New Sony E-Book Reader

Digital e-book readers are one of the latest and greatest products to reach consumers. These hand-held devices allow owners to download and read books without actually having to lug around a large paper-back or hard-cover book. While each e-reader is fairly expensive, downloading books is not, so users find it handy to pay a one-time fee for the reader in exchange for cheaper books. For people who read a lot or for those on the go who cannot always stuff their luggage or briefcases with several novels, the e-readers are a great idea.

The biggest name in e-book readers is Kindle, developed and sold by Amazon.com. When you find a book you like on Amazon, you have the option of purchasing the book itself (new or used), or downloading the e-book version, to be read on your Amazon Kindle. Sony has also created a few e-book readers, but is now announcing the launch of a smaller and more affordable reader, to be available in the upcoming months.

The word on the street is that Sony will launch a pocket-sized reader. The smaller size means less money, which may entice a whole new group of e-book readers. This new e-book reader will ring in at one-third the price of the Kindle and still a great deal less than Sony’s current cheapest model. This affordable release will come in time for the holidays, making it a perfect gift for those who could not afford Kindle, or who at least were not willing to shell out big bucks for.

Moreover, the new Sony product is rumored to be compatible with both Mac and PC users. The e-book reader will come with software that will allow a computer hookup with either type of computer system. Users must connect their e-book readers into a computer to upload the books they would like to read, a fact that is true for all current Sony and Kindle models. While the new Sony model will not be able to hold quite as many electronic books as the Kindle (which holds over 300), several books may be stored at one time on the model, making it perfect for a long trip. Most people do not tend to read 300 books in one outing anyway. The only difference is that Sony users will have to move their digital book files to their computers after reading, or delete the files altogether. There will not be enough room on the new model to continue to hold files indefinitely, as with the Kindle. We here at Five Point Capital think this new Sony model sounds like a great gift idea for the holiday season!

The New Seven Wonders of the World

The Seven Wonders of the World became the Fourteen Wonders of the World in 2007—seven ancient, and seven new. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World have been around for quite a long time; most of them no longer even exist, and so many felt it was high time to pay homage to other incredible wonders that Earth has to offer, which have come along since the naming of the original Seven.

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World include the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Mausoleum of Mausolus, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria. These Seven Wonders were mentioned as such by several ancient authors and travelers, and many today who witness the Pyramids in Egypt agree that at least that one-seventh of the Ancient Wonders is worthy of the list, though the remaining six were all destroyed before modern times (the Hanging Gardens were destroyed during BC times). However, the people of this Earth have continued to build and to impress, so a new list of Seven (architectural) Wonders was deemed, voted on by the public since 1999, when Swiss adventurer Bernard Weber began a campaign to choose seven new wonders.

The new Seven Wonders were announced two years ago on 07/07/07, and include the Statue of Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, Machu Picchu in Peru, the Chichen Itza pyramid in Mexico, the Great Wall of China, Petra in Jordan, the Colosseum in Rome, and the Taj Mahal in India.

Now, however, the same campaign has been launched to find the Seven Wonders of Nature, to be announced in 2011. You can see the 28 semifinalists and vote here.

Making Money from your Clutter

We would all love to make a little extra cash. Whether you’ve managed to float above the recent tough economic times, or if the recession hit you particularly hard, a little extra money is never unwelcome. With the recent pop-up of hoards of money-making schemes, we here at Five Point Capital have decided to give you some scam-free ideas for how to make an extra buck.

First, clean out your house, apartment, garage, or dorm room. Separate everything into four piles. First, things you need to keep. Second, things that are trash and need to be thrown away. Third, things you feel you should donate to charity. Fourth, things you can sell.

Put away everything from the first, need-to-keep pile and throw out everything from the second, trash pile. Bring everything in the third, donation pile to your local second-hand shop or Salvation Army. Make sure you get a receipt, as even the smallest donation counts as a tax deduction! Now, take a look at your fourth pile. This usually ends up consisting of old electronics, books, clothes that are in exceptionally good shape or are of designer origins (note: you won’t make any money selling your three-year-old pair of Levi’s—those are for the charity pile), furniture that has been stowed away in attics, and other household items that you simple no longer use. Maybe it’s your old CD player that you never use since you got your iPod. Your old cell phone charger. The extra battery for a laptop you don’t even have anymore. Books you’ve already read. Books you know you will never read. Textbooks from college. These can all be sold.

