Ken McGuire

Tag: Money

  • Make Money On YouTube – YouTube Partnerships

    There have been some good chats going on locally of late in relation to video content creation and monetising video content online. A mail in the inbox over the weekend prompted me towards the YouTube Partner Programme. On the outside it’s certainly looks more like an option for those who are uploading regularly and clocking up some serious video videos (thousands to millions) but the minimum criteria covers ownership, copyright and age.

    Check the full details here     or view the video above for more of an insight as to how the Partner programme works.

    Next thing I’d like to know is what (if any, or many) Irish groups are able to generate reasonable revenue from their YouTube content?

  • Save EUR250 On An iMac

    iMac
    Creative Commons License photo credit: KnOizKi

    You can save €250 on a brand new 24″ Apple iMac.

    How?

    By not buying from the Apple store, funnily enough. While I love the Apple store online, and enjoy walking around the physical properties as well, you can’t argue with a saving of €250.

    In January of this year I told myself that by the end of the year I would add an iMac to the family. I’m looking for something to handle my workload and free up the MacBook Pro for home use. After saving a few pennies I figured I would go for the 24″ iMac.

    Yes, one could stop at the 20″ model but I’d set my mind on the 24″ 2.8Ghz model, retailing on the Irish Apple Store at €1599 or €1316 ex VAT.

    I loaded up the cart, hovered, hovered, hovered, and walked away.

    Coming back, I said I’d try Dabs for the craic to see if they sell Apple goodies, which they do. Low and behold on Dabs4Work.ie they have the same 24″ iMac, brand spanking new, at €1065 ex VAT. Like apple, they also offer same-day / 24-hour dispatch. At a saving to me of €250-odd Euro.

    After a slight delay in trying to verify the address of my office, everything is on the way. The way the Euro vs Pound is working now, it certainly makes more sense to buy from Dabs as opposed to Apple.

    Case in point (as highlighted on Twitter yesterday) – you can buy an Apple iPod Touch (8Gb) on the Irish Apple Store for €219. The same piece of hardware is £165 on the UK Apple Store, now the equivalent of €175 (with the Euro trading at STG 0.9411 at time of writing).

    If you’re buying Apple this Christmas, at least for the moment, take the time to shop around online. A €250 would pretty much pay the tax on my van for 12 months, well worth it.

  • Cost Savings On A Full Driving License

    Last year, aged 24, I forked out around €1,220 for comprehensive insurance on my 1.9l Peugeot Partner. My license date and insurance renewal date were in days of each other, the license passing into its second year just before paying out the insurance renewal.

    The first year I had the van, aged 23, I paid out over €1,700 for comprehensive insurance on a first provisional license.

    When the letter from SGS (driving test) came in the door a few months back to tell me I would be sitting my test on June 26th I thought it couldn’t have come at a better time. My license would be up for renewal come August, along with the insurance – failing the test would mean moving onto a second provisional and possibily reducing the cost of the insurance. Passing the test would mean a full license and a definite reduction in insurance.

    So, delighted as I am having turned 25 in May, passing the driving test in June and picking up my insurance quote from Quinn Direct in the post today to offer me insurance at €560 give or take a few pennies.

    The no-claims bonus was represented a saving of around €190 so when you take charges into account (for direct debit payments), I’m still left with an additional saving of around €430 having turned 25 and earned a full license.

    Now to direct that saving into something nice…