Prepaid Credit Cards - A Viable Alternative to Credit Card Debt

For some people, having a credit card in hand is like giving a beer to a recovering alcoholic. They mean well, but have trouble abstaining. The problem is compounded by the fact that in todays society, there are many occasions (such as renting a car, selling on ebay or ordering online) when you really do need a card.

This is where a prepaid credit card can be especially helpful. Originally designed for adults with poor credit ratings, prepaid credit cards are also becoming a valuable tool for parents of teenagers. The credit limit on such cards is determined by how much money is placed in the bank. This fact alone can teach an important lesson: if the money isnt there, they cant spend it. Rather than enabling us to spend money we dont have, credit cards should be tools of convenience.

Not Free
Its impossible to get a late free on a prepaid card, as there is nothing to pay off. But there are annual fees, monthly fees, activation fees, customer services fees, ATM cash withdrawal fees, fees per purchase on prepaid cards and even inactivity fees. So it pays to shop around before picking a card.

There are scammers in the prepaid credit card business too, just as there are in just about any business. If your prepaid credit card company is tacking on $1 every time you use the card, or $10 per month just to carry their plastic, beware. There are better alternatives available, but its up to you to find them.

Not always accepted
There are also some gas stations and car rental companies that do not accept prepaid credit cards. The logic behind this seems unclear and the incidences may be minor, but the fact it, your prepaid VISA may not work everywhere you want to be and this is one drawback to consider before getting a prepaid card.

Neutral on your credit
While prepaid credit cards wont tear down credit, they dont build it up either. If your goal is to re-establish your credit history, a secured credit card might be the better way to go. Prepaid credit cards are a great tool for gift-giving or spending money for your child, however.

The bottom line is you need to do your homework before buying a prepaid card. The bank has to make money somehow, so even the best of deals is going to cost you something. With a regular credit card, the bank makes their money on interest, late fees and penalties. If you have good credit and the willpower to manage a regular credit card wisely (e.g. never charging more than you can pay off each month and never being late on a payment), a regular credit card will always be your less expensive option. But if or one of your dependents really has trouble keeping the balance in check, a prepaid card may be just what the doctor ordered.

For more information on debt free living, visit http://www.debt-free-living.net

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Whole Grain Vs. Whole Wheat - What is Best for You? Part I

Whole Grain Vs. Whole Wheat - What s the best for you? Part I We have all seen it, 100% whole wheat bread that sits next to the white bread. It looks like white bread, but it says enriched. Enriched with what? Well, let me back up a little. When wheat is harvested the whole grain is taken to the refinery. REFINERY, did you see that! The wheat is heated to a point when the germ and the bran fall off. What is left is the starch, the white part, the not good for you part. The part that has a long shelf life and is bug resistant. Do you know why it is bug resistant? Bugs CANNOT sustain life in it. They will die if they only eat this refined grain. So why on earth, with the abundance of good life sustaining food do we eat white flour, which is the starch of the wheat grain ground up. Honestly do I need to answer that? Take a look around and you will see obesity on the rise, and now not only are adults overweight, but kids, little kids are getting more and more fat. Why? We are feeding ourselves all kinds of unhealthy food. Some do it because it is cheaper, some because of taste, and some just because they don't know any better.

So now that I explained what white bread is made of, let me continue to answer the question of "what exactly is enriched"? After the refinery takes the grains apart and makes white flour, which has no nutrition, they add some vitamins, some minerals, and some fiber, but not even a gram worth. The white bread is enriched with some of the very things they just worked so hard to take out. However, they do not add in as much of the grain they take away, otherwise it would be whole grain. Just enough to add some flavor and calories to it.

What is whole grain? It is the WHOLE grain used in the process of making bread, cereal and the building blocks of many other foods. For it to be truly healthy whole grain needs to be listed on your bread, cereal or other food in the number 1 or number 2 position on the ingredients list. No, whole wheat flour which is followed by (enriched white flour, niacin, and iron) is not healthy, it is a way of making people believe that they are getting a whole grain bread. They are not lying, it is whole wheat flour, but not whole grain. It did come from the wheat plant and it is all wheat, but not all grain. Whole is just another word like all. If you look a little farther down on the list you will see molasses, why molasses you ask? It colors the bread to make it look brown. Yup, white flour plus vitamins and minerals still does not bring the bran back into the bread. Bran is what helps to give the natural brown color to bread. So, they again, add something to it, to try and make it look like something it is not.

Linda Cramer is the owner of Oregon Gourmet Foods and Gifts. Visit our website. http://www.oregongourmetfoods.com

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