Getting the best Broadband package.

Most of us are now lucky enough to use broadband. Going back to the old days of dial-up connections seems unthinkable. Those bad old days of constantly engaged phone lines and a simple page taking minutes to load give us nightmares. Here is a guide to getting the most for your money from your broadband package.

Make sure you have the correct set up. There are several,options including wireless broadband,
mobile broadband (either WiFi or via a mobile phone) and good old fixed line broadband. Which of these you need depends on where you need to connect (out and about? More than one line per house?).

Get the speed and usage you need. To find out what speed you currently have use the BT Speed Test. If you download a lot of files such as movies and mp3s you may want to get unlimited usage, if you only use your connection for email and occasional surfing a lower restriction may suffice.

Shop around to find the best deal. Ideally you should look at who has the best offers for a variety of different services such as mobile phone, home phone cable etc as many companies do good package deals.

Saving money.

This guide is about the various ways in which you can save money. I will explain the best ways to keep track of your finances and the best places to store your hard earned cash. While we all try to earn more and spend less the way you save can have a big impact on your budget.

Budget. This one is obviously yet most people don’t do it. The best way to start is to make a note of all the money you spend for a month. At the end of the month you can calculate where you over spend and what spending is necessary every month. For this you can work out how much money you need for various expenditure such as food, transport and entertainment. You can then decide where you can cut back.

Keep track of your money on a day-to-day basis. This means knowing how much money you have left this month, what you will need to spend and how well you are sticking to your budget.

Use a second account to save. This may be an ISA, a current account or just a standard bank account. Perhaps decide on a certain amount which you can save and use a direct debit to transfer this amount from your day-to-day account to your savings. This way you don’t feel like there is money waiting around to be spent!

Consider using the envelope system. This allows you to portion out your money at the beginning of the month so that you know exactly how much you have to spend on different things. The only problem with this system is that you may feel that there is money left to spend when in fact you could get by without spending it.

Job interview Techniques.

Last month I wrote about the best ways to find a new job. Now assuming you have been invited to an interview here are some tips on how to make a good impression when meeting a potential new employer. Here are my top job interview tips.

Be early, but not too early. At this stage the person hasn’t even met you so you don’t want to do anything which will be seen as unusual behaviour. This includes turning up late (obviously!) but also being too early. It’s good to appear keen but you don’t want to make a nuisance of yourself or make the interviewer feel rushed to see you.

Try to read the tone of the interview. Whist most interviews are quite formal some are less so. A one-to-one interview can often be more like a chat and a chance to make sure you are a suitable person for the job. Your past experience and CV may be enough to show that you are able to do the job so the interviewer may be more interested in your personality than tough questions. Let the interviewer take the lead in terms of setting the tone of the conversation.

Consider doing something which you think will make you stand out from the other hopefuls. Perhaps asking a technical question which shows that you are familiar with the type of work being done. Perhaps make a joke if the interviewer is addresses you informally.

Make sure you have researched the company. This shows that you are organized and keen. Try to show that you are interested in working for the company rather than just getting a job to pay the bills. An enthusiastic worker is much more valuable than a clock watcher.

Don’t be too modest. An interview is your chance to sell yourself so you are expected to talk about your skills and abilities.

Don’t panic! The worst that can happen is that you won’t get the job. If you have been checking out all of the vacancies on different job sites there will be other jobs you can apply for so learn from the experience and keep your fingers crossed!

jobinterview

Keeping cool this summer.

It looks like we might be lucky enough to have a summer this year, fingers crossed. It’s about this time of year that we start thinking about the warmer weather, flip flop sales go through the roof and the garden furniture comes out of the shed. It can be easy to over do it and get sunburned so it’s a good idea to have somewhere in the shade to relax in. Here are some tips for enjoying the sun!

Set up a shady area in the garden. This is easier for some than others (those without gardens may struggle!). A tree is ideal for shade but if you don’t have one there are plenty of reasonably priced garden parasols available at diy stores. A sun awning can also provide a little shade, you might even be able to knock up one yourself using a tarpaulin.

