up to 33% on your hot water heating costs.</li>
<li>In winter, open the blinds and curtains on the sunny side of the house (the south-facing side) when the sun is shining and close them as soon as the sun goes down to retain the solar heat. Close curtains on the shady side of the house (north-facing side). If you don&#8217;t have curtains, consider installing some. Curtains made from heavy fabric with lots of folds (fullness) can prevent cold air from seeping in and warm air from seeping out, which reduces your heating costs.</li>
</ul>
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