Multiply Marketplace Closing on May 6, 2013

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After less than 6 months of being a dedicated e-commerce service, Multiply had suddenly announced that it will be closing its marketplace service on May 6.  This announcement came amidst several complaints both from sellers and buyers regarding various issues on their payment system.

Multiply's Announcement

Multiply's short-lived dabble in online selling was a great revolution of trying to foster honest selling and buying experience online.  Sellers had the option of using Multiply's escrow service that would accept payments from buyers thru Multiply system.  As a reward, sellers would gain points that would allow them to ship the items to the customer free of charge.

Several sellers had issues of not receiving the payment on-time since Multiply had a hard time disbursing the payments back to the sellers who should receive them.  For the buyers, the experience led them to believe that the sellers renegade on them and had turned scam after not receiving the items they paid for.

My First PayPal Payment -- Account is Limited!

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Getting an email from PayPal saying that your account was set to limited after just verifying it is quite daunting.

This mostly happens when you’ve just received your very first payment for an item sold or a service rendered.  However, this shouldn’t cause you any alarm.  First of all, ensure that there hasn’t been any unauthorized activity on your account.  Secondly, make sure that the payment you received is from your customer.

Once you’ve satisfied the above criteria, proceed with shipping the merchandize to your customer as normal.  Follow these simple steps to ensure that PayPal would lift the limit on your account and protect you as a seller as well.

1. Log-in to your PayPal account.
2. Right beside the payment you received, click the Details link.
3. At the end of the page, click Edit Tracking Info.
4. Change the Order Status to Shipped.
5. Write the tracking number provided by the courier you’ve used.
6. On the Shipping Company choose Other.
7. A new box will appear.  Write here the official website of the courier that you’ve used.
8. Click Save

After just a few minutes, PayPal would lift the limit on your account.  However, the payment you received will remain on hold.  You can’t do anything about this but wait for the standard 21days to pass for PayPal to transfer the money to your Available Fund, granted that buyer won’t raise a dispute.

Succeeding payments from any other customer would no longer be placed on your Pending Fund, but would go direct to your Available Fund even if the 21days hasn’t passed yet.

Remember to keep a copy of the waybill even if in electronic form for a minimum of 60days.  This is the time frame when customer can raise a dispute and reverse the payment.  Always update the shipping information of all your subsequent transactions to enjoy the convenience brought by PayPal.

Don't have PayPal yet?  Check this out and get your own.

This Year's Goal, My New Year Resolution for 2013

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OK, it's late to be doing this post for a New Year's Resolution. Let's all pretend that I'm Chinese and had just celebrated the Spring Festival and ushered in the year of the Water Snake.

Putting a resolution is good, but sticking to it is the problem.  Most of us can sustain the changes for up to the quarter of the year then lapse little by little until we revert to previous vices or workings.

To sustain the resolution, I've made a lists of goals instead. Only 6 for this year and they're actually a continuation of lasts years changes. Here they are written to the easiest to the most difficult. I hope to stick to them and check by the end of 2013 if I made anything or everything came true.

My List

6. Double last year's investment.  I've put this as the easiest since I'm most determined to make this come true.
5. Post regularly.  I put here regularly instead of daily or weekly.  But I'm sure that there won't be a month without a post.



Courtesy of www.blogote.com

4. Create an emergency fund.  I've started my investment in no particular order.  I just jumped into it even though I know that creating a 3 to 6 months worth of expense for emergency fund is a prerequisite.  This year I'll create that fund and not touch it.

3. Drink at least 5 glasses of pure water daily.  You may find this weird, but there.  I'm not fond of drinking water.  It has to have color on it; taste on it; and I'm lucky enough, fizz on it.
2. Complete my cross-stitch project.  I've been doing this project for more than 5years now.  I know, that's a long time to be doing a cross-stitch, but I have my excuses lined up including a wedding and two pregnancies.  I'm allowed! My project should like a little like the photo below once completed.  Sorry, I don't have the actual picture with me.



Happy Lovers - courtesy of www.free-cross-stitch-pattern.com

1. Start a physical business.  This would be the most difficult of all.  There's a lot of planning to be made and capital to start a business.  I hope that this year would be the year to have that physical store.