Keep the house cool. One of the best ways to keep the house cool is to make sure you have good quality double glazing. This may seem a little strange but bare in mind that as windows are insulted they can keep heat in during the winter and out during the summer.

Consider using blinds in your conservatory. As great as conservatories are the can get very warm in summer. Blinds are available to provide shade. If you don’t like blinds any thin fabric can be used, this saves on the ex pence as it may only be hot for 2 weeks a year!

Keep doors and windows open. Most upvc windows can be locked slightly open to allow a breeze in.

Backup Your Photos.

Most of us are now lucky enough to have a digital camera or even a camera-phone which takes good photos. We also understand how important it is to backup photos. We take photos to remember important events or just for the fun of it. It is important to consider how you will store your images so that you will have them for years to come. In this guide I will explain some of the ways in which you can store your photos safely. I will explain how to store files and printed images. As no method of storing digital files is ever 100% safe consider using more than one method.

Storing Printed Images

Lab prints

Most of us either print out our photos at home on an Inkjet or Dye Sub printer or take them to a high street photo lab. Ask at your local lab to find out what type of photo paper they use. Bear in mind that photo lab’s use photosensitive paper not ink (this may seem obvious but I used to work in a camera shop and people do think that!). Most labs will use high quality paper which is guaranteed to last for a certain number of years. Store these photos in a dry place, out of sunlight and they should last for a very long time.

Photos printed at home

Using cheap ink on cheap paper will result in prints which will fade. Never use standard printer paper! High quality paper and inks will last much longer. For more detail visit Wilhelm Imaging Research.

Digital Photo Storage

At home

When storing images at home save at the highest quality possible. The JPEG format is widely used although it is suffers from lossy compression. TIFF or RAW files offer higher quality without any loss of information.

Store your images on Cds, DVDs or hard drives. Back up regularly and organise your files into folders according to date or type. Avoid putting all your images onto a CD without and folders or information, you may know now what the photo shows but as you get older memories fade!

Digital image storage services.

Digital storage services allow you to easily backup your images via the Internet. For instance BT’s Digital Vault service provides both backup software and digital storage. This means that your files are stored on BT’s servers rather than on your home computer. In the event that your computer crashes and looses files, your photos can be downloaded back onto it.

Opening a Current Account

With the news that one in six Irish people do not have a bank account and that pensioners may need to open current accounts in order to receive state pensions, I thought it was about time I wrote a guide to opening a current account. I have previously written about choosing between current accounts. To keep things simple this time I will be focusing on one account provider: HSBC. These steps will be very similar with whichever bank you choose to apply for, the idea of this post is to walk you through the process rather than steer you in a particular direction.

The first thing to do is to check that you are eligible to open an account. In order to be eligible you must:

• Be over 18 years old.
• Have a salary or regular income to be paid directly into your account.
• Be able to provide identification and proof of your address.

Next you should check the terms and conditions of the current account to make sure that you agree with them. Always read the small print!

There are two ways in which you can apply: on line and in store. To apply online go to the account page on the HSBC site. You will be asked for details of your employment (if you are employed) and contact information. Alternatively you can apply in store. Take with you a form of identification (drivers licence, passport etc.) and a proof of address such as a recent bill.

If you already have an account elsewhere and wish to switch to a new bank account this can be done in your local branch. Most providers will switch your direct debits for you.

Buying a conservatory.

Conservatories are a great way of increasing the space within you home. The give you an extra room as well as providing a little outdoor space which is British summer proof. Here are some tips to help you to get the best conservatory at the best price.

Check that you don’t need planning permission. Although most people will not there are some exceptions. For instance if your house is a listed building you will need to seek permission. If you have previously built extensions to your house you will need to make sure you have not used up your ‘permitted development’ allocation. The best way to find this out for sure is to contact your local council.

Make sure that the conservatory you choose is insulated for winter use. If it is not you may find that it is only suitable to use for half of the year.

Get more than one quote. This one is quite obvious but it makes it onto the list because some people still don’t do this! The best way to ensure that you are paying a fair price is to have several quotes done by several different companies. If one is much cheaper, let the other know as they wont want to miss out on a sale.

