What to Give This Season: Top Charities You Can Trust

While the holidays are usually focused on giving presents to our families and loved ones, it is important not to forget the people that don't have the luxury of being able to get presents or even basic living supplies. In fact, the only way a lot of these people can get anything is through charities and certain organizations. For those that want to spread the holiday cheer a little bit more this year, here is a list of the top charities that you can donate to. All of these charities are legitimate, and make a huge difference in bettering the lives of the less fortunate.

Doctors Without Borders

Doctor Without Borders is a great organization that provides medical care to citizens in countries that need it. Whether it is due to conflict, natural disasters, or just downright poverty, Doctors Without Borders will provide them with great medical care. This organization is also neutral and does not get involved in local political conflict. They will provide medical care to anyone that needs it. This charity is great when you want to immediately impact the lives of others no matter where they happen to be.

The Make-a-Wish Foundation

Nearly everyone has heard of this great charity, the Make-a-Wish foundation. This organization grants wishes to children that suffer from life-threatening diseases and conditions. These wishes can be as simple as meeting their favorite movie character, and can be as elaborate as turning the city of San Francisco into Gotham City for a day. Regardless, these kids benefit immensely from any and all donations. This can be an especially great way to impact the lives of the family who are losing a child. Get to know them through this act of giving.

Donors Choose

Donors Choose is a very cool charity because you get to see exactly where your money is going. The charity has been endorsed by the likes of Oprah Winfrey, and Stephen Colbert. Donors Choose allows teachers to post projects that they want to do with their students and they will ask for donations. A lot of schools don't have the money to do these projects and they rely on donations in order to help these children have a fun educational experience. The money goes to field trips, supplies and new school equipment. If you send over $50, you will receive a handwritten thank you card from the students.

All in all, there are plenty of different charities to choose from. Melaleuca is another example of an organization that gives to this less fortunate, and you check to see where all these charities put their resources. One moment of kindness can truly change the lives of a lot of people. It doesn't have to be pricey either. Feel free to buy your friend that brand new Blu Ray player, but just a couple dollars to any one of these fantastic charities will be enough to make a huge difference this holiday season.

5 of the Best Ways to Save Money with Your Morning Routine

If you are looking to cut a little spending out of your budget and save some money, you can start with your morning routine. Only a couple hours after waking up, most people have already spent an enormous amount of money, though, they often never recognize these expenses. Here are five ways to start the day off with savings.

1. Save on the water you use

The average shower in the U.S. lasts a little more than eight minutes and uses more than 17 gallons of water. This is an enormous amount of water that is wasted, and it equals an extremely expensive shower. If you truly want to save money in the morning, consider taking a “military shower.” Simply turn on the water and get yourself wet, then proceed to wash yourself, only turning the water back on to rinse yourself off. While this might not be the most comfortable shower, you will end up saving a huge amount of money just because of the water that you didn't use.

2. Turn down the heat

By keeping your water heater set at 120 degrees instead of 140 degrees, you can save up to 10 percent on your heating bills, and you are unlikely to even know the difference when taking your morning shower. Turning down the heat on your water heater is also recommended if you have young children in your home, since this will prevent accidental burns and other problems.

3. Dispose of the disposable

If you are using a disposable razor to shave every morning, you could easily be spending a dollar a day, depending on the quality of your disposable and whether you use a new one each time. If you buy a shaving brush kit instead, such as those provided by The Art of Shaving, even though it may be a large initial investment, you can save a considerable amount of money for the rest of your life, and your face may thank you as well.

4. Cut out the coffee stop

If you are a coffee drinker, you can save a ton of money on your morning routine by making your own coffee at home instead of stopping at a Starbucks or some other coffee shop. A cup of coffee at a coffee shop usually costs anywhere from $1 to $2, whereas you can buy a pound of coffee for as little as $5, depending on the quality. By making your coffee at home, you can save $5 or more a week, which adds up to an enormous amount of savings.

5. Lights out -- and other efficiency tips

Before leaving the house, make sure you take stock of your energy efficiency. Make sure all lights are turned off. You also should unplug any electronics and appliances that don't need to be plugged in. Also, set your thermostat cooler in the winter and warmer in the summer during the day when you aren't home. You might also close drapes or open them depending on the season. All of these small little actions might not seem like much, but over time you might find that you are saving a huge amount of money on your energy costs.

How to Make Sure that your Investment in a Water Ionizer is Worth it

Česky: Pitná voda - kohoutek Español: Agua potable (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is a common phenomenon for water ionizer companies to make tall claims about their products. While there is nothing wrong in doing so, it does tend to get a tad problematic when they do market and promote their product in a way that puts down or demeans the existence of the rest of the products that are available in the market. Therefore, investing in the right water ionizer is crucial. When you purchase a water ionizer, it is an air water ionizer for life. Given below are some things that you need to consider before you put in your money, time and energy into a water ionizer. 

