Author: Rebecca Alston

6 Reliable Ways to Send Money to Your Child Studying Abroad

As a parent, sending your kid to study abroad is exciting news. But we will not judge you if you start worrying as soon as you hear about it.

After all, you want to ensure that your child is safe and healthy. But you would like them to be responsible and fend for themselves.

Hence, you would want them to learn how to manage their finances.

While they can opt to be working students overseas, their earnings may not be enough. Hence, you can send them money regularly and let them budget it.

That said, here are six reliable ways you can send money to your kids who are studying abroad.

 

Bank to Bank Transfer

One of the most secure ways to send money to your kid who is studying abroad is to use your banks.

For one, you are doing the transaction through a trusted institution. Second, it offers convenience since it is likely that your bank already has your details. Otherwise, all you need is your child’s international bank account number and SWIFT or BIC code.

The only caveat is that bank-to-bank transfer has a hefty transfer fee and poor exchange rate. As such, look for a local bank with branches abroad, offers low transfer fees and a competitive exchange rate.

 

Money Order

Sending a money order is another traditional way of sending money to your child abroad. This is also a worthwhile alternative if you do not own a checkbook.

However, a money order requires a nominal fee. If you want to send $200 to your child, you need to pay $202. That’s the amount of money you want to send, plus the money transfer.

Such money remittance ensures that your kid will receive $200 and can choose to receive it in local currency or not.

But one of its downsides is that there is a limit to the amount of money you can send. The money order will also require your kid to pick up the cash in the nearest branch, which can be a hassle.

 

Online Money Transfer

Money transfer
A man is entering an object where a money transfer service is given

Other than banks and money orders, online money transfers are becoming a popular way to send money overseas. That’s because online money remittance service providers offer the following benefits:

  •     Lower transfer fees
  •     Better exchange rate
  •     Fast and reliable transfer time
  •     Multiple ways to receive cash

 What’s important is to look for a service provider that has branches available in the country where your child will study. It will also help if they offer various ways for your kid to receive the money like cash pick-up, bank deposit, and more.

 

Digital Wallet

Money transfer
Money is being transferred from a bank account using an application on the smartphone

In 2020, digital and mobile wallets made up 45% of e-commerce payment transactions worldwide. In addition, UK and US consumers prefer to use such methods to pay for products or services.

This explains why more and more establishments encourage cashless transactions. In fact, you can now do your grocery and pay for it by scanning a QR code.

That said, you can consider sending money to your kid through a digital wallet like Google Pay or ApplePay.

What you can do is transfer cash from your bank to their digital wallet. And then your child can use it to pay for their groceries, transportation, and other essentials.

 

PayPal Transfer

There is a good reason PayPal transfer deserves its spotlight, so hear us out.

Bank-to-bank transfers can be costly, while money orders can be a hassle. Unfortunately, not every country accepts ApplePay or Google Pay. Perhaps they have their local digital wallet, which you cannot connect with your bank.

This is where PayPal can be helpful.

For one, you can fund your PayPal account through your bank. You can also connect your credit card for convenience’s sake. From there, you can do a PayPal-to-PayPal transfer.

Once your child receives the PayPal fund, they can opt to transfer it to their digital wallet or local bank account.

However, PayPal often charges a transaction fee that the recipient will have to shoulder. So if you send $200, your child will likely receive around $198. Moreover, PayPal has a low exchange rate margin.

 

Email Money Transfer

Sending money via email can be one of the most convenient methods you can find.

 It works like an electronic check, and you initiate the transaction via email. Your child will then receive an email notification if the fund is available.

You don’t need to input the recipient’s bank account number, and your child will only need to answer a security question. However, email money transfer is not readily available in some countries. It also makes your and your child’s email susceptible to phishing.

 

Conclusion

Keep in mind that you now have various options to send money to your child who is studying abroad. Supporting them financially will be less of a worry.

Nonetheless, it would help if you identify your options and compare their transfer fees and exchange rates. That way, you can minimize the transfer fee you have to pay, and your kid can make the most out of your money transfer.

 

Back To The Days When Auction Sales Started!

Every time you hear about an auction ad on TV or see an advertisement in the newspaper, you might be tempted to go and buy it all! For specific individuals, the art sale is one of the most tempting sections of purchasing art. Around the exact moment, the world of auctions can appear mysterious, with its splashy news and glamorous guest lists and the most enigmatic and elusive bidders. An auction in Philadelphia can be the best place to get your hands on the best artifacts. Let’s look into the history of these auctions.

Auctions have been the primary way art has been sold among the elite society for decades. An emerging class of collectors and dealers started attending auctions in the first few decades of the 1900s. These were small; private affairs followed only by those who thoroughly knew the business. To resell at a premium profit, they were finding jobs they could buy at low prices.

