These “Pop Up” stores are a phenomenon of the past decade or so, and the trend continues. In this down economy there is no shortage of empty retail space. Holiday themed store can generate a lot of traffic in a short period of time, as just about every family with kids will be in the market for Halloween costumes and decorations. The trend of adults wearing costumes to costume parties only fuel the trend. And next month you can be sure to see similar stores for Christmas. These stores sell Christmas trees, Christmas tree ornaments, wreaths, lights and other Christmas-related items.

It is a fact of retail life that 80 percent of sales happen in the last two months of the year. So, for certain retailers like Halloween stores and Christmas stores, it makes sense to only be open these few weeks during the holiday season, and save on the expenses of rent and employee salaries the remainder of the year. .

What does this mean for you, the consumer? In short, some good deals. Pop up stores still have to compete against established chains such as Target and Wal Mart. Since most of the employees of these stores are temporary part time workers without the overhead costs of healthcare that come with full time workers, labor costs are low. Rents are low, because the building landlords stuck with an otherwise empty building would rather collect a low rent than no rent at all. These savings are then passe don to the consumer. Thirdly, these pop up stores get merchandise in bulk, sometimes from Chinese manufacturers and off brands, for more savings.

The trend of pop up retailing is also hot right now in clothing manufacturing. Hot young designers trying to make a name for themselves may pitch a tent in street beside a well known shopping district, and sell their clothes at a steep discount. These tent locations (and at times truck locations) can offer exceptional deals.

You can do a Google search for “pop up” retailer based on your zip code to see what’s available in your area.

Happy Halloween!

Pop Up Halloween Stores is a post from: MiCash Prepaid MasterCard

Clean Out your Closets

It’s always a good idea to give your old clothes to charity. You know the ones, the old shirts that have gone out of style, the pants that don’t fit you any more. Did you know that you can write off the resale value of those clothes on your annual taxes? If you give them to a place like Goodwill, be sure to have the person at the delivery door write you a receipt. Here’s another tip: put all of your socks in pairs, and then get rid of the socks that don’t have a mate. You can further organize your wardrobe by putting winter clothes in plastic storage bins, or boxes. That way, you will have more room in your closet. A lot of people have the rule that if they haven’t worn it in six months, they don’t need it.

Clean Out Your Fridge

At least twice a year you should do a thorough clean up of your refrigerator. That means taking out the shelves and washing them with soap and water. This prevents bacteria from getting out of control, and it is also more sanitary. After all, who wants to pick up a carton of milk and find sticky chocolate syrup or some other substance on the bottom of the carton? You can clean your fridge with a sponge and 1:3 mixture of vinegar and water (vinegar is safe on areas that touch food and will remove stains and odor). Be sure to also dust the top of your fridge and vacuum the element to remove dust that can cause your motor to work harder or even fail.

Clean Out Your Garage

Through the winter months it seems the garage is a catch all for clutter such as empty boxes after Christmas, and things we drag out of our cars. Also, dirt and grime can cover the garage floor and the surfaces of tools that you haven’t used since the fall. Spiders and mice can also add to the garage mess. When the weather warms, it’s a good idea to move things out of the garage and sweep the floor. Then, throw away whatever is broken or not worth the space to store it. Garage sales are a great way to unload things you probably don’t have much use for. One person’s junk is another person’s treasure. What goes for the garage, also goes for basements. Sell what is taking up space and you won’t use. Wipe down dusty items. Buy plastic bins and neatly store things like Christmas decorations.Try some new organizational tools or techniques to store sports equipment, Christmas decorations, or whatever your family hides in your garage space.

Window Washing

Spring Cleaning Tips is a post from: MiCash Prepaid MasterCard

Aside from the stunning dip that marks the recession, this chart shows that corporate profits (not adjusted for inflation which has been low at any rate) are even higher than their last peak in 2006. Is this a sign that the economy is on the rebound? Not if you consider that employment nationwide is still hovering a little below 10% and is much worse in states like Michigan.

Why have profits rebounded ahead of jobs? The biggest reason is that corporations are still not hiring, so the remaining workforce is working harder, as factories build up inventories, and companies began to do more business. Bottom line productivity rises, but at the expense of employees who are doing more work for the same pay–or even at reduced pay because so many employers cut out cost of living increases or even reduced pay in the teeth of the Great Recession.