1.) Enquire about the material that has been used to produce the water ionizer:

You may not realize it but the material that goes into making a water ionizer can be a determining factor of its shelf life. Therefore, you may have invested several hundreds of dollars into a water ionizer, but if the material used for its creation is of a lower quality, it may hardly last a few months, let alone a few years. As a rule of thumb, a coat of pure titanium or platinum must be used for the water ionizer and alloys must be avoided at all costs because:

i. Platinum works best for a water ionizer and is essentially catalyst in the infamous ionization process. Alloys on the other hand, play an equally opposite role.

ii. Alloys are also known to contain traces of a plethora of other minerals ranging from copper to nickel. Although minerals in water are required to ensure overall health, the presence of too many minerals can have an exactly opposite effect on health.

2.) Keep a close eye out on the warranties that are being offered:

Ideally, some companies use the very obvious tactic of offering very tempting and alluring warranties that can easily have you attracted. You need to be extremely aware of these tactics, especially when the company that is in question is an extremely recent one. Before you purchase the air water ionizer for life, you must consider certain factors pertaining to the warranty.

For starters, knowing the number of years that a company has been in business is important as it helps you understand its credibility to a certain extent. At other times, a company may refrain from giving out complete and honest information about themselves and their existence. This is where you must realize that the company could, in fact, be shady. Therefore, if it is willingly offering a very impressive warranty, you also need to figure out the survival tactic of that particular company if it starts offering such warranty services to every single customer.

3.) The actual truth about water ionizer comparison may always remain hidden:

Usually, almost every other company explains how competitive their products are. While there is no harm in portraying your products in good light, the issues may begin to arise when a company puts down another company or shows them in a bad light by stating that their products have been tested to be the best among the glut of other products that are available. It may get increasingly shifty if this particular company in question has absolutely no proof to support their facts. Believing blindly in such companies can be detrimental to your investment and may not do you much good.

Therefore, before you spend all your hard earned money on a water ionizer, it is always advisable to do your research well so that you can avoid getting scammed.

Author’s bio:
Karl Maxwell is a marketing specialist and has been involved in the promotional campaigns of air water ionizer for life. He is also a food blogger that helps him showcase his love for baking and cooking.

Top Advantages that your Business can Enjoy from Blogging on a Regular Basis

Blog of the day once again (Photo credit: the Italian voice)

While there is a chunk of businessmen involved in blogging activities to take their business to the ;next level, there is also a section that believes that doing do is simply a waste of time and efforts. However, this is far from truth. Blogging has gained an immense amount of momentum in recent times and its popularity among the masses is commendable. Besides, the increased level of dependency on the internet has only worked immensely in the favor of blogging. The time that you spend blogging is far less whereas the results that you get from the same are monumental and one of the best things about it is the fact that it is available on a global platform. Therefore, if you are looking for a marketing platform like empower network for your business, you must certainly consider blogging for the following benefits that it is likely to offer. 

1.) The most cost-effective ways to market your business:

After social media, blogging definitely follows up as one of the most pocket friendly ways to promote your business on a global platform. There are several platforms that provide blogging services at absolutely no cost. However, if you wish to gain better control, you can opt for self-hosted blogs that are extremely affordable. Besides, the fact that this blog can be included as part of your website makes it all the more appealing as a marketing tool for your business. It is always advisable to have the name of your business as a domain name as it enhances the prospects of getting more customers and credibility.

2.) The business is likely to get more noticeable over a period of time:

When it comes to blogging for your business, it goes without saying that you need to be extremely regular in posting new and fresh content for increased credibility. Besides, when you use the right empower network and an SEO strategy, you are likely to get a better response in the search engines results page. Not just that, you may also get more linkbacks if your content is liked and appreciated by your customers and other site visitors. If you can pull off guest blogging and use high traffic sites to post content with a link back to your blog, you will get an immense amount of traffic to your blog, which eventually increases the possibility of conversion rates.

3.) Helps build a large network over a short period of time:

When it comes to any other methods of marketing your business and the business website, it is very common to invest a colossal chunk of your money to see the results. Blogging, on the other hand is a global medium that lets you connect with customers and other related companies at absolutely no cost or a very minimal amount. This network can help your business gain more customers.

4.) Increased emphasis on your products:

There are two ways in which your products can be the highlight by means of blogging. The first method is to write blog posts on the products that you sell. These blog posts should never be promotional but must offer information that will help the potential customers realize if they fit their needs. The second way to do this is by asking well known bloggers belonging to the niche that your business deals in to review the products that you have to offer. Well known bloggers are often also referred to as influential personalities as their views and opinions are highly valued. This is an excellent way to get your business and your products into focus.

Author’s bio:
Marilyn Osborne is the owner of a well known cosmetics line that uses herbal and naturally occurring elements to produce a wide range of cosmetics. She has recently worked to empower network and is offering several incentives for customers.

