My little blog

A marketing student learning about life

[myblogworld]

My dream prom dress and a mobile application

My prom was an exciting and special moment. It marks the end of childhood and innocent carelessness, but for me it was the beginning of adulthood and entering the world of adults. Like any other new start, this one was to be greeted with style and class. Often, preparations for such an important event begin much earlier for girls than for their male classmates. I confirm this from personal experience! The reasons are related to the large selection of fashion items available for women - dresses, skirts, accessories and shoes.

Based on my personal experience, the pressure to find a non-traditional but low budget outfit was huge. The desire for uniqueness and difference had to fit within a certain price range. My decision seemed quite simple - buy a dress online. In Wish I found an amazing dress, covered with beautiful colored embroidery. I wanted it badly! The price of the dress was not high, as Wish is a site I use often and I know what to look for. However, this purchase was going to be the most expensive gift my parents gave me. Each of us is aware of the dangers of online shopping - theft of personal data, withdrawal of all our hard-earned savings. Always being more cautious and critical than necessary, I decided to explore ways to make the safest purchase.

Since I was still a minor, I only had my parents' debit cards as a means of payment. As much as I wanted this dress, online shopping still bothered me. This uncertainty was exacerbated by my parents' reluctance to buy the dress due to previous problems with online shopping. My desire was to find an easy and affordable way to pay so I could convince them that their main bank account would be protected. I learned from a classmate that my anxiety was in vain. She told me that she has had her own virtual debit card for a year now. This card can be funded, frozen, or even deleted immediately after use - all at the click of a button with the iCard app. My mother, interested in new technologies to a minimum, opened her own iCard account within a day without leaving home. Thanks to the option to create several virtual debit cards linked to the main account, I got my own card before coming of age. Always impatient, I insisted that my mother immediately transfer the amount I needed for the dress. After confirming the payment, I froze my card, successfully interrupting any attempted theft or fraud. Two months later, I got the dress of my dreams, which made my prom a fabulous experience.

Two years later, although I parted with my beautiful dress so it could complete the dream of its new owner, iCard is still with me. As a full-fledged owner of a personal virtual account, virtual cards help me plan and track my student budget, receive instant transfers from my parents without the annoying bank fees. My only disappointment was that I failed to take advantage of the exclusive discounts when shopping with iCard Welcome, which became available this year. Shrinking the amount spent on earrings, bracelet and necklace in Swarovski stores would make my prom experience even lower in budget and more satisfying.

[firetrucks]

we go hundred!

[myblogworld]

A family’s transition from a regular to a digital wallet

You are going to experience a story of a transition - an ideological one, surrounding an average Bulgarian woman, acquainted with the spirit of a fighter and harboring a great attachment to customs and traditions. From a daughter’s perspective, I have always admired my mother's ability to overcome any problematic situations, to take care of me and my younger brother, to be a loving wife, but also a dedicated career woman. Inspired by my mother's mental endurance and spiritual strength, I decided to step out of my comfort zone - studying abroad was the perfect opportunity to test my own abilities.

Life before the transition:

The preparation prior to the start of my journey was long but exciting. Saying goodbye to my loved ones was one of the most difficult experiences. If I only knew what was ahead of me ...

Living and studying in a foreign country is exciting but very expensive - we all know that. The British pounds I had to live with for the first few months of my stay were in cash. Such a thick bundle of money had not been trusted to me until this moment. My mother, who used to question all "new technologies" and despised the high bank taxes for international transfers, insisted that me flying  from Varna to London with £ 4,000 in my pocket was the safest and most inexpensive option. Unfortunately, I fell asleep at the London airport which led to me getting robbed. However, not all my money got stolen because I had divided the amount into two places - in my wallet and in my hand luggage. I was then left with a very limited budget, forcing me to go on a rather restricted diet. The call I had with my mother, explaining her the situation, went through several stages - panic, anger, coming in terms with the absurdity of the situation in which we had found ourselves.

Before leaving my home city, banking was a distant and unnecessary responsibility that life confronted me with in a rather unpleasant way. For the first time, the educational role was in my hands - I needed to find an easy and affordable way for bank transfers to happen, which my mother could trust. I researched different options to make the best choice. RaiPay and UniCredit Bulbank offered the functionality I was looking for, but there was no option for a bank account in pounds. In addition, RaiPay was only compatible with Android, and I am an iOS user.

Among the countless applications on my phone was also the iCard app. I had used it for a past online purchase but I had never learned all its features. I already had my own iCard account - all that was left was for my mother to create one of her own. The unique thing about this Bulgarian company is the possibility of owning multiple virtual accounts in different currencies, which work without the aggravating transfer fees. Presenting my mum with the research I have conducted, I was able to convince her that further money-related accidents can be avoided by switching to this digital wallet. The few tears I shed added some extra value to my arguments. After a seamless creation of a virtual account, currency exchange and a tax-free transfer - all through the application - my mother was fascinated with iCard.

Life after the transition:

When I went back to Bulgaria during the holidays, I found that the mobile application has become an integral part of my family's life. Contactless payments had become everyone’s new habit. My younger brother, still a minor, was showing off his own debit card to his classmates. My parents had all their loyalty and bonus cards digitized, which not only had slimed down their wallets but was allowing them to double the points collected when shopping. Waiting outside a utility bill’s payment point was a thing of the past – all this was replaced by paying through the app.

