Who Said Nothing in Life is Free?

A 2015 survey shows that e-commerce stores and online retailers have control of about 8 percent of the retail market, and there are no signs of them letting up or slowing down.

These ecommerce stores are quickly putting traditional brick and mortar stores out of business, and successfully competing against known big retail brands. Most of them are doing so due to their unique approach to business.

In this article, we’ll be looking at those ecommerce outfits that are doing well courtesy of their different approaches to marketing.

Zappos

Zappos pioneered the sale of shoes online. Sure, auction sites like eBay and the almighty Amazon were selling shoes, but no one was doing it exclusively. Enter Zappos, which was birthed when the founder couldn’t find a decent pair of shoes online.

Zappos has gone on to be become a multibillion dollar company, has been acquired by Amazon, and now sells clothes, bags and other fashion accessories. But what makes Zappos stand out? It’s their world class customer service.

In fact, Zappos boasts of having the world’s best customer service. This is thanks to their amazing staff who show a serious commitment and dedication to helping customers.

The company’s dedication to customers is unmatched in the fashion and clothing industry. This is why they are consistently growing and exceeding sales targets. The company is now synonymous with excellent customer service.

Zulily

While Zulily shares some semblance with TJ Maxx, the company’s online approach to sales has transformed them into an amazing ecommerce store.

They do this as a result of flash sales, special offers, and timed discounts on their online portals. As a result, the company generates more sales and revenue because of the buyers who hang out on the site to catch the price slash, discounts, and rebates.

Lull

Lull.com is taking on the mattress industry by providing an online store where you can purchase any mattress size you need. Lull sells and provides a wide range of mattress types, making it possible for you to shop from home.

Compared to local mattress stores where you have to order your new mattress in person, Lull makes it very easy to find the mattress you want from the comfort of your own home. However, that is not what makes this brand stand out. What gives them the edge is their free 100 days return policy.

So, you can order a mattress, they’ll deliver free of charge to your home, and you can use and test the mattress for up to a hundred nights without being charged.

If you don’t like the mattress, you can simply request to have it returned and they’ll come pick it up free of charge… no muss, no fuss. This, combined with their amazing mattress technology, exceptional customer service and incredible cost savings plans where you can save as much as 75 percent on your mattress purchase as compared to in-store purchases, makes them the go-to store for all things mattress online or offline. You don’t have to take our word for it: you can find Lull mattress reviews online at their website.

Amazon

Known as the king of ecommerce, Amazon has grown to become the leading online ecommerce and retail store in the world. Everyone who has the internet has heard of Amazon, and along with e-Bay they are virtually synonymous with online shopping. What makes Amazon really stand out is their wide variety of products –- you can find almost anything on Amazon.

But that isn’t even the big appeal. Amazon offers free shipping and same day or 24-hour delivery to certain states and for orders before 11a.m. These traits, when combined with their relentless innovation, such their experimental delivery by drone service, has birthed even better products, pushing them to the forefront of ecommerce.

I don’t know about you but this time of year seems to get crazy busy for me.  With the school year back I session, free time seems to be limited which is why I am so glad I can order Halloween candy from Oriental Trading.  For only $25, I was able to fill a huge bowl with Dum Dum® Lollipops, SweeTarts® Skulls & Bones, and an assortment which included Twizzlers® strawberry twists, Twizzlers® Pull ’N Peel Candy, Jolly Rancher® Crunch ’N Chew Candy, Jolly Rancher® Stix Candy, Jolly Rancher® Lollipops and Bubble Yum® Gum Candy.

This has been such a huge stress reliever for me. Now I won’t have to run to the store at the last minute like I have done in years past.  Knowing I could order from the comfort of my home and just wait for it to be delivered to my front door without spending a fortune fits my life perfectly !!!

The digital rewards site Swagbucks is celebrating the fall with another big “Swago” promotion starting Monday, October 9th at 9am PDT! Swago is just like bingo, but in this case you’re filling out squares as you earn points on their site for doing things you already do online. If you’re thinking of trying Swagbucks, this is a great chance to learn all about how the site works and earn bonus points while doing it, meaning you can get more gift cards faster. Here are a few tips:

• Each square on your Swago Board will contain an action item to complete. They can be anything from getting a search win, completing a survey, or just visiting one of our popular stores!
• Once you complete the action item in a particular square the square will change color signifying the action item is complete.
• You have until 12pm PT/3pm ET on Monday, October 16th to mark off as many squares as possible so use your time wisely.
• Be mindful of the patterns and their corresponding bonuses located on the right of your Swago Board. The patterns will vary in difficulty and bonus value. Once you’ve achieved a pattern, the corresponding “Submit” button will light up. You can have multiple patterns available for submission, however, you can only submit ONE pattern so choose wisely.
• Each activity you successfully complete on your Swago Board will give you anywhere from 1-20 spins on the Spin & Win Wheel. PLUS, when you submit your board for a bonus you’ll get additional spins. The number of spins will depend on the pattern you complete. The wheel has all sorts of great prizes that you can win, and each spin is a winner!

The Spin & Win Wheel will be available all throughout Swago and you have until 11:59pm PT on Monday, October 16th to use all your spins.

Fill up your board and then submit your pattern to get even more points – if you can fill in the whole board, you get a 500 SB bonus, which is enough for a $5 gift card from the retailer of your choice.

Click here right now and click “Join” to get started! If you don’t already have a Swagbucks account, you’ll be able to quickly sign up; PLUS, if you earn 300 SB before the first of next month, you’ll get a bonus 300 SB!

Now that Halloween is almost here, Swagbucks has increased cash back at a big group of their Halloween-related stores, so you can earn cash back while getting costumes, decorations, and more for the end of the month. Just click here to see the deals, and sign up for Swagbucks (if you haven’t already) to start earning cash back in the form of SB points, which you can exchange for gift cards or PayPal cash.

