This holiday season, the standard cookie swap is getting a makeover as cooking clubs take to kitchens across the country to bake traditional cookies, candies and sweets together. With families looking to make the most of their holiday budgets, groups of friends in newly-formed cooking clubs are gathering ’round the hearth, aiming to be festive in a new way: baking at home to create delicious handmade gifts.

Nicole Aloni, Sam’s Club member and cookbook author, touts the cooking club concept as a viable method for helping families stretch their holiday dollar. “It is a wonderful way to connect with your friends and save some ‘dough’ — making festive homemade desserts for about twenty-five cents per serving gives you extra to spend on other holiday items,” continued Aloni. “You just can’t beat that.”

While cooking clubs help families save on meal preparation and expense, enthusiasts cite the social connections as equally important. In an effort to help Sam’s Cooking Club participants to connect, the warehouse club demonstrates some holiday recipes on video and has launched www.facebook.com/samscookingclub for cooking club fans to share recipes and tips with others who enjoy cooking with friends.

In addition, Sam’s Club has teamed up with www.cookingwithfriendsclub.com to share tips and ideas about how you can cook with others to tackle mealtime, save money, and build friendships. Read more about them at www.samsclub.com/cookingclub.

Typically, cooking clubs include three to four friends or family members who pool their money to purchase the ingredients for a week’s worth of meals. They then gather at the host’s kitchen and prepare everything in a few hours. Nicole recommends choosing a time for everyone to bake together, then expediting the preparation by assigning a “station” to each friend (i.e., mixing, rolling, cutting, etc.), much the way professional kitchens handle their cooking and baking processes.

The Simple Pleasures: Home-Baked Goods as Gifts

Nicole also suggests that baked goods make a welcome gift basket as well. Pair ribbon, a small canister or wicker basket and one of the recipes below to give a gift that costs less and means more. Visit samsclub.com/cookingclub to watch how Nicole and her cooking club friends make decadent biscotti for less then 25 cents per serving. And, find these festive recipes that are low-cost, high-taste:

Go a little nutty, at under 30 cents each.
Try pairing pecans and coconut to produce the perfect dessert bar – sure to be a family holiday favorite.

Treat them to a truffle or two, for less than 20 cents each.
Go gourmet with these decadent truffles — just don’t tell your guests how incredibly easy they are to make!

Give them a tea party, for less than 12 cents a serving.
This Russian Tea Cake recipe is easy to make and even easier on your wallet

8 Reasons to Use a Business Credit Card

Credit cards are fast becoming a business necessity. They’re flexible, easy to use, convenient and offer users the ability to make purchases instantly, anywhere in the world.

We’ve spent some time analysing credit cards aimed at businesses and have put together a list of our top 8 reasons to use a company credit card.

Easy tracking of expenses and purchases – Using a credit card for business purchases makes it easier to track expenses. The majority of credit card providers offer comprehensive expense reporting (both online and off) which can save you countless administration costs and a lot of hassle.
No more petty cash – Petty cash used to be the most popular way to pay for small, incidental purchases but the days of the petty cash tin are well and truly over. These days it’s more common for companies to make purchases online or over the phone. Providing key staff members with a credit card that’s attached to a business account means you can make instant purchases and reconcile expenses quickly and easily. 3. Rewards and incentives. The majority of business credit card programs offer rewards and incentives for users. Organisations can save money on a variety of goods and services from petrol to air travel, insurance and other professional services.
Build business credit – One of the most important reasons for applying for a business credit card is to build your business credit. This will come in handy if you need to take out a business loan in the future. Responsible use and a consistent payment history will be great assets to your credit rating.
Separate business and personal finance – If you’re a small business owner you’ll know how important it is to separate business and personal finance. Having a business credit card will help with this division and will come in especially handy around tax time. Remember to keep your accounts separate and don’t be tempted to make personal purchases on your business credit card (or vice versa).
Large purchases or unexpected expenses – There may come a time when you need to buy supplies, make a one-off payment or pay a large bill. Business credit cards help you to make these one off payments quickly and are more convenient than applying for a business loan.
Embrace the quiet times – Cash flow is a major concern for all businesses and even more so if you have employees or creditors that rely on your payments. A business credit card can help you cover the quiet times and the seasonal lulls.
Say goodbye to cash – Having cash on-site or carrying it around with you is not a good idea. Business credit cards reduce the need for ready cash making your business less of a target for theft or loss.

If they’re used responsibly, business credit cards can help you run your business better and even save you some money.

You would think this year’s Mortgage Bankers Association annual meeting would be a rather solemn affair — given the criticism the industry has endured in recent months. But our ANP reporter attending the meeting found the bankers in a celebratory mood. The reason? A massive lobbying campaign against bankruptcy reform legislation known as “cram-down” appeared to be working.