The digital wallet improved aspects of our family life, which we were accustomed to. Therefore, the existence of such a simple solution to problems we did not even know we had, was a big surprise. My mother, strong and independent as ever, kept her passion for tradition, but now iCard was also included.

[fuckyeahchinesegarden]

千户苗寨 thousand miao villages , xijiang, guizhou province.

[myblogworld]

3 съвета как да увеличим насладата от следващото си пътешествие

Пътуванията са се превърнали във всеобща страст, привличаща малки и големи, професионалисти и номади. За някои е важна дистинацията - красотата и уникалността на избраната локация. За други по-важен се оказва пътят – намирането на себе си, преживяванията, предхождащи крайната цел. Независимо в коя категория попадате, важно е пътуването да премине по най-безопасния и удобен начин, за да бъде максимално удовлетворението. В следващите редове ще откриете няколко мои препоръки как да извлечете максималното от всеки тип пътуване.

Пътувай удобно!

До преди година не се бях качвала на самолет сама. Винаги имаше възрастен с мен, който да се занимава с всичко около полета, а за мен оставаше зяпането през прозореца. Тази практика бе прекъсната, когато най-добрата ми приятелка се премести да учи в Дания. Много исках да я посетя – безкрайно ми липсваше, а Дания бе мечтана дестинация. Всичко вървеше страхотно – намерих си билет на разумна цена, не закъснях за полета си, отново бях на мястото до прозореца. Единсвеният минус бе ранният час, в който трябваше да съм на летището, за това и прескочих любимото си хранене за деня - закуската. Мислех си: „Всичко е наред, ще си взема нещо в самолета“. Харесах си най-страхотния сандвич с пилешко... Бях толкова гладна! Когато дойде моят ред, понечих да платя с парите, които носех в кеш – все пак в България всичко така си се заплаща. Стюардесата с внимание ми обясни, че полетът работи само с карти и не мога да платя за сандвича си. Меко казано е, че бях съкрушена. За щастие момичето до мен, усетило нещастието ми, изкара телефона си и плати вместо мен. Веднага я попитах за приложението, което използва. Разказа ми, че безконтактните плащания, когато е на път, олекотяват портфейла ѝ. Сигурността, която ѝ предлага апликацията при пазаруване онлайн, ме впечатли още повече. Изтеглих си iCard oще на летището в Копенхаген – нямах търпение да създам собствен акаунт и неудобството от парите в брой да остане в миналото.

Пътувай разумно!

Следващото ми пътуване в чужбина бе заедно със семейството ми, а крайната точка бе Лондон. Още от малка си бях мечтала да посетя града и забележителностите му – Биг Бен, Тауър Бридж, Бъкингамския дворец... Бях си заделила специални спестявания, които с удоволствие да похарча из уличките на града. Още на летище Лутън, обаче, нещата се опитаха да се объркат. Изморена от полета, недоспала и разсеяна, направих грешката да вляза с картодържача си в тоалетната. Оставих го до мивката, за да си измия ръцете, но там го и забравих. Разбира се, след като се върнах да го потърся вече не беше там. Картата с всичките ми спестявания я нямаше... Какво „чудесно“ начало на почивката ни. Разсеяността ми е негативно качество, с което не се гордея, но за това пък се старая да съм предвидлива и да имам подготвени решения на потенциални проблеми. С тази мисъл в багажа си бях взела втора неактивирана дебитна карта. Веднага замразих открадната и съобщих на iCard за създалата се ситуация. След като те ме увериха, че парите ми са защитени, активирах резервната карта и мечтаната ми екскурзия започна отначало. Ще излъжа, ако не споделя, че докрая на пътуването проверявах по няколко пъти дали всичките ми вещи са в мен.

Пътувай луксозно!

Сестра ми работи като фотограф на свободна практика. През годините си е изградила доста успешна кариера и често ѝ се налага да пътува извън страната, за да заснеме кадрите, които са ѝ нужни. За да получава възнагражденията си без такси и без преобразуване на валута, тя се отказа от традиционните банкови услуги и премина към дигитален портфейл. Едно друго удобство, обаче, все още ѝ бе недостъпно. За разлика от костюмарите с куфарчета и скъпо платените знаменитости, тя не можеше да се възползва от спокойствието и удобствата на летищните салони. Този „лукс“ бе запазен само за най-богатите, тези със специална покана от своите банкери да получат карта Visa Infinite. И на двете ни това разделение между класите се струваше абсурдно! Какво като не изкарваш заплата с безброй нули зад запетаята? Трябва ли това да препятства достъпа ти до удобства, които са ти необходими? Всичко това се промени, когато дигиталният ѝ портфейл представи своя платена версия на премиум картите. C iCard Visa Infinite няма значение каква заплата получаваш или кого познаваш. Срещу месечна такса сестра ми се сдоби с вход към удобствата на летищата, както и солидна застраховка, предпазваща здравето и апаратурата ѝ. Луксът се превърна в право на всеки, който го пожелае.