No alien abductions, just another test to cram for

Turns out my last post wasn't short and sweet because I've been abducted by aliens; rather, I'm just stressed out about my next big grad exam.

So I've decided I won't be posting much (if at all) until after Oct. 29th (when my next big exam, for which I am currently completely underprepared, occurs). I will still return all comments on my blog (promptly or eventually, depending on how procrastinatory I'm feeling when I see them) though, so no need for utter silence unless ya feel like it.

(Important note to Entrecard users: This also means my Entrecard dropping has been and will continue to be virtually nonexistent for a while as well, but I'll pick that up again too once I can. I'll be denying all new ad requests for the PurrPrints blog until then though, and you're welcome to cancel current pending ones with no hard feelings; I'd understand not wanting to pay credits for an un-updated blog)

I did find out a few days ago that I passed the first big exam, so that's good news at least. Here's to hoping my luck holds...

I have some fun stuff planned for once I'm back though, so don't abandon me forever!

Because they rock: My top EC droppers

Not only are these my top EC droppers for August, they're also among my favorite blogs--and they're very responsive when dropping back. So if you're looking for a new place to drop in, I'd suggest any of these:
Chica & Pumuckl - 2 Egyptian Cats in Germany
BeadedTail
LOL Cats
Friends FurEver
The Peanut Butter Blog
Cat Lovers Site
Luxor
Grr, Midnight & Cocoa
Sharon Hart
Beyond Feron

RME: Joining the Revolution-(altered 5/6/2010)

After hearing tons of other shop-keepers on etsy praise RevolutionMoneyExchange (usually referred to as just "RME") to the heavens, and after doing a bit of research on my own, I've decided to join in on this particular free-us-from-PayPal-fees revolution.

My biggest incentive, honestly, was when I had 33 cents of a 1 dollar shipping bill taken out by PayPal in fees earlier this week. Stuff like that is enough to drive a small shopkeeper nuts!

Obviously, then, the perk of RME is its freedom from fees--no costs for signing up, requesting, sending, or receiving money. (There are fees for overdrafts and paper checks though--but since neither of those is an issue for me, that didn't put me off).

Basically it's that you can only transfer money between RME account users--unlike PayPal, where non-account-holders can just use credit cards to pay. This means that if the person paying you doesn't have an RME account they'd have to set one up to pay, and then it will be a couple days before their account clears and money is transferable. (In other words, its work basically how PayPal works when you're not using credit cards--if there is money in their account, it transfers immediately; if it's being pulled from their checking first, there's a delay). Also, it only works for people in the U.S. currently (which I think is very unfortunate).

Yes, that's a bit annoying. But to me it's far less annoying than paying 33% in fees (I know, that's only a bill for 1 dollar, but still!). In order to make it more appealing to my customers, I'm thinking I'll either include a free extra with purchases made through RME or I'll offer a 2% discount (PayPal charges 3%, but they also have a flat 30 cent transaction fee they add to this 3%, which is what makes those low-priced-item transactions on PayPal so brutal, fee-wise). What would you find to be the best incentive?

[5/6/2010 edit: There is longer a giveaway associated with this post because RME no longer offers a referral bonus. But I'm still offering an extra goody to those customers who purchase from my Etsy shop via RME]