Ways to Pay for Your eBay Seller Fees

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For eBay sellers who availed the eBay store feature, paying your seller fee dues is a no brainer already.  However, those new into the business will find themselves lost once due date comes in.

Every month eBay sends invoice for your last month’s transaction bills.  If you avail the very basic eBay store which costs 150pesos a month, you will see it billed the next month.  But don’t fret, eBay requires immediate payment only for invoices 300pesos and up.  Meaning you can use the store feature for 2 months before you’re required to pay.

Not paying past due invoices will automatically put your account on hold preventing you from listing new items, including those in automatic listing.

Ways you can pay

Credit Card

• Automatic credit card payments - Each month eBay will charge the credit card that you placed on file.  This is safe and very convenient.  Credit card must bear the Master Card or Visa logo.

• One-time credit card payment - Pay your seller fees manually using credit card.  Usually takes 24 to 48 hours for eBay to confirm acceptance of payment.

• One-time payment thru BDO bank deposit - Print a payment voucher from your eBay account and deposit the payment at BDO.  Great for those without credit cards.  See the detailed instruction on my next post.

eBay Voucher

Sorry guys but PayPal payment of fees is not offered for eBay.ph sellers.  Yes, I’m also disappointed with this.

Pancake with Jellyfish Jelly

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Pink Jellyfish Jelly

The kids and I love pancakes. And they surely can’t get tired of watching SpongeBob.

One episode of SpongeBob gave me an idea to give a twist to our regular pancakes. The episode is
name Jellyfish Hunter. You can watch it here.

In it SpongeBob collects Jellyfish Jelly in a jar and spreads it to his patty. He gave a sample to a customer
and it tastes so good that the customer broke into a song. To cut it short, the jelly was such a hit that
Mr. Krabs decided to offer it as a regular at the Krusty Krabs.

Jellyfish Jelly looks like any jam and is either pink or blue, depending on the color of the jellyfish that made it. Remembering that we bought several jars of strawberry jam from our trip in Baguio, I decided to sample how it would taste with the pancake. And sure enough, it’s a hit. I then introduced the combination to the kids telling them that its pancakes with Jellyfish Jelly.

Pancake with Jellyfish Jelly

Dean enjoying his jelly pancake

My Maid Invests in the Stock Market - The Book That Changed My Life

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For some it’s the Bible.  For others it’s the Purpose Driven Life.  There even those who have read Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad.  And many more books that made impact in our life.  Mine is a small book written by Bro. Bo Sanchez, a Filipino, entitled My Maid Invests in the Stock Market.

It’s a financial book, a spiritual book and a motivations book wrapped in less than 50pages.  The words are easy to understand and the message readily received.  This book started my journey to financial freedom.

Flash back to 2010…

My Maid Invests in the Stock Market

Hubby just received his contract to be an Engineer at a multi-national company in Singapore; and the company was mandating that he report to work on September 01.  We’re waddling thru debt.  There were the two credit cards, the bank loan, the SSS loan and the mortgage for the 120 sq. meter residential lot that we bought a year ago.  Just last August we purchased a round trip ticket to Singapore for his medical exam.  Now, I would need to raise fund for another ticket, room rental fee and pocket money, enough to last him until he receives his pay check at the end of the month.

We’re both struggling to make everything fit in the budget.  There were still two tykes that needed their milk formula at home.  Prompting me to start my online/offline direct selling business and read anything and everything about budgeting and investing.  I would say that hubby was truly excellent at what he does.  After 3months, his boss made him a permanent staff; and at the 6^th month, he was rewarded with a new position and a pay raise.

I had my doubts on investing.  There’s a big risk that I could lose my money.  So, while paying off all debts I decided to test the waters and start with BDO EIP (Easy Investment Plan).  Nothing big or too risky.  Just 1000pesos a month, every month, debited from my bank account and invested on a Fix Income Fund.  A fund that increases little by little every day.  I used my earnings from my direct selling business to fund the investment.