It was not until auctions entered the more expansive public imagination and began to have a real influence on the demand for modern art. The record-breaking sale of the esteemed collection of contemporary and pop art masterpieces by Robert and Ethel Scull in 1973 was primarily motivated by this regime. From this point, the auction in Philadelphia gained a significant chunk of popularity.

Later, art auctions were excellent, coinciding with the typically bustling economy and the pattern of art collections being used as tokens of prestige. The big auction houses liquified the market by aggressively trying to improve the customer base and take auctions to the masses. But the importance of the demand and the price of sales have been gradually growing since then. Global players are driving many jaw-dropping bids you will see today, particularly in Asia and the Middle East.

Auction somewhere in the Middle East

When the auctions have grown to such a greater extent today, they bring several benefits that people will surely prefer to buy at auctions. Some of these all-time benefits are:

 

Auctions in Philadelphia are Easy

Auctions are simple, the highest bidder won the product, and you are saved from the unnecessary negotiation toil. You can bid on your favorite items from anywhere in the world through online auctions. Auction sales are fast sales, so they are a perfect place to start if you are trying to purchase artifacts quickly.

 

Compare the goods from Industry

 Many auction results are freely accessible, unlike gallery sales, and these can be a source of help to direct your bidding decisions. Auction houses tend to sell artworks from artists with solid auction markets, as this allows them to foresee when and how well a painting or an art piece will bid. If you are interested in artwork, you must definitely look into auctions in Philadelphia. When you try to remain in line with value, you should investigate the ratings and use them as guideposts.

 

Transparency of the Price

Auction houses provide every sale with price estimates. These figures are calculated by analysts analyzing the previous auction outcomes of the artist, the condition and importance of the artwork, and macroeconomic patterns to approximate the piece’s market value. You can know the figures before bidding begins, enabling you to concentrate only on paintings that suit your budget.

 Suppose you are interested in impressionist prints, trendy street art, or classic mid-century furniture. In that case, an auction in Philadelphia gives you the chance to purchase art and craft at a fair price. There are many benefits of buying art at auction, from price transparency to artwork authenticity.

 You’ve probably dreamed of seeing a piece of your art go up for sale in a big auction house if you’re like most artists and watching the foreign art collecting community struggle over it with their bank accounts. The hammer falls, your art sells for a record amount, and the story goes viral.

 

How do Auction Houses Operate?

Many collectors want to sell artwork for one of three reasons: death, debt, and migration, as the auction houses would tell you. Nevertheless, in times of increasing art market costs, many collectors bring up work for sale because they feel they will make good money.

 One of the primary sources for the secondary market is an auction in Philadelphia houses. The first step is an evaluation when an auction house acquires an item, where the analysts hired by the house evaluate the work and perform their studies to decide its worth and produce projections of what it will sell for at the auction. To establish the auction, groups of works are then collected together.

 Every auction set-up has a catalog of valuable details about each item and all the lots in sale. Even a pre-sale display goes on view before the public’s auction to see the works in person. Owing to these reasons, auctions have become popular and prominent.

How to Throw an Unforgettable Spring Wedding

Spring is one of the most beautiful times of the year. Flowers abound everywhere, birds are singing, and it’s a perfect time for a wedding. 

Spring weddings have long been popular for a number of reasons.

One reason is the flowers. Spring gives people the opportunity to get a wide variety of fresh flowers in an array of colors to suit just about any wedding theme.  

Another reason is the weather is often good during this season. You can have your ceremony outside of the home or in the garden or park. It’s not too hot and not too cold.

 

How to Plan for Your Spring Wedding

When planning your spring wedding, three things to focus on should be your timeline, the details, and the venue.

1.    Timeline

Magnolia
Magnolia trees are placed in the backyard

Start 6-12 months before the wedding: Since planning takes a long time, it is important to start early. Plan a date and make all the necessary appointments with vendors. You’ll need to get in touch with venue managers, caterers, photographers, and videographers. This is also a good time to book your honeymoon! For instance, you’ll need to find a good source to buy spring wedding flowers like peonies and magnolias.

2.    Venue

Choose a spring wedding venue that takes advantage of the weather and beautiful blooming flowers. Remember that many book a year or more in advance, so there’s no time to waste.

Here are two questions to ask yourself when scouting a venue:

  1. What are you looking for in a wedding venue? Seating capacity, catering, style, etc.
  2. What are the different venues available in your city?

Decide on a venue by size, style, and location. Once you have a few favorites picked out, go and see each one, ask if you can come when they are set up for a wedding. If they offer catering, set up a tasting and see what packages they offer.

In the last two months before your wedding, hone in on the details.

3.     Details

These include things like rounding up hair and makeup artists.

 

Managing a Low Budget Spring Wedding

Budgeting for a wedding can be challenging if the economic conditions of the pandemic impacted your income. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you still can’t have a spring wedding. It just means that you may have to trim some expenses. Here are two ways to do it.