The way to sell these items is really a personal choice and depends on the item itself and your personal preference. For extremely specific items, such as an LG Verizon phone charger or a second generation iPod mini hard drive, eBay or Amazon are probably your best bets. It would be an extreme coincidence if someone looking for your specific phone charger also happened upon your garage sale. We tend to take to eBay or Amazon for specific, hard-to-find items such as these.

For books, we recommended websites for textbooks, such as Half.com or your local college’s book exchange website. For novels, yard sales are great. Even if you sell the books for $2 each, you can make a little profit with very little effort. Post an add on Craigslist saying you are having a yard sale on Saturday or Sunday morning from 9am to noon, put the books out on your front lawn with a sign that reads “$2 Each,” grab yourself some iced coffee and enjoy a morning of sunshine while making a few dollars.

For designer clothes we recommend consignment shops, or if there are not any reputable ones in the area, eBay. In essence, you donate the clothes to the shop, and you make a portion of the profits when the item is sold. Make sure that the shop is reputable before handing over anything valuable, or you may never see any of the profits.

For things that are commonly sought after, try Craigslist. This is a great option because unlike eBay, Craigslist does not take a portion of your profit, and buyers like it because they can pick up the item that they want right away, and do not need to wait for it to be shipped. DVD players, iPods, and furniture are all great things to sell on Craigslist.

We hope you find these tips helpful and useful. Not only will you be able to make a few extra dollars, but cleaning out your house can be a great way to clear clutter and reduce the amount of unnecessary stuff you have in your way! So take our advice and get to cleaning. You may be surprised at what you find.

Summer Saving Tips

Now that summertime is here, we can all relax. No snow to shovel, no need to blast the heat or clear ice out of the gutters. No need for snow tires or tire chains, and no need to stock up on canned goods, candles, and flashlights for a potential blackout. Good weather is here and with it comes an escape from seasonal expenses. Right?

Wrong. Summer days can often rack up more expenses than winter ones. Air conditioners use a phenomenal amount of energy, water bills skyrocket, and we replace the shovels and deicers with sunscreens and bug sprays. We here at 5 Point Capital, however, have a few summer saving tips that you may find useful.

When it comes to air conditioning, we tend to blast it as high as it will go. With heat, we are sometimes content to warm the house and then cuddle under a blanket or put on warm clothes. When summer comes around though, there is no added coolness that could be the equivalent of a big blanket. When you’re hot, you’re hot. As a result, we tend to blast the cold air, striking up huge power bills. We here at Five Point Capital suggest turning the air on only during the hottest part of the day. Keep your windows open at night and then close them first thing in the morning, and draw the shades. This will fill the house with cool air at night, which you can trap inside during the day. When the cool air starts to wane around noon, turn the air on until the sun goes down. However, remember to turn the air on when the house first starts to heat up, not when it is already much too hot. A cool house will reach an optimal temperature much faster and with less energy than a very hot house.

When it comes to the water bill, be reasonable. Water shortages are common all across the country, especially in the hot summer months. Do not take incredibly long showers. Do not leave the water running when brushing your teeth or washing dishes. Do not re-fill the pool every single day. Most importantly, do not attempt to water plants that could rival the jungle. Plants may be pretty, but let’s face it: they use valuable water and they attract bugs. Knock out two birds with one stone here and limit your plants to a select few, or to especially hardy plants that can survive without constant water. You’ll save on your water bill and on bug spray as well!

When it comes to sunscreen, Five Point Capital offers this advice – buy it! We can all get by with slightly warmer houses or slightly fewer plants, but your skin is yours for the rest of your life. Stock up on sunscreen and protect your skin. Besides, if you’re spending all your time outside, who needs air conditioners and decorative plants! Hit the beach, the park, the pool—anything to stay outdoors, and enjoy this beautiful summer.

Changing Flights

At some point in our lives, everyone has experienced flight purchase regret. Maybe you fall ill right before you are supposed to leave for a vacation, or maybe that family reunion you were flying home for was pushed back. Whatever the case, we all know that moving a flight can often be more expensive than an all-inclusive Caribbean escape.