If corporate profits remain high, at some point the workforce will be maxed out or burned out, and hiring will pick up. Best case scenario the economy witnesses a healthy rebound. Worse case scenario, we get a “double ditch” recession as the recovery sputters, and more people get laid off, consumer spending drops, and the cycle begins all over again.

Corporate profits have rebounded but not jobs is a post from: MiCash Prepaid MasterCard

MiCash Prepaid Debit MasterCard

The New York Times reports that the leakage rate might be ten times higher than initial estimates.

In a closed-door briefing for members of Congress, a senior BP executive conceded Tuesday that the ruptured oil well could conceivably spill as much as 60,000 barrels a day of oil, more than 10 times the estimate of the current flow.

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Gulf Oil Spill Widget is a post from: MiCash Prepaid MasterCard

For example, if a MiCash prepaid debit card is lost or stolen, the card holder can easily contact the support team of MiCash with a phone call to report the loss. The card will be replaced, and the funds are insured under the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The card is also protected under certain conditions with the MasterCard Zero Liability Protection, to protect the card holder from unauthorized purchases.

These are some of the security measures inherent in the MiCash prepaid MasterCard. These give people the security and comfort of money safely kept away for the future.

A Prepaid MasterCard From MiCash Puts Client Security On Top is a post from: MiCash Prepaid MasterCard

Now, the lines are blurring between the two forms of payment—debit or credit—for both merchants and consumers. When someone pulls out a plastic card with the MasterCard or Visa logo on it to pay for food, gas, or a store purchase, he or she may conduct the transaction using a signature, or in the case of a debit card, by entering a PIN number on a check out keypad. The signature payment method runs on a credit card network. The PIN payment method runs on a debit network. Merchants pay a fee in either case (to MasterCard or Visa) as part of their doing business.  This fee is slightly lower in the case of PIN transactions, which is why some retailers like Wal Mart and CVS Pharmacy encourage debit card users to pay by PIN.

The real difference between credit cards and debit cards has more to do with the funds being transferred. When you buy something with a credit card, you are not spending your own money but rather borrowing money against a credit line that the bank issuing the card has extended to you. The only limit on your spending is the limit imposed by the credit card company. So, when you make a payment towards your outstanding balance you are paying back the credit card company for earlier purchases.

Here’s what happens behind the scenes when you make debit card purchase. You are actually accessing your own money that is sitting in a bank account. As the transaction happens, money is transferred out of your account, travels across the network, and is transferred into the merchant’s bank account. PIN purchases happen in real time, so the amount in your account is verified and transferred immediately. Signature transactions, which travel across the credit card network, do not have to happen in real time but can happen hours later in a “batch” process with other transactions. The transfer of funds from the cardholder to the merchant can also be delayed, some times as long as two days, depending on when the batch process is executed.

So what’s the difference between a prepaid debit card and a bank debit card or ATM card? The real differences are more technical than actual. For both kinds of cards, you deposit your own money with the card account and withdraw it as you see fit, either by making ATM cash withdrawals or by using the card for purchases. A bank card or ATM card (sometimes called a checkcard) is connected to a checking account. Typically, there are no fees associated with purchases, or when using an ATM within the bank’s network. In contrast, a prepaid card is not connected with a checking account but stands alone. There is usually some fee structure in place for using the card. For example, each purchase may generate a 90 cent fee, or the card holder may pay a flat $10 per month for using the card. A prepaid card is a good choice for people who would like to get a debit card but have trouble opening a checking account.

Prepaid cards like the MiCash Mastercard are also a convenient alternative to credit cards, because prepaid cards that bear the Visa or MasterCard logo are accepted worldwide like credit cards. They are a good option for people with bad credit or a lack of a credit history, because they do not require a credit bureau check to be approved.