Make sure that the suppliers you choose have a BBA (British Board of Agrément) certification or similar. For instance Anglian Home improvements have received this award for their White Knight conservatory. They are also FENSA approved for their double glazing windows, doors, conservatories and garage conversions.

Choose the style you would like best. Bear in mind that a conservatory can add a lot of value to your house in terms of resale. Choose a style which matches the feel and look of the property and will last well.

Finding your dream job.

Don’t wait for the job to be advertised. Some say that less than 20% of jobs are actually advertised. If you want to work for a company send them your CV and explain that you want to be considered for future positions. This shows initiative and allows you to apply before anyone else. There is nothing to stop you contacting multiple companies as long as you show a keen interest to work for them, don’t send everybody the same letter. People want to employ somebody who want to work for them not just someone who is desperate for a job! Make sure you contact the right person within the company and do so by name.

Fine tune your CV (curriculum vitae). Make sure your CV stands out (for the right reasons). Check the spelling and formatting, any mistakes at this point could see your CV relegated to the ‘no’ pile. Only list relevant skills and qualifications. There is plenty of information online to help you with your curriculum vitae.

Make use of job sites. Make sure you sign up for job sites in order to see the widest range of positions available and get information and tips to help you apply. For instance Careers & Jobs has a wide range of recruitment and employment information including thousands of vacancies for UK jobs.

Practice your interview technique. Whilst you cannot predict exactly what will happen during your interview there are some common questions you can be prepared for. Interviewers will expect you to expect these questions! Common questions include:

• Why do you want to work for us?
• What can you offer us that others can not?
• What are your good/ bad points?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

Make a good first impression.

“You only get one time to make a first impression. Within the first 60 seconds you already make an impression,”

Bordan Tkachuk, chief executive of technology firm Viglen.

Betting on the Euro 2008 championships.

There are 7 groups of teams hoping to win the European championships in 2008. These groups contain the two host nations Austria and Switzerland as well as these 14 other teams:Poland, Portugal, Italy, France, Greece, Turkey, Czech Republic, Germany , Croatia, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Romania and the Netherlands.

The winners of group A will play the runners up from group B and Vice-versa. The same system will decide the two winning teams from groups C and D. These teams will then go on to play in the Semi finals then two teams will go on to the final on the 29th of June. Teams from group A/B cannot play teams from C/D until the final.

Some betting sites have chosen their odds already although these will most likely change as the tournament nears. While some people bet for their country’s team that is not an option for those of us in England. Germany have won the title 3 times and France twice. No other team who are competing have won more than once.

Choose your betting site wisely. Look for who has the best odds for the games you wish to bet on but make sure the site has procedures in place for disputed bets. Also make sure that the site is secure (look for the padlock icon). For example Bet365 is registered with IBAS who deal with disputed bets. They offer betting on all final stages of the Euro 2008 European Championships including the Euro finals.

Have fun and don’t take it too seriously. Betting makes a fun hobby but a lousy job (unless you are really, really lucky!)

Avoiding Cowboy Builders

Get a personal recommendation. This is one of the best ways of making sure you get someone you can trust. If you want a plumber but only know an Electrician, ask them if they know anybody they could recommended. You can always ask your neighbours if they have had any work done, this way you will be able to see the qualty of the workmanship before you get a quote. Another reason that this is a good idea is that you are more likely to get good service if the person doing the work has a personal connection to you.

Look up the company you are thinking of using on the internet. I hear that there are things there called ‘websites’ which have information or something.

Find out which body regulates the field in which your chosen company works and see if the are listed. A survey found that 45% of home owners have “fallen victim to rogue traders.” They also discovered that less than 25% of home owners look for the Trustmark logo.

Look for a guarantee. If a company is producing good quality work they will be more than happy to provide you with a guarantee. For example Anglian Home Improvements provide a 10 year guarantee on all their windows, doors, double glazing and conservatories.

Complain if you receive bad service. If you are not satisfied with how the company deals with your complaint contact their regulating body.