This means your everyday routine may involve luxuriating in a cascade of germs. Aside from pondering the prospects of companies that manufacture showerheads, the report made me wonder: What dark corruption might be lurking behind your daily money routines, imperiling your road to wealth? What every day activities may be threatening your financial health? Here are seven:

1. Tossing out the “junk mail” from your credit card company.

The Credit Card Holders Bill of Rights Act goes into full effect in February. Ahead of that deadline, companies are changing the terms of customer agreements. For example, the new law prohibits raising the interest rate on existing balances unless a customer pays more than 60 days late. To skirt that provision, firms are notifying customers that their cards are now “variable rate.” (Translation: We can jack up your rate whenever we please.)

So watch those benign notices, and be ready to call and demand a fixed-rate card or take your business elsewhere. Amid these tactics, a new bill calls for moving up the deadline on the credit card law to Dec. 1.

2. Using a debit card without writing down the transactions in your account register.

Debit cards are expected to account for 60 percent of transactions this year, but debit-card users tend to lose track of their money: Swiping plastic triggers 44 percent of overdraft fees, while paper checks account for just 27 percent.

A new report finds 50 million Americans overdrew their accounts at least once in a 12-month period, and 27 million incurred five or more overdraft fees. At an average of $34 a pop, that’s a lot of beans — literally. By one account, Americans spend about the same amount on overdraft fees as they do on fresh vegetables.

Why write down debit spending? Because swiping a card doesn’t feel the same as laying out cash. The discipline of recording the transaction may reduce mindless spending and makes money easier to track. Simplify your money trail by using online bill pay for all your regular monthly bills, rather than having money withdrawn from your account by outside companies. Then take 30 seconds a day to log on to your account, add the pending transactions in bill pay to the outstanding checks and debits listed in your register that haven’t cleared yet. Subtract from the current balance. If the result is nearing zero, add money to the account. Voila — no overdrafts, no fees.

3. Ignoring new bank charges.

You may have noticed banks are a bit desperate these days to make a buck. One of the more recent innovations is dinging customers who make electronic transfers to an external account.

Example: In the last year, Wachovia started charging customers $3 per transfer to an outside bank. Let’s say you automatically stash $100 a week into a savings account at an online bank offering 1.8 percent interest (the current top rate). Smart move. Except Wachovia will now ding you for 3 percent of that weekly deposit. Annual cost? $156.

Meanwhile, Wachovia doesn’t offer any savings accounts that compete with a 1.8 percent rate (except Way to Save , which severely restricts the amount you can deposit). Solution: Find a local bank or credit union with no transfer fees, so you’re free to access higher returns.

4. Investing time in the wrong things.

Maybe you’re someone who will drive 20 minutes to a store on your lunch hour to get $5 off a $20 sweater. Or you’ll spend 45 minutes on the phone protesting a $3 error on the cable bill. But when you start a new job, you procrastinate for two years before joining the 401(k) plan or leave your contribution languishing in a money-market account.

Make a weekly to-do list of your financial decisions (savings and spending) and then prioritize them in terms of bang-for-the-buck over time. When you do the math, you’ll see why paying off credit cards in full and contributing to a retirement plan that offers a match should be at the top of the list.

5. Spending with no goals to guide you.

One definition of insanity, attributed to Albert Einstein, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Yet that’s how some people approach their finances. They earn and spend and earn and spend, and wonder why they aren’t making any progress.

Break the mindless cycle by figuring out what you value most, whether it’s world travel, returning to school to change careers, home ownership, a peaceful retirement or a debt-free college education for the kids. Then set specific goals, with real time frames, and track your advancement on a monthly basis. Make this a daily discipline by putting a list of those goals in your face — the fridge, your desk at work, your wallet.

6. Failing to track spending.

You can’t succeed at No. 5 if you don’t know precisely where your money is going. When I first started working, I carried a pencil and paper around and wrote everything down. Today, there are numerous desktop software applications and Web sites that will aggregate your finances and track your spending and savings.

You can pay upfront for software. Choose an online program that’s free, but supported by sponsored ads and offers you’ll see when you log in (and the service may sell your data). Or you can pay a monthly fee for a site with no outside ads or offers. Check out this recent list of budgeting tools at the blog Get Rich Slowly.