Prepaid Debit Cards Versus Bank Debit or ATM Cards is a post from: MiCash Prepaid MasterCard

Flickr image by Quaziephoto

The first method is to get a prepaid card that offers a “companion card” or second card tied to the card account. At MiCash we call this the Maestro card. This second card can be loaded with money that is transferred from the primary prepaid card account it is connected to. These transfers can be done online by logging into your card account or by calling customer service. The charge is $2 to transfer money from a MiCash card onto the Maestro companion card. Once the MiCash Maestro companion card is loaded with money, it can be used for purchases wherever Maestro cards are accepted throughout MasterCard®’s debit card network (but please note that it won’t have the MasterCard logo printed on the face of the card). Any applicable transaction fees will also apply for each use of the Maestro card. The Maestro card can be used until it is exhausted of funds (but it can also be reloaded with more funds).

Another equally convenient way to share funds is to have your family member simply get a MiCash MasterCard, and then you can help them out by adding money to the card using Greendot MoneyPaks®. Here’s how it works. Let’s say you want to put money on your college student’s credit card only they can’t get a credit card due to the recent changes in credit card laws, so they have a prepaid card instead. What you do is go to any CVS, Walgreens, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, 7-Eleven, or other outlet that sells Greendot MoneyPaks. At the checkout register add any amount of cash from $20 to $500 to the card. A $4.95 service fee will be added to your total. Your Greendot MoneyPak will have a unique card number identifier. Next, you can call the toll free number on the Greendot MoneyPak or visit www.moneypak.com and transfer the money from the card (identified by its unique number) to your MiCash Card, identified by its unique account number. Within just a few minutes, the money transferred using this Greendot Moneypak method will appear on your MiCash card, ready to use.

Sending a Debit Card to Family is a post from: MiCash Prepaid MasterCard

Who needs a Prepaid MasterCard? Practically anyone who enjoys cashless spending without the hassle of having to worry about overdrafts will greatly benefit from MiCash’s prepaid cards. With prepaid cards, you can shop cashless without the risk of overspending or having to worry about compounding interest. When you use MiCash prepaid cards, you enjoy various benefits, such as security, convenience and easy access.

When getting a Prepaid MasterCard with MiCash, you enjoy a guaranteed 100% approval whether applying online or by phone. Once approved, you can instantly enjoy the benefits of cashless spending. When your card runs out of funds, you can just as easily reload it through any Western Union agents or through any Green Dot MoneyPak outlets at Wal-Mart, Kmart or 7-Eleven.

Not only is it fast and convenient when you’re on the go but you can also use it to shop for items online, or to pay your bills.

Prepaid MasterCard – Prepaid Debit Card is a post from: MiCash Prepaid MasterCard

Getting a prepaid debit card these days is much preferred by many consumers because of the safety, ease and convenience that they offer. With all the electronic means of purchasing goods, cashless spending is now moving to become the preferred payment method by many people. However, using checks and other instruments have put thousands of people at the mercy of compounding interests, check cashing service fees and other additional charges.

Fortunately, there is now an alternative means to spend without cash and purchase goods electronically, without having to worry about the usual costly charges. A MiCash prepaid debit card is the best companion to the savvy spender that lets him or her take control over how much he or she can spend, without worrying about overdraft charges. MiCash prepaid cards let you purchase goods at over a million stores that accept Debit MasterCard payments, online and offline. In addition, it also lets you have access to cash instantly at millions of ATMs globally. It’s the smart alternative to other forms of payment.

Prepaid Debit Card – Cash Cards is a post from: MiCash Prepaid MasterCard

A prepaid MasterCard is the perfect companion for those who want the benefits of cashless spending without worrying about the woes of compounding interest rates and check cashing fees. More than just a fad, prepaid cards are today’s best means of paying for your bills and shopping items.

MiCash satisfies the needs of savvy spenders who want convenience in making their purchases. MiCash prepaid card offers them even more than just convenience. MiCash offers a cheaper alternative to using checks, as MiCash puts an end to overdraft and minimum balance fees. With a prepaid card, cardholders can also avoid costly interest charges and late fees, as well as the possibility of losing cash by accident.

Additionally, a MiCash prepaid MasterCard lets cardholders control how much they can spend, as they can choose how much they want to load to their cards. And with quick lost or stolen card replacement services, as well as FDIC-insured funds, safety doesn’t get much better than this.

Prepaid MasterCard – Prepaid Debit Cards is a post from: MiCash Prepaid MasterCard