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• 8 GB capacity for 1,750 songs, 10,000 photos, or 10 hours of video
• This 8 GB iPod touch includes standard Apple earphones; it does not come with earphones with microphone and is not compatible with Voice Control
• Up to 30 hours of music playback or 6 hours of video playback when fully charged
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iPod Touch lets you enjoy everything you love about an iPod, and then some. Watch your movies and TV shows on a brilliant 3.5-inch display. Use the revolutionary Multi-Touch interface to flick through your music in Cover Flow. And anytime you’re itching for more entertainment, just tap iTunes to browse and buy on the fly.

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Why Should I Consider an FHA Home loan to purchase a home?

FHA home loan Florida, FHA Mortgage Florida, Florida home loan,

Why Should I Consider an FHA Home loan to purchase a home?

Purchasing a Florida home is one of life’s major landmarks and for some, it is even a dream come true. Securing an FHA mortgage is the most important piece of the Florida home loan puzzle.

The FHA loan program was created to help increase homeownership. The  FHA home loan makes buying a home easier and less expensive than other types of real estate mortgage home loan programs. Some highlights of the FHA loan program are:

Other FHA loan Advantages Include:

Minimal Down Payment and Closing Costs.

Down payment less than 3.5% of Sales Price Gift for down payment and closing costs allowed. No reserves or required. FHA regulated closing costs. Seller can credit up to 6% of sales price towards buyers costs.

Easier Credit Qualifying Guidelines such as:

Minimum FICO credit score of 540. FHA will allow a home purchase 2 years after a Bankruptcy. FHA will allow a home purchase  3 years after a Foreclosure.

Easier Debt Ratio & Job Requirement Guidelines such as:

Higher Debt Ratio’s than other home loan programs. Less than two years on the job is allowed. Self-Employed individuals o.k.

APPLY TODAY AT www.FHAmortgageFHALoan.com,

Homeowners enjoy the benefits of investing in their Florida home year after year. For some, there comes a time when that investment can come in handy. Refinancing your home loan with FHA can prove to be an effective way to put that equity in your Florida home to work.

Florida has FHA loan limits these FHA loan limits were established to define how much you can borrow for FHA home loan. Each state has different FHA loan  limits, so be sure to look up your state to understand what is available for your FHA home loan.FHA home loans are easier and less expensive than other home loan programs.

There are many reasons for Florida homebuyers to investigate an FHA home loan for their next purchase. First time Florida homebuyers should explore FHA loan options because it’s easier to qualify for an FHA loan than qualifying for a conventional mortgage..  FHA mortgage loans are guaranteed by the government, making your home loan application more appealing to FHA approved  lenders. Since the typical first-time FHA mortgage applicant is young and just starting out their careers, chances are they still have student loans and other credit card debts to content with; The FHA  mortgage loan  costs less and is more forgiving of youthful indiscretions with credit and payments.

FHA mortgage loans don’t require a big down payment. For most Florida  first-time homebuyers this can be an advantage; that typical Florida mortgage applicant in the early stages of a new career often doesn’t have a large down payment set aside specifically for purchasing a Florida home. Luckily the  FHA mortgage only requires a low 3.5% down payment, and that money can come from a variety of sources including an FHA down payment assistance program including Florida Grants.

For Florida first time buyers, closing cost can be another issue to contend with. For the Florida homebuyer typical closing costs for FHA home loans are around 6% of the purchase price. One of the biggest advantages with an FHA Loan is that the seller can pay up to 6% of the  Florida homebuyers closing cost and prepaid

FHA mortgage loans  are not  just for Florida first-time home buyers. Florida homeowners use FHA refinance mortgages to  help people get out of sub-prime adjustable rate mortgages with interest rates on the brink of a huge increase. Florida homeowners on the brink of foreclosure with a conventional mortgage loan are finding that  FHA home mortgage refinancing is a godsend for those who want to keep their Florida  home.. The advantages of using an FHA mortgage include a low fixed rate mortgage guaranteed by the FHA. This means, predictable FHA mortgage payments over the life of the loan and lower interest rates making it easer for mortgage applicants to qualify with lower payments..

FHA also provides cash-out refinancing for those who need to use equity built up in their Florida home for unexpected expenses. FHA cash-out refinancing mortgage may offer lower interest rates than traditional home equity loans; you may qualify for one of two FHA mortgage plans which offer cash-out refinancing. One offers loan amounts for up to 97.75% of the appraised value of the home, another FHA refinancing loan offers amounts up to 85% of your Florida homes  appraised value. Each FHA mortgage loan has its own requirements;

FHA home loans should take up no more than 35% of your Gross monthly income ( income before taxes) , and your FHA loan officer will ask for verification of your income to make the calculation. While some Florida mortgage applicants  are able to get conventional loans using “stated income”, requirements for FHA home loans such as FHA refinancing loans require copies of your income tax returns to verify the actual amount of money you report to the government. If your job situation has changed since your last tax filing, you may be able to furnish proof of income through your new employer.

