Money Considerations when Moving

Hey friends, fans and faithful blog readers...The Monetizer was recently involved in a big out of state move. As you know there's a lot involved when you make a move to a new residence. If it's an apartment setting you may have a lot of loose ends to tie up back home. Here's some tips on things to think about when moving..

1) Bank - This has been the biggest challenge so far. My bank located back home doesn't have branches in the new state. The challenge comes because I used to be able to move funds from PayPal or other sources on a day's notice. Now there's a new stumbling block in automatic withdrawals, etc. So the bank is one thing to consider first and foremost when moving.

2) Utility/Bill companies - The beauty of most companies these days is that you can do things online, such as pay the monthly bill and if you need to, cancel service. I've been successful in cancelling Eletric so far, but the Cable and Phone/DSL will require phone calls. A lot of these services require a certain amount of notice to cancel, or you will get billed for another month. The gym I belong to either wants you to cancel in person, or send a certified letter of cancellation. So there's a bit of a process involved in quitting a health club, although it may differ for different gyms.

3) Apartment lease - Apartments are very different in lease policies. Some will allow month to month renting, others do it by the yearly lease. There can be fees involved for breaking the lease and then any problems that the apartment may have. It's something to consider before leaving that you do your best to leave the place how you first moved into it. This isn't always cost effective at the time, but it can save you money for damage fees. Often the security deposit can aid with this.

4) Change of address - This one actually costs you a whole dollar by credit card should you choose to do it online. It's smart to do this as quickly as possible to make sure you get that mail, bills and of course checks from various companies! You can use USPS.com to make the change, and it works pretty well. Beware though, they put you through a ton of extra as you go along such as "would you like to subscribe to any of these magazines?"

5) Internet work/Blogging - Until I get hi-speed here, I am forced to work with the old school dialup. That can be tricky with just one phone line and roommates, but I will manage to get my work in when I can. It's probably the biggest stumbling block so far, but these things can be overcome.

There's a ton to think about and do when you move, and the above things can be financial difficulties, only if you let them. It's always good to plan in advance, otherwise you will be throwing away that hard earned money you're making online!

The Monetizer is on the Move!

Hey folks! The Monetizer has been a bit busy lately with a big change of residences. So stay tuned as the Monetizer blog will be updated very shortly with more ways to make money!

A Billionaire's Mindstate

I took a quick look at the new Entrepreneur magazine at the local news stand, as it discusses the idea of being a billionaire instead of a millionaire. These days with the way tech companies are blowing up it's very possible to create that sort of wealth. Over at the Entrepreneur.com site they have a full article about how it's done.

The magazine offers the following traits about entrepreneurs:

- Entrepreneurs are less likely to be college graduates than non-entrepreneurs.

- They are more likely to attribute their success to determination, while nonentrepreneurs credit intelligence and education.

-They say their happiness increases as they accumulate more money.

-They are more likely to say money brings them self-confidence, while nonentrepreneurs say it brings them security.

(Note: The above findings are from a 2007 study of those who have assets of $5 million and above.)

Those concepts seem like no-brainers right? Except you'd be hard pressed to find people who say "Don't get an education". Many times it seems as if the best ideas are born from those with pure drive and creativity versus a ton of education credentials.

The article also looks at two very successful entrepreneurs. Marc Ecko created the very trendy and popular streetwear fashion line, Ecko. It currently includes everything from hoodies to jeans to watches and sneakers and has celebrity fashion models such as Ashley Tisdale. Ecko was once in a huge debt situation with his company and many thought he should jump ship. But he believed in the vision enough and that he could make it work. Ecko kept at it and he's now a success story.

The other man mentioned is 45 year old David Hitz who founded Network Appliance (NetApp). He was discouraged by his mother from getting a career in computers but chose not to listen. He now runs a data storage company which has exploded exponentially in both size and profits. He's been featured on Fortune magazine's "40 Richest Under 40" list as well. David does buck the trend mentioned above as he is a graduate of Princeton, but even so, many people use that education to simply "work for the man" instead of "being the man" themselves.

The main point about both Ecko and Hitz is they relied on hard work, determination and vision instead of listening to naysayers who tried to dash their dreams. Other successful entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates and Oprah have done the same and so can you. It's mostly about mindset.

If you're reading this blog now or a regular reader here you are probably looking for ways to make money online. That qualifies you as an internet entrepreneur. You may already have ideas for some sort of business you would like to start or have other ideas to make money. Now you need the proper mindset to put them into practice. As stated in Napoleon Hill's book, "Think & Grow Rich" the one thing we have absolute control over is our own thoughts. We can create and we can prevent others' negative thoughts from impacting us. So set your mind to start thinking big...do you want to be a millionaire or billionaire?

Shoot for the moon and study the mindset of these individuals at the article: Who Wants to be a Billionaire?

The Mortage Debate: Pay Off or Keep It?

I was recently checking out an article at the UK's Money Magic site about a Commercial Mortgage situation. One article on the site discusses how borrowers can and should pay off their mortgage by keeping their montly payments up.

The article states:

"A lender who is paying £629 per month on a £100,000 mortgage at 5.75 per cent could now pay £30 less at 5.25 per cent "

Many of us here in the US don't deal in Euros, but the concept is the same for the US homeowners. According to Kate Tucker of Charcoal.co.uk, she says a mortgage really dictates when people can retire. Paying off that big financial obligation may seem like sound advice as the article adds that paying off the mortgage frees up money for other things. However, The Monetizer has heard from more than one source that the last thing you want to do is pay your mortgage off.

In my opinion, owning a home is the best investment you can make financially, besides an education. The home mortgage can be refinanced to free up extra money for bills should you hit a real crunch. It provides a nice cushion. Also, with tough economic times right now and home foreclosures hitting people so hard, keeping the mortgage seems to work for the long term. As the economy and real estate selling market improves, the value of your home could shoot up, giving you extra money if you sell. It's a great investment either way. So many will say get rid of that huge bill, but other financial pundits argue it's a good idea to keep it going for investment's sake.

What is your take on having a mortage? Good or bad to keep one?