Here's some guidance on what to look for and how to make a purchase. Here, we will discuss how to choose an engagement ring that will make her eyes sparkle without breaking the bank.

1.       Get to know your fiancee's taste

You and your intended have probably already discussed the next stages in your relationship if you want to become engaged. Determine if your fiancée would want the ring from Engagement Rings Direct to be a surprise or if she would like to accompany you as you look for an engagement ring. Good for you if that's the case! Now that you have the ring, you can focus on making preparations for a memorable proposal. Make a plan, stick to it, and always pay cash for everything you buy.

 

2.       The Cost of an Engagement Ring- What Should You Expect to Spend?

OK, now it's time for the question. Surely you're all curious: what is the average cost of an engagement ring purchased by a man? There is no magic figure since it all relies on your financial position, but you should be deliberate and create a budget anyway. 

The average cost of a beautiful ring should be no more than one month's salary, but you shouldn't spend more than two or three months' salary. It's important to remember that you shouldn't go into debt to purchase an engagement ring for your special someone. That's why you shouldn't ever use a credit card, bank loan, or finance to purchase an engagement diamond. (Besides, it doesn't matter how big the ring is if the marriage doesn't last.) Make a cash payment in the full amount that you have set aside for this purpose. In certain cases, you may even be able to save money by paying cash. There is a lot of room for negotiating when purchasing jewelry due to the very high markup. 

While asking for a discount may not be expected at certain larger jewelry shops, it never hurts to ask. Someone will either decline or, surprisingly, accept your proposal. (Even jewelry sellers are aware that cash equals immediate payment rather than installments.)

The exorbitant interest rates associated with layaway, financing, and jewelry shop credit cards are a major turnoff for consumers. In the long run, you'll save a lot of money if you can save up and pay cash. And here's the thing: if you have to make payments on that ring for decades, it won't look nearly as shiny.

3.       Find a Jeweler or Jewelry Store to Purchase the Ring

If you know how much you want to spend on an engagement ring, you can shop with confidence and even go for Moissanite wedding Rings. Looking at rings alongside someone who has some knowledge of diamonds and jewelry may help you avoid being taken advantage of, no matter where you go shopping. In the absence of a shopping buddy, it is important to shop in a place where you feel safe and where you can maintain control over your spending.

Lifestyle

Posted By Kristine Nativelove

Don’t assume that just because you are a small to medium sized business, that you won’t be targeted by cyber criminals. The hotel, restaurant and hospitality and leisure sectors are possibly more vulnerable because of having small IT teams and a lack of knowledge around protection and best-practice.

Cyber criminals look for the easiest and fastest way to be successful. By attacking at the weakest link, or accessing via your supply chain, cyber criminals use small businesses as an entry point to move higher up the business ‘food-chain’.

More than half (54%) of SMEs in the UK had experienced some form of cyber-attack in 2022. Around 65,000 attempts to hack small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) occur in the UK every day, around 4,500 of which are successful.

Hospitality is targeted for two reasons

It has been found that those in the food and hospitality industry are 19% more likely than the average business to offer online payment options, and 11% more likely to use network connected devices. This combination means there are more possible entry points to better quality data sets.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2022/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2022

It’s understood that 31% of all retail and hospitality businesses have experienced some form of security or data breach. And the majority – 89% – have experienced more than one attack per year. This suggests that those with vulnerable networks or processes are likely to be targeted again.

www.securitymagazine.com/articles/96515

Many leisure sector businesses outsource services such as Payroll, employees benefit packages or ICT or network support. If the level of access a vendor or contractor has to your data or network, is not controlled properly breaches can happen, and do, frequently. You could become a victim of extortion, phishing attacks, social engineering or your website could get hacked.

 Humans are the weakest link

From a data security perspective, employees are one of the biggest risks to business. Research has shown that more that 90% of security breaches involve some degree of human error. They can pose a risk by:-

• Clicking on bad links in emails

• Visiting websites containing malicious software

• Forgetting to close the access point created for a vendor or contractor

• Using personal devices

So ensure account access is controlled and audited to identify potential issues. Use encryptions for all sensitive or confidential data. It is vital to have the right technologies in place to support them, such as firewalls.

Having up-to-date data backups and a disaster recovery plan will help recover and restore your business information.

• Employees must be trained about cyber security risks. Information Technology team members should be encouraged to get cyber security certificates.

• Hospitality organisations should invest in reliable hosting and CDNs.

• End-to-end encryptions should be used on the PoS system. 

Security is everyone’s responsibility so here are 10 security tips to help you stay vigilant.

1. Phising Emails- Don’t open emails from unknown sources. Think before you click on links or open attachments.

2. Log off- when you’re away from your device and use a security screen to protect confidential information from prying eyes.

3. Strong Passwords;- make them complex using at least 7 uppercase and lower case letters, symbols and numbers. Never write them down or share them. Don’t reuse passwords from other sites.

4. Protect your stuff- keep your equipment locked up or take it with you. Report any loss immediately.

5. Shred it- Don’t write passwords down and shred confidential waste

6. Sharing & Storing- only use approved applications. Hackers use clouds to gain access to information.

7. Back up – save your data and critical files regularly

8. Secure Connection- when accessing work networks, use a secure WiFi not open to the public. The use of VPNs should be encouraged in hotels and hospitality organisations. 

9. Updates- Keep your devices, browsers and apps up to date with the latest software and anti-virus protection

• Report it- If it looks suspicious report it

Reporting breaches

If you suffer from a breach that poses a risk to people’s rights and freedoms, such as damage to reputation or financial loss, then you do need to report it to the Information Commission Office (IOC) within 72 hours of discovering the incident. The ICO has produced a guide which may be found on its website (link) https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/personal-data-breaches/

The Government’s Cyber Essentials scheme is a responsible way of demonstrating that you take the protection of any customer or supplier data seriously. Their details can be found at www.cyberessentials.ncsc.gov.uk

Get insurance cover

You can also get special cyber insurance to cover recovery costs in the event of an attack.

Finance

Posted By Kristine Nativelove

If you are thinking about removing teeth and getting dentures you need to consider many factors. Many people have teeth that are not possible to repair due to several reasons. For those who have the option of repairing their teeth should consider keeping their teeth.

Many people don’t realize that just by taking certain precautions, they can help themselves and can actually prevent any serious dental issues from arising and prevent the need for dentures. For example, it is quite easy to reschedule your dental cleaning. Don’t miss your dental appointments as these visits are necessary. Your dentists can detect problems early before you realize that you have them. Also, even if there are any symptoms of periodontal disease, your dentist can take steps to try to stabilize it. One of the many reasons why people end up needing dentures is either because of gum disease or severe cavities which have led to the extraction of many teeth.

 

If you notice any of the following oral problems, you should make an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible.

 

• Soreness or tenderness of gums
• Trouble while eating hard food
• Tooth sensitivity
• Teeth moving further apart
• Loose teeth
• Toothaches

 

The way to avoid dentures is prevention. Avoiding dentures is not an impossible task, but requires meticulous oral hygiene and regular dental appointments. However, if you are experiencing any dental issues, you can schedule a dental appointment with Expressions Dental™ Clinic and get your mouth examined by our dentist, as even a small problem if neglected, can quickly escalate into a bigger and more expensive dental treatment procedure. You can make an appointment by calling +1 (403) 252 7733.

Health

Posted By Kristine Nativelove