Random Ramblings

eCommerce is changing the way lot of us shop today. And websites/ Apps like Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Bigbasket etc. are now extremely popular among internet users in India. Most of these come up with regular sale & offers, often linked to a payment method (Amazon Pay, Credit Card, UPI etc). But there is something more that can help you squeeze a better deal - using affiliates to get cashbacks. (as discussed in one of the earlier articles)   Here is how you can get cashbacks on Amazon (and several other eCommerce sites) Sign up with an affiliate partner. Cashkaro , Gopaisa , JioMoney , Jetprivilage , Payback etc. are some of them.  Use their website App to go to Amazon website (not Amazon mobile app) Shop normally, checkout and pay. Please ensure that your shopping cart is empty before shopping & your don't close the browsing session in between.  Amazon gives a commission to these partners for referring traffic, and these partners pass on a good chunk of commissio

Credit card can be a wonderful thing. It can help you manage your cashflows, get some attractive deals and reward you with their loyalty program. Yet, credit cards don't come without its share of problems. And most of these problems are not about credit cards, but human behaviour. If not managed properly, they can soon lead you into a downward financial spiral which entails a never ending series of interest payments, balance transfers, bad credit rating, mental stress and more. So, it is important to handle credit cards with care and avoid credit card debt like plague.

Whether one admits it or not - most of our lifestyle needs are inflationary in nature. This is in addition to the inflation that affects our day to day lives. As life progresses one may feel the need to get better house, better cars, better facilities for kids, better vacations, more healthcare needs and so on. On few of the things where you were spending Rs. 100, you may be spending Rs. 200 two years later. And during this time the inflation may be like 5 percent. So, how does this translate into your financial plan?

What will you do if you get a windfall gain, of say USD 1 Million? Will you continue working or will you retire? Will keep working but be choosy? Will you switch to something more "meaningful"? Will you think of the next 9 million? Will nothing change in your life?

Link to original post A lot of buyers, especially first-timers, worry about whether or not they’re going about their home search the right way. On the one hand, buyers fret that if they find their "dream home" too early, they might be missing out on something better. But, on the other, if the process takes a while, they worry that they’ll never find a home that works for them. The FOMO is real. Keep reading to find out if you’re on track with your home search and what you should do if you find that you need to go back to the drawing board. How many homes should you see? Honestly, that depends. While we understand the impulse to try and rely on hard-and-fast statistics, homebuying is a truly personal experience rather than a science. Trust your intuition. You know your needs, likes, and dislikes better than anyone else. You’ll know when you’ve landed on the property that makes the most sense for you to call home. That said, though, there are a few

Read somewhere - "It is paradoxical that as our incomes rise, we find it more and more difficult to live within our means.  " ( Source ) We live in the age of abundance, where, more often than not, we have lot of options, many of which hadn't even existed few decades back. Yes we are often unhappy and keep longing for more. Got a car? Probably you'll want' a bigger one. And then even bigger, probably an SUV. And then probably a Audi or Mercedes or BMW ...  Wear a watch? You may want upgrade to a swanker one. And then probably something with a charismatic logo. With every increase in means, our goals also increase, usually disproportionately and our lifestyle upgrades. But at what cost? Does chasing all these lifestyle goals matter? Or, to what extent does it matter? Rather what really matters? Do we often ignore the trade-offs? Things or moments? Lifestyle trap or freedom that arises from financial independence? Showoff that five you adrenaline ru