This MasterCard gift card review quickly reveals the change in consumer attitudes about gift cards. Gift cards are no longer viewed as an impersonal present.

Instead, they offer opportunities other gifts can’t match. Gift cards allow the recipient to purchase an item they want or to buy something they truly need.

What a perfect going away gift for a friend heading for her first cruise or anniversary gift for your hard working parents. The MasterCard Travel Card provides a perfect traveling companion that offers an alternative to carrying cash or travelers’ checks.

This card is accepted worldwide and can be used everywhere MasterCard Debit cards can be presented at hotels, restaurants, shows, ATMS and shopping. If your card is lost or stolen you are totally protected from unauthorized purchases when those fraudulent purchases are made online, by phone or in a store. The person who receives a MasterCard Travel Gift card can check the balance online or by phone and can receive cash back at participating merchants.

You may think of a gift card as providing $25-$250 as a gift the recipient can use to buy something special they want or need. Those may be the more commonly purchased gift card amounts yet MasterCard gift cards aren’t limited to moderate gifts. Very special gift cards of up to $10,000 are available. That would be a very good gift, indeed, for the recipient.

Gift cards are an excellent choice for anniversaries, birthdays, graduations and holidays but can be also used to give large, expensive gifts, too. Parents might give a gift card worth thousands of dollars to help a son or daughter furnish a new home. Some gift cards will be imprinted with the name of the recipient and some have various designs and messages to choose from.

MasterCard Cash Passport is the perfect gift for a parent to give their globe trotting student for summer travels. Available in three currencies, GBP, Euro and US dollars, Cash Passport can be used to withdraw local currency at millions of ATMS worldwide and provides a safe way for travelers to carry the money they need for restaurants, rooms and entertainment.

This MasterCard Cash Passport as a gift card provides a high level of security as it is not connected to the traveler’s bank account and is PIN and signature protected. The 24/7 Global emergency assistance provides peace of mind. The Key Possibilities Master Card Gift Card is ideal for college students, employees and friends on your gift list. It’s also a great idea to buy it for yourself to use for online purchases in place of credit cards.

Available in amounts from $25 to $2,500 the card can be used at ATMs and merchants worldwide. This basic Key Possibilities card can also be a great tool for managing a budget as the card can be dedicated to paying for groceries, clothing, entertainment or other budget item and most MasterCard Gift Cards can be reloaded if you want.

There may be no better gift than a MasterCard Gift Card for both the recipient and the person giving the gift. Instead of spending hours shopping in an attempt to find just the right gift for a special person, buy a personalized gift card. It’s the easiest shopping you’ll ever do and the person who receives the card will be able to choose a gift he truly wants.

The MasterCard Gift Card review may show you the wide array of possibilities for using gift cards. Whether helping to pay for travel, providing a great dinner out for an anniversary or providing the ability for a single mother or a student to buy something they truly want, the MasterCard Gift Cards provide the perfect solution to gift giving.

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In addition to our usual commentary on bankruptcy in Canada, we occasionally review books that may be of interest to our readers. You can see all book reviews in our book review section.

Today we review Debt Free Forever: Take Control Of Your Money And Your Life by Gail Vaz-Oxlade, the host of TV’s Til Debt Do Us Part.

Gail Vaz-Oxlade’s Debt Free Forever: Take Control Of Your Money And Your Life

I must confess that I am biased, because I have appeared twice on Till Debt Do Us Part as an “expert”. My first appearance was back on Episode #36, that first aired in 2007, called Single Mom Shake Up. My job was to explain the bankruptcy option to Tammy, the person featured on that episode. She was able to cut her expenses, and with the support of her family she avoided bankruptcy.

I also appeared in Season 8, on episode number 103; you can watch the entire episode on the Till Debt Do Us Part section of the Slice web site. (Warning: This is a very emotional episode; I had to give some difficult advice, as did Ms. Vaz-Oxlade; sometimes our advice is not taken, and that’s a difficult reality when you are a professional advisor).

As anyone who was watched Till Debt Do Us Part will know, Gail Vaz-Oxlade has a very “no nonsense” approach to money problems. She strongly believes that ultimately you are responsible for your behavior, so only you can change your behavior to eliminate money problems. I like that approach.

That no-nonsense approach is easy to see in Debt Free Forever: Take Control Of Your Money And Your Life as Gail Vaz-Oxlade starts at the same place I start in every meeting I have with someone in financial trouble: Figure Out Where You Stand. She gives practical tips on how to analyze your spending, and, most importantly, how to face up to your debt.

In my experience facing up to your debt is the hardest step to take in your journey to financial freedom. It’s hard to make a list of all of the money you owe, but it’s absolutely essential if you want to go on the next step, which is Part Two of the book: Make a Plan.

Doug Hoyes, Bankruptcy Trustee, Appearing on ‘Til Debt Do Us Part

Her advice is always practical; you don’t need a math degree to follow her advice. She keeps it simple, using her trademark “jar” method of saving, where you put cash in your food jar, gas money jar, and so on to keep budgeting simple.

Speaking of budgeting, that’s Chapter 4, Create a Budget That Balances. Again, Gail gives practical advice on how to create a household budget, and how to cut expenses to make your budget balance. She illustrates the concept with what she calls the “Life Pie”, where money is allocated to life’s expenses, and you have to learn to divide the pie up to keep your spending in check.

While Debt Free Forever: Take Control Of Your Money And Your Life focuses on budgeting, spending control, and setting goals, Chapter 11 does deal with subject matter near and dear to my heart: Cope When the Caca Hits the Fan. She starts the chapter off by telling it like it is:

One of life’s hard truths is that it doesn’t matter how carefully you plan, how hard you work, or how diligent you are in taking care of the details, crap happens!….It’s nice to think that life is predictable, but it’s not ………Having made a budget, made a debt repayment plan, made up your mind to live your life consciously and take care of your money, you may dream that it’ll be smooth sailing from here on in, but it is only a dream. Sometimes life sucks.

Yes, I couldn’t agree more. Every day I meet with Canadians who were doing well, but then they got sick, lost their job, got divorced, or had some other tragedy derail their dream of financial independence. Sometimes, stuff happens. Fortunately, Gail Vaz-Oxlade carries her “no-nonsense” approach to the discussion of bankruptcy in Canada as well. Here’s what she has to say:

Bankruptcy isn’t the worst thing in the world. Living in the hell you’ve created is….

For many people, the decision to go bankrupt isn’t an easy one to make. It’s a thorny path. But if that’s what it’ll take to get you out of hell, then do it.

Wow. No-one will ever accuse Ms. Vaz-Oxlade of “sugar coating” her opinions. She’s right: in my experience it takes the average person six months of soul-searching before deciding to file bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is a last resort for dealing with your debts, but sometimes it is necessary.

If you are looking for a book that contains practical, easy to understand advice, Debt Free Forever: Take Control Of Your Money And Your Life is just what you are looking for. The advice is easy to understand, but it’s not easy to implement. Making change is hard, and it takes sacrifice, but if you are up the challenge, this book can help.

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