The sale is going through October 31st, and if you sign up through me, you’ll get a 1000 SB rebate ($10) after your first shopping purchase through Swagbucks!

There are many factors banks or any other lenders consider when judging the ability of a loan applicant to repay the loan. Among them are job and income stability and credits reports. Many people are nowadays having their loan applications turned down because of a range of reasons, some of which they can easily remedy.

While bad credit can bar you from getting any loans, some lenders are offering bad credit loans. This can be seen through www.everyday-loans.co.uk for instance, who have been offering straightforward financial solutions to borrowers for years, irrelevant of bad credit history. However, this does not mean that a good credit score is not necessary or useful for general loans.

Here are five reasons you can have your loan request denied.

1. Poor Credit History – A poor credit score is a major reason many people get their loan applications denied. Lenders usually go through your credit file to find out your credit history which includes the details of any outstanding loans, your loan repayment trend, credit cards, etc. Having a poor credit history as a result of, say, a pending payment or a defaulted loan will result in a rejection.
2. Loan Serviceability – Lenders want to be sure you can repay the loan. So before approving your loan request, they find out the size and security of your income. This is especially true with bad credit loans. This enables them to determine whether or not you will afford to service the loan promptly. If, for instance, your income is not as large as a lender expects or you are in a 3-6 month probationary period, then the chances of getting that loan are reduced.
3. Missed Payments – This is one of the reasons for poor credit ratings which prevents you from getting loans, especially unsecured loans that solely depend on creditworthiness. Missing to settle credit charges, bills (like telephone bills), insurance premiums, or loans suggests to lenders that you are unreliable and perhaps financially irresponsible. Missed payments leave a mark on your credit file that stays there for six years. So even if you are financially stable right now, lenders may get concerned that you will do the same thing again.
4. You Have No Credit History – As noted earlier, lenders use credit reports to determine your reliability. When you don’t have a credit history at all, it means you don’t have any debt repayment history to show that you can responsibly manage the loan. While you may be debt-free, you can be turned down because, understandably, lenders want to see a credit file demonstrating that you can service your loan diligently.
5. If You Have Had a Loan Application Rejected Before by Other Lenders – Each time you apply for a loan, the lender will search your credit report, and this is recorded in your credit file. So, if you had a loan rejected previously for whatever reason, a bank might take the same grounds to deny your application. Again, applying for a loan from many lenders within a short period may suggest you are overburdened with debt, something that can quickly result in a denial.

To sum this up, it is worth noting that your loan application may also be denied because a lender targets specific groups of people in which you don’t fit. Again, before applying for a loan, see to it that you are on the electoral register. Lenders often use the register to find out if you are the person you say you are to avoid giving loans to fraudsters.

Most students dismiss the idea of applying for a credit card. After all, with a ton of student debt around your neck, the last thing you need is more debt weighing you down. But, as crazy as it might seem, a credit card could actually save your bacon and be a valuable tool in your personal finance arsenal.

Credit cards can offer several distinct advantages to students. The only caveat is that you are sensible with your spending and you don’t treat your credit card as a bottomless source of ready cash because we both know how that one ends.

Choose the Right Credit Card

So long as you select the right credit card, you can make your money work harder. The best deal for a student is a specialist student credit card. These cards are designed for people with little or no credit history; people like you who are at college and aged between 18 and 21. Don’t expect a huge spending limit if this is your first card. Credit card companies are not that stupid. Keep an eye out online for the best credit card offers if you want to find one that suits your needs.
Student credit cards charge a higher rate of interest and you may need a parent or other adult to co-sign the credit agreement as a guarantor, but a credit card is always a useful tool to have. To begin with, treat your credit card with the respect it deserves. Now is not the time to go crazy in the Apple store. Sure, you may dream of owning a new MacBook Pro, but unless it’s a compulsory purchase for your college course, try saving up instead.

Great for Emergencies

Credit cards are there for emergencies. By emergency, we mean such times when you are stuck in the middle of nowhere with zero cash and you need a train ride home. A credit card can save you from a long walk or a risky hitch. A credit card is also very useful if you decide to go traveling. If the worst happens and your wallet is lost or stolen, you can replace a credit card whereas you can’t replace lost or stolen cash. For that reason alone, it is always sensible to take a credit card on your travels.

Using a Card Abroad

If you do plan on using a credit card abroad, shop around for one that doesn’t charge a currency exchange fee. Some card providers do, which makes using the card very expensive.
Some student credit cards offer rewards and incentives for careful spending and sensible management. Rewards schemes are worth looking out for, especially if you can earn air miles or loyalty points for any spending you do on your credit card.
Take advantage of any budgeting tools offered by your credit card company. Online budgeting tools and apps will help you manage your money better and let you see where you could make savings.

For all chocolate lovers looking for a delicious new way to kick the craving, award-winning snack brand Mrs. Freshley’s is thrilled to announce that the search is finally over!  A tasty collaboration between Mrs. Freshley’s and America’s favorite cookie, OREO, has introduced Mrs. Freshley’s Brownie made with OREO Cookie Pieces.

The new treat features Mrs. Freshley’s moist, fudge brownie layered with crunchy OREO cookie pieces, resulting in a delectable dessert that gives chocolate lovers everywhere a rich, sweet and satisfying way to celebrate snack time. 

Pick up Mrs. Freshley’s Brownie Made with OREO^® Cookie Pieces today in convenience stores and vending machines nationwide. To learn more, visit Mrs. Freshley’s website at mrsfreshleys.com.

I was given the opportunity to try these new treats and my kids and I loved them. Its  the perfect sized individually wrapped snack to toss into your kids lunchboxes (or into your own work bag).