Fast forward to New Year 2012…

✔ Bank loan paid
✔ SSS loan paid
✔ BDO credit card cut
✔ Less than 3 months to pay the lot (paid it in 3yrs instead of 5)

I read the book My Made Invest in Stocks in pdf form.  Printed the same file and passed it to my mom.  Made up my mind that before the 2011 closes and 2012 ushers in; hubby and I will make that trip to the PSE building in Ortigas and open an account with Citiseconline.  We’ll open an EIP account for only 5000pesos; and so we did, with the 2 kids in tow.  We weren’t able to attend the seminar about investing given free by Citiseconline because we arrived late.  But it’s OK.  I have all the basic knowledge with me because of that little book.  I know that I’ll buy 100 shares of ALI and 100 shares of AEV with that 5000pesos.  And continue buying every month until I reach the FV (Fair Value) price of the stock, signaling me to sell it.

The here and now…

2012 was a good year for PSE.  The index gained 32.95%, making it the 2ndbest stock in SE Asia.  Lady luck shone its smile on me and gave me a 17.7% increase on my stocks portfolio.  I’m still continuing that BDO EIP, but increased my investment to twice a month.  The kids’ college fund is now invested on FAMI Equity Fund and Balanced Fund.

I still have credit cards but they’re now manageable.  Oh, and we made that big ticket purchase.  A brand new Hyundai Accent (no, not in cash!).  Nothing fancy.  Just something to replace the old Honda car that met its demise because of Habagat.

Here’s a glimpse of my portfolio taken this February 04, just after PSEi hit the 6400 mark.

 

Portfolio as of February 04

I’m not saying that the book will make you a stocks guru.  Or that I didn’t make trading mistakes.  Investing can’t and won’t be able to replace your day (or night) jobs.  Investing is made by changing your lifestyle.  Cutting off the wants and staying within the budget of the needs.  It will help you build something for the future at a faster pace if you’re not too greedy and would do your research patiently.  Financial freedom is a very long journey and all about the journey.

I love my husband and I don’t want to see him working for the next 20years just to buy that next gadget.  I’m dreaming big.  Much bigger than an iPhone or a signature bag.  I’m dreaming for my kids’ future and our retirement.

Click the link and read the book.  It’s FREE.

New Year 2013 at Baguio City

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This time around instead of spending the New Year at home we decided to take the 7 to 8hours drive to Baguio City and spend the holidays on the City of Pines.  Our journey started on December 30 at exactly 7am.  Yeah, we’re already behind schedule.  We’re supposed to leave the house at 6am.  But with 2 kids in tow and a thousand and one items to pack and put on the car; 7am is just good.

We made headway breezing thru Cavitex, Coastal, EDSA and NLEX.  There was no traffic anywhere and mind you, hubby is driving within the speed limit of each of those highways.  I actually wrote all the town names and directions to get there by searching thru various blogs; and boy, were those things helpful.  Armed with a bag of tuna sandwich, several fruit juices and 2 bottles of Coke, we’re able to reach La Union by noon.

We decided to take lunch at Chowking before going thru that long winded road up at Marcos Highway.  We’re able to reach the house at Dominican Hills Baguio City at exactly 3pm.   

Dominican Hills Extension

Take it from me; if you’re using the Baguio City map follow only those roads in yellow.  The roads in white are very narrow roads and some of it is no longer updated.

Here’s a short list of what we discovered on our 2days, 3nights stay at Baguio.

What we did in Baguio?

·         1^st Day, Afternoon (December 30)

o   Buy pasalubong treats at Baguio Central Market.  It’s cheap!
o   Walk around Burnham Park

·         2^nd Day, Morning (December 31)

o   Visit Mines View Park and take pictures.  Buy your Baguio shirts on this trip.

Mines' View Park

France a top a Pony

Looking out the view

o   Wonder around the Botanical Garden

Botanical Garden

France & Dean under the Friendship Bridge

·         2^nd Day, Afternoon (December 31)

o   Prepare for New Year’s dinner

Waiting for dinner to be ready

·         3^rd Day, Morning (January 1)

o   Pick Strawberries at the Strawberry Farm, Benguet

Picking those juicy strawberries

Looking for strawberries

o   Pack everything and drive down in Kennon Road to take pictures at the Lion’s head

Lion's Head

View at Front

 

People in Baguio know how to throw a big New Year celebration.  We were at home overlooking the valley and there are fireworks after fireworks.  The light display started late, at around 11:30pm; and yet abated only after 2am.  Sadly, the kids and I are already at bed, snoring.  It was too cold for us to stay up and watch the displays.