Tips to help you stick to a gaming budget

The current economic situation is tough and there’s no denying that people are feeling the pinch and becoming more financially aware. This awareness is a positive sign, and budgeting is becoming more and more common for people who want to take control of their finances and stabilize themselves and avoid debt traps. For those who enjoy online casino entertainment the smartest way to play is to set a budget and assign a portion of money that is not needed for necessary items to gaming. The portion you have budgeted for then becomes your allowance and it’s important that you stick to it and do not live beyond your means.

If you are struggling with sticking to your budget and finding your resolve is slipping and perhaps your self control or discipline is not as strong as you would like it to be, there are some resources you can consider to help you play responsibly.

Set special limits

Special limits are easy to set and simple to manage and will ensure you keep within your budget over a particular time period. Established and reputable sites like RiverBelle online casino offer you the opportunity to set your limits by contacting their support team 24/7 and the process is easily managed by both the casino and yourself. You can set daily, weekly and monthly limits, as well as spend per game and session limits. Varying limits can be set that control how much you deposit, how much you play, lose and bet. All of these limits are set at your request, but they are not easy to change as the casino recognizes you have created them for a reason and they are designed to help you stick to your budget.

Access control

Access control is a more serious way of ensuring you stick to your budget and is offered in 2 different levels. Level 1 is a time out or cooling off period whereby your account is temporarily closed for a duration specified by yourself, and level 2 is self exclusion, where you exclude yourself from playing for 6 months or longer.

All of these resources are designed to help you stay in control of your finances and there are plenty of ways for you to manage your money and ensure that you stick to your budget, using these or other methods.

Tips for Finding Business Insurance for Your Small Business

If you own a small business or are in the process of forming a start-up, you will no doubt be considering what type of business insurance to have in place to cover the risks associated with your particular trade or profession.  Should you opt for public liability insurance, professional indemnity insurance, employers’ liability insurance, business property insurance, key person insurance, business interruption service …?

An important decision to make, aside from which type(s) of cover you’ll need is how much cover to take out to adequately protect your business.  Check any existing or potential contracts with clients for details of any types and values of cover they would expect you to have in place, and also speak with any professional body or trade organisation that covers your type of business for impartial advice.

Then you need to check the details of the terms and conditions in all of the quotes you receive for your cover, to see whether there are any significant exclusions or conditions that would reduce your ability to claim. Perhaps a policy with a low premium might exclude claims that arise from using electrical equipment (useless if you are an electrician, say); or perhaps it limits the number of claims you could make in a year (what if you are sued more than once?).

There are fewer companies that offer business insurance than offer car or home insurance, so there are fewer policies to choose between.  Nevertheless, the insurers are keen to get and retain your business and if you find a cheaper quote for the same or similar cover it is worth taking that to your current insurer or to other insurers that offer you a quote and haggling. 

You should make sure that any insurer you choose to take your policy/policies from is reputable and has a proven track record of paying out on claims and for good customer service.  The last thing you want, when faced with a letter from a customer threatening to sue, or with a fire at your business premises, is a company that won’t answer the phone or that gives you the run-around.

Check online customer reviews to check whether you would be happy to take your insurance from that particular company.

Needless to say, the best thing you can do to protect yourself against having to claim against your insurance is to reduce risks as far as possible by taking steps such as installing smoke detectors and sprinkler system, sturdy locks and burglar alarms, and making sure that you and your staff are fully aware of health and safety issues.

The more years you can manage without making a claim, the more no-claims bonus you will accrue and the lower your business insurance premiums will be. 

Finally, don’t reduce the amount of cover you buy just to reduce your premiums: think carefully about how much cover you will need and stick to that because reducing your cover is a false economy that could ultimately ruin your business.

Alternative Ways for Quick Cash Before the Holidays

There is no denying that many people are feeling financially pinched and looking to make extra money.  Perhaps you are contemplating another job but already feel overextended at your current job and don’t want to use your remaining free time to work more.  Luckily, there are several ways to make some extra money that don’t involve getting another job.  Consider the following:

1. Sell stuff around the house.  We all have clutter.  Identify the items you haven’t used in a year or longer and sell them on eBay or Craigslist or at a garage sale.  
2. Open a new bank account that offers a financial reward.  There are bank accounts available that offer you anywhere from $50 to $100 after the account has been open a designated number of months (often three) and you have made a designated amount of transactions (usually including a few direct deposits).  Meet the bank’s requirement, and you have free money. 
3. Use credit cards to your advantage.  Many credit cards offer generous rewards.  The best cash back credit cards often offer 2 to 6% cash back on certain types of purchases.  Use your credit cards for all of your purchases and reap the cash back rewards.  (Just make sure you are disciplined to pay off the balance each month.  Otherwise, the rewards will be offset by the interest you pay.) 
4. Call to negotiate your cable bill.  Cable and Internet bills often are high.  Call the company to see what discounts they can offer you.  They may offer you a discount for six months, or they may give you options for items you can cut from your service to lower your cost.  Either way translates to more money in your pocket.

If you are looking for extra money, the only solution isn’t to get a part-time job.  There are plenty of ways to trim your costs and generate extra money if you are creative.

Guest Post by Melissa