News on Youtube Jun 28 2018

Another place that people are losing money

that you may not even think about

is when it comes to your mortgage.

Yes, people, it's so normal just to get a 30-year mortgage

and go about your day and not even think about it.

Do you know how much money you're wasting

when it comes to payments and interest, and all of that,

versus getting a 15-year?

So, what I did is,

I went into my Facebook group

and I asked some of you questions,

and in my YouTube community,

because I wanted to test your smarts

when it comes to paying your house off early.

And it was very interesting.

So, according to the Census Bureau,

the average mortgage payment is $1,030.

Now, if you invested that money

instead of paying it to the bank,

how much could you have in 15 years?

Let's see what you said.

Oh, interesting, 34% of you got it right.

The correct answer is $475,000.

Mm hmm, you heard me right.

Almost half a million dollars you guys!

If you didn't have a mortgage payment and you invested that . . .

Half a million dollars, amazing.

Alright, next question is,

if you had a 30-year mortgage

but made one extra mortgage payment every three months,

how much earlier could you have a paid-for house?

Alright, this one was a little bit trickier,

but most of you thought the answer was five years,

but it's actually 11 years.

Yeah, 11 years.

That's the difference of looking like this

when you have a paid-for house or looking like this.

If paying an extra full mortgage payment

doesn't work in your budget,

then just simply switch to paying half of your mortgage bill

every two weeks instead of just once a month

and you can still pay off your home eight years faster.

Isn't that crazy?

Alright, final question is,

the average price of a home in America is $268,500.

Now, if you got a 15-year instead of a 30-year mortgage

at the current interest rate, that's 4.5%,

which of these things could you buy with the money

that you would have saved?

A: A designer handbag every six months for 30 years.

B: A nice beach vacation for your family

for the next 30 years.

Or C: A water jet pack.

Let's see, oh, everyone got this one right.

The answer is any of these, yes!

If you just got a 15-year instead of a 30-year,

you would have saved a $120,000, amazing.

And I actually got a couple of other funny responses

when it comes to this.

One of you said,

"Probably as big as any rental property

or a lot of shoes. I'm kidding—kind of."

Someone else said, "An early retirement."

Yep, that's what I'm talking about. Amazing.

And you know what?

If your mortgage is stressing you out,

there is no shame in considering just downgrading

or even selling your home.

The cash you could make could really set you up

for success in the long term.

And if you use one of our trusted professionals

that I recommend, you could get almost $5,000 more

at closing than with another agent.

So, remember once you own your home, you guys,

you have a paid-for house.

And it's now an asset that's 100% yours.

That really contributes to your net worth.

You're no longer paying the bank,

you are paying you and your future.

Now, if you want to find out

what your 15-year payment would be,

we've got a free and easy-to-use mortgage calculator.

So, make sure to click the link below.

(upbeat music)

For more infomation >> How Much Is Your 30-Year Mortgage REALLY Costing You? - Duration: 3:31.

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People Are Freaking Out Over How Much This Girl Looks Like Demi Lovato And Ariana Grande's Twin - Duration: 3:12.

People Are Freaking Out Over How Much This Girl Looks Like Demi Lovato And Ariana Grande's Twin

A teenager is going viral for somehow appearing to be both Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato's doppelgänger at the same time.

If the two pop stars could merge their DNA and have a daughter who's already a teenager, that teenager would definitely look like 18-year-old Samantha Rodriguez.

Rodriguez attended the LGBTQ+ Pride parade in Houston, Texas, last weekend, and she tweeted a photo of herself decked out in Pride apparel — rainbow and glitter and all.

Unexpectedly, the photo accumulated almost 50,000 likes over the next couple days.

Fellow Twitter users were flabbergasted by Samantha's face, and frankly, it's easy to see why.

Being a doppelgänger is one thing, but being two people's doppelgängers at the same time? How, Sway?.

Folks reacted accordingly.

"Make up your mind, you're either gonna be Ariana Grande or demi lovato," one frustrated fan wrote.

"Ariana Grande??? Demi Lovato???" another fan demanded.

Samantha told Teen Vogue that she's frequently been compared to Ariana, but not so much Demi.

"I've gotten the comment about Ariana quite a lot actually," Samantha said.

"The Demi comparison was kind of random, I'm assuming because of my chin.

I personally don't see the resemblance to either so all of the attention I've gotten is so wild to me.".

"People have been reaching out to me on all platforms explaining how crazy it is that I can look like two celebrities in one.

I've been called Demi and Ari's baby so many times now," Samantha added.