When you purchase a flight, you are committing yourself to that airline, which is what makes switching flights so expensive. If you found a good deal to fly on one airline, chances are that moving that flight within the same airline will be extremely costly. For example, if you had purchased a ticket from Los Angeles to Boston one month ago for the dates of July 15 – July 22 on US Airways, it would have cost you about $190. To move the flight to July 1 – July 8 (exactly two weeks earlier), flight prices jump radically, especially because of the holiday weekend. When you add in the fact that you will be charged $150 by the airline for moving the flight and an additional $30 by the booking company, you are looking at only $10 worth of credit from your original flight. The cheapest tickets US Airways is offering for your new selected dates are over $1000. Your family may have thought it was a great idea to move the reunion to the Independence Day weekend, but now you are out one grand.

In this case, it is better to buy a new ticket entirely, an idea that for some reason does not occur to too many people. Most people assume it will always be cheaper to reschedule a current flight than to purchase a new one. However, the airline industry does not quite work the way the rest of the world does. Buying two airline tickets in this case will actually be cheaper than exchanging the original one for a new one. A quick search on Expedia, Orbitz, or Priceline reveals flights from LA to Boston on July 1 – July 8 at less than $300on various airlines.

Now, you have two tickets for a total cost of less than $500, instead of one ticket that cost you over $1000. You also have the choice of flying cross-country twice in one month (once for your reunion and once to see the lovely east coast sites) or canceling the original flight and saving your $10 credit for a rainy day. Either way, you have saved a bundle. Basic psychology makes us feel like we have “wasted” the first flight, since the money we spent on it never ended up being useful. Our gut reaction is to “exchange” the ticket, because it makes us feel as if the cost and effort of buying the original ticket was useful. However, try your best to ignore your basic instincts. Buying a new flight is the better option in this case.

Just keep in mind that when it comes to flight tickets, nothing is intuitive. One non-stop flight costs more than two connecting flights, even though the connecting flights use more gas and cover more miles. Buying a new flight is cheaper than exchanging an old flight. It doesn’t make sense, and this is just something we must learn to accept. Remember to shop and around and keep your options open when looking to move or cancel flights. Most importantly, don’t forget your sense of adventure. You never know where you may end up or when that extra flight may come in handy.

Now is the Time to Fly

When it comes to flying, now is definitely the time to buy. We here at Five Point Capital know you have probably heard this many times in recent weeks, but we just wanted to drive the point in a bit more. Often when we hear that expensive items are on sale, our reaction is “that’s nice, but I still can’t afford it.” However, with these ticket prices, you actually can afford it. And it may be just what you need.

The economy is putting stress on all aspects of life. Money is tight, jobs are wavering, all of which puts an added bit of stress into every day tasks, such as grocery shopping, buying gas for the car, or being called into a meeting with your boss. So while a getaway may seem like a luxury from a far-off time, a little de-stressor (at a de-stressed price) may do wonders for your mental and physical health.

The first thing to do is stay flexible. If you start looking for flight prices with exact days and times in your mind, you may not find the most reasonable flight out there. So plan your vacation time around the flight availability, not the other way around. Try looking through websites such as Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, and Priceline, and find a few cheap flights. Then, try adjusting the flight details to see the effect on the price. Maybe leaving on a Tuesday instead of a Sunday will drop the price; maybe leaving in the afternoon instead of early morning will do the same.

Next, make sure to check prices for airlines that aren’t commonly found on those ticket search engine sites. JetBlue, Virgin Airlines, and Southwest Airlines often have travel deals that are detailed only on their own websites. Also, JetBlue has a nifty feature that allows you to see the prices of your tickets individually, as well as the prices for tickets three days before and three days after your selected flight, so you can see how each flight leg is affecting the price. This might help you in picking the perfect day to leave. Shop around and take advantage of travel deals.

As we said before, flight tickets are at an all-time low, so do yourself a favor and start to shop around. You might be surprised at what you find.

A Time for Charity

The economy is not doing so well. We all know this. It would be near impossible for someone to have been living in America for the past year, month, or even day and not realize that all is not well. A few years ago our main concerns as a nation were national security and education, scientific advancement and endangered species, terrorists and fighting disease. Now all of those incredibly important things have taken a back seat to one thing and one thing only: money.