7. Failing to exercise.

How can this hurt your finances? Daily physical activity lowers the risk of a multitude of ailments, from heart disease to diabetes to certain kinds of cancer, which are obviously expensive to treat, even for people who have health insurance.

A Harvard study found medical bills are behind 60 percent of U.S. bankruptcies, and more than 75 percent of bankrupt families had health insurance at the onset of the illness. Meanwhile, a regular work-out might get you a raise. Studies have found exercise can improve your performance at work by boosting cognitive skills and productivity, and reducing stress and absenteeism.

In the meantime, while you’re thinking about health, consider changing the shower head

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Palm Beach fruit

October 15, 2009

Palm Beach fruit - with or without magazine, starting at $50.00 Pineaple, bananas, grapes, seasonal fruit. Large gerbera daisy or seasonal flowers, chocolate, and small tin of candy and nuts again items are changes slightly according to season.
Each basket is wrapped with live greenery on top, a butterfly and a personal card with the message of the sender in an elegant linen envelope.

Each Basket we do is personalized and customized to fit the needs of the sender and can be sent for many occasions such as:
Birthdays, Holidays, Easter, Christmas, Hanukkah, Passover, Graduations, Anniversaries, House warming, New Baby, Christening, Apology, Valentine’s Day, “Thinking of you”, April Fools Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Thanksgiving, Weekend Holiday Basket, Thank you, Thanks for the referral, Thank you for your business, Congratulations, Get Well, Wishing you a speedy recovery, New Years, Thanks for your support, Thanks for your patronage, St. Patrick’s Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Good grades, Job Well done, Champagne and Caviar Celebration …..and many more.

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Farfalle 10th Anniversary Special! GET A FREE BASKET!!

October 13, 2009

Farfalle 10th Anniversary Special!

GET A FREE BASKET!!

To Celebrate our 10th Anniversary

We are offering a free baskets for every order of 4 baskets or more placed by November 30th or for any basket order over 200.00. Tax and delivery for the free basket is not included and must be covered as part of the cost. The basket will be a basket worth 45.00 in value, of sweets and treats (chocolates, nuts, cookies, candy) and if part of holiday baskets will include holiday decoration elements. This basket credit can be used for the Holidays or kept and used anytime for 6 months from the time of the original order. Please join us in celebrating with a free basket.

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China’s super-rich bounce back from financial crisis

October 13, 2009

By Ben Blanchard Ben Blanchard – 1 hr 45 mins ago

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s super-rich have bounced back from the financial crisis with a vengeance, and China now has more known dollar billionaires than any other country bar the United States, according to a new report released on Tuesday.

The annual Hurun Report said China has 130 known dollar billionaires, up from 101 last year. The number in the United States is 359 while Russia has 32 and India 24, according to Forbes magazine.

China’s rich are getting richer, with the average wealth on the list $571 million, up almost one-third from last year, said compiler Rupert Hoogewerf.

“With the greatest wealth destruction in the west of the last 70 years, we’ve seen China buck the trend and the wealth seems to be still growing,” Hoogewerf told Reuters on the sidelines of an event to unveil the 2009 rich list.

“They’ve put the credit crunch behind them,” he said. “The key driver has been urbanization. You’ve got all these cities being built, and that requires property developers, iron and steel manufacturers. The latest thing is cars.”

Topping the list was Wang Chuanfu, chairman of electric car and battery maker BYD Co Ltd in which U.S. billionaire Warren Buffett holds a stake, with an estimated personal wealth of $5.1 billion. He was also the fastest riser from last year, up 102 places.

Second place went to Zhang Yin and family, owner of paper recycler Nine Dragons Paper, while in third place was Xu Rongmao and family, owner of Shimao Property Holdings Ltd.

Huang Guangyu, who founded GOME Electrical Appliances Holdings Ltd and owns unlisted property businesses, sank to 17th place from the top position he held last year. He is currently being probed for alleged financial irregularities.

Hoogewerf said the actual number of dollar billionaires could be higher than estimated.

“Either they are super-discreet, or perhaps they haven’t come to the surface,” he said. “Having said that, the transparency of wealth … is now very much in the open. There’s many more listed companies.” Gift Baskets at www.farfalleonline.com

Hoogewerf said people who probably should have been listed, but about whose wealth not enough in known, included Liu Chuanzhi, chairman of the world’s No. 4 PC maker Lenovo, and Chen Feng, founder of Hainan Airlines.