With the total of personal debt in the UK now in excess of £1.28 trillion and increasing by £1 million every four minutes, many people are looking for ways to make their debts more manageable.

Against this background, debt management programmes, where a finance company takes control of someone’s debts and deals with the various creditors in return for a set monthly fee, are becoming increasingly popular.

But The Debt Counsellors’ Debt Management Report stresses that consumers should seek professional debt counselling before signing up to such an agreement because in many cases they have the potential to make a debt problem worse.

John Porter of The Debt Counsellors explains: “Debt management programmes can appeal to people struggling with bills but some deals work out more expensive in the long run than the original debts because of higher interest or longer repayment periods.”

The Debt Management Report fully explains the dangers of debt management programmes and also gives details of the alternative solutions to serious debt problems.

Porter adds: “We strongly advise anyone considering a debt management programme to get professional debt help first. The Debt Counsellors give free, confidential advice on debt problems and can explain all the options available.”

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Forget everything you thought you knew about the benefits of taking a variable-rate mortgage instead of locking in for the long term.

A new study suggests the security of a five-year mortgage costs little or nothing beyond a riskier variable-rate mortgage, providing you get a jumbo-sized rate discount.

“Interest costs on discounted closed five-year mortgages have been close to, and often lower than, those of variable-rate mortgages since late 1996,” senior Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. economist Ali Manouchehri writes in the study.

Homeowners have made variable-rate mortgages hugely popular in the past few years in the belief that you can save on interest costs by pegging your mortgage rate to your lender’s prime lending rate. As the prime rises, or as has generally happened in the past few years, fallen, so goes your mortgage rate.

The prime rate at the major banks is now 4.5 per cent, while the posted five-year rate at the big banks is 6.15 per cent. In just one year, the variable-rate choice would save you about ,700 on monthly payments toward a 0,000 mortgage amortized over 25 years (assuming a level prime rate).

Historically, you would also have saved a lot. The CMHC study shows that five-year mortgages taken out from 1993 through 1998 would have cost anywhere from ,000 to ,000 in additional interest paid over the term of the loan (the example is based on a 0,000 mortgage amortized over 25 years).

The flaw with this analysis is that it doesn’t reflect real-world mortgage pricing. These days, very few people take out a mortgage without a sizable discount off the posted rates at major banks.

For that reason, the CMHC’s Mr. Manouchehri decided to compare discounted five-year mortgages with discounted variable-rate mortgages. Incidentally, five years is the most popular term by far for fixed-rate mortgages at about 59 per cent of the total.

The size of the discounts Mr. Manouchehri applied was based on the difference between posted major bank rates and the best deals available from other lenders. For five-year mortgages, he used a discount of 1.25 of a percentage point; for variable-rate mortgages, it was 0.4 of a point off prime.

For five-year mortgages taken out between 1993 and mid-1996, the five-year mortgage was costlier in terms of interest costs. Since then, however, variable-rate mortgages have generally been a little bit more expensive.

Obviously, there’s nothing in this study that decides the fixed-rate versus variable-rate debate once and for all.

In fact, the CMHC study may just confuse anyone who recalls some research done for Manulife Financial back in 2000 by York University finance professor Moshe Milevsky. His research found that the extra interest charged on a five-year mortgage would have cost ,000 on average between 1950 and 2000 for a 0,000 mortgage amortized over 15 years.

To make some sense of the variable-rate versus five-year question, let’s go back to the CMHC study.

It shows that five-year mortgages, discounted or otherwise, were especially bad choices for a three-year period starting in mid-1993. Rates were high for a while back then, but they subsequently fell.

You were a spectator to these rate declines if you were stuck in a five-year mortgage, while people in variable-rate mortgages would have benefited almost immediately.

It’s a different world now, though. Five-year mortgage rates are close to a 50-year low, which suggests they’re far more likely to rise over their term than fall.

So what’s the best choice here, variable-rate or five-year fixed rate? People who want to pay rock-bottom mortgage rates for as long as possible will probably still want a variable-rate mortgage. Remember, you can lock this sort of mortgage into a fixed term without penalty in most cases.

The case for the five-year term looks almost as strong, though. First, the CMHC study tells us there may not be a significant cost to locking your mortgage in for five years, and you might even save a little over a variable-rate mortgage.

Second, the likelihood of higher rates in the years to come would suggest that this is a good time to lock in.

If you had a variable-rate mortgage discounted to 4 per cent, the prime would have to go up by 0.85 of a percentage point to equal the current five-year rate. That’s not a lot of ground to cover in the span of 12 to 18 months when the economy is doing well.

Arguably, the variable-rate versus fixed-rate debate is all about risks and rewards. Right now, the five-year option offers much less risk, and almost as much reward.

Gourmet It Up
Chef Kathy Davault wrote Gourmet It Up to give you hope and encouragement that becoming a gourmet cook is not only possible but is quite easy! Eighty-five pages packed with everything you need to know to prepare culinary delights of your own!