Guidelines to Make Profitable Investment in Trees

Trees are more than just financial assets and Need to be Conserved

Investors are always on the lookout for markets and assets that will help them make interesting and fairly profitable returns. With the global market undergoing continuous changes, the investment assets also keep upgrading. Investing in trees has become one of the most reliable and least risk-involving investment methods. This source of alternative investment still has unexplored areas and unknown incentives that need to be discovered for the highly beneficial returns.

Timber Prices:

Timber is traditionally considered an inflation hedge as it provides interesting returns even during the global recession or inflation status. According to researches and estimates, forestry investment can offer up to 20% returns as against 14.5% offered by equities (UK based survey). And on long term basis, a five-year term offers 17.7% returns as against 5.9% that equities have to offer.

However, timber is not an investment asset that is risk-free. Its price moves in a cyclical process and the ratio of demand /supply has undergone serious changes in the recent past. The bad news is that FSA does not regulate all the pooled investments, which is why you should be extra careful before making your investment decision. Avacade investments can help you make profitable forestry investment decisions.

Capitalizing on Global Depreciation:

The factors mentioned above will help you to justify your long term investment. The decreasing wood supply on a global basis is due to the fact that the land for growing trees is being utilized for other reasons without any replacement. Wood is also being consumed as biofuel with government pressurizing utility based companies to make use of biomass compulsory and popularize wood in schools and various public sector areas.

The returns that forestry investment offers are more or less predictable, and this feature makes it similar to bonds that offer both yield and capital gains. As an investor, you should look for rewards that are proper for your scale of requirement.

The Right Forest for Investment:

There are investors want immediate results and quick income. If you count among them, you should think of investing in mature forests instead of starting from the sapling stage of the trees. These mature trees can be harvested readily and offer you’re the fastest returns. However, a less mature tree will offer you with more benefits than a fully grown one but in stages instead of a single round.

You can think of purchasing a land piece directly for investing in trees or opt for pooled investment. While the former one is costly in approach, the latter does not allow investors to control the investment they make.

Making the Most of Tax Status:

The tax status associated with timber is its greatest attraction source. Commercial forest based investment will make you free from inheritance tax or IHT, two years post the ownership. However, an investment will qualify when the product gets marketed simultaneously. Although, forest has no qualification as investment, the timber which is sold, does not in any way, invite income tax or capital gains tax through the profitable sale of land. Furthermore, you may also be able to claim for grants for the maintenance of your forest.

Conclusion:
Such areas are pretty complicated and require expert opinion before any serious decision-making. Your correct decisions will positively affect your financial future.

Author’s Bio: Alisa Martin is a proficient writer who is an expert on the subject of finance and investment. She regularly contributes articles on topics like using avacade investments for beneficial returns and other such alternative investment schemes. 

Looking For A Car Insurance? Get Usage Based Insurance!

For a car owner, it’s really a difficult task to find the right insurance for their vehicle. There are so many insurance companies out there in the market who can offer you with different options. Moreover, there are some companies which also offer discount on the coverage.

Looking at all the insurance covers is a time-consuming task, but it’s very essential if you want to find the best deal. There is a very popular car insurance coverage which you may also consider if you are someone who doesn't drive a car/vehicle for a significant distance often.

More popularly, it’s known as “Usage based insurance”. To put it simply, it means “pay as you go insurance”. It’s a kind of insurance coverage which calculates the cost of the insurance based on the miles driven by a vehicle.

Learn The Features Of Usage Based Insurance Cover

When it comes to usage based insurance coverage, it can be mainly classified into three kind of coverage. The first kind of coverage is mainly based on the odometer reading of your vehicle; it is based on the miles driven by your vehicle.

If you decide to choose the second coverage, you should first understand that this is a coverage which mainly calculates the cost of coverage on the basis of time traveled by you in the car. To calculate the time, there is a specific module which is used to calculate the time.

The third coverage calculates both the distance and length of time driven by the car. It also includes the speed and other information. Your insurance premium amount is calculated on the basis of all these factors, and so you should understand the features of the coverage before choosing any deal.

Can Your Usage Based Insurance Cause Privacy Issues?

Unfortunately, most of the people think that usage based insurance can cause privacy issues. Because of the module which collects all the data quickly, most of the people think that it may cause security issues. However, it’s not that so.

Obviously, if your car is giving all the essential details to the insurance company,you may sometimes freak out. Isn’t it? It can also become a concern for you, if it’s your teenage child who is driving the car. However, it’s the insurance company who will take care of all such safety issues. Therefore, you simply don’t need to worry if you have invested in usage based insurance cover.

Why You Should Choose Usage Based Insurance? Can You Enjoy Any Special Benefits?

Usage based insurance is the best insurance coverage for people who don’t want to pay any unnecessary amount for their coverage. This is a kind of coverage which gives you the option to pay the amount which you have traveled. When you choose this coverage, you can easily calculate the insurance premiums.

The best thing about this coverage is that you can easily track how much distance you have travelled and pay the amount. This is one of the major reasons of the popularity of usage based insurance coverage among the consumers. So, you should get it now.