Luckily, being an Ariana and Demi mashup is nothing but a compliment.

"I actually love everything about both women and what they stand for.

They also happen to be extremely gorgeous so to be able to be compared to them both is really an amazing feeling.".

For more infomation >> People Are Freaking Out Over How Much This Girl Looks Like Demi Lovato And Ariana Grande's Twin - Duration: 3:12.

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Tipping in Thailand 2018: How much should I tip in Thailand? - Duration: 7:22.

Welcome to the forty-second video of Bangkok Unmasked! The YouTube channel that helps you

get the most out of your visit to Bangkok city! If you're new here, please consider

subscribing! In this video I'm going to try and answer the question; 'Should I tip in

Thailand?' And if so, how much should you be tipping in Thailand?

Let's get started!

In the US and UK leaving a tip for reasonable to good service is pretty much expected. This

is not really the case in Bangkok, and especially the poorer Thai provinces.

Note. When thinking about the amounts of money suggested remember that the average salary

in Thailand is low compared to Western standards. According to Trading Economics, Thailand's

average monthly wage in Q1/2018 was 13,721 baht/month.

These days I follow what I have been taught by my wife and close Thai friends. This is

what I have learned.

Tip in Thailand situation #1: Sit down restaurants

I'd tip around 10% of the bill. And round up or down to an even amount just as would

you would back at home.

For example, the other day I had a bill of 1,080 baht at a restaurant in Central World.

The service was pretty good so I left 1,200 baht on the tray, and went on my way.

If there's a service charge, which is becoming more common, I generally won't tip unless

the service was excellent. Also, if I go to a restaurant and the service is poor. Absolutely

no tip!

Tip in Thailand situation #2: Street food

The Thai do not tip for street food. Neither do I. In some rare cases a vendor might have

a tip jar. Most patrons won't be leaving anything in it!

Tip in Thailand situation #3: Bars

In general the Thai do not tip in bars. Especially if there's a service charge. That said, if

you have some sort of table service where your drinks are constantly being refilled,

and you're well attended to, you should tip. In this case, like restaurants, 10% of the

bill is about right.

Tip in Thailand situation #4: Fast food restaurants and coffee shops

From what I have observed, my Thai friends will only consider tipping if a server comes

to the table. This means that Burger King, Starbucks, McDonalds etc. all don't require

a tip. It's rare to tip in coffee shops from what I have seen. Unless the service is exceptional

of course.

Tip in Thailand situation #5: Taxis

Most Thai will simply round up or down to the nearest 5 or 10 baht. This means that

if the fare is 111 baht the driver will likely be paid either 115 baht or 120 baht. The tip

will likely be determined by whether the customer has any coins, or not. In my opinion this

is about right.

That said if the journey is a long one, like to the airport for example, and most importantly

the driver drives nicely, I'll pay a little more. Maybe a 20-50 baht tip.

Note. I don't use Grab taxi as there are so many taxis near my house. Frankly, if I can't

get to somewhere by BTS or MRT I don't want to go. That said, most expats who use Grab

will tip at least 10 baht. The tip is really dependent on distance and of course service.

Tip in Thailand situation #6: Tuk Tuks

I strongly suggest that you don't use tuk tuks. They're dangerous and most drivers will

try and scam you if you're a new visitor and don't speak Thai. Even if you speak Thai they'll

still likely quote you a 'farang price'.

Honestly. Why pay roughly the same amount as a taxi to get in a dangerous vehicle and

breathe in a lot more traffic pollution?! Taking tuk tuks don't make any sense to me!

If you must take a tuk tuk I wouldn't leave a tip.

Tip in Thailand situation #7: Thai massage

If you don't tip for a good Thai massage, you're evil! It's a hard job, and the masseuse

are generally not well paid. For a 300 baht massage you should tip at least 50 baht. I

usually pay at least 100 baht tip.

In upscale massage places i.e. spas in hotels most Thai will tip 100 baht. Irrespective

of the price.

Note. Make sure that you give the tip directly to the masseuse. If you hand it to the cashier

the masseuse almost certainly won't get the cash.

Tip in Thailand situation #8: Bell boys

From what I have seen most Thai will generally give bell boys 20 baht for sending luggage

to the room. If there's a lot of luggage, and they've gone to a lot of effort, maybe

40-50 baht.

Tip in Thailand situation #9: Housekeeping at hotels

My wife won't leave a tip for maids or housekeeping. I have asked a good number of Thai friends

if they leave money for maids or housekeeping - especially at 5 star hotels - and none of

them do. Some of these guys are rich by Western standards so I think it's fair to assume that

most Thai don't leave a tip for housekeeping.