1.    Plan in advance

Make a detailed wedding plan. Plan your spring wedding using an event planner. Create a list of tasks you need to do before your wedding. You can use it for tracking RSVPs, creating guest gift baskets, and writing timely thank-you cards. You’ll be able to identify more budget-friendly options, which will allow you to keep expenses low.

2.   Host your own event

You may want to consider hosting your wedding. A wedding is generally expensive because you have to hire so many different people. For example, you’ll need to hire caterers,  photographers, and musicians. The more talented friends you can ask to fill in some of these roles, the more money you will save!

Try these two ideas when hosting your own event.

 

  • Consider brunch or lunch instead of dinner. These are much more informal and more family-friendly, not to mention cheaper!

 

  • Decorate your backyard or garden wedding with live flowers and greenery. Use pastels for your color palette when decorating the home. Also, decorate with real flowers and artificial butterflies.

 

Why Spring Is a Perfect Time for a Wedding

One of the many reasons people choose to get married in the spring is the natural beauty of the season. Colorful flowers can inspire some beautiful wedding decorations. Because of the lovely weather, outdoor weddings and receptions won’t be chilly, and everyone will be able to dress more comfortably.

Best Personalized Holiday Gifts for Men and Women

For most of the country, people are still spending their weekends grilling by pools and enjoying the outdoors, but guess what….the holidays are coming!  In three short months, we will be surrounded by family and friends at holiday parties and events, dressed warmly, and keeping close to fireplaces and heaters. While some look forward to this, others dread this time of year due to gift-giving anxiety.  Well, we are here to eliminate any ill feelings you may have for buying and giving gifts.  

 

Let’s make things easy this holiday season and gift a personalized gift for him or her.  When a gift is personalized, it instantly becomes more meaningful to the recipient.  Check out the following personalized gifts below that are sure to bring a smile to his or her face when they finish unwrapping!  

 

Sports Gifts:

Set of weights
Green colored weights are placed on each other

We all have a person, or a few, in our lives that can’t get enough of sports. These may be the easiest to buy gifts for. There are so many options between tickets to sporting events, team apparel, or sporting equipment they can use between the lines. Groovy Guy Gifts has several options for personalized gifts for sports lovers. From engraved baseball bats to animal golf club covers, this online shop has it all. Take a look for yourself!

 

Travel Bags:

Bag
A modern-day brown travel bag

From leather to canvas, and everything in between, Groovy Girl Gifts have an embroidered bag for every lady out there! There is nothing classier than a monogrammed weekender around a lady’s shoulder.  Women love bags, and especially when they’re customized. This online shop has all the styles and colors you can imagine to beautify that special woman in your life. There is a clutch and a bag for everyone out there.  Some like them small, some large, some fabric, and some leather.  When you find the bag you’ll know the woman in your world in matches with. 

 

Drinking Gifts:

Flask and pair of glasses with ice cubes inside one of them

Personalized drinking gifts are all the rage these days. Coolers, Flasks, Decanters, and Beer items are being engraved and embroidered around the clock because people simply can’t get enough of them!  Groomsday is a great site to find customized drinking gifts for holiday sales. The site caters to all the guys at wedding parties, but as you will see, their items can work for Any Guy USA.  

 

 

Gift Box Sets:

Gift box set
Beauty soaps and planners are placed in a basket

It’s a known fact, women love to open gift boxes!  Whether it’s filled with a stylish robe and an engraved stemless wine cup or with a spa set for a night in a bubble bath, Bridesmaid Gifts Boutique has a wide variety of personalized Gift Box Sets for women.  The best part of the site is they offer customizable gift sets. Choose from wine glasses, robes, jewelry, bath bombs, and candles. You know the women in your life, so fill the classy-looking box with what they love!

 

Personalized Wallets: 

Wallets
Different kinds of wallets are exposed together

When gifting for guys, keep it simple!  Men NEVER buy their own wallets so when they get one as a gift it’s special.  Now I know buying a guy a wallet doesn’t sound too exciting on the surface, but a classy leather wallet with his name stamped on is a pretty cool gift.  How about a sleek high-security wallet with his initials engraved? There are several different types and colors of wallets and the guys at Groovy Groomsmen Gifts have them all!  

 

Stocking Stuffers:

Wine stoppers
The wine stopper is on a table with pair of crocks

Forever Wedding Favors is the place for all of your stocking stuffer needs. Wine drinkers will love their themed bottle openers and wine stoppers, as there are many to choose from. Personalized coasters are functional gifts that will fit nicely with other small gifts. A set of custom playing cards is perfect to slide down that large sock hanging on the mantle. Every woman has a stick of lip balm in her purse, so why not get her a few custom ones – now that’s the perfect stocking stuffer gift!

Gift-giving can be a tall task and can give anyone agita. This holiday season makes things easier on yourself and others and head over to the wonderful sites above for all of your gift-giving needs. I can’t imagine there’s a person out there that wouldn’t appreciate a personalized gift for the holidays. So start your shopping today with a simple click!