China’s ruling Communist Party once condemned entrepreneurs and private business people as capitalist exploiters, but now welcomes them since late reformist leader Deng Xiaoping began landmark economic reforms in the 1970s.

One third of the people on the 1,000-name rich list are estimated to be Party members, according to the report.

Still, one famous name fell off the list this year — NBA basketball player Yao Ming, who has struggled with a foot injury for the last few months.

(Editing by Sugita Katyal)

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New World

October 12, 2009

Many countries in the New World and elsewhere celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas, which occurred on October 12, 1492 in the Julian calendar and October 21, 1492 in the modern Gregorian calendar, as an official holiday. The day is celebrated as Columbus Day in the United States, as Día de la Raza (Day of the Race) in many countries in Latin America, as Día de las Culturas (Day of the Cultures) in Costa Rica, as Discovery Day in The Bahamas, as Día de la Hispanidad and Fiesta Nacional in Spain, as Día de las Américas (Day of the Americas) in Uruguay and as Día de la Resistencia Indígena (Day of Indigenous Resistance) in Venezuela. These holidays have been celebrated unofficially since the late 18th century, and officially in various countries since the early 20th century.

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Good Olive Oils That Don’t Cost a Fortune

October 8, 2009

Good-quality, cheap olive oil does exist. We tried nine olive oils—nothing over $20 per liter, with most bottles hugging the $10 price point. Some of us chose the bread-dipping technique; others believed a spoon was more official. Which oils were mellow? More intense and spicy? The most like water?

Best Mellow Oil

Fairway ($8.99 for 1 liter): The New York mini-chain of markets sells this as their in-house brand of straight-forward olive oil both online and in stores. It’s smooth, soft, and pretty neutral. If you can’t handle the throat-grabbing intensity of peppery oils, this one will make you feel safe. Good for cooking.

Best Bitter, But Not Crazy Bitter Oil

Goya ($3.99 for 250 mL): The Hispanic packaged foods brand might be more familiar for canned beans, but they also make a not-too-intense olive oil. If you like buttery olive oils, but are ready to branch out into the crazier world of bitter, more dramatic flavors, this is a good place to start. It’s not too spicy but still has a grassiness that gets your attention. Good for bread dipping.

Best Bang for Buck

Trader Joe’s Spanish ($7.49 for 1 liter): Spanish olive oils are usually cheaper than Italian olive oils because those touted Italian olives get all the attention. This Trader Joe’s Spanish EVOO—they sell a variety but admittedly, we fell for this pretty tree artwork—had a well-rounded flavor. Earthy but not too bitter, it’ll leave your mouth slightly puckered—nothing too uncomfortable. Good for salad dressings.

Most Expensive And Just So-So

Colavita ($5.29 for 250 mL): Buying the adorable mini bottle made this same like a decent bargain, but it was actually the priciest one per-mL we tried. Though it had a nice, olive-rich taste (always a good thing when you’re talking olive oils) it wasn’t that exciting. Nothing harsh to say here, it’s just not the best value.

Best All-Around

Whole Foods 365 Organic ($6.99 for 500 mL): We all came together in support of this guy. It has a nice sharpness up front with hints of bell pepper, but won’t choke you with bitterness. Dunk bread into this and go to town drizzling it over salads—this is a winner.

Least Memorable

Bertolli ($8.99 for 500 mL): As I type this, wait there is nothing to type. Because it was that life-changing! For all the fat in olive oil, you should at least walk away with a memory. Maybe it’s fine for cooking, but bread-dipping? Eh. Be skeptical of the actor dude’s Italian accent on those Bertolli commercials.

Most Like Water

Filippo Berio Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil ($4.29 for 250 mL): In all fairness, they warned us about the “extra light” part. But why does it have to look so much like water? A pale yellow, slightly contaminated-looking water, but still. Do you really contain olives? Really? C’mon, are you just corn oil playing a little game of pretend? The “tasting” part threw us off since as one person noted, “it tasted like invisible.”

What Would You do with Nine Leftover Bottles?

Bake an olive oil cake? Make french fries from scratch? Stir fry a bunch of vegetables??