All sense of the greater good and of achievement is thrown out the window when our very livelihood is at stake. When the economy came crashing down, charities and non-profits and goodwill went crashing down as well. Instead of spending time promoting Parkinson’s disease awareness, time must be spent looking for a job or supplemental income. Instead of spending money to feed and clothe a needy child, money must be scrimped and saved. As a result, all of our efforts for the needy, the hungry, the planet, and the unsafe that were at the forefront of our minds for so long are now folded up neatly in a box and stored in the attic for another day and time.

So what can we do? Do we simply shake our heads and get back to the job hunt? No matter how down and out we feel right now, we must remember that there are still those less fortunate than ourselves. Maybe we do not have enough time to spend a whole weekend volunteering, but we can spend an hour. Maybe we do not have enough money to adopt an acre of the rainforest, but we can still throw some change in the collection boxes. We here at Five Point Capital know that times are tough and that times are scary, but we also have the utmost faith in our fellow mankind to do the right thing. We know that as a nation we can help one another through this and not neglect the greater good that we had once worked so hard for.

Going Green: Worth the Investment

Going Green: Worth the Investment

We here at Five Point Capital know money is tight and that you are probably looking for ways to save, not spend, but when it comes to making sound investments, sometimes it is worth spending a little more upfront in order to save down the road. Going green is a great example of this.

It may not seem wise in this difficult economy to go out and purchase all new light bulbs, for example, but you can actually start to see economic results in just one electricity billing cycle. In this case, it is worth the hassle and spending to go out and purchase environmentally-conscious light bulbs. You will help protect the environment and at the same time save on your energy bill. The amount of savings in just one energy bill will more than compensate for the price of the bulbs.

Now that many people have been laid-off from their jobs, homes run the risk of running up their energy bills by exorbitant amounts. The middle of the day, when adults are normally off at work and the house is quiet and dark, is now the culprit of many a home-energy bill. If you are home during the day, try to remind yourself to turn off lights and other appliances you are not currently using, so as not to increase your energy spending too dramatically. You can also use this time to go out and look for a new job, go for a walk or run, or other low-energy alternatives. If you have lost your job and money is already tight, be conscious of the increased energy you may be using at home.

Finally, try bringing your own bag to the grocery story. This can help in more than one way. First of all, you are saving both paper and plastic bags, thus helping the environment. Secondly, however, you can also save money. When you walk blindly into a grocery story, you tend to buy more than you need (you have that whole cart to fill)! If you come armed with one or two reusable bags, you will limit how much you can buy, thus restricting yourself to a list or to the necessities. It is like saving the environment coupled with portion control!

Don’t keep telling yourself that you just can’t afford to go green right now. In truth, going green can save you bundles in ways you probably haven’t even considered. So take the plunge and start saving (the world and your money), because you can’t afford not to.

What Equipment Should I Lease?

Five Point Capital offers a wide variety of equipment and furniture for businesses, restaurants, medical offices, and construction. The options can be overwhelming, so here are some tips to help you decide what equipment is best to give your business a boost.

First, take a look around your office and make a note of anything that is BROKEN, OUT-DATED, or otherwise OLD. Broken equipment has no place in a modern, successful business, and replacements should be sought immediately. Likewise, equipment and software that is out-dated or old will not be enticing to customers or potential clients. For a client to invest money in your business, they should feel that they are getting the most current, up-to-date service possible, and nothing is a bigger give-away for an out-dated company than out-dated equipment. Five Point Capital can help to bring your business up-to-date.

Next, spend a few days making a list of any equipment you find yourself wishing you had during the course of the day. Ask you employees to do the same. If you find that many of your employees request the same piece of equipment, it might be worth leasing that item from 5 Point Capital to make your business more efficient.

Last, do your research. What are the latest technologies available for your line of work? What do clients or customers tend to value about your company, or your competitors? What is available at 5 Point Capital? This is where you can put your company ahead of the game, by leasing one or two items that are brand-new and top-notch. This lets your clients know that you keep up-to-date with the newest research and technology available to your line of work, and that you are consistently looking for ways to improve your business and your services.

These guidelines should help you decide what to lease from 5 Point Capital. Just remember the three rules: replace the old or broken, keep a wish-list for efficiency, and always have one or two cutting-edge piece of equipment. This will ensure that your business continues to attract new clients and keeps old clients coming back.