Tip in Thailand situation #10: Tattoo artists

I have never got a tattoo. That said, the Thai friends of mine who have suggest tipping

about 10%.

Maybe one day I'll get a a Sak Yant tattoo i.e. a traditional Thai tattoo. It's on my

bucket list!

Tip in Thailand situation #11: Getting your hair done

If you visit a cheap barber's shop, a tip is not expected or required. If you go to

a hair salon, I'd go with a tip of about 10%. Like with a masseuse you should hand the money

directly to the hair stylist.

If you're in Bangkok, I strongly recommend Chalachol Amarin. Check out a video I did

on this outstanding hair salon through the "i" icon above.

Tip in Thailand situation #12: Tour guides

A good tour guide will show you things that you'd never find on your own. They're also

a great resource to learn local tips. Tour guiding is generally not well paid in Thailand.

It's similar in terms of remuneration to being a masseuse.

It's a difficult one, but I'd suggest about 150 baht per person for a half day tour, and

300 baht per person for a full day tour.

Final thoughts...

When receiving their change, it's not uncommon to see many Thai scooping up every last Baht.

That said, there are just as many foreigners who don't tip either. To be sure, good luck

getting a tip out of my father!

It's easy to assume that the Thai don't tip based on having seen a few that don't. You

can certainly argue that there isn't a tipping culture per se in Thailand. Since I am a repeat

customer to many places that I frequent, I often tip - sometimes heavily - to ensure

that I get good service. Which I always do.

Ultimately, like many things, tipping in Thailand is up to you. If the service wasn't good,

and you don't intend to go back to the place, I definitely wouldn't leave a tip!

Anyway, that's it for this video. Expect a new video next week.

For all you techies out there, this video was shot on a Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus, and

edited using HitFilm Express.

To check out details on arranging a bespoke Bangkok tour with experienced tour guides,

please click on the link in this video's description section.

Finally, please don't forget to subscribe to this channel through the button below!

Also, I'd like to hear from you if you have any thoughts or comments on tipping Thailand.

Please do reach out to me through the comments section of this video!

Thank you very much for watching. I'll see you next week. Goodbye.

For more infomation >> Tipping in Thailand 2018: How much should I tip in Thailand? - Duration: 7:22.

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Officials don't understand how much I struggle to survive‚ says land occupier - Duration: 3:40.

Officials don't understand how much I struggle to survive‚ says land occupier

Officials don't understand how much I struggle to survive‚ says land occupier.

  Law enforcement officials on Monday demolished shacks belonging to homeless residents who occupied a piece of unused City-owned land in Zwelitsha‚ Khayelitsha.

Community leader Lindeka Tshomela explained that most of the occupiers were backyarders who struggled to pay rent for their backyard dwellings before they began moving onto the land two weeks ago.

Nomapha Gwele said she was busy feeding her baby at her cousin's place nearby when the officials destroyed her shack and confiscated her building materials.

"I feel like screaming aloud‚" said Gwele as she wiped tears from her eyes.

"The officials don't seem to understand how much I want a place to stay and how much I struggle to survive." She works on a part-time basis as a domestic worker in Lansdowne.

Tshomela said the law enforcement officials were unnecessarily aggressive.

"In one instance the officials shoved a mother of a little baby out of her shack while she cooked for her family‚" she said.

  Abongile Sotobe said he had spent four days clearing bushes from the spot where he erected his shack.

"The officials found me fixing a mat onto the floor of my shack and ordered me to stand aside.

They then destroyed it and seized my building materials‚" he said.

Sotobe said he used to stay with his parents in Enkanini informal settlement before he made a decision to occupy the land.

"I can't stay at home forever.

I want to have a place of my own now‚" he said.

"The land is currently being occupied illegally‚" said Luthando Tyhalibongo‚ media manager for the City of Cape Town.

"The City is removing unoccupied and incomplete structures which have been illegally erected." But Msindisi Mnyamana said he had occupied his shack for two days before it was demolished on Monday.

"They stormed into my shack and marched me out before they tore it down without even bothering to move my belongings out first‚" he said.

Mnyamana said he had a bed‚ cupboard and clothes inside his shack.

"It took me the whole day to fell trees and remove bushes from the spot where my shack stood‚ but my efforts meant nothing to the officials as they destroyed it with crowbars‚" he said.

Some people moved onto the land